Greetings again from Tanzania,

December 2005

Seasons Greetings from the Rotherys in East Africa! Its been a great year and we thank you who have been Gods channels to keep us going here this year. Imara has grown in maturity as an organization this year though we still have a lot to learn. I believe that as we stay close to the Lord and soft in His hand, he will teach us all we need to learn together.

What has been happening since I wrote a few weeks back?

Key leaders work:

We had our first gathering of a limited number of key leaders here. Owen Wagener and Peter Russell, both missionaries here in Arusha, joined us and were a great blessing to the leaders who came together. We had 25-30 leaders come from all the different areas we have been working into in the northern and central parts of Tz. Owen focused in teaching about what Apostolic ministry means in the church today and Peter contrasted David and Saul and the way they worked as leaders. While I am here, what I am feeling the Spirit is speaking into this country is a real repentance to come in the Church. In fact without it, I don’t really like to think about what could happen here down the track. I believe the nation is at a crossroads spiritually and the leaders need to hear the seriousness with which God is trying to speak to the church in this country. Basic things such as honesty, speaking the truth, marriage fidelity, jealousy issues are the things that need to be tackled by the leadership in a very real way. So be praying that God would raise up men of God fired up to lead the church into life changing discipleship and that the church would hear what God is saying.

News Briefs :

We met with the Mairowa project leadership to endeavor to establish good foundations that will enable them to build well in the future.

We had a bit of trouble with the hand pump and had to pull it back up twice for different reasons but it is now working well delivering 20 litres in a bit over a minute.... the folks there are understandably happy given the dry conditions of Maasai land.

Karanse School is going well.... they have 5 classrooms now and we are hearing good reports about the teachers there. The children go into their 4th year and the school will be assessed for the first time in 2006. We are looking forward to the results! We hear that teachers from other schools want their children to attend Karanse so that is a pretty good sign!!
We talked with the pastors fellowship at Mwika last week and spent some time with the Mwika project committee .... pray His will to be done as we seek to help the many with AIDS problems in that area. They showed us the recently completed toilet block for the children.
On the 10th Dec HIV/AIDS department had a special lunch and meeting at the boarding house for those that they regularly visit at their homes.

Family:

Well we had our first wedding in our family!! Sharon and Peter are now happily living near us after being married on the 3rd of December. Kirsty and Josh came from Perth with Kirsty's friend Rhett. Rhett just headed back home but Kirsty and Josh are here for Christmas with us... we are blessed!

Lyndall has a new fridge for Christmas courtesy of friends in Perth... thank you!!

Prayer points:

That we would keep focused on what God wants us to do.
We had a great end of year 'retreat' with Owen and Lois Wagener and we felt encouraged from the Lord as His word to us confirmed we have a place on influence to this nation. One of the things that they shared with us was the Lord gave a picture of us being a strong tree with several strong branches. She believed the Lord showed her it is important that those branches grow evenly together.... it witnessed to us because that is what we have been feeling for some time now.

Teams coming here in January and February- there are a lot of friends coming in that time.

The Imara team: rest over Christmas ready for the New Year.

Brenda from New Zealand as she comes here to 'spy out the land' in February

Family- Josh for life direction. He may take a job over here for a while with the same safari company Sharon and Peter are working with.

Soooo, another year gone, another year before us. Gods blessings on you all and thanks again for praying, giving and standing with us,

Mike & Lyndall

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