Following news of the murder by Hamas of Joshua Loitu Mollel, the Genesis 123 Foundation expedited plans to memorialize the death of the latest hostage held in captivity in Gaza, and to be a comfort to his family.
Joshua Mollel was a Tanzanian agriculture student studying in Israel when he and Clemence Mtenga were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7. Both were murdered by terrorists in captivity in Gaza. Mtenga’s funeral took place last month, and Mollel’s funeral is being planned.
In both cases, Jonathan Feldstein, president of the Genesis 123 Foundation, turned to Bishop Daniel Ouma, one of the leaders of its Africa Praying for Israel program. Bishop Ouma has spent three decades advocating for, teaching about, and praying for Israel throughout Tanzania. Bishop Ouma attended the funeral of Clemence Mtenga where he was honored to speak and offer condolences. As the representative of the Genesis 123 Foundation, he was also received by local civic and government officials as a VIP, with a full police escort.
At the funeral, Bishop Ouma spoke movingly to the family and people of Tanzania. “On behalf of the President of the Genesis 123 Foundation located in Israel and which works in many countries around the world, I bring you my condolences full of grief and sadness following the death that crushed the dreams of our beloved Clemence Felix Mtenga. We express our deep sorrow to the people of Tanzania and especially to the family of Clemence Felix Mtenga who was kidnapped and brutally killed by Hamas terrorists. This is a great cruelty, especially if you consider that our color, this African color, is a sufficient sign that he would not be easily associated with any part of the current conflict in Gaza. His death is a great sign of the evil that Israel faces, that we are now a part of.”
Noting an eternal blood connection between Israel and Tanzania, Ouma commented, “The innocent blood of this young man represents the blood of many innocent people, the Jews and their allies from many nations who were killed on October 7, and others who were held hostage by the Hamas group including women and children.” Looking toward peace, Bishop Ouma said, “We are looking for a lasting agreement that will save as many lives as possible, and preserve Israel’s right to live in peace and protect its people, their faith, and their borders just as any other country in the world which has the responsibility to care for its citizens.”
Speaking to his nation, Bishop Ouma added a hopeful look for the future, “My fellow Tanzanians, understanding the circumstances of Mr. Mtenga’s murder is important. While we mourn the death of Clemence Felix Mtenga, and we continue to pray on behalf of this family, his legacy of intending to be one of Tanzania’s agricultural experts, being a bridge builder between our country and Israel, does not end in his burial. We pray that our young people in Israel continue to be empowered, achieving the goal of our government to provide them with agricultural training so all of us here are beneficiaries. We should unite together and wish every success for them, for us all, that we achieve these goals.”
At the funeral, Bishop Ouma met with the Mtenga family to offer private words of condolences. He also met with and offered encouragement to the father of Joshua Mollel who, at the time, was just praying that his son would be brought home safely. Now, Bishop Ouma is preparing to attend the funeral of another fellow Tanzanian whom he had never heard of before October.
No doubt, just as he was received by the Mtenga family and civic and political leaders from across the country, Bishop Ouma’s presence on behalf of the Genesis 123 Foundation will be meaningful. And just as he was featured throughout a variety of Tanzanian statewide media, Bishop Ouma will use this pulpit to build bridges between Jews and Christians in general, and specifically between Israel and Tanzania.
“Building bridges between Jews and Christians must be a two-way street,” noted Genesis 123 Foundation president Jonathan Feldstein. “God calls us not just to be a light unto the nations but a blessing to the families of the world. We have a responsibility to others, and specifically those who have been murdered alongside us, by the same evil hatred that we must all resist, and defeat. It’s a solemn duty, and we stand with the Mollel family, now as part of our extended family, and with the people of Tanzania as our people.”
The Genesis 123 Foundation has launched a bold global petition campaign to bring home ALL the hostages and calls upon every one of good conscience to add their voice and their name. It is also offering bright yellow “Bring Them Home Now” bracelets for people to wear their solidarity with Israel and ALL the hostages on their sleeves, available here.
For additional information or interviews, please contact Gen123Fdn@gmail.com or WhatsApp, +972-53-761-4220.
