Mago village and Tanga Town

IF YOU CLICK ON THE PICTURES YOU CAN SEE EACH ONE BIGGER IF YOU WANT!
(Especially the elephants.)

Doug, Joshua and I spent about three weeks at the Eden Valley Foster Care Mission outreach in the village of Mago, which is in the southern part of Tanzania, in the Mikete region.  There is a wonderful school there where the girls learn to sew and the boys learn to do carpentry.  They also learn English and Bible.

The boys in the carpentry classroom

Some of the very nice chairs and stools the students have built

The girls in one of the sewing classes.

"My classroom" while I was teaching students and staff in the cafeteria room.

My "students" and me after my last teaching session at EVFCM.

The students and staff were great and we enjoyed teaching them, and they seemed to very much enjoy the information that they learned.  Some made changes in their lifestyle and we heard many good testimonies in reference to the benefits they were already seeing in their lives!

Bibi the pregnant donkey with a broken leg.

We had the unexpected opportunity to work with a donkey.  Janet received word that a donkey had fallen through/off a bridge and had a broken leg.  The owner asked her to go pick it up in her truck and bring it back.  She left with the men, and came back with the added passenger of the donkey.  There had been some miscommunication about where they wanted the donkey, and the bridge on the road between the mission and the donkey's home was under repair.  So the donkey owner put the donkey on the mission property.  After several days we saw the owner over at the donkey and we went to see how things were going.  They were talking about either putting the donkey down or cutting her leg off.  The donkey's leg was badly broken and the wound was covered in maggots.  We offered to clean up the wound and to try to bandage and splint it better.

Clean new bandages and split for the donkey.

Donkey after her treatment.

It rained often, so we built her a shelter.

We made a special pants to keep the bandages clean and keep the splits in place.

 They were thankful for the help so we got involved.  The donkey's name is Bibi (which means grandma or Mrs.)  She was a super patient.  She was very gentle with us (most of the time.)  We grew very attached to her.  Everyday we would change the bandages, make sure she was eating and drinking, do research, etc....  The wounds were deep, the flesh was in chunks at times, and we ended up actually seeing and feeling the sharp break of the bone.  BUT, "our" donkey did improve very much.  Just before we came back to Kibidula, she was moving about the church yard finding grass on her own!  We were so excit ed to see her great improvement.  The owner was VERY surprised that she was actually getting around on her own.  She would sometimes get up by herself, but often she needed help in getting up.  The bridge was repaired and the donkey was taken to its home.  The last word we heard was that she was hobbling around into the neighbors yards getting grass.  She is pregnant, also.  We have no other word about her at this time, and may not find out further.  BUT after she was returned, the two Bible workers came by the house and were talking to us about it.  So many people had walked by seeing us working on this donkey, day after day.  They saw how we expressed interest in her and her owner.  People were talking.  The Bible workers said - that was medical missionary work.  I hadn't thought about it.  They said, we helped that man out with his need and now he is interested in what we are all about.  We spent time with him and his animal.  We sympathized with him, we helped him with a need he had.  We gained much of his trust - now he was open to more!  YES IT WAS medical missionary work after all!  I never thought working on a donkey would be outreach.  God is so good!

While we were at Mago, we helped Janet with clothes distribution to many orphans from the surrounding schools also.  We had hundreds of children come with their teachers for clothes and other useful items (including laundry soap.)
These children either have lost one parent, both parents or are "at risk" children that are in need.  The teachers made lists of children that needed help and they were brought to get clothes, soap and a few other things until we ran out.  I really appreciate the work that Janet and her helpers are doing at Eden Valley Foster Care Mission to reach lives and hearts for Jesus.

Children waiting for clothes

Happy students after getting clothes and soap.

Another large group of children after getting their clothes

Another large group of children after getting clothes and soap.

A group of preschool children after getting clothes and soap.

ANOTHER group of children before getting clothes.

This little boy was in need of clothes and shoes.

Got shoes?  Be happy with the things are blessed with.

After getting some new clothes, a very happy smile.

Doug continued helping with various projects around the mission complex, pulling teeth, putting up ceiling, patching holes, plumbing, etc.

Doug helping with a dental patient.

Doug and Joshua putting up ceiling in the pastor's office in the church.

Before we left the students and staff did a health expo to reach out to the village.  MANY people came to learn about health, and what they could do to be healthier, and to learn more about Jesus.  The leaders of the village, the head master and teachers from the local school and many, many others came.  The students and staff REALLY enjoyed reaching out and teaching the things that they had just learned.

Health Expo Mago village

The students and staff teaching the locals

A mountain village in the background on the way to Mago and back.

While Joshua was gathering grass for the donkey one afternoon he found a chameleon.  Isn't it cool?
God is so creative!

 
I was able to be at home for over a week while Doug returned to Mago to help with the electrical system and a few other items.  One of the students at Mago wants to come to Kibidula and train to be an evangelist.  He is a wonderful young man.

Joshua and Ashuli working in the garden.

He is 15 years old, very spiritual, loves the Lord, is super helpful and polite.  He came home with us to Kibidula and has been traveling with us.  He will return to Eden Valley Foster Care Mission next month to continue classes for one more year, and Lord willing come back to Kibidula for more training.  Joshua has REALLY been enjoying his company (as have we.)


Then we left last Friday to come to TANGA!

It was a 14 hour trip from Kibidula to Tanga.  The main road goes through the National Reserve area of Mikumi where the local wild animals are more protected.  We saw many giraffes, elephants, antelope, zebra, baboon, cape buffalo, and one wildebeest.

Mountains and Mbuyu trees on our trip to Tanga

Cape buffalo

A really cool tree.  I don't know what kind it is.

Local traffic on the highway

The mud house are different here.

More local construction

Elephants

Mountain roads and the river below.

Wildebeest

Giraffes (my favorite!)

And Saturday we went even further north to visit a church in Masai land.  Over 80 people came to church in the One-Day-Church structure that Kibidula helped to build last year.

Joshua and me with some of the church children.

Many Masai people visiting the church

Over 80 people worshiping at the One-Day-Church in Masai land

Our "drive way" into the church was a foot path, rough and often narrow.

Starting the outdoor teaching session

Teaching principles of health

I look so sedate in this picture.

And so animated in this one!  It would have been nice if Joshua could have taken one somewhere in between!  :)

At the guest house, Joshua is trying to climb a coconut tree (he got tired before reaching the top.)

Doug teaching hydrotherapy

Monkeys in the tree outside our room yesterday morning. 

Saturday afternoon we started our teaching outdoors at the main church in Tanga with maybe 200 or more people present.  There were a LOT of people.  The message was very well received, and we are already getting lots of request to teach more and in more places.
It is now Tuesday and we continue to get more invitations.
Please pray for us to have wisdom, time and means to continue this work for our Lord.

Earthquake, tooth pulling, church building and more

We were blessed to be very busy supporting our students and doing outreach over the last several weeks.

The week we returned from Mbeya, we went out to be with half of the lay evangelism students at Mtili village where they had been for a couple weeks doing door to door work, health outreach and evangelism.   We assisted them in doing a Health Expo more than 40 village people attended (not including children.)  There were many people that came to get their height, weight, blood pressure taken, chair massage, lung capacity test, and to learn about various aspects of both physical and spiritual health.  There was one particular person that came that has been seeing witch doctors and was having serious spiritual issues.  Her mother gave us permission to work on her and to pray for her.  The mother took off the witchdoctor beads and encouraged her daughter to call out to Jesus for help.  It was quite an experience.  I am leaving out a lot of detail. I did a lot of praying, that I can say for sure.  I was very encouraged to hear that some of the people that we met that day decided to give their hearts to Jesus before the effort was ended in their village!  There were six baptisms.  The local church members also had many more that they were to continue doing Bible studies with.  It is so wonderful to see people giving their hearts to Jesus.  It is also so encouraging to see our students now being the teachers!

Mtili Health Exp (More than 40 people)

The following week, we drove to the other village (Kwatanga) to be with the other half of our students for another Health Expo.  We had over 100 people come to this event.  We also took reading glasses and did reading glasses test.  People continued to come long after we had planned to end, so we stayed late.  It was a very challenging drive there and back.  It was a very good thing that it was the dry season.  At the end of the efforts in that village 15 people decided to follow Jesus in baptism, and more will continue to study with the Bible worker that Kibidula has hired for that village.

Kwatanga Health Expo (more than 100 people)

The following week we packed up and went to Madibira for 17 days of evangelism effort at three sites.  We all stayed in a guest house together each day, and we split up into three groups for our respective sites.  We did one Health expo at each site.  My site was site #1 Ikoga, Doug’s site was #2 -Mahango, and site #3 was Iheha.

More than 100 people came to the Health Expo at Mahango

More than 150 people came to the Health Expo in Ikoga

Iheha Health Expo more than 63 people (not including children)

We did health talks with power point presentations (powered by portable generators) each night before the evangelism preacher would speak.

Site 1 - Ikoga (about one hour before the meetings)

Site # 2 Mahango Outside Meetings

 The speakers for the efforts were part of the ASI program from Czech Republic.  It was a “Share Him” program.  It was nice doing the health presentations before each meeting.  Many people came to the meetings, and also for health advice and help.  There was a Bible worker that was placed in those villages before we came, and he will continue a couple more months to follow up with more that want Bible lessons.  Before we left, there were 48 people that were baptized at the end of the meetings.   The rains have returned to this area of Tanzania.  Doug’s location had their meetings outside, and we are very grateful that they only had two meetings that were affected by the rain (affected but not stopped!)  We also helped to build two “one-day-churches” in the Madibira area.  The first was at site #2 – Mahango, and the second was at Namba Kumi (number 10.)

Site #2 - One-Day-Church we helped to build (Mhango)

Namba Kumi new One-Day-Church that we helped to build.

We packed up the guest house and came back to our Kibidula home and the following day we were picked up by Janet Fournier, director of Eden Valley Foster Care Mission.  She had asked us to do a L.I.G.H.T. training session with her staff and students in Mago, Makete (Tanzania.)  We have been here for five days and have been enjoying our work here very much.  It has rained almost every day.  There are some VERY receptive students in our class.  It is very encouraging to get the positive feedback and the “ah ha” expressions.

On our way to Mago, we stopped at the hospital and visited two of the patients that Anita sent there to get medical help from the village of Mkangwe.  They are both advancing well.

Pendo before and after surgery and Biatus before and after treatment.

Doug has also been helpful in fixing some electrical issues both in the house we are staying in, and the church.  He has been doing many odd jobs including the following:  fixing doors that rub the floor, installing water pipes, fixing leaks, putting in ceiling in the church, pulling teeth (there is a dental outreach here), massages and things I have already forgotten or don’t know.  We are taking turns teaching different subjects at the school.  This is the location that we have requested prayer for because the government has told them that they want to install 5 hydro-electricity dams on their river, and one of them would destroy this mission field.  She did get word from someone that they decided to drop the number from 5 to 4 and the one they would not do was the one located here, but all the officials she has asked about this (to confirm it) have said they know nothing about it.  So we would appreciate prayers that the final confirmation would come that they really have decided to not destroy this beautiful and productive work here.  We really would like to have the official word before the middle of December, since that is when she will be returning to the US for a while.  I also ask that you would pray that she would find a suitable replacement to be the director here.  Janet is ready to turn the project over to the person that God calls to run it.  It is a very challenging work and will take a special person, but God knows exactly who that person is and when they should come! 

Doug learning to pull teeth.

Our current plans are to finish the spiritual and health classes we have started here over the next few weeks.  To train the staff and students to do a Health Expo (and to do it,) to continue the nightly health presentations for the village and campus people, Doug wants to learn a lot about the dental work that Janet does (he is getting lots of opportunity, people come almost everyday to have teeth pulled), we hope to start doing some first aid for wounds, and whatever else God opens the door for us to do here while we are here.

Oh, and I got to experience my first earthquake here!  It woke all of us up on campus except those under 14 years of age (including Joshua who was disappointed he missed it.)  It was fairly strong, no damage that we know of, but lasted for a while also.  They have started having them here over the last few years….  Jesus is coming soon… it is another sign of His soon return.  I am thankful that we can be active in His fields to prepare people!

We have just returned from Mbeya

Isanga Church Mbeya - Health Outreach group

Outside the church in Mbeya after the message.

We have just returned from a four days of travel and work in the Mbeya area.  We were very pleased that one of the students who attended the lay-evangelism (LE) school a year ago, January, had taken the training (including the health evangelism training) and put into practice what he has learned in reaching the community in which he lives.  In his church they have developed a team which includes doctors, nurses and people from various backgrounds, working together to reach the people in their need for improved health.

We encouraged them in what they are doing.  They are following Jesus’ example of mingling with the people, sympathizing with them, helping them with their needs (improved health.)  These will allow them to gain their trust, and then they can bid them to follow our loving Lord Jesus!

Doug and Brother Temboh gave the message at church on Sabbath to encourage them to continue in the outreach of their church and to keep moving forward.  Our host announced that we would be doing a “health expo” the following day at a local primary school.  I believe 15 people committed to spread the word of mouth invitations for a few hours to encourage people to come the following day (Sunday.)
We met with the health outreach team and told them the materials we had brought and said we would “fit in” anywhere they wanted us to in the outreach the following day.

People responding to a call to follow Jesus.

In the afternoon, there was a large camp-meeting that we attended.  We met many of the local church pastors including the pastor of the church where we had spoken that morning (he had been busy at the camp meeting.)  He and Doug talked for a long time about many things.  Then I was a bit surprised that he told us that he wanted to introduce us to the entire camp meeting from on stage.  We followed him to the seats he gave us.  Then he introduced us and asked both Doug and I separately to greet and speak to the large group of people that were assembled.  There were numerous LARGE speakers set up so the sounds could travel a long distance away to others that could not come to the meeting, or for persecution reasons could not come directly to the meeting. 

Camp meeting - see the large speaker stands on each side broadcasting to all the area around.

We stayed until the meetings were finished that evening.  We didn’t see ANY other Caucasian people the entire time we were in Mbeya.  So we drew a bit of attention (especially for the children.)  The children would come close especially to Joshua.  They would just sit and stare at us.  I took the opportunity to teach a tiny bit of sign language to a group of boys.  I would show them a letter of the alphabet (sign language) and they would imitate it.  They seemed to really enjoy that.

From the stage (I tried to discretely take a picture of part of the people while we were up there.)

Joshua with bunches of mosquito bites

 That night Joshua got bitten numerous times by mosquitoes during the night.  We are hoping he does not come down with malaria.   Just to paint a more colorful picture – the wind and dust (and mosquitoes) made it more challenging for certain!

People waiting to come to the health outreach

Blood pressures being checked

Sunday the health expo was supposed to be from 9 am – 2 pm.  We finished at 4:30 PM!  There were at least 137 people that came. 

They really appreciated the education, the tests (BP, BMI, lung capacity, lifestyle questionnaire, doctor’s advice, etc.)  In my area (lifestyle questionnaire and advice) The people asked many great questions.  It is amazing that people don’t know how important it is just to drink water!  

It was a long exhausting wonderful day working with the church’s team and all the people of the community.  

The team was very happy with the results of such a short notice to the public and with the reception of the community. 

They have invited us to come and work with them more, doing various outreaches, including seminars. 

They would appreciate prayers.

Conference president and officers

Yesterday we went by the conference offices and met with many of the leaders there including the president of our conference.  We were welcomed very warmly and hope to work hand-in-hand to further God’s work with them in this region.  

Now we are sensing more the need of having a vehicle that we can use for this work.  We were blessed that this time Temboh, Mrs. Temboh and Alex went with us and Temboh drove the LE school cruiser.  Many of the roads we drive are treacherous!  Even in town they are incredibly rough, some places VERY steep.  I can’t even imagine what they are like in the rainy season.

Rough city streets - notice the shadows how they curve because of ruts and holes?

On the way back, we took a different route because we needed to drop food supplies to the LE students that are doing one of the two village efforts.  Those roads were incredible!  I asked “is this really a road?”  We drove between boulders, dodged trees, areas were so eroded that it didn’t look like it was wide enough for a vehicle, and the bumps and holes were amazing.  There were times when we averaged 10 km/hour and stayed at 20 km/hour and less for a long stretch.  If it had been daylight, I would have loved to take some pictures of those roads!

Steep entry in Mbeya.  It was scary each time we had to go down or up this part!  See the cows behind the car?

So we are praying along with our team members that God will open up the door for us to get a vehicle (that can handle these road conditions and our need for taking supplies) so we will not be hindered in the outreach that is opening up more and more around us.

Dusty, windy, smokey Mbeya

Tomorrow we go back out to a village where the LE students are doing a three week evangelism effort.  We will do health outreach.  Yesterday we stopped and visited with half of the students.  We were told that the people were VERY open to the help with health (where as many are afraid to come out to the evangelism meetings because of threats by leaders in the community.)  We are thankful that God has provided a way to open the door to people’s hearts through the health work!

Next week we will go to the other village site, then the week after that we will be in the villages for three weeks.

We really appreciate the prayer, encouragement and support.  Prayer is SO important.  This is a spiritual battle and we need spiritual weapons and prayer is a STRONG weapon against the forces that want to keep the Truth from being known!

Mbeya market

Those who need Jesus.

We have been very encouraged by a specific person letting us know that they have decided to follow Jesus (just in the last couple of weeks.)  What a humbling blessing to be part of that!  God is good, and can even use a donkey - so I know He can us me, too!

So today we are trying to recover a bit from our travels and work over the weekend.  We left Mbeya a little after 2:00 pm and got home at 9:00 pm last night.  We are a bit tired, but VERY encouraged and happy to be a little part in this huge work.

A Trip to a Village and to the Hospital

Yesterday we went to a village about 2 hours away to visit a man that we were told about who had some sores on his leg that “would not heal.”  We were told that he didn’t want to go to the hospital because he was afraid they would simply cut the leg off above the problem.

In the village with the man with the leg issue and cough.

We went with Anita (from Kibidula) and Meda (who has worked in that village for some time and knows the people there and the needs.)  Meda has also worked for Kibidula.  The village is up in some high hills (or mountains.)  It is so very dry there.  There had been a group that had brought water to the village, but something has happened to the water supply line and there is NO WATER there now.  It is now in the middle of the dry season and it is so dry and dirty.  People have to go about an hour away to get water.   I believe it is then from a river, so it is not clean water even then.  Things like drinking and cleaning seem to have become low priority for many in this village with this great lack of water.

Missing toes, swollen leg and foot

We have been told that people turn to drinking homemade alcohol made from fermented bamboo juice to forget their worries, pain, hunger and thirst.  This only leads to bigger problems.  The man that we went to see has had a problem with drinking this alcohol.  We could not get clear and correct answers from him regarding how long he had been having the problem with his foot (he said it started in June, but it is obvious that it has been a LONG TERM problem.)  He also gave his age as 60, 40 then 30 when he was asked (by us once and twice by the hospital.)  Without proper answers it is much harder to determine the cause and thus treat the problem (instead of just treating the symptoms.)

Another home in the dry landscape (Anita, Meda & Doug)

He did decide that he wanted to go to the hospital (we are hoping to get to the CAUSE of the problem with proper diagnostics.)  His grandson went to get his brother to go with him to be at the hospital.  We drove the man to the hospital and stayed until a doctor arrived (was called back in from his home.)  We did not have room in the vehicle for us, the sick and wounded man, and the brother.  The brother was given money to take a daladala to meet us at the hospital.  He arrived just as we were getting ready to leave (after being there for about two hours.)  At most (all that I have seen so far) hospitals here, someone needs to stay with or come visit the patient daily to cook and bring them food and to attend other personal needs.  These things are not supplied by the hospital.

Waiting at the hospital (another 1.5 hour drive)

We are praying that answers can come for this man and that (as he has said) he has truly stopped drinking so he can start healing.  He does attend church at times.

Monica - widow - children have all died

We also visited several other homes in that village.  One lady, named Monica, is a widow and all of her children have died.  She lives in a hut back behind the Seventh-Day Adventist church.  At times people will bring her a little food.  With out rain and water, she is currently unable to grow food during the 6 months of the dry season.  Anita (who had been to the village previously and understood many of the needs) had brought some food, drinking water, money, Swahili Bibles, and Swahili message books to share with those in need.  After visiting with Monica and praying with her, Anita made arrangements for her to get some food and we filled her bucket with drinking water.  She was so very grateful for these needful things.

Meda, Anita and the lady that gave up alcohol and accepted Jesus!

At another home the lady has given up drinking and has joined the church.  She makes bread and sells it.  She has been able to greatly improve her house (metal roof, cement on the brick walls and cement on the floor in one room.)   It has greatly improved the cleanliness.  We visited and were able to fill her container with good clean drinking water before we left.

The newer house is on the right.

We also met many other people with medical, physical and spiritual needs.  Anita gave out several Bibles and books to those that could read and that wanted them.  We gave out all of the drinking water, and food also.

Scars from a healed burn (and both hands)

For most of us (reading and writing this), we have water to drink, brush our teeth, wash our faces and hands, bath, wash our dishes, to cook, and even wash our clothes.  Some of us even have enough to water a little ground for some garden produce.

Village children

Many of us have some food to eat (maybe not exactly your favorite, but normally more than just corn flour and only enough to eat it now and then.)

A very typical dry view of this village

Many of us really are not “just barely surviving.”  So many of the people that we see are barely making it.  And when I say barely making it, I mean being able to be alive.

These are tough people here.  They understand hunger and thirst.  They understand eating to live instead of living to eat.  They work hard to survive.  They understand a need for something better.  Those that are Christians have a much better understanding of thankfulness than we do.  Each day for many of them is a gift that others won’t even realize.  (So - maybe you have more to be thankful for today than you realized?  I hope maybe this story will encourage you to be thankful for ALL the blessings you have today.  I know I have LOTS to be thankful for today!)

Two men hauling sunflower seeds.

During the day yesterday, I saw such incredible need and I realize our weakness, limitations and inability to meet the needs….  It made me so grateful to be part of the program here in Kibidula where we focus on training and equipping locals to reach out to these villages.  They have lived the same way, they know the language, the culture, the trials, the victories, and they can reach village people in a way that outsiders can only scratch the surface.  They live with the people, they become their friends.  They meet their needs in many ways.  They gain their trust and then they bid them to follow Jesus.  We are thankful that there has been a lay evangelist assigned to this village from Kibidula in the past.  There was an issue that they had to go and resolve at their home village, but I believe I understood that there is now someone else working in that village in their place.

The village Seventh-day Adventist church

We are going to investigate again what is going on with the water situation and see if we can help with that big project and in the mean time, we will pray, do what we can, and keep training up and sending out workers into the harvest field.

We should get a what ?!?!?!?

Is it the moment of reckoning?
Is it really time to confront even more my "I would rather give than take!" attitude?

Let me cover the other stuff first and I will come back to this issue....
I posted just before we took our trip to Iringa to meeting some of the health leadership in this area.  We all feel that it was a very good meeting.  We are encouraged that we will be able to work together in the future for many programs.

One of the short term missionaries (Fletcher the one that was putting together the 4-seater airplane) returned to the US.  Another missionary family was also returning the same week, so Doug drove Fletcher to Dar es Salaam and picked up the other seven people when they arrived.  He was gone from 4 am Monday through 10 pm Friday this last week.  It is certainly good to have our family together again and to have the other family back!

Doug has been back at it and working on water leaks down-campus this time.  Yesterday he spent several hours trying to fix an impromptu "fountain."  The fixing process got complicated as some other water lines got cut in the digging process.  Life is always exciting.  He called me on the cell phone and said, "Would you pray for us please."  It is interesting how "simple" jobs can get complicated quickly.  

With Doug gone Joshua and I took a bicycle ride to visit a neighboring village where we had not previously visited.  We didn't get the clearest directions and our thirty minute to one hour bike ride turned into a 3 hours and 20 minute adventure.  We did visit another village much farther out.  We were sunburned (even with our hats on!) and tired when we got back.  We will try another day for that particular village.  The dirt road split into three paths and we took the wrong path.  Then it spit again, and again, and again.  We got to see a lot of new territory, meet new people and see some pretty sights.  On the way back (on a road) we saw a very nice view of some mountains and valleys.  I was planning to take my camera, but I forgot it.  Next time I hope to get a picture.  (Next time!  Ha, ha!)

With so much bike riding, I have decided it is time to figure out a better way to ride bicycle in a skirt.  So that was part of my research and development for the next day.  I have rigged up something to keep my skirt from getting caught between the back break and the tire.  This should make it easier to pedal and save my clothes.

We had the challenge of running out of water on Tuesday.  We were thankful that we again had water when we woke up on Wednesday.  We are hoping that the issue will be resolved.

It has mostly been day to day stuff going on.  Doug worked with several people (at least three) and helped them get reading glasses.  We are still so thankful for that donation of reading glasses.  People are so happy when they can read their Bibles again.

Yesterday the man from the closest village who has lost both of this lower arms came again.  Last time he came he was asking for clothes, which we gave him.  This time he asked for money for food for his children.  I do know that he has one child.  I told him that I would not give him money, but I would give him food.  My donation of cornflour, rice, beans and peanuts was was a bit too heavy and the bag strap broke before he was away from the house very far.  I had put it in a bag, and made a strap to go around his head and shoulder.  Joshua volunteered to take the food on his bicycle to his house.  He had to go slowly as the man walked and he was gone from home for a long time.  I sent my cell phone with him so he could call his father if there was any trouble.

Do you think you have problems?   Can you imagine life as this man?  I believe his wife has left him.  He has at least one daughter that is in the 5th grade (standard 5) here at our primary school.  Can you imagine not being able to feed yourself, scratch you nose, hold a donation, put on your clothes or even "relieve" yourself, by yourself?  I sat in bed this morning thinking about him.  There are so many tragic cases around us all the time.  We can help out in some small way at times, but the need is so much bigger than our resource or abilities.  My challenges are rather small compared to this man.  He needs a lot of prayers from what I gathered from another person from his village.  He is a "member" of the church, but he needs a walk with our Lord.  We all do.  No matter our physical challenges, God can still use us for His glory.  I know of at least one person that will hopefully read this, that has some physical challenges that could encourage "discouragement" if not careful.  But I hope that person realizes his life is a miracle.  God has a purpose, and even though he is not able to physically do all that he once was, he can cling to Jesus and keep doing the other things that God wants him to do, and with great joy in Jesus.  Soon our Lord Jesus will come and the sin and suffering will end.  Until then we keep walking by faith and keeping our eyes on Jesus.

Today we will work with the lay evangelism students to do eye test to see who needs reading glasses.  I need to leave soon, so I had better wrap this up.

WE SHOULD GET A WHAT????
The answer - a vehicle.
There are a few vehicles here on campus for some of the departments.  When we have to borrow one, it puts that department in a challenging situation.  With the work that we are doing growing and growing, it was again "suggested to us" that we should see about raising funds to get a vehicle for the medical work that we are doing here.  There are lots of "calls" and opportunities to spread the work in MANY places here in the country, and we are excited about that.  Borrowing a vehicle will be VERY impractical for trips that take more than a day, and taking the bus will be really complicated if we need to take supplies (which we do.)  So, here we are.

The director told us that the Nissan dealership company in Dar es Salaam uses the new vehicles for one year (keeping them maintained) and then sells them at a reduced price each year.  He suggests that we get a diesel, 4x4 (we deal with some EXCITING roads here on and off pavement), dual cab, right hand drive pick up from them if we can raise the funds.  He sees this work expanding rapidly and knows better than us what is best for the program and projects.  The price he gave us is about $31,000 US dollars.

If you, your church or anyone you know is interested in helping to be the Lord's hands in this, donations can be sent to the Outpost Centers International address on our funds page.  The donations should be specified as: Medical Vehicle Kibidula.

It is a lot of money, but if it comes in from lots of sources, lots of little donations will add up fast.  I am not going to be anxious about this.  This is God's work here.  Not mine.  I just ask that He impress on the people that He wants to give, to give.  Prayer, faith, and letting our need be known.  That is my part.  So there it is.

In the mean time, thank you EVERYONE for all the encouragement, prayers, support and love.
Time to go do the reading glasses tests!  BYE