Kentucky WMU has a relationship with the Baptist Women’s Union of Tanzania that began in June 2008. At that time several Kentucky Baptist leaders went to Tanzania to learn more about their work and share ideas. We met for several days and listened to reports about their ministries. On that trip I learned that the Baptist Women’s work was very weak. We encouraged the women to meet together when the Tanzanian Baptist Convention met in August. The women did meet and elected officers once again. As their work grew, they made contact with Baptist Women in other countries of East Africa and invited them to hold the East Africa Baptist Women’s Union meeting in Dar Es Salaam in December 2010. Linda Cooper and I attended that meeting and were blessed by the determination and faith of the women.
In the ensuing years we have stayed in contact with several of the leaders, including Sarah Samweli, a dynamic woman who often teaches classes for the others. Sarah wrote a while back to tell us about the need for a youth camp. As plans progressed and the date was set for June 23-27, we knew that funds to do this first camp were tight for the women. Kentucky WMU contributed $500 towards the expenses. Today we received an enthusiastic report and an additional note that there were eight professions of faith.
Here is part of the note from Sarah:
We are greeting you in Jesus name. We are happy to finish well our young camp. The Lord made us score many goals. Thank you for those who helped us to prepare the camp.
Our youth came from eight regions from our country. Others traveled for two days by bus and others by train. Youth who attended were from 13 to 18 yrs old. There were one hundred and six youth and eleven leaders and teaches.
Our youth were so happy about this camp; their parents sent them so that they learn good lessons which helped them. The lessons were: Good life in Jesus, Growing in faith, Evangelism, Health and different of diseases and solution for them, Giving offerings and The True Love Waits. Thank you for your USA dollars which helped us.
We will do another camp next year, we are hoping. We will continue helping our youth grow in faith and we hope we will have many more youth than this year. This year our money was not enough, that is why we decided to decrease the number of youth to attend, but hopefully, next year it will be more than and will be happy if you get a chance to join us.
This was first camp in our churches. We had seen the NIGERIA Baptist youth in 2011 after going there (both Dr. Lugano Mtafya and Sarah Samweli). The women in Nigeria taught well their youth. That is why we had a desire to prepare our camp to teach our youth. Both Tanzanian women and youth felt well to do camp again next year.
Youth promised us in the camp after going back in their various churches, they will teach other youth who could not attend camps area. Next year, we will have another camp to facilitate of more youth in Tanzania. We are going to prepare well , our target is to help our youth in our country.
Greetings to all women Kentucky. Please tell them, thank you. God bless you.
Sarah Samweli.
