Short Report - March 27

Greetings friends and brethren,

     I hope that you're having a great Easter weekend with your family and friends.  It warms our hearts to see all of the photos on social media of our friends enjoying Lads to Leaders or just family get-togethers.  Those are good times.  

     We're enjoying good days here as well.  The weather is beautiful and God's work is thriving.  Here are a few highlights of the work that you are helping to make possible with your prayers and support.

Children's Seminar in Boma Ng'ombe

     Last Saturday the Maynard, Gaines, and Massawe families were privileged to take the monthly Children's Seminar to the village of Boma Ng'ombe (which means "Cow House").  This little village at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro provided a great setting for the well-attended seminar.  As usual, Tiffany, Anna, and Jane taught the children lessons about the Bible, and gave the ladies some tips on how to better teach the Bible to their children.

     Meanwhile, Daniel, Justin, and Desdery had a Bible study with the men beneath the shade of a nearby tree.  Afterwards, three men expressed a desire to put on their Lord through baptism.  We promptly went down to a local river.   While ladies doing their laundry on the banks of the river looked on, these men were washed clean of the stains of their sins.

Plans for Family Seminar

     The rotating Spiritual Discipline Seminar has now run its course at all of the congregations on the initial schedule.  The area preachers met yesterday to discuss future plans.  Our next traveling seminar will be "What Every Family Needs", based on the book by the same name from Faulkner and Brecheen.  We are strategically enlisting the help of some of our older preachers and church leaders in order to benefit from the wisdom gained from their experiences.   The brethren seem to be excited about what this seminar will have to offer their congregations.

     We'll also be spreading the Spiritual Discipline Seminar to some congregations that did not get a chance to receive it the first time around.  This will be done by men who served as "Timothy's" during the first round.  After all, teaching to teach, and enabling men to share what they've learned with others is the name of the game around here.

Concluding Ilkiurei Quarter

     This year the focus of cooperative evangelism is on revisiting and boosting some of the newer congregations in the area.  The first quarter was spent at the Ilkiurei congregation, as area evangelists devoted a Saturday each month to doing personal work in that neighborhood. 

     In the coming quarter, our attention will shift back to Njiro Chini.  This will also be the location of some of the Safari for Souls campaigns that are making preparations to come in the next few months.  Please keep these efforts in your prayers.

New Chicken House

     Justin and the guys at the farm have been hard at work in building a new, larger chicken house for ACSOP.  Once finished, it will eventually enable us to increase our stock to 1,000 chickens.  This will be a great benefit to the school.

Cy Treatments

     Our brother, Cy Stafford, will take a new round of chemo treatments this week.  Please pray that the side effects are minimal, and that the treatments are effective.  He should also be having bone marrow evaluations during his stay in the hospital. 

     As always, thank you for being a valuable part of this team.  Together, God's kingdom is growing stronger and stronger.  May God continue to bless our service together.  

Till all have heard...

Daniel Gaines

Short Report - March 13

Garry Hill speaks at a seminar in Kisongo

Greetings fellow workers,

Things are rolling right along with God's work in Tanzania thanks to the prayers and support of people like you, and the efforts of the wonderful brethren in East Africa.  

Over the last week, we have enjoyed having Garry Hill from the Horton's Chapel church in Belton, KY.  Garry taught a short course for us, then conducted a Biblical Archeology seminar on Saturday that was open to the public.  It was very well attended, and the audience was blessed by the study. 

We are also happy to welcome this week Ralph and Cindy Williams visiting from America.  We're glad they had a safe journey, and we look forward to their work and fellowship here.  

Wednesday we will bid farewell to Samantha Edwards.  She has been here for the past 6 months, staying with her sister Anna Maynard.  Samantha has made valuable contributions to the school, the farm, and the Kisongo church.  We appreciate her efforts, and are sorry to see her go, but wish her well in the future.

Our brother, Cy Stafford continues with his physical therapy and it making good progress.  He still has a very long road to go, but by God's grace we pray he'll get there step by step.  Thank you for your continued prayers on his behalf.  They are the most powerful medicine there is.

Till all have heard...

Daniel Gaines

A little girl looks on playfully while I study with her neighbors.

Tiffany speaks to the area preacher's wives at their monthly meeting. 

Short Report - February 28

Greetings fellow workers,

God is continuing to bless the work here, and demonstrate his goodness.  It's an honor to serve Him along side of each of you and together with the soldiers of Christ here.

Bible Tracts

We are absolutely thrilled that Mission Printing has chosen to send a treasure trove of biblical tracts and materials to us.  This week an entire shipping container of materials arrived at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching.  We'll serve as a distribution point, and some of these materials will go to other mission points across East Africa.  As you can tell from the pictures, there's plenty to go around.  This will be a great blessing to the work here.

Students unloading the shipment of tracts

Daniel inspecting a box of tracts

Levi shows us how high the boxes are piled

Area Reports
Here are some excerpts from reports we've received from some of the area preachers about work taking place at their congregations.  Be encouraged at all of the work being done for our Lord.

From Yusuph:
The outline of Baptisms and restorations for all congregations on Lake Zone this February,
USHIROMBO - 3 restored
LULEMBELA - 13 souls
KAZIBIZYO / MTINGA 10 souls
IMALAMAGIGO -8 souls IBAMBULA - 3 restored
SUNVE - 4 Soul restored and 5 baptism.

From Joseph Juma Withare:
For two last month I was established 12 Bible Classes with 25 people right now I have 15 Bible Classes with 31 people I was also visiting the church members who are hack sliding for many years I succeed to restored one, also working for other back sliders.

From Ibrahimu Mrutu at the Kisongo church:
The church is rapidly increasing it’s number, the attendance now is awesome. We are absolutely thanks to the might God for the great chance to preach the Gospel.
The great challenge that we have is building. Our current building is now small, some times members stands outside.

From Hamidu Mohamed at the Kazibizyo church:
Within this February GOD has been added 10 souls (Ten) in his kingdom, the big effort caused this result to appear look these result on January if you are remember I wrote 20 twenty souls were obeyed, so that we have 30 new converts within these two month and according to these results the number will increasing because the church have made plan to encourage every believers to make sure that are invite their neighbors or relatives or friends so the work of evangelism are becoming very easy.

Cy Update
We rejoice that Cy's cancer has gone into remission.  He is currently undergoing physical therapy in an effort to get strong enough to continue on with the treatment plan.  Please continue to pray for him.


Enjoy some pictures from the week:

Daniel poses with Josiah and Levi outside of the Kilimanjaro Bible School

Daniel preaching at Moshi 

Daniel preaching at Njiro Chini

Short Report - Feb 14

Greetings Fellow Workers,

     It's been another wonderful week in Tanzania.  The students have returned to the Andrew Connally School of Preaching for a new year of study.  We were happy to welcome about 30 new students into their first year of training.  Meanwhile, it was great to see the familiar faces of our returning second year students after their break.

     The Njiro Chini congregation is between preachers right now, so Daniel is doing a lot of teaching there to help out.  Also, Justin is guest speaking at the Ilkiurei congregation for the quarter, while Anna and Samantha continue with the children's class at Kisongo.

     Saturday, both missionary families went to the Lerai congregation to conduct a seminar.  There were a couple of sessions for the children with about 130 in attendance.  There were also lessons for the ladies.  One was a lesson on unity, and the other was about how to better teach the Bible to their children.  Meanwhile, Justin and Daniel conducted Bible studies with the other adults.  You can enjoy some pictures from the day below.

     In other news, Cy Stafford continues to hold on.  He has had some small improvements, but still has a very long way to go.  Please continue to be diligent in your prayers on his behalf.  They are making a difference.

    Thank you for your prayers and support.  Your partnership is helping to make some wonderful things possible.

Till all have heard...

Daniel Gaines

Daniel teaches a class of about 50 adults who gathered for the seminar.

Anna teaches a children's class while Anita helps out and Jane translates.

Tiffany teaches the women

Justin teaches a small group study

Samantha teaches the books of the Bible to a group of children while Daniel teaches a group of adults.