(Note: The following is an article written verbatim by Pastor Livingstone Msungu.)
Hello my Dear friend in Jesus Christ.
I greet you in the highest name of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselors, the might God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace”…….
Indeed the whole World and specifically Christians rejoices because they receive Jesus Christ who is going to be born as a human being so as to rescue all people against sins.
It,s my hope that you are doing well and youre keeping on with your daily activities, Here at Isimani we are all fine, and we are doing well with our daily activities and together lets all thank God for his blessing. We have passed to a very hard period in few passed subsequent years. We have witnessed the deep Valley of Suffering and severe pain which jeopardized and threatened the safety of many people. Among is COVID 19, which brought a cute pain to a lot of families who lost their loved one.
Also we have passed through very hard economic crisis which made many families in all most all nation to live difficult and miserable lives.
Furthermore current we are witnessing the world passing in hardship conditions as a result of political unrest which causes deaths to innocent people and the lights of flow poor people to be taken away. It is obvious that the fulfillment of the scriptures of Isaiah 24:17-19 is coming true “Fear and pit, and the snare are upon thee o inhabitant of the Earth, And it shall come to Pass that, he who fleet from the noise of the fear shall fall in into the pit, and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare, for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake…………..
So in all lets me use this Opportunity to say Sorry to all whom in one way or another have been victim of these troubles. I say very sorry and a keep praying for you so that our all might God may be your comfort and that he may bring new light and hope in your heart.
But for us as we still alive lets give thanks to God the Most high for the grace of life as proclaimed in Psalm 124:1-8 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now many Israel Say, ……………..
In addition let me take advantage of this opportunity to give my sincere thanks for your love which you keep showing us, thanks a lot praying for us. I believe that you always pray for us. Thanks in advance for your assistance and all good things you are doing for us.
Together with the great world economic crisis still we continue receiving your help through Bega kwa Bega office in supporting our students. In this year we have received a letter from Bega kwa Bega informing us the amount you have provided us in supporting schooling fee. Thank you so much. Surely your love makes us cry, you are so kind to us, and your love is so great and indescribable.
Every day you are making our life history new. Thank you for continuing to believe in us, especially for how you have proved to believe in me as a pastor. I ask God to help me and that I should not lose this faith to you and to Christians under my service. I continue to pray to God that I continue to be a true advocate of this important service to the church ministry and to the community as well.
THE STATE OF THE CONGREGATION IN GENERAL
We thank God in general the churches’ condition as a congregation and community we are going well and prospering. At the moment we have advanced to nine church streets divide into four major streets which are Kihorogota (Parish Station), Lugolola, Ngano and Nyang’oro. In these streets there are permanent church buildings of worship. Two of these nine streets are middle level streets and these are Ivangwa and Ndolela. In these streets we are going on with the construction and we have finished wall construction and also roofing. At Ivangwa we have not finished wall construction.
Other three remaining streets are churches’ mission streets. Our effort now is at evangelization specifically to pastoral society of Masai. We have succeeded to buy church plots in all these streets namely ULETE, KIBAONI and GALILAYA. For the case of ULETE we have already installed the foundation and likewise we have prepared bricks and we are preparing to start wall construction. At Kibaoni we have collected stones ready to start foundation. But good news is that in all these mission streets we continue having prayers under big trees. However we mostly face challenges during rainy reason where we sometimes completely fail to conduct mass worship as a result of lack of church buildings and transport problems.
STUDENT ACCOMMODATION
We thank God since all students studying at Isimani secondary and those out of Isimani and most of who are studying in our churches’ owned schools are doing well academically. We achieved to install water service and electricity at our hostel. In last year we also managed to repair windows to our boy’s hostel which made the end of theft to student properties. My dear Brothers and sister, we have nothing to pay you back more to say thank you and praying for you daily.
Our current biggest problem is shortage of students in the hostel. In next year there will be Five students only expected to be sponsored by the church. We pray to God so that our hostel gets students from the community of Isimani.
COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT
We also say thanks to God because we are also witnessing success to our college. We have managed to construct classrooms for 95% and are in use. There are total 15 student taking their studies in Tailoring. There are also 8 music students 15 computer students and 10 driving students.
In college operation some of facilities are available though not enough to fulfill the college demands. However, regardless of shortage of facilities skills continue to be provided to youth and most of youth in the community are now equipped with the necessary skills that make them to employ themselves and some of them to get permanent employment in some institutions and companies.
By the next year we are planning to build a college library, administration block and hostel. We pray to God and we believe he will help us in making our dream true.
WELCOMING NOTE AND CONCLUSION
It is my big expectation that by the next year 2023 if God wishes we will get a time to meet. It is our desire to meet with our friends and our loved ones.
I believe that in your time table and your 2023 annual plan one of the activities you have arranged is to come and visit us people of Isimani in Tanzania. We are preparing to receive you with great desire. You are warmly welcome at Isimani, new place of hope and a place of victory. With no doubt our hearts are waiting for you and I believe that God will bless you and will make this journey possible through his power. We will be so happy to receive you.
Let me use this chance to welcome you again at Isimani for those who previously came and those whom it will be their first time to come to our place.
Please don’t plan to miss because this journey will be a full of blessing and it will be memorable and historical.
Welcome so that we share together the sacrament of the Lord's Table which is real body and blood of Jesus Christ our savior. Welcome so that we sing and dance together, welcome so that we eat together, welcome so that we speak and celebrate together. Let me repeat once again that our hearts are full of great desire to receive you, welcome, welcome, you are warmly welcome. In Swahili we say KARIBUNI SANAAAAAA.
Don’t plan to miss.
CONCLUSION
My family including my wife Sporah and my loved son Bethany and I myself, we are waiting for you.
On behalf of Evangelical Lutheran Church members of Isimani let me happily say:- “We wish you grace of Lord upon you, the Peace of Christ shade you, and Lead you during this period of Christmas and New Year”.
We love you so much and we are praying for you.
PASTOR LIVINGSTONE MSUNGU.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023.
