Meet the people of Mahove

This weekend Shepherd of the Valley is going to Walk for Water. Why? To bring water to the remote village of Mahove, one of twenty village congregations that comprise our partner congregation, Tungamalenga Parish in Tanzania, East Africa.

Who are the people of Mahove?

This is Mama Petro, the Bibi or Grandmother who had the courage and persistence to ask our partnership for help. Three years ago, SOTV members visited her village and she spoke of the need to bring a source of reliable, safe water to her village. She told us that she and the other women and girls would spend hours each day walking the mile and a half downhill to fill their buckets, then carry the water uphill.

Pastor Naftal says she is as persistent as Esther, coming to the parish office to ask for water for her village.

This is a Mzee, an old man from the village who heard the preaching of the Gospel and asked to be baptized. Pastor Randy had that honor during SOTV's August 2010 journey to Tanzania.

This is Amina, or Mama Chake. Her daughter, Chake Kuyaa, was an SOTV sponsored student at Idodi Secondary School who died tragically two years ago in an over night dormitory fire, along with eleven other students.

In honor and memory of Chake, the chapel at Mahove was constructed.

This is Jordan, photo taken when he was five days old. Jordan is the fourth son of Evangelist Petro and his wife. They live in Mahove, Petro serves the congregation at Namelok.

When SOTV members visited Mahove in August, 2010, we stopped at Petro's home, halfway on our walk from the road to the village, to see and pray for his young son. To our suprise, we were asked to name the baby. Fortunately, our interpreter quickly came up with an appropriate name -- name the baby after the biblical river Jordan, as a reminder to the village of our visit and our implied commitment to talk about bringing water to the village.

This is Evangelist Petro. He lives in Mahove with his family (wife and four children) and serves as the minister to the village of Namelok.

On our very first visit to Tungamalenga in 2002, we met Petro's mama. She asked us to pray for her wayward son. He drank too much. He did not follow Jesus. She worried about him.

We promised to pray. In 2004 when another group from SOTV visited Tanzania, Petro's Mama thanked us for our prayers and reported that her son had come to a life with Christ. Now he is an Evangelist, a lay minister in the congregation.

This is Azuberi Mhema. He is the Evangelist serving Mahove congregation. Azuberi is one of the most amazing musicians I have ever had the privilege of hearing. When he leads congregational singing, the house rocks. Totally rocks.

Azuberi is also a gifted mason and construction worker. He has overseen recent construction projects in the parish -- the work at Tungamalenga, Mpalapande, and Mahove. His work is excellent.

These are just a few of the people of Mahove. Our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, who have asked for our help and partnership in a project that will bring life, health, and water to their village.