WELCOME TO KIGOMA!

Taken in Dar just before we began our journey to Kigoma

"Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you..."

The LORD had an amazing plan for Abram, who would later be called Abraham, but first he had to respond to the call of the LORD. This meant moving his entire family (including Lot), his cattle, and his servants from Ur of the Chaldeans all the way to the land of Canaan. Part of Abram's work was getting to the place the LORD planned to use him!

Thankfully our vehicle did not look like the one pictured above! (Bless his heart!)
As we are on the move again, making our way to the place the LORD has called us to serve Him, I have thought about the challenges of many of the LORD's servants in the Scripture. No matter what those challenges are, He is worth it!

The picture above is a little more like what Abraham's journey looked like. We passed this scene several times on our trip. Actually seeing that made the drive from Dar Es Salaam to Kigoma of 800 miles in 4 days not sound too bad!

                                       

Before we tell you about our journey to Kigoma,
 let us first share some highlights from the month of May. 

 Katie turned 4 on the 24th of May!

Her teachers and classmates had a small party for her and her best friend Angel. It was really neat to learn that Katie's best friend, Angel, shared the same birthday! They enjoyed celebrating it together during Katie's last week at school.

Katie and Angel

The same week of Katie's birthday, we finished the last lesson of our Swahili language course. It was such a good feeling to complete that final test and start looking forward to the next leg in our journey!

The school does a great job in recognizing the students' accomplishments and celebrates at the afternoon tea time with cake, ice cream, and a few words of encouragement. They also prepare a certificate of completion for all of the hard work to complete the course.

Jennifer and I are so thankful for this time to study the language and learn so much that will enable us to serve the people of Tanzania better. We have the framework in place to really grow in our ability to converse with others. 

There was also another award given that day as we honored our homeschool teacher, phone fundi, GPS, and friend Ally Vaughan for completing the four months with us! We would not have made it without her help, not just with teaching the kids, but in many other ways also. It was a small way to show how much we appreciated her willingness to come and help us through school.

 We had to say goodbye to some good friends from the Junior Lutheran Seminary. We played basketball with these guys every week for four months and enjoyed getting to know them. They are not only amazing basketball players, but also have a strong faith in the Lord Jesus.

(L-R) Daniel, John, Jerry, Eddie

After graduating and saying our final goodbyes, we packed up our things and left for Dar Es Salaam (5 hour drive) to take Ally to the airport for her flight back home to the US. 

After a day of meetings at the local assembly in Dar with Steve and Gill Davies (and a wonderful lunch with them), the next morning we sent the girls to the airport by taxi for a short 2 hour flight. 

Jennifer, Elaina, and Katie leaving for the airport in Dar.

Isaac, Sam, and I made our way back to Morogoro to pack up all of our things and begin the long drive to Kigoma.  The roads were a mix of dirt and pavement the entire way. The last 200 miles of the trip was mostly dirt which reminded me of why we got the vehicle we did, one that can handle the roads of Tanzania. We did not have any flat tires or car problems, for which we were very thankful!

 

Our trip was broken up into 4 parts. Dar to Morogoro, Morogoro to Dodoma, Dodoma to Tabora, then Tabora to Kigoma. We stopped off in Dodoma to visit the Emmaus Correspondence School and also to stay in their guest house. It was great to meet the workers there and see the work first hand. 

 

On the way to Tabora we stopped for a break from the vehicle when we saw an abandoned village. We walked around and got to see first hand how these little huts are made and what it feels like to be inside of one. The boys enjoyed that stop!

 

We eventually arrived in Kigoma, a little tired, but thankful to have made it safely. Kigoma is beautiful when you are looking towards the west and watching the sun set over Lake Tanganyika behind the mountains of Congo. This evening treat never gets old.

While enjoying this view, we can't forget the view in the opposite direction. The poverty, the beggars, the homeless children, and Islam has many in its grips here. It is quite overwhelming and nothing like anything I have ever seen before. God has called us here to work among the poor and to proclaim the Gospel to the wonderful people in this region and beyond. 

Isaiah 58:6-7

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen?

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undue the heave burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

 and that you break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry?

And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out?

When you see the naked that you cover him,

and not hide yourself from your own flesh?"

I was reminded that when Abraham arrived in the land of Canaan, he built an altar to the LORD which is a picture of worship, and he pitched his tent which is a picture of his pilgrim character. We too want to continue to worship the LORD and live for Him alone. This world is not my home, I'm just passing through... and hopefully we can convince many more to trust the Lord Jesus as their Savior along the way.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord."

We would really appreciate your prayers for these things:

For us as we continue to settle into the work the Lord has called us to. 

That our Swahili would continue to improve.

For our children, their salvation and safety.

That the Gospel would continue to go out here in Kigoma.

For Divine wisdom as we live among such impoverished people!