My time in Tanzania went extremely well. The Lord sent me to teach the people about revival – the very thing for which the churches were crying out. In every place we visited, revival broke out in the churches, and even in the surrounding communities. The Lord was getting what His heart desires – more of us – and this is what revival is all about, life in the intimate relationship the Lord longs to have with us. Because of His goodness, there were miracles, healings, salvations, signs and wonders present all during the time I was there in Tanzania.
I will be creating blogs to share my testimonies about my journey in Tanzania, in the 2nd largest city of Mwanza, and in villages/towns along Lake Victoria. I also have the privilege of sharing personal testimonies of pastors, as well as the work that God did in the places we visited. I met and heard these pastors firsthand and, in some cases, saw their laid-down lives for Jesus. As I watched these men and their wives, they reminded me of the “heroes” of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. I will be sharing testimonies of pastors who had choices not to follow Jesus (or to quit the ministry), but instead, clearly knowing what lay ahead, chose to follow Jesus into physical suffering, persecution, mistreatment, sleeplessness, homelessness, frequent hunger, nakedness (literally), and even death. At the same time they’ve witnessed extraordinary healings, experienced depths of the favor, goodness and power of God, and knew what it’s like to raise the dead. The love that Jesus has for them became their sole sufficiency.
The Lord told me that this was not mere suffering, but they were suffering for His name’s sake. The Lord chose them and was giving them the privilege of laying down their lives to receive His testimony for their nation. Jesus is giving them an opportunity to live lives that show that He is everything, and He alone is worth seeking and loving above all else. Through their lives, the nation can plainly see who Jesus is and that He is the real reason for living. This is not my opinion, or “hopeful outlook” of their situation. This is the word the Lord gave me to give to these men. They were greatly encouraged by the word, and in some cases this caused them to remember the reason they were called by Jesus. Their lives are becoming a foundation on which the Lord is using to change their communities today. By faith they are receiving a good testimony (His testimony)…and are not willing to accept deliverance (Hebrews 11:2,35), which would cause them to put aside the testimony of the one they love – the whole reason why they live.
In the coming days, I will be sharing with you the testimonies of these pastors and their wives. I seldom hear of such testimonies in America, and believe they will greatly encourage you. To honor these men, please do not reprint, in any form, the personal testimonies of these men without prior consent of Iris Ministries. I am printing their testimonies with their permission.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support for our ministry to the Iris Churches in Tanzania. They continually asked me to remember to pray for them. They desperately need our support.
Because of His unending love for you and for us,
Tyren and Tiffany Haynes
Photos: Pastor Deus Elias, Director of Iris Ministries - Tanzania
Wild monkies running around people's homes
Dirt (literally) rolled up, ready to sell and eat. This is a big business for some people! Pastors discourage this practice.
