“… Well done, good and faithful servant! …” Matthew 25:23
Job well done!! The roof project is now complete, and the team from Kingwood has begun their journey back home to Texas.
It has been an exciting time in Kigoma. Take a look at the progress as the team worked during their second week:
But, it was not all work. After church on Sunday, the team traveled to the shore of beautiful Lake Tanganyika for lunch,
toured the Livingstone Museum in Ujiji (the location of the famous meeting in 1871 between Henry Stanley and Dr. David Livingstone – we presume),
and then went to the Trail of Tears, the path along which slaves were marched across Tanzania to the Indian Ocean during the slave trade. Sunday evening, the team enjoyed dinner at the Lake Tanganyika Hotel.
As week two unfolded, the team continued to strengthen the bonds of friendship that began during the first week.
And they found many ways to study and spread the Good News. Each morning started with a devotional as the team read a selected Psalm for the day. Glenn spoke at the Youth Service on Saturday. Pastor Clint shared the message at Kalalangabo Church on Sunday and also at the Missionary Bible Study meeting on Wednesday night.
During lunch at the worksite each day, a member of the team shared a short testimony or devotional. Click on this video below of Dan speaking with Pastor Mikos translating:
And of course, there was time to celebrate the “8th anniversary” of Clint’s 30th birthday on Wednesday – both at lunch and the missionary meeting.
On Thursday, the team traveled to the Destitute Camp (renamed the Victory in Jesus Camp by Missionary Lonnie, a longtime supporter of Joy), where the team members met the residents, shared what Jesus means to them and presented small gifts.
As the project was nearing completion, John decided to offer the African workers a Swahili Bible or New Testament. Nearly 20 workers accepted them. With the assistance of pastor and fellow worker Mikos, John presented a Bible to a man named Bakari. Then, Bakari began talking to Mikos in Swahili. After several minutes, Mikos announced that Bakari had just accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Praise God! Pastor Mikos has volunteered to continue working with Bakari as he begins his walk.
To say there was great rejoicing would be an understatement. John’s initiative of taking the Bible ministry to the worksite resulted in at least one new believer. We are sure it was not a coincidence that Clint’s message just last Sunday was about The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1–7) and the rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.
So this is how God did His amazing work:
- He took a team of eight unique individuals,
- Who traveled a third of the way around the world,
- To do work that some of them had never done before,
- Supported by a team of African workers and seven missionaries in Kigoma.
In the beginning, there were some concerns about things like the scaffolding or the improvised “extension” ladder,
but soon everyone realized that things were “OSHA” approved. Not the government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but approved by “Our Savior in Heaven Above.”
Praise God for all that He accomplished these past two weeks using His faithful servants in Kigoma, Tanzania.
And all God’s people said, “AMEN!”
“… it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:25
The team from Kingwood has arrived! They made a stop at the guest houses, where they enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast prepared by Claudia, and were off to the worksite. No rest for the weary (the 5:30 am Air Tanzania flight to Kigoma required check-in at 3:30 in the morning in Dar es Salaam. The flight arrived in Kigoma at 7:30 am).
After a brief orientation by project designer and leader Don, the team jumped into action. (Don is a fellow Texan who has been building roofs and drilling water wells for the missionaries, churches and other organizations for many years.)
In no time, five members of the team were on top of the containers preparing to raise the roof, and three were working inside a container building shelves for storage of tools and other equipment for the school. Here’s a glimpse of the team in action:
By the end of the first day, five of the trusses were lifted by human hands (lots of them!) and welded into place, and two completed sections of shelves were anchored into a container wall. The last truss was lifted with a crane.
Then the work of attaching the purlins began.
Every day is filled with new experiences and new friendships with local workers.
And, at the end of each day, the team enjoys a meal together and a time of fellowship at Lowell and Claudia’s home.
We’ll be sharing more about the team’s activities. For now, please pray for the ongoing safety of the team. There are a lot of moving pieces to this project – and we don’t want any of those pieces landing where they shouldn’t!
And all of God’s people said, “AMEN!”
Teaching them to “fish”
Shortly after our arrival, Hal walked down to see the construction site where a team from our home church in Kingwood, Texas, will build a roof over containers that will house a new school. A lot of work has gone into preparing the site. The containers, which were used by Lowell and Claudia to ship needed supplies from the US to Tanzania over the past 30 years, had been moved from Joy in the Harvest to the construction site.
Students at the school will learn a variety of craft skills, and skilled workers are always in demand here. Helping local people find a productive way to support their families . . . it’s a perfect fit!
Hal discovered that Joy has also opened a library at the same location. As he walked into the building, he was offered a tour of the new facility, which houses the many books that have been donated to Joy in the Harvest over the years. Hopefully the library will become a well-used resource in the community.
The next day, we heard a “Hodi!” at our door, and we discovered that Nelson, the prison guard with whom we have been working for the last few years, was standing outside. Even though he speaks limited English, and our lack of proficiency in Swahili is downright embarrassing, we were able to fully communicate and had a wonderful visit. Nelson asked if we could help him with new reading glasses. After a few tries, we found the correct reading glasses for him, and his face lit up as he could read the Bible again.
Then, he shared a Bible request. Through prison ministry, Nelson has been working with two inmates who have been sentenced to death for their crimes. He shared that one of them just recently accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Nelson wanted to offer each inmate his own Bible to study the Word, and of course, we were eager to provide them. We are praying that both men will find Jesus as they await the outcome of their appeals.
IN MEMORIAM
It is with great sadness that we tell you about the passing of young Mariam. We introduced you to her in a post on October 2, 2022. Mariam, a beautiful 8-year-old, had a compound fracture in her tibia bone that was caused by a deep infection on her shin. We sent her to the National Hospital in Dar es Salaam where the doctors removed the exposed bone after concluding it was dead bone. They sent Mariam home to fully recover and build up her strength before the doctors would perform reconstructive surgery. Heartbreakingly, she was never able to regain her health from the infection and initial surgery. May Mariam rest in peace, and may her family be comforted in knowing that she is with Jesus.
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