News

Today is the first day I have internet connection [for a while]. Not sure how long [I'll have a connection]. It might be that before I end this email I am cut off again.

Ruth [Ruth Mbennah, Project Hannah’s Africa Coordinator] and I have been experiencing the faithfulness of our God in tangible ways in protecting us on the dangerous roads, in giving us strength to go when the days have been very long and the nights very short, in giving us wisdom to speak to government officials, church leaders and the Project Hannah workers helping them solve difficult problems they face working with others and other organizations, etc.

Today we had lunch at our Project Hannah National Coordinator’s [for Tanzania] home here in Arusha. As we were going to her place, we drove for half an hour (after leaving the unpaved main road) on a small road of one lane into a huge slum area. The pot holes where deep, the dust, oh the dust is everywhere here! But my courageous driver kept going even when other cars would come towards us – on this one lane road. The vans full of people, some with half their bodies out the window, would come so close, just a few inches between our little car and them. The mud huts on each side of the road do not have sidewalks, so on one side there was the car and on the other side the house – I could touch both! Chickens, pigs, dogs, naked children, and skinny people with sunken eyes staring at me inside the slow moving car, begging for food - It was quite a sight! It reminded me of my Salvation Army days, only much, much worse!

We finally arrived at her place, a simple house behind a tall wall with barbed wire on top to keep criminals away. The house stands out as a castle compared with the mud huts outside the wall. She served us the best she had. Her husband and family, 9 of them, where there to greet us. He works with Compassion International. I was deeply touched and asked myself how in the world she does the work so well here, without a car to take her to places, living in that dangerous neighborhood, and facing constant danger of being assaulted, etc. Nonetheless, she is always smiling, always ready to help everybody, and  extremely happy for this opportunity to work with Project Hannah.

Yesterday Project Hannah was introduced in two amazing services:  3 and 3 ½ hours each. The first, at a Lutheran church, started at 7 am. We got to the church early and it was already full with people outside the doors - over 1,300 people! Beautiful singing and lots of praising God by three different choirs. During the offertory people came forward very orderly pew by pew to give their offerings. Some brought vegetables, fruits, pieces of clothing and even tall sugar cane steams. At the end of the service the pastors lead the congregation in a processional outside the church building where the items given by those that could not give money are auctioned. A papaya was sold for a price that is 20x more than the market price [so that] those who have help those who do not have to give to the Lord. All the money from the auction goes to the Church. After the service, we met with around 35 women, all Project Hannah intercessors of that church for a short presentation and inviting them for the big celebration in the afternoon on the other side of town.

From there it was on to another large church, a Community Church, of about 900 people. I am so impressed with the way people here pray. I have seen men and women praying so earnestly they weep for their sins and bring their sorrow that are so many to God with tears falling on the dusty cement. I was blessed just by being in their presence and seeing their devotion and perseverance in prayer.

In the afternoon we went to another church, the 4th meeting of the day, where around 250 women gathered from different Project Hannah prayer groups. It was a moving meeting with testimonies of what God has done in their lives through this ministry. I had the opportunity to share Project Hannah and challenge the ladies to keep on calling their churches to pray and to listen to Women of Hope which is broadcast here in this large city from a local radio station.

By the end of the day, I was able to share Project Hannah with over 2,000 people. Everywhere we go there are open hearts and tremendous joy. Project Hannah has brought a revival to the churches here, they say. Churches that were cold and dying out, are now with a new wind of the Spirit [and] they attribute it to the prayers of the Project Hannah women in the church!

Tomorrow I was scheduled to go visit a Game park, but I decided to stay here and rest in the morning. I am totally spent after two and a half weeks of nonstop meetings literally day and night (These people here do not sleep!). Also the translator of the Swahili programs lives here and she has not been given training in what Women of Hope is all about. So, in the afternoon I will lead a short seminar for her and the national coordinator and others.

The day after tomorrow we leave here to go back to Dar-es-Salaam and from there to Zanzibar island where Project Hannah will be launched. We will need special protection from our Lord. Please keep us in your prayers.

Ruth is in her element. She loves these people and this place where she lived for so many years. Her back is doing OK and in spite the hectic schedule she has been an excellent translator and hostess to me. She calls me her twin sister and when I mention this to people and say that we are daughters of different mothers, but the same Father, people just burst into praise saying and singing “Buana Asefuie”!!!!(PTL!)

I’m sorry for such a long email, but my heart is so full . . . . I want to let you know what God is doing here. There is much more, and I will try to write when I get a good internet connection.

Blessings,

Marli

Travel through Africa with Marli!

A Call to Prayer (Marli's 1st Africa Letter, 2 1/2 weeks into her trip)

Being God's Healing Hand for Hurting Women (Marli's 2nd Africa Letter, from Dodoma)

Open Hearts, Tremendous Joy (this page - Marli’s 3rd Africa Letter, from Arusha, Tanzania)

Courage Amidst Life's Violent Storms (Marli's 4th Africa Letter)

Hope for the Heart of Africa (Marli's final Africa Letter)

Marli's Africa Photos (2011 Africa Consultation, Travels; NOTE: photos and other contents of Project Hannah's Facebook Page can be viewed without a Facebook account).