Dear Friends,
Linda and I have recently completed two day teaching sessions in four congregations of the Lutheran Church of East Africa in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania.
The groups attending were not large, but were very responsive and interested in all subjects we taught about agriculture and Christian family living.
Since we had taught at three of these congregations a few years ago, we asked whether they had tried anything we had taught in the past and what were the results. In two congregations members responded that they had begun using agricultural lime on their fields with good results. At three congregations people reported doing a better job of marketing and were selling at better prices.
Reverend Abraham in Kileo said he recalled our teaching about how drunkenness destroys families. He also reported that marriage unfaithfulness and witchcraft are big problems in Kileo. People under the fear of witchcraft will spend a major portion of their harvest income buying protection from fetish priests. Others fear being killed by someone who will use witchcraft against them. We reminded them Christ overcame Satan and by trusting Christ we need not fear the devil.
In tropical agriculture there is always the threat of diseases that affect crops. Linda in the first picture is teaching about crop rotation as an important first step to avoid nematodes, stem borers and diseases. In this session four volunteers are each holding a picture of a different crop. Two pictures are of legume crops (red beans and pigeon peas) that do well here, and one was of corn (maize) and one of millet. By rotating between nitrogen-fixing legumes and maize, sorghum/millet the farmers break the cycle of pests and diseases.
In the second picture Delano and Gerald are teaching about money management outdoors at the Lutheran Church, Kahe. The picture is of the farmer selling to the merchant. The idea is to inspire members to be tough business men and women that wisely watch markets and sell at the better prices.
Gerald faithfully translated for us and wants to continue working with the church promoting ideas we have taught. Bishop Angowi had previously mentioned they would form an agricultural committee to encourage their members.
For the first 3 weeks of February we will be working with the Confessional Lutheran Church of Malawi teaching about agriculture. Please continue to pray for us and the participants.
Blessings in Christ our Lord,
Delano and Linda Meyer
