The Ultimate Cure

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.

For more info see: http://thecitizen.co.tz/sunday-citizen/40-sunday-citizen-news/9008-untold-story-of-loliondo-mystery.html

Behind the Scenes

In every type of ministry there are up front people and people behind the scenes. In church we recognize that the person running the sound booth is just as important as the person leading worship. We need everyone in order for the service to run smoothly.

However sometimes on the mission field it’s easy for the behind the scenes people to get missed. In a translation project we think about linguists, translators, literacy workers and scripture use workers. But an accountant? An IT expert? Operations manager? We don’t necessarily think of those people as being critical to a translation project but they are crucial, especially for a cluster project working with several languages.

I can personally testify that our project would not continue without those people and the Bible would not get translated. It takes money to operate an office, simple things like paying for supplies and paying the employees. Who will do that so we can all work at the office? As well we require money for trips out to the village to check the Scriptures or for paying for workshops. Who knows about project funds and is able to get us the money we need? These aren’t simple tasks and not just anyone can fill that role. We all love the current accountant although she might not say the same about us.

Then there is the area of computers and other types of technology. What happens when we need to update translation software or there is an issue on a translator’s computer? Work grinds to a halt until the IT person can come fix it. Since all our work is done on computers it is absolutely essential to have someone who can help keep those computers running. But it’s not just computers; it’s also the server and the backups, internet and networks. There is much more but it’s beyond me so I won’t mention it here. All I know is that without our IT guy, work would probably come to a stop in a couple days or less.

Operations is also a critical department. It’s hard to run an office if the water and electricity bills aren’t paid or there isn’t paper to print on. Someone needs to be in charge of the practical aspects of caring for the buildings along with administrative tasks such as supervising certain employees. This is usually not the first area people think of when they consider missions but it’s very important.

When these crucial roles are overlooked the result is a lack of people to fill the roles or a lack of support for people in these roles. Accountants can work as missionaries almost anywhere in the world with Wycliffe because there is such a need. Ironically, it’s more difficult to raise support to work as a missionary accountant than as a translation adviser. It’s not always easy to explain to churches how managing the books makes a difference in the lives of people who need the Bible. But it makes a huge difference and the sooner we realize this the sooner we can begin to support those people who work behind the scenes.

Pray

Have you read the news lately? Living in Africa I like to peruse the headlines related to African countries and recently they have been full of death, news of people killing people, people hating people. I can almost feel the anger and the hate in the room as I sit thousands of miles away and read of the atrocities happening. It all revolves around power; we will do anything for power and control. The things that are happening make me sick just to read about them. And yet I know the potential for that kind of evil lives in my heart and it’s only because of God’s grace that I can love instead of hating.

At the same time, the sad state of our hearts is also revealed in the news. The top news along with dictators and riots is Prince William and Kate Middleton. Alongside of learning about thousands of people dying we are intensely concerned with the private life of Prince William and want to know every detail of what happens with him and his girlfriend. One minute we read of countries being turned upside down and the next we look for the latest gossip with England’s royals. What is happening to us that we can be so callous? What if we had family in those places where people are being burned alive? Would we be so quick to dismiss the news after reading it?

I have been guilty of reading news of terrible things in far off places and not caring enough to even offer up a prayer. Then one day that changed and I wondered how people around me could be so calm and go about their lives as usual when friends of mine in another country were in danger. I read every bit of news I could and prayed all day long. Now when I hear of similar things happening in places where I don’t know people I feel a connection. I wonder about all the families, the innocent people who have lost their homes and are worried about staying alive in the midst of chaos.

It makes me want to cry when I think of the suffering people are enduring, caught in the fight for power and yet I feel helpless in the wake of it all. What can I do to make a difference? How can I change anything? I live in Africa but my influence is limited to my small office and the people around me. The only one with enough power to remove hate from people’s hearts is God. Fortunately I have a direct line to Him. In fact we all do and now is the time to use it.

So pray with me for places where hate rules and peace seems impossible. Pray all day long, pray for God’s will to be done. Don’t let yourself view those people as different from us, they hurt they way we do and they long for a chance to live their lives in peace as we do. Remember them and pray.

The Truth About Chameleons

A couple months ago I had the opportunity to help teach a course on basic translation principles in Uganda. I enjoyed interacting with the participants and learned much from them. One particularly memorable moment was when we were discussing what a concept is. We had examples of different concepts and were sharing what we thought about those concepts. One example was a picture of a chameleon. Without fail, everyone in my group said that a chameleon is very dangerous. Some said it's poisonous, others said it will bite you and you will die right away. One person explained how if you are driving on the road and it is crossing in front of you you have to kill it or something bad will happen to you.

It was fascinating to listen to all the discussion, ideas I had never heard about chameleons before. My ideas about chameleons are that they are a reptile that can change colours to blend with their environment but are essentially harmless and people keep them as pets. I shared my thoughts with the group but they didn't seem to care that I knew people who had kept them as pets, they were absolutely convinced that chameleons are deadly to anyone who gets too close.

What is the truth about chameleons? From my western perspective I was pretty sure I was right. Maybe I am, but I realized that I have blind spots as well in regards to other things besides chameleons . After living in Tanzania I have come to see that one of those blind spots is the spiritual realm. It's pretty easy to ignore all things spiritual and focus on the things in this world that I can see, feel, touch and hear. I can find all my explanations for life scientifically, by observing the world around me. But does that mean the spiritual world doesn't exist? Am I ignoring the obvious? From an East African perspective I definitely am. They know the spiritual world exists, is powerful and affects their everyday life. I may acknowledge the existence of spirits but I don't live in a way that shows it. I credit everything to the physical realm, leaving little space for anything spiritual.

To be clear, as a Christian I know about the spirit world and I believe it exists. I know God works in ways I cannot see and so does the enemy. At the same time my daily decisions are based on the physical realm more often than the spiritual one. I'm concerned about eating right so I will stay healthy and ignore how my spiritual health affects my body. I get upset with people, forgetting that my enemy is not people but the devil. I get frustrated when circumstance are out of my control, unaware that there is battle going on and unseen forces are watching my reaction.

So although my Ugandan friends do not see very clearly when it comes to chameleons, I do not see so clearly when it comes to the spiritual realm. Perhaps in time they will learn from me that chameleons are not as dangerous as they believe and I will learn from them to be aware of the spiritual realm around me.

I Survived the Bus

When the taxi pulled up to place where the bus was parked, I knew right away that we had made a mistake. A friend and I were trying to return to Musoma after spending a few days in Nairobi. However the bus I normally took was not running that day so we followed a recommendation to take another bus headed to Musoma. I had never heard of this particular bus but seeing as it left at the time I wanted and was going in the direction I needed I figured it was worth a try.

At 8pm at night we arrived at a part of Nairobi I had never been before, slightly sketchy and off the main road from where the other buses were parked. The taxi driver told us to be careful as we got out and lugged our suitcases to the bus. I briefly considered trying to take another bus but figured we were committed and that we would survive one trip on a ratty looking bus. If only I had known.

We got going and I settled down for my night on the bus. About an hour out of Nairobi the bus pulled over the side of the road and ground to a halt. Seeing as we weren’t picking up or dropping off people I realized something was wrong with the bus. The driver and few others grabbed some tools and started playing around under the hood of the bus. It refused to start multiple times until at last they coaxed into starting. I had never been so happy to hear the noise of the engine.

As the bus resumed I settled back into my seat, only to be disturbed 20 min later by the bus pulling over again. And this time it wouldn’t start. No matter what they tried, including bringing in a mechanic from a nearby town, it refused to start. Around 3 am we realized we were truly stuck and would have to find a way back to Nairobi.

Throughout this process my friend and I had mostly remained on the bus while others had been standing outside. Many people were angry because this company had no other buses and would not return our money. In fact, the guy who collected money from people as they got on the bus, ran off after a mob of angry people confronted him. Some tried to catch other buses going by, although buses were few and far between at that time. We decided to stay on the broken down bus until early morning and then call a taxi from Nairobi.

When we finally got back to Nairobi it was 7am and we were exhausted. We went back to the guesthouse where we had been staying and collapsed. That night we attempted to take the bus to Musoma again, only this time going with a well known bus line. We made it back safely with no problems. I’m very thankful that God protected us during that adventure and brought us back to Musoma with no further incidents.

Difficulties of Education

Education is something I often take for granted. I assume that it is normal to have access to good quality education in your first language. If you are willing to work hard any education is possible. Unfortunately, that is not true worldwide. Education, particularly post-secondary education often takes place in English and while millions of people do speak English these days, there are millions more who don’t.

Such is the case for many of my Tanzanian colleagues. Although they have had exposure to English in secondary school most of them are not fluent in English. This presents a problem when they consider further education because all post-secondary education is in English in Tanzania. Or if they are looking to attend or complete a correspondence degree from a university outside of Tanzania it will also most likely be in English. Of course it’s definitely possible to learn English well enough to study but it’s not an easy process.

Having seen the challenges my colleagues face I realize how I have taken my own education for granted. During high school I knew there were multiple universities I would be able to attend because I spoke English fluently and graduated from high school with the proper requirements. It was more a matter of deciding what type of post-secondary education I wanted to pursue than wondering if I would be able to.

I can’t change the privileges that I was born with or the ones Tanzanians may be born without. I wish everyone had access to quality education in their first language, or even their second one. But right now I can make a difference by using my ability in English to benefit others. I can help my colleagues improve their English so they will be able to continue their education. I can teach them, encourage them and practice with them so that more doors will open to them.

Jesus Is Not Nice

I think I've always pictured Jesus as being nice. He was powerful and spoke into people's lives in a new way but he was still kind and gentle and loving. Those things are true but I've been discovering another side of Jesus these days, the not so nice side.

As I work through Luke with the translators discussing what Jesus taught I am sometimes a little shocked by some of the things Jesus said. I have read these words many times before but never sat down and really thought through all the implications. But at the end of Luke 11 when Jesus is criticizing the religious leaders, he says some really harsh things. Remember he is talking to the Pharisees, respected leaders of the community. He calls them fools and points out exactly how they are missing the important things that God wants. He calls them graves, comparing them to dead decaying bodies that are corrupting the people walking over them. And Jesus says all of this while he is a guest at one of their houses.

In response to that attack on the Pharisees one of the other religious leaders, an expert in the law, points out that Jesus has also insulted the law experts by saying those kinds of things. He probably assumed that Jesus would realize how harsh he had been and apologize. Instead Jesus turns on that expert in the law. He tells him how they crush people with the burdens they place on them. He holds them responsible for the murders of all the prophets that were committed by their ancestors and then tells them they are preventing people from knowing God, the opposite to what they think they are doing.

As I read those verses I thought, wow Jesus what are you doing to that poor guy? He just was pointing out how harsh you were. Maybe you could say the truth to them but in a nicer way. Then I realized that Jesus wasn't concerned about being nice. He wasn't concerned about making everyone happy but about what God wanted. He was concerned that the people who were supposed to be God's representatives, the people who should be showing others the way to God were in fact showing their own way. Lowly servants who should have been following their Lord had in fact slowly taken over ruling, supplanting his wishes with their own. Jesus could not sit back and let this situation continue.

He was still loving and would not have rejected any of them who repented and truly wanted to follow God. He was not being mean or cruel but speaking straight to the heart of the matter with powerful words. And those words stung because they were true. The pride of those religious leaders could not bear to hear that they were doing anything wrong, let alone the graphic descriptions Jesus used.

I am not like Jesus. My culture says it's always good to be nice. Don't offend people, don't upset them, try to get along with everyone. This is ok sometimes but sometimes I think I need to speak the truth boldly, in love without trying to be nice. The words used shouldn't be said out of spite, to provoke, or out of pride but rather out of a genuine desire to draw people back to God. And if people don't think I'm nice anymore, that's ok because Jesus wasn't nice either.