Fishers of Men

One of the main industries where we live is fishing since Kigoma is located on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. I see fishermen everyday going out to fish by day or by night. It is a constant reminder of the mission every believer should be engaged in. Jesus said, “Follow Me and I will make you a fisher of men.” This is not a task for missionaries, evangelists, or pastors, but for every follower of Christ! He is pursuing the lost, and if we are following Him… that is where He will lead us. He knows where the fish are! I am often reminded of my weakness and failure in this area. As a follower, as a disciple (literally a learner), I am learning this trade of fishing for men. It’s not pushing the Gospel on people who aren’t interested, but being obedient, filled with His love and joy, and telling others what great things He has done for me!

The opportunities are all around us because we are surrounded by fish (people)! People who are lost, empty, and searching for the truth. Lord teach me to fish!

Sometimes opportunities come at unexpected times, and they require a willingness to pause and share the Gospel when you would rather be doing something else. Our job is to make ourselves available and also to recognize when the Lord gives us an opportunity. Jennifer is sharing (above) with a young man in town.

Sometimes they come right to your door. Gerald is giving (below) these young children Gospel booklets for kids. They are from the kids EE program, and they enjoy them so much.

Sometimes we must go out and to where the fish are! The street boys ministry is a good example of that, although it began by these guys following me around in town :-) We enjoyed playing this past week and had over 15 boys come out. Not many were true street boys, more like neighborhood boys since school is out. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a soccer game, the Gospel, and some much needed refreshments.

I also was invited to teach at the boys club at our church one Saturday recently. These boys (below) are so fun to be around, so eager to learn and have fun (a great combination). I gave a lesson titled, “Faith that Saves!”

We have had many visitors at the Maktaba who come for free reading glasses. This has turned out to be a great way to meet a need in the community because there aren’t many decent reading glasses available here. Each visit for glasses is an opportunity to tell them about God‘s love for them, and how He gave His Son to die on a cross to pay for their sins.

Two friends of mine just recently took a boat down Lake Tanganyika to a village south of Kigoma. The trip took 24 hours one way! We were able to get them several boxes of Injilis (New Testaments in Swahili/Arabic) to distribute to the people there. They went fishing, casting the Gospel net and casting the Gospel lure! I’m looking forward to hearing about all the Lord did through them when they return! Pray for these guys :)

I recently met a young man named Mzaliwa who just finished the first 8 Emmaus courses and had arrived at the maktaba to get the next course. He was a Muslim, but like all religions, he was simply following man-made rules and laws that left him unsatisfied. He heard the Gospel in town, and believed! He rejoiced that he had found the truth and put his faith in the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. What a joy it is to see his smile and see him grow in Christ :-)

Yesterday Jennifer and I attended a funeral for a man in our chapel who died at age 75. He was born a Muslim, but continued searching and eventually heard the Gospel and believed on the Savior. He, like the rest of us Christians, learned that Jesus was more than a good teacher, more than a messenger of God, more than a prophet… He was and is God who entered the human race through a virgin birth (miracle), lived a perfect, sinless life, and died on the cross to pay for our sins! He died for us, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. Three days later He rose from the dead, defeating death, and is alive and able to save to the uttermost all who come to God through Him!

The funeral was a solemn reminder of why every single soul on this earth needs to be saved. Death is looming for every single one of us, because we have all sinned. I have learned that there are really two ways a person can go… the true and the false. Jesus is the only Savior, and for those of us who know the truth, He is calling us to follow Him. If we follow Him, the promise is that He will make us fishers of men! This is a cause that is worth giving your life for :)

It has been said that this world is not the greatest home, but it sure is a good school :-) We never stop learning or growing in this journey. May the Lord make us all fishers of men for His glory and the salvation of many!

Prayer Requests:

1 - This Saturday we are beginning our journey to Kenya to take Isaac to school at RVA. He is excited and ready for this new stage in his life. We covet your prayers for travels and for Isaac as he begins the school year!

2 - We are praying over a certain plot we have found in Ujiji for the purpose of this youth camp and children center. We covet your prayers as we approach the sellers and begin the process.

Thank you all for holding the rope for us in prayer!