This is Harold and Coni Knepper (center). After many years as a pastor in Southern California (and raising 3 children!), they decided to pursue their dream of being overseas missionaries. Content to go where God led them, they ended up in Kigoma, Tanzania. Also in the picture are Casey (left, from Iowa) and Josh (right, from CA) who are working as interns for a year. It was so fun getting to spend time with them; they are an inspiration to us as they invest a year of their lives to help the poor in Tanzania.
Kigoma is in the jungle of Western Tanzania on the shore of beautiful Lake Tanganyika. At about 400 miles long, it’s the longest lake in the world and the third largest freshwater lake by volume, almost a mile deep.
Though Tanzania has largely enjoyed peace since independence in 1961, most of its neighbors have had years of bloody wars. From the shores of Kigoma, you can see across the lake to Congo, where an estimated 5.5 million people have died since 1994 from brutal rebel fighting that still continues. Over 5 million people died without my knowing anything about it… I realize again what a comfortable shell I live in, oblivious to most of the pain in the world.
Harold and Coni, along with Gabriel, a native Tanzanian (who unfortunately wasn’t around when we took photos), founded Hope of the Nations to help people learn about Jesus, empower them, and meet their practical needs. Their programs include a Bible College, a training center with a tailoring school, English classes, a pre-school, many “Kid’s Club” programs for orphans and street kids (whose parents usually died of AIDS or malaria), a helicopter and doctor for medical missions, and a 40-foot boat that can make long trips along the shore of Lake Tanganyika to reach people who would otherwise never get any help.
The people of Kigoma are incredibly friendly and joyful despite tough living conditions. The average family lives in a mud hut with a thatched roof on about $1.50 a day, which means they usually eat beans or rice, if they have food at all. Most are Muslim but Kigoma is also known for its witch doctors and the “curses” they cast on others. A teenager told us about one of his experiences: Looking up at a cloudless sky, the witch doctor told the boy he could make it rain. Within a few minutes, a single small cloud appeared over their heads and it started to rain. Spooky!
In the midst of this, Hope of the Nations is making a big difference in many people’s lives. We were able to visit the Bible College and see where they are training future pastors. We also helped at several Kid’s Club meetings where we always fell in love with the kids. Even though these children come from tough circumstances, their faces radiate joy when you show them you care by playing a game with them, giving them a hug, or remembering their name. And they scream with delight when you show them the back of a digital camera with their photo. Hope of the Nations has started Kid’s Clubs in many villages along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, all run by dedicated volunteer leaders (18-25 years old) who are making a positive impact on the children of their villages. Though trained by Harold, Coni, or Gabriel, they are now empowered to run the Kid’s Clubs on their own.
Two of the Kid's Club leaders are Justin and Juma. We met them when they volunteered to take us to Mtanga, the village where they grew up, about 1.5 hours from Kigoma by boat. Mtanga is a fishing village next to Gombe National Park where Jane Goodall did her pioneering chimpanzee research. Justin and Juma left Mtanga for Kigoma (where they became Kid’s Club leaders) because there is no high school in Mtanga. They want to become teachers at a low-cost high school that Hope of the Nations wants to start so more children can stay in school. Justin and Juma have completed Grade 10 and are trying to find a way to pay for Grades 11 and 12 which cost about $600 per year (remember that most workers only earn about $1.50 a day). A safari tour promoter who was about 18 years old reminded us how much we take school for granted. As we tried to ignore his relentless pitch while he pursued us down the street, he finally said “Why won’t you listen to me? I can’t even afford school. You get that for free.”
We arrived in Mtanga and instantly created a sensation. First, word spread that Justin and Juma were back so their siblings came running. But word also spread that “wazungu” (white people) had arrived, so the beach filled with curious children. They kept their distance at first but then a few brave ones came up to touch our skin. After a few minutes, dozens of kids were crowded around us trying to shake our hands. From that moment, we felt like Pied Pipers. It seemed like we were the most fascinating thing they had ever seen. Tying our shoes or putting on sunscreen would attract 10-20 kids who would watch in fascination. We had an entourage wherever we went.
We enjoyed seeing village life up close and eating delicious food cooked by Juma’s aunt and Justin’s mom. But we are most thankful for Justin and Juma’s friendship. They have huge hearts and we are inspired by their dreams of becoming teachers so that they can help children have a better future. We will always remember their big smiles and the hospitality they showed us in Mtanga.
If you want to sponsor the education of future leaders in Kigoma or support the work of Hope of the Nations, you can send tax-deductible donations to:
Hope of the Nations
c/o Julie Hansen, Treasurer
PO Box 78
Gilroy, CA 95021
If you have any questions, you can call Julie at 408-847-4248 or email at juliehopeusa@gmail.com.
- Steve
