To Our Co-Workers,
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. It is 5:51 pm and we just arrived home from church, eating out, a little grocery shopping and another Maasi circumcision celebration which involved one of our part-time guards, Edward. He is related to several people at church and attended this morning with two friends. With 108 people in attendance at the Kisongo congregation (including the new Swahili students), there was literally standing room only. Lindsey taught the ladies class and Jimmy taught the men plus preached a great sermon on “Can One Fall From Grace?”
DUST IN THE WIND. Most people are familiar with the song by “Kansas.” Boy, can we relate! Many times in the past several weeks we have had to close our eyes and windows due to dust storms. We’ve been thinking of re-writing that song to fit Africa…maybe in the next report. Please pray for rain.
BOY DAY. After the “Teen Girls Night” our boys asked for a day to invite some friends from church to study/discuss bugs and play games. Tanzania has some of the most amazing insects and strangest-looking spiders we have EVER seen. One intriguing insect is a brown praying mantis that looks EXACTLY like a dried up leaf. So, whenever the “Boys and Bugs” day happens we will tell you all about it. What a great opportunity to discuss our Amazingly Intelligent Creator!
DOCTOR STRIKE. We have heard news from Mwanza that is supposed to affect all of TZ. The government doctors are protesting their wages. Some government hospitals have already closed. The sad part is that a lot of Tanzanians use these government hospitals because they are so cheap, and therefore affordable to them. Please pray about this also.
“GO AND DO NOT COME BACK.” After visiting with a Maasi lady (member of the church) last week, we have some touching stories we are writing down but will share a little something today. At about age 16, she became the second wife of her Maasi husband (who later married four others). When she became a Christian (taught by her son, who is now a Gospel preacher, thanks to ACSOP), her husband packed up her few things, threw them on a tractor and said, “Go and don’t come back.” Her oldest son was willing for her to build a mud hut on his land and she has lived there for several years. With many teeth missing, she smiled a huge smile and added, “I am SO glad to be away from all that” (meaning being a part of the “six-wife” commune) and we believe, although not expressed in words, that she is happy to be a part of the Christian community.
MORE TO SAY… but time and energy won’t permit it. Our daughter, Lindsey, helped set up a blog several months ago but, for some reason, Trina has procrastinated concerning it. She supposes she is afraid that once she begins writing (mainly on culture, interesting events in Africa, family, etc) that it will become another “iron in the fire” to which she will be committed. When you say “yes” to something you always say “no” to something else. We would love to tell you more about Tanzania and this would be a wonderful way. Maybe she can better organize her time and be able to do this. THANKS TO YOU ALL.
In Christian Love,
Jimmy, Trina and Family