Short Report - Graduation

 

Grace and Peace to you friends.  We recently enjoyed an important day at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching... graduation day!  Our 16 undergraduates have been working hard for two years to get to this point.  Now they get to go out and find ways to serve the Lord and His church.  Additionally, we had one diligent student earn his Master's degree.  I was honored to be this year's keynote speaker as we were joined by more than 400 friends, family, and well-wishers to celebrate these men and encourage them on to greatness in their service to Christ. The day was even topped off by three baptisms among attendees!  I'm very proud of this team.   In the final two weeks leading up to graduation, I was thrilled to be joined by my brother, Jared Gaines, from the Shady Acres Church of Christ in Sikeston, MO in teaching short-courses to the English-speaking students.  Jared taught 1 & 2 Thessalonians and I taught 1 & 2 Peter and Jude.   It was an encouraging and edifying study.  As we approach the close of the year, I want to make a holiday appeal for help with a couple of items:   1) One of our supporters has notified us that they will need to stop their support at the end of the year.  We need help in replacing the $333.33 that they were giving monthly.  Could you become a monthly supporter?  Or do you know someone else who might? 2) We have a generous supporter who is very interested in the sustainability efforts of the school.  These efforts are important to the long-term viability of the work, and ultimately reducing dependance on outside support.  He as recognized that a 3-ton truck (similar to the one pictured below) would be a great asset for the farming projects.  This would help in shipping crops and supplies to and from market, moving equipment between farming locations, and generally increasing the what can be done by the various farm projects of the school.  This donor has offered to match donations up to $15,000 to purchase this truck.  So every dollar you give towards this goal gets us TWO dollars closer to providing the farm with this equipment.   Any donations can be sent to the Hoover Church of Christ at the address at the bottom of this email or through the link at the website.  I do still have Sundays available in January and February if your congregation would enjoy an in-person visit.  I would love to come and present the work to you!  I think you would be encouraged by the great things that God is doing in East Africa.  Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Mission Coordinator Tanzania Missions

Short Report October 2021

 

Grace and Peace to you friends.  One of our most exciting events of the year took place recently, and I want to let one of our local directors, Ahimidiwe Kimaro, tell you all about it: "We thank our Lord for great things is doing in His Kingdom. Much greetings from brothers and sisters in the Lord. Our almighty God is more providing opportunities for us to serve Him day after day. The Tanzania Leadership Conference is seminar set up by ACSOP to equip leaders in the church. Also, it was arranged to reach all leaders from Tanzania but we found helping leaders in East Africa Instead. Men can plan but God plans better for us always. "Also, we as God’s people we should learn how to be thankful whether things goes well or not, the reason for me saying this, we just lost one of best teacher in this conference brother Eddie Sankey. This is painful moment to ACSOP and all brothers and sisters. I membered his topic taught: “Repentance; ongoing change is required” (A call to action—a reminder that all Christian need shun the idols of this World) 1Thes 1:8:10. 'For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.' Please pray for this family as they are passing this difficult time. "The conference this year intensively studded from 1Thessalonians which intended to help leaders to mature under the theme of “maturing Infants”. Fourteen teachers taught twenty-four topics and all members were thankful on the last day. The members attended were one hundred and forty, from thirty-four congregations. The participants came from every conner of our country and also from outside of our borders, Dar Es Salaam, Mbeya, Mwanza, Geita, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Dodoma, Arusha the hosts, USA, and Kenya. We experienced new things like new teachers and new conference hall which was able to hold all people. "Also, as normal ACSOP alumni meeting is held on Friday, all the graduate from the Andrew Connally meets and discuss things and share experience, also having dinner together. This year we had our brother Chuck Webster as our speaker to encourage the graduates. "Thank you all for reading and praying for us. Also, we thank all donners for making this possible. Please in your daily prayers remember us and this work, again thank you very much for reading and supporting this work." Enjoy some pictures from the event below! I'm now scheduling reports for January.  If your church would like a visit, then let me know!  I would love to come tell you all about this wonderful work! Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Mission Coordinator Tanzania Missions In Loving Memory of Our Brother, Eddie Sankey   Eddie was an active member of the Hoover Church of Christ and a participant in Tanzania Missions.  He was involved in numerous campaigns and was a part of our planning committee.  He was also a popular speaker at this year's Tanzania Leadership Conference.  Back in America, he passed away unexpectedly.  We will miss his smile and his heart.  Join us in prayers for his family and friends.

Donations Can Be Made Out To: "Hoover Church of Christ" - be sure to mention TANZANIA MISSIONS in the Memo line and  Send To: 3248 LORNA RD. HOOVER, AL 35216

Short Report 8/19

 

Grace and Peace to you friends.  I thought I'd start this report by sharing some thoughts written by my sweet wife, Tiffany.  These were her reflections after a Children's seminar that we did in Maasai country.  She has a way with words, and I think you'll be blessed by her thoughts:      "Living in a culture completely different from the one you grew up in is both a blessing and a curse. But probably not in the way you’d think. I did nothing to “deserve” being born into a free country full of opportunity and into a loving home with Christian parents. I am worth no more than any other soul walking this planet.      "There are many eye opening days on the mission field. Especially when you are there for an extended period. Normal everyday life becomes just that… no matter where you are. People love their families, try to earn a living, and seek out the meaning of life. That’s where we come in. We try to fill that hole with a sustaining God who loves them no matter their sin or situation in life. But some days… some days you shift out of the normal you’ve made for yourself on that mission field. You leave the village you live in and venture to a place where there’s a difference within the difference you already navigated.      "We did that yesterday. We drove to the middle of the bush where there was no road and only a friend to guide us. We arrived to a very few mamas and children cooking beans and rice over a small fire beneath a tree. Cooking over fire is nothing new for us. It’s very common here. After word spread that visitors had indeed come, people poured in from everywhere. While I couldn’t see a Boma (mud hut) within my view, well over 150 people came to join us in studying the Bible.      "The day had been advertised as a children’s seminar, and that is what we had, but as men and women also came we rode loose in the saddle and Daniel studied with a group of men under a tree as I conducted the seminar. We were fortunate to find a translator that knew English, Kiswahili, AND Kimassai (the tribal language of the people we visited). They still happily sang all of the songs I usually sing that are all in Kiswahili.      "I taught for over 2 hours with breaks for coloring making it around 3. During this time Daniel taught the men while sitting on a cinderblock. The children were very attentive. Although, there were a few mamas with switches in case someone faltered. (Took me back to the 80s)The mamas and Older Bibis were just as interested as the kids. They had big smiles while doing silly VBS songs and listened intently to the lessons about Jesus. When I passed out coloring activities there was excited chatter and giggles from all and they colored for the longest time, mamas too.      "While I teach Tanzanians frequently here, this is different. The Massai culture is very different from typical Tanzanians. The men have many wives (polygamy) and the wives and children do the work. They rise early and herd cattle as well as normal cooking/washing/cleaning/children chores. They build their own hut in a village called a Boma (collection of huts belonging to the Massai leader who is the husband of the tribe). The man can choose what wife he will go into or bring her to his hut. The children begin working young and many do not get to go to school. Their average life expectancy is only 45 years.      "As I taught I realized the urgency of what was happening. So few will ever come in contact with them to give them the word. THIS is what we have all been commissioned with. Giving the word to all the world. How can we reach them all?      "Together.      "The ladies cooking had about 20ish bowls for 150+ people. (My brain immediately thought… if I’d known or thought ahead… I should have brought some) But I didn’t. And they didn’t mind because that’s their custom. Kids ate in groups of 4-8 from one bowl and using their fingers. They were thrilled to have beans and rice and bananas. Normally their diet is ugali (a cornmeal dish like thick grits that they pinch off to eat.) The food ran low with the abundance of people and they finally served the bowl of mostly burned rice/beans that they had scraped from the bottom of the pan where the fire heats it too much. Those babies descended on it hungrily and thankfully. I again wished we had brought more food.      "I see a lot of things here that I will never speak of online. I respect the culture and the people here and would never ever want to do or say something they would find disrespectful. Unless the cultural issue is sinful, we will gladly participate in it and never want to act as if it is below us. Had we been born into a different culture then those things would be our norm as well. (And our family norm is very blurred as missionaries anyway.)      "Many assume, “They don’t have anything but they are so much happier than we are.” Nope. That’s something we tell ourselves to feel better about our own wealth. They would live in your house with your running water and electricity in a heartbeat. They would trade in long walks and crowded public transportation for your car immediately. When you see moments of laughter and smiles in photos from missionaries, don’t let it fool you into thinking these people all have easy and happy lives. Some do, some don’t. Just like home.      "While I couldn’t speak Massai, I greeted every person there and made sure to shake their hand or hug them and look them in the eye with a smile. Smiles are universal. Jesus is universal. I cannot change every aspect of their lives but I can teach them about Jesus.      "Sometimes these days are very uncomfortable for my own children. While people would love to believe that children do not see color, that’s not true at all. They definitely see it. They see differences in general. The language barrier is difficult for them just like it is for adults. The children in the villages will usually distance from my children until one is brave enough to go to them. Then a crowd will form and I have to watch for signs of overwhelm from my kids. I WANT them to see, to know, to understand the cultural differences. But I have to protect them as well. Many times kids will become too curious and comfortable and pull hair or stick their fingers in their mouths to see if they have teeth too. Some have been ugly in teasing them or throwing things at them. It’s more enjoyable to assume all kids are nice to each other regardless, but a myth nonetheless. Kids are kids no matter the culture. So, the kids who are taught not to be disrespectful and unkind aren’t and then those that aren’t taught… Sounds like home, huh? Those children that are taught are loving and my kids attach to them quickly and find ways to play. Gracie only sees friends and usually seeks out the Bibi’s first.      "My heart ached for hours after we left. I laid on my bed, sad and praying when I got home. Praying that seeds were planted. Praying that Jesus would be sought out. Praying that God would hear the pleas of the women and children in the Massai tribe and give them relief. It was a great day! Don’t misunderstand. But it was a day that reminded me sorely that there are so many in the world who do not know Jesus and His word and are willing to walk great distances to learn, sit on hard benches for hours, and eat from communal bowls of beans and rice.      "We are no better than they. God loves us just as He loves them. Lazarus looked down on the rich man from Abraham’s bosom, and the rich young ruler turned and walked away from Jesus. God blesses each in the way He sees fit, but how are we then using those blessings?      "I am basically pouring out stored up emotion. I am constantly in a state of guilt and shame for what I have, yet, enjoying my blessings as well. (Full transparency) If I didn’t have them I couldn’t share them. I know that if I miss Heaven, I miss everything. That goes for all of us, and I truly do want to take as many with me as I can."                      - Tiffany Gaines      I told you she had a way with words.  Here are some pictures of that day for you to enjoy.  The first one is my favorite.  It shows my son, Josiah, leading singing in the background, while in the foreground a kind Maasai grandmother patiently lets my daughter play with her earrings.   We also did a children's seminar with the Kwa Morombo church shortly before we left.  It was a great day with filled with children learning about Jesus!  (below) We traveled up to the northern boarder to worship with the Namanga church (below).  They warmly received us and invited us to spend the afternoon meeting with their men about the church's business.  Then we spent our final Sunday of this trip with a new church plant in Meserani.  The Kisongo church planted this congregation and has been working with them.  This church is meeting in an unused school building, and is off to a good start.  I look forward to seeing good things from them in the future.  I also wanted to share with you that the work in Tanzania was featured on a recent episode of the Soul Training Podcast.  You can check it out On Apple Podcast or on your computer!  After a few wonderful months our family headed home.  When we arrived in Nashville, the church van from the South Green Street Church of Christ was waiting to bring us home, where several of their members had stocked the house with a bill of groceries.  This was especially appreciated as we developed a case of COVID while enroute and had to quarantine.  We appreciate all of your prayers and support during all of this. Right now the ACSOP students are back in session and Keith Kasarjin is there teaching a short course.  Here's a picture of his class enjoying the new classroom: Speaking of facilities, you can expect a future update to include the beautiful renovations to the library as well as progress on the water project at the school.  Also, let me introduce you to our brand new website: https://www.tanzaniamissions.com/ . Explore it a bit, and feel free to link it on your church websites under works you support.  My reporting schedule for the year is filling up, but I do have some dates available in October.  Let me know if you'd like for me to visit your congregation, and we'll make it happen! Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Mission Coordinator Tanzania Missions

Short Report 7/21

 

Grace and Peace to you friends.    I hope this note finds you doing well!  Let me start by saying that we are working on our schedule for September and October.  If you would like a visit during that time, then let me know so we can get you on the schedule.  I would love to visit with you and/or your congregation personally about this great work.  Speaking of the work, here are some of the recent highlights:       We were blessed to be a part of the VBS at the Kisongo church (pictured above).  Each afternoon, increasing crowds of local children flocked to the building to learn about Jesus.  Just look at those precious faces!  The efforts are bearing fruit with the parents too, as bible studies have already resulted with some of them.      I was invited to conduct a seminar at the Temeke church in Dar es Salaam. This is one of only a handful of churches in the country that have elders (the two men pictured above).  It was great to visit with them, and learn more about their history and plans for the future.  The seminar lasted all day, and was well attended.  The brethren even ate breakfast at the church building to help make sure that nobody would be late to the lessons.        We're also very glad to be overlapping time here with Sid and Lori Aultman and their sweet children.  Sid is being a great asset in helping with a variety of projects.  I'm especially excited about the progress being made with the library renovations!  You can look forward to more information about that in a future report.  But in the meantime, remember that if you'd like to donate books to the library, then we have an Amazon wishlist. (Click Here)  You can mail them to:       194 Narrows Drive, Suite 1      Birmingham, AL 35242    The church at Hoover sent one of their elders and his wife, Harold and Donna Rhodes, to visit Tanzania and survey the work first-hand.  Sid and I, along with the local brothers, have enjoyed giving him a closer look at various aspects of this expansive work. I'm grateful for this active involvement and presence from the overseeing congregation.  Brother Harold plans to be a regular around here, and will be a blessing to the work.         As a part of his visit, he taught classes at the Arusha Bible School.  He also was able to visit the Kilimanjaro Bible School and Kisongo Bible School.   Another part of the survey, was inspecting the off-site farm land that was rented as a part of our sustainability efforts. This harvest should provide all of the cornmeal and sunflower oil that the school will need in the coming year.        Please keep Harold and Donna in your prayers are they travel home.  We look forward to their next trip to Tanzania!       This past weekend, the Arusha Church of Christ hosted a ladies seminar.  Donna, Lori, Tiffany, and myself were invited to join some talented local women in addressing some key areas of interest to the sisters here.  The seminar was well received, and follow-up programs are already being scheduled.       We have been visiting as many congregations as we can to encourage them and better understand their needs. One such congregation that we worshipped with recently was the Atomic Church of Christ (located in the area near the Atomic Energy Commission).  This congregation formed during the COVID lockdowns and is still meeting in a home.  I preached sitting on a couch with a rooster standing in the doorway beside me. From spacious auditoriums to crowded living rooms, it is always a blessing to gather with fellow believers to worship our Lord and study His word.   Thank you for your support and your love.  Please continue in prayer for the Lord's church here in East Africa!   Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Mission Coordinator Tanzania Missions

Tanzania Updates

 

Grace and Peace to you friends.  I hope this report finds you doing well.  This message is a little picture-heavy so I hope it isn't too big for your inbox, but there was a lot that I wanted to show you.  Things have been very busy here over the past month!  One of my top agenda items on this trip was to visit some congregations that I haven't been able to see in person before.  This gives me the chance to see their circumstances and needs, offer some encouragement, and do some recruiting of new preacher training students. Such visits are important in understanding the scope of the work here and in maintaining relationships.  So far these travels have taken me to the southern border of Tanzania and back up into the other side of Kenya!  Let me tell you a little about it. Endamarariek The church at Endamarariek has been meeting in a school room where one of our students from ACSOP travels back on weekends to minister to them.  The congregation is thriving and bursting at the seams.  We enjoyed the chance to teach and preach to them and rejoice that there were two baptisms during the visit.  Thanks to our friends at Burns Flatt, the church at Endamarariek will soon have their own new building (pictured above) to continue worshipping and growing in!   Chamwino Ikulu  On our travels we were able to stop in and meet Elias Mayaji, the preacher at the Chamwino Ikulu church.  This congregation in Dodoma is located just across the street from the Tanzanian White House.  Lukando Leaving paved roads several hours behind, we spent a day with the Lukando congregation in central Tanzania. They asked us to do a seminar for them, and rewarded us with warm hospitality including farm-fresh local cuisine. We enjoyed visiting the work of Boniface, a second year ACSOP student, and recruiting some more future preachers. Kyela At the southern border of Tanzania, near Lake Nyasa, we met with the Kyela church.  This church is the home of a couple of our students, and it was great to see the brethren that produced them. Cy was last able to visit Kyela in 2015, so it was encouraging to see their continued faithfulness since that time.  Makunga The northern extent of our travels took us back across the equator to Matunda, Kenya, which is home of the Makunga church.  There we preached to the congregation and met with several former ACSOP students who are evangelizing the area.  You can tell that these guys are working hard and the church is thriving.   Lerai For the past week, we've been back home in the Arusha area.  Our friend, Brad Whinery, from Elk City, OK came and joined us for a mini Safari for Souls campaign for the scenic mountain congregation of Lerai.  The campaign was well attended as evangelists from the east side congregations, along with many of their members, came together to help reach the community.  We did bible studies each morning, seminars each afternoon, and children's classes as well.  By the end of the week, 7 precious souls had put on Christ in baptism!   (Your new brothers and sisters in Christ!) Let me tell you, your support of Tanzania Missions and the Andrew Connally School of Preaching is having an impact on the Lord's kingdom over a very large area!  Thank you for being a part of this through your prayers, encouragement, and financial support.  May God bless our efforts together.  Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Mission Coordinator Tanzania Missions