Transformation In Maasai Land

by Rita Langeland

When Pastor Zablon was a 21 year old Maasai warrior, he made a decision to give his life to Christ. In the Maasai culture, such a radical break with tradition was equivalent to death. He was completely ostracized from the community and for over 20 years Zablon lived far away from his family village.

But God in His great love has brought everything full circle. Pastor Zablon now lives near his

family’s homestead and the church building that HWCM recently built, now serves as a place of worship and transformation for the very people who once rejected him. Pastor Zablon has become a very respected leader in the Maasai community and the Lord continues to use his influence to expand the kingdom of God.

The church building itself has become a center for people who desperately need a miracle. One man, whose case appeared hopeless to his own family, is named Rumunde. Rumunde had been a terrible drunkard for many, many years. His father took him to different witchdoctors and paid many cows in an attempt to get him “healed” from his addiction to alcohol, to no avail. The family also took Rumunde to a number of hospitals hoping to see him cured of alcoholism, but all their efforts were in vain. Rumunde only got worse.

Finally, Rumunde’s 20 year old son, Lamayan, insisted on taking his father to Pastor Zablon, because he had heard of other miracles of healing that had taken place when Zablon prayed. The church building was only partially finished, when Lamayan arrived with his intoxicated father on a Sunday morning. Zablon laid his hands upon the man and prayed, and Rumunde was totally set free.
The father and son, now both born-again Christians, worship together at the newly built HWCM church in Esilalei village.

Another healing miracle took place in the life of a young Maasai warrior named Sabore. An enemy paid a local witchdoctor to put a “curse” on the 19 year old young man. Sabore became violently ill. He had horrible stomach pains and felt as if he were dying. Eventually he was taken to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in the town of Moshi, the largest hospital in the region. The doctors there performed exploratory surgery on his stomach, and found that it was filled with what appeared to be black sand. The surgeon removed it, cleansed his stomach and stiched him up. Seven months passed, yet Sabore remained an invalid. He was in constant pain, he could not eat and the site of his surgical incision continued to bleed and would not heal. His family was desperate and decided to bring Sabore to the church for prayer. They had to rent a vehicle and driver to carry Sabore there as he could not walk. Pastor Zablon prayed for him and he was instantly healed. Two days later, Sabore discovered that the scar from his surgical incision had completely disappeared. It was a true miracle! Sabore has become one of the most dedicated believers in the church. And his joyful countenance testifies of his gratitude to God for the miracle he had received in his life.

These stories of real-life transformation are just a tiny sampling of the many miracles and salvations taking place in Esilalei village in Tanzania. The investment of both prayer and finances in the building of this church has already yielded tremendous fruit. We want to thank every single person who has given toward this project. Your giving has not been in vain! We plan to have a formal dedication of this church building in late March 2009 and we invite you to be a part! If you would like to travel to Tanzania to be there for the dedication, please contact the HWCM office for details. You can then see for yourself the joy and transformation in Maasai Land!

We have a few more projects to complete to totally finish the building including painting, and purchasing a cross and a sign for the church. We would also like to build an office and parsonage for the pastor, but this will require additional funds. Pray with us that we can accomplish this before the dedication. Thanks again for investing in things which have eternal value and which bless the heart of God!