Discipling Disciplers

Pray. Go. Give. This is who we are! Through your giving to the Wooddale Worldwide fund, we are able to support 85 global partners and some 55 organizations that are making a difference throughout the Twin Cities, North America and around the world. One of these global partners is Betty Carlson in Tanzania. Betty’s responsibilities include discipleship, community development and teaching English.

Betty reflects on the past year and exclaims, “How great is our God!” Throughout the year, she asked us to pray that God would give her team men and women to train as disciples of Jesus, who will train others, too. Betty says, “By training future teachers in evangelism, discipleship and community development, our vision is that they will go to the unreached tribes of Tanzania and share the good news. This is such a great opportunity for multiplication. God is working, we are sure of that!”

Betty reports that 25 men and women want to learn more about being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Second year students are discipling first year students. As they disciple others, they are growing stronger in their knowledge of God’s Word and how it applies in their lives. The day after the first discipleship class, one of the first year students came up to Betty and started quoting the Bible verse that he learned the day before. He was so excited to show how he was memorizing scripture. As he recited the verses, a couple others came by and joined him.

It has taken a while longer for the women to become interested in discipleship, but that is coming along. Betty now has eight women in a discipleship group, which is made up of both first and second year students. Unlike many of us who have our own transportation to get to church or Bible study, most of the women must make a long journey to be discipled by Betty.

A few highlights over the year

Two second year students were baptized in November. They gave their faith story in front of the Buguruni church. A group of the students’ friends from school came along to witness this step of their faith.

The entire second year team went on a “Missions Vision Trip” to the village of Mzenga. They learned about cross- cultural living, language learning, God’s “mission” of redemption and more. They learned about impacting their host culture through agriculture, education and basic medical knowledge. They had the opportunity to see the local grade school and meet with the principal, who is very excited about the prospect of having several new teachers at the school! Here are a few of their comments:

• “God’s plan for the world began before creation – and I’m part of that plan! Wow!”
• “Being a missionary is quite different from what I first thought! It’s important to live with the people and become part of their daily lives.”
• “Showing God’s love in the way we relate to these people is the only way to reach them. They need to understand who God is and who Jesus is.”
• “God’s Word hasn’t yet reached this [Zaramo] tribe. The priority before us is to pray for them.”

Please pray for Betty, her team and the students

• Pray that all these students will stay strong and grow more in their faith.
• Pray that these students will seek God’s strength and stand strong during the trials they encounter.
• Pray that the women Betty is discipling will continue to grow more like Jesus and learn how they can share the Gospel (Good News of Jesus) with others.

Through your generosity to Wooddale Worldwide, you are helping people in the Twin Cities, in North America and throughout the entire world. Hungry people are fed, AIDS victims are cared for, churches are started, Christian leaders are trained and those who had no hope are given God’s hope because of Jesus.

Get personally involved. Pray that God will continue to bless our efforts. Go on a short-term ministry trip or serve with a local organization. Give to Wooddale Worldwide.

Get on the weekly email to pray for global partners’ current needs - Contact carol.buchanan@wooddale.org.