Gizzards, Witches & ISOM......

 

Why is Elirehema excited?

When we were doing seminar and crusade in Karatu recently, Pastor Elirehema said with repressed excitement: ‘Nimesikia utaanza shule hapa Karatu!!’ [I heard you are starting a school here in Karatu’]

I was a bit surprised because I had not told anyone in the area about our video bible schools.

“Utaanza lini?” [when will you start?]

“Hey Pastor Elirehema slow down!!”

It  showed me again the enthusiasm and desire the local folks have for learning. Most leaders here know they need more training but it mean they have to: find finances they don’t have; leave their families for up to 3 years; leave their church; and go to city centres to study. I could not do what many of them do and personally I do not feel it is very healthy. We have recognised that need for village schools for some time now and when a missionary friend, Brick Cliff, introduced us to a possible answer to the problem, we were excited.

ISOM [International School of Ministry see website http://www.isom.org/] have developed a video bible school presenting solid foundational teachings to leaders using world class leaders such as TL Osborn, Bonke, Dick Eastman, Ed Cole and Jack Hayford. It is being translated into many languages including Swahili. What it means to us is that the local pastors can learn from proven world class teachers in their own language, in their own villages, close to family and church at an affordable cost and have a diploma at the end of it if they complete the course.

Tanzanian villages bring their unique set of problems to setting up the schools –there is no power and no church TV’s available. But we had a gift from US for some of the gear needed so we are testing a 12 volt TV/VCD run by solar power. It is surprisingly cheap to set up & far less subject to maintenance problems than a small generator.

No wonder Pastor Elirehema was excited!

 

Today’s Special : Fried Gizzards!

[by Lyndall]

We have had Sharon staying with us for the last 2 months.  Also Joshua has been home for 6 weeks.  He returns to school on the 26th of August to commence 12th Grade. We had a great beach holiday together. We have enjoyed having our kids with us and they have enjoyed each others company.  It would have been even better if Kirsty could have come too but I think we will have to wait until next June to see her.

Last Saturday we took Sharon to the airport in Nairobi.  She has gone back to study in Scotland at James Watt College in Greenock.

After the airport we went to do a little shopping.  That was where we discovered a culturally relevant sign on a blackboard outside a café:

Today’s Special

Fried Gizzards

Served with rice or chips

It almost put us off.  But then we did go in and had the chips without the gizzards!

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 From Witchcraft to the Light of Jesus………

Many folks found Jesus as their saviour when we did crusade and seminar at Karatu recently. There was a freedom in the spirit to bless the people. Stanley was with us there and records this testimony about one witch who came to Christ when our friend Pastor Lyimo was preaching. This is not the first time I have come across her kind of story but it is hard for our western minds to accept. You will be amazed.........

Jesus is still alive and He is still doing miracles to save the sinners, heal the sick, to destroy all the evil works of Satan even in these days. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.” Heb. 13:8 This is what Jesus did recently when we were doing crusade at Karatu.

There was a Lady who was witchcraft, when she came into that meeting she gave her life to Jesus Christ! She used to go several places magically just by “flying in the air” by magic powers for a very short time especially during the night hours.

“I used to travel to Katesh where I normally do my major magic business there” That lady  said. When she heard about good news of Jesus, she was touched, and she brought her “magic tools & equipments” in front of the Servants of God and they burnt them. To God be the Glory!!!  

Mid way through the week I left Lyimo, Stanley and the team at Karatu and went to teach at Upper Kiteti. It was great to see my friend Marko who was saved years back under our ministry when we took the village food in ’94. The church there was so thankful I went to encourage them even though it was only for 2 days. It is a privilege to work with such thankful people and it is times like this that makes working here so rewarding.

 

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Through Hillarys Eyes…..

Stephen and Hillary Cullen and Stephen Rosser were a blessing to us in May/June. Here is what Hillary saw when we went to Katesh and Dareda…….

 

We’re back in Arusha after an interesting and fruitful week in two villages south of here by about 250 km, which took six hours to traverse (the first 100km only took an hour, then it was onto the rough roads – gives you some idea what it was like!!) The final 5km into the first ‘village’ (really a scattering of mud hut compounds in the bush, each around 500m from the next), took 45 minutes Fun!!! I’m very pleased to say my back held up amazingly well to the ordeal and is improving daily, thank you Lord!!

The first four nights were spent in a mud hut. The villagers [Datooga people] had brought in beds for us, by bicycle from town 5km away. We were so humbled by their hospitality and generosity to us. It was a big thing for them to have white people there and some of the children probably hadn’t seen whites at all…..hope I did ok as an ambassador for their impression of a white woman! We were in the bush; the real Africa let me tell you!! The mud hut was actually very conducive to good nights’ sleeps as it was dark in there! We ate by the light of a kerosene lamp, the ‘bathroom’ was an enclosure of branches, a little exposed, so I washed in the hut, with my bowl of water, which had been heated over the fire. The toilet was outside the hut compound, another enclosure of branches, and grasses with the hole in the ground. The chickens roosted in the hut at night, in fact Stephen Rosser had one under the head of his bed and she had just hatched 11 chicks! One night I was awake and Stephen started to snore, the hen clucked at him under his head and he stopped!! I thought it was brilliant!! We heard hyena at night, didn’t get eaten though, and we walked through the tracks that are these people’s highways amongst the Acacia trees, with hills and mountains behind, it was great.  

As I said it was a big thing for these people to have us, and I hear this particular tribe has a reputation from the locals around here anyway as being fairly wild. They live a lot like the Maasai and are hunters. They hoop and holler, and dance jumping straight up and down as the Maasai do, clothed in blankets and carrying their spears! We held meetings through the day under the Acacia trees and Stephen and I sang, which they loved, bit disconcerting as you’re trying to sing and they come straight up to you hooping and whooping and throwing their kanga cloth about your shoulders as you try to remember your words and continue!! I shared each day and Stephen and Mike taught.

In the evenings we ran a film night, through a generator for power and a big screen set up again under the Acacia trees. This ministry is a real drawer of people, as it is so novel to them and they estimated about 400 people were at the last night, where they all came from I don’t know, it was quite something to see these warrior type people appearing out of the bush, some walked for up to three hours to come to both the meetings and the films. Stephen Rosser shared the gospel after the film each evening and people responded to the Lord. It is a very powerful medium. One night they showed the Jesus film. You know we get so familiar with the story of the cross at home, because it’s so part of our lives, but it really affects you to see these people, having not seen anything like this visually before them, they cheered when he was born, when demons were cast out, and they wailed when the crucifixion took place, and clapped when Jesus rose from the dead!!! Oh that our hearts were that soft and receptive to the Lord, it was so refreshing and their response powerful in its effect on us.

From that village we went to Dareda, a bigger town, and were staying in a guest house, even had a shower of sorts and rooms to ourselves, total luxury! Dareda is right on the famous rift valley, and one afternoon we climbed the cliff of the rift! 2000 feet and ¾ hr later we reached the top (it was rather straight up and down!)   Again we held day meetings and night films. The last night there they estimated 1500 people at the film. Stephen Rosser preached his heart out!! 

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Evangelism by parachute!

You will recall I travelled with Pastor Isak to Gilai Lumbwa to minister to this relatively unreached area of Maasai land- we go again in a few weeks. With a donation from Perth we have helped them with a church plot and building for the new church he is establishing there.

But he has far bigger vision than that. There are MANY more small villages or bomas nearby that he wants to reach out to but getting there is a major hassle. Well we might have the answer.  

A friend overseas is hoping to send us two parachute planes to help.  It would mean that instead of the normal days walk or 6 hour plus bus trip it will take less than an hour to get to Gilai Lumbwa. More than this it will allow Isak to get to villages he can never usually touch because of the inaccessibility.

What of the second plane? Don’t worry we have plans for that as well. South of Arusha there are many areas that have little outside help coming to them. We will take film and crusade to them with this plane! Could you all pray with us about this outreach project idea.

[For more info on the planes look at http://www.flhost.com/itec/projects.htm or video at http://www.flhost.com/itec/video19562001.htm There is a story behind the video about martyred missionary Nate Saint (1956) if you are interested- follow the website for the story]

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From Perimeter with Love…..

20 people came to us from Perimeter Church led by Jim and Kathy Stewart. You will understand when I say we were busy organising things for that number! but the team was such a blessing to the local people and encouragement to us personally. We took them to see our work in Karanse with the church and children there. We ran Pastors, Womens, young peoples and children’s seminars while they were here for the week– those seminars will help build our vision to build the churches together in the area. Room has run out in this newsletter to say more but this is the 3^rd team that has come and each time we see a people of integrity working with us here. Thanks so much for coming!!

 

Since the last newsletter our supporters at Love International have had to withdraw from helping us organise the planned children’s work in Karanse [Thankyou for what you were able to do] So if you are wondering what is happening with the orphan support on the web bear with us while we get reorganised in Australia and overseas. When we have it together we will let you know – hopefully soon.

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