March 24, 2003
JAMES and Zack Greer (left) stand with members of the first Baptist church to be formed in Chitandi, a village in Tanzania. James and his wife, Dana, have been church planter missionaries to Tanzania since April 2001.
MISSIONS EDUCATION:
Wayland students learn overseas
___By Teresa Young
___Wayland Baptist University
___PLAINVIEW--Zack Greer will be the first to admit that missions work is "the hardest thing I've ever done in my life."
___But returning to the States in January to finish his education at Wayland Baptist University left him feeling split between his native country and Tanzania, the African nation he'd called home for the last seven months.
___Greer and his sister, Penny, both juniors at Wayland, took their summer and fall semesters off fromschool to do missions work in Tanzania with their parents, James and Dana Greer, missionaries there since April 2001.
Texas siblings took time away from Wayland University to study missions work in Tanzania.
___It was the Greer children's first visit to Africa, although both Zack and Penny have done summer missions work both in the United States and abroad.
___Missions has been a big part of their family life, and they knew their parents eventually would go into full-time missions service.
DANA GREER and husband get help from Tanzanian natives in learning how to carry 100-pound bundles of firewood atop their heads.
___James Greer, who had experience in all facets of church ministry and was serving as a pastor in Athens, announced in the summer of 2000 that he and his wife would fulfill their longtime dream of becoming career missionaries.
___Their children settled at Wayland, close to two sets of grandparents in Pampa.
___Then last spring, working through the Tanzanian government, the International Mission Board and the university, the brother and sister obtained clearance to spend the remainder of 2002 in Tanzania studying the Makonde people.
___The elder Greers had been the first Baptists to work among the Makonde, whom Zack describes as a remote people living in mud huts with no electricity, no running water and primitive living conditions.
___The Makonde, famous for their carvings on wood and other materials, are a people group of about 1 million.
___After arriving in Newala, Tanzania, the younger Greers spent the first months learning the Swahili language and forming relationships with the Makonde people. Then they began visiting more in-depth with the nationals to learn their history, culture, customs and language and record much of what they learned.
___Penny worked among the women primarily, while Zack formed bonds with the males in the village.
___"They were just so excited that we wanted to know more about them," Penny said. "They would talk about everything very openly."
___After collecting many stories, Penny and Zack compiled a lengthy report on the Makonde for use by the IMB, the Tanzanian government and Wayland. They were also able to work with their parents, who are church starters, in developing more preaching points in the area.
___They were present for establishment of the first church among the Makonde started in the village of Chitandi. Within weeks, what began as a preaching point underneath a grove of trees had blossomed into a congregation meeting in a temporary building made of bamboo.
___"The country is 98 percent Muslim, but the Lord really prepared the hearts of the people before we got there," Zack said. "At our first service in Chitandi, we had a pastor from Pampa visit and speak and about 40 people were saved. Many of those were the Islamic leaders, and the other Muslims there were all wondering what they would do now for worship since their leaders had become Christian."
___Although they weren't enrolled in college, Zack and Penny learned many lessons through their experiences with the Makonde, and both said the visit affirmed their calls to missions service.
___"I learned that as Americans, many times we base our happiness on material things, but the Makonde build their lives on relationships," Zack said. "Christians there bond together better than we do, too. If we would quit tearing each other down and really unite together, we'd be a lot more effective."
___"The women there get up every day and walk to get water from the bottom of the plateau, but they were so happy," Penny added. "They had nothing but were so happy all the time. They always had a smile."
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