Short Report 7/21

Grace and Peace to you friends. I'd like to share with you some words from Charles Mwanga at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God..” (Rom. 8:28). Though this has been a hard and trying year, but still God is in control and blesses His people.  I would like to take this opportunity first to that the Almighty God for His love and care, and secondly to thank you brethren for your prayers, love and support. Thank you so much. "We (the Churches in Arusha area), would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your love and care. We received funds for COVID relief and those have been able to minister more than 600 souls with food. We thank you so much, life is still hard since the financial situation is getting worse everyday but through your love, many have been blessed. May the Lord bless you all beyond measure. We (ACSOP) have been blessed so much, to the point of returning back to our regular annual schedule. COVID 19 has changed plans for many this year, but we thank God that we were able to resume our classes and stay on the schedule so far. Our students are back, (except one from Uganda, their borders are still closed) and classes are going on well. We have 17 students in the first  year class and six in the second year class. Lord willing we will have our regular schedule and our graduation will be on the same dates as planned from the beginning of the year. We thank you so much. "Leadership school:  The construction is going on well, we were able to put the roof on, put metal bars in the windows, and now are working on plastering the whole building. We would like to thank all the donors and supporters who are helping the work here to be present even after we have all long gone (If Christ is not back yet). These types of investments will help the school to be able to serve the Church in East Africa in a better way. We will be able to host many seminars and campaigns in these facilities. Thank you so much for all that you do to us, and the Lord’s church in general. May the Lord continue to bless you and yours daily. "Please let us keep praying for one another during these trying times."   As you can see, there are a lot of exciting things going on in the Tanzania work!  As congregations begin in-person services again, I am looking to refill my calendar with presentations to churches about this great work.  If your congregation (or another one that you are familiar with) would like a visit, then I would love to make it happen.  Let me know, and I'll get you on my schedule! Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Director Tanzania Missions Families affected by COVID restrictions take home bags of rice and corn meal. The new Stafford leadership training center located immediately behind ACSOP

Changing Oversight

Grace and peace to you friends and brethren,       I have a very exciting announcement to share with you today.  After reading it, please contact me with any questions or comments that you might have.  Also, let me know if you would like for me to visit with you or your congregation in person about the work. In Christ, Daniel Gaines An important announcement regarding Tanzania Missions:      The elders of the Bear Valley church of Christ and the administration of the Bear Valley Bible Institute are excited to announce a transition of Tanzania Missions (formerly known as TZ2000) and the Andrew Connally School of Preaching to the oversight of the elders of the Hoover church of Christ near Birmingham, Alabama.      The Bear Valley Bible Institute will continue to operate the school of preaching per the request of the elders of the Hoover congregation.  We are excited to team up with our brethren at Hoover to maximize the good work being done in Arusha and throughout East Africa.      Beginning August 1, all support should be sent and made payable to:             Hoover church of Christ 3248 Lorna Road Hoover, AL 35216        As always we are grateful for your prayers and support of this fine work. Serving Him, Donnie Bates for the Bear Valley elders Denny Petrillo, President, Bear Valley Bible Institute From the Hoover Church of Christ:      For many years now the Hoover Church of Christ has loved the Lord’s work and people in Tanzania, and we have been privileged to work alongside our brothers and sisters associated with the Bear Valley Church of Christ. After taking our first trip to Tanzania in 2007, our congregation made visiting Tanzania a priority each year since then. During those thirteen years, we have worshiped with and been encouraged by so many Tanzanians.      We have also become quite familiar with the work that Bear Valley does in Tanzania and in other parts of the world—particularly through their establishment of and leadership in their preaching schools. We have full confidence in the faithfulness of Bear Valley and the good work that they have done and are continuing to do.      As we assume oversight of the work in northern Tanzania, we know that we are just building on the foundation that others by God’s grace have already established. We truly are standing on the shoulders of giants. Continued partnerships with brothers and sisters in Tanzania, as well as throughout the United States are vital to the ongoing success of this work.      A crucial part of this transition is Bear Valley’s interest in continuing to be involved in the work in Tanzania as they provide the curriculum and instruction in the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. Because they have been involved in schools of preaching for years and have an unrivaled level of expertise—and because of their unquestioned loyalty to the cause of Christ—we eagerly join hands with them in this good work. We trust their faithfulness to Jesus Christ, their commitment to training preachers, and their willingness to work with us in Tanzania.      We are fully committed to seeing the Tanzanian work continue to grow and prosper. As the population in East Africa continues to boom, we envision millions of souls there that need to be reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This mission is as important now as ever! We hope that you will continue to support God’s work there. You have our promise of our full engagement in the work and dedication to ongoing faithfulness.  We look forward to remaining partners with you for years to come.      Please pray that God will bless this transition with his grace, and that he will empower us to continue with the faithful work that began in Tanzania so many years ago.      Thank you for your faithfulness and for your love of Jesus and His church. May God continue to bless you in every way. Till all have heard! The Hoover leadership

Short Report 6/5

Grace and Peace to you friends.  I hope that you are well despite these challenging times. Today I'm glad to be able to bring you positive news.  The Tanzania government is allowing schools to resume, and the Andrew Connally School of Preaching is all set to bring our students back at the beginning of July.  They will have time to finish their second quarter of study, and be right back on track for the fall!  Travel has opened back up, and I have tickets purchased for my next trip.  We pray that conditions remain stable and that there will not be any more significant disruptions to our schedule.     The work of evangelism has marched on.  In the past couple of weeks, our brethren have shared news of at least 11 baptisms.  One of which was Anthony Francis.  Anthony was a student of World Video Bible School.  They contacted us to find a local evangelist to help teach Anthony further.  I reached out to David Bayi who continued working with Anthony, and recently baptized him into Christ.  The picture above shows this joyous event!   Student Spotlight:  Shadrack Mkombwe. Shadrack was born to Efrem and Franziska Mkombwe on August 25, 1987  in the village of Isimani in the Iringa region.  Together with his wife, Mariam, he has one child, Samuel.  He has been a member of the Lord's church since 2011 and came to ACSOP in search of a better understanding of God's word.  After he completes his studies, Shadrack hopes to go back to his home congregation to preach and teach.   Shadrack wanted to tell you this: "I would like to thank God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I also thank all the donors for the donation you are making for this School. We know for sure that without you I could not have an ability to afford the expenses of get this education. May the God of love bless you so much, and we still keep on praying for you." Let me join with Shadrack in thanking you for your support and prayers.  Also, as your congregation begins to have assemblies again, let me know if you would like an in-person visit and presentation about the great work in Tanzania.  I am happy to make that happen!   Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Director Tanzania Missions

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COVID Relief for Tanzania

Grace and peace to you friends.  Some of you may have been wondering about the situation being created by COVID-19 in Tanzania.  You know it is creating hard times all over the globe.  Travel and gathering restrictions are causing people not to be able to work, as people in America have become well familiar.  However, some countries are not set up as well for telecommuting and government aid.   Tanzania has had to essentially close its boarders and has prohibited all gatherings of more than 10 people.  The exception to this restriction at this point is for church services.  Churches are still allowed a one-hour gathering for worship only.  Between the health care system of a developing nation, and the fragile economy that will suffer devastation from protective shutdowns, there are hard times coming for many of our Tanzanian brothers and sisters. Things are hard everywhere, so I won't request much from you today.  I'm asking you to consider a small additional gift of just $10 to buy food for some of the Tanzanian churches to distribute to needy individuals who have not been able to work due to COVID restrictions.  If 100 of you send $10, then we'll be able to buy $1,000 worth of basic foods to help keep meals on the table for these families.  Every penny collected in this drive will go towards relief for these congregations, whether we collect $100 or $10,000.    You can make your donation HERE. Thank you friend.  May God be with you. Till all have heard, Daniel Gaines Director Tanzania Missions