The Challenge of Africa Newsletter

Traditionally, the month of December is the season of giving; giving love, giving help, and giving thanks. But for the Chimala Mission, December has also been chosen as the season of giving HOPE. The

This month’s “featured image” is a stunning view high up above the boys’ dorm of the Herring Christian Secondary School situated nearby the meandering Chimala River, the western border of the mission.

Our “ever-changing” world will never outmaneuver the never-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. Each soul ultimately needs one thing: his/her soul’s salvation through the blood of Jesus. Fortunately for t

The “featured image” captured at dusk betrays the real suffering taking place inside these wards. In the story of the Persistent Widow of Luke 18:1-8, Jesus said the judge finally responded to her ple

Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one…And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:9, 12). We are pleased to announce in this month

Cooler days are now at Chimala as “winter” time sets in the month of July. But the cooler days are as short as the Herring Christian Secondary School “summer break”. Students are now back in class and

And “how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14). The Chimala Mission Primary School was originally designed to educate children to read and understand the Bible–and ul

Since the opening of the Chimala Mission Hospital (CMH) in 1965, an incredible amount of effort has been given over the years in helping with the medical needs of the people within the Mbarali Distric

With the world’s population of over 7 billion people, there is no end to the many opportunities to do good. The difference is in the methods, how those occasions present themselves to us, and in areas

“Preach the word!” Educating people about God and salvation through Jesus Christ as described in the Bible, is the premium work of mission work anywhere in the world. The Bible students in this featur

This month’s featured image brings to mind the words from Robert Moffatt that stirred young David Livingston’s heart to leave Scotland and begin his legendary mission efforts in Africa: “I have seen,

There’s nothing like beginning a brand new year with new conversions to Jesus Christ. In the featured image, Nathan is standing with a group of Masai children at the village of Matabete where six Masa

In behalf of the Chimala Mission, Mary and I would like to thank each one of you for your love, prayers, encouraging words, and financial support for this great evangelistic effort in Tanzania. As 202

November is typically the month that things slow down a bit at the Chimala Mission. The CSOP students have concluded their classes, graduated, and returned home to their families. The primary and seco

The world is a big place but is getting smaller and smaller every day. What is the “best” way to get the gospel to all the world? Long-term or short-term mission work? Through radio, TV, preaching sch

The gospel of Christ continues to be preached as a result of the work of the Chimala Mission. In this month’s “featured image”, a group of Christians at the newly formed church at Njombe are being spi

The month of August has definitely been a month of travel. Travel from Mbeya, TZ to Nashville, TN, travel to give mission reports, and travel to Polishing the Pulpit in Sevierville, TN. Speaking of tr

One of the blessings and great opportunities afforded at the Chimala Mission is the privilege to teach and influence people to obey the gospel of Christ. In this featured image, Mary, Kristi, Eden and

Late in the day after a series of lessons during the Ladies Seminar, Christians exit the mission church building (Chimala “B) with the traditional greeting-everyone- handshake. The seminars–women’s,

A beautiful sunrise somewhere along the road up to the Ailsa farm, every morning is a “Kodak” morning. From upcoming Chimala summer events to preparations of a long-anticipated shipping container, lif

Nearly home after a weekend in Texas, this Tennessee sign welcomes us as we cross the mighty Mississippi into Memphis on the Hernando Desoto bridge. Less than two more hours on I-40, and we will be ba

This month’s “featured image” is a snapshot of a lone sausage tree along the edge of a field of newly planted beans with the precipice of the Kipengere Range in the background. This is at the farm in

With only a few weeks left for the rainy season, Nathan has been spending a lot of time at Ailsa helping Ezekiel and James finalize any remaining planting. Occasionally Kristi, Eden, Emmy and Rowan ac

In this featured image, Andrew “Gif” Gifford is pictured teaching an ethics class at CSOP with Bernard Kulanga translating. Gif along with Avery Hackney and Perry Baker were recent visitors at the Chi

The featured image in this issue of the Challenge was taken after Christmas on the 30th of December as Mary, Howell and Nathan’s family were beginning the 57 hairpin-curve road leading up to the Ailsa

This is the time of year that we focus on our “Hope for Humanity” drive to help the Chimala Mission close out the year fulfilling our financial responsibilities. These are commitments in preaching the

Featured image: dining with some past Chimala friends – Darrin & Carrie Stapleton with children, Jacob and Alana. Inside this issue of the Challenge, we are asking you to help us restock supplies

This month’s “featured image” is a picture of the church of Christ at Njombe, about 3 hours from the Chimala Mission and located around 6,000 feet in elevation – which means its quite cool as observed

Nearly every worthwhile effort requires follow-up. At Chimala Mission a number of recent accomplishments now require such kind of continuation and development to ensure the initial efforts are not in

It takes a lot to operate a work of the Lord’s church the size of the Chimala Mission. It takes service-oriented people, dedicated hard workers, and loving supporters. God has blessed Chimala beyond t

Developing a self-sustaining mission in a third-world country is no easy task especially one the size of the Chimala Mission. But thanks to dozens of dedicated and hard-working Christian men and women

This month’s featured image is of nursing students from Harding and OCU, missionaries, and other mission church members. Visitors and a busy summer are synonymous at the Chimala Mission with more acti

Pictured here are two new young souls who are now in Christ Jesus. What a great start to a very busy summer season at the Chimala Mission. We hope you will enjoy reading this month’s newsletter as we

In only a few more days, Howell and Mary Ferguson will be joining Nathan and Kristi Ferguson and children as well as Cheryl Bode at Chimala. Together they are preparing for the next few months of a ve

This “featured page” shows the new CSOP student body and staff as they have embarked on their new year of studies. There are always exciting on-going works at Chimala Mission. Thank you for reading th

Already we are in a new year – 2022. Only the Lord God truly knows what is in store for us all. But our prayer is that God blesses you and yours in 2022 in our unending effort of making the gospel’s i

Please forgive me for gloating just a little about our new grandson, Rowan Jude Ferguson born just before Christmas. I guess that’s one of the perks of being the writer and editor of a newsletter – in

This month’s featured image shows a Chimala Mission display set up during the “Ministry Fair” at the Central Church of Christ, Moore, OK, one of many of the fine supporting churches of the Chimala Mis

The humble potato, packed with vitamin C, is said to have saved Europe from scurvy and population decline to eventually fueling the industrial revolution which forever changed the world. Believed to h

New elders, a new preacher, farm plans, school graduations, hospital needs–these are some of the highlights in this month’s newsletter. Chimala Mission is always interested in people who have an area

Nighttime fires at the Chimala Mission such as the one pictured here are occasional concerns especially in the very dry season of August – October. But God’s showers of blessings are always found in a

There is one purpose for the preaching of the gospel: to save the souls of lost sinners (Luke 19:10). To the first-century Jews, the message of salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross caused them

While people in the US are enduring the heat waves and tropical storms typical for summer time; Chimala is in the middle of its winter with cool mornings and evenings and very dry air. It is my favori

When Paul was a prisoner in Rome, he wrote that Onesiphorus “often refreshed me” (2 Timothy 1:16). Whether you are a soldier in a foreign land or an overseas missionary, having someone visit you is a

It’s hard to believe that it has been more than two years since a 40-foot shipping container has been sent to Chimala Mission; but good things take time. Lord willing in a few weeks the same blue hi-c

There’s always new people to meet and new things to do at Chimala Mission. In the “featured image”, Eden observes Mima making unleavened bread in preparation for Sunday’s Lord’s Supper. Such important

Every day after arriving at Chimala, one gets more and more acclimated to the time zone, altitude, and culture. Even after living here and making dozens of separate trips, you have to adjust back into

Traveling by plane for a few hours, like Emmy is here doing, is taxing for little kids. Doing this for 24 hours, it’s a special kind of endurance test that most little kids like Emmy will likely never

Wow, another year has come and gone! Even though the year 2020 was not what anyone expected, there are still many reasons to be grateful. The Chimala Mission was basically unscathed from any outbreaks

Black Friday has come and gone as businesses try to catch-up from any lag in their sales year. Here at the Chimala Mission we’d rather focus on Sunday and praise the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus