Hey All! Well I leave in two short days. Thank you for all the hard work and prayers. Donations are still coming in and will continue to do so after I've left. I've been able to connect with a number of programs while I'm there. The big news is that we've raised, including travel expenses, $10,500! That's just about $1,500 more than last years total! This, in a very difficult economy really points to the Lord's Hand on our work!
We will be able to purchase 700, not 400 nets due to great work by the clinic director in finding a new supplier a town away (still a full day drive). I will be traveling to Arusha to purchase the nets, and while I am there will visit with the Compassion International Program. They run a net distribution program as well and I have discussed possible grants with them. It will be a blessing to see what they are doing. On a personal note, Lisa and I have sponsored a young man, Ali, in this town through Compassion for eight years! Unfortunately, this trip was planned just a week ago so I will not be able to have a vist with him. They need six weeks for planning sponsor visits. We will return from Arusha with an engineer and his wife who are spending time in the diocese developing and building water storage cisterns. This will aid greatly in saving water, keeping water clean, and reducing the open water sources! I will be able to travel to several villages with them to help build these, what a great blessing!When I return to Tabora, I will be spending time in the clinic at the dispensary helping out. I have asked for a full immersion language experience (as little English as possible). I will also be travelling to the mobile clinic in MShindaye to see how the nets are distributed and then out on local home visits! Finally, Lord willing, I'll be in Tura for a couple of days visitng the church planters whom I have been praying for so deeply to worship with them and encourage their work. I will be staying in the diocese's guest house when not travelling and will preach on Sundays. A full trip! Please keep my family in your prayers while I am gone. I will have limited email access but will try to keep folks informed!Blessings to you all!Asante Sana! Jesu ni Bwana! (thank you very much, Jesus is Lord!)Your fellow servant of the Most High GodBryan
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
the power of change
I love how the Lord uses change...i mean the real stuff like nickels and such. I just got from the bank depositing the money from a couple of tag sales and the man did the Spirit move!
I handed a couple of thousand dollars of tag sale money to the teller and she had to ask what I did to get such a large stack of singles...ahhhhh! I love to talk about our work in Africa!
I told her about the nets I purchase and the population we serve and she started to tell me her story:
She always dates guys that are either abusive, addicted or gang members. She's devote in her religion, helped out in the church and up until her husband left her was working with the youth in her church. She met him at one of their yearly festivals: the Holy Spirit Festival... he was drunk.
She eventually got him sober, but his temper didn't temper. They split. Seems like she always ends up with the bad guys she said. Then she told me of her latest dream;
Satan had control of the earth and she and three others were left to defend the world for God. The battles raged and they grew weary. All the others were taken so if they fell, then God would loose and Satan would claim the entire world. In her dream Satan tried in vain to pull them apart, and when she woke up her hands were throbbing and cramped.
..."so, if you fail, if you let go, God looses...sounds like God can't do it without you. That's a heavy burden. I wonder if God met you in your dreams to tell you to let go and watch Him work in His power"
So, the bank line kept moving around us and the Holy Spirit fell and I invited her to accept the full freedom of God and to rely on Him and not her own power. I told her that God found her majestic and radiant, made in His image and that He can love her like no other man ever could... that God alone had the power to save and change her.
Have you spread that message today?
b
I handed a couple of thousand dollars of tag sale money to the teller and she had to ask what I did to get such a large stack of singles...ahhhhh! I love to talk about our work in Africa!
I told her about the nets I purchase and the population we serve and she started to tell me her story:
She always dates guys that are either abusive, addicted or gang members. She's devote in her religion, helped out in the church and up until her husband left her was working with the youth in her church. She met him at one of their yearly festivals: the Holy Spirit Festival... he was drunk.
She eventually got him sober, but his temper didn't temper. They split. Seems like she always ends up with the bad guys she said. Then she told me of her latest dream;
Satan had control of the earth and she and three others were left to defend the world for God. The battles raged and they grew weary. All the others were taken so if they fell, then God would loose and Satan would claim the entire world. In her dream Satan tried in vain to pull them apart, and when she woke up her hands were throbbing and cramped.
..."so, if you fail, if you let go, God looses...sounds like God can't do it without you. That's a heavy burden. I wonder if God met you in your dreams to tell you to let go and watch Him work in His power"
So, the bank line kept moving around us and the Holy Spirit fell and I invited her to accept the full freedom of God and to rely on Him and not her own power. I told her that God found her majestic and radiant, made in His image and that He can love her like no other man ever could... that God alone had the power to save and change her.
Have you spread that message today?
b
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