HABARI NJEMA!

Habari Njema means "Good News" in Swahili.
What the Lord Jesus has done for us is "Good News"!

There is no better news in the world than to hear that God loved you so much that He came into this world to die for your sins, and three days later He rose from the dead (defeating death) and is alive today and ready to forgive you of every sin once and for all. What do we need to do to be saved?
Simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

That, my friends, is GOOD NEWS! 

The word "Habari" is also used as a greeting like, "Habari gani?" (Whats your news?) or "Habari za asubuhi?" (What's the news of the morning?) Since it has been several weeks since I last updated this blog, I feel like I need to begin with a greeting! 

HABARI!

We have had a very busy August here in Kigoma, Tanzania! 

We are so thankful for the notes of encouragement, emails, packages, and most of all for your prayers! We are constantly reminded that "Without Him, we can do nothing!" and we want to produce "fruit that remains", so we covet your prayers!

 Many have asked us about our house and where we are living, so we included some pictures below.  This was our house back in June. It was a construction zone with various people working on it almost everyday.

Below is the house after the work was done and we moved in at the beginning of July. We thank the Lord for providing this house for us right next door to Harry and Ruth Johnson & only 5 minutes from Luke and Gina Johnson. They have all been such a big help as we learn the people and the culture here.

Each bed has a mosquito net which is a necessity here as two of us have already had malaria. We are so thankful the kids have not experienced it yet, but it is part of life here in Tanzania.

 

We have a weekly missionary fellowship meeting every Wednesday evening. The various missionaries who are serving here have been organising this for many years, and it is such a blessing. 

We begin with singing, then have a time of prayer, followed by a message for the adults, and a message for the kids separately. Afterward, we enjoy refreshments and catch up with each other. Each family takes turns hosting, and last week we had our first turn! 

I have enjoyed the opportunities I have had to give messages to both the adults and the kids!

The biggest highlight of the last month was when Sam told us that he wanted to get saved! He had been asking questions, and listening as we read the Bible together in family devotions. It was so precious to hear him ask the Lord to forgive him for his sins and save him all in his own words. 

This is really GOOD News!

He wanted to write out the date and tape it to his door immediately! 

The Johnsons invited us to a conference they attend in Rwanda. Missionaries from Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania come to Kumbya for fellowship, teaching, encouragement, and rest. It didn't sound like rest to us at first because there is no electricity or running water in the cabins. Bucket baths or bathing in Lake Kivu were the only options for bathing, but we persevered and it went well! We had many new experiences that week. :)

We were hesitant to go at first, but after we were there, we realized how much we needed a break and some extended time together as a family. It was much needed!

This was the view of the sunrise one morning from our cabin. (above)

The people of Burundi were eager to talk while I had our passports stamped.  :)

The easiest way to get through the mountains of Burundi is on a bycicle - grab on to the nearest truck and hang on! Don't miss the woman walking with the big basket on her head!

At the end of the week we were excited to get back to Kigoma, 

refreshed and ready to get back to work. 

We were so blessed to have Brooke Ford visit with us last week! 

While she was here, there were two ladies' conferences scheduled. One was in a village a couple hours away, and the other was here at our home assembly in Kigoma.  Brooke, Jennifer and another lady shared the Word at the conference in the village. 

The ladies had a great time at the conference and Ruth stayed busy as she translated for both Brooke and Jennifer!

(Below) Lunch at the village conference.

The following week I spoke again at a village about an hour away called Kizinga. This was my second time preaching in Swahili. I spoke on the redemption story of Onesimus as he ran away from Philemon to Rome where he met Paul and found true freedom in Christ. I am not yet freely speaking from my heart in Swahili, but with help from my language tutor we put my notes together. Every time I prepare something to share, it helps me grasp how to say things so that they will clearly understand the truth of God's Word.

Below is a picture of those that came out that Sunday. Again, we are standing inside the walls of the church building that used to be. We are praying and trusting the Lord to revive the believers in this area. We hope to one day see the building rebuilt, but first the people must be built up through the teaching of the Word combined with a humble, repentant response. Please pray with us for the people of Kizinga and for the revival of this local church.

Jennifer missed this trip as she was recovering from Malaria. Overall it was a good meeting, and a good time of praise and fellowship for which we thank the Lord.

We continue to work on the language, which is an ongoing process. 

John continues to get opportunities to teach in both Swahili and English (Missionary meetings). Jennifer is enjoying being involved in the weekly ladies' visitation every Thursday and the ladies' meeting on Friday. We meet together with Ruth & Harry Johnson and Luke & Gina Johnson for prayer each week to pray over and discuss the work before us. They have been such a blessing to work with, and we are so thankful for them!

 The picture below is one of my favorites and underscores what I have recently shared regarding the children in Kigoma. They are everywhere, and we are praying for them and how the Lord would like to use us in their lives. It is estimated that around 60% of the population in Kigoma region are under the age of 16, and that 45% are under the age of 12. That means there are a lot of children here who need the love of God poured into their lives... please pray for them and us!

Thank you for holding the rope!

Love,

The Kinlaw Clan :) 

"Only one life 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last."