Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There is no illness that is too tough for God. He has decided to eradicate this disease from
all over the world. We associate it with Him, saying: “God has brought it; it is a punishment
by God,” but that is not true. It is the devil who has brought this disease. Do you hear?
Yes!
People tell me they have to take ARVs every day for HIV or pills to control diabetes, so
after drinking from the cup, should we continue with our drugs? I want to be clear about
God's instructions. He told me the medicine here is stronger than the drugs; it takes over
from the drugs, unless you just want to be a slave of the drugs. You can keep taking those
drugs like a person swallowing clay
.
The entire speech lasts for about 20 minutes, after which he concludes with a short prayer.
People begin shuffling to their cars, and an East Indian man from Kenya taps Mwasapila on
the shoulder. He asks in English if he should continue taking his blood pressure medication,
but the healer doesn't understand. The two struggle to communicate for a moment, and then
Mwasapila is called away. One of his assistants, who looks about 16, overhears and tells the
man in English, “You should throw it away.”
Samunge transforms itself into the world's largest brew-through, serving over a hundred
vehiclesinroughlyanhour.Therearesafarivehicles,ToyotaHiAceminivans,ToyotaCoast-
er minibuses, and full-sized coach buses as well as a handful of private SUVs. They pull up
to Babu's station, and workers of all ages carry trays of bright plastic cups, placing them in-
to hands stretched out from windows. One little girl drinks her cup and vomits out of the
window a few seconds later. Workers quickly wash each used cup and return it to service.
Mwasapila,withhisheadbowed,worksquietlyalongsidehisassistants,ladlingtheliquidin-
totraysloadedwithcups.Aftereachvehicle isserved,itturnsleftanduphill,loopingbehind
Mwasapila's station, and begins the long trip back to Arusha, Kenya, or even farther-flung
destinations.
An hour later, I find Mwasapila resting in a white plastic chair on a patch of red earth just a
few meters from his newly built but modest block house. He has on a printed T-shirt, green
pants, and pink low-top Converse All Star knockoffs. He shakes my hand and gestures for
me to sit down.
Ahandfulofpeoplegatheraroundtolisten.ThroughJotham,Mwasapilatellsmehisgiven
name, Ambilikile, means “one who was called,” and explains about first seeing the visions
of this place, Samunge, in 1991. I press for details about his visions, and whether he actually
seesGod.HesaysheneverseesGod,onlyhearsavoice.Whenhetellsaboutthefirstwoman
he treated for HIV in 2009, Jotham tells me, “I would ask about the patient who has been
cured of HIV, but he said that she is living far away. Maybe ask the next question.”
I ask Mwasapila why he won't take his cure to Arusha, Dar es Salaam, or any other popu-
lousplacesopeopledon'thavetoendurehardship,spendtheirsavings,orriskdeathinorder
