A log of my daily events while in Tanzania...
Thursday, June 17, 2004
hey everyone!
i'm back home in Burnaby after 22 hours of flying all over the world :S it was a good time of debrief in Dar es Salaam as we began to switch gears back into North American culture. we flew in Western Regional Director for CCC, Rod Alm, who spoke for us. debrief consisted of a lot of relaxation, and reflection, as well as fellowship. oh man, i feel like im on the plane right now...wierd.
anyways, the first set of goodbyes were in London where we said goodbye to three people. but the rest was done in Toronto. i was able to hold back my emotions till i got to my roomie, Justine. but aside from that, i hope to keep in contact with a few of the team members...great friendships were made during this trip.
so for the next few days i will be getting over jet lag...yep, it's 4am and im wide awake.. and well, writing up a final report for my supporters about the trip. i'll most likely post it on the website, along with pics as they are developed. so i'll send out an email when it's all done...hopefully within a week...
thanks again everyone! love ya,
deb
i'm back home in Burnaby after 22 hours of flying all over the world :S it was a good time of debrief in Dar es Salaam as we began to switch gears back into North American culture. we flew in Western Regional Director for CCC, Rod Alm, who spoke for us. debrief consisted of a lot of relaxation, and reflection, as well as fellowship. oh man, i feel like im on the plane right now...wierd.
anyways, the first set of goodbyes were in London where we said goodbye to three people. but the rest was done in Toronto. i was able to hold back my emotions till i got to my roomie, Justine. but aside from that, i hope to keep in contact with a few of the team members...great friendships were made during this trip.
so for the next few days i will be getting over jet lag...yep, it's 4am and im wide awake.. and well, writing up a final report for my supporters about the trip. i'll most likely post it on the website, along with pics as they are developed. so i'll send out an email when it's all done...hopefully within a week...
thanks again everyone! love ya,
deb
Thursday, June 10, 2004
So yesterday was our visit to Parliament…so cool. I guess we were misinformed when we were told that we would be the first foreigners to be invited by Parliament. that’s not true, but indeed, it was the first time LIFE Ministry was able to hand out JESUS Films. So here’s how the day went. We got all dressed up and got our security badges, and made our way towards the meeting room. (you’ll have to pardon my lack of words regarding anything to do with politics…just to recap, for those who know me well, I suck at sciences, math and politics.) we felt like celebrities cos all of a sudden a whole bunch of photographers were taking our pictures! It was weird…some were with the press, and some were freelance photographers. Anyways, we sat in the meeting for about an hour (all in swahili) and all I got out of it was that they were talking about roads, and telephones. However, the team was praying during the meeting, interceding for Tanzania.
After the meeting we were able to setup a table with 300 JESUS Film videos in swahili…it was really cool cos we were able to meet with a number of Members of Parliament. and get this – we met the Prime Minister of Tanzania…yeah, I felt like an idiot cos I had no clue exactly who he was but I shook his hand and smiled :) BUT I was able to have a conversation with two other MPs, both of whom have visited Canada. One of them (a representative of a constituency…whatever that means??) actually attended UBC for part of his schooling so that was cool. He said that he will be making another visit to Vancouver in August, and gave me his namecard, and told me to email him so we can meet for lunch. Amy (TWU) and I were pretty psyched…it’ll be funny if we actually DO meet up with him. I had a funny incident with another MP. He was the Deputy Minister of Transportation and Commuication in Tanzania, and he was in line ahead of me in the cafeteria. (yep, we ate lunch with the MPs, go figure!) he let me go first in getting my juice and he said to me “you’re buying one glass of juice? I will pay for you.” It was so kind of him. I mean it was only 400 shillings (40 cents US) but still, it was very thoughtful. This same fellow had come to our table earlier and boldly claimed “I am a Muslim, but I would still like to know about Jesus…can I have a video?” and we were more than happy to give it to him. Good times. I sorta wished that I knew more about politics while I was there, but after reflecting in prayer, im sorta glad that I didn’t because I would have elevated these people higher than they already were, which leads to my next topic…
Talk about a drastic change in setting. In the late afternoon, we went to an orphanage where all the children had HIV. There were 90 some odd children there and 5 nuns to run the place. There are volunteers there as well that play a role as parents to groups of these kids, but aside from that, the children mainly interact with themselves and the nuns. This orphanage was very nice, which is a blessing cos these kids have already gone thru so much. Many of the children still don’t know that they don’t have parents, or that they have HIV. It’ll take time for them to eventually find out, and then have to accept it. Anyways, we spent our time playing and singing with them for about two hours. It was really fun. They also sang for us, and played the Jamaican steel drums! It was insane – there were six different drums and each kids was playing a different melody, but when it was all at the same time, it sounded so pretty! These kids are really talented. Ethan and I were like “hmm, I think we’d make fools of ourselves if we even tried to play.” I couldn’t believe the talent that these kids have. But yah, as I said when I was reflecting in prayer…. It as an honour to be used by God in sharing His Gospel with the Members of Parliament…but you know what? It’s also an honour to be used by God in sharing His Gospel in the villages, in the University of Dar es Salaam, and in the orphanages. God views each of these people – MP, student, HIV child – as precious, and loves them all equally. And so I strive to love people with that kind of love too. It’s definitely been my prayer for awhile that God would give me compassion towards the “unloved…” if that makes sense. Yeah, and that I wouldn’t show favouritism.
Today, being our last day was spent doing bible study and some good team fun. I really love my team, and it’s kinda sad that this cycle is already over. It flew by sooo fast. Isaiah came by and took us sightseeing in the later afternoon. We got to see a little bit more of Dodoma. Isaiah, Elijah and Loyce had us over for a farewell dinner. It was really sweet of them, and they also gave us a card and a present. We don’t really know how all six of us will be able to share the one present but it’s the thot that counts. I started to get a little girly and emotional when Isaiah was saying his appreciation for us. But I contained myself and was a big girl :)
the team is packing now and we’re gonna be leaving Dodoma for Dar tomorrow morning. We’ll be meeting up with the rest of the team and will be heading for debrief on the coast. It’ll be neat cos we’re gonna be having presentations from each groups, as well as debrief interviews…dunno what to expect but im sure it’ll be just fine.
Guys, I’ve really appreciated, and enjoyed my time here in Tanzania. It was such a priviledge to have this experience, and it is my prayer that I would take what I’ve learnt here and bring it back to Canada. God sent me to preach the Word in Tanzania, and He’s sending me back to Canada to do the same. As the JF Manager, I was responsible for writing a summary report of our showings, but I’ll send that out to you guys when im back in Canada. I’ll also be updating my site with a final summary on what God has taught me thru out this trip and how I intend to use that knowledge in Canada. I really have to gather my thots, and review my journal and blogs. Words cannot convey how much this trip has impacted my life….but of course, I will try.
Thanks again everyone, and I’ll see you after debrief in…less than one week!
With the love of Christ,
Deb
After the meeting we were able to setup a table with 300 JESUS Film videos in swahili…it was really cool cos we were able to meet with a number of Members of Parliament. and get this – we met the Prime Minister of Tanzania…yeah, I felt like an idiot cos I had no clue exactly who he was but I shook his hand and smiled :) BUT I was able to have a conversation with two other MPs, both of whom have visited Canada. One of them (a representative of a constituency…whatever that means??) actually attended UBC for part of his schooling so that was cool. He said that he will be making another visit to Vancouver in August, and gave me his namecard, and told me to email him so we can meet for lunch. Amy (TWU) and I were pretty psyched…it’ll be funny if we actually DO meet up with him. I had a funny incident with another MP. He was the Deputy Minister of Transportation and Commuication in Tanzania, and he was in line ahead of me in the cafeteria. (yep, we ate lunch with the MPs, go figure!) he let me go first in getting my juice and he said to me “you’re buying one glass of juice? I will pay for you.” It was so kind of him. I mean it was only 400 shillings (40 cents US) but still, it was very thoughtful. This same fellow had come to our table earlier and boldly claimed “I am a Muslim, but I would still like to know about Jesus…can I have a video?” and we were more than happy to give it to him. Good times. I sorta wished that I knew more about politics while I was there, but after reflecting in prayer, im sorta glad that I didn’t because I would have elevated these people higher than they already were, which leads to my next topic…
Talk about a drastic change in setting. In the late afternoon, we went to an orphanage where all the children had HIV. There were 90 some odd children there and 5 nuns to run the place. There are volunteers there as well that play a role as parents to groups of these kids, but aside from that, the children mainly interact with themselves and the nuns. This orphanage was very nice, which is a blessing cos these kids have already gone thru so much. Many of the children still don’t know that they don’t have parents, or that they have HIV. It’ll take time for them to eventually find out, and then have to accept it. Anyways, we spent our time playing and singing with them for about two hours. It was really fun. They also sang for us, and played the Jamaican steel drums! It was insane – there were six different drums and each kids was playing a different melody, but when it was all at the same time, it sounded so pretty! These kids are really talented. Ethan and I were like “hmm, I think we’d make fools of ourselves if we even tried to play.” I couldn’t believe the talent that these kids have. But yah, as I said when I was reflecting in prayer…. It as an honour to be used by God in sharing His Gospel with the Members of Parliament…but you know what? It’s also an honour to be used by God in sharing His Gospel in the villages, in the University of Dar es Salaam, and in the orphanages. God views each of these people – MP, student, HIV child – as precious, and loves them all equally. And so I strive to love people with that kind of love too. It’s definitely been my prayer for awhile that God would give me compassion towards the “unloved…” if that makes sense. Yeah, and that I wouldn’t show favouritism.
Today, being our last day was spent doing bible study and some good team fun. I really love my team, and it’s kinda sad that this cycle is already over. It flew by sooo fast. Isaiah came by and took us sightseeing in the later afternoon. We got to see a little bit more of Dodoma. Isaiah, Elijah and Loyce had us over for a farewell dinner. It was really sweet of them, and they also gave us a card and a present. We don’t really know how all six of us will be able to share the one present but it’s the thot that counts. I started to get a little girly and emotional when Isaiah was saying his appreciation for us. But I contained myself and was a big girl :)
the team is packing now and we’re gonna be leaving Dodoma for Dar tomorrow morning. We’ll be meeting up with the rest of the team and will be heading for debrief on the coast. It’ll be neat cos we’re gonna be having presentations from each groups, as well as debrief interviews…dunno what to expect but im sure it’ll be just fine.
Guys, I’ve really appreciated, and enjoyed my time here in Tanzania. It was such a priviledge to have this experience, and it is my prayer that I would take what I’ve learnt here and bring it back to Canada. God sent me to preach the Word in Tanzania, and He’s sending me back to Canada to do the same. As the JF Manager, I was responsible for writing a summary report of our showings, but I’ll send that out to you guys when im back in Canada. I’ll also be updating my site with a final summary on what God has taught me thru out this trip and how I intend to use that knowledge in Canada. I really have to gather my thots, and review my journal and blogs. Words cannot convey how much this trip has impacted my life….but of course, I will try.
Thanks again everyone, and I’ll see you after debrief in…less than one week!
With the love of Christ,
Deb
Monday, June 07, 2004
IMPORTANT: I was just in the middle of writing you guys when we received an update from staff in Arusha (where our staff team is). This is mainly an update mainly for Rainbow’s supporters, since I noticed that she hasn’t blogged for sometime. According to our staff, the key contact person (essentially, their version of our Isaiah) for Tanga passed away last nite. His name is Julius and he leaves behind a wife, and three kids. God called him home, and tho we don’t understand timing sometimes, we know that God has everything under control. The team leaders for Tanga are Andrew, and Julie, with Rainbow as JF Manager. During the campus cycle, Ethan (my team leader) was discipling Andrew. He’s young in leadership but has a heart for God and His plans. During their last personal discipleship time, Ethan and Andrew read from the book of Joshua 1: 1-9, the same verses my brother shared with me the morning of my departure. It says: “1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD , said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates-all the Hittite country-to the Great Sea [1] on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
All we know right now is that Tanga is at a standstill, not really knowing what the next step is. The key contact person for Arusha is on his way to Tanga to help out their situation, but that means that Arusha is also left behind…without a key person. The other teams are doing well. Morogoro saw 100 people come to Christ last nite, but staff is still waiting for Iringa and Mbeya to check in. guys, please pray for Tanga, that God would give Andrew and Julie wisdom in this situation, and that rainbow would also not be discouraged, but that she would be reminded of God’s sovereignty and love.. Spiritual warfare has been huge, as you’ll read later in this blog – and the death of Julius is shaking up the entire canadian team, so please pray that the individual teams would look forward, and go forth with the task set before them. Satan is trying to use this situation to discourage us, but in the name of Jesus, we will not allow it. Thanks guys, and keep the teams, especially Tanga, in your prayers. UPDATE: just talked to andrew and rainbow, and they’re doing alright – whatever that means.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey everyone!
It’s been a few days eh? EH? Ahhh, so good to be canadian. Well a lot of stuff has happened in the past few days. I’ll start with the fun things that make this trip wonderful.
Haha, I forgot to mention that last Sunday I had a “willingdon moment.” We went to International Baptist Church, and it had white people! But that wasn’t what reminded me of willingdon. Rather it was the opening song that reminded me of pastor ron/andy. “as I come into your presence…..you are awesome in this place miiiiighty God.” Hehehe, good times. I also presented my testimony infront of the church, which was a neat experience.
We were in a deserted, way out in the middle of nowhere village called Hembahemba during a JF (jesus film) showing (more later) and it was so dark. The stars shone so brightly, and for the first time, I saw the dusting of stars otherwise known as the milky way. I think I may have seen it once before in Kelowna, but nowhere as bright and clear as in Hembahemba.
Our team is bonding so well since our arrival. God has definitely blessed this team with unity. It’s different from my campus team. I was with them for four weeks, but I feel like I’ve known my JF team more in the 5 days we’ve been together. We have all our meals together like a little family, in our little house.
The LIFE ministry staff here are awesome. Isaiah, Elijah and Lois have all been such an encouragement to our team. Particularly Elijah. He shows the film almost everyday, and with every film showing he’s just as passionate, if not more than the nite before, to tell people about Jesus. Such an encouragement.
Hehe, God lead worship at church on Sunday, and used me to lead it. Pentacostals + Tanzanians = good times! The church service was 3 hours long!! Needless to say there was A LOT of singing. So picture this – a good 2 hours of worship both in swahili (yeah, we led in swahili too!) and english, with a lot of dancing, actions and just pure joy. It felt like an aerobics workout! It was great. At one point the girls, and other women were dancing round in a circle. It was such a neat experience, that even tho the majority of the service was in swahili and we didn’t understand what was being said, that both Tanzanians and Canadians were worshipping the same God I unity. Good times. Oh yah, and my worship leading experience. We had NO practice at all.. when we arrived all I saw was a freaking keyboard! I was trying to remain calm as I was remembering what my roomie, and piano extrodinaire friend taught me about piano. I started playing “come now is the time to worship” and it sounded aight…BUT THEN I saw an electric guitar and leapt for how. Yep…I leead with an electric guitar…had he bass player come in whenever he wanted too, and we lead Hillsongs style – the entire team on stage singing and worshipping God…it was poa! (cool) what an experience…never to forget.
We also visited a preschool that’s affiliated with Compassion International. People – I PLAYED WITH KIDS!! It was so freaky…I waarned my team ahead of time about my fear/dislike of children, and I think I fell in love with these kids in the time we were there. They are so beautiful and precious. We played games with them and sang with them, for a good hour and a half, and it seemed like 10 minutes. Also, this morning we had the opportunity to visit three other ministries present here in Dodoma: SIL, MAF, and World Vision. SIL is the sister organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators, which im sure many of you have heard of. They have such a cool ministry. It is their desire that everyone have the opportunity to have a bible translated into their native language. It takes about 7 years for the new testament to be translated into a native language. While it’s being translatted, SIL educate the children on how to read and write in their language. SIL also helps develop an alphabet – which is one of the main reasons it takes so long. MAF – Missionary Air Force is by far one of the coolest ministries I’ve ever heard of. We actually are staying at the base of MAF and were given a tour today of what it is. They basically exist to safely transport missionaries to deserted villages and towns. Many times, missionaries die on the way to their destinations because of faulty airplanes. So MAF has a high safety regulation with mechanics, and pilots residing on the base. Finally, we also visited World Vision and saw what they were up to in Tanzania. We didn’t get to see the children like with Compassion, but we were essentially told the same thing, with a bit more detail as what you see on TV. But yeah, we were told the difference btw World Vision, and Compassion – for those who are interested, I’ll tell you when I get back
Alright, I’ve blabbed enough – now on to the JF film showings. So far we’ve shown 3 JF with our 4th one tonite. Everything went as planned in Makulu, and Chang’ombe, but our last JF showing was a spiritual battle. It later made sense when we found out the history of the village. To make a long story short, here’s a rundown of the attacks we received during our time in Hembahemba. The dala dala we were on was literally falling apart there and back with the doors being tied on with string, and the engine smoking like crazy, carly got her money stolen by our conductor of the dala dala (but it was later returned), a number of miscommuncated messages between team members, hostile children (compared to the children in the other villages who were loving and friendly) as well as a moth getting stuck in the projector which could have potentially stopped the showing. From the moment we began setup, I sensed something really weird, and told Amy. We were later informed that Hembahemba is a very very dark place. There have been many attempts in he past to establish a church there, but it has failed many times. The church that is there now is newly planted and needs tons of prayer for the village of Hembahemba. People get drunk there all the time, and women from all over Tanzania flock to Hembahemba for prostitution. There is a lot of witchcraft practiced there too. We soon understood the spiritual status of Hembahemba So guys, we’re expecting a lot of attacks in the next few days, especially with parliament. it was confirmed with Isaiah today that we will indeed be able to sit in a parliament meeting – first time ever in the history of Tanzania to have foreigners sit in. why are they allowing us? I have no clue. What’s the significance? Beats me. But God wants us to reach the leaders of Tanzania, so please pray for our team that we would be allowed entry into parliament and not denied it at the last minute, as we’ve seen in the past (other events cancelled)
Oh yah, and I forgot to mention about Elijah, the other LIFE Ministry staff and isaiah’s daughter, Loyce. Great people, and translators!
Love you guys so much. Praise God for His supporters. A week and a half guys – we’re not leaving without a fight.
Deb
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
All we know right now is that Tanga is at a standstill, not really knowing what the next step is. The key contact person for Arusha is on his way to Tanga to help out their situation, but that means that Arusha is also left behind…without a key person. The other teams are doing well. Morogoro saw 100 people come to Christ last nite, but staff is still waiting for Iringa and Mbeya to check in. guys, please pray for Tanga, that God would give Andrew and Julie wisdom in this situation, and that rainbow would also not be discouraged, but that she would be reminded of God’s sovereignty and love.. Spiritual warfare has been huge, as you’ll read later in this blog – and the death of Julius is shaking up the entire canadian team, so please pray that the individual teams would look forward, and go forth with the task set before them. Satan is trying to use this situation to discourage us, but in the name of Jesus, we will not allow it. Thanks guys, and keep the teams, especially Tanga, in your prayers. UPDATE: just talked to andrew and rainbow, and they’re doing alright – whatever that means.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey everyone!
It’s been a few days eh? EH? Ahhh, so good to be canadian. Well a lot of stuff has happened in the past few days. I’ll start with the fun things that make this trip wonderful.
Haha, I forgot to mention that last Sunday I had a “willingdon moment.” We went to International Baptist Church, and it had white people! But that wasn’t what reminded me of willingdon. Rather it was the opening song that reminded me of pastor ron/andy. “as I come into your presence…..you are awesome in this place miiiiighty God.” Hehehe, good times. I also presented my testimony infront of the church, which was a neat experience.
We were in a deserted, way out in the middle of nowhere village called Hembahemba during a JF (jesus film) showing (more later) and it was so dark. The stars shone so brightly, and for the first time, I saw the dusting of stars otherwise known as the milky way. I think I may have seen it once before in Kelowna, but nowhere as bright and clear as in Hembahemba.
Our team is bonding so well since our arrival. God has definitely blessed this team with unity. It’s different from my campus team. I was with them for four weeks, but I feel like I’ve known my JF team more in the 5 days we’ve been together. We have all our meals together like a little family, in our little house.
The LIFE ministry staff here are awesome. Isaiah, Elijah and Lois have all been such an encouragement to our team. Particularly Elijah. He shows the film almost everyday, and with every film showing he’s just as passionate, if not more than the nite before, to tell people about Jesus. Such an encouragement.
Hehe, God lead worship at church on Sunday, and used me to lead it. Pentacostals + Tanzanians = good times! The church service was 3 hours long!! Needless to say there was A LOT of singing. So picture this – a good 2 hours of worship both in swahili (yeah, we led in swahili too!) and english, with a lot of dancing, actions and just pure joy. It felt like an aerobics workout! It was great. At one point the girls, and other women were dancing round in a circle. It was such a neat experience, that even tho the majority of the service was in swahili and we didn’t understand what was being said, that both Tanzanians and Canadians were worshipping the same God I unity. Good times. Oh yah, and my worship leading experience. We had NO practice at all.. when we arrived all I saw was a freaking keyboard! I was trying to remain calm as I was remembering what my roomie, and piano extrodinaire friend taught me about piano. I started playing “come now is the time to worship” and it sounded aight…BUT THEN I saw an electric guitar and leapt for how. Yep…I leead with an electric guitar…had he bass player come in whenever he wanted too, and we lead Hillsongs style – the entire team on stage singing and worshipping God…it was poa! (cool) what an experience…never to forget.
We also visited a preschool that’s affiliated with Compassion International. People – I PLAYED WITH KIDS!! It was so freaky…I waarned my team ahead of time about my fear/dislike of children, and I think I fell in love with these kids in the time we were there. They are so beautiful and precious. We played games with them and sang with them, for a good hour and a half, and it seemed like 10 minutes. Also, this morning we had the opportunity to visit three other ministries present here in Dodoma: SIL, MAF, and World Vision. SIL is the sister organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators, which im sure many of you have heard of. They have such a cool ministry. It is their desire that everyone have the opportunity to have a bible translated into their native language. It takes about 7 years for the new testament to be translated into a native language. While it’s being translatted, SIL educate the children on how to read and write in their language. SIL also helps develop an alphabet – which is one of the main reasons it takes so long. MAF – Missionary Air Force is by far one of the coolest ministries I’ve ever heard of. We actually are staying at the base of MAF and were given a tour today of what it is. They basically exist to safely transport missionaries to deserted villages and towns. Many times, missionaries die on the way to their destinations because of faulty airplanes. So MAF has a high safety regulation with mechanics, and pilots residing on the base. Finally, we also visited World Vision and saw what they were up to in Tanzania. We didn’t get to see the children like with Compassion, but we were essentially told the same thing, with a bit more detail as what you see on TV. But yeah, we were told the difference btw World Vision, and Compassion – for those who are interested, I’ll tell you when I get back
Alright, I’ve blabbed enough – now on to the JF film showings. So far we’ve shown 3 JF with our 4th one tonite. Everything went as planned in Makulu, and Chang’ombe, but our last JF showing was a spiritual battle. It later made sense when we found out the history of the village. To make a long story short, here’s a rundown of the attacks we received during our time in Hembahemba. The dala dala we were on was literally falling apart there and back with the doors being tied on with string, and the engine smoking like crazy, carly got her money stolen by our conductor of the dala dala (but it was later returned), a number of miscommuncated messages between team members, hostile children (compared to the children in the other villages who were loving and friendly) as well as a moth getting stuck in the projector which could have potentially stopped the showing. From the moment we began setup, I sensed something really weird, and told Amy. We were later informed that Hembahemba is a very very dark place. There have been many attempts in he past to establish a church there, but it has failed many times. The church that is there now is newly planted and needs tons of prayer for the village of Hembahemba. People get drunk there all the time, and women from all over Tanzania flock to Hembahemba for prostitution. There is a lot of witchcraft practiced there too. We soon understood the spiritual status of Hembahemba So guys, we’re expecting a lot of attacks in the next few days, especially with parliament. it was confirmed with Isaiah today that we will indeed be able to sit in a parliament meeting – first time ever in the history of Tanzania to have foreigners sit in. why are they allowing us? I have no clue. What’s the significance? Beats me. But God wants us to reach the leaders of Tanzania, so please pray for our team that we would be allowed entry into parliament and not denied it at the last minute, as we’ve seen in the past (other events cancelled)
Oh yah, and I forgot to mention about Elijah, the other LIFE Ministry staff and isaiah’s daughter, Loyce. Great people, and translators!
Love you guys so much. Praise God for His supporters. A week and a half guys – we’re not leaving without a fight.
Deb
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Hi everyone!
Wow, so much has happened since I last wrote so let’s se how much I can cover.
We had an amazing time at R&R. we stayed at a camp in Mikumi National Park. It was my first, and I guess BEST R&R ever. I ate, slept, read, played and went on a safari…twice! They served us north american food and we had real ketchup, hot chocolate, and many other foods and condiments that I take for granted back home. It was a great day and a half of rest…but now we’re back at it doing the Jesus Film Cyle.
My team, consisting of Ethan, Julie, Carly, Amy (rainbow’s roommate), and Elizabeth arrived in Dodoma around 3:30pm yesterday. We seperated from the greater team in Morogoro, where we said our goodbyes, until debrief. Three words…I LOVE DODOMA! Apparently, many people said that it was flat an ugly and dry but it’s perfect here. The weather is much cooler than Dar. Isaiah (LIFE Ministry staff) picked us up and dropped us off at our hostel. We’ve been blessed with really good amenities, and security. It’s great cos we don’t have to worry about all that, and can focus our energy on the film. Our first showing is tonite in a village called Makulu. It’s our very first showing, so if you read this blog in time, please pray that the weather will be suitable, many people will come, the equipment will function, as well as our safety, health, and team unity.
Our trip is rather unique cos we get to work with parliament, and also will be meeting up with some christian organizations (bible translators, and the like), visiting children in primary schools (students who are all sponsor kids of Compassion International!) and leading workshops and even church services. I think…think that I will be leading worship for two really long services so pray that God would be able to use me in my guitar playing, and the rest of the team in their voices :)
So it’s just us, a student-led team, and one big God. Keep us in your prayers, for the next 10 days. I’ll update as I can, but honestly, since I’ve arrived in Dodoma, I’ve had a wonderful sense of confirmation and peace that THIS I exactly where im suppose to be, and have been, in a sense “freed” from this I-miss-canada phase.
Lov you guys,
deb
Hi everyone!
Wow, so much has happened since I last wrote so let’s se how much I can cover.
We had an amazing time at R&R. we stayed at a camp in Mikumi National Park. It was my first, and I guess BEST R&R ever. I ate, slept, read, played and went on a safari…twice! They served us north american food and we had real ketchup, hot chocolate, and many other foods and condiments that I take for granted back home. It was a great day and a half of rest…but now we’re back at it doing the Jesus Film Cyle.
My team, consisting of Ethan, Julie, Carly, Amy (rainbow’s roommate), and Elizabeth arrived in Dodoma around 3:30pm yesterday. We seperated from the greater team in Morogoro, where we said our goodbyes, until debrief. Three words…I LOVE DODOMA! Apparently, many people said that it was flat an ugly and dry but it’s perfect here. The weather is much cooler than Dar. Isaiah (LIFE Ministry staff) picked us up and dropped us off at our hostel. We’ve been blessed with really good amenities, and security. It’s great cos we don’t have to worry about all that, and can focus our energy on the film. Our first showing is tonite in a village called Makulu. It’s our very first showing, so if you read this blog in time, please pray that the weather will be suitable, many people will come, the equipment will function, as well as our safety, health, and team unity.
Our trip is rather unique cos we get to work with parliament, and also will be meeting up with some christian organizations (bible translators, and the like), visiting children in primary schools (students who are all sponsor kids of Compassion International!) and leading workshops and even church services. I think…think that I will be leading worship for two really long services so pray that God would be able to use me in my guitar playing, and the rest of the team in their voices :)
So it’s just us, a student-led team, and one big God. Keep us in your prayers, for the next 10 days. I’ll update as I can, but honestly, since I’ve arrived in Dodoma, I’ve had a wonderful sense of confirmation and peace that THIS I exactly where im suppose to be, and have been, in a sense “freed” from this I-miss-canada phase.
Lov you guys,
deb
Wow, so much has happened since I last wrote so let’s se how much I can cover.
We had an amazing time at R&R. we stayed at a camp in Mikumi National Park. It was my first, and I guess BEST R&R ever. I ate, slept, read, played and went on a safari…twice! They served us north american food and we had real ketchup, hot chocolate, and many other foods and condiments that I take for granted back home. It was a great day and a half of rest…but now we’re back at it doing the Jesus Film Cyle.
My team, consisting of Ethan, Julie, Carly, Amy (rainbow’s roommate), and Elizabeth arrived in Dodoma around 3:30pm yesterday. We seperated from the greater team in Morogoro, where we said our goodbyes, until debrief. Three words…I LOVE DODOMA! Apparently, many people said that it was flat an ugly and dry but it’s perfect here. The weather is much cooler than Dar. Isaiah (LIFE Ministry staff) picked us up and dropped us off at our hostel. We’ve been blessed with really good amenities, and security. It’s great cos we don’t have to worry about all that, and can focus our energy on the film. Our first showing is tonite in a village called Makulu. It’s our very first showing, so if you read this blog in time, please pray that the weather will be suitable, many people will come, the equipment will function, as well as our safety, health, and team unity.
Our trip is rather unique cos we get to work with parliament, and also will be meeting up with some christian organizations (bible translators, and the like), visiting children in primary schools (students who are all sponsor kids of Compassion International!) and leading workshops and even church services. I think…think that I will be leading worship for two really long services so pray that God would be able to use me in my guitar playing, and the rest of the team in their voices :)
So it’s just us, a student-led team, and one big God. Keep us in your prayers, for the next 10 days. I’ll update as I can, but honestly, since I’ve arrived in Dodoma, I’ve had a wonderful sense of confirmation and peace that THIS I exactly where im suppose to be, and have been, in a sense “freed” from this I-miss-canada phase.
Lov you guys,
deb
Hi everyone!
Wow, so much has happened since I last wrote so let’s se how much I can cover.
We had an amazing time at R&R. we stayed at a camp in Mikumi National Park. It was my first, and I guess BEST R&R ever. I ate, slept, read, played and went on a safari…twice! They served us north american food and we had real ketchup, hot chocolate, and many other foods and condiments that I take for granted back home. It was a great day and a half of rest…but now we’re back at it doing the Jesus Film Cyle.
My team, consisting of Ethan, Julie, Carly, Amy (rainbow’s roommate), and Elizabeth arrived in Dodoma around 3:30pm yesterday. We seperated from the greater team in Morogoro, where we said our goodbyes, until debrief. Three words…I LOVE DODOMA! Apparently, many people said that it was flat an ugly and dry but it’s perfect here. The weather is much cooler than Dar. Isaiah (LIFE Ministry staff) picked us up and dropped us off at our hostel. We’ve been blessed with really good amenities, and security. It’s great cos we don’t have to worry about all that, and can focus our energy on the film. Our first showing is tonite in a village called Makulu. It’s our very first showing, so if you read this blog in time, please pray that the weather will be suitable, many people will come, the equipment will function, as well as our safety, health, and team unity.
Our trip is rather unique cos we get to work with parliament, and also will be meeting up with some christian organizations (bible translators, and the like), visiting children in primary schools (students who are all sponsor kids of Compassion International!) and leading workshops and even church services. I think…think that I will be leading worship for two really long services so pray that God would be able to use me in my guitar playing, and the rest of the team in their voices :)
So it’s just us, a student-led team, and one big God. Keep us in your prayers, for the next 10 days. I’ll update as I can, but honestly, since I’ve arrived in Dodoma, I’ve had a wonderful sense of confirmation and peace that THIS I exactly where im suppose to be, and have been, in a sense “freed” from this I-miss-canada phase.
Lov you guys,
deb
Sunday, May 30, 2004
Hey everyone..
Ahh, the bus is leaving in 45 minutes but I have more to update you on and stuff to pray for
By the way, for those of you who are looking for rainbow’s blog this morning, she told me to say that she sucks at packing so she can’t blog. Her team, however, will be returning to Dar on the way to Tanga so she will proly have internet access on Wednesday.
Alright, so as you know my team is going to Dodoma…this is going to be the capital of Tanzania shortly. We have a special job cos it’s the first time the JESUS Film will be showed in this city. On top of that, we will be working closely with parliament. On one of the days, we may be able to sit in on a parliamentary meeting where they talk about country affairs and what not. This may be the first time foreigners are allowed to do sit in the house like that so it’s such a priviledge. One of the days will be spent handing out JESUS Films to people at the parliament building. So as I mentioned when I first embarked on this trip – we are working with the leaders of Tanzania…students and ones currently working in office. Cool!
We’re all taken on our roles, and both rainbow and I (thot on separate teams) have taken on the role of JESUS Film Manager. This role basically oversees the viewing of the show. We are to train members of our team to use the equipment, as well as be able to troubleshoot should anything go wrong during the film. We were all trained on how to use the equipment yesterday…and it’s soo old school with projectors, generators, screens and the like. Im excited about this new cycle of our trip, and I pray that God would help me in this role. Both rainbow and I have taken on a pretty big role as we will be working closely with our team leaders, and will be part of figuring out what sites are appropriate for screening the movie. We’re told that we will be showing it 6 times during our trip, tho that number may change. We usually will be setting up around 5pm, and the show will start at 7pm. It’s all in Swahili, and during that time, two people will be assigned time slots to be praying. Pray that both rainbow and I will be able to handle our role efficiently relying on the Holy Spirit to guide us. Since we’ll be working closely with our team leaders, pray that we have clear communication and that no conflict will arise. My team leader is Ethan, and Rainbow’s is Andrew.
Team Dodoma will be staying in a guest house while we’re out so no worries with food….i think. Since we’re in a city, it should be fairly similar to Dar, tho the weather is quite different. It’s much cooler averaging about 20, but it’s very dry. Apparently it’s the “ugliest” of the different sites cos there’s nothing much to see (eg, mountains, caves, coast etc) but we’re all excited cos it’s a new JESUS Film site and we’re working with parliament.
Aside from that we’re heading off to R&R now. I have a feeling we’ll be playing some Survivor-esque games while we’re out there.
By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM THEE in Vancouver…I love you! And just for JON (although I already said it to him on msn) HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAY BACK ON MAY 21!
Later!
Debs
Ahh, the bus is leaving in 45 minutes but I have more to update you on and stuff to pray for
By the way, for those of you who are looking for rainbow’s blog this morning, she told me to say that she sucks at packing so she can’t blog. Her team, however, will be returning to Dar on the way to Tanga so she will proly have internet access on Wednesday.
Alright, so as you know my team is going to Dodoma…this is going to be the capital of Tanzania shortly. We have a special job cos it’s the first time the JESUS Film will be showed in this city. On top of that, we will be working closely with parliament. On one of the days, we may be able to sit in on a parliamentary meeting where they talk about country affairs and what not. This may be the first time foreigners are allowed to do sit in the house like that so it’s such a priviledge. One of the days will be spent handing out JESUS Films to people at the parliament building. So as I mentioned when I first embarked on this trip – we are working with the leaders of Tanzania…students and ones currently working in office. Cool!
We’re all taken on our roles, and both rainbow and I (thot on separate teams) have taken on the role of JESUS Film Manager. This role basically oversees the viewing of the show. We are to train members of our team to use the equipment, as well as be able to troubleshoot should anything go wrong during the film. We were all trained on how to use the equipment yesterday…and it’s soo old school with projectors, generators, screens and the like. Im excited about this new cycle of our trip, and I pray that God would help me in this role. Both rainbow and I have taken on a pretty big role as we will be working closely with our team leaders, and will be part of figuring out what sites are appropriate for screening the movie. We’re told that we will be showing it 6 times during our trip, tho that number may change. We usually will be setting up around 5pm, and the show will start at 7pm. It’s all in Swahili, and during that time, two people will be assigned time slots to be praying. Pray that both rainbow and I will be able to handle our role efficiently relying on the Holy Spirit to guide us. Since we’ll be working closely with our team leaders, pray that we have clear communication and that no conflict will arise. My team leader is Ethan, and Rainbow’s is Andrew.
Team Dodoma will be staying in a guest house while we’re out so no worries with food….i think. Since we’re in a city, it should be fairly similar to Dar, tho the weather is quite different. It’s much cooler averaging about 20, but it’s very dry. Apparently it’s the “ugliest” of the different sites cos there’s nothing much to see (eg, mountains, caves, coast etc) but we’re all excited cos it’s a new JESUS Film site and we’re working with parliament.
Aside from that we’re heading off to R&R now. I have a feeling we’ll be playing some Survivor-esque games while we’re out there.
By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM THEE in Vancouver…I love you! And just for JON (although I already said it to him on msn) HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAY BACK ON MAY 21!
Later!
Debs
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Alright, so I lied…I had to write you guys again. We found out our teams for the JESUS film cycle, and im so excited! It’s great cos we get to work with new people…aaaaand im going to Dodoma! It’s gonna be great…one of the highlights that I’m looking forward to – wearing a sweater. It’s apparently much cooler there, yay! So yeah, that’s that!
And finally, I have to blog about the wonderful day we had today. A small group of us decided to go downtown to exchange the last bit of our money, grab some food and do some shopping for cookies before the JESUS film cycle began. We were at a bank waiting to exchange money and we saw free coffee. That was the first treat of the day…the coffee was mmmm good. THEN as we walked out we saw a SUBWAY and almost freaked out!! There has not been a single north American restaurant here, not even a mcdonalds. So when we saw this, we were sooo excited. We went in and ordered…too a lot of pictures, and ate our 12” subs. Mmm, good. And we had ice cream too. Yeah, we decided to splurge cos after this we’re gonna end up eating something called “ugali” which is basially pasty rice stuff…it just looks like a blob of white stuff that you dip in a watery sauce…eeew….eeeeww. so yeah, good times with food.
Alright, and yes, this is the last post.
Love ya,
Debs
And finally, I have to blog about the wonderful day we had today. A small group of us decided to go downtown to exchange the last bit of our money, grab some food and do some shopping for cookies before the JESUS film cycle began. We were at a bank waiting to exchange money and we saw free coffee. That was the first treat of the day…the coffee was mmmm good. THEN as we walked out we saw a SUBWAY and almost freaked out!! There has not been a single north American restaurant here, not even a mcdonalds. So when we saw this, we were sooo excited. We went in and ordered…too a lot of pictures, and ate our 12” subs. Mmm, good. And we had ice cream too. Yeah, we decided to splurge cos after this we’re gonna end up eating something called “ugali” which is basially pasty rice stuff…it just looks like a blob of white stuff that you dip in a watery sauce…eeew….eeeeww. so yeah, good times with food.
Alright, and yes, this is the last post.
Love ya,
Debs
Goooood morning everyone! Wow, I got to sleep in this morning, and have no plans today, other than to relax, and work on my testimony.
Yesterday was such an emotional day. I know I already blogged yesterday, but it just occurred to me today that this may be my last day of internet for a good 10 days! Everything is closed on Sundays, and we’re leaving for Morogoro Monday morning, so yeah…today is my last chance that I know of.
So yeah, as I said, yesterday was a day of mixed feelings… actually, let me read what I blogged about first, then I’ll get back to you…. … …ok got it! So I left off at saying that we were gonna have the coffeehouse and that was it. The coffeehouse was amazing, to say the least. I was incharge of serving punch to the people who came in. we had free refreshments like samosas, fruit, cookies and the like. Who knew serving punch would be such a huge responsibility…we ran our twice, but that was a good thing cos that meant that LOTS of people were there. Yeah, there were at least 200 people at that coffeehouse, and it was sooo encouraging to see so many people come out and enjoy the entertainment. Many of our new friends came out to say good bye to us. I spent most of the nite making juice, and serving people. The entertainment was awesome. We had around 10 performances mixed in with testimonies. People really enjoyed the music. There were a couple performances by Tanzanian students which were really good. Hehehe, they were rapping! I guess they really like to rap here, but it didn’t sound bad or anything. The first performance was really cool cos they had a couple of African drums going. Cool. But yeah, the emotional part of the nite soon approached as the nite went on. Rainbow and I went to go return the 7UP bottles to mr. Kombo back in the cafeteria. Bottles are huge here…they want bottles more than they want money, cos they can reuse the bottles, so that’s why we couldn’t keep the bottles. But anyways, I brought my little envelopes for all three of them. Only mr. Kombo and george were there…bean had already left. But it really sucked to say goodbye. They were saying to us “when will we see you again? Will you come back?” george who speaks two words of English and basically only Swahili was saying to mr. Kombo “when?” it was really…really sad cos im gonna miss those guys. But mr. Kombo knew the answer and said “one day, one day I’ll see you in paradise.” So yeah, we’ll see. But after we left the cafeteria, rainbow and I were silent. Who knew that people could touch our lives in a matter of 3 weeks. Shoot, now im getting all girly and emo. Then, back in the chapel I had to say good bye to 4 really great girls that have shown such an interest and have grown so much in their faith since we arrived. I’m so honoured that God would use me to disciple and teach these girls how to have a closer relationship with Him. Cool. But yeah, I didn’t think I would cry, but I got teary eyed.
I guess for me it was also a forshadowing of what’s gonna happen in 2 and a half weeks when WE have to leave each other in Toronto…well, some in London. Yeah, im not looking forward to having to say goodbye to such awesome people. it’s so neat tho that although we are all spread out over Canada in different universities, that we are all connected into the same vision: to turn students into Christ-centered labourers who know God and impact the world day by day. God sent us to Tanzania to minister to the students at U of Dar, and He’s sending us back to do the same at SFU, UBC, Queens, Carleton, U of M, U of S, U of A, and the list goes on! What a privilege to be a missionary in your own campus and your own community; it’s where it should begin. I’ll whine more about my missing these people in a future blog, im sure of it!
But yeah, so that’s that. We’re done. I will probably never set foot on that campus again, but you know, that’s ok. Because just cos I’m not there, or the team isn’t there…doesn’t mean that God isn’t gonna be working on the hearts of the students. I’ve shared a number of stories where people have come to Christ months later, having come to the realization that this is what they need, the most essential thing to their life.. We preach, and He changes hearts. I like that.
Did I also mention that we have an amazing group of staff members who have done an excellent job of leading this team? Yeah, Chris and Gretchen Polachic from UBC, Kelly Yen from McMaster, Jen Werner from U of Saskatchewan, Archie and Cindy Kenyon from U of Western Ontario, and Ginny and Crystel who aren’t at campuses but work for the organization. We are so blessed to have them as they all are different and bring a different gifting and ability to the team. Kelly has left us this morning to go to south Africa to meet up with his girlfriend, MC, and her family, where they will be there for two weeks. I never really knew the guy cos he wasn’t on my team, but the times that I talked to him were really good. It’s cool cos he grew up in Vancouver, and well, his parents live five minutes away from me. Yeah, Burnaby mountain golf course…but I know that he’s had a profound impact on rainbow. He was her team leader. But yeah, Gretchen is another cool chick – she’s married and has lots of wonderful stories about school, relationships, and life. Good thing she’s at UBC cos I can meet up with her. Jen Werner, im sure you’ve heard me say enough about her. Crystel is my PD person and she’s got a great personality with always something crazy to say. Ginny…aww, her and Cindy are so sweet. They spent the day with me when I was sick earlier in the trip, and they’re just such godly women. And archie and chris…are just…crazy. That’s all I have to say. That’s my blurb on my staff…more for my benefit so I can read this when I get home…that was proly boring for you.
K, and finally, last last I promise. Archie asked me if I could do my testimony at Josephat’s (U of Dar staff) church this Sunday. So yeah, keep my in your prayers as I write it out and make sure that I cover all the necessary parts…and communicate it well. I don’t think I’ll get nervous, but you never know.
Alright, so that ends what I have to say. I hope you guys are all having a wonderful time back home.
Love you and miss you all,
Deb
PS: thanks all of you for taking the time to read this...i know i can be longwinded, but if you know me well, im a girl of many words, and so i remain consistent by being a girl of many...blogs!
PSS: we've also been told that the villages are a harder place to get used to. the university and the city are quite friendly, but when we're in the villages, the people are poorer, so we'll stand out as walking treasure chests. so keep our safety in your prayers as well.
Yesterday was such an emotional day. I know I already blogged yesterday, but it just occurred to me today that this may be my last day of internet for a good 10 days! Everything is closed on Sundays, and we’re leaving for Morogoro Monday morning, so yeah…today is my last chance that I know of.
So yeah, as I said, yesterday was a day of mixed feelings… actually, let me read what I blogged about first, then I’ll get back to you…. … …ok got it! So I left off at saying that we were gonna have the coffeehouse and that was it. The coffeehouse was amazing, to say the least. I was incharge of serving punch to the people who came in. we had free refreshments like samosas, fruit, cookies and the like. Who knew serving punch would be such a huge responsibility…we ran our twice, but that was a good thing cos that meant that LOTS of people were there. Yeah, there were at least 200 people at that coffeehouse, and it was sooo encouraging to see so many people come out and enjoy the entertainment. Many of our new friends came out to say good bye to us. I spent most of the nite making juice, and serving people. The entertainment was awesome. We had around 10 performances mixed in with testimonies. People really enjoyed the music. There were a couple performances by Tanzanian students which were really good. Hehehe, they were rapping! I guess they really like to rap here, but it didn’t sound bad or anything. The first performance was really cool cos they had a couple of African drums going. Cool. But yeah, the emotional part of the nite soon approached as the nite went on. Rainbow and I went to go return the 7UP bottles to mr. Kombo back in the cafeteria. Bottles are huge here…they want bottles more than they want money, cos they can reuse the bottles, so that’s why we couldn’t keep the bottles. But anyways, I brought my little envelopes for all three of them. Only mr. Kombo and george were there…bean had already left. But it really sucked to say goodbye. They were saying to us “when will we see you again? Will you come back?” george who speaks two words of English and basically only Swahili was saying to mr. Kombo “when?” it was really…really sad cos im gonna miss those guys. But mr. Kombo knew the answer and said “one day, one day I’ll see you in paradise.” So yeah, we’ll see. But after we left the cafeteria, rainbow and I were silent. Who knew that people could touch our lives in a matter of 3 weeks. Shoot, now im getting all girly and emo. Then, back in the chapel I had to say good bye to 4 really great girls that have shown such an interest and have grown so much in their faith since we arrived. I’m so honoured that God would use me to disciple and teach these girls how to have a closer relationship with Him. Cool. But yeah, I didn’t think I would cry, but I got teary eyed.
I guess for me it was also a forshadowing of what’s gonna happen in 2 and a half weeks when WE have to leave each other in Toronto…well, some in London. Yeah, im not looking forward to having to say goodbye to such awesome people. it’s so neat tho that although we are all spread out over Canada in different universities, that we are all connected into the same vision: to turn students into Christ-centered labourers who know God and impact the world day by day. God sent us to Tanzania to minister to the students at U of Dar, and He’s sending us back to do the same at SFU, UBC, Queens, Carleton, U of M, U of S, U of A, and the list goes on! What a privilege to be a missionary in your own campus and your own community; it’s where it should begin. I’ll whine more about my missing these people in a future blog, im sure of it!
But yeah, so that’s that. We’re done. I will probably never set foot on that campus again, but you know, that’s ok. Because just cos I’m not there, or the team isn’t there…doesn’t mean that God isn’t gonna be working on the hearts of the students. I’ve shared a number of stories where people have come to Christ months later, having come to the realization that this is what they need, the most essential thing to their life.. We preach, and He changes hearts. I like that.
Did I also mention that we have an amazing group of staff members who have done an excellent job of leading this team? Yeah, Chris and Gretchen Polachic from UBC, Kelly Yen from McMaster, Jen Werner from U of Saskatchewan, Archie and Cindy Kenyon from U of Western Ontario, and Ginny and Crystel who aren’t at campuses but work for the organization. We are so blessed to have them as they all are different and bring a different gifting and ability to the team. Kelly has left us this morning to go to south Africa to meet up with his girlfriend, MC, and her family, where they will be there for two weeks. I never really knew the guy cos he wasn’t on my team, but the times that I talked to him were really good. It’s cool cos he grew up in Vancouver, and well, his parents live five minutes away from me. Yeah, Burnaby mountain golf course…but I know that he’s had a profound impact on rainbow. He was her team leader. But yeah, Gretchen is another cool chick – she’s married and has lots of wonderful stories about school, relationships, and life. Good thing she’s at UBC cos I can meet up with her. Jen Werner, im sure you’ve heard me say enough about her. Crystel is my PD person and she’s got a great personality with always something crazy to say. Ginny…aww, her and Cindy are so sweet. They spent the day with me when I was sick earlier in the trip, and they’re just such godly women. And archie and chris…are just…crazy. That’s all I have to say. That’s my blurb on my staff…more for my benefit so I can read this when I get home…that was proly boring for you.
K, and finally, last last I promise. Archie asked me if I could do my testimony at Josephat’s (U of Dar staff) church this Sunday. So yeah, keep my in your prayers as I write it out and make sure that I cover all the necessary parts…and communicate it well. I don’t think I’ll get nervous, but you never know.
Alright, so that ends what I have to say. I hope you guys are all having a wonderful time back home.
Love you and miss you all,
Deb
PS: thanks all of you for taking the time to read this...i know i can be longwinded, but if you know me well, im a girl of many words, and so i remain consistent by being a girl of many...blogs!
PSS: we've also been told that the villages are a harder place to get used to. the university and the city are quite friendly, but when we're in the villages, the people are poorer, so we'll stand out as walking treasure chests. so keep our safety in your prayers as well.
Friday, May 28, 2004
good song that's really been speaking to me! listen to it if you can!!
Better Than Life
by Australia Hillsongs
Album :
Better Than Life
Words and Music by Marty Sampson
Better than the riches of this world
Better than the sound of my friend's voices
Better than the biggest dreams of my heart
And that's just the start
Better than getting what I say I need
Better than living the life that I want to
Better than the love anyone could give
Your love is
You hold me now in your arms
And never let me go
You oh lord make the sun shine
And the moon light in the night sky
You give me breath and all your love
I give my heart to you because
I can't stop falling in love with you
I'll never stop falling in love with you
I can't stop falling in love with you
I'll never stop falling in love with you
Better Than Life
by Australia Hillsongs
Album :
Better Than Life
Words and Music by Marty Sampson
Better than the riches of this world
Better than the sound of my friend's voices
Better than the biggest dreams of my heart
And that's just the start
Better than getting what I say I need
Better than living the life that I want to
Better than the love anyone could give
Your love is
You hold me now in your arms
And never let me go
You oh lord make the sun shine
And the moon light in the night sky
You give me breath and all your love
I give my heart to you because
I can't stop falling in love with you
I'll never stop falling in love with you
I can't stop falling in love with you
I'll never stop falling in love with you
Hey everyone!
I just had a wonderful time sharing with two girls the sprit-filled life! It was soo cool, cos mel and I were just walking outside heading towards the dorms, and these two girls, Stella and Doreen pop their heads our of their rooms and stella said “hi Rainbow!” and I was like “uhh, im not Rainbow, but I know her!” so they invited us up and we visited them. I asked her what rainbow shared with her and stella said “confession.” So after chatting for a bit and seeing where her and Doreen were at, we saw that they needed to hear about the sprit-filled life. They admitted that they were both Christians, but were not fully submitting their life to Christ…they were in the third circle of the satisfied booklet, if that makes it easier to understand. Anyways, when I got to the fourth point, I stopped and asked if they had any questions, and stella started asking “what about boyfriends. Can I still ask Jesus to help me, if I have a boyfriend?” that may not make any sense at first, but here, in tanzanian culture, to have a “boyfriend” means that you are engaging in sexual activity with them. If you are not, you call them you’re “special friend.” So yeah, they went on to ask us “how do we tell our boyfriends that we now want to have jesus in our life. What if they don’t listen?” they were concerned with “what if we tell them we don’t want to do “things” anymore, and they don’t listen.” It was crazy to see God convicting them of this sin right infront of us, and all we were doing was reading a book! Man, God is soo good and so powerful. So yeah, they prayed to filled with the Holy Spirit, and just before we left, stella said “I want be like you.” I was so encouraged that God stilled used me on my last day here. Praise be given to God.
Alright, so what else do I have to say….
“Roses are red, violets are blue, breakfast smells good, but not as good as all of you!” that was a poem the boys of the project read aloud for us. I love being a girl! Yesterday morning, all the girls were surprised as the boys woke up early and made us all breakfast! We had scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausages, fruit, CHEESE, and yogourt! Oh man, I miss the north American breakfast….IHOP anyone? It was such a sweet gesture, and the girls were definitely touched to have such awesome brothers in Christ. They’re all like our big brothers!
I was able to help lead worship again last nite. The staff were invited to the national director’s house for dinner, so it was student-led evening. There was worship, a time of sharing, and most importantly, prayer. We were able to encourage each other with our stories of people coming to Christ or learning about the Holy Spirit. One such story was from a girl on our team named Almut. She said that she encountered a girl who met a student from last year’s Tanzania team. This student had shared the four laws with her, but the girl wasn’t ready at the time to receive Christ into her life. So Almut visited her (not knowing about last year’s encounter) and the girl prayed to receive christ. So the student who shared last year with this girl was unable to see the fruit, but she was obedient to what God had called her to do – preach the word. Thru her obedience, this girl at the U of Dar came to Christ one year later! Cool! It totally reminds me, yet again, of Isaiah 55:10-11. when we feel like the preaching we’re doing is futile cos we see no fruit, keep on going.
Isaiah 55
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Tonite is our last event and sort of a goodbye party. It’s our coffeehouse and we’re praying that the students we have met in the past 3 weeks would come. It should be good, but will be a late nite. We’ll start at 7 and end around 11pm.
I have one last thing to share before I go. So I’m really gonna miss mr. kombo when I go. Infact, rainbow and I took a picture with mr. bean, kombo and george yesterday. But anyways, I’ve prepared little packages for them which each contain an English/Swahili bible, along with an English/Swahili dictionary and a personal letter and the four laws. It’s my prayer that they would read that bible and that God’s word would touch them. Chris, a member of the bigger team shared a wonderful story last nite about a muslim friend that he saw come to Christ. For a while this muslim said that he could’t be a Christian cos his muslim mother would abandon him. And for whatever reason, Chris lost contact with him for the past couple of weeks. He saw him just the other day, and the muslim friend said that God had been working on his heart, and that he decided to receive Christ, knowing full well the consequences. He said that God is more important to him than anything, and that he wants to share this with his mother. So that really encouraged me with my mr. kombo situation. I totally believe that God can work on his heart even when we’re not here. And I have to believe that I will see him again one day. Guys, this is what’s happening here in Tanzania as a result of your support – financial and prayer. Thank you sooo much for affecting the lives of sooo many Tanzanian students. Praise God for raising up labourers, AND supporters!
Oh yeah, more guys sang to rainbow and I . mr kombo rapped for us (hehe) and Julius (conductor on the bus) sang us some worship songs he sings in his church. Cute…they sang.
Aright, so this concludes our campus cycle. We’ll find out our teams shortly, can’t wait…have no clue what city im going to but will find out really soon. Dunno if I will have internet access in these cities, but nonetheless, I will send out at least one more entry before I leave for Morogoro (R&R) on Monday
Love ya guys tons!
Debs
I just had a wonderful time sharing with two girls the sprit-filled life! It was soo cool, cos mel and I were just walking outside heading towards the dorms, and these two girls, Stella and Doreen pop their heads our of their rooms and stella said “hi Rainbow!” and I was like “uhh, im not Rainbow, but I know her!” so they invited us up and we visited them. I asked her what rainbow shared with her and stella said “confession.” So after chatting for a bit and seeing where her and Doreen were at, we saw that they needed to hear about the sprit-filled life. They admitted that they were both Christians, but were not fully submitting their life to Christ…they were in the third circle of the satisfied booklet, if that makes it easier to understand. Anyways, when I got to the fourth point, I stopped and asked if they had any questions, and stella started asking “what about boyfriends. Can I still ask Jesus to help me, if I have a boyfriend?” that may not make any sense at first, but here, in tanzanian culture, to have a “boyfriend” means that you are engaging in sexual activity with them. If you are not, you call them you’re “special friend.” So yeah, they went on to ask us “how do we tell our boyfriends that we now want to have jesus in our life. What if they don’t listen?” they were concerned with “what if we tell them we don’t want to do “things” anymore, and they don’t listen.” It was crazy to see God convicting them of this sin right infront of us, and all we were doing was reading a book! Man, God is soo good and so powerful. So yeah, they prayed to filled with the Holy Spirit, and just before we left, stella said “I want be like you.” I was so encouraged that God stilled used me on my last day here. Praise be given to God.
Alright, so what else do I have to say….
“Roses are red, violets are blue, breakfast smells good, but not as good as all of you!” that was a poem the boys of the project read aloud for us. I love being a girl! Yesterday morning, all the girls were surprised as the boys woke up early and made us all breakfast! We had scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausages, fruit, CHEESE, and yogourt! Oh man, I miss the north American breakfast….IHOP anyone? It was such a sweet gesture, and the girls were definitely touched to have such awesome brothers in Christ. They’re all like our big brothers!
I was able to help lead worship again last nite. The staff were invited to the national director’s house for dinner, so it was student-led evening. There was worship, a time of sharing, and most importantly, prayer. We were able to encourage each other with our stories of people coming to Christ or learning about the Holy Spirit. One such story was from a girl on our team named Almut. She said that she encountered a girl who met a student from last year’s Tanzania team. This student had shared the four laws with her, but the girl wasn’t ready at the time to receive Christ into her life. So Almut visited her (not knowing about last year’s encounter) and the girl prayed to receive christ. So the student who shared last year with this girl was unable to see the fruit, but she was obedient to what God had called her to do – preach the word. Thru her obedience, this girl at the U of Dar came to Christ one year later! Cool! It totally reminds me, yet again, of Isaiah 55:10-11. when we feel like the preaching we’re doing is futile cos we see no fruit, keep on going.
Isaiah 55
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Tonite is our last event and sort of a goodbye party. It’s our coffeehouse and we’re praying that the students we have met in the past 3 weeks would come. It should be good, but will be a late nite. We’ll start at 7 and end around 11pm.
I have one last thing to share before I go. So I’m really gonna miss mr. kombo when I go. Infact, rainbow and I took a picture with mr. bean, kombo and george yesterday. But anyways, I’ve prepared little packages for them which each contain an English/Swahili bible, along with an English/Swahili dictionary and a personal letter and the four laws. It’s my prayer that they would read that bible and that God’s word would touch them. Chris, a member of the bigger team shared a wonderful story last nite about a muslim friend that he saw come to Christ. For a while this muslim said that he could’t be a Christian cos his muslim mother would abandon him. And for whatever reason, Chris lost contact with him for the past couple of weeks. He saw him just the other day, and the muslim friend said that God had been working on his heart, and that he decided to receive Christ, knowing full well the consequences. He said that God is more important to him than anything, and that he wants to share this with his mother. So that really encouraged me with my mr. kombo situation. I totally believe that God can work on his heart even when we’re not here. And I have to believe that I will see him again one day. Guys, this is what’s happening here in Tanzania as a result of your support – financial and prayer. Thank you sooo much for affecting the lives of sooo many Tanzanian students. Praise God for raising up labourers, AND supporters!
Oh yeah, more guys sang to rainbow and I . mr kombo rapped for us (hehe) and Julius (conductor on the bus) sang us some worship songs he sings in his church. Cute…they sang.
Aright, so this concludes our campus cycle. We’ll find out our teams shortly, can’t wait…have no clue what city im going to but will find out really soon. Dunno if I will have internet access in these cities, but nonetheless, I will send out at least one more entry before I leave for Morogoro (R&R) on Monday
Love ya guys tons!
Debs
