Last Newsletter Before Furlough!

Download our latest newsletter HERE!

What Do You Miss Most About America?"

     Furlough is just around the corner, so we are naturally thinking excitedly about getting back to the U.S.  People often ask us, “What do you miss most about home?” The biggest and most obvious thing is family and friends. There is just no way to quantify what it is like to leave them behind, and we absolutely can’t wait to see them again. But aside from people, here is a list (in no particular order) of five things that I miss most about life in the States.

1.  Reliable Electricity – When the electricity goes out I feel so powerless!  It’s not really a big deal at first. We just get out the lanterns and continue our business.  It doesn’t even scare the kids anymore. However, when we hit a stretch where there are long power outages for several days in a row it really, really gets old… fast. I’m actually sitting in the dark of a power outage as I write this (maybe why this made #1 on the list). We do have a generator, but unfortunately it has been broken more often than it has worked since we got here.

On the other hand – We do have electricity a lot of the time.  I can’t say the same for many of the people here. 

2.  Clean Water – Boiling water to drink or cook with is a chore that has to be done a couple of times a day.  After it boils then it has to cool and be filtered before we drink it.  When we wash dishes (by hand of course), we have to rinse them in bleach water to make sure that microorganisms don’t get left behind. The same goes for washing all produce that we buy.  Again, it is not really that big of a deal, but it does get annoying.

One the other hand – We do have reliable plumbing that brings water right to our faucets every time.  I don’t have to go far down the road to see people without plumbing at all.  They go to a public water supply and fill buckets with water to use.  Their toilets simply empty into a hole beneath the outhouse. 

3.  Blending In – It is easy to tell that we’re not from around here.  We stick out.  Every time we venture into public we draw eyes and attention.  I can’t walk down the road without children pointing and yelling, “Mzungu!”  That’s the Swahili word for a white person.  That’s novel and cute at first, but does get old after a while. People charge us more in the market because they assume money is no object for a mzungu.  We get asked for financial help constantly by both friends and strangers because people assume we can help.  Sometimes it would be really nice to not have the color of our skin be the first thing (sometimes it seems the only thing) that people see about us.  I miss walking down the street without a mob of people trying to sell me things because they assume that I’m a tourist.  I miss blending in occasionally.

On the other hand – Our standing out does open doors for the gospel.  Sometimes people will listen to us, when they wouldn’t listen to a local.  And we often do have the money to help, which is a HUGE blessing.  I really love having the opportunity to help those who aren’t likely to find help elsewhere. 

4.  Fast Food – I don’t mean the taste of fast food.  I like the taste of the food here just fine.  I mean the speed and convenience of fast food.  When traveling or just having a busy day, it would be really nice to have a McDonald’s value meal, being in and out with a meal to go in less than 10 minutes. Here if you eat out, then you probably need to allow for 2 hours almost anywhere you go.  Things just move at a slower pace, and people don’t get in a hurry.  That’s kind of nice SOMETIMES, but other times you have other things to do.

On the other hand – We have plenty of food.  It may come slowly, but it is coming.  We’re not missing meals or going hungry. I don’t have to travel far at all to see people who have to worry a lot more about their next meal than I do. 

5.  Traffic – Driving in town feels kind of like a video game – a very real and dangerous game.  The rules are just suggestions.  Two lanes can easily become four or more.  Motorcycles swarm around and through the traffic, operating on a completely different set of guidelines than larger vehicles.  It is not unusual that while I’m passing a vehicle for another vehicle to pass me. In the meantime, pedestrians are crossing anywhere they want.  Rush hour is beyond stressful, and nighttime driving is just unreasonably dangerous.  I can’t wait to get back the land of reasonable traffic patterns and somewhat sane drivers.

On the other hand – We are fortunate enough to have a good vehicle.  Most people have to ride on the dala dalas (crowded public transport vans driven by crazed maniacs) and piki pikis (motorcycle taxis driven by crazed maniacs).  Meanwhile, we have reliable transportation at our disposal 24 hours a day.  What a luxury!

     It is hard to feel sorry for yourself for very long here. Every time I think I’ve made a sacrifice for God, I encounter people who didn’t have those blessings to begin with. Every sacrifice, inconvenience, and annoyance has ultimately been well worth it to see the powerful ways that God is at work here.  It really is an honor to be His servant wherever He may send me.    

Sometimes You Just Have to Do What You've Got to Do

     If you've ever been to Arusha, then you know that one of the biggest hazards that we face is simply traffic.  Motorcycles (they call them piki pikis here) swarm around, in, and out of traffic like swarms of bees.  They mostly drive on the center and side lines of the road, but can swerve across the lane with no warning.  Yesterday, we fell victim to just such a maneuver.  A piki piki swerved right into us, knocking off the rear quarter panel of our vehicle.  Apparently, not seriously injured (thankfully!) the piki piki driver quickly disappeared.  

     So what could we do?  It just so happened that we had some duct tape with us, but... it was my daughter's PINK duct tape.  Urgh.  How unmanly can you get?  Oh well, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.  So we taped it back on and went on about our day.  

So what do you think of our new detailing?  Looking forward to getting this fixed.

Revelation Class

     The school year is moving right along.  These men are just a few weeks away from graduation, but first they must conquer my class on Revelation.  It is proving to be a rich and rewarding study.  I hope they are benefiting from it as much as I am.

Would You Like a Visit?

     We do have a few slots left in our schedule for our upcoming visit to the U.S.  If you would like for me to come by and visit with your congregation, then contact me, and we will work it out.  

A Little TLC

TLC:

Tanzanian Leadership Conference

Daniel teaches a lesson on the importance of prayer, and Michael provides translation

     Last week the brethren of East Africa got a little TLC.  Of course, I'm talking about their time at the Tanzanian Leadership Conference.  Church leaders from 3 East African nations gathered at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching for four days of fellowship and lectures aimed at improving leadership skills.  This year's theme was Lessons on Leadership from Nehemiah.  It was an enriching endeavor as Nehemiah does prove to be an excellent case-study in leadership.

     This was my first experience with TLC.  I found it to be kind of like an African version of Polishing the Pulpit or the Freed-Hardeman Lectures.  Many of the attendees were alumni of the school.  This was a great time to catch up with them, and see how their work is going.  There were also Ladies sessions, and Tiffany was honored to be among the women who taught lessons.  We were also glad to have American visitors, Ralph and Cindy Williams, and Garry Hill, participating in the event.

     Times like this offer encouragement in knowing how the church is thriving across East Africa.  We expect that God will continue doing great things hear, and that the harvest will continue to be abundant.  Take courage, my friends, to know that the kingdom is thriving and that victories are being won each day.

   

clockwise:  Cy Stafford addresses the attendees as Charles Heberth translates, Christian sisters work the registration table, Ralph Williams presents a lesson with translation help from Gasper Maurice, attendees listen to the speaker