It was the spring of 2021 and I wasn’t planning to be in Tanzania but through a series of miraculous events I found myself leading an evangelism team for Christ for all Nations. During my last week I met Carolyn, the founder of Living Waters Ministries. I said hello, asked her how she was, and what brought her to Tanzania. “I’ve been a missionary for 22 years in Tanzania,” she replied and my heart swelled up in honor and admiration of her. She left everything behind to follow Jesus to a country so far from home and stayed for decades. It was the epitome of faithfulness, obedience, and love to me. I almost cried.
But I’m an evangelist and that means praying for people so, having discovered she was already saved, I set my sights on her cane and asked her if something was wrong. She said, “Oh I have one leg shorter than the other.” I asked her if I could pray for her and she replied that would be lovely. She sat back in a chair and I saw one leg was inches shorter than the other. I thought, “Lord if this depends on my faith I don’t think this lady is getting healed. It didn’t. I prayed. Nothing happened. I prayed again. And again. And I saw the first leg growing out miracle of my life. Carolyn stood up, began walking around without her cane and praised Jesus! Then she said, “I’ve been praying for the Lord to send someone to pray for me.” He had. But the Lord wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.
You see, unbeknownst to me, Carolyn had also been looking for the Lord to bring someone to take over leadership of her ministry. Her ministry has both primary and secondary schools which provide a quality education to over four hundred children who could not afford to attend such schools on their own. And in five children’s homes within shouting distance of her front door you’ll find 5 homes where thirty five children without families to care for them are being loved and supported by a house mom employed by the ministry.
I had no idea where this was going. I thought I was just praying for somebody. But the Lord had set me up.
A year later, confirmation after confirmation from the Lord, and a lot of tearful goodby’s to family and friends and now here Michelle and I am.
We arrived in Mwanza, Tanzania one month ago.
And now we’re the missionaries and now we have the blessing and responsibility to lead the ministry of Living Waters, to see the sweet children here are protected, provided quality educations, and loved like family. We need your help to do that. Today, on Giving Tuesday, and for the rest of 2022 we want to invite you to partner with us to see the lives of the children here transformed by education, love, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your gift today will help guarantee a truly bright future for the kids. Thank you so much for your incredible generosity. Thank you for joining with us. Together, with the Lord, we are changing lives for the better, for His glory. We love and appreciate you so much.
Michael Seth & Michelle Clifton
Mwanza, Tanzania
Mwanza, Tanzania