What Child is This...Jonathan

By Marty Malley, Tanzania Ministries Coordinator
“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!” – Galations 4:19-20


I’m pretty certain that if Paul was with us today, he would still be perplexed.  I am sure he would be perplexed about me.  But I want to tell you about a young Tanzanian man named Jonathan.  Paul would rejoice about the formation of Christ in Jonathan.  I am humbled to know him, because in spite of being born into enormous challenges, Jonathan is a teacher to all of us.  I came to know of Jonathan through the Building a Caring Community (BCC) project that is a joint effort of Mosaic (a Nebraska Synod serving arm) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) Northern Diocese – our partner diocese of 25 years.
Children with intellectual disabilities come into the world at a huge disadvantage in Tanzania.  They are often viewed as a curse, some sort of punishment for sins of their parents.  It is common that they are just hidden away, or even abandoned.  There are no government provided services for them.  BCC for many years now has been focused on changing this by providing parish-based centers where children with these disabilities can receive the professional services they need to flourish.  For more about this program, see https://www.mosaicinfo.org/what-we-do/international-outreach/tanzania.
Jonathan has been participating in BCC programming since he was a young child, and continued into the Young Adult Program. That program usually focuses on giving the young people basic skills like farming, but Jonathan wanted something different.  He was sure he was called to pastoral work in the Church.  In spite of great reticence from all parties, the BCC staff was able to place him in a congregation to shadow a pastor.  Nobody could have predicted the impact he has made because of his fearless evangelism.  He can’t read but carries his Bible everywhere and can recite many passages and prayers.  He loves leading people in prayer.  He visits the sick and homebound with the pastor and has been very good at encouraging people to come to church.  Jonathan graduated from the BCC Young Adult Program in December 2017 and is now employed by the same church as assistant to the pastor. 
Instead of being isolated because of his disability, Jonathan is a contributing member of his community. The Young Adult Program gave him the skills to be an independent and successful adult.  Christ is fully formed in him.  I think it may be because Jonathan lets the Holy Spirit work in him without the constraints of fear or discouragement that many of us (well, at least me) let get in the way. 

Consider supporting the work of Mosaic.  And, if you haven’t been there, come to Tanzania.  My first trip 10 years ago changed the trajectory of my life (especially my faith life). 



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