Dear good friends:

Please take just a few minutes to join us in thanking God for His remarkable mercies!  I am writing to say thank you and to provide a short update to the ongoing ministry of our dear friend, Peter Ngwili (Director of Community and Economic Development, Diocese of Mara-Ukerewe, Africa Inland Church-Tanzania).

First, thank you.  You and the churches you represent have provided financial and prayer support for Peter through 2024.  Your generosity has enabled him to continue the work he loves, and which is bringing so much hope and change literally to thousands.  I know there are innumerable good causes which rightly command our attention.  I am grateful for your partnership with Transforming Tanzania, and specifically Peter’s work.

Recently, Peter was in the US for the annual Mission Conference at McLean Presbyterian Church, McLean, Virginia.  Following the conference Peter and I spent time visiting some of you, and prospective supporters.  It was a very encouraging week!  I am excited to tell you that if all the 2024 supporting churches were to retain Peter as a partner in 2025, plus affirmative responses from three additional churches, Peter will be fully subscribed for the first time since we assumed responsibility for his support (November 2020).  The significance of this is at least three-fold:  this would broaden the base of support for Peter; it also would expose more people to the larger ministry of the Diocese; finally, this would mean donor support could be directed to conferencing and additional water projects.  As you read this, please offer a prayer that this goal would be realized.  Thank you.

Now, let me provide a few numbers that I trust will encourage you:

1. To date Peter and his team have completed training and given oversight for 166 water projects across the Mara Region and the Ukerewe islands.  Currently, another five projects are underway, and funding is in place for at least eighteen additional projects.  An enormous thank you to McLean Presbyterian Church, McLean, VA.  Through its annual Thanksgiving offering the people of McLean raised $300,000 for water projects in Africa.  Their remarkable generosity has moved us within reach of the desired goal that each church in the diocese manage a safe, clean, deep-water well as a ministry to its wider community.  With 200 churches in the Diocese funding is still needed for about 10-12 projects.  If you would, please say another prayer that these projects would be funded by the end of 2025!  To reach this goal would be extraordinary evidence of God’s love and compassion!  Thank you.

1. Peter’s work is a beautiful marriage of WORD and DEED.  Since the inception of this program at least 30 churches have been planted in conjunction with new water projects.  Hundreds of people imprisoned in tribal religion, the occult, and Islam have been drawn to these churches (and to existing churches!), are hearing the gospel, and are being converted, baptized, and added to membership rolls.

1. Peter and his team have completed the Church and Community Mobilization Process in 40 churches. CCMP is the 3–5-year comprehensive economic development curriculum teaching the centrality of relationship to God through Jesus Christ, empowering individuals and groups to reconize their God-given gifts and spiritual and material resources, raising people from poverty to self-sustaining productivity.  The program is currently underway in another ten villages.  Also, Peter is reproducing himself having trained more than twenty pastors and development workers in the CCMP initiative.

And this from Peter:

“We thank God that the Diocese also successfully held this year’s women’s conference, February 3-7.  Over 200 women attended and were empowered to go and empower other women from their churches and communities on the lessons that they were taken through from the book of Ruth.

“I would like also on behalf of the Diocesan leadership headed by Bishop Peter Pharles and Director of Healthcare programs (Maike Ettling) and the entire population of over 1.5 million people served by the Diocese to extend our deepest gratitude for your generous support towards the completion of the surgical unit and the provision of a fully equipped ambulance as we had highlighted as a prayer need in our last communication.

“Thank you for your incredible contribution that made it a possibility.  The clinic is now better equipped to provide timely, life-saving medical care to those in need. The new surgical unit will significantly expand the capacity to treat patients locally, reducing the need for long, often dangerous journeys to distant hospitals while the ambulance, likewise, will ensure that major emergency cases receive the urgent care they deserve while they are being transported to the nearest major hospital 250 km away from Musoma— thus improving health outcomes for countless individuals. Your kindness and commitment to improving healthcare access in the region have not only uplifted the church and the clinic as an institution but have also brought hope and healing to lots and lots of people in Musoma and beyond.

“As we open this new chapter in our mission to serve, please know that your support has made a lasting impact — and will continue to do so for many years to come.”

On behalf of the advisory board of Transforming Tanzania, Peter, and the hundreds of thousands of Tanzanians who are being impacted by your generosity and Peter’s work, thank you.  You are likely never to meet any of these who are benefiting from this ministry.  But, as Peter himself has said scores of times, in eternity there will many, many ‘chocolate-faced people like me’ who will want to shake your hands and themselves say ‘thank you’.  Please let us hear from you.  God bless you!

Prayer for 2025 (from Peter and all of us!)

• Thank God with us for the successful women’s conference in January where over 200 participated
• That the team of 20 Pastors and Diocesan staff being trained by Peter in the CCMP initiative will be quick to learn to generate sufficient commitment for multiplying the benefits of the CCMP initiative.
• That funding will be provided for the additional 10-12 water well projects by end of 2025
• That God continues to call and restore the many people living in their traditional tribal religion in the communities to himself through the various ministries run by the church.
• That the surgeons being trained by the church will soon acquire the necessary skills and expertise to run the new surgical unit sustainably
• Pray for God’s provision and favor towards a successful pastors’ conference scheduled for July 2025

Mungu akubariki sana!  Neema na amani,

Mike Malone and Peter Ngwili
Transforming Tanzania