Ministry in Maasailand

by Rita Langeland

The trees thickened into forest as we neared the place known as Enduleni, where the Maasai ‘’campmeeting” was already underway. We were following behind Pastor Jackson’s Landcruiser as he guided us to his church. But before we could reach it, we were startled to see crowds of people jamming the road ahead in a long procession, singing, dancing and waving branches in greeting as we arrived. The whole surreal scene brought tears to my eyes. There was even a man who had climbed up in a tree to watch for us, and we had to laugh as it reminded us of the story of Zaccheus in Luke’s Gospel.

The next few days were a powerful time of ministry. It was challenging for everyone because my English was then translated into Swahili by Pastor Kioko, and then into Maasai by Pastor Zablon. So a one hour teaching took 3 hours! But the people were so hungry they sat patiently and attentively through every single session.

After teaching for days on the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7) we saw some amazing fruit. One of the most poignant moments occurred after a session on “Sowing with words as your seed”. I talked about the power of words - for good and for evil - how they can be a blessing or a curse especially within a family unit. A pastor got up after my teaching and said to the crowd, “If the devil ever gave a seminar on how to sow bad seed with words, he gave it to the Maasai tribe. We are very good at cursing, but not very good at blessing with our words.”

I asked everyone to stand up to pray a prayer of repentance for every word they had ever spoken about themselves or toward anyone else that violated God’s Word, and cursed rather than blessed. There was a such an intensity of weeping and cleansing of hearts that took place. But the most amazing part was when I asked them to place their hands upon their heads and begin to speak words of blessing over their own lives. I also asked parents who had children present, to place their hands upon their child’s head and speak a blessing. It was as if pandemonium broke out and strongholds were being broken. They were not accustomed to speaking blessing and the impact was not unlike a bomb going off. I will never forget the tears streaming down a young boy’s face as his father laid his hands upon him and prayed for him. Physical affection between father and son is not common among the Maasai. A great healing was taking place.

The following day, I taught on sowing the seed of your material possessions. I explained how money is seed, but also everything material we possess can be used as seed. God had called His people to be a people of generous spirit who love to bless others, yet the human tendency is to hold and to hoard rather than to give. Pastor Zablon had explained that there was a certain clan within the Maasai tribe who are known for their extreme selfishness and would never give a single item to anyone even in great need. This particular clan had made a blood covenant in which they swore to remain the most selfish clan of all. The stronghold of hoarding and stinginess gripped them. The Lord instructed me to ask those attending the conference to put the teaching about sowing into practice.

The final day of the conference everyone was to bring something that God had prompted them to give as a seed of blessing. In doing so, we would break that selfish stronghold that was affecting the entire tribe. They were instructed to pray and ask the Lord to whom they were to give their gift. It was not to be an offering given to the church, it was an exercise in learning to bless one another.

The next morning we witnessed amazing things. When the crowd was released to bless one another, we saw God move. I watched as a young Maasai woman approached an elderly lady, and she gently removed her outer garment and wrapped a beautiful piece of clothing around her shoulders. They both were weeping. A young Maasai warrior gave away his most cherished possession - a beautiful spear which he had used a few months before to kill a lion attacking a herd of cows. Young women took off their exquisite beaded jewelry and gave it to others. While I was searching for the person I wanted to bless, I saw three young boys fighting their way through the crowd and leading a beautiful goat right up the middle of the church. I smiled as I passed them, knowing that was a sacrificial gift! I had no idea until I returned to my place on the church platform, that the gift was for me. The boys were brothers, aged 15, 12 and 8 and they had taken their prized goat and decided to sow it as a seed. That was an example of radical giving that I will never forget*.

On the final afternoon of the conference, a baptism service was scheduled. We hiked down to a nearby river, which more closely resembled a mud hole than a flowing stream. All those who had been recently saved and had never been baptized were prepared to follow the Biblical mandate for baptism. We baptized 165 people and it was a sight to behold! People crowded around the banks of the river and cheered as the people obeyed the Lord and were baptized in His name. It was a triumphant event that I am quite sure caused the angels in heaven to rejoice!

God is certainly working among the Maasai people in Tanzania and breaking strongholds and bringing a great freedom in Christ. The financial seed you sow toward Hidden With Christ Ministries’ work among the Maasai people is bearing fruit. In 2010 we have more outreaches planned among the Maasai. Please pray for us as we prepare for those ministry opportunities.

*The goat was taken to the Treasures of Africa Children’s Home to be slaughtered for a New Year’s feast!

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