Changed
Lives in Tanzania
Beth B.,
overseer of VOICE Africa, was on her way back to Uganda via Kenya from Tanzania
when she sent us two testimonies via What’s App message:
1.
One
Scripture Union Tanzania staff member recently taught “Forgiveness” at a
Scripture Union camp. One of the children was struggling with something a
school teacher had done to him in the past: she had scratched his very dark
skin and asked “what is this? Is this charcoal or black coals or what?” Other
kids had laughed and he was called Charcoal. He was so angry but as the module
on Forgiveness was being taught, he chose to forgive and stood up to share his
story with the other campers.
2.
In
another situation where the module on Purity was being taught, a boy who had
been sexually abused by his Auntie responded to the Lord by forgiving her.
* * *
P.S. –
After writing the above, we heard another amazing story from Beth B. of God at
work. I’m quoting almost word for word from her letter:
The South Sudan Bishop that I worked closely with in the past and was promoted to the level of Archbishop earnestly requested me to go and help train his people. So Chris and I got ready to go. On the day of our planned travel, we went to the South Sudan embassy to pick up our visas and passports. It was just hours before travel. I was nervous abut this because if anything happens, then what do you do?
So we parked the car near the embassy but I had to remain in the car since we had luggage and as you know we are always watching that it is not broken into, plus we had no good place to park really, so one has to remain in the car in case police come and you need to move.
Chris went and quickly came back and said, "Auntie, they have NOT given you a visa! "What?" I asked him why and he said, "They say that because there is no space in your passport." I knew it. I had only one page and had risked! Time was running out very fast, so I prayed, "Lord, maybe it is just Chris who should go?" Then I visualized the Bishop that was expecting me looking very disappointed and confused because it is me he knew and was always communicating with me, besides I was taking Chris for the first time and especially in this part of the world this age thing is a real big deal. Chris is young and I knew that our South Sudanese would prefer to listen to the older.
So I asked Chris to remain in the car and I ran into the embassy to try and persuade them to give me the visa. I got there and the men and the one lady there emphatically pointed out that "Madam, we have been trying to reach you because there is no space and the remaining page we cannot place the visa there." Then the miracle happened before my very eyes. The lady told the men that, "I know this lady, when I was a little girl in Primary school at Kitente Primary School she used to come and teach us the Bible." She took my passport and went to the Boss and returned with the visa on that one last page! I left the place WORSHIPING at the top of my voice. I was so rushed, that other than, "Oh THANK YOU!" I could not even stop a minute to ask her who she was etc.!
So we parked the car near the embassy but I had to remain in the car since we had luggage and as you know we are always watching that it is not broken into, plus we had no good place to park really, so one has to remain in the car in case police come and you need to move.
Chris went and quickly came back and said, "Auntie, they have NOT given you a visa! "What?" I asked him why and he said, "They say that because there is no space in your passport." I knew it. I had only one page and had risked! Time was running out very fast, so I prayed, "Lord, maybe it is just Chris who should go?" Then I visualized the Bishop that was expecting me looking very disappointed and confused because it is me he knew and was always communicating with me, besides I was taking Chris for the first time and especially in this part of the world this age thing is a real big deal. Chris is young and I knew that our South Sudanese would prefer to listen to the older.
So I asked Chris to remain in the car and I ran into the embassy to try and persuade them to give me the visa. I got there and the men and the one lady there emphatically pointed out that "Madam, we have been trying to reach you because there is no space and the remaining page we cannot place the visa there." Then the miracle happened before my very eyes. The lady told the men that, "I know this lady, when I was a little girl in Primary school at Kitente Primary School she used to come and teach us the Bible." She took my passport and went to the Boss and returned with the visa on that one last page! I left the place WORSHIPING at the top of my voice. I was so rushed, that other than, "Oh THANK YOU!" I could not even stop a minute to ask her who she was etc.!
