Our dear friend Gabriel is a very busy man. He fulfills many
roles in his community and indeed the entire region.
·
He is pastor of the Gendabi Village Lutheran
Church, on the northern slopes of Mt. Hanang.
·
He is current chairman of the Unity Committee.
In this position, he brings strong leadership to the association of ministry
leaders in the area; but he also assists in the organization and development of
Activation International's conferences and training classes.
·
He is overseer of 7 branches (church plants)
which spread down into the valley.
We had the joy of meeting with him and his wife in their
home as they served us a generous meal. (They continuously offer us more food. They
just can’t understand why we don’t eat more!)
We heard Gabriel's testimony of God's calling on his life
even at an early age. Christianity was foreign to his family's pagan beliefs,
and he faced serious trouble for his pursuit of God. However, he had experienced
the One Who answers even the prayers of a child, and he was determined to know
that God!
Though he had very little schooling, God opened up
opportunities for him in leadership. While he never had to seek it out, he was
often being pushed forward by friends and colleagues. As Gabriel was faithful, God
paved the way for him; and now in his old age he is a true leader in his
community, in his denomination, and even among fellow-ministers throughout the
Manyara Region.
One morning during our visit to Gendabi, he invited us to
his home for breakfast (More food!) He asked several local pastors to join us, and
together we enjoyed sweet Christian fellowship. We had prepared ourselves to be
there for just a short time, to visit and talk about what God is doing in this
village. However, our "short breakfast meeting" turned into a 7 hour
Bible study and prayer group, as we delved into the Word of God together! Bob
had a particularly wonderful time sharing some of the new things that he has
been studying. By the time our visit was done, we were exhausted...but they
were energized and ACTIVATED!
Truly Gabriel's home is a place for cross-denominational fellowship, spiritual nurture, and discipleship. Every day, he had local church and village leaders stop in for chai. He helps to guide them in understanding the Word and Biblical principles. I'm convinced that his house should have a revolving door!
