In a matter of just 30 short days, the Tanzania team managed to conduct 42 outreaches in the Mwanga school district. Many teachers sent their appreciation to the District Education Officer for inviting UCE, as they felt their students desperately needed a message of renewed hope. They also asked for UCE Clubs to be established at every school, but were at a loss for how exactly to go about the process, so Isaac prepared a facilitator’s manual explaining every detail that goes into running a UCE Club meeting. This is critical to maintaining the integrity of UCE’s mission in every place the ministry operates abroad. This was a long-term plan that suddenly turned into a short-term plan, successfully! Thanks be to God!
To date, the grand total of youth who signed abstinence cards since the first outreach in 2009 to April 2017 are 49,378 males and 71,643 females, for a sum of 121,021. The grand total of married couples who signed chastity commitment cards since October 2015 to April 2017 is 166. Each region is expanding their couples’ outreach, and it is being very well-received. Just imagine how supported the family structure is with UCE hitting the ground running, from every angle!
This April, the Tanzania team, led by Isaac Lema, held a very special Easter conference for students in the Iringa region. It is called the Tanzania Young Catholic Students (TYCS) Easter Conference and is held annually. These students gathered from different schools and colleges to come together to worship God and learn various skills which will help them grow well in Christian life. These students do not come alone; their parents and guardians are welcome. This has been a good platform for UCE to continue meeting with the students who have already committed their life to chastity (signed abstinence cards) in their respective schools. We know how important it is to assist them with accountability, as we all feel temptation from time to time. Since it is a known program, UCE had enough time to prepare for this. We incorporated a significant amount of new information with different techniques and skills together with UCE message. This year the topic was “Mapenzi ya Aibu,” which means “shameful intimacy/relationships.” Shame is a critical topic because we must be aware of the difference between shame and guilt, and how Christ can erase all our sins while empowering us to be stronger in the future. TYCS is a full day conference. It is a joy-filled time as a Christian to learn,praise, worship and pray for those who we have been reached and those God wants us to reach through the UCE message. It is an empowerment seminar for many Christian students who chose to live a chaste life. They shared their testimonies openly and helped those who were even still contemplating about choosing chastity.
Think about that! Let us pray at this very moment for the thousands of youths who heard the message of chastity on Easter and are now discerning its reality. May the power of Christ course through them and ignite a spirit of courage to accept the freedom of chastity.