What if there was a way to be cured of any disease or illness you had? What would you do for it? Some people believe there is such a cure in Tanzania, in a tiny village out by the Serengeti called Loliondo. Beginning with a retired pastor who heard from God, hundreds of people are flocking to this village to be healed by drinking the particular type of tea he brews for them. One of the translators I work with, Mussa, joined the crowds pouring in to Loliondo over a week ago. He left Saturday afternoon around 4pm with a group of people in a land rover. Along the way, they began to encounter traffic jams not of the ordinary variety. It had been raining quite a bit, wreaking havoc on the dirt roads and leaving many vehicles broken down and stuck in the mud. Fortunately the vehicle they were in was in good condition and they were able to bypass the lines of cars on the road. As they approached Loliondo Sunday afternoon they found themselves at the end of a line of vehicles stretching 30km. People from all over Tanzania as well as Kenya and Uganda were in line to get the healing tea.
The line moved slowly over the next few days but it did move. Problems cropped quickly with so many people camping out in the middle of nowhere. They were far from any city or village which could provide them with basic necessities such as food and water to drink. People who lived close by took advantage of the situation and started selling food and bottled water at inflated prices, 3 or 4 times what it would normally cost. They would slaughter a goat and sell raw meat at a high price, leaving the buyer to find somewhere to cook it himself, at a cost of course. Water used to cook rice was so dirty it would turn the rice brown. Some people were reduced to selling their clothes or other items of value in order to buy food and water. Those who had planned ahead and brought their own food and water, such as Mussa, were able to survive without too many issues.
Where to sleep was also an issue. Mussa and his companions ended up on cardboard boxes on the ground outside since the car was too cramped for everyone to sleep inside. However they had to be cautious as there was danger from wild animals, such as lions. One lady had reported seeing a lion but it wasn’t confirmed. Bathroom facilities were also problematic since there were none.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of waiting was the extremely sick people who had been brought from the hospital to be healed. Some of them ended up dying as they waited to be healed. For those with money they could pay someone with a motorcycle to take them to the front of the line. Prices for these rides also skyrocketed, making them a possiblity only for the very rich. Mussa witnessed one man die not far from him, a diabetic, who wasn’t doing well and needed to find some food. As the man was walking to find food he collapsed, hit his head and died right there.
Around 3pm on Thursday afternoon, Mussa and his friends reached Babu (Swahili for grandfather), the retired Lutheran pastor who was making the tea. Twice a day Babu would hold a mini service and pray for those who received the tea. When they reached the front of the line, they paid the required fee (about $0.35 per person). They remained in the vehicle and the tea was brought to them. They drank it and left.
After enduring that trip, Mussa said he thinks he is healed. He is not taking any medication for his diabetes and has been eating small amounts of sugar with no ill effects thus far. However the jury is still out as to whether he is completely cured or not.
Stories abound of people claiming to be healed. People who were crippled are now walking; people who were HIV positive now test negative. At the same time there are stories of diabetics who stopped their medication and ate normally after drinking the tea but then end up in the hospital, near death. What is really happening? Is God healing people through one retired man in the middle of nowhere? Or are people just convinced they are healed? Does the tea have medicinal qualities? It does seem like some people are healed but others are not. Is it worth the time, money and discomfort to join the crowds at Loliondo? I don’t know but believe that God can and will work through this situation, even if it is not how we expect.
What if there was a way to be cured of any disease or illness you had? What would you do for it? Some people believe there is such a cure in Tanzania, in a tiny village out by the Serengeti called Loliondo. Beginning with a retired pastor who heard from God, hundreds of people are flocking to this village to be healed by drinking the particular type of tea he brews for them. 