Short Report - May 29

Greetings fellow workers,

     With the preaching students returning home this weekend for summer break, our attention turns fully to campaign season.  We currently are enjoying having Brian Anderson, Brittany Higgins, Anna Byrd, and Kendyll Covington visiting and working here in Arusha with us, while Tom Watkins is here working near the Kenyan border.   As I type, a group of eight campaigners from the Tuscaloosa, AL area should be very close to arriving in Tanzania.  Also, a large group from Hoover, AL will be arriving later in the week.  They will all be joining the efforts at the Njiro Chini congregation.

     Speaking of Njiro Chini, there was standing room only for worship this morning.  Elly Martin had to provide additional chairs from his home to help accommodate the full house.  Please join us in praying for God to provide a good harvest for his reapers.

Enjoy some scenes from the day:

Brittany and Anna B. teach children's class in the foreground, while Anna M. and Kendyll conduct a personal bible study in the background.

Standing by the door with no seats to be found

Brian Anderson and Elly Martin

Daniel Gaines and Rene Bahatti

     I shared with you recently that we had an opportunity to preach a seminar at an area Pentecostal church.  In the aftermath, one of the elders of that church was baptized and has begun attending at N'gordoto.   I'm happy to further report that yesterday his daughter was also baptized.  That makes at least seven members of that church that have responded to the gospel recently.
   

Final Reports:  If you would like for me to visit with your congregation to give a final report on our time here, then I have dates available in September.  Please contact me if you would like to be included in our schedule.

Short Report - May 18

Greetings Fellow Workers,

     I hope this note finds you well.  We continue to enjoy seeing God's hand of providence at work here in East Africa.  For the past few several weeks, Nester and I have had a series of Bible studies in the home of a local Pentecostal preacher.  The studies have progressed well and he has been very receptive to the things we've shown him from the scriptures.  He invited us to conduct a seminar last Sunday afternoon at his congregation.  We (Daniel, Justin, and Mason) spent two hours exposing them to the gospel of Christ, and they were very receptive.  Meanwhile Tiffany, Anna, and Haley did a class with the children.  We've been invited back again to teach more at a future occasion.  The efforts are already bearing fruit as one of their elders was baptized yesterday, and intends to encourage his family to do the same.  This is an exciting opportunity, and we hope that you'll pray with us that God will continue to open doors for the gospel and give increase where the seed is planted.

     I also wanted to make you aware of a couple of pressing needs that the work has:

• We have urgent need of a copy machine at ACSOP.  Our old one has breathed it's last breathe after years of faithful service.  This is the machine that we use to produce materials for the students, as well as for printing tracts for evangelistic outreach.  It will take $1,300 to replace it.  If you would like to contribute to this cause, then funds can be sent to either Lehman Ave. or Bear Valley.
• As you know, the work here is in a period of transition.  Five new missionaries are in the process of transitioning in (Todd and Susan Storks, Wesley Storks, and Mason and Haley Norman).  Wesley especially has struggled to raise his support and could use help.  Also, Justin and Anna Maynard will soon be concluding their initial year with us, and will be returning to the US to raise funds to return for another 3 years.  The Maynards have proven to be invaluable assets to the work here.  As my family returns to the States in July, these seven individuals will be left as the stewards of the work here.  Please think prayerfully about whether you might be able to help them in some way.   

     As you may have noticed, Cy Stafford was able to send out a short report himself this past Sunday.  We are encouraged by the progress that he has made and continues to make.  He is even talking optimistically about making a trip over here later this year.  We will continue to pray toward that end. 

     Campaign season is getting kicked off as our first campaigners are arriving this week.  Tom Watkins and his team (Brian Anderson and Anna Byrd) got here last night, and will be spending their time working in the Namanga area.  Brittany Higgins will arrive Saturday to join that effort also.  Meanwhile the local evangelists are gearing up pre-campaign efforts in Njiro Chini in order to have plenty of bible studies set up for the groups arriving in the coming weeks.  Pray that God provides lots of good soil for His laborers. 

 

     Thank you all for being such great partners in this work through your prayers, encouragement, and financial support.  I believe that God is being glorified through our joint efforts.  We pray that He will continue to bless the work.

Till all have heard...

Daniel Gaines

A Missionary Mom

     Being a mom under the best of circumstances is a challenge.  What Tiffany has done over the last three years... well that's tested the bounds of reasonable expectations.  I asked her to move to Africa to do mission work.  She agreed and the adventure began.  With three children (2 under the age of 3), she packed up all of her worldly goods to sell, ship, or store.  She hugged family and friends goodbye and left a normal life far behind.

     She traded the mall for the market, and Wal-Mart for a duka.  She bid farewell to youth sports, car lines, easy fast-food, and everything familiar.  She said "hello" to power outages, a strange language, and doing everything the hard way.  While she was adjusting to a dramatically new life herself, she had to be a familiar anchor for three children who's lives had also been turned upside-down.  

     After she mastered mothering in the mission field, disaster struck.  We had a health issue with our middle child (our long-time readers know all about this).  She had to take the kids back to the states for 6 months while that situation was cleared up, effectively being a single mother during that time. 

    Having returned to the mission field she is helping to break-in new missionaries, while entering yet another period of transition as we finish our commitment here.  That means she's packing up AGAIN, and mentally straddling the ocean.  Meanwhile continuing to be a mom here and now.  Needless to say, these three years have had all of the stability of a rocking chair... on roller skates... on a boat.   

     Don't get me wrong, there have definitely been a lot of amazing experiences that have rewarded her efforts, and our family is closer than ever, but it wasn't at all easy.  Through it all, she's been a trooper, rising to every challenge.   I couldn't possibly have hoped for a better mother for my kids.  

     Happy Mothers Day Tiffany!   Thanks for being amazing!  

Short Report - April 30

Greetings fellow workers,

     I hope this report finds you doing well and your service to God thriving.  Here's a glimpse into some of what you are facilitating through your prayers and support of mission efforts in Tanzania. 

John Class

     It is very bittersweet for me that we are in the midst of the last regular quarter that I'll get to teach at ACSOP.  It's been a pleasure to see this group of second years mature as Bible students.  I'm also thrilled that it just so happened that my last class covers the book that I most like teaching - the Gospel John.  It gives us such an personal glimpse into the ministry of our Savior!

Pentecostal Seminar

     Nesta and I have been having a series of Bible studies with a Pentecostal preacher in the area.  He's been an eager student and has been very interested in what we've had to say.  So much so, that he has invited us to present a seminar to the entire congregation.  This is a fantastic opportunity and we are very exited about it.  Please keep this in your prayers as we make plans and preparations for the event.  May God be glorified through it!

Preparing for Campaign Season

     The area preachers gathered this weekend for our monthly evangelism meeting.  Beginning in late May we'll have about a month and a half of steady campaigning.  This influx of friends from the US is always an exciting time for the work here. You can look forward to reading in future reports some of the wonderful results of these efforts.  For now, pray for both the campaigners and the local workers as preparations and pre-campaign work is being done.  

     

Children's Seminar

      The monthly children's seminar has become everyone's favorite day of the month.  Let me share with you Justin's account of this month's exciting seminar:

     This month’s women and children’s seminar was held in the Ngorogoro area. For those of you familiar with the Ngorgoro Crater, we were at it’s rim for this seminar. We drove approximately two hours to the small village right outside the crater. When we were within a few miles of the church, our van could no longer travel on the roads. Due to the vehicle we drive, and the long rains turning the roads into a terrible mess, we had to get out and walk the rest of the way to the church building. 

In our vehicle we had myself and Anna, our new missionaries Mason and Haley Norman, and locals Jane and Desdery Massawe, and their oldest daughter Martina. The Gaines were in front of us with a better equipped vehicle for these conditions and all of the material for the seminar. We sent them on ahead and we all got out and walked. The roads we flooded and muddy but no one complained as we headed toward the church. The road vehicles take would have been a very long walk and so the locals led us to a shortcut. This shortcut required us to climb a cliff that leads up to where the church meets. Once again, everyone was in good spirits and even Jane, who is seven months pregnant, did not complain and it was a beautiful journey to the top. 

     Given the heavy rains, we did not expect large numbers. However, when we arrived at the top we were happily surprised. Under a tarp held up by tents (this was their church building) was around 41 children and over 30 women waiting on us. Men were scattered about awaiting personal Bible studies. Everyone split up and we quickly began. 

     Daniel, Mason, Desdery, Jasper Julius (a local preacher), and I began conducting Bible studies. Tiffany, Anna, Haley, and Jane began their prepared lessons the women had asked they come and speak on. Anna began with a lesson on Christian Life and Tiffany followed with a lesson on Perseverance. By noon both women’s lessons were finished and the rain continued to pour. Every few minutes the women had to knock the pools of water off the tarp to prevent the tent from collapsing in on them. For an hour and a half the women asked questions on marriage and family and how to live a Christian life. Daniel came and helped take over the Q&A with the women so Anna, Tiffany, Haley, and Jane could take the children to do their portion of the seminar. 

Due to the continuous rains, the only place to move the 4 adult teachers and the 41 children was an 8x8 one room, mud home. The children’s faces lit up with excitement over the colored pictures Tiffany showed them as she taught them about the Bible. After Anna taught them about creation and told them each they could take their coloring sheets and one crayon home with them, their excitement bubbled over. There was no room in the small house to allow the kids to color and due to the rain they couldn’t move outside. So, the children were thrilled to have their very own crayon (yes, just one each). 

     By three o’clock the rains were still falling and we decided if we wanted to try and make it home, we needed to leave. Daniel loaded his family, Desdery’s family, and the Norman’s into his vehicle (dala dala style) and headed back toward our car. Anna and I walked back down the cliff a few minutes before they drove down because the locals told us one of our tires on the van was flat. The path down the cliff had become a waterfall and there was no way to avoid water on the roads. The walk down was adventurous and cold but we enjoyed it. 

Anna and I reached the bottom around the same time the Gaines car came down with the others. We did indeed have a flat tire. The roads were soft and mucky, terrible conditions to try and jack up our vehicle. However, Daniel, Desdery, and Mason picked up on the car while I climbed under and was able to get the jack in place. We are thankful to God and His protection that we made it home on terrible roads, two hours away, with a flat tire that had to be pumped up every 30 minutes. 

Though this seminar presented many challenges God was glorified and the Word was spread. Pray for the Ngorogoro Kanisa la Kristo as they continue to evangelize the community around them. 

Anna and I have purchased our tickets for furlough. We will be leaving Africa August 25th. While home, in order for us to be able to come back and stay for three more years, we will have to raise support. If your congregation is interested in having us come and present our work email us at: themaynardsfarm@gmail.com. Also if you would like to help the fundraising with a donation please send checks to Horton Chapel Church of Christ 925 Union Ridge Road, PO Box 1100, Belton, KY 42324. Put in the for line Maynard’s Mission Work.  

          -  Justin Maynard

 You can see some pictures from that day on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TanzanianMissions/)

     Thank you so much for the relentless prayers and support that you give on behalf of the work here.  God is powerful, and He is being glorified by our service together.

Till all have heard...

Daniel Gaines