Morogoro, Tanzania
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Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
God has answered your prayers abundantly. The community here is incredible. It is so diverse, loving, and encouraging. We have Catholic priests (Joby, Jackson, Prijo, and Shaju the Indian Fathers, Gideon from Ghana, and Michael from Indonesia) and sisters (Prerna from Northern India who I call 'Sista P!' and Cecilia from Nigeria), Lutherans from Iowa (Liz, Lu, and Kristen) and Finland (Leena & Erne), a family from Arkansas with Pioneer Bible Translators (Ben, Jennifer, Charis, Levi, Luke), and Presbyterian Koreans planting a church in a very small town in Western Tanzania (Qyn Hwan [Paul], Kim Sol Jeong [Jean], and David their son). Today actually was the first day I was able to find more information about the Koreans through conversing in Swahili since they do not know much English. It was exciting to get to know them a little after a month of just smiling. I'm also getting to know some of the teaching assistants, especially two Massai guys named Lemsanya & Kadeghe.
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| Our Massai guides and Swahili teachers up in the clouds: Kadeghe & Lemsanya |
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| This is the other Ben from Arkansas. |
So why did I worry? Why do you worry about things? Utupe leo riziki yetu - Give us today our daily sustenance, daily bread. Do not give us tomorrow's bread today, please don't do that! It will spoil. Just today. On Sunday I was joining Erne in an old sauna that some Finnish missionary built here at the school 20 years ago. Apparently saunas are a really big deal in Finland and they find it even necessary in a hot climate like Tanzania. Anyway, there I was sweating until my fingers were pruny with Erne, the Finnish Lutheran, and we were talking about how we shouldn't plan or worry about tomorrow because today's trouble is enough on its own. Then I suddenly thought, "If that were something I believed, wouldn't the most worry-free time of the day be the evening?" The day is over and there is nothing more to worry about since tomorrow has not arrived. Lord, give us the grace to live this way. I know I need that because my mind so easily moves toward the future.
Swahili has been great. I feel I've improved a lot and can carry on a very simple conversation as well as read kids books with the help of a dictionary. For some reason I really enjoy languages and even grammar...oops did I say that? Over the last week I read a story called, "Pilipili Hoho", which is about a boy who grows green bell pepper for a competition at school. One of the bell peppers, or pilipili hoho, grows to be the size of a watermelon and for some reason has legs. It's my first official book to be completed in Swahili and a delightful story. I got 80 new words from it that I'm now working on memorizing. My favorite verb is 'kutekenya' which means 'to tickle.'
Blessings to you. Thank you for praying and for allowing me the privilege of learning Swahili in such a beautiful place and with such beautiful people.
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| The mountain side is filled with villages and farms at a steep slope. |
- Pray for continued diligence in my studies of Swahili.
- Pray for the seminars, conferences, and BTCP graduation that is happening in Kenya this month. I will be traveling next week for the graduation on the 13th as long as I have my passport. I gave it to the language school office when I arrived for visa purposes and haven't seen it yet. When I told the head teacher about that today, he seemed surprised. So pray I get my passport back and if I do, pray for safe travels.
- Pray for the student Bible study we started Ben and I started - for the gospel to be evident and that regardless of denominational background no one would question the authority of the Word of God.
Posted March 2, 2010 by Ben.
Update, Safari Story, & Brown-Outs
Update Below. Follow the links for a couple of other stories, entries, thoughts.
A story from Safari
'Brown-Outs: The Universal Church in Kenya'
This year is divided into lots of stages. Stage One: leaving home and adjusting to life here. HARD! But God provided a friend to help me through, Dustin Moore. Dustin was here since I arrived. We were on the same flight even. He has helped in so many ways as a companion, a physical trainer, a motivator to eat well with lots of meat, and a fellow ministry partner. Now that he's gone, it's off to Stage Two: It's a lot like Stage One, but now I live alone. It's kind of strange and will take some getting used to. This stage however is pretty short, only 2 months. Stage Three is coming in early February where I will spend 4 months in Tanzania at language school. I'm really looking forward to this. I'm excited about devoting lots of time to studying and speaking Swahili as well as learning more of the E. African culture. Stage Four will be in June. At that point I will be back in Kenya, with 10 months of adaptation and language acquisition under my belt and ready to dive further into ministry. After about 6 more months, I get to come home and visit. I think I will be very ready for a visit by then :)
Take a look at the other links above if you'd like.
Please pray for our team:
- For a time of rest and recovery after a difficult month
- For the Omondis' adoption process for Anjela; pray for Dennis and his many responsibilities of leadership of Serve & Word of Life Fellowship Church
- For me to have continued adaptation, cultural & language learning, and for 'stage two'.
- Pray for a strong sense of reliance and rest upon the Lord and a passionate longing for the Holy Spirit to work mightily in our lives and this ministry.
Posted December 19, 2009 by Ben.
"smoke from a thousand villages"
(This is a long one but worth the read. Feel free to go to the bottom summary points)
Livingstone and many other missionaries contributed to the romantic understanding of Africa that I can only understand when I look out at the open plain. It is a feeling I only receive when in the villages. Quiet, beautiful, serene and simple. Sometimes I wonder if Africa as a continent would have been better off untouched by modern life. Sometimes I wonder if this world would have been better off untouched by modern life, the 'noise, hurry, and crowds' that our Adversary focuses on to keep us from a contemplative life.
There is something growing in my heart that both stirs an exciting passion in my soul and an uncomfortable fear in my flesh. It is a greater desire to be a witness for Jesus Christ among those who have not clearly heard, and more specifically among the Muslims of this area. I am finding that my desire to be a teacher of God's word in order to lead believers to maturity is not contradictory, but complementary to my desire to be a teacher of God's word in order to lead the lost to faith in Christ and maturity in that faith. That they are one in the same.
However, I still feel conflicted. Longing with a deep desire to lock myself up in the office and study God's Word, study Islam, study Swahili, drink deep of knowledge and its useful purposes. And yet also longing for a deeper understanding of the people and engaging them with my whole heart.
Question: In one day, is eight hours of study, worth one hour of wise words finding their origin in God and given in a timely manner? (seriously, what do you think?)
In all this flood of impractical thinking, I remember that I've only been here two months. God is leading. God is growing my heart. God is working. God is my shepherd, and I am his sheep. My only responsibility is to hear the voice of my shepherd, and to follow him. The shepherd is the one who feeds, loves, and leads his sheep to the green pastures, the still waters, and even through the valley that we might trust Him in all seasons.
On a practical note, October has brought:
- an opportunity to preach at church on the meaning and significance of the Lord's Supper
- James & Jacinta our national teammates had their firstborn son, Daniel.
- an outside bathroom at the Serve Center which will be used a lot once we officially open up to the public. It is our desire to use this place as a resource and training center for the pastors in this coastal region.
- Several teaching opportunities for myself. Worship team Bible study on Spiritual Disciplines, weekly devotionals with the Team, a study with college students in Mombasa over Galatians for all of November, an informal class on Ecclesiology for the church leadership team at Word of Life.
- An increased Swahili vocabulary
- I've been able to get to know some of the other missionaries here and talk with them about learning from them more about evangelism in this area.
- Many small opportunities from sharing Christ on the beach to having lunch with the caretaker of my apartments and his brothers.
Looking back over the month I can see that a lot is taking place. I need to learn not to measure my worth upon how much I accomplish in a day (or in a year or ever for that matter). No one can accomplish much in one day, but in 365 of them a lot can happen. Whether or not it is worth something or just chaff driven away by the wind, is up to God who breathes life into our work and causes the growth. We learned in church last week that we are farmers. A farmer is to work very hard, but ultimately what he does is plant a seed, bury it under ground, and wait for this magical thing called 'growth' to happen. God is that magic. Praise God! Because none of us have any ultimate control over the hearts of men. Growth is an impossible task for men, but farming is not.
Pray that I'd be a faithful and hard working farmer, planting seeds of faith in believers and unbelievers alike with the Word of God and the Gospel of Grace & Peace, today and for the next 20,000 days if my life remains and Jesus tarries.
In Summary:
- I have a greater desire to share Christ with those who do not believe.
- And yet a greater desire to study, study, study
- Right now I'm doing a lot of studying and teaching Bible studies
- I'd like to create a balance by spending some time learning how to share Christ in the villages and building stronger relationships in the church.
Praises:
- Increased learning and adjustment to life here in Kenya
- God's leading and direction in my heart
- An increase in our team unity
Prayer:
- To be a faithful, hard-working farmer
- To walk closely and personally with God and be daily amazed by God's love
- To be patient throughout this first year of ministry and to not put too much pressure on myself
Posted November 5, 2009 by Ben.
09-27-2009 Two...
08-27-2009 10 Days or "How Deep the Father's Love for Us"
05-15-2009 Graduation, 100%, and the Missions Conference
04-14-2009 Reflections on Disparity
03-11-2009 Alright, who's been praying?
02-12-2009 Immediate Fruit?
11-21-2008 Thanksgiving Challenge
10-30-2008 Drowning Fish
08-07-2008 Shillings to Dollars
07-14-2008 Crazy Kenya.
06-24-2008 Exactly where I want to be...
06-07-2008 Pastors conference in Mtwapa
05-10-2008 Passport & Ticket: June 1, 2008
04-07-2008 Travels, Libraries, Newsletters, & New Life
03-04-2008 A Sermon, Georgia, and Peace in Kenya - March 2008
02-02-2008 February Update
01-01-2008 The First Day of a Big Year
