Although one person can make a difference, there is truth to the saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Sometimes that “village” is a combination of individuals and organizations, and sometimes that “child” is a group of people who could be thought of as forgotten.
Three years ago, God started sending one of these “villages” to the Maasai people in Tanzania — to give them water both for their bodies and their souls.
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It began in Karatu, Tanzania, through a conversation in a gift shop between a couple from the United States and a young Maasai warrior. The couple, Anne-Marie and John Touliatos, were in the country to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. The young warrior, Lamnyak Siria, told them about his people’s need for clean water as he showed them around the shop, describing how the Maasai women spend most of their time and energy each day walking up to seven hours a day to obtain water — and it’s dirty.
In turn, the Touliatos couple listened to this need and also shared the gospel — the living water — with Lamnyak.
Impacting thousands
In October, Lamnyak, who is now minister of evangelism for International Ministry of Jesus, and Charles Loleku, IMOJ’s minister of discipleship and orality training, traveled from Tanzania to speak to various groups in the southeastern United States about what God has done since that conversation. On Oct. 26 they — along with Anne-Marie and John — shared an update with the congregation of Raleigh Avenue Baptist Church in Homewood, the first church that prayed for this venture.
Before they spoke, Michael Ent, pastor of Raleigh Avenue Baptist, said, “I just wanted to remind you that we’re commanded. Jesus says all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth. He has all that authority and as He has used that authority, He has made sure that He’s given very clear instruction: Go, go.
“So, these guys went — of all places — to Tanzania just a few short years ago, expecting God to move, expecting God to do something. They didn’t know exactly what. They had no real clue but just to be faithful and pray throughout the opportunity.”
God did move. And He did much more than “something.” That initial conversation led to Lamnyak getting saved and in the three years since, more than 10,000 Maasai have accepted Jesus.
God worked through several organizations — the Maasai’s own “village.” The International Ministry of Jesus, for whom Anne-Marie is the director, headed up the effort. Africa Inland Mission, Here’s Life Africa and Ethnos360 each contributed by using the specialties of their particular ministries.
IMOJ is “dedicated to making disciples for the glory of Christ by serving those in need, faithfully proclaiming the Word of God and teaching others to do the same.” One of their goals within Tanzania is to provide clean water to the Maasai people.
Three months after the initial conversation between the Touliatos’ and Lamnyak, IMOJ, working with Africa Inland Mission, drilled a well and hit water. Due to a two-year drought, no one believed it was possible. In addition, the water was found near a church building — one made out of mud. Because they found the water so close to the church, the people believed that God saw and loved them.
Since then, the organization has drilled or fixed 13 additional wells that provide clean water to over 40,000 Maasai and their livestock. This is the first clean water that many have ever drunk.
Sharing the message
Here’s Life Africa partnered with IMOJ to bring the Jesus film to the Maasai and distribute written and audio Bibles to the newly saved. Both the film and the Bibles were in their language.
Ethnos360 came alongside IMOJ to teach storytellers in the orality method, an ancient way to share Scripture with those who cannot or prefer not to read.
Since more than 80% of the Maasai people cannot read, this method — along with audio Bibles — helps with teaching the foundations of the faith and discipleship to these new Christians. So far, 46 Maasai have graduated learning this method and “carry entire portions of Scripture in their hearts,” according to Ethnos360.
In addition, the women who used to walk 12 miles each day to get water now are able to spend that time starting businesses. Children have their mothers close by and have the opportunity to go to school. Ministers have been raised up and churches have been built.
And all of this is the result of one conversation, ministries working together and the faithfulness of God.
Learn more
To learn more about and partner with the ministries that are involved with the Maasai people, go to https://theinternationalministryofjesus.org/ for the International Ministry of Jesus, https://aimint.org/ for Africa Inland Mission, https://www.hereslifeafrica.com/tanzania for Here’s Life Africa and https://ethnos360.org/ for Ethnos360.
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