Tanzamania!

People often have to walk miles to get water

By Jeff and Wendy Garrett

Jesus said: “I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink” (Matthew 25:35).

If we truly believe that we serve a missional God, then what does that say about us as His people? It says we are His missional people.

The Father sent the Son; the Son sent the Spirit; the Spirit indwells us. He then sends us out into the darkness so the victory which Christ accomplished on the cross might be implemented in the lives of those sitting in that darkness.

In other words, the Light of the world has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light so that we might be the light of the world in the midst of the same darkness.

WHAT IS MISSIONS?

This is missions: Missions is always a direct result of worshipping Christ, and it results in Him sending His messengers to places where Christ is not being worshipped.

At the very heart of God’s mission — foundational to His mission — we find two things that are inseparably intertwined: Christ’s Great Commission (Mark 16:15), and His Great Commandment (Luke 10:27).

For, how can we make disciples of the nations if we do not love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind; and how can we reach the nations if we do not love our neighbor as ourselves?

How can you drive a wedge between the two? Imagine standing on the foundation of a house destroyed by a tornado in our beautiful home state of Alabama this past April. Imagine preaching day after day, calling for a mother who has lost her child to repent, yet, never showing compassion by simply lending a helping hand.

This is why we start new churches in the desperately dry, spiritually dark places of Tanzania. At the same time we drill deep borehole water wells in the area. These water wells provide desperately needed fresh water to the families from the dominant-religion, who sometimes have to walk seven miles one way to get water from an open, hand-dug, dirty, diseased-infested well.

Do we truly believe that the Word became flesh (John 1:14) and dwelt among those who hated Him? If we believe that He embraced humanity through His physical presence, through His healing touch, excruciating death, and bodily resurrection, then how can we continue to take that which has become flesh and make it simply word again?

New water well in Mvumi Makulu, Tanzania

BOTH PREACHING AND COMPASSION TAKE PRIORITY

Preaching the gospel and providing water to the thirsty — both take priority.

It’s so easy to say that preaching is the priority and providing water takes a backseat. That is, until the thirsty ones are our very own children and grandchildren.

That which takes supremacy is “making Christ known” through the priorities of both proclamation and compassion.

Jesus healed all 10 lepers — even the nine who did not worship Him. He washed the feet of all His disciples — including the feet of Judas, the one who betrayed Him. He died on the cross for the sins of the world — even the sins of those who rejected Him.

We proclaim the gospel and provide water in order to make Christ known. To do one and not the other would make that which we are pursuing no longer His mission but, rather, our mission.

Jeff and Wendy Garrett are AGWM missionaries to Tanzania.