MAF’s team in Tanzania joined evangelists at Malambo Discipleship Training Centre to celebrate over four decades of ministry.
Story by Annet Nabbanja
“For many MAF Tanzania staff, the partnership with the Maasai evangelists has been one of the highlights of serving in Tanzania,” said MAF country director in Tanzania, Stewart Ayling.
“These guys really copy the lifestyle of the evangelists that we read about in the book of Acts – they have such an enthusiasm to tell others about Jesus and so they simply walk from house to house and village to village sharing about Jesus’ love for all people.”
Malambo village buzzed with joy when MAF’s long-standing partners at Malambo Discipleship Training Centre organised a big celebration to thank God for over 41 years of collaboration with MAF. Both of MAF’s Cessna aircraft in Tanzania, the 206 and 208, took off from Arusha carrying MAF staff and partners.
Immediately after landing in Malambo, the sideline of the runway was filled with songs and dazzling array of Maasai clothing colours.
In his speech, the Director at Malambo Training Centre Elisha Olemoita said: “It is a great, miraculous, and unique thing how God has bestowed His grace upon us with great effectiveness to carry out the work of the Gospel in these difficult and heavy environments.
For many MAF Tanzania staff, the partnership with the Masai evangelists has been one of the highlights of serving in Tanzania.
“This area is spread across various types of fierce wildlife, surrounded by mountains, open plains, and valleys.”
MAF entered Malambo in May 1985 when Peter Empson, MAF pilot based in Moshi at that time, took a local Maasai Chief from a nearby village on a flight over Mountain Oldoinyo Lengai (the "Mountain of God" in Maasai tradition) during the initial days of what became the monthly Malambo Safari. Upon landing, the Chief reported to his tribe that no god lives there.
At that time, the Malambo Parish was known as the Arash Parish, with its headquarters in Arash. The entire parish relied on a single evangelist, Elisha Olemoita, and had only about 63 Christians. Today the Malambo region has over 13,000 Christians, thanks to the partnership with MAF.
“Traditional beliefs in this region have a strong hold on communities but through the persistent work of the evangelists, many have come to faith in Jesus,” said Stewart.
Elisha started Malambo Discipleship Training Centre in 2018 to prepare evangelists to carry on this work with dedication.
The scattered nature of settlements and poor living conditions made it difficult to gather the locals to share the Gospel. Many were nomadic, moving from one area to another.
“God has used MAF to enable our Bible school to reach many more areas,” said Elisha. “This has allowed the Gospel to spread from Malambo to parishes within our northern district, across all Maasai districts in our diocese, as well as external dioceses.”
God has used MAF to enable our Bible school to reach many more areas.
The evangelists had very little resources and often had to walk beyond the runway to reach people.
“The partnership with MAF hasn’t changed this simplicity but it has increased the footprint of their work, enabling communities across a wide region of Northern Tanzania to be challenged by the Good News of Jesus and to see whole communities changed by His love,” said Stewart.