Richardson Short report 2/10/08

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We hope and pray that this note finds all of you well and safe in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It has been a good week in the Kingdom here in East Africa, as things are back in full swing. My schedule for the next few weeks has hit an overload stage, as each day opens, something is already planned until the 27th of March. And I am sure that by the time that date arrives we will have already booked it for something. But we are thankful for the amount of work that lays ahead, as well as the opportunity to be here to play a small part in trying to get it all accomplished.
On Mondays and on Saturdays my day begins about 5:30 am when I get up to make the 1 1/2 hour drive to Arusha to teach at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. We have begun teaching the students how to raise a garden using natural means and resources, and use drip irrigation. While in school, this will enable them to provide the school with some of the food that they consume. In turn they will be able to take these skills back home and grow a garden that can provide food for their families year round, as well as some extra to sell, and use in benevolence, etc. In less than 2 hours a day a garden can be maintained and that will allow them to be able to preach and teach though out the day, and know that when they return home, that their families will be able to eat. We are excited to finally get this program up and running after much planning and prayer, and plan on extending this blessing to the outlying congregations as well, to pass forward the blessing.
On Tuesdays myself, along with 8 from the Moshi congregation traveled to an area known as Masame, to begin evangelizing this village. We were able to set up many good studies, and we will return this week to continue them, with the hope of having a congregation in this area in the near future. Joram, an older member of the Moshi congregation is from this village and his 87 year old, widowed mother lives up on the slopes of the mountain there, and is just unable to make it down the hill to get to town. We went by to pay her a visit and she sat and held Julie by the hand trying to hold on to the company there visiting for as long as she possibly could. We will continue to go and visit sweet Anansia, as we are working in this area in the future. On Wednesday we traveled to Kibosho/Mweka. For a little over 4 hours we held bible classes at the church building, while others went door to door. Over 20 people, both Christians and non Christians were in attendance with a much larger crowd expected this week. We will be teaching on what is biblical faith, and what is the purpose of the church. Then we traveled back into Moshi to attend Bible class there that evening. Thursday we went to the village of Machame. Several good studies were conducted, but our day here was cut a little short, due to the rains that have begun. We are thankful to have the rain, but at the same time, the side of a mountain of muddy roads is not the ideal place to be when they come. One story that I want to share is of one man that we were continuing a study with, as we have study with him several times before, told us that he was not "salavated" but that his wife was, so we should study with her instead. (after several minutes of working out the translation to find out that he meant, "Saved"). Imagine knowing that you are lost, as he was trying to say he had not received salvation. And still not being interested in changing your eternal fate? We stopped back by his house today after worship hoping to try again, but to no avail, as he had already began drinking and by 1 in the afternoon was no longer able to function. On Friday, we visited the town of Marangu, as we hope to begin a church there next month. Several good studies were conducted in the area that we were in. Next week we are going to look at the other side of town, and then decide where the best place to start will be. On Saturday we held the first of the garden classes, and spent most of the morning trying to cover the differences in vocabulary. Swahili has very specific words for science, math, medicine, and many of the terms that are used, are not in the normal vocabulary of most people. Next week we will begin a more technical class, discussing N/P/K in fertilizer, composting, and the use of pesticides/herbicides etc. The following week we will begin to get our hands in the dirt, as this class will be part bible, part science, and part sweat, which will be good for all of us.

While we were there in Arusha on Saturday after the Garden Class, we made the rounds to try to visit with the Missionaries. We were able to see just about everyone, had lunch with the Browns, visited with the Bakers while we were there, drove out to the Gees to pick up Emily who was there playing, and then took Maddie Hochdorf home to her house and visited some with Anita who is busy painting away at their new house to make it a home. In the neighborhood we decided to run by and greet the Smelsers and welcome them back to Tanzania. Then, finally we had promised the kids we would swing by to see the Samfords to see their new animals and play with the kids, we ended up having dinner there and staying late just enjoying the great fellowship time together. So we got home a little late.
This morning our family traveled back up to Machame to visit the congregation there. I would like to say that everything was perfect and that the building was full and we could not have ask for more. But the truth is that when we arrived, no one was there. After a few minutes of waiting people began to arrive at the building. As we began to teach and preach, we asked questions as to how and why no one was there, and we discovered that Emmanuel, one of the first converts from the area, and the one who has shown both the desire and ability to do some of the preaching and teaching, was out of town. So the congregation, for what ever reason, thought that they would not have service. So it is very obvious that more teaching needs to be done to continue to mature this congregation. Sometime you can see growth that is amazing in certain areas, ie evangelism, that you miss the problems that exist in other areas, like first principles and worship. But the good news is the problem has been identified and we can change course and make the corrections that are necessary to have a congregation that is complete, and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Oh how nice it would be to be perfect, but that standard we have not attained. We thank you for your continued support of us as we labor here with you. With out you, we would not have the opportunity to be here to learn from some experiences that work out well, and also the ones that we have to take a "mulligan" or a "re--do" on. To add to our already busy schedule we also have the opportunity to move into a house that will save us several hundred dollars each month over the next year. The deal was so good that we could not pass it up. It needs some TLC and some paint, but over the course of the next week or two we will be relocating about a mile from where we currently live. Pray for us, as sometimes it is easier to move across country than across the street... We hope and pray that each of you as our supporters know how much we value each and every dollar that we receive here and are constantly evaluating how they are spent so as to maximize their effectiveness for the Kingdom.
We are so blessed that all of the family is healthy and happy. Next week Kelly will be rejoining us here in TZ as well as Callie Donaldson. Pray for their safe travel and arrival and that the time that they are here will be fruitful for the Kingdom and for them as well. Thanks again for all that you mean to the Kingdom, and to us. We have been blessed beyond measure, with friends and family like you.

And I will close with the same request that I mad mention of last week. We hope and pray that you will be mindful of the needs of the Tz 2000 mission work as a whole. This year the budget is in need of about $50,000 dollars. Primarily in the area of supporting students in all three of the bible schools, ACSOP, KBS, and ABS. You all have always been so faithful in supporting us, as you have opportunity, would you consider the other needs as well. If so please contact Ken UpChurch at [e-mail] or Cy Stafford, who along with Stephanie are in the States on Furlough, [e-mail] . I know that they would love to hear from you. Thanks in advance for your concern for the lost.

With Love From Africa,
Brent and Julie and Family
011 255 783 087 090
www.tanzaniamissionreport.com
PO Box 1727
Arusha Tanzania, East Africa

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