News From Tanzania

Greetings to you all again in the name of Jesus.

 

We enjoyed being with you all again last Christmas and thank everyone for their hospitality, welcome and support.

 

The biggest change for us this year is that we have the company and help of Peter and Tricia Upton. They are friends of Don and Heather Double, and they visited us very briefly last year when staying in Singida. 

 

It is wonderful to have them here. We are much more relaxed and there is a lot more laughter in the house! We now have daily prayer and fellowship together, as well as our weekly fellowship group meeting.

 

They do not know yet exactly what God has for them here, but they have told us that part of their work is to help and support us. Already our house is turned around! The rooms have been painted and repaired and everything is being put in order! Tricia has a heart for the children and women, and comes with me to the school and boys’ home etc. Peter is helping to supervise the building of the new home for the boys in town, as well as sorting all the electricity and plumbing for the area we live in.

 

When we arrived back in Singida in January, the foundations of the building for the boys had been prepared as planned and the main structure is about to start going up now. The ground floor could be finished by the end of April. (But TIA…This is Africa!)

 

We have started feeding some of the children still sleeping rough, in our garden every evening. There is a plan by Alison, (the other English worker here with the Anglican Church) to build a simple shelter, where all the children could be fed, sleep safely and hear the gospel. At the moment she feeds them in the mornings and we do in the evening. They just have bread and margarine, a vitamin tablet, banana and tea with sugar. So far it has worked well. We haven’t had any trouble, they wait politely outside, look at the children’s Bible, thank us very politely and go again. We sometimes lend them a ‘frisby’ to play with, and so far they have always returned it.

We are aware that there is a potential for problems in this, so we will appreciate your prayers. We don’t always have many children. Anything from 1 to 14 so far.

 

We have taken in one more child in the home. A very undernourished boy called Adam. He looks about 7yrs but is actually 10, as far as we know. He came to our house and was suffering from Malaria. He was also terrified of people. We are gradually finding out his story. His young mother came to the home, and asked us to keep him there as he keeps running away from home. His father is dead and mum had a baby so we think there is a stepfather. Adam says he is beaten but keeps changing his story. Mother says he was beaten by the police but he told us first that his mother beats him. Anyway he did not want to be with his mother and was reluctant to speak with her, although he loved the baby! We have asked mum to visit him each week but have agreed to keep him for the time being and send him to school.

 

We were delighted to find that all the boys had come in the first third of their year groups in the end of term examinations! One of them ‘Samweli’ had come first in the class! Clement, the one who has had TB and has a deformed spine, is looking really healthy now, and is very bright. He attends our English speaking nursery school, and is very quick in picking up the language. He is also full of energy and never keeps still!

 

The school is progressing well, but we still need about 5 more children to bring it to capacity. The main difficulty is maintaining standards in teaching, preparation, maintenance, administration, time-keeping (staff and children!) etc. It is difficult to encourage people to be self-motivated, to have the vision and put in the energy to increase standards and to stop things running down. I ,Lis, believe that the Lord gave me the idea that it is necessary to employ a trained and motivated Tanzanian teacher to act as Administrator/Head. I think there is, understandably, a certain resistance to ideas from an mzungu (Westerner). I do have a person that I believe God ‘dropped into my mind’ but there are a lot of potential problems to be sorted out first and much prayer will be needed to make sure we are hearing and obeying God correctly.

 

Anthony is about to start a teaching course for the pastors. It is Biblically based and will be in English, which is what they want.

 

We are still concerned about little Musini, the disabled village boy, as the conditions are still terrible, and he doesn’t always get the attention that we have tried to ensure for him. (Washing, food, etc). He gets very excited when he hears one of us coming, and he is learning to read so fast. He remembers words and sounds from one week to the next. We don’t know what the next step is. We would love some of his Christian neighbours from the village church (who are also Anthony’s students) to each visit for one hour, one day of the week each. They could wash, feed, and read a story etc. This would be such a lovely Christian witness in the Muslim home. The elderly grandmother has said she would like some help in this way. However, the pastor tells us that unless they are paid no one will want to do it, especially as they will be mocked for being ‘in the pay’ of the white people! He said that I am welcome to ask them, so I plan to do so on Monday. We are praying that God will move the hearts of one or two of His people to do this work. Already ‘Granny’ asks many questions about Jesus, and heaven and hell as she listens to the Bible tapes and looks at the pictures I take up with me. We still have a desire to help the disabled children and adults here, but as yet, are not sure of the way forward.

 

The drought situation has been very serious and the forecast for the year’s food production is poor. There was no rain at all in December, and very little in January, which are the two main months. However, we have had some heavy rains during February and everyone is praying they will continue through March and into April. This will not solve the situation, as the seed planted has, in many cases, been lost already, but it will alleviate the situation as other crops may still be grown. We are thankful to hear that the UK has donated a sizeable sum for food aid. We need prayer that it will be distributed fairly and reach those in the greatest need. The lake in Singida had nearly dried out. However, hundreds, probably thousands of flamingos have arrived. They are such an amazing sight. With their distinctive bendy necks, and the wonderful flash of pink, black and white as they fly. Real ‘Lion King’ stuff! BUT: Did you know that flamingos GRUNT! I was sitting on the shore thinking someone had generators working nearby. It took me a while to realise it was the vocal pipes of the flamingos!! They sound more like a herd of hippos! They even kept us awake last night, and our house is at least half a mile from the lake!

 

Finally. A huge ‘Thank You’ for all the Lego we received. The children in the school and home really love it. I will try to send a photo next time.

 

Of course: Thank you everyone for all your prayers. We can feel the Lord’s care through them and we need them so much.

 

 

Answers to prayer.

I have had agonising toothache since arriving in Singida! The nerves felt as if they were getting continuous electric shocks! So we prayed together.  The same day I was coming out of the bank and bumped into an American, who told me their was a medical team from the USA at the local hospital, who were about to fly home in two days.  I took some of our boys who needed attention and mentioned my toothache. They had an excellent dentist! Today, their last morning here, I had the tooth out. I have never had such a quick and painless extraction. The team was such fun to be with, too, and so caring. What a wonderful and kind Father we have.

 

We thank God for the rain. We have had heavy and prolonged rains on several occasions now and we are praying for them to continue.

 

We thank God, too, for the work that continued on the children’s home whilst we were away, and for the school continuing to function and taking in some more children. One pastor, when travelling, met an official from Singida who had been moved to another region. He told the pastor that the one thing he really regretted about moving was that his child had to leave the excellent nursery school!

 

As I have mentioned we really bless the Lord for sending us Peter and Tricia. We are so enjoying their company.

 

Another answer to prayer is the progress of the other disabled child in the village. He used to sit and crawl in the dirt, as his legs were quite wasted and weak. He could pull himself up but not balance and he refused to try. He is mentally disabled as well and used to make strange noises and giggles etc. Although about ten years old, he looked about five. When we saw him this time he was walking, and even running a little, though unsteadily. He looked much more alert and was speaking a few words. His whole demeanour has changed! Praise God indeed.

 

We are also so grateful for the provision of a MAF flight from Dar to Singida. This took much of the strain out of the journey, especially as we had a lot of luggage. (LEGO !!!)

 

There are so many things to praise and thank God for. These are just some of the very definite answers to prayer we have received recently. 

 

 

God bless you all. Love from Anthony and Lis.