Daniel's Story
Daniel is a humble man who started out life with three strikes against him. He was born in a remote village in Tanzania, Toloha, and his mother left the family to live elsewhere because life was so hard in Toloha, and his family was very poor. Toloha is a tiny town in Tanzania where there was no running water or electricity. Life was very difficult. Daniel was blessed to have a very wise, caring father who would always be an encourager to Daniel. God also gave Daniel a dream for a better life for himself, his family and the villagers. God’s favor has rested on Daniel every step of the way. God has opened doors to things that seemed to be impossible at the time. Daniel is committed to dedicating his life to improving life in the village for all the children who reside there.
Daniel has two brothers and two sisters. At one time his father has a few head of cattle which provided an income for the family. One day the people from the Masai tribe came a stole all their cattle. There went their livelihood. That was the breaking point for his mother, she moved to the Arusha region, where life was not so difficult. Daniels family also had farm, but were completely dependent upon the rain for irrigation. Crop failure was common.
The Lord opened the door for Daniel to immigrate to the US. That was not an easy process, but was in the center of it all the way. The final step was to go to pick up his VISA. He took the long arduous trip to the US Consulate. He has to walk ten miles before he could get on a bus to go the rest of the way. Once again, God’s favor was with Daniel, and was granted the VISA. That was on September 11, 2001. As soon as he left the consulate, all US embassies all over the world were shut down because of the attack on the World Trade Center. No man can shut the doors God opens.
Daniel could not afford to take his wife and son with him at that time. It was six long years before he was reunited with his wife and son. There were many creative ways God provided the finances for Daniel to travel to the United States. He arrived in Charlotte, NC in December. As the plane approached the airport, Daniel was overwhelmed by the sight of all the lights that were shining for the Christmas season. Can you even imagine what an impact that would make on a young man who came from such a remote village?
Now Daniel was starting a new life in a new country, new culture and new directions. There are many stories about how God provided to Daniel every step of the way. At first Daniels only means of transportation was a bicycle. People kept steeling them from him. He got to the point where he was able to afford to purchase a new bike. When he went into the library he made sure he put a lock on his bike so no one could take it. When he came out, someone had stolen his seat.
The stories of God’s provisions and Daniels challenges are many. Suffice to say Daniel chose to look forward and choose to be positive about the future. Once Daniel got settled in the US, he procured a job and attended nursing school. He never forgot the promises he made to the people back in Toloha. During this time his beloved father contracted diarrhea. There was no medical care available, so he passed away from something that would be so easy to retreat in the US. Daniel committed to bring water and medical care to his village. The water has already become a reality, and the medical facility is in the planning stages.