Rooted in Jesus testimonies

What do we expect to see happen through Rooted in Jesus groups? Three things. These are all testimonies which group leaders have shared with us:

· Miriam Saramba - For long time I was disturbing in diseases, but when I started to learn the Word of God I feel free from that problems. I met with Jesus in our studying because every time we were praying by one another in our group, [we were able to] thank Jesus for [his] healing and deliverance. Luke 9: 1-2.

· Katarina Lemburis - I learnt that Jesus is like ferry and gate. If I can live in him … he will help me to pass in different temptations. Through him I don't fear anything, Jesus is my bridge he will carry me to God. John 10:9

· Ester Ngau - One day when I came back from the Church to study the Word of God my son started to cry continuously; all the night he cried. Next day my husband and brother in law told me that I am better to take the son to witchdoctor because he want grandfather name. I refused completely to go with my son to witchdoctor because I trust Jesus. After two days when my husband make preparation to find a hen to go with it to the witchdoctor I attended the lesson, and when the time of prayer started I told my group members about my problem. They prayed for my son, from that time my son stopped to cry. I told my husband that my son stopped to cry because we pray for him in the Church. From that time my husband give me more time to attend the lessons.

· Elizabeth Hudati - This lesson help me to understand the Word of God as well, because we learn many things and we tried to define some difficult questions and we got the real answers. In the beginning I don't understand the word of God as well. Several time I was fall in sin with servants of God that have bad character. One day the servants of God came to our Boma after praying in night the servant of God told me to make sex with him I told him that this is sin and every time you preached why you convince me to do it? He told me that this is not sin because the Bible says that "Do not deny yourselves to each other" 1 Corinth 7:5. I agreed to make sex because who was telling me is the servant of God who knows, as well about Bible, but now I can't do like that because I know that verse is special for people who married. When she explained this she was crying continuously. James 4: 7.

· Abraham Dani - For long time ago I was fear as well about witchdoctor to destroy my animals and my children and everything that I had, but when I started to learn the Word of God I don't fear anything. I have power to invite my friends who are the same age to come to Jesus, because I understand and I trust in him that there is no name has power than Jesus Christ. Jesus is my protector with all that he gave me. John 20: 28-29.

· Leah Yakobo - More than five years I live with my husband without to get a baby. But when I started to learn the Word of God, I don't feel well because always I was feeling about baby. One day I ask my group members to pray for my problem. I remember very much the time of my group members were pray for me, from that time I conceived and now I have a baby. I thank God and I thank to all who made preparation of this lesson. John 16: 24.

· Paulina Msonde - In beginning before the group I was dreaming bad things always I was met with bad snakes in my dreaming and the day light real I was meeting with the snakes I had seen in the night. But when I started to learn the lesson I began dreaming about heaven and I meet with angels, I don't see again any kind of snakes, I can't leave this lesson forever I will learn the word of God. 1 Corinth 10: 13.

· Laurent Mahika - I attend to Church for long time I don't know about the nature of sin but through the group I understood as well I fear very much to fall in sin because the sin will separate me with God. Romans 6: 23.

· Dorisia Chende - Dorisia is an illiterate woman of advanced years. When her leader prayed for the group to receive the Holy Spirit, Dorisia received the gift of tongues. The next Sunday she stood up in church and said ‘I have to say that there is a woman here with a problem in her abdomen. I want to pray for her’. A woman stood – she’d been suffering from continuous bleeding, 14, 21 days each month. They prayed and she was instantly healed. Dorisia continues to receive words of knowledge and to pray for people in her village.

· Revd Michael Samuel (Group coordinator, Kiteto deaneries) - 'The group members have long testimonies and many verses that were memorized in their studies. I wrote in short their testimonies, otherwise I can use many pages for their testimonies.'

· Revd Jacob Lihhima (Group coordinator, Babati deanery) - I cannot forget the testimony of one brother from a group in the parish of Logoeti. His testimony is that he had bad habits, but now he really thanks God. Before he started hearing the teachings of Rooted in Jesus he left his wife to be with another woman. He really tormented his wife and gave her no money and abandoned his children so that they were no longer able to go to school. But after learning about the word of God he cried and decided to return to them and to take back his wife and to totally leave the other woman behind. Now they live with great joy because Jesus has turned their lives around and he reigns and is the shepherd in their lives .

• Revd Isaiah Chambala (Group coordinator, Arusha deanery) - From these and many stories I am made rich in the Lord. And that's why to me this coordination has been a way of serving the Lord through which I am myself getting blessed and encouraged, as my spiritual life is challenged and made strong. I can say that through this I am balanced between my theological education and my spiritual practical life.

• “In Mocuba I felt and saw the action of the Holy Spirit; many participants were touched and presented their preoccupations in the midst of brothers, being delivered as Christ cut all cords uniting them with Satan. Some had problems with their neighbours, not speaking with each other but being catechists; many brought themselves to Christ, renouncing drunkenness, smoking tobacco and their involvement in black magic. We had cries and tears, but finished by all being renewed and strengthened through the Holy Spirit.”

• “In Morrumbala, again we encountered miracles! God is powerful! We had 30 participants. Even more remarkable things happened: one catechist who had led a congregation for 3 years, dedicated to Christ, revealed that he had been a witch doctor and presented all his instruments of divination, superstitious healing and black magic (3 tails of wild animals, 3 earthenware pots with drugs, 6 gourds and a kind of small cushion) and all this he brought to be burnt and he remained liberated receiving Jesus Christ as his Saviour. Other catechists brought their problems with drink, smoking, worship of ancestors, involvement with magic ceremonies and other superstitious things; these studies are a blessing and the Holy Spirit is working.” - Revd Amorim Rocha

· "Rooted in Jesus has helped me know the Bible and stand firm in my faith. I work for a Muslim factory owner and the Muslims in my factory try and get the Christians to convert. Before Rooted in Jesus I didn’t know how to cope with this but now I can teach the other Christians in the factory the memory verse and help them to stand firm in their faith”

· "Rooted in Jesus has helped me to develop my preaching so that I can explain the Bible better and use the Bible better when I preach."

· "Before Rooted in Jesus I wasn’t interested in reading the Bible or prayer – now I read the Bible and trust God every day."

· "Before Rooted in Jesus group I didn’t recognise Satan’s schemes against me. But now I know it is real and I can overcome them through Jesus."

2. Changed churches

· One group leader said that on the 4th lesson, ‘Who is Jesus?’, he had taught them the memory verse John 1.12, which says to all who received him he gave power to become children of God. He said they hadn’t known that. They were just churchgoers, and they’d not heard of the Holy Spirit or realised any act of commitment was necessary. He had explained the verse and the whole group was filled with the Holy Spirit.

· “There has been an eruption of spiritual growth and strong faith amongst many Christians in the parishes I visited which have been practising the Rooted in Jesus course. I discovered that the Bible has started to be sweet to some of the members of these groups. The fear that it is a supernatural book that has to be dealt carefully by those who are only skilled as to how to deal with such kind of supernatural powers is now getting to be eliminated. They read the Bible not only as a book but they have discovered that this book teaches them the way of 'how to live' and the way of 'how to be right with God'. The verses they have put in their hearts have started to speak to them, such that now, "we hear the voice of God talking to us", one of them commented. They say that the Bible has transformed their lives. They confess that the word of God contains powers that give them confidence in the Holy Spirit to share with others about their new experience in the Lord. They have the courage to say verses from the Bible to prove what they believe. Church growth in some parishes is a good sign that there have been fruits from the course” - Revd Isaiah Chambala, RinJ coordinator

· All leaders reported increased confidence, greater understanding of the bible, greater willingness to witness to others, greater church commitment and involvement on the part of group members. Some were preaching, prayer was now the first port of call in time of difficulty; the church was full; power was present.

3. Changed communities

· Leaders told us : in one Masai village the elders now pray over their decisions. Prayer is becoming normal in the villages. People are sharing their faith and others were coming to Christ. They were speaking out against witchcraft. Illiterate people are teaching others from the memory verses. One man used to do everything in the church but now can’t get a word in edgeways.

· People have stopped putting ‘medicines’ on the fields for crops

· People are breaking the habit of going to the witchdoctor; one woman had been bitten by a snake and instead of going to the witchdoctor had come to the group for prayer – and been healed