Mwalimu Andrew
As you will remember, a few weeks ago, the devil visited Mwisho wa Lami Primary School in a fire that engulfed the HM’s office as well as the staffroom.
Some enemies of development, purely out of envy and malice, tried to blame the fire on me. But with the guidance of God, through Apostle Overseer Elkana, the Spiritual Superintendent of THOAG (The Holiest of All Ghosts) Tabernacle Assembly, the devil was shamed, and everybody agreed that it was a natural disaster as my burning of charcoal had absolutely nothing to do with the fire.
As a way of saying thank you to God – I rejoined The Apostle’s church – and rose through the ranks from being just a congregant to being his confidant and was also appointed Baba Assembly – all in a matter of weeks.
During this time, my life revolved around school and THOAG as Apostle Elkana came up with programmes that ensured that I was always in church every evening. Besides spending the whole Sunday in church, the good Apostle, too, had events that occupied most of my Saturdays.
At first days, I enjoyed this, especially after the anointing oil he had given to me “performed” miracles. Upon his request, I invited teachers for a weekly prayer session, and although only Bensouda, Madam Ruth and I attended the first two weeks, Elkana was sure that this will grow.
I, however, noted that his preaching during these and Sunday service concentrated more on giving than anything else, and he encouraged us teachers to give more than the usual Mwisho wa Lami folks who did not have stable incomes.
“God will bless you,” he told me. “But to keep the blessings consistently in your life, you have to be consistent in tithing,” he kept telling me.
“The 10 per cent you tithe should always be before tax if you need maximum blessings,” he told me one day.
The Apostle told me that for some time, he had been looking for someone who could help him run the church service unsuccessfully. Being an educated person, it would be easier to teach me. I observed him take us through service for two weeks, and come the third week, he let me run the service – quite successfully. Everybody liked my style and there were requests that I do it more frequently.
MY STYLE
“That is your calling,” Anindo, Nyayo’s wife and the choir leader, told me. “Everyone enjoys how you run the service as you are interesting and entertaining.”
The first signs of trouble started when Apostle Elkana insisted that I buy two bottles of anointing oil every week.
Then when the court awarded teachers a massive salary increment, Elkana called me to his church and informed that the teachers’ salary issue had been his daily prayer item for so long and attributed it to the anointing oil he had given me.
“And God revealed to me that something good will be done for teachers, He just never said when,” Elkana said. “I am just happy that it came earlier that we all expected.”
He then pushed me to commit something for the church once we get the increment.
“You need to take up something and do it for the church as a way of thanking the church and so that we can bless the increase.”
He indicated to me the two things that he wanted me to consider and choose one from. “Imagine how a motorcycle or a piano can help us spread the word even further,” he said.
I never commented on that but he made it a point of speaking about it every day.
In early July, we planned to hold an educational revival service at THOAG Tabernacle Shrine. This would be a service bringing together teachers, students, parents and education stakeholders. We would pray for all matters education – and hopefully, gain more members.
As a teacher, I was relied upon to invite teachers and pupils from different schools. I did my best with the invites – mainly working through the CU clubs.
The revival Sunday was held just a week before President Barack Obama came. The day before, we all met and assigned roles. I would be the MC, and lead the service, Elkana would preach, while Anindo would lead the team of ushers.
Come Sunday and I can tell you the attendance was great. Members of Christian Union from at least four schools, all accompanied by at least one teacher, had arrived by 10 am. I helped Anindo usher them as I knew most of them. I wanted to begin the service that early but Apostle Elkana asked me to delay a little bit, as he expected more schools to come.
A few minutes to 11 am I started the service. We started off with worship, which was led by the CU chairlady of St Theresa’s Girls. Since people were still arriving, Apostle asked that we continue with worship after which he would preach first, then let me proceed with the rest of the programme.
“Let us not hurry, this is a great day that the Lord has made for us,” he said, broadly smiling as he looked at the full church. “This shrine has never been this full,” he added.
As expected, the Apostle preached about giving, and quoted several verses in the Bible that encouraged people to give – from children to the adults.
“In fact, you are not giving,” he said. “But just returning, for all you have belongs to God.”
A success
He finished preaching and allowed me to continue with the service. I ran through the announcements, and invited two people to give testimonies. These two had been preselected by Apostle Elkana. I then invited anyone who had any challenge that they wanted to be prayed for and Apostle Elkana placed his hands on their heads to pray for them. He then went with them to his room behind the church to continue with prayers, leaving me in charge of the service.
I rushed through the rest of the programme, and a few minutes to 2 pm, I thanked everyone who had come, welcomed them again in future, and brought the service to an end. With Anindo, we started seeing off the congregation.
I was saying goodbye to the students of St Theresa’s Girls when I felt someone touch my back. It was Elkana. “Come I ask you something,” he said, then led me to his room. It must have been a sensitive issue as he did not want anyone else to hear. I followed him to his room.
“I haven’t seen the collection baskets,” he started. “Did we collect sadaka and fungu la kumi?”
That is when it hit me. Since we had changed the programme midstream, I had forgotten to collect sadaka and tithe. Apostle Elkana was red with anger.
“What do you mean you forgot you fool?” he asked. “That is the most important part of the service. Can we call them back?”
It was difficult to call the congregation back as most had already left.
“We have spent weeks planning for this day and I researched well on the topic of giving, and you let those people go without giving. The way they were many.”
“Pole pastor,” I tried to explain.
“Pole ilimaliza vikombe za mzungu,” he cut me short. “Go where you came from, I don’t want to see you again.”
I walked out and since I had nowhere to go, I went to Hitler’s where I was received warmly. And that is where I have been going. I spend less at Hitler’s than at THOAG’s and I can actually see where my money is going to at Hitler’s.
I hear Apostle Elkana said that unless I buy his anointing oil, our salary increment won’t be effected but I won’t be going back there!
This story first in the Sunday Nation on 15th August 2015
