Dear friends, dear relatives,
With their eyes wide open, perhaps with their hands protecting their faces, the shepherds stared at this angel in overwhelming heavenly light. He calmed them down:
“Don’t be afraid!
I have great news of joy
for you and for all the people.
Today a Savior has been born to you,
in the City of David:
Christ the Lord!”
(Luke 2:10-11)
Yes, this world needs this Savior so urgently. It is not easy to endure the hardship in this world, the mental and physical hardship, the loneliness of people, the despair over bad circumstances in families, cultures and entire countries. But the Savior has come: there is a way to receive forgiveness and to live forgiveness; we do not have to answer for our sins before God ourselves; there is someone who paid for our guilt with his life, who rose bodily from the dead, who now sits at the right hand of God; someone who has sent us his Holy Spirit to strengthen us in the fight against every sin, to give us power, signs, wonders and love, even to the point of loving our enemies. He is here, the Anointed One, the Christ who was announced beforehand, he is here! He is here and lives and reigns as the Lord!
Some Christians do not seem to have internalized this truth yet. Recently, a cow's tail, a magical object to curse us, was lying in front of the main gate to our property. Other Christians here were shocked when they saw or heard about it. I was not at home, but Damaris laughed loudly, broke the curse in the authority that Jesus Christ gave to his followers, and burned the cow's tail in front of the gate. We are not afraid of the power of magicians, because we know that the glory of God, the power of Jesus, is far stronger than all the darkness in this world. Isn't that wonderful? He is here, Christ the Lord!
1000 Shilling or 40 Cents
for the Jesus film
What has happened in the work since September? In October, we from our EthnoArts department sent three teams with computers and projectors to just over 20 villages in the Sangu region to show the Jesus film in the Sangu language, somewhere in the middle of the villages on an outside wall. My colleague Mwasandube had inserted a short clip about the Sangu culture and its arts into the film as a sign that God has a heart for the Sangu and loves them. The people understood the message. The film was ultimately shown in 28 villages. On average, more than a hundred people came together, sometimes two hundred people. Many were amazed that there was a film in their language, that God does not discriminate against them and is a God of all nations and all tribes. That attracted many people.
November 5, 2024. The Joseph actor Shitambi on his motorcycle with loudspeaker, projector, Bibles, and a big heart to show the Jesus film in many villages.
Our staff were asked why Jesus could speak the Sangu language and whether he was European. Viewers testified that they could get closer to God through what they learned in the film. An elderly artist who was very critical of Christians a few years ago but then went on our Joseph theater tour in 2023 stood in front of the audience when the Jesus film was shown in her village and said: “This is the time to return to God, my dears, it is time. You have sinned enough!” A child cried a lot when he saw Jesus being beaten: “They are beating him, they are killing him!” These tears touched other viewers.
After the film, a man in his forties approached Mwasandube, my colleague, and confessed that he had never seen a film in his entire life with such good teachings in it. He wanted to pay for the film, but Mwasandube said that it would be free. The man objected, saying that it was impossible not to pay for it and insisted on paying 1,000 shillings, about a tenth of a day's wage for many. He was very happy. Our teams prayed with the Sangu, many also wanted to see parts of the Joseph theater films, and Bibles were sold. Joel, one of our Joseph actors, who has now founded several Bible groups, encourages us to continue working with the Sangu: "If we continue like this, a high percentage of my people will continue to change if we show them films, bring them books and people continue to come to the Bible small groups."
Here is a short film about the Sangu culture that we included in the Jesus film. A journey through landscape, culture and traditions.
People from neighboring villages urgently requested that the Jesus film and the Joseph films be shown in their villages. We hope that we can do that next year. The work will continue with the Sangu.
Two of our employees have traveled twice to Dar es Salaam, 850 km away, to give the Sangu, who are mostly Muslims, the Joseph films, the Jesus film, the family calendar and other material. The Sangu are very enthusiastic about this appreciation of their language and culture and are very open to the message. Even television has expressed interest in the Joseph theater film. Let's see what else God creates from it.
The addiction treatment program for the Ndali can continue. God gives us what we need!
In the last newsletter we asked for support for the addiction support program for the Ndali people. All praise and thanks go to God, because he moved a dear friend in Germany to donate a very large sum of money, which we can use to take the planned steps in the Ndali people over the next three years: strengthening the churches and pastors through training; setting Bible verses to music in local musical styles so that people are touched by songs and recognize deep biblical truths; training addiction support group leaders and then starting small group work. The goal is for people, starting with Christians, to be freed from their addictions with biblical teaching and real pastoral help, and for this freedom to permeate their families and their entire culture. The Savior lives and brings light into the darkness!
Further projects in other peoples of Tanzania are being planned, the field is very large! Thank you for supporting all of this and supporting us.
If you want even more African feeling, here is a 1min teaser of the Burunge storytellers with their beautiful language and way of singing. More under Stories/Projects... Click here:
Enriched by the experiences of others
Since we lived in Dallas for my studies in 2016/2017, I have been able to continue studying alongside my work over the last eight years. I have gained some insights into ethnomusicology, dramatology, cultural anthropology, oral and visual arts, missiology and other subject areas. At the end of November I was able to complete my studies with a Master (of Arts) in WorldArts with a focus on applied arts. The inspiration from my studies has greatly enriched my practical work. I am very grateful for the academic side of my ministry and hope to teach more in Bible schools and mission institutions here in the country in the coming years in order to recommend this culturally close mission approach that we represent to others.
At Kliemt's home
There is peace in our home. That is a great gift. Damaris and I have started to be more active in the youth work of the church in addition to the children's service. We see a great need for teaching, but we also hope that our children can find more companions and friends.
Damaris has made a lot of effort to invite more Tanzanian families to our home and to visit them. We have made some contacts from this, and friendships can grow from them. Please pray for this! All of the Kliemts long for deeper friendships. In addition to the home school, Damaris is busy getting into media work through small video projects. She is the heart of our home and pulls many strings. She would be happy to receive your prayers!
Send-Off celebration, a new cultural experience
In November, our neighbors invited us to a send-off party, a farewell party for their daughter, who was getting married a week later in a distant city in Tanzania. We were able to learn a few new things about the culture here. At this very glamorous party, where everyone turns up in their best clothes, we ate with our hands. Damaris, Rebekka, Dina and Tina were delighted because you can get used party clothes here for 20 euros or less. No drinks were served, but everyone was given a set of drinks for the whole evening. The bride's groom, who hardly anyone knew, stayed hidden in the audience until shortly before the end of the event, while the bride's brother, Samuel's best friend here in Tanzania, Peter, accompanied the bride the whole evening. Just as in the villages people wave colorful cloths to celebrate or confirm someone, here only white cloths were used to celebrate the bride and groom.
The whole evening was mainly used to give gifts to the bride, because in the local culture the bride is solely responsible for furnishing the apartment.
The groom's parents, in turn, pay for the wedding celebration that follows shortly afterwards. The guests from the party sang an election song for their party, others represented their football teams, others represented the residential area as a whole or just the elderly from that area, and everyone presented their gifts one after the other as whole groups. We are grateful to have such a good relationship with our neighbors. Sometimes we pray together, have fought one or two "battles" together, and can also learn from them how to move correctly in this culture.
Samuel with Tanzanian children at the waterfall, who had accompanied us the whole way
Short vacation in Matema on Lake Malawi
At the end of November we went on a three-day short holiday at Lake Malawi with Dina and Tina and celebrated Samuel's 16th birthday there. A challenging climb up into the mountains gave us a wonderful time at a waterfall. During this holiday, Elia learned to stay afloat without any flotation devices.
residential school
Dina helped us in the residential school until the beginning of December. Now Tina is here, having been supporting us since November. Luciane wants to join us at the end of January. The children are motivated, and you can often hear the laughter coming from the classrooms of Samuel and Noah, his German friend of the same age, Rebekka, Elia and the learning assistants. Thank you to some of you for thinking of us and letting friends and relatives know about the opportunity to work with us. There are still places available for 2025, especially from the beginning of September 2025.
"When will you be back in Germany?"
We get asked that every now and then. Because of Corona and the difficulties in 2022, we have been in Germany quite often, but this time we would like to stay in Tanzania for three years in a row in order to put down better roots and so that the services in the peoples can be more continuous. Visits to Germany, seeing you, visiting churches, preaching and encouraging one another in faith, that is something very, very beautiful that we miss. The visits to Germany also serve to ensure that our service here is not forgotten. If we now want to stay here longer, it is only because we really want to be here fully and completely for the service to which God has called us. It is also a challenge for our finances, because churches are happy to donate when we are present, but when we are away, the challenge of communicating with one another in a lively manner, even over more than 10,000 kilometers, increases. We would like to be in contact with you, to hear from you, to have a conversation via video call. On a personal level, it can be really exciting to hear from each other what Jesus is doing, how we experience God together, what concerns each other, to pray for each other, to bless each other and to feel really connected. We would also like to prepare something personal or content-related for your churches, groups and house groups, something that helps you and that brings us as clients "back to you". If you have any ideas on how this can happen, please let us know. Our WhatsApp or Signal numbers and email addresses can be found below.
prayer requests via social media
If you would like to hear from us more often, you are welcome to send Damaris a message on her cell phone via Whatsapp or Signal. Unfortunately, her cell phone broke this year and she had lost a lot of numbers.
Feel free to contact her at her new number: 255 719 655 189 if you haven't received any prayer messages for a long time. You will then be added to the mailing list for prayer requests and you will be informed of what is currently going on and can participate more in prayer and also in the experiences we have with God.
Whatsapp / Signal
Daniel: 255 743 938 744
Damaris: 255 719 655 189
Donations for the coming year?
Click here for a short information:
Merry Christmas!
Now we wish you a merry Christmas and God's rich blessings for the new year! Jesus Christ, the Savior and Lord is here! There is great hope for this world and eternity! Let us praise God together in these days for the gift he has given us with his son.
All the best, your Daniel and Damaris with Samuel, Rebekka and Elia
daniel.kliemt(at)wycliff.de
255 743 938 744
Address in Germany:
Siegenweg 32,
57299 Burbach, Germany
Address in Tanzania:
Karibuni Center
POBox 6359
Mbeya
Tanzania
www.wycliff.de