Our Most UNFAITHFUL Church Member: The streets of Dar es Salaam are dirty and sandy all the time.  Dar is a coastal city right on the Indian Ocean, so much of the city is sandy, like the beach!  There is continual heavy traffic on the streets so it is necessary to sweep the streets regularly so the blowing sand does not cover the lanes.

The city pays women who are desperate to do this job.  It’s dangerous work.  Women are hit and killed often by passing cars.  They make less than $1.70 per day.  They must cover themselves from head to toe to protect their bodies from the intense sun and the blowing dirt.  In 100-degree temperatures and 80% humidity, this is quite uncomfortable. Grandma Mary has been a member of our church in Dar for many years.  The church was started in her neighborhood.  She received Christ, and once saved she began bringing her children and grandchildren to church immediately.  Her husband was also saved not long after and became one of our church family.

Although, the family was very poor, they seemed content and happy to have a church home and family.  But Mary’s husband died a year and a half ago.  He was the only breadwinner in the family.  They all depended on him.  Here in Tanzania there are no insurance plans or social security for low, daily paid workers, so when the elderly man died the money was gone.  Mary and the grandchildren had to move from their rented home and Mary had to find work. 

For the last year and a half, Grandma Mary, who is in her 60’s, has been sweeping the streets of Dar.  She makes just enough to buy food for each day and pay for a small room where she stays with three of her grandchildren.  She leaves at six in the morning and arrives home after dark every evening.  She has only attended church services a few times since she started sweeping, as Sunday is a workday.  She works seven days a week for two reasons.  One, she needs the money to survive.  Two, if she misses a day they give her job to someone else.  Then she has to wait for another opening.

I passed Grandma Mary on the street the other day.  She was sweeping.  She saw me and gave me a big wave.  I pulled over and we visited.  With a big smile on her dirty, sweaty face she expressed her joy in seeing me and asked for our prayers.  She begged us not to forget her or to think that she had forgotten her church family. As she gratefully received my half empty bottle of water from my clean hands out of my sanitary, air-conditioned car, my heart was full of emotions.

Grandma Mary may be our most unfaithful church member.  But she is content to know that her hope is in Jesus and in the knowledge that instead of sweeping the streets of Dar, one day she will be dancing on streets of gold! Grandma Mary is just one of millions of people here in Tanzania who will never know what it is like to have enough food or to be comfortable in this life.  I am so thankful Grandma Mary has hope for her future.  Thank you for your prayers and support, as we proclaim hope in Christ to those who have none.

Dave Jones, Tanzania