Hayden, John and Anne - Tanzania
Hayden main pagePrayer Update July 2004
"When I got married I was a Muslim, my Christian husband sent me to SOMA. The group has given me a good start in my new faith in Jesus Christ." - Lucy
"Soma" in Swahili means read. Sadly only about half the adult Christians in our church in Kiteto, Tanzania can read. They have had no opportunity to learn that skill. Later this year we are going to start of programme of adult literacy but more of that another time. This month let's look at what we call SOMA groups. Over the last year over 100 of these groups have begun. Leaders have been given some training and between 10 - 40 people attend each group. The aim of the group is to study the Christian faith in an informal discussion rather than sit through a sermon or lecture. That is not easy for people who from childhood have been taught to learn in the passive way. The number attending these groups is a sign of how popular they are. We hope within a year 80% of our church members will attend. Maybe such groups are not only for Tanzania and members here would likewise benefit - using English of course.
So what has happened through these groups? We have a large stack of comments about them. Some point out the leader needs much more training and resources. We are working on that as funds permit. Others find the time not convenient - that is a problem anywhere in the world. The vast majority talk of the way the groups have enabled them to understand how Christ has forgiven us, how to pray, how to grow in faith However some comments, like the one with which I began, would be somewhat unusual here in UK.
"My husband has married a number of wives because every wife who came was not able to bear children, but through the SOMA group we were all baptized and now all four wives are pregnant." - Sabina
"The Lord Jesus has freed me from my temper problem, it was impossible for me to forgive, now I can forgive and forget." - Yohana
"Before SOMA I used to visit the witch doctors, but now I know God for myself and no longer use their services." - Silvano
"I was a prostitute but Christ has set me free and enabled me to overcome temptation." - Sara
Please pray for these groups and their leaders and praise God lives are being transformed.
Bishop John Hayden