Tanga, Suji and Mago with Donkey Update

We were in Tanga for nine days.  We made lots of new friends and received invitations to come back to several churches in that area.  We spoke at two churches in that area, and visited a total of four.  We had people from MANY churches coming to our daily teaching sessions.  I was surprised one of the last days when they had a show of hands of people from each church!  I should have counted the number of churches that were represented!  We did a health expo at the Kana Tanga Church.  It was very well received!

Health expo training at Kana Church Tanga

It was so encouraging to see the people grasp a little more of the love of Jesus for them, and the love and care He wants to give them through abundant health both for them and those they know.  They are working on plans to have us come back for at least 3 weeks of training for them.

Joshua getting to play in at the beach for a few minutes on our tour of Pangani

Pangani

If he gets close to the water, he thinks he needs in it.  Indian Ocean, south of Tanga

Pagani, where the Pagani River meets the India Ocean

We had a special treat, as the church pastors wanted to take us to a few historical sites.

Amboni Caves

Amboni Caves

So we actually got to be tourist for a day.  We saw the ocean, some great caves and learned some history.   
The person that invited us to come (a previous student) wanted us to go to his home village and share with them also.

Our previous students who invited us to Tanga and Suji.  Mr. & Mrs. Mcharo

That took us to Suji.  IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

Suji (Mt. Kilimanjaro is behind those clouds.)

Suji and nearby villages on the mountain sides

Tamara teaching in the Suji church

Suji village

Nearby village from Suji on the mountain side

The church was founded in that area in the EARLY 1900's, and it shows in how clean and beautiful the place is.  It is amazing how Jesus in our hearts affects how nice we keep our villages also.  There wasn't the trash all over that we see in most places.  That was so nice.  If the weather had been better, we could have seen Mt. Kilimanjaro, but it wasn't.    They have a high school there and many of them know English.  So teaching there was a bit better, because they could understand me and then also listen to the translator.
They also said that we must come back and teach them more.  We also received the invitation to help with some effort meetings.  They would like for us to do health talks at the beginning each night.  We will have to see if we can work it into the schedule.
There were 10 of us in the Land Cruizer on the way to Suji.  It was very "cozy."  And even more so as we went up and down the mountains.  Gravity and inertia are fun things at times.
We traveled all day December 25th and arrived home at Kibidula in the evening.
On the way home a giraffe crossed the road in front of us.  That was really nice.

Today we have just arrived home from a quick trip to Eden Valley Foster Care Mission in Mago.  We took Ashuri back, since school starts on Monday for him.  We took the salaries for the staff and Doug did a bit of work with the hydro-electric system.  We left home yesterday and got home today.  We were using Janet's truck for the trip.  Many people were happy to get lifts from us on our way back!
On our trip to Tanga and Suji, we were in the Lay Evangelism Land Cruizer.  We are to go to Mago once a month until Janet returns, to do a few errands for that project. 
While we were in Mago, we walked up to the village of Idege to check on Alex and also the donkey that we had helped with.  The owner of the donkey was not there, but his wife said that the donkey didn't have it's leg cut off, she did give birth to the baby, but both she and the baby had just died the day before we got there.  On our way back down, we met up with Alex, the man with AIDS and cancer.  He is doing better, but still needs prayers.

Mago a view from Idege

The foot path to Idege

We are hoping to get a trip to Dar es Salaam organized for next month.  I don't think we have a penny donated towards a vehicle at this point, but that does not discourage me one little bit.  :)
God's timing is perfect, and we will do the best we can with what we can until something works out, if it does.  The Dar trip will most likely have to be public transportation, because we will be gone too long to take someone else's vehicle (not to mention it cost a lot to travel by car for fuel.)

This last week, we had a super big blessing as Kim Busl was here and he did afternoon meetings with us on Cross Culture Servant-hood.  OH, WERE THEY GREAT!  I think it was really eye opening to me, and it encourages me that we can be so much more effective in reaching the people and working together with the various cultures we have here.  God is working on clearing out more of my dross.  I am so thankful that He loves me so much that He is not content to leave me where I am!  As I learn to follow more closely with Him, I am happier and happier! 

Thank you SO much for all the prayers, support and encouragement.  God is doing wonderful things.  We are blessed and humbled to be allowed to be a tool in His hand and see Him work!

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.