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What an amazing week we’ve had! From start to finish, everything that has come our way this week in particular has been an encouragement and a blessing! As a family, we sat and talked about what all has been going on this past few months, and tried to draw together the things which strengthen our spirits and encourage us individually, what are those things that just make your day brighter and let the Love of the Lord fill you from your head to your toes! Across the board it was when we find ourselves doing for others, that we feel the most blessed! So that’s just what we set out to do!
We all cleaned out our closets, gathered together things to give away to people who we knew were in need and set out with a goal in mind to just be busy about the Father’s business this week, and taking every opportunity to spread the good news and it’s been wonderful! The kids still busy with their school work did in one day’s time several days worth of work so that we could get out and about, to serve others! On the container there were so many things
Learning to have Honor & Respect
For both God & Country! Singing the Tanzanian National Anthemsent over, in the way of books and supplies, so we got them all boxed up and ready to take to the children at the Nursery school and to the church, and began preparing our Bible Lessons for the week at hand!
We set out as usual to the Nursery school, to teach the children there the Bible and English; this is always an uplifting experience. This week we came with a focus on reading! With so many new books, we were able to hand them out to the children so that each child had a book of their own to read and flip through. They were so excited about reading that they all wanted to skip recess and their playground time to stay inside and read! How wonderful is that!!! I can’t even tell you how wonderful that was to see! Emily, Callie, & I all took turns sitting with each of them reading the book that they had selected! And small groups gathered around listening in to each one! The older children began reading the books themselves and were just engulfed in the books as their eyes were wide with excitement learning new words and putting together
Emily reading to the Children!
Learning to give of herself! This does a mama's heart good! the pictures and the stories! Each child wanted to read you the pages they were seeing and the whole school was sitting with a book in hand! What a blessing! Thank you to everyone who sent books our way! I walked in the standard one class, because the door was closed and it was just too quiet, but they were all sitting there reading their books and soaking up all that they could, swapping books as they finished one and moving right on to the next one!
That same evening we had planned on returning to the Kili Kids Orphanage to teach the children there a Bible class and to help the older children learn to build up their garden! Brent decided to take the “Garden Project” to the orphanage to help meet their needs physically and spiritually. Brent was smiling from ear to ear all day, as the children as well as the teenagers and adults were all out in the garden working together side by side, learning Biblical principles through hard work and application. SO much happened that day that Brent sat and wrote about it and we decided to dedicate a blog just to that, which
Julie handing out New books to the children!
trying to decide which ones they wanted to read first! I hope that you have all taken the time to read! “THE BLESSING OF A GOOD DAY!”
The Blessing Of A Good Day! It was just amazing, and that’s where you can find those pictures from this week! And in the process we set up Bible studies with several of the staff and made some great connections with others in the community. It is opening up the doors to so many new studies! Planting the seeds! When we were in the truck headed home all sweaty and dirty from a long day’s work the kids actually all thanked their dad for an amazing day! It was wonderful to sit back and watch all 3 of our babies and Callie all knee deep in the dirt helping others, and teaching them the things that their dad had already taught to them! The first couple of beds, we basically built by ourselves: Brent, Garrett, Emily, Callie, Gracie and myself… and then as everyone was watching on, they joined right in. By the last row of the 11 that were completed, we were standing back and watching as the Tanzanian men, women and children were building the beds themselves! What a great feeling to see, that they were
able to learn to do it on their own, watch, to listen, to learn, and to repeat the process of building the raised beds, from start to finish!
Mid Week, Brent had Bible studies out in Marangu Mwika scheduled, so the kids and I worked at the house on their school work once again, and then we all loaded up and headed to the church in Usa River for Brent to teach Bible Class. We arrived to the old familiar building, and Fariji Paul greeting us at the little wooden gate out front. This congregation has been up and down in attendance but faithful for many years. Fariji and his wife Gladness have been good friends of ours for years. I have a picture of Gladness holding Gracie when she was just 5 months old, during our first year in Africa back in 2002! She couldn’t believe how much the children have grown as have hers! Their youngest daughter Mary was going to be baptized that afternoon, so their family is growing and maturing as well! Brent taught a great lesson on Luke Ch.5 covering being prepared to work, and willing to obey. As with many of the outlying
Greeting the brethren
as we depart from worship congregations, they wanted to have a question and answer session after the lesson, where any and all questions can be addressed, none of which tend to pertain to the lesson but more in the area of personal issues that they are currently facing! More of a counseling type session. But Brent handles it with ease and does a great job of applying the scriptures to each and every one! They asked us to return again this coming Sunday morning for Brent to teach Bible Class and Preach there again, which we will gladly do!
Thursday, as a result of the Gardening Project with Kili Kids, we had a group study set up with the ladies who work there with the children, and had been asked to return to teach the children more about the Bible. So, we dug into some supplies left here by the Elk City group from Oklahoma to re-use the wonderful materials that they had prepared for their children’s classes during their time here. We keep these handy and ready for every occasion to use them with new groups of children that come up! We began with teaching them about Creation and there were about 10
children who stay there during the day while the other 15 older ones are at school. So we had the little restless ones, but a few older children as well who were there, on their way to the hospital for checkups. Bible Class with the kids went great! Callie taught the lesson and I followed up with the questions and then we all worked together on their craft. After that, the ladies who work there were anxious and willing to sit down and study the Bible together with us. So we pulled up a little table and bench and began our 1st study together. It started out with 2, and turned into 5. Angel & Liberia were the initial two we sat down with and Neema and Michael joined in and one other teenager listened from the other end of the table as she was helping one of the children with their school work, or just sitting by him to make sure he finished. Angel, is a surprise blessing to have here working with Kili kids. We had met her months ago in Boma Ngombe at the Orphanage there, where she grew up. But now she has moved out and
got a job of her own working and living with the children at the Kili Kids orphanage here in Moshi. Most of you who helped us out at the Joy Foundation would remember her well for her sweet and tender voice, she really does sing like an angel, to the children! She is an albino, Tanzanian and in this country it is very hard for them to find jobs and secure a normal life but Angel has found a home in working with the children here, who need her. Margret hired her as the children’s full time live in teacher. Plus she speaks English really well, and is able to interpret for me to the children as we are teaching as well as to the ladies when we are studying together! She is eager and excited to be learning about the Bible as well! We will meet together for our second study, to answer questions and to continue our study next Wednesday! I can’t wait! It will just continue to grow! Those seeds are already sprouting!
Then on Friday we drove into Arusha for a Ladies lunch and meeting with all the missionary wives and then the men had
their meeting just following ours to cover what to expect during the campaigns. We crossed paths, literally with Cotton, Dupree, Glenn, and we're able to see Charles and Ernie for the first time during their trip as we were heading home to Moshi from the meetings, we stopped our truck and they stopped theirs along the road for hugs and greetings... They are all doing a great service for the kingdom and are so busy that we can hardly locate where they will be from day to day. But knowing Cotton, he's got their days lined out to the tee and they have a schedule to meet with a limited number of days to get it all covered! The hour's drive between Moshi and Arusha, tends to make it hard to meet up often with visitors staying in Arusha, but I believe Ernie & Charles may get to join us down here in our area, later on in their trip. Cotton, Glenn & Dupree only have until Wednesday left here in Country. The time goes by too fast when you stay so busy!
Saturday Brent took a group from the Moshi congregation up to Marangu Mwika to do some
personal evangelism in the area that we have been focusing on growing the church in, to encourage those new Christians there, follow up on old studies, and to study with new contacts in the area as well! And then Today, Sunday, being Mother's Day we were out at Usa River again. Brent taught Bible Class and preached a wonderful lesson to encourage the church there to continue to grow and mature in the faith! We traveled on into Arusha to enjoy a Mother's day lunch with the Browns and Hochdorfs and then headed back down the highway to return home to Moshi, as the Browns went to the airport to pick up their son Joshua, who arrived this evening for a visit with his parents!
All in all, a wonderful week and although busy from start to finish, you look back over each day and wonder how one short week could have captured so many different events but time and time again they do! We can't ever predict what one week will hold, from one to the next.... but we do know that as for this household, we will serve the Lord!
Hope and pray that all you
Closing the day in Prayer
They Sing about the Bible, say the National Pledge and sing the national Anthem, and close the day in prayer. Mother's have had a wonderful day enjoying the blessings of your families!
Know that we love each and every one of your dearly!
A Special Thank you to those of you at Northport who sent the sweet notes and cards along with Cotton, we will cherish each and every one of them... especially you little Sawyer! Mr. Brent hung yours up in his office! And Sweet Miss Patsy Sims, Ernie delivered your hug! And I just smiled from ear to ear, knowing that your love stretches that far across the sea! I could never name you all individually, but we think of you all so often, in love and appreciation for so many who make our being here possible!
You are all our constant source of love and encouragement! To each and every individual and each and every congregation as a whole, Thank you for all you do!
Love in Christ!
Julie Richardson
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Tanzanita
Anita Hochdorf
Keep your chin up! Y'all are doing a wonderful job and are a tremendous blessing to us all! Anita