Pastor Raised from the Dead

Ron Hanson with villagers at the newly-dug well on the Kwa Mtoro church property

 

By Ron and Gloria Hanson, AGWM missionaries to Africa

 

A few days ago we traveled to central Tanzania to view some of our completed well sites and visit local Assemblies of God pastors. We love hearing testimonies about how water from our wells has drawn people to Jesus, the Living Water. We feel honored to be in the presence of these pastors, some of whom have suffered because of their faith in Jesus.

 

We discovered several amazing stories connected with these churches. I would like to share one with you.

 

Pastor Ndawo

One of our pastors, Pastor Ndawo, one day recently entered his tabernacle church for a leadership seminar in Kwa Mtoro, Kondoa, a town controlled by the dominant religion. He was totally unaware that someone had sabotaged it by removing the cross-bracing from the building. While he taught, a strong gust of wind caused the church building to collapse, knocking members of the congregation to the ground and crushing Pastor Ndawo’s chest under the weight of the roof, as he lay pinned between a steel truss and a column.

 

The congregation frantically worked to rescue their pastor. Once they finally freed him from being trapped they realized their pastor was dead, without a pulse.

 

The members, in the midst of their despair, gathered around their pastor’s body to pray. As they prayed they watched with wonder as life flowed back into his body. With hope renewed, the members then struggled for six hours to get their pastor to the hospital where it was determined that he had broken ribs and severe internal bleeding (which the doctors say was surprisingly reduced by the next morning).

 

After four weeks of recovery in the hospital, he was transported back to his family in Kwa Mtoro, only to find that someone had beaten his wife with a club before daybreak that very same day.

 

The new church at Kwa Mtoro

In spite of the violence and uncertainty, Pastor Ndawo and his family continue to love the people of Kwa Mtoro with a renewed sense of God’s purpose for their lives.

 

A new church has now been built, with the addition of a parsonage for the security of Pastor Ndawo and his family.

 

However, it was not until a well was drilled on the church property that the opposition from the village dissipated, allowing Pastor Ndawo to openly share his faith with villagers, who were ready to listen. The church has almost tripled in size since the well was drilled (from 16 to more than 40).