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