Sunday Mar. 2, 9:50 AM

Mosquitos-8

Reed - 13

I am in Arusha now at the Kisaka Villa with the rest of the group. I hope to be able to remember some of the things that have happened the last couple of days so that I won't forget them.

We had a great time at Mwerera on Friday morning. I preached on Numbers 13-14 and faith, how we get what we expect. I encouraged the people to expect great things from God. I gave the church $100 for toward their roof, not much at all, I pray that God multiplies it. The people presented me with a "Konga" (a large piece of colored cloth, women use to wrap around themselves, carry babies, etc.). I was very appreciative. Many times on this trip, the people here and myself have been mutually thankful for one another. It is a good feeling.

As soon as we got back from Mwerera we we headed to Same. We stopped by Pr. Reuben's house in Same, near the conference office and ate some fruit. We then headed over to the Same school. I was really tired while we were at there school. I am afraid that I wasn't as friendly as I should have been. We waited for a long time in the office of the headmaster, while they got themselves together to make their presentation.

Throughout the day I found myself getting a little annoyed at things. I think it was a combination of being tired and not continually conversing with God, as I had on other days. While we waited I looked at the building. It was falling apart. I asked how old it was, thinking maybe 25 or 30 years. I couldn't believe it is only six years old.

They made a presentation about the schools needs. I was actually impressed. They had very specific goals and specific plans how they would meet the goals, complete with distribution or responsibility. I was impressed that they are not just looking for a handout but are doing everything that they can to better their school in a planned and well thought out way.

The school has major needs. There are 230 students at the primary school. The majority of them are dormitory students. They come to stay in the dorm as young as 5 years. There are five houses where the students are housed. They are really crammed into these rooms. The school also desperately need more classrooms. They currently have 6 class rooms for 7 grades + kindergarten.

Despite these obstacles the school has done well, their very high academic performance, 1 in the district, 2nd in the region) has caused the school to have very high growth rates. I hope and pray that the Lord will move some people to give to the school. I am thinking about maybe even leading a group to come to the school next year.

11:43 AM

On Friday after we got back to Mwembe, Jackson and I went immediately to visit Sylvester's wife before the evening program. When we got to the house Sylvester thanked us for coming and explained that he had to go get someone who would ask his wife to come out of her room to see us. He said that if he asked her she would definitely say no. So Sylvester left and after a while, Mary an Adventist girl came and went into the house to see if Sylvester's wife would come out. Mary came out, I thought to invite us inside, so I went and stood at the door. Sylvester's wife came to the door and said for us to go away she did not have time to see us. She said some other things which Jackson said did not make any sense at all. I told the woman "barikiwa" (God bless you) and we started walking back. Sylvester came to meet us and thanked us for coming. I felt sorry for him. He has lost his son and his wife. I am thankful that he has Jesus.

In the afternoon for I did the health talk on teeth. The people thought it was funny when I demonstrated how to brush your teeth. Afterwards I preached on 1 cor. 1:25-31 about our weakness and God's strength. The sermon felt flat. I did not pray enough. After the program some people came to the house to ask me for prayer. It seems that interspersed throughout every day there have been people who have come and asked for prayer. It really means a lot to them when someone, especially a pastor from America prays for them.

I preached in the evening on the Sabbath. I used seven empty glasses as an illustration of the seven days. I poured some soda into the seventh glass representing God's blessing and making the sabbath Holy. I then asked "If I wanted to receive God's blessing, which glass should I drink from?" The people responded well.

The Mwerera church came to Mwembe and stayed there all day on Sabbath. I was so glad they were there. Their choir even took part in the services. Jackson preached during Sabbath school. He was being really animated during the sermon, but I could not tell what he was speaking about except that he told the story of David and Goliath. The people (as well as Jackson) kept laughing at the things he was saying. Afterwards I asked him about what he talked about. He told me a story that he told during the sermon.

Two women who were witch doctors had come to him wanting to be baptized. He told them to bring all of their witch doctor paraphernalia to him so that he could burn it. They said that he couldn't do that because if he did he would be dead after two days. He told them to bring the stuff anyway so that they could be baptized. The women went to talk with their "boss" about it. Their boss said for them to tell Pastor Jackson that if he burned their charms that he would certainly be dead after two days. They went and told pastor Jackson and he told them that it didn't matter, but to bring the things anyway to be burned. The women said "Why would you want to die pastor, so that we could be baptized?" Pastor Jackson told them that if his death allowed them to be in God's kingdom it was worth it. The women finally agreed to bring the things.

The church members all gathered together and put the stuff in a pile to be burned. Jackson doused it with fuel and lit the match. Just as he lit the match the charms began to jump up and down on the ground. As soon as they began to do this everyone ran away leaving pastor Jackson alone with the jumping charms. Pastor Jackson said that he felt scared but God encouraged him and he dropped the match and burned the charms. Afterwards all of his church members came to him one by one to give their condolences about his upcoming death. At first he was scared and didn't sleep well the first night. But then God encouraged him and he was impressed that he would not die. After two days nothing happened. It was a huge testimony to the church members and the community about God's power.

Monday Mar. 3, 9:33 AM

Heathrow Airport

For the church service on Sabbath I preached on John 7:37-39. I also used Isaiah 55:1-2, Rev. 22:17 & Matt. 5:6. I emphasized the abundance of God's offer of the Holy Spirit. I believe the Lord blessed. At the end we laid hands on those who wished and prayed for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We also laid hands on all of the children and prayed for them asking God to bless them. There had been a lot of choir songs and the service had already gone pretty long. The church then presented pastor Jackson and I with gifts. A conga for Jade and a matching shirt for myself. After having my picture taken with maybe 25 different people we headed over to the baptism. The candidates took their vows and were baptized (their were 8). It was so great to see them take this step in their new life. I praise the Lord for the new life that He has given to the Mze who said he was brought from darkness into the light. I praise the Lord for the Muslim woman who wanted to pay to be baptized. I praise the Lord for what HE did in each of these peoples lives. He is wonderful.

Afterwards, It was good to see the Swahili young man wearing my suit. The pastor said that he would be the church's next evangelist. I am thankful for the small part that God let me play in the journey of these individuals. I am especially thankful for those who studied with the candidates and for pastor Jackson who worked in Mwembe for a week before I showed up.

We knelt with those who were baptized, laid our hands upon them, and prayed for them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I was so glad we could do this.

Afterwards we headed back for lunch and ate about 4:00. The driver and the girls (they had been cooking and cleaning for us this week) who were going to catch a ride with us to Arusha were anxious to go. So I got my things ready quickly, gave some instructions on the things I was leaving behind, said my goodbyes and we were off. Pastor Reuben rode with us (we also had a chicken in the back of the landrover as well), we dropped him off at his house in Same.

I was a little nervous about the ride with the 2 girls and driver. None of them speak very good English, but I didn't just want to ride in silence the whole 3 hours. So I showed the girl who was in the back with me pictures from my computer and let her listen to the choirs that I had recorded. She really seemed to appreciate me sharing with her, in fact at one point she had the driver stop, she got out purchased a conga, wrapped it and then gave it to me to give to Jade. The people here are so giving.

The ride was pleasant except that I drank way to much water and had a hard time communicating with them that I needed to use the bathroom. If I hadn't been in so much pain it would have been pretty funny. Finally they understood, smiled, and we found a place with a bathroom. I don't think I have ever been so happy to see a extremely crusty bathroom in my whole life.

It was good to be back with the whole group in Arusha and eat together and share stories at Kisaka Villa. God really seemed to bless their trip, praise the Lord.

1:26 PM (London Time)

BA Flight 217

I am eagerly looking forward to seeing Jade and Faith. I was not able to talk to them in the Heathrow airport like I had hoped. It will be so good to be with my family again.

On the plane Ronnie and I convinced Frankie to eat some of the pickled lime sauce. I started to cry I was laughing so hard at his reaction.

When I got to the Kisaka Villa at Arusha I was eager to find out how Martha Philips was doing, since the last I heard was that she had been very sick and gone to Arusha. Martha has had a very rough trip. She is 81 years old and has recently had a heart attack and a stint put in. She is a German with an incredible testimony about living in Germany during and after WWII. She is a very godly woman who even though she does not have very much money has raised over $44,000 for the Lamara church in Arusha.

Martha's trip began with her flight from NJ to Dulles being canceled so her church elder had to drive her to Washington. At the security screening in Dulles Martha received a more thorough search than anybody I have ever seen. They really put her through the ringer. I think I have already mentioned as well that when we arrived to London we had a bit of an ordeal to get her luggage to the right place. Well not long after Martha got to Chome she became very sick with a fever and a respiratory infection. I think she was first taken to the doctor in Same and then to the Kisaka Villa in Chome. For the rest of the time she hardly was able to get out of bed. She said that she has never been so sick in her life. At one point she said she was not so sure she would make it.

The heat and mosquitoes were bad, there were no other Americans with her, and she had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic she was given and broke out in hives all over. She said she knew she was being attacked by Satan, and spent a lot of time praying. She said she now has a new appreciation for what Christ has done for us.

The real miracle is that on Sabbath she was able to get up (for the first time) and go to Lamara church and present a message as well as the last portion of money that she had raised. She was able to accomplish the mission for which she came. When I saw her Saturday night she still did not look good, but was praising the Lord for the victory He had given her.

As I am here on this plane and I think about Martha I am inspired by her courage and persistence. This has been her third trip to Tanzania. Previously she had never done any thing like this before in her life. But when her husband died the Lord led her to expand her boundaries. He has used her in a tremendous way to raise funds for Tanzania, working many miracles each step of the way. If she at her age can do what she did and go through what she went through, while still praising the Lord and not having regrets, what about the rest of us? On this trip we have had five group members over the age of 75. They have been real troopers. The younger ones have complained far more than they. I praise the Lord for their example and their desire to live a life of service until the very end. I pray that Jesus Christ would live in me, that the rest of my days I may live for Him, continually spending and being spent, but always receiving far more in return.

I am returning home with as many blessings as I can carry and a renewed & strengthened desire to go to the mission field.