My name is Rita Bwire. I am the secretary of our Migombani village government. I believe we are the luckiest people on Kome Island because we have Amani School in our village. An island is an isolated place, often overlooked by the government and citizens on the mainland. Kome Island is one such place. Our …
I am Pastor Medard Edward Morris, a Kome Island resident and pastor of a growing church in Ntama village here on the island. I have been serving the Lord as a pastor here for 18 years now. Kome Island is a vibrant coastal community that thrives on the fishing industry. As a pastor serving in …
My birthday was the first day of evangelism in the villages. I was still feeling a little lost; why was I even there? The travel had been long, and the newness of everything so extreme. Nevertheless, I was hopeful that our first day out would be meaningful. Our team of 3 Americans, 3 Tanzanian translators, …
“This One”
These are the words that kept running through my mind while I was holding the hand of a little girl laying in a hospital bed in Tanzania.
I (Elizabeth) have wanted to travel to Tanzania with Twelve21 Global since the fall of 2019 after my best friend told me about her experiences on a mission trip that summer. She returned from her mission trip with a transformed heart and a new understanding of sharing the good news. So naturally…
I needed Tanzania as much or more than Tanzania needed me! One of my motivations for returning to teaching was the opportunity to use my summers to serve on short-term mission trips. When I heard about an opportunity to serve alongside Twelve21 Global in Tanzania, I knew almost immediately that God had opened a door …
We just got back from Tanzania, and it was incredible to see all that God did on this trip! One of my favorite stories is of these 10 guys. My translator and I met them while they were building a house one day, and we started joking around together. After a few minutes, I was …
“Remember the wondrous works He has done…” “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy…” “Do this in remembrance of me…” Why do we celebrate? In scripture, we see time and time again, God calls His people to remember. Through celebrations, extended time in prayer, and gatherings, God’s people were to remember. This action had a powerful …
Four things come to mind as I think about the work that God did and continues to do in my heart after coming home from Tanzania: Pride. Process. Stewardship. Work. Pride. If I could express myself artistically, I would draw a man out on a tree limb with a pair of scissors cutting off a small …
Marongo Makeremo clasped her careworn hands tighter as a Twelve21 team member explained how Christ died to give her new life. Gazing at her children and grandchildren gathered near, she thought about the life she lived for the last 75 years. Like her parents before her, she worshipped idols and ancestral spirits in this very …
Riches. Success. Power. Sexual conquest. Tibenderana believed he could achieve these by committing murder. He chose to slay a child with albinism. His superstitious beliefs required the boy’s body parts in witchcraft rituals to achieve his goals. What he did achieve? Five years of imprisonment. After his release from prison, “Tibe” apologized to his community, …
