East Africa: Tanzania and Uganda
Tanzania
Since 2018, we had been operating from Dar-es-Salaam to Tanzania. Francis Tusiime, a missionary from Uganda, has been our man there. He organized courses to ignite local pastors to reach new tribes and to organize children’s ministry training around regions in the country. There are nearly 30 million children under the age of 15 in Tanzania. Until then, the churches had a perception that children do not understand coming to faith. However, children are key to families and unreached areas.
Pr. Francis had to return to his hometown of Mubende in western Uganda last Christmas to arrange funding for his elderly mother and his vocation work. However, he continues his missions from there. Now in March, Pr. Francis carried out a 2nd level mission trainings to northern Tanzania. Hundreds of pastors participated in the training sessions, during which Sunday school veterans Mirjami and Raili were present via Zoom, answering participants’ questions in Swahili.
Uganda
In the spring of 2023, together with Pastor Aki Miettinen, we trained the Christian military and police personnel of the Joint Forces association. Now Pr. Aki, a former captain of the border forces, received a new invitation sent by the major general to give additional training in June 2024. The flights were also organized with external funding. It seems that this specialized training would also extend to a neighboring country in East Africa. Uganda had never before invited missionaries to train army personnel.
Radio waves across borders
Our partner, Bishop John Magaba’s evangelizing programs have since the time of the pandemic brought more and more people to contact the studio, even from neighboring countries. Still, approximately 25 callers want to become followers of Jesus every week.
Nasta Magaba, John’s wife records the calls and converts are directed to the churches. Once a year, those who came to faith through the programs are invited to a radio conference in Mubende.
In March 2024, radio cooperation with Uganda, which has been going on for a decade, gained additional color, when Bp. John visited Finland with his wife and son, Jordan, as guest speakers.
