By GARY FALLESEN, president Climbing For Christ
Reporting and photographs provided by DAMSON SAMSON, Africa coordinator, Climbing For Christ
Thursday, March 26
Elia Yona, standing, prays with members of Joshua Murutu’s small group at the start of today’s meeting.
Africa coordinator Damson Samson sent Kingdom worker John Mollel and some of the Kilimanjaro Chapter leadership team to Joshua Murutu’s house to meet with his small group.
“We chose the group because we were told during the leaders meeting that they have a few members sick,” John said. “We knew this should be an opportunity to help them in prayer.’
Joshua’s small group has 11 members sharing two Bibles.
Praying for the sick.
“Many of the people who were prayed for were sick people and they had brought names of their relatives who were far (away) to be prayed for,” John said.
These brothers and sisters were covered in prayer. Another small group with many members in need of healing will be visited tomorrow in Marangu.
Wednesday, March 25
Jonas Minja preaching.
Jonas Minja, one of the leaders of the original Kilimanjaro Chapter, shared the story of “The Lord’s Obedient Servant” found in Isaiah 50 with 89 people attending a special Climbing For Christ meeting in Moshi. “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant?” it says in verse 10. “If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.”
With that, there was a call to faith, and 23 people asked Jesus into their hearts and lives.
“We prayed for them and some were delivered from evil spirits,” Damson Samson reported.
Twenty-three new believers stepped forward to confess faith in Jesus.
This gathering featured chapter members who lead small groups and those who assist them. They brought family and neighbors. Thirty-one of those who attended are new members, guides and porters mostly from Arusha who will be invited to join our third class of DMD (disciples making disciples) students.
After Jonas preached, chapter coordinator John Mollel explained to newcomers what Climbing For Christ is about: training guides and porters to multiply “from one person to three and to 10 – and then going on and on.”
Small groups then shared about “the impact to the lives of many in the villages” made by Climbing For Christ teaching, Damson said. “It was very powerful. This lady from Joshua Murutu’s group said she had known nothing before Climbing For Christ. But now she is on fire. She is going out to preach, praying and fasting, and demonstrating the love of God.”
On fire for Jesus.
After lunch, Damson shared an old – tried and true – C4C message: to whom much is given, much is expected. He told the participants that they came today as a leader, “which means God is expecting more to be (accomplished) through you.” He explained the investment – of money, time, energy – to train disciples who will make disciples.
He encouraged them to be bold like the 70 disciples Jesus sent out two by two to bless people, heal the sick, cast out demons, and lead others to follow Him. “Then I prayed for them,” Damson said.
Eighty-nine participants in C4C’s special meeting.
Tuesday, March 24
Our original Kilimanjaro Chapter DMD class finished their fourth study today.
The first-quarter chapter training, wrapping up the fourth study in our original group’s lesson plan, kicked off with prayer and worship. “Then I came in with the word of encouragement before I started the lesson of the day,” Africa coordinator Damson Samson said.
He pointed the group to John 11 and the death of Lazarus. “Jesus, who was his best friend, was sent a message that your beloved friend is sick, hoping He will come back. But it never happened (the way Lazarus’ sisters hoped),” Damson explained. Yet when Jesus arrived, four days after Lazarus was buried, he called him out from the tomb – alive. “It might sound like your prayers have been delayed to be answered,” Damson told our guides and porters. “But God is at work doing everything possible to make a miracle bigger than you expected.”
Then Damson talked about Joseph being sold into slavery in Genesis 37. “It was a sad moment for him, wondering, ‘How could I be sold by my own brothers?’” Damson explained. “Yes, it was confusing. But in the eyes of the Lord, it was his (Joseph’s) elevation.
“We need to understand the plans God has for us. Sometimes we can go through every kind of pain and start giving up while asking more questions. We must keep in mind that Jesus is able to do exceedingly more beyond human understanding.”
The testimonies of our Kilimanjaro Chapter attest to that.
Denis Makule shared about reaching more than 20 workers on Mount Kilimanjaro by using the radios Climbing For Christ has provided with sim cards containing the Bible. He said it is “making the evangelism so easy.”
Denis Makule, above, giving praise to God for the opportunity to share the Gospel with co-workers on the mountain, below.
Eliason Mosha led two other porters to Jesus on the mountain.
Lazaro Moshi went to visit relatives in Dar es Salaam, where he used brochures distributed by our teams on Kilimanjaro to begin discussions during which he shared the Gospel with family. He has been discipling them on the phone.
Godlisten Makundi has started a WhatsApp group where he is teaching the lessons he has learned in C4C training.
Today’s lesson from the penultimate chapter of “Communicating the Bible” was about “Warnings for Communicators.” The point of the teaching was that every Disciple Maker/Church Planter must remain humble and completely depend upon God as they communicate His Word for His Glory.” It warned against speaking for God, pride, self-sufficiency, losing your first love, and loving the praise of people.
Damson then took them to the final chapter of the study, “Developing & Training Other Communicators.” Paul trained up Timothy, Priscilla and Aquila, Titus, and Silas and others, who in turn trained the next generation of faithful men and women.
This is the model Climbing For Christ has followed in our disciple-making training.
“I asked them the question about mentorship; if their groups are able to disciple other people who may take over when they are not around,” Damson reported. “They said, ‘Yes.’ Then I told them I will check on it tomorrow during our training in Moshi.”
Tomorrow, the Timothys, Priscillas, and Tituses will meet with our original DMD students for the next phase of training.
Monday, March 23
Kilimanjaro Chapter leaders descending from Sango Mountain after prayer meeting.
The rain, which has been coming down since Damson Samson arrived in the Kilimanjaro region on March 19, did not deter some of the chapter leaders from a time of fasting and prayer on Sango Mountain. This is an outing that Damson does before every quarterly training.
On this occasion, he used the time to get updates on the small groups chapter members have formed and are leading as part of their DMD training. “Some groups are increasing in number, while others are multiplying like that of (Kingdom worker) John Mollel,” Damson reported.
However, some groups flounder when the guide or porter who is leading them goes to the mountain to work.
These groups need constant encouragement. John will continue to visit them as he has been doing all year, and secondary leaders must be raised up. We have long taught the Paul-to-Timothy-to-Titus mentorship principle. As a result of what Damson learned today, he is inviting some of these secondary leaders to Wednesday’s training session.
Damson sharing under a tarp the group put up for their prayer meeting on Sango Mountain. (Photo by John Mollel)
Before prayer, Damson shared from Isaiah 21:11-12 and talked about the Watchman. “On this, I was mainly looking at the character of the Watchman, who has been trusted to watch over the people,” Damson said. “Every Watchman must be aware that he has been entrusted with the safety of the people around him. These are the last days that we are in. No village can survive if the Watchman is asleep and is ignorant of the plans of the enemy.”
Damson talked about how the Church as a whole and some of our Kilimanjaro Chapter leaders are “confused because they cannot hear God and they are at the crossroads and they do not know what to do or where to go.” He said, “Especially if we are not concentrating on soul winning and bringing liberation to those in bondage.
“The task given is to set the captive free.”
Elia Yona then took the group through confession and they prayed for the upcoming training sessions, those who are sick, and Climbing For Christ and its leadership.
“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” – John 9:4 (NLT)
Sunday, March 22
“We agreed [at the leaders’ meetings] that this day should be the day for churches, Damson said. “I used the time to attend a close-by church. It was a good moment as the preacher was sharing on coming closer to God. He advised that it is necessary to have time with God so you may know Him more and more.”
Amen, and amen.
Saturday, March 21
Kilimanjaro Chapter leaders from Marangu.
The Kilimanjaro Chapter leaders from Marangu aired some grievances about food distribution and John Mollel, as chapter coordinator and owner of the trekking company we use for training, not paying salaries to those who do outreach expeditions with us. The guides and porters who GO, as volunteers, do receive tips from Climbing For Christ.
The money situation was explained and, Damson Samson said, “They understood.”
Damson, led by the Spirit, then used this discussion to share about the time when Hezekiah, the king of Judah, “became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: ‘This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness’” (2 Kings 20:1).
“I told them as fathers to our home, heaven is expecting us to put our house in order. It would please God to see order to our homes as leaders of our (small) groups. As leaders for the Kilimanjaro Chapter, we are to put the chapter in order. Each one of us should know his position and do right according to the position given.
“Any negligence will bring about division within our team. We need people who are responsible for putting things in the right order. Not with the spirit of wishing someone to fail but building up each other together until we see the dream and vision Climbing For Christ has for this chapter come to pass.”
With that, the group prayed and prepared for the training ahead.
Friday, March 20
Some of the Kilimanjaro leaders (left to right) Godlove Kowero, Eliakimu Myanyika, Living Akyo, Daniel Nassar, coordinator John Mollel, Ashery Tibu, and Fadhil Ally.
Damson Samson and John Mollel met with the Kilimanjaro Chapter leaders in Moshi town. Two leaders from Marangu also joined them. They prayed together and talked about “connections.”
“We looked at how Jesus said He was the only way to the Father,” Damson said. “Which means we are connected to the Father through Jesus.
“We looked at how God blessed Abraham. If not for this connection (of Abraham with God) then you do not expect any blessing. God will always connect us with people for His glory.”
John added that the Kilimanjaro Chapter “started with a few members, but now we have more members in the villages, and this is the result of God’s connection.”
In both the Kilimanjaro Chapter and Malawi’s Mulanje Massif Chapter, our DMD training (disciples making disciples) has included the growing of small groups by chapter members. As a result, hundreds of people have become a part of Climbing For Christ’s teachings and, more importantly, part of God’s family.
Daniel Nassar, a porter, said he was introduced to C4C by MacDonald Seka, another porter. “I was not expecting what I saw and heard the very first day,” he recalled. “I knew that this was the place to stay. I have seen the greatness of God.”
Daniel went from being a porter on the mountain to a pastor in his local church. Now he is a senior pastor overseeing 13 churches in the Kilimanjaro region.
Thursday, March 19
After flying from Blantyre, Malawi to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Damson overnighted. He then completed his travels to Kilimanjaro. “After resting, I will be meeting John Mollel (C4C’s Kingdom worker in Tanzania) in the afternoon,” Damson said.
Wednesday, March 18
Damson Samson began his trip to Tanzania, flying out of Blantyre, Malawi. “I would ask for your prayers as I start from home,” said Damson, who also reported four days of rain in southern Malawi. “We pray that it should not continue as it will affect many.”
In fact, Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) released a statement on recent heavy rains and floods experienced across the country between March 15 and 18. “A total of 9,598 households have been affected, with 128 households displaced,” the DoDMA statement said, adding that 13 deaths and 35 injuries had been recorded and 12 “evacuation camps” were established.
More than half of the displaced are in three southern districts: Zomba, Mulanje, and Phalombe, where Damson lives. Pray for peace of heart for Damson as he leaves his family (wife, three children, and countless relatives) during this difficult time.