Stella's Blog: Tanzania

Just when one thinks one has “seen it all”, God leads one into a new life experience.

Lecture time

Recently, I visited Tanzania as part of the Afmin Team attending the On10 Conferences in those two countries.

What a privilege to meet such wonderful people of God. In Tanzania, I immediately felt like one of the family. Everyone was so friendly and went out of their way to make sure I was been well taken care of.

Alta and I about to board
the bus to Morogoro

Our journey began in Dar-es-Salaam. We traveled there on a Thursday, having previously made an appointment for the Friday. However, this appointment was cancelled, so we had a couple of days to rest and fellowship as a Team. We then traveled by bus for a journey of 5 hours over a distance of about 190kms to a town called Morogoro. The scenery was magnificent and I just sat in the bus, next to the window, soaking in all I could see. The roadside stalls provide families with provisions and stall owners with an income, not matter how small. It is good to see people willing to do their best to support their families. Everything is sold from mattresses, furniture, air-time and dried fish. One thing that stood out to me, is how well these people take care of their appearance. Their clothing is clean and although many live below the breadline, they do not allow themselves to look unkept.

Discussing admin procedures
with the Tanzanian secretary

Morogoro is a very pretty education-based city, lying between 4 or 5 different mountains. There is no time for sight seen, but our accommodation was on the 3^rd floor so I was able to look out into the distance and see the beauty of the area.

Meeting the Students was once again the highlight of my time in Tanzania. What an honour to encourage them with their studies and to assist them with their progress. The worship times were especially blessed with magnificent voices raised to song to the Lord.

The Call

Way back in 1976, a prophetess told me the following:

The Lord is going to take you to places you never dreamed possible. That which you are doing for Him now will grow into ministries you could not have imagined. Serve Him with all your heart and might.

At the time, I was in school and active in ministries such as SCA, YFC, Sunday School teaching, worship leading etc. After I left school, I always got involved wherever I could be of service.

My heart has always been in Africa. On occasions when I attempted to join missionary organisations going to other continents, the doors always closed.

I spent a number of years ministering to a predominantly Zulu-speaking, mixed culture community in South Africa. This involved children’s ministry, church services, assisting the poor and needy and so on. One Winter I was given the use of a knitting machine and with donations of yarn, knitted many jerseys for the children of that community. A group of ladies assisted by sewing up the seams (this was before the days of the overlocker).

This was all very fulfilling yet I knew there was more, a path that God had laid out and planned, which lay ahead.

I met my husband Peter who also became involved in this ministry. We were blessed with 2 amazing children and decided that we wanted to raise them in the Cape, which was Peter’s birth place. It was in Cape Town, where we met Johan and Alta Cronje and became involved in their ministry and in the church which they were pastoring at the time.

After Peter passed away in 2014, God opened the door for me to become a volunteer at Afmin (renamed EMIT in 2017).

This Blog gives me the opportunity to share this ministry with you and ask for your support and prayers.

Ministry in Africa

For many years, I have assisted my Pastor and his wife, Johan and Alta Cronje, with admin work relating to their ministry. They have been called by the Lord to train pastors and church leaders in various countries in Africa, in association with Africa Ministries Network (AFMIN), now renamed EMIT.

Training institutes are held twice a year in various countries, and the students continue to study at home, between attending the classes. A total of 37 subjects are completed over a period of 4 years. Students who graduate with an advanced diploma, are welcome to apply to register to do distance learning through the South African Theological Seminary, as so to obtain a theological degree. In addition, each Student is required to enrol 10 other people to whom he/she will teach the same lesson material. Thus a spread of knowledge reaches out into remote areas, to people who do not have the opportunity to receive formal training as church leaders.

My Involvement

As one can well imagine, there are vast amounts of paperwork and records associated with this type of training facility. Registrations need to be processed, fees received, records kept of exams results and the progress of each individual student kept up-to-date.

In 2014, the Lord opened the doors for me join AFMIN (EMIT) as a volunteer. Clerical work is my forté and I am therefore thrilled at the opportunity to use my talents to assist in a ministry which is very close to my heart. Being part of an organisation whose vision it is to empower church leaders is such a blessing to me. Meeting and speaking with the Students is wonderful and continues to be a fulfilling experience.

Volunteer Requirements

As a volunteer, full-time in ministry, there are various financial implications. These include travel and accommodation, day-to-day living expenses as well as medical costs.

IT equipment is essential for data capturing, emailing and communication. An internet connection is essential. I make use of a laptop, toner printer and cellphone.

Kindly pray for me in this regard as I am responsible to raise my financial support. If you are prompted by the Holy Spirit to help me financially, please do so through https://gogetfunding.com/empower-through-training/

Thank you.