Fear of death dominated young Alfa Marwa’s mind. As a child, he suffered from kidney failure. Because he came from a small town named Sirari at the border of Tanzania and Kenya, he was admitted to a hospital in Dar es Salaam, 690 miles away. “The treatment took long, but I didn’t recover well,” he says. “I returned home with no hope of living.”
At only 15 years old, Alfa Marwa was hopeless and depressed. He didn’t know where to turn until, one day, a group of youths visited him. “They were sharing the Good News about Jesus,” he says. “After they explained Jesus’ love for me, I decided to commit my life to Him. They encouraged me with God’s Word until the fear left my heart.”
He accepted the invitation to attend church, where the pastor prayed for him using Psalm 118:17, ‘I will live and not die, and I will tell what the Lord has done.’ That verse turned Alfa Marwa’s thoughts upside down. “I was no longer thinking about death but about life,” he says.
Alfa Marwa joined a youth group in his church, but they had no Bible study materials to use. Much to his excitement, Bible League Tanzania came to Sirari in 2023. “Their trainer shared from Acts 8 about the eunuch who read without understanding,” he recalls. “I realized how I had been reading without understanding, too, and desired more Bible experience.”
Earlier this year, Alfa Marwa’s father sadly passed away. He and his siblings now help their mother, a fruit seller at the local market, to run the household. Alfa Marwa’s personal testimony impacted the lives of his family members. “I thank God because my mother has received Jesus; she attends the church programs and has been baptized,” he rejoices. “My sister became a Christian, too. My teacher also testifies about my changed character and advises other youths to follow my example.”
Although Alfa Marwa feels much better, he still struggles with his kidney disease. “I’m asking you to pray for my health because I want to become a preacher and connect people to their Creator,” he petitions. He continues that he values the donors of Bible League for their “excellent spiritual support. May God help you to continue reaching many people for Christ!”
