The Brouwer Family

For the month of February Bill will be preaching through the book of Philippians to the church in Igekemaja. He is excited about teaching through this great epistle.

Since returning from furlough we've been rotating churches each week. This month we decided to change that so we can spend more time at one place. This will give Bill the opportunity to preach a series of messages. Tammy also hopes to begin using Sunday School as a means to teach the ladies every week.

We're excited about what God is going to do this month!

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We have tremendous news from one of our newest church plants!!!!

Two preachers from the church at Bwiru (started by Greg Wagoner), Delphinas and Musa, have had the burden to start a church on the island of Sengerema. For several months now, these two men have been alternating going to Sengerema every weekend. They have been visiting, winning souls, and meeting with a group of new believers every weekend. They didn't have a place to meet so they used people's homes, grain storage units, or wherever they could meet. Recently, one of our supporting churches, the Fellowship Baptist Church in Greeneville, Tennessee, donated the funds in which to build this new group of believers a modest church building.

This past Sunday was the first Sunday for them to meet in their new building. Everyone was excited!!! Invitations were given to the village chief and other leaders in the community. Leading up to the service on Sunday, there were special evangelistic meetings on Friday and Saturday evening. There were over 200 in attendance at the special meetings on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday, there was a big crowd including the village chief. At the invitation time, many responded by putting their faith in Christ as Savior. A total of over 60 adult salvation decisions were made over the weekend. This is the exciting part of starting a new church. Now comes the tedious work of teaching and training new believers. Please pray for this new church that God would protect it from spiritual wolves, and that these new believers would grow in grace. Also, pray for Delphinus and Musa as they work with this new church.

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lord gave us an unexpected blessing yesterday. We have been doing some painting. We had to pull our stove out in order to paint behind it. Upon returning it to it's place, our worker decided to try and see if the oven would light. It's been broken now for over six months. So while we were in town grocery shopping, Pendo turned it on and sure enough, it works! She was almost jumping for joy at her special surprise. And Tammy about jumped for joy when she saw for herself it was true!

Now before you feel too sorry for us not having an oven for over six months, we do have a small European stove. We purchased it when we starting having problems with our oven about a year ago.It has been a good little oven, but it is LITTLE. With all the baking Tammy does, it is a blessing to have her American sized oven working again.

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many of you have asked about my health. I am certainly doing much better, however, I still have the infection. It is not as severe as before, but it is still there. Please pray that God would see fit to give me complete healing. In the meantime, we are rejoicing at the amazing things that God is doing here!

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are praising God for the wonderful things that God is doing in Tanzania!!!

God blessed our Sunday services yesterday in a great way. At one of our new church plants in the village of Mayoka, we had 52 people gather for an 8 am service without a building. Our assistant pastor Pelegrino preached the Gospel to these dear people, and six responded by receiving Christ as their Savior. In the village of Fumagira there was an excellent crowd, and two people received Christ as Savior. In Sengerema at our other new church plant, there were two who also received Christ as Savior. I preached in the village church of Igekemaja on Sunday morning, and we also had a good group in attendance for the morning service. I preached on soul-winning from Matthew 10, and the Lord seemed to really move in the hearts of the people. Many believers responded to the invitation to be better witnesses for Christ.

Early this morning (Monday) we began buying supplies to start building a church building at our new church plant in Mayoka. We also have the money to begin building at our other new church plant in Sengerema. We appreciate so much the Fellowship Baptist Church in Greeneville, Tennessee, for helping us with these two projects. We are also praying about another church planting opportunity in the village of Kitongo. This is another village without a Gospel witness. There are still so many of these villages that need to be reached for Christ. We would appreciate your continued prayers for these new church plants.

Another blessing is the funds that we received from a donor to purchase this piki-piki (motorcycle) for Pastor Pelegrino. The purchase of this motorcycle has allowed us to start this newest church plant in the village of Mayoka. Pastor Pelegrino is now able to preach an early service in Mayoka and then ride over to another village for a later service.

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An adventure is the only word that will describe today! It started out like any other Sunday, well not exactly. This Sunday we had power!! We were headed to the village of Igekemaja for services when Bill noticed a light was on. He checked the emergency brake, but it was down. Then the steering and clutch were stiff. He pulled the car off the road so we could turn around and go back home. As he did so I quickly called our co-worker, Lisa Newland. She was almost to Igekemaja but graciously turned around so she could give us a ride to church. Bill was preaching, so it wasn't like we could just cancel.

Our plan was to drive to our mechanic's shop and leave the car there while Lisa took us to church. However, by this time, Bill had discovered it was the fan belt and the car was overheating. The car was acting worse so we pulled into a gas station to call our mechanic. The mechanic told us we shouldn't drive the car, but should find someone nearby who could replace the belt. About that time we see another co-worker, Ray Weekly, passing us. We flagged him down and he, along with assistant pastor, Pelegrino, helped us find a mechanic who could replace the broken belt. Pelegrino was also able to call a church deacon to preach for Bill. With our bases covered, we waited while two men replaced the broken belt.

As we waited I told Bill that Mlango Moja (flea market type place) was across the street and I needed shoes for Abby. She and I walked over, and within 15 minutes not only bought a pair for Abby, but for myself as well! This was a task I needed to get done later in the week, so I was thrilled to be able to use my time wisely while we waited.

We had to pay a whopping big bill of $13.00 (and John and Romans booklets) for a new belt and labor charges!! Can't beat those prices; and especially considering it was roadside service on a Sunday!

We still had time to make it to the service in Igoma so we headed that way. Pastor Gervasi preached out of Revelation 2:1-7. It was a great message on losing your first love. This service was a great blessing to us after the months of struggles it had just last year. When we returned from furlough they were running around 10. Today there were about 50. Many of whom are new converts!

After church we went to the New Mwanza Hotel for lunch. As we were leaving, Jon gave the guard a naan (Indian bread with butter and garlic) as well as a John and Romans booklet. As we drove off he sat there reading it. So unlike America where they throw them down.

Now for a laugh... As we were heading home I saw this man walking toward us. I did a double-take and confirmed that yes, he was wearing a pair of underwear on his head! You just gotta laugh!!

We pulled onto our street and stopped to buy some phone cards. A man was there with his bike loaded down with water. He couldn't get up the hill so he asked Jon if he would help. After buying the phone cards Jon helped him push his bike up the hill. What a blessing to see our now grown son helping this man!

As you can see, today was full of adventures! Life never gets boring in Tanzania!!

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lake Victoria Baptist College had their first graduation on April 25, 2009. The graduates, pictured here are John, Joas, Pelegrino and Delphinus. Each received an Associates Degree in Biblical Studies. Also in the picture are some of the teachers who have invested in the lives of these Tanzania men. Tim Whitfield, Bill Brouwer, and Greg Wagoner (founder and president of LVBC).

The day was filled with much excitement. The ceremony was a traditional Tanzania celebration. After receiving their diplomas, each graduate had an opportunity to give a short speech. Then family and friends came forward to offer gifts of congratulations. Pictured here is Delphinus receiving a garland from his wife.

An additional blessing for us was having a part in Pelegrino’s graduation. Pele is a close friend, as well as the assistant pastor in two of our churches.

Watching these men graduate was a highlight of our years here in Tanzania. We feel privileged to have a part in training men and women to do the work of the ministry through LVBC. When we are long gone from Mwanza, these faithful men and women will continue to carry on the work. Our time couldn't be better invested!

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Saturday morning, April 25th, Bill took part in the ordination of Joas, Pelegrino, John, and Delphinus. These men have showed themselves faithful over the years. They each did a fine job in defending their faith. They were asked some difficult questions, but did a wonderful job in using the Scriptures to explain their beliefs.

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sunday evenings we hold a team meeting and an English service for the BIMI missionaries here in Mwanza. During our team meeting we discuss African culture, and how we can best minister here in Tanzania. Afterward we sing, and listen to preaching.

This past Sunday we were blessed to have veteran missionaries Greg and Paige Wagoner, Tim and Kim Whitfield, and Robert Mickey here with us. We had these missionaries share what they've learned over the years on the mission field. Two pieces of advice that seemed to come up over and over again were: #1 Learn the language! Don't make excuses. It's hard, but you must learn it in order to be affective. #2 Don't go home for your first furlough until you desire to come back. Good advice for two of our first term missionaries here in Mwanza!

After some godly counsel we had a time of singing. My heart soared as a room full of believers sang praises to our Lord! There is great joy in singing Swahili hymns and choruses, however, to sing in our own language...words can't describe it! We followed our time of praise and worship in song with praise and worship in prayer. Again, what a blessing to come before the throne of God together with these servant's of His. The service ended with Bill sharing an encouraging word from 2 Corinthians 5:10.

Of course no Independent Baptist meeting would be complete without FOOD! The Mwanza missionary ladies brought a variety of goodies to share. We all had a great time of food and fellowship. Yep, definitely a Baptist meeting!!!

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One Friday during Bible College, we set aside for a Marriage Seminar. Chairs were set up front with missionaries Tim and Kim Whitfield, Greg and Paige Wagoner, and Bill and Tammy Brouwer. Each couple had their turn to teach on the marriage relationship. Bill and I enjoyed tag-team teaching!

After several hours of instruction there was a time for question and answers. Let's see how you would answer some of the questions asked:

1. If a man has three wives when he gets saved, what is he supposed to do?
2. What do you tell a young lady whose father is making her marry an older man who looks to have AIDS?
3. Is it OK to go out to eat with a woman before you are married?
4. If your wife tells you all the time, "My parents said to do this and this, what do I say?" (Sound familiar?!)
5. If you give your husband advice that you think will benefit the family, but he doesn't agree, what should you do?

Thankfully we don't rely on our opinions, but have the Word of God to guide and direct our counsel.

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Water is very difficult to come by in these villages, so we are only able to baptize a few times a year.  Since the rains have been good here lately, we were able to get enough water to fill our baptismal tank.  Many new converts from Igekemaja and Fumagira had been waiting for the opportunity to be baptized.  Yesterday, we baptized a total of 56 new converts from these two churches.  Included in the 56 were the four who had been saved that very morning.  I love baptisms in Africa.  Everyone gathers around the baptismal tank and sings, rejoicing with these new converts who are following the Lord in believer's baptism.

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had the joy of preaching Christ to this large crowd.  From Luke 23, I preached on this topic:  "Which Side of the Cross Are You On"?  On one side of the cross of Christ, there was a man who put his faith in Christ as His Savior, and that very day he went to heaven.  On the other side of Christ's cross was a man who rejected Christ, and that very day he went to hell.  After the message, at the invitation time, two men and two ladies came forward to put their faith in the risen Christ as their Savior.  The joy of seeing precious souls come to Christ never gets old!!!

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow!  What a way to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord!  We had a combined Easter service yesterday in the village with the churches from Igekemaja and Fumagira.  The building at Fumagira was packed, and the atmosphere was festive and exciting.  By browsing through the crowd, I noticed that there were many visitors, with a total of approximately 350 in attendance.

The service began with some great singing provided by the choirs from both churches.  Each choir sang two specials, and then children's choirs from each church sang several specials.  Then there were several specials from individuals.  Afterword, groups of children from each church recited memory verses.  There was also much congregational singing.  Are you getting the idea that the length of the service was of no concern for these dear African believers?  At these special services, they make plans to spend the entire day at church.

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Faithful Supporters and Friends,

I think this term of ministry here in Tanzania can be accurately summed up by 1 Corinthians 16:9, "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries."

During the eight months of this term on the field we have had the joy of seeing many, many souls come to Christ. Matter of fact, these eight months have probably been the most productive months that we have ever had on the mission field in terms of seeing lost people saved. However, at the same time, we feel that we have faced greater opposition and Satanic attack this term than at any other time on the field.

For example, when we returned from furlough to the field in July of last year, we were immediately confronted with problems at two of our works. The church at Igoma was severely attacked from within. Several rebellious men had tried to split the church and run the pastor off. God mercifully intervened to save this church. When these men were unsuccessful in chasing away the pastor, they then decided to leave themselves. However, in doing so, they did influence others to leave the church as well. In the aftermath, the pastor was very discouraged, and the attendance was down significantly. We knew this pastor and church needed some encouragement. For the past five or six months, we have been going soul-winning with this church every Wednesday afternoon. God has blessed in a tremendous way. Many people have been saved. They have baptized 27 new converts during this time. They have visitors almost every Sunday morning. The pastor and his wife have been so encouraged, and so have we, to see God rescue this church.

Then, we had also been conducting services at a school in a place called Kisesa. The national who had been helping us conduct services there went AWOL. He had some personal issues along with some church problems, and he just quit on us. This was not an indigenous work. We were preaching the Gospel there using a school building that was available to us with the prayer of having an indigenous church plant there some day. This is a very needy area with no Gospel witness. Please pray that God would raise up a national with a burden for this area. In the meantime, we will go back into this area and try to help the new converts there. We will try to get some men from the Bible college along with myself to take turns meeting with these dear people on Sundays to continue teaching them the Bible.

Also, on a personal level, I was hit with malaria and typhoid fever at the same time starting in late November. We have had malaria before, but nothing like this case. I couldn't seem to get rid of it. I had typhoid for two months and malaria for three months. Praise the Lord, about two weeks ago I finally tested negative for both typhoid and malaria. However, it has left me very weak. Please pray that God would give me my strength back.

We certainly do not want to end this prayer letter on a negative note. God has been doing some amazing things through the ministry here. We mentioned two of our works which are struggling, however, the other churches are doing very well. The point we wanted to make in this prayer letter was that we really need your prayers. God has opened up for us some tremendous doors in order to reach many for Christ. However, as Paul stated, "There are many adversaries." Please earnestly pray for the work in Tanzania that God would continue to bring many to Christ and that His name would be glorified.

We greatly appreciate your faithful prayer and financial support.

Bill and Tammy Brouwer
Your Missionaries in Tanzania

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past Sunday the ladies at Fumagira Baptist Church asked if they could come to my house to visit. May not sound like a big deal, but wait until I explain the trip!

These ladies left the village of Fumagira at 8AM. They walked six miles to the town of Igoma. There they rode a dala-dala (mini van used for public transportation.) Unfortunately that vehicle broke down and they had to catch another. This dala-dala dropped them off in the middle of Mwanza city. From there they took another dala-dala to our section of town, Bwiru. However, this vehicle also broke down. After finally arriving to Bwiru - some 12 miles from Fumagira - they walked a mile up the hill to Ibungilo Baptist Church. The pastor's wife, Justa, then led them a mile back down the hill to our house. They arrived around 1:30PM. Now those are some persevering friends!!

It is customary here to serve food and chai (tea) to your guests. When we finished our tea and banana bread, we sang some traditional songs (mapambio.) Afterward I gave a short devotion. We had a lovely time chatting and getting to know each other better.

One highlight of the afternoon was when the baby Lisa Newland was holding wet all over her! I wish I would have had my camera to catch her facial expression! She handled it like a veteran though.

They are already planning our next visit. They want me to teach them how to bake banana bread. Yikes! How do I do that without an oven!!! Guess I need to work on learning how to bake using a charcoal camp stove like they have here. Any suggestions???

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Today one of our Assistant Pastors came to the house saying, "Kanisa huko Igekemaja lina shida!" In order words, "The church in Igekemaja has a problem!" The rains have come to the Mwanza Region and have been somewhat violent at times. Yesterday a big wind came up and blew out the gable in the front of the church. As you can see from the picture, there are bricks and debris all over the platform. Someone could have been seriously injured, or even killed had it happened during a service. Thankfully no one was in the building at the time. Repairs will start Monday morning. Please pray the weather will allow us to get them done quickly, and safely.

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is what we've been dedicating at least 15 hours a week to for the past 4 months - language learning! Bill has been using some Swahili books from a school in Morogoro to increase Lisa and my ability in the language. Some days it's not so easy to put so many daily tasks aside for more language study. However, every time I'm out with the people the Lord reminds me of the need for me to be more fluent. My desire is to teach these ladies the Word of God and how it pertains to their daily lives. In order to do that, I must have a better grasp of Swahili. Pray for us that we'll be diligent in the next couple weeks as we finish out this course.

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Igoma Independent Baptist Church has been struggling for well over a year now. Pastor Gervasi was very discouraged and ready to leave. When we returned from furlough we decided to help this church by going with the pastor and his wife out soul-winning every Wednesday before the service. Pastor Gervasi also asked Bill to preach through the book of Revelation. So for the past five months that is what we have been doing.

I wish I could give you a specific number of people who have have been saved over these months, but I can only tell you that it has been many. This month there have been 13 people baptized, and many first time visitors. These visitors all say they were invited to come through this soul-winning program.

Another blessing has been seeing the faces of Pastor Gervasi and his wife, Anna. Gone are the frowns and discouraged demeanor. Now we see a couple that is excited about what God is doing. Of course this changed attitude also changes the attitudes of the congregation. It truly is a revived church. PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The last Sunday of 2008 found us at the Fellowship Independent Baptist Church of Igekemaja. Bill was preaching out of John chapter 17 about the meaning of eternal life. At one point in his message he challenged them on whether they knew God, or just about God. At the end of the service two people walked forward saying they needed to be saved. What a joy for Bill to take them outside and give them a clear explanation of salvation. That day a man and a woman walked away truly knowing God! It doesn't get any better than that!!!

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 7:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Recently while out soul-winning, Bill and I met an elderly lady. We had greeted her with the respectful, "Shikamoo." She was thrilled to hear the "wazungu" or "white people" speaking her language of Swahili, as well as our proper greeting. We sat down on some small wooden stools brought out for the visitors. We began to share with her what the Bible says about salvation. It was at that point that we realized her Swahili wasn't very good and there was a need for her to hear it in her mother tongue of Kisakuma. Of course the Lord was not taken by surprise that salvation would come to this woman, on that particular day. He provided a Christian lady from another village. As Bill shared the gospel, this lady was able to translate it. It was quite the scene with Bill speaking in Swahili and then this woman translating into Kisakuma! My job was to keep praying that nothing would be lost in the translation, and that this woman would fully understand her need for salvation. I cannot explain the joy of seeing the understanding on her face, and hearing her half Swahili, half Kisakuma prayer! It was afterwards that we learned not only was the translator visiting, but so was this elderly woman.

What if we had not gone out soul-winning that day? What if we had passed this lady with only a greeting? There are not many women over the age of 50 here. This woman was in her 70's. I can't help but wonder if she isn't now in heaven with her Savior. This is why we are here in Tanzania. To tell people the good news of the gospel before it is too late. Why has God placed you where you are? Is there someone on your street that needs to hear how they can go to heaven before it is eternally too late? God has called us to be faithful where He has placed us. For us it is in Tanzania. Wherever He has placed you, be faithful!

Posted by Bill & Tammy Brouwer at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)