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The babu, Asomani Bakali, smiling big for the camera.
Some pictures of my new home
...with a normal bathroom, yee-haw!
African pumpkin
Last month Justa (a Tanzanian pastor's wife), Sophia (teenager at the church in Ibungilo), Abigail Brouwer, and I went to the hospital to visit new mothers and give them a small baby gift and Romans booklet. Precious babies!!
"Let the little children come unto me and forbid them not..."
I have internet in my home...yee-haw!!! and Praise the Lord!!! the perfect Christmas present!
I had a wonderful Christmas! After making a big salad for Christmas dinner with the Brouwers and Weeklys, I headed over to Ibungilo for their Christmas service. I was 30 min late, and why was I worried? I temporarily forgot what continent I was on. :-) Things didn't get started until 45 min after I got there. It was a great celebration. The ladies of the church had met Christmas eve morning to clean and decorate for the service. There were lights, flowers, and big palm branches.
The Ibungilo choir sang, along with the children's choir from TX, and Pastor Zephania from another village church preached. After the 3-hour service, everyone went outside to witness some baptisms and then enjoy a big meal together. I had to sneak away (not really possible for a white person) before the baptisms though. :-(
The Brouwers, Weeklys, and I enjoyed a huge turkey with almost all the fixin's. (the price of the canned cranberry sauce wasn't worth it, especially after our extremely expensive turkey! - thank you to those who gave extra Christmas gifts!!) We even had pumpkin pie! The pumpkins here look more like watermelons, elongated, and green and white-striped; but they still taste like pumpkins! Tammy had been looking for them in the big market downtown since before Thanksgiving. The Lord answered prayer...the week before Christmas pumpkins came to Mwanza! After dinner we opened presents, talked, and played games. We all reserved different times to call home using the Weeklys new webcam. My time-slot was midnight. :-) Such fun to chat with everyone and see them for the first time in almost 4 months.
John 8:12 "Mimi ndimi nuru ya ulimwengu, yeye anifuataye hatakwenda gizani kamwe, bali atakuwa na nuru ya uzima."
November/December 2008
Dear friends and family,
"Jesus is the light of the world," I told the babu this morning, "and He is the only way to heaven." Asomani Bakali has been a Muslim all his life. Now, as an aged man lacking the strength to walk or even bathe himself, his heart is softening. Each week Angel (my language helper) and I have been visiting the babu (Swahili for grandpa) and reading a chapter from the gospel of John. Some days he says he accepts and believes the Bible and other days he rejects its truth. This morning we read John chapter 9 together. We talked about Jesus healing the blind man, and that there is a greater blindness, that of the spirit. Please pray that God would break through the darkness of the babu's understanding. Praise the Lord for our amazing Savior! The Light of the World!
I have many, many blessings to share this holiday season:
*The Brouwers and I took a giant leap in our Tanzanian culture education through spending a weekend out in the village. What an adventure!
*Because of the generosity of so many of you...I have a new set of wheels! :-) A Toyota Rav 4- the perfect African vehicle for a girl! It's not too large, but can still handle most of the rough roads around here, and it's not a stick shift! :-)
*I also have a new home! A furnished, two-bedroom home close to other missionaries. A very safe spot for a single gal in Mwanza... and I have a guest bedroom, so come on over for a visit! :-)
*My Swahili continues to progress, (some days better than others). The Brouwers and I are halfway through our formal Swahili curriculum. I still meet with my language helper 3-4 mornings each week. I'm also working on my first Bible lesson for children- Saul's conversion, and hope to be ready to teach it next month sometime. Today was a big day too... I was able to talk to several people about the gospel while we were passing out Romans booklets in the village. I have so far to go with this language, but the Tanzanians are SO patient!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for your prayers and faithful support!! I love and miss you all.
He is WORTHY!
Lisa
The last few weeks, I've again been in transition...I moved to new home! I knew the first apartment would be temporary. When I heard that other missionaries (Tim & Joyce Jarvis) were looking for renters for the guest house on their property, the Brouwers and I went over for a visit. The house is a nice, 2-bedroom home with mostly American-made appliances. It's situated right near the other family within their fence. (Already I've spent several evenings with them when my electricity went out.) What a blessing!
When I get internet set up I'll add pictures.
What a perfect, safe spot for a single gal here in Tanzania! Isn't God so good!?!