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Published: December 18th 2006
We have been so blessed by the work and the rewards of seeing the Lord's church growing steadily here in Tanzania! Here it is the holiday season back home and here we are ending the short rains and welcoming in the heat of the african summer... We just dropped off my family at the airport here on Saturday for their return to Texas, after enjoying a good visit and an early Christmas. The kids enjoyed having their Papa Gary, Julie's dad, and grandma Cindy here with us for a short visit. While they were here they wanted to take the kids out to see the animals for their Christmas break from school. So we took them out to the Ngorongoro crater. we had heard that this was a great time to go, with the animal migration coming through the park, all the baby animals being born in the serengetti and then moving back through this area, and it was a remarkable trip.
I had never been this time of year and was very surprized to see just how green all the plantlife is there after all our rains here this past month. Green bayobob trees.. and the crater along the
Bayobob Tree covered in leaves!!
It's so beautiful & green this time of year!great rift valley made for some beautiful pictures of the scenic Africa! We had a great veiwing of the animals and all their babies even if it was raining for the better part of the day.
We had a grand adventure of a new kind as well... Sliding down the mountain edge and grasping the handrails for dear life.. (it wasnt that serious) just made me a little nervous. We got stuck in the mud as we were climbing the mountain edge.. and the safari van we were in began to slip and slide and get even more stuck... seeing the massai gather round to watch the commotion, only emphasised the fact that we were in a mess for sure! There was a villiage just down below us, and they all seemed to keep coming up to watch the wazungus try to get unstuck... the driver finally talked the Massai men and children around to help by stnading on the downhill edge and pushing so that we wouldnt plumet to the bottom while another group pulled on the bumper up towards the road. Dad & Brent got out to oversee the process, and were surrounded by massai trying to
Very Stuck!
stuck in the mud, on the trip up NgoroNgoro sell their goods while others were trying to pick us up out of the mud, in the continuous rain.... As you can see from the fact that we're all back in one peice, we made it out and finally got up the hill to the rim of the crater, for our exciting slide down into it to see the animals.... What a fun adventure and as brent & Cy would say, another beautiful day in Africa! One certainly that the kids and I will never forget!
Dad & Cindy had a great day and first Safari in the Crater, seeing all the babies was a real treat! The only thing that we didnt see much of was the Giraffe... we saw one on the road side as we were coming into Mtu wa Mbo, but after that there werent any others... so we decided to take them out to the local Arusha National Park the next day.... were we saw all the giraffes we could stand! everywhere!
Sunday, was gracie's 5th birthday, so she thinks she's a big girl now!
Brent preached at Arusha and did a wonderful sermon on repentance and we had about 140
there that morning! Todd Gee preached that evening and later That evening we went and watched the African Rugby final Cup match between Niger and Tanzania, and the Tanzanian team won the cup and are now the reigning champions! Kelly & Brent both really enjoyed watching the game and are trying to figure out all the rules and how to play!
Kelly is scheduled to preach his forst sermon ever here in Tanzania at the Arusha church this coming Sunday evening and we are very excited to see how he does! I know he will do a great job!
This week Brent is organizing a seminar out at the new Njiro congregation and trying to build it up, with several different speakers in the evenings and doing Bible studies and canvassing in the mornings. The kids and I are here at the house trying to get things back in order and all the laundry washed and get life back to normal after having 2 weeks of visitors.. I know the Browns are getting excited as well, they have their son Joshua flying in this week for the holidays as well, and Kelly & John will enjoy having another
guy around close to their age!
Brent is getting signed up for the intermediate level swahili course that begins here in January and he is learning the language faster than any of us... I wish I had his ability to see something and remember it! I have to study and work hard at it.....He amazes me in what he can retain! Brent is already having long phone conversations in Swahili with Blind Man Moses from up the mountain at Kioga, who just calls to talk and visit with Brent, because he can....
We are all doing great! Staying busy! and loving and cherishing every moment here in tanzania, working together for somthing bigger than ourselves, seeing God's sovereignty and hand in all the growth around us. Thank you for you r love and support! Please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we labor here together for the cause of Christ!
We pray that you will all have a wonderful Christmas with your families and friends and that we will hear from each of you very soon! In His Service! Love Julie
Hope you enjoy the pictures!
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