TANZANIAN MISSIONS

A Missionary Report by Rev Dr Park Seung Kyu, 25 October 2016

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Thank you for your sincere support for Tanzanian missions through prayer and love gifts. You are always in our prayers. I still remember your hospitality that I received during the Bible Camp last June in Bali, Indonesia.

I appreciate the two boxes of Bibles that you sent us. I sent one box to Bible College of East Africa (BCEA), Kenya because they are also in need of the King James Bible. It is difficult to get King James Bible here, so we are all thankfully using it.

BCEA Tanzania

Since arriving here, I have my hands full with various jobs. A Korean missionary whom I worked with is having his sabbatical year, so it is much busier than the other normal days. By the grace of the Lord, Preacher James Tan helped in the work of BCEA Tanzania a lot by preaching and teaching several subjects during the first three weeks.

This semester, I am teaching three subjects: Acts, Westminster Confession, and Homiletics. Though I opened an Elementary Greek class because students wanted to learn, I have already closed the class because all of them failed.

There are four new students this semester. One student came back after his suspension. But regretfully, this student left us on his own after two weeks. So there are a total of 13 students now. Several students who have been suspended contacted us for reinstatement, but they have yet to appear. I cannot forget what Pastors Judah and Joseph once told me: “If things go well as planned, they do not come. But if things do not go well, and they have nothing to do, they will come back to College.” I heard that one student, an unwed mother, who studied here last semester is now selling vegetables at the local market for the sake of her child and mother. It is not a few cases that students happened not to come back after vacation. It brings into my heart pain. I pray for students who are sincerely called by the Lord to enter BCEA Tanzania.

These days, students are praying wholeheartedly and eagerly. I suppose the life of the Bible College is not easy for them. In such times, I pray for students that they could have joy in God by learning His Word.

Water runs well. Currently, we are working on changing the water pipe that runs through the village to the College. Electricity is better than previous semesters. There is fish in the little pond in the compound. Cats catch rats. Dogs guard the school every night until the sun comes out.

The College purchased a vehicle from a Korean missionary who did not need it any more. When it comes to importing a used car from Japan, the procedure is very complicated and bothersome. Thanks to his offer, I do not need to import. Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church helped us to purchase it. The condition of the vehicle is fairly good. It seems that there will not be any problems for 20 years.

Chemchemi Kindergarten

There are 40 kids in the kindergarten for this term. With joy, kids learn together with their classmates and teachers. Every morning, after worship service, the kindergarten provides corn soup for them. Rarely have they breakfast at home. Therefore, this source of food is essential for them. Compared to the food service in Singapore, it is poor in quality and amount. However, this is the best that we can do. It is heartbreaking to see them waiting for food. We sometimes provide bread or rice. Of course candies are always ready. Recently we gave them mandazi, Tanzanian-style doughnut, twice a week.

On the playground of the kindergarten, kids play. Today, there is a soccer match. In the afternoon, this place becomes a playground for all the kids in our village. This is the only playground in this village. We let them play until 6pm for safety. It may look peaceful, but still, it is Tanzania, Africa.

Glory Bible-Presbyterian Church

On Sunday, I preach in Glory Bible-Presbyterian Church. I am preaching from the Gospel of John, focusing on the life of Jesus Christ. There is a considerable number of Christians in this district compared to Muslims. However, it is difficult to meet a sincere Christian who is born again through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I devote myself to deliver the Good News of Jesus Christ to save their souls. As I preach in English, Pastor Joseph translates it into Swahili language. Although my English is somewhat uncertain, he delivers well. For sure, it is much better than if I were to speak in Swahili.

About 60 people, including kids, worship together every Sunday. Tanzanian people like to sing with action, and the worship is not an exception. There is an adult group, middle school group, Sunday school group. Each praise group sings two songs. Total six praise songs are sung by them during worship service, taking about 30 minutes. It is longer than the sermon. However, it is better than other churches. There are some churches which spend three to four hours just in presenting praise songs. I put my effort to conduct worship that is centred on the Word of God. After the worship service, we share bread and tea to promote fellowship among church members.

The church carries out what the church should be responsible for like providing scholarships for the Bible College students and giving relief to the people in need.

There are many cracks in the church building. There is high risk of it collapsing but the cost of reconstruction is unaffordable for us. Still, I consider the best way to repair the building. Some said that these cracks are a result of the foundation not built in a solid way, but still, expert advice is needed. Moreover, the floor of the church building is heavily damaged. Lots of sections are paved and damaged which makes its appearance poorer. Students in BCEA clean up the floor of the church every week to make it look better. However, the conditions of the cement floor deteriorated as they pour water on it. This is happening also in the main building of BCEA. It is necessary to ascertain the basic cause of this situation from experts.

Family

My wife and daughter are going to enter Far Eastern Bible College this coming January. After finishing their studies, my wife will join the faculty of BCEA. I heard from Pastor Jeffrey Khoo that True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church will grant a scholarship for both my wife and my daughter. I have to express gratitude for this. Please pray for them.

It seems necessary to build a house for my family. Currently, I live in a room at the guesthouse, but later when the time comes, a separate house is needed for my family. I am thinking of initiating the construction work as soon as possible even though we do not have enough money for it. I think it has to be completed gradually step by step. This is how Tanzanian people build their houses. They build their houses in many stages as and when they have the money. So do I. I realise I am thinking like the Tanzanian people. I think I have totally adjusted to life in Tanzania. I am mentioning this construction plan to my friends who work in the construction company in Korea. Even if I end up not living there, other missionaries can live in it in the future. Therefore, sooner or later, it needs to be started.

Prayer Requests

1. Pray for BCEA, Chemchemi Kindergarten and Glory B-P Church that the will of God could be fulfilled through them.
2. Pray for my family that they would always live by faith, especially their studies at Far Eastern Bible College.
3. Pray for supporters that they would be sincere and faithful in the Lord. May the Lord bless them with all the blessings from heaven.
4. Pray for the registration of Glory Bible Missions in Africa. The environment for missions in Tanzania is getting worse and worse.