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Published: August 23rd 2007
The ladies studying with Bibi Joyce
The Ladies group has started going out and visiting as a group Last year it all started around the end of September, but it seems to be getting started a little eariler this year! We've been warning the Jensen's that Rain= POWER OUTAGES, and many of them. Welcome to AFRICA! We've had three days this week with significant power loss, and had to crank up the good ol' generator to keep things in the refrigerator from going bad. But its not bad during the day.. at night well you might as well just go to bed early and try again in the morning. The difficult part is working on the computer and loosing something you are working on.. We've all been there, & done that. It's just getting underway, so its not too bad yet, just a little rain here and there. Eventually it will be a daily obsticle.
There's so much to share in so many areas and with all this going on, I am bound to miss something... but, I'll try to cover what I can!
First I want to make sure to mention that we did have our monthly
"TRAIN THE TEACHERS" Workshop here in Moshi and it went over with great
Train the Teacher's Workshop
This was our third month of working together with the teachers. success as they are beginning to learn the great responsibility of teaching the children. We decided to ask the ladies if they were ready to begin giving a short devotional thought of their own in the Women's class for this monthly session and had our first volunteer to say she would start preparing for next months class. They are growing so much in this area.
The ladies have also decided to begin a
ladies group visitation program for sick or wayward members of the church here in Moshi, alternating going each Wednesday afternoon, just before classes begin to go together as a large group to someones home to encourage them and let them know they are missed and loved. They are wanting to have a short lesson prepared each time and sing and pray together with the one we go to visit. Then who ever taught that week will get to choose the next teacher and they collectivly decide who we will go to see the next time we get together. So far we have gone out twice, once in visiting Bibi Joyce, who in returning to the building with us, after the study decided to put Christ on
Joyce making the desicion to be Baptized..
She is Upendo's mother... Richard & Upendo are a a faithful christian couple at the church in Moshi. in Baptism, and this is someone who has been studies with on numerous occassions through the years by many of us... Just goes to show that's its never too late, and someone's never too old! But the visit to her home by so many sisters who loved her just made that day all the more special. The next visit was to see Mama Elizabeth who has been put on bed-rest with her pregnancy due to being ill, and she was so glad to see everyone, that she has been missing, her husband has been coming to church and bringing the two little girls on his own.. and I cant begin to tell you how humbling it is to go and see the living conditions of these brethren that you love and cherish... a one room 10x8 concrete ceiling and floor home.. in a row of rooms attached to other families. We caught them just finishing dinner and as customary you take off your shoes upon entering in someones home... just so happens that this time inparticular I found out that they had been eating Ugali, as it squished between my toes up under the bed I sat down on... Awww
the joys of Mission work... Joy was sitting next to me and got a good laugh from my facial expression, believe me, I have stepped in much worse!
This week as we arrived to work in Boma Ngombe along with Timothy at
the Nursery school we were greeted by all the familiar smiles and faces along with 10 new little ones as well. The school continues to grow and new desks have been built, and are in place in the third classroom now as the new students begin filling them just as quickly as they can. There are 82 students now and Mary was telling me that 85 will have to be the cut off point for the building that they are currently in. (It's crazy in there now!) Honestly No regulations on size/ child teacher ratios in this country, they are putting the limit on themselves for Sanity's sake! With the relief of knowing that in December the children take a month long break from school as they return we are hoping and praying to have a new school in place for those advancing and moving on to go to.... rather than having to relocate to a new
Awww Power's ON and the FAN!!!!
We're getting to the beginning of the short rains.. and the power is going out a little almost every day. school and waiting for us to grow. The land has been purchased. Timothy and Christopher went together to finalize the papers in court and sign the titles over to the school, get it sized out and lines drawn for accurate boundaries, and made sure to have several area witnesses on hand for observing the signing and official process of the whole deal. It is done! 5 acres about 2KM from where the church is currently meeting in Boma, and about 1km from where the Nursery school is located. Great area and gorgeous view of Kilimanjaro in the background.. out away from everything and the congestion, but not too far to walk. The opposite side backs up to Massai land, that will not be occupied or inhabited at any time in the near future if ever.
Right now its 5 acres of dirt and rocks, but Timothy & Brent can already envision the beginings of the
exciting construction work ahead. If any of you are wanting to help towards this stage of the process let us know..Currently, just getting the land bought was far superceeding anything we had imagined to this point. They are currently looking at building a
Agnes Judica and her smile...
Off the fence and away with that ol' frown! little as a time as money permits and adding on as it grows. The children will have lots of room to run and play along with there being room for future growth of the school. This is a huge blessing! Timothy was sitting and talking to Garrett one day as we were tossing rocks and looking around the area.. Garrett just casually suggested calling it Kilimanjaro Christian Academy as they were looking up at the mountain and Timo, just loved it! He said that it would be the first Christian School in this area and that would be a great landmark to represent a great beging of this new school.
The kids were thrilled to see us as always, we love Tuesdays! Its getting easier and easier to remember all of their names, and then I turn to see a new little face. But we do have our little ones that run and jump into our arms that we are getting forever attached to! Godi runs to Brent to be tossed up in the air and twirled around like an airplane, over and over again... about 10 little girls run to me to try to be the first one
to hold my hand and walk me in the door, Agape runs to Gracie and takes off with her in hand to play, Lydia and Rachel jump up to smile and kiss on Emily and Garrett gets bombarded with the Kickball boys, all running to his side with Balls in hand to play with! The Rachels family had brought over a few rubber balls and they were great for a while until the thorns in the area did them in... but the hard plastic woofle balls are lasting the test of time... and the kids love them! A few of the shy kids are finally beginning to come around to running up to us now as well... One of my favorites is a little girl named Agnes, who just started school during one of our first visits there and used to stand on the fence line and frown at everyone with her arms crossed, and now she is smiling and running around the playground with all the other little girls, and comes up just to hug me then runs off to play again.
I am teaching through the basics of the Bible.. we have Bible and English just after
playground break in the early morning, so we are starting with Creation and "How God made me" & "How God made my family" ~ The kids all created a little picture of themselves and sent them home with me to deliver to their sponsors, who are helping send them to school.. I will try to get those mailed off as soon as possible, they are precious. Then they made some pictures of their homes and their families to take home to give to their Parents. Their English is slowly improving, I really didnt realize that most Tanzanian schools from Standard 1 on up are all taught in English, and only have Swahili as one of the Subjects. ( this is a Kenyan trend that is slowly coming into Tanzania) That has been my surprize of the week! This new school, The Kilimanjaro Christian Academy, will be a Standard English school, taught in English and the children are working hard at school and at home to get ready for next year (it puts me and my Swahili studies to shame!)
Brent continues to study with the parents as they arrive and drop of children they are ready and excited about
The classrooms are filling up
(no electricity in the school by the way) it was a raining morning... learning God's word, they know that we will be there on Tuesdays and he will be right there next to the building holding an
adult bible class, teaching the gospel and they look forward to it! We've have several different parents to come and study at different times, so its an ongoing location study, where they know we will be there on that specific day.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Please continue to keep this school, its teachers, and the growth they are undergoing in your prayers as we labor together with them to allow God to have control in everything, for His glory. They are doing an amazing job and the changes are so very evident in all that is being accomplished.
And if you can continue to pray for Brent's father as he is still in the hospital back in Texas, we would appreciate it. He is awaiting a Biopsy to find out more about what's going on with his heart & lungs. It's so very hard being here, when he is hurting there, so remember Brent in your prayers as well.
We are about half way there on raising the funds to return home on
My first Big Quilt! ~Made for Nanny & Papa
I wanted them to know we wished we could be with them during this time, but they are in our hearts & Prayers. It has all their kids and Grandbabies names all over it! ~We love you & Miss you so much! furlough, so we know that in God's time, we will be there. But that is an area still in need of much prayer as well.
Be praying for Anthony & Shasta Brown as they will be departing for their furlough home from here on Saturday and we want to wish them a safe and wonderful trip home to be with family & friends. Safari Njema!
I could also use a few prayers as I have been in and out of the hospital myself this week with a Staff infection in my arm, I had no idea how painful these things were, but now I know... I have had the glorious experience of being cut open under local anestetic on a wooden gurney in a third world country, as the curtain came crashing down on the nurse's head as she was bandaging me.... (you just gotta laugh) They had to lance the area to allow the infection to come out..and its gotten bigger than I wanted it to, it started off golf ball sized and moved on to being tennis ball sized, and its still very painful. Yes I'm taking antibiotics, and Yes we are doing all we can
Anthony & Shasta.. Are leaving home on Furlough this week...
We are going to miss you guys so much! Hope you enjoy your visit with family and friends! And all those fun Football games! to make sure everything is serile, but yes this is still AFRICA! Not to worry, it is getting better slowly, but it still hurts.
Thank you for everything you are doing and have done for our family. We love and miss each and every one of you so much!
In Christian Love & Service,
Julie Richardson
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Elizabeth Donaldson
non-member comment
Julie, Thanks for the great updates! The pictures are wonderful! Of course, I have to keep asking Callie who everyone is. Your family is in our prayers in regards to your father-in-law and your plans to come back, as well as the work you all are doing there. May God continue to bless your family in all that you do! Callie's mom