2011 - A Home & Vehicles

A Home for Family & Ministry

If you are in Christian ministry, your ministry work does not just happen in your church or an office. It happens wherever you are, and very often that is at your home and with members of your family involved too.

Pastor Gervase Masanja and his wife Mariam have been in this ministry work with Pentecostal Missionary Church since 1987, doing pastoral work, gospel literature evangelism, and church planting. Their home has always been part of the ministry too. They have two daughters, they took in two orphans, and have three dependent relatives living with them. But so far, they have always lived in a rented home, and sometimes have had disagreeable landlords, who insisted they move out if they could not be prompt with the rent. Sometimes friends have stepped in to help out, but the tension of how long they might be in a certain house is always there.

Over time they have been able to buy a piece of property and start a house on it, but there has always been a lack of funds to complete it. Early in 2011, Pastor Gervase decided that it it is time to make a serious thrust to get that home of their own completed so that they need not deal with temporary, rented facilities any more. While they are building they want to incorporate ministry features. It is a stretch of faith, but they hoped it could be completed in a year so they would be able to focus on other ministry challenges better.

Because people in need, both from their church and from the community, are always dropping by at their home, it seems wise and good to let friends far and wide know of this opportunity to help them out.

That new home is to have a master bedroom, another master bedroom for senior guests, and three other bedrooms, one for the girls, one for the boys, and one for other guests. This house will have a kitchen, a dining room, and a rest room (known as a bathroom in other places). Besides that they want a room for a small convenience store; that will provide them with a small income to meet household expenses and keep them from slipping back into debt.

But there's more. Pastor Gervase is also wanting another small building on the property with a room for prayer and Bible study, and a small rest room (washroom). He calls it a Power House, and it would be for his personal study, prayer and preparation, and also to conduct counselling when people come who need to see the pastor privately.

Vehicles to Help in Ministry

Transportation is a constant challenge when you can't afford a vehicle. The ministry work is growing, and a lot of the money that does come in has to be spent on hiring drivers with vehicles to take Pastor Gervase and other ministry people where they need to go. This is required for distributing the gospel tracts and literature. This is necessary when international ministers come, and Gervase must pick them up at the airport and take them from place to place. This is a cost when visiting the needy that are more than a walking distance away, or to preach in the outlying churches.

Even a 7 ton truck for transporting literature and workers for crusades, etc., would be a great blessing to the PMC!

Many in Tanzania think of a vehicle as a luxury that they cannot afford. Pastor Gervase now feels that it would be more prudent to have a small car, and a larger passenger van for when needing to take guests around, and to do ministry work. Paying others to taxi them around is a greater luxury that cannot be afforded. However, it is a difficult loop problem, for it is impossible to save up for a vehicle, while paying for all these rides with others (who need to make a living too, by the way).

Our Appeal

Prayer!

First, we would ask that all godly Christians who find their heart going out to us in empathy, would join us in asking our Great Father-God, for the home and the Power House (cottage), and the vehicles that are needed to do the work He has called Gervase and Mariam Masanja to do.

It is said, "God's Work shall always see His workmen provided with the tools and resources they need out of God's treasury to complete the assignment He has given them." It should be perfectly in line with His will then to ask in prayer for these things to be provided to the Masanjas and the Pentecostal Missionary Church.

Would you exert your faith then in prayer to ask, believingly, for these resources from God, the Father of all who have received Jesus Christ as their very own Saviour? If you answer yes, please go to our Prayer Requests page for a prayer to use - if you need one.

If it is NOT God's will to grant us these resources, then it is foolish to keep striving for them. You ask Him, and listen for the answer. Then let us know if you hear a resounding confirmation too.

Appeal to International Donors/Partners

If you have met Pastor Gervase personally, or become aware of his work, you already know that he has a passion to help his people, and is not ashamed to beg on their behalf.

You might know how Gervase has pleaded for resources to take to the orphans, and as they have come in, he has deliverted to them, food, clothing, school fees, and medicines. He appealed for a shipment of wheelchairs from North America, and delivered many of those white plastic chairs on wheels to various handicapped people who had spent years scooting around on their hands on the ground, if they were able to be mobile at all. For many of them, it brought them out into society.

You might also know how he longs for more funds to print gospel tracts to distribute. Many Tanzanians have very limited education, but usually they have just enough literacy to be able to read. Yet, what do they have to read? If Christian literature is not provided, the communists and false cults are ready to provide their materials. A gospel leaflet goes a long way in this country and its words have a deep spiritual impact.

You may have visited and preached for Pastor Gervase in Kibaha, and you have experienced his hospitality. You have travelled with Gervase and ministers to the needy in other parts of Tanzania, even in neighbouring countries. You know better than most what he and his family experience every day.

We humbly appeal to you in other countries with a higher standard of living and who can afford nice, comfortable homes and cars. Have mercy and share a gift in the name of Jesus. Jesus promised to reward even a cup of water, surely a financial gift along with your prayers will bring you His proportinate rewards and a special joy.

As you can see on our Projects Page we do not want to be perpetual beggars with our hands out. (If you have ever been in great need, you know that sometimes it cannot be helped). We do want to say thank you in our limited, albeit, we hope resourceful way. So Ruth, our Authorized Agent, is prepared to mail to you a lovely glossy Scripture Sign as a token of our gratitude, for every gift of at least $100 or more. (She prints them in Canada and would mail your gift to you from there).

If you should be so kind as to send a gift of $1000 or more, Pastor Gervase will package up a small wood carving from a crafts person in Tanzania as a token of appreciation, and a prayer reminder.

We know that these wee gifts cannot fully reward you, but we do promise to pray for each person who contributes a gift of money, and we will ask the Lord to reward you according to your true motives and heart as you give, and we all know what a great Craftsperson God is! And how very generous He is! But right now He is watching for you to help out your brothers and sisters in Christ, in Tanzania.

• Projects Index
• Church Projects in 2013
• 2012 Dreams and Visions (PDF brochure)
• Church Events in 2012
• 2012 Fund-raising Projects
• 2011 a Home & Vehicles for Ministry