Himo School

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12).

The congregation in Himo has been the central focus of the lawsuit brought on by a former member of our church in East Africa, against us and against certain individual members of our churches in the Moshi district. This has been going on for two years now in a very slow process, and although it seems to be nearing the end, we cannot be sure when everything will be finally resolved. The chief matter in dispute is the ownership of the seminary building in Himo. The seminary has been closed for two years, but the members of the Himo congregation, who used the seminary chapel as their sanctuary have been allowed to continue to use it in this way during the case. While that has been a blessing, it has also put them in the middle of this battle.

Thankfully we found that the pre-school that was also operated at the seminary has also been able to continue. They have about 80 students from ages 3-5 who are taught by Pastor Makundi’s wife and one other woman in the congregation. We arrived at the seminary building at about 11:00 as they were wrapping things up for the day. The children greeted us in English and did some counting and singing for us. The school here receives some fees from parents, but is supported mostly by the members of the Himo congregation and other TCLC churches in the Moshi district. Of course they have more needs than they are able to meet themselves and they would like to be able to provide. One thing they would like to provide is a bowl of porridge for the children in the morning. They would also like to buy some small blackboards for the younger children so they can practice their writing. I have asked Pastor Makundi to provide me with a full list of the needs they have and what those items would cost, to see if we can help.

A picture of the happy faces of the children of the Himo congregation's pre-school.

From the school we went to visit the family of a Himo member who passed away earlier this year. Mr. Uiso had been a rock in the Himo congregation and he became ill with a liver disease at the end of last year. We wanted to pass on our sympathy to his family.

We also went to visit with some of the members of the Himo congregation to encourage them to continue fighting the good fight of faith and not give up. In the face of all these difficulties, we reminded them that our hope in the future has not changed, no matter the outcome of the current court case. The Lord will be with them as He has promised. It was a very beneficial and uplifting visit, for us and for them as well.

Greeting the Himo members before heading back to Moshi.

We caught the bus back to Moshi and met up with the men who had already arrived for the conference. More continued to poor in throughout the late afternoon and early evening. It was a joy to sit and visit with them all and to discuss the state of affairs in East African politics and religion amiably and as brothers in Christ. It makes me look forward all the more to our conference tomorrow!

In Christ’s service,

Nathanael