Greetings Fellow Workers:
We are thankful to be able to call you friends and fellow workers in the Kingdom of God. Our lives are made possible by the grace of God and through your prayers, love and support. We are humbled by all you do for the work here in Tanzania and we thank our God for each of you.
Today was one of those special days in the Church that we long for and we pray for. We were so blessed by the preaching of Patrick Kambarage. Patrick has been to each Future Preacher’s Training Camp for the past five years. He has grown into a very able young man. He has grown into such an able young man, a man with a desire to please God in all his ways. His mother, Agnes, told Stephanie this week that Patrick was number one in his class, again. He is taking Accounting at a University here in the Arusha area. To see the growth of this young generation brings joy and hope to ones souls for the Lord’s Church and work here in Tanzania.
After worship, one of our brothers stood before the congregation announcing that he and another brother had reconciled a long standing dispute between themselves. This conflict has caused much division and has been a real problem in the Arusha congregation for several months. They both repented of wrong doing and made it clear things were settled between themselves. The whole church rejoiced over this reconciliation of two brothers.
As good as this was, it got even better. Another brother stood before the church family and related the story of when he served as the church treasurer. At the end of the year there was a shortage of 400,000/- (about $250 or two months salary). He had promised to repay this by September, but was unable. He repented and handed the new treasurer the 400,000/-. Again, the congregation rejoiced over this one brother who “came back” to the Lord.
I have often said; “people are the same from the beginning of time and all over the world.” What struck me today was the willingness of these three brothers to repent, stand before their church family confessing their short comings, asking for forgiveness and prayers. One sister sent a note forward and expressed her thanksgiving and ask that a song be sung. Another brother stood up and thanked these men for their courage and example they set before God and His family.
May our week be a blessed week. May our week be one that is in harmony with God, His will and with His Truth. Our hope and our prayer is that each of us would have hearts that are willing to repent, hands that are willing to serve and tongues used only for the “building up” of others. To God we say thank You. Thank you for loving us enough to provide us a way of escape and for the promise of a better home in Heaven with Him one day.
In Him,
Cy, Stephanie & Granny