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Published: January 1st 2007
2007 is here and away we go! We're hanging the new calendar, seeing what we have in store for the month ahead of us. Seeing what needs to be accomplished... making those resolutions, to Do more than we did yesterday, but less than we will Do tomorrow..... or something to that effect!
~We can always do more and we can always try to be better than we were before... I guess the typical resolutions run true for everyone, to study more, to eat healthier, to be more positive about everything in general.... One day at a time. We can. One day at a time. We will.
A long time ago, I heard a story about an African brother here, who once traveled to the states and in his memorable experience of American life and fast foods, he recalls that he was taken out to eat one night to a place called, Pizza Hut, where his comment if I remember right, was "that's the biggest HUT I've ever seen.." and then when he ordered the pizza through the drive through window with amazament, and seeing how big the pizza was he said, "that he had never seen so much
food." and someone in the car with him asked, how would he ever eat it all... and he gave the sweetest answer ever, which is what keeps this story fresh in my head, "One bite at a time! Oh, I can & I will..... just One bite at a time!"
Lots of exciting things going on here in Tanzania.... work in progress, things to do, buildings to build, places to be, Bible studies to get to... Lessons to prepare, we just hit the ground running.
Brent is up at the church building this morning trying to run a water line directly to the baptistry at Arusha to keep from having to haul water buckets to keep it full all the time. It's constantly being used and the water is always evaporating and needing to be filled when someone is brought to the church to be baptized throughout the week..... so we're trying to make it a little simpler and more efficient to get done.
And this week kicks off the begining of the Kioga Seminar up the side of Mt. Meru. Brent is going up there today to make sure things are getting taken care of and
set up. Today is a holiday here in Tanzania so, the seminar actually begins on Tuesday. The rains have been a constant so that makes the road up the mountain slick and muddy and requires the use of the 4-wheel drive on the truck... and is a pretty rough trip... So please be praying for the safety of the transportation this week to and from the church there at Kioga... Tues-Sat we will be going up the mountain each day for Bible studies and passing out tracks in the mornings with the members of the church there. Then inviting people all over the area to the church building for the seminar at 4:00 where Brent will be teaching church growth to those meeting and gathering together on the mountain. Then Sunday we will be having our "friend's day" At the church there. It's beautiful up that high and on a clear day, the scenery is amazing, but in the rain its just a muddy mess... Blind man moses lives right next to the church building in a mud hut and I am excited to go and see all the progress being made on the building from their hard work up
there last week on the floors and walls.... Friday and Saturday we will be having a children's class as well during the seminar to encourage the kids in the area to get involved in the church and hopefully boost their Bible class attendance for the teachers there. Paulina is David Bayi's wife, he's the preacher there, and she teaches the children's classes. I am hoping to be able to leave her with plenty of material to teach with and use for her classes in the upcoming months ahead.
We rang in the New Year here at the house with John Hall here playing games and watching movies with the kids... We all went to Stiggy's for dinner and laughed about the fun we've had throughout the end of the year here in Arusha.. He and Kelly just left this morning on a short get away for Kelly's "Senior Trip" Brent dropped the two of them off at the bus station for them to head ot Dar Salam, where they will take a ferry ride over to visit the island of Zanzibar where they are planning on doing some evangelizing while they are there this week. We are excited that
sweet Garrett
teaching his lil sister how to ride her bike....Kelly has a friend like John to run around with and such a great example to follow as he grows into a strong Christian man... John is 26 and from Texas, like a younger brother to Brent & I and like an older brother to Kelly... but fun to have around. John lives in Moshi, where we will be moving to in the next month or so, and we will be working together there with him and the Jensen family who will be moving here in a few more months. They have 4 teenagers of their own as well, so the guys will have a few more in their age group around to talk to. The next family to arrive will be the baker family who is already in the process of heading this way.
Speaking of Moshi and the group that's going to be working there... we could always use another family, just like yours. There's so much to be done and the workers are few... Please prayerfully consider joining us in this great work! We could use a family like yours working together with us here in Norhtern Tanzania. Kelly begins school at the
Andrew Connally School of preaching in Mid March and will be finishing up his High School Senior year of Homeschooling early in order to do this... Right now he's working on his senior research paper and getting excited about an early graduation. Of course we're trying to make his Senior year as normal as possible and take Senior pictures here soon, and we will have a small family & friends get together to celebrate his accomplishments, and begin seeing what he will need for his dorm room up at the school. There are 2 groups of students there, the first year students and the second year students about 30 in each class, all living and working together there at the school in Kisongo. It's a 2 year schedule, English taught program accredited by Bear Valley University out of Colorado. Kelly seems to be very excited about the upcoming months ahead with all these exciting changes.
The kids are doing great! We're starting back to school this week.. begingin the 2nd semester of Homeschooling... half way there now. And they're all doing marvelous! They had a little bit of a hard week, one of their puppies got ran over on
New year's eve accidentally.... so we're down to 3 dogs now rather than 4. Zander, Fanya, & Patch....It was Garrett's dog, so he took it harder than the girls, but he's recovering just fine and we're already told him that he gets to pick out the next one and it'll be his to name and take care of.... But we're going to wait until we get moved to Moshi to find him one. We had a great holiday break, but now its back to the books...... Seems like it went by so fast. This whole year has actually. I guess it gets faster every year doesn't it!
Be praying for the Baker family as they are filling their container at the end of this month and making their way in this direction at the end of March..... We are really looking forward to adding them to the team here working together in Tanzania... We just need more families working here, families, just like yours........
Luke 10:2 "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his Mud sliding.. rather than Snow sleding...
Kelly & John Decided to make the most out of the end of year muddy roads .... harvest."
January will be a busy month... After the seminar at Kioga, Brent will begin Language school in the intermediate class there, getting a better grip on the Swahili language and then we will try to find a house and make the move to Moshi after that. Thank you all for your sweet cards and emails... they made getting through the hoildays away from family all the more easy to bear. We love you all and only wish we could have each of you here with us.
"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." Eccl. 7:8 In His service & love,
Brent & Julie Richardson & Family
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