Pioneer Bible Translators

'Bringing tfie Word to Life

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What's This All About?

famine relief here in the Dodoma region of Tanzania. During that time we received over $45,000 from International

From February to April of 1999, the East Africa Branch (EAB) of Pioneer Bible Translators was blessed to be involved in
Disaster Emergency Service (IDES), and from churches and individuals in the US and Canada. We distributed over 150

tons ofcorn, 9 tons ofseed, and 2000 New Testaments and Bible portions in four villages and in Dodoma town, where our office is located and where all of our members live. We will continue with the evangelistic outreach associated with the
famine-relief program until at least June, and possibly thereafter.

Even though we have not yet completed this project, we are finished with the mass distribution phase and we wanted to
take this time to reflect on our experiences. The articles included in this group newsletter are written from our various

perspectives of this amazing experience. We again thank all of you who prayed for us, wrote us letters of encourage ment. sent money for the cause, ortold others about the situation here. We hope our words will bring you closer to
understanding what has happened in our region, in our lives, and in our hearts.

The Beginnings by Tammie Harvey, Anthropologist

This year's famine-relief efforts in Dodoma region grew out of last year's beginnings. How do you begin afamine relipf

program when you have not been in the country for even ayear, you don't have many contacts^ the'vLg^ you d<fn\
avehicle? That was our situation last year, in spite of these

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nn hf ; 3sk IDES If they had any resources available while we as a branch prayed about this Qpf H branch had even to agroup decision, however, seemed that the ball was rolling" almost on itscome own and we stepped out on faith. IDES sent us the money. Then it

SerllirpTinpqT'refugees, we knew about the work of Internatlonai Disaster Emergency

famine relief here to get their advice and to make sure we did not duplicate their efforts.

rsrou?mn1art.fwifh"'^th^'' '' '' responsibility to administer the program on behalf of the branch. We were able to were from and what the situation was In those villages. We then contacted the other organizations [LTwte doinq

hpoin 7 . and J surveying ^9^^3tions, well as our survey and other experiences in Cameroon and Zaire begin making contacts the needs in as nearby villages. We began by asking our workers what villaqes thevto

^illanpV gain. food Afterdistributions. obtaining lists of the most needy families in the targeted villages, wp?h we then arranged datesto return personal for the actual

After determining the number of people we could help with the funds IDES had sent, we selected villages based on the rnnnmil"? . proceeded to meet with village leaders (government, medical and religious) to have them form a n ^prioritized list of needy people in their village - an enormous responsibility and pressure for these rtakP thp "If '^e hands of those likely
arrangements we used the Hobble's vehicle, as they were in the US for a few months For

large distribution truck^ Once, we had to drop off the food and immediately let the truck return so it could be used elseTl'l' M

the food distributions we were blessed to have the use of another missionary's UPS-style van or the Southern Baotist's

food dLri^HoL food distnbutions and ^rfwere blessed by the expenences they teachers had. who work primarily in town, sometimes joined us on
After the four months of food distribution, we were able to organize seminars on "pei^^.ial evangelism" in some of the anpnriprl'' the otherparticipants missions that had us. groups Members from all what the denominations in each village atter^ded. As part of each seminar, split up helped into small to practice they had just learned As a result, some decisions were made for Chnst, others rededicated their lives, and still others made that first small step of a
together with one heart and one purpose.

three-hour trip home after distribution. {We only had two flat

attend church sen^ices the next Sunday. It was such ajoy to see all of God's people working so weU

One of several hills of seed with tons of com In

the background.

Measuring out com Into buckets.

Famine and Affection I^y

HobWe, Branch Director

Lordbinds up the bruises ofHis people and heais the wounds He //7eo'"(lsaiah 30:26).
The prophet Isaiah says that sometimes the Lord wounds His people on purpose. Sometimes He gives the hungry, "the bread of adversity and

"Themoon will shine like the sun, andthe sunlight willbe seven times brighter, lil<e the light ofseven full days, when the

the water of affliction" (Isaiah 30:20). That's what Dodoma got to eat this
year - adversity and affliction.

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from an angry and cold heart in heaven. The Father isn tdistant. He s
overwhelmed with deep affection. His intense longings for His children are what inspire the disruption He brings to their world.
The Lord's desire is fullness. He loves His children fully and wants to

But the prophet's words also reveal that such harsh meals don't come

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empower them to love Him in the same way. He helps by removing the props that prevent abandonment to Himself in the human heart. He
takes away that which hinders love. His purposes are always redemptive, yet dependent on human response.

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Jeff helping to unload corn sacks.

In Dodoma there have been two responses to the lack of food. Fear, anger, greed, and even violence have characterized one response.

Many we helped could only angrily demand more. Two distributions ended in chaotic pushing, shoving and grabbing. Isaiah's words were true: "Distressed and hungry, they will become enraged and. looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness" (Isaiah 8:21-22). The suffenng
has intensified the hatred of many hearts.

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But the prophet also describes another group of people. Out of the terrifying devastation to the earth described in Isaiah 24-27, arise a people of joy. Through judgment they learn righteousness (24:14; 26:9). They are a people who, mthe midst of suffering, cry out. "My soul yearns for You ... My spirit longs for You." They embrace the Lord s discipline and enter more fully into the Father's heart of love. Suffering redemptively intensifies the love in their heart for the Lord. This has certainly happened in Dodoma. One scene embodies for me the divine work of wounding and healing After an inspiring church service in avillage hard hit by the famine, spontaneous singing and dancing broke out for nearly an hour. Thin, weak men and women with little food at home shouted and jumped with joy carried away in the love of God.
Wounded bodies with hearts overflowing in love praised the God who possesses perfect understanding of the human

heart. With the seemingly contradictory tools of famine and affection. He enlarged the heart of His people in love. The wisdom and mystery of His work are as unsearchable as they are unmistakable. They shine like multiplied sunlight

Edson and Jeff sorting out the

distribution lists.

One distribution group.

Famine in the Land byJim Farmer, Literacy Specialist .h"e ^ -"^9^ f veyu,a, We entered the village of Veyula with four trucks loaded with com. There were hundreds of people waiting for us We beaan fro^rnnri N distnbutioh as well as astation for those interested in the Scriptures. Using the Solar Power Pack
nnkpH someone blessing to see the people sittingwe and listening to the Scriptures, and nearly everywhere I looked, was reading a Bible or other Scripture materials had distributed.

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Productions, International, we played portions of the Chigogo New Testament. (Chigogo is the dominant

Dump the food distributions one thought that stayed with me was that, after ail the effort to feed everyone, there are always some inadequate. As Iwatched the people, Ibegan to think about Jesus' feeding of the 5,000. Ihave often thought of this passage

people who receive no food at all. The need is so great we cannot possibly satisfy all the hunger around us an7wef^erso

hT H ^ and need"^' way with It takes an enormous amount ofmonth food toor feed 5,000 peoplei We didwe our distribuofffsrent the family, enough food to last them a more. In order to do this needed

h^ki coffcrumbs! h? What Jesus did was so complete that thef-Jesus' miracle that wewere are told the disciples picked up twelve baskets people ate theirisfill and content I'm convinced that the message in John 6:1-15 is that when Jesus fills people with earthly food or spiritual food He does it in such away that nothing is lacking.
wpN IS k deep. Where can you get this livingSamaritan Woman also came to my mind. you have nothing draw again with and the well water?" Jesus answered, "Everyone who "Sir, drinks this water will betothirstv but To eTemaMif" ^ p toetemaliife (John 4:11-14). The spiritual thirst and hunger that Jesus quenches is complete.in him as ng of^erSing dier weii.ng up

fsherh^rdllfllnt distribution, Ibelieve Ibegan to feel what Jesusphysical felt when He that sawwould the people without aShepherd As Ilooked into the crowd Isaw people who were lost and who were seeking food onlv last a

short time. Irealized the real famine in the land is not only physical but also spiritual. Maybe God has allow"phJsi^
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suffenng, not to Punish the people for their sin (though this may be apart of it), but to awaken His people out of sleep Perhaps
s'Jff"ng, what He sees so they will arise and

Sriti afpmn? f do not know Him spintual emptiness h because the people who is the BreadTanzania ofLife. and Isee in areas where food is abundant a
Those of you who have helped us reach out to the people of Tanzania during this famine are apart of this awakening Iask vou to con nue to be apart of now feeding the people with spiritual food. You can do tha^ ^raying specificairf^us as we sLk God sleading in how to most effectively preach the Gospel. We truly need wisdom anu . guidance of the Holy Spirit Unlike llone^n alone can av^L"" give, they will T"leave have anever-ending fullness. people hungry In the again, most difficult when the of times people - even taste afamine of Jesus and they thewill spiritual be able food to He

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answer with Peter. "But where would we go. Lord? You have the words of eternal life" {John 6:6^

l^h many efp^peo^elTls AmeT^^^^

Jim measuring and bagging seeds.

As they wait, people listen to the scriptures in the tribal

language (played on a solar-powered tape piayer).

Etemal-Range Planning b,Lind.uu,h, Branch/wmmiswo

Iam not an emotional person. I have, at times, even been proud of the fact (shame on me) that my personality test results are alw^ays off-the-scale extremes of the "administrator personality." I might have made a good military commander, had I actually wanted to be one. So how did someone with my personality handle being involved in a
famine-relief program? I will just start by saying that God has a good sense of humor. He also wants me to love people the way that He does and to sometimes forget about what makes sense in my overly-practical mind.

Famine relief didn't fit into my long-range, or even short-range planning this year. Those people coming to our
gates needed help, but we are a Bible-translation organization, not a relief agency. For several months I went on

feel a burden for the people starving in Dodoma region. God would not let me administrate away what was going
on around me. On the day that we met to try and discern what God was calling us to do, eleven ladies walked

trying to convince myself that this wasn't our concern, but I couldn't harden my heart enough to believe that Ididn't

through our gate asking for help for their village. We had gotten other clues before that, but the visual impact of those ladies In our yard was enough to convince me that God's eternal-range planning was about to rearrange our
schedules.

We decided as a group not to try and decide what God wanted us to do, but to promise God that we would help the
people of Dodoma as He provided and as He led. Then we let His people know of the needs and of our commit ment. Up to that point, all of this seems very logical to me. God knows exactly what He wants to do. and I was

we could give less food and seed to each family. That way everyone could stay alive, even if they would still be
hungry.

going to do. Iwrote to a friend a few weeks later saying that we wanted to help the people in the village of Vikonje. but that the list of people In need there was just too long and they needed to cut it down. I remember crying as I wrote of the village's response begging us to not make them cut the list down any more. If necessary, they said,

excited about being a part of it. Iwas also arrogant enough to secretly think I knew approximately what He was

That was the beginning of my roller-coaster ride of emotions as God amazed us all with His incredible outpouring of love, provision, and guidance throughout the months that followed. When Isaw Him provide for all of the needy
people ofthat village's list (the long version) and then do the same for another village, and another, and another, I was ashamed of my lack of faith, yet filled with joy at the blessing of being a part of this incredible experience. When I tell you that lives were changed here in Dodoma region and people came to know Christ's love, Iam including my own life. Truly. He did exceedingly, abundantly above all that we imagined, and Ipraise Him for it.

"The counsel ofthe Lord stands forever, the plans ofHis heart from generation to generation: (Psalm 33:11).

Village leaders reading Bibles.

People witfi empty sacks waiting to be filled.

God's Idea of a Dent by Naomf Dobbins, Survey Specialist

My heart was breaking as I read the e-mailfrom my coworkers inTanzania describing the desperate situation as famine devastated the region we work in. It told about the decision, reached by much prayer, to get involved in famine relief. This was a major decision for a Bible translation organization to step away from our traditional role, but God made it perfectly clear this was His wish. Iwished I were there with my colleagues, but felt God had placed me in the United States at this time for a reason, so I spread the word to anyone who would listen. As I appealed for help, I must admit, I wasn't expecting much. After all, we were only a little group of people who were not trained to do reliefwork. What kind of dent could we make in such a huge problem? It was after midnight on February 3rd and our household was asleep. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to check my e-mail. The words stared back at me from the screen, and comprehension slowly dawned. WE GOT $27,000, AND THE MONEY WAS STILLCOMING IN!!!!!!!!!! I danced a merry little jig around our living room before I headed off to bed, praising God for an swering our prayers far beyond our wildest imaginings. $27,000! Wow! We could really make a difference with that! Two weeks later, Ifound myself in Tanzania handing out bag after bag of seeds in a daze. I felt like Iwas in one of those videos about world hunger I had watched in high school. "This is real," I had to keep telling myself. At the end of a long day, there were still people left in need and wondering why their names were not on the list. We had no answers, and very little food left. We were trying to negotiate a fair solution, but Icould see the crowd control slipping fast. Suddenly, Ifound myself in the middle of a stampede. I was afraid for my own safety, but more than that; 1was overwhelmed at this desperate scramble for food. When the dust began to clear, I looked down to see children fighting over a few seeds that had spilled on the ground in the fray. Suddenly, $27,000 didn't seem like that much after all. Ifelt discouraged and thought that the dent we
had made in the problem was indeed small.

Fortunately, God's idea of a dent Is a little different from mine. Afew days later, a man from a Nonwegian aid organization came to see us. They wanted to copy our distribution methods! This was an organization with a multi-million dollar budget, working full-time in famine relief, and they were asking us for advice! We had tried hard to do things right, and evidently God had given us the wisdom to take what He had provided and to distribute it in the best way possible for the situation. Now He wanted us to pass that wisdom on so that it could multiply exponentially.

In case you are curiousabout the method itself, we started with the lists described in Tammie's article, which are designed to get the food and seed to the neediest people. We determined by their family size how much each household should receive, pre-packaged it here in town, and then systematically distributed it in the villages with the help of the village leaders. We distributed seeds along with food corn, so that the people would be able to eat enough to have the strength to plant the seeds, and they would also have some food until the han/est came. {That's the simple version.) Jim Farmer estimates that if the Norwegian organization uses this distribution method together with their funding it could transform Dodoma region (agricultur ally speaking) and break the cycle of famine that has lasted here for years. We had hoped to make a dent. God's way was to make a crater. "As the heavens are higherthan the earth, so are My ways
higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 56:1).

Naomi giving out seeds.

Women reading Bibles

God Works All Things

Togcthor For Goo I Edson Raphael Kamenya, Branch Administrative Assistant

The week was coming to a close. For some reason this had not been one of those great weeks. For one, my visit to VIkonje where we did a food distribution had left me greatly alarmed. Aiready there was no food in the village, while at
the same time the sun was scorching the young crop in the field. Already bands offamished individuals could be seen
in Dodoma picking at anything, including grains of corn.

The picture that came into my mind was dreadful. If there was going to be no crop this year, there wasn't going to be anything like a sustainable famine relief after that. The horror of seeing starvation on such a wide scale made my situation much more desperate, fthought ofthe famine-relief program we had just started and my conclusion was that,
even though the program was helpful to those privileged to receive it, it was a temporal help. In addition to that, there were a hundred individuals not receiving anything for every individual beneficiary. No, the situation seemed to be,
humanly speaking, "out of control."

My struggle with despair reached a peak as I sat to share with the EAB famine-relief committee. I mentioned the fact

that we had not been praying enough for the situation. The committee responded that people elsewhere had been

praying so much for the situation, lifting us up in our front-line duties of administering famine relief. While the meeting

these people came from Lamaiti. In Swahili, "maiti" is a corpse. Ithought quickly about it and responded back saying,
a place.

continued, Baba Rose, our gate keeper and gardener, called me to report of visitors who had come to see us. He said

why should they come to us with a problem about a corpse? Quickly, Baba Rose responded saying Lamaiti is a name of
I returned back to sit in for the rest ofthat famine-relief meeting. The committee members later commented that I looked

battered, and that's how Ihonestly felt within. After that, iwent out to speak with our visitors. What would anyone
expect from someone in a mood like Iwas in? I told them that there was nothing we could do for them at the moment. I
also lamented the fact that even those who were privileged to receive the famine relief would be in the same need after

was without hope. Iadvised them to disregard denominational walls and get together to pray for rain. Those people
went their own way, and I forgot about them.

a while. Iadvised them in the strongest terms that, unless they seriously sought God's face for the situation, the future

Among the delegation from Lamaiti was a young man who paid a second visit to the EAB office two weeks later. Ofall our conversations, this one thing was of the utmost importance. He related to me how, after our conversation of that

particular Thursday two weeks before, they had gathered together to pray for rain. The young man ended by saying that within an hour after that corporate prayer, there was such a heavy rain that it was incomparable to any rain they've had
in the past, and it only rained within the boundaries of Lamaiti village! When the young man finished his narrative, Ifelt

that the sense of despair and hopelessness that overwhelmed my heart that week was used to prepared people's hearts
for a revelation from a prayer-answering God. Isn't He cool? 'To themthatlove God, allthings work togetherfor
good.. ."(Rom. 8:28).

Edson counting sacks of com.

People waiting and reading fay stacks of Bibles

in the tribal language.

Everyone who
drinks this water

will thirsty again, but who

ever drinks the

wateri give him

willnever thirst

indeed, the wa teri give him

willb^ome in

him a spring of water welling up

Child reading a Bible while waiting for food.

to eternaliif^
(John 4:12-14)

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