Greg Wagoner & Family

We are praising the Lord for the best stretch of international flights we have ever had. It was such a joy to see the Frys @ LEX. Thank you for all the prayers.

Posted by Greg at 5:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Praise the Lord we made it into the airport without too many difficulties. Our first flight leaves in about one and a half hours. The excitement is building as we anticipate meeting Paige's parents at Bluegrass Airport in Lexington, KY.

Posted by Greg at 9:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For our last Sunday in Tanzania for a while, we worshipped with the good folks of Bible Baptist Church - Kilimanjaro. Pastor Ernesti Mlembezi preached "The Treasures of God ".
After the service we tied up some loose ends at our house and put the finishing touches on our packing. Tomorrow we travel from Moshi, Tanzania to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya for our departure.

Posted by Greg at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One dictionary defines furlough as: 1. Military. a vacation or leave of absence granted to an enlisted person.
2. a usually temporary layoff from work: Many plant workers have been forced to go on furlough.
This may be the reason why some see missionary furloughs as glorified vacations away from one's duties and responsibilities. I have, personally, heard someone express - "Well... I don't get to take a year at a time off of work." My response is a fitting quotation by Ulysses S. Grant... "The most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter being criticized". Torn between two continents, a missionary, whether on the field, or during a furlough, turns double duty on his (her) responsibilities. He (She) is called to live and minister within the context of two separate cultures, which presents paradoxes unknown to single-culture Christians. These days I am hearing missionaries and mission agencies dump the term furlough, choosing rather to call a missionary's time in his first culture "home assignment". Such a change in terminology may clear up some of the misconceptions which arise during a missionary's time away from his cross-cultural ministry.
During a furlough a missionary has three main objectives: reports, relationships, and revival. Following the pattern set by the first missionary journey, there is a Biblical precedent for furloughs: Acts 14:27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 28 And there they abode long time with the disciples. Surrounded by a generous support group of churches, the missionary has responsibility to keep donors abreast of the progress of his ministry. While letters and e-mails provide thumbnails of information, few would argue that the personal contact a missionary has with supporting churches gives a broader perspective of who he is and what he is doing.
A "sent one" often struggles to maintain a proper balance of immediate and long distance relationships. Furlough provides a time for the one who has been called to forsake family and friends (Mark 10:29-30) to keep the embers of love glowing. Those who are nearest and dearest to his heart become a focal point of time spent in his home culture.
Furlough gives a missionary an opportunity to focus upon personal spiritual revival. The spiritual difficulties that arise in a cross-cultural context can wear on an individual. Often, because of so many needs surrounding the missionary he will begin to experience spiritual atrophy. Sometimes he notices this and can re-tool his concentration, other times he does not. However, during a home assignment one can sit under preaching, presented in his vernacular, which the Lord can use to pinpoint some bonafide spiritual needs. He can also be enriched by fellowship with those of his native ethnicity. I feel that such times of refreshing (Acts 3:19) are pertinent for one making a long term commitment to cross-cultural ministry.
If you know anyone who suggests that furlough is a glorified vacation for undeserving candidates, remind him that a furlough must be earned. And... if he would like to try one of these "glorified vacations" he must first punch the foreign field clock. I am quite confident that a full term of cross-cultural experience may change his outlook on a missionary's "home assignment"!

Posted by Greg at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Somewhere between saintliness and foolishness we find a curious creature called a missionary. Missionaries come in assorted sizes, weights, and colors, but all are sent by the one Lord who commanded His people to evangelize.
Missionaries are found everywhere: going to, lifting up, launching out, coming from, staying with, bringing around, bearing with, and standing for. Christians love them, governments tolerate them, parents pity them, pagans ignore them, and Christ protects them. A missionary is truth with a broken jeep axle in their hand, beauty with a sick child in their arms, wisdom with a Bible in their pocket, and hope with Christ in their heart.
A missionary has the patience of a fisherman, the audacity of a tightrope walker, the carefulness of a bookkeeper, the vision of a dreamer, the strength of a builder, the intelligence of a teacher, the wit of a humorist, the irresponsibility of a child, and when he attempts something, he is all prayer.
He likes letters from home, children, preaching, mission recruits, returning for furlough and returning from furlough, faith promise rallies, tracts, printing presses, radio stations, translators, mission boxes, airplanes, villages, Bible studies, cities, correspondence courses, and book stores. He is not much for high pressure promotion, red tape, devaluation of the dollar, lukewarm faith, hypocrisy and discrimination.
Nobody else is so quick to care, and so slow to give up. Nobody else gets so much fun out of crocodiles, boiled rice, elephants, pet cobras, earthquakes, visas, monsoons, droughts, and conversations.
A missionary is an unusual creature: you can send him to a far off country, but you had better not forget him. you can get him out of your hair, but you can’t get him out of your heart. He is your servant, your right hand, your dependent, a Bible-preaching, God-fearing, God-serving, self-sharing bundle of love. When you come to church with that smug feeling that you are a pretty super Christian, he can shatter it with the simple words, “Come on over and help us.”

Posted by Greg at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Soon after waking up and booting up the PC, we received the news that missionary friend, Tom Foltz, had graduated to heaven. This faithful man of God served his Lord well in Tanzania. It is our prayer that Christ would call out an army to fill the space left in Tanzania.
At midday I biked downtown to the ATM so that I could withdraw enough shillings to make a large advance payment on our electric bill, so that the power is not cut off while we are in the U.S. on furlough. As I was peddling back to our house on Lema Road I noticed a large group of people gathered around what appeared to be the scene of an accident. As I got closer to the scene I saw Jennifer and Kaylie Gnuschke in their vehicle peering down into the ditch and culvert where people had gathered. I also saw a motorcycle. I turned my bike around and caught a glimpse of another missionary friend,Troy Gnuschke, sitting near the culvert. It didn't take long to discover that he had been involved in a motorcycle accident. I praise the LORD that he was wearing a helmet. After two visits to the Shantytown Clinic, with a trip to KCMC for x-rays in between, Brother Troy was diagnosed with some fractured ribs.
If you think that is about enough, well... the story continues... As we were pulling into the hospital for Troy's x-rays, I saw Mama Deo. (Mama Deo is the wife of a man who has done some work around the house for us as a watchman, Alfredi.) Alfredi was admitted to the hospital yesterday with dehydration and who knows what else. As a matter of fact I was going to be making a trip to KCMC sometime today to see Al. Well, Mama Deo was in great distress, and I knew what had happened... Alfredi had died just about an hour earlier. So... After I dropped Troy and Jennifer off at the x-ray division of the hospital I found Mama Deo and accompanied her to the morgue to pay for some things and find out when the body needed to be collected. (The family has to take care of everything over here... There are no funeral homes to handle the morbid tasks that are involved with handling a dead body.)
The saddest part of Alfredi's death is that he died with a great deal of fear, bitterness, and superstition. He was convinced that he was poisoned by a pastor and co-worker, which led to his illness. (However, this supposed "poisoning" occured over a year ago.) Furthermore, he and his wife are of the opinion that he was also being bewitched by their enemies.
I made an effort to comfort Mama Deo; however, it is not in my power to provide solace to one who is entrenched in sorcery. It will take a work of God to dispense light and love that will dispel her darkness and hate.

Posted by Greg at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all of you who have born the burdens, pains, and sorrows that go with the territory. I do hope that along the journey of motherhood you have also been blessed with many laughs, joys, and memories that will help you appreciate this great calling that God has put on your life. Truly, the LORD completed the man when He formed the woman and graced the earth when He made her a MOTHER. MOMS... We love ya!
Within God's economy He did make a way for men to take part in a spiritual birth process, and... that is our ministry. It is always a privilege to be involved in the burdens, pains, and sorrows that accompany the birth of a new church. But, l assume, like motherhood, there are also times of laughter & joy that make lasting memories. Today, was one of those days.
As Paige, the kids, and I bid farewell to the International Baptist Church of Kingereka, a mixed bag of emotions stirred within our hearts... I preached on "Finish Well" from Philippians 3:8-14... Smiles, tears, and "Amens" filled our little building, which dwells beneath the clouds that mask Kilimanjaro. We promised that, barring our unforeseen death, we would be returning to continue our fellowship and spiritual instruction with them; and... during our absence their faith would be tested. We will be praying for the flock that is International Baptist Church of Kingereka and trust that you will do the same. God Bless You!

Posted by Greg at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 2009

Posted by Greg at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just wanted to let everyone know that we were able to get all the grading done and back to the students before we left Mwanza last Thursday. What a blessing!! There was one class that I thought was going to do Lisa and me in, but we persevered and finished :) Thursday morning was an early morning, as I was up around 4am getting grades entered into the computer and permanent records updated, before Lisa came with the final assignment books. Let me tell you that I am SOOOO glad that that work is done! PTL!

Posted by Paige at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a good day to be back at the International Baptist Church - Kingereka. Most of our regulars were in attendance today, and there was a good number of 35 present. I preached from Colossians 3 on "BADILI AKILI" ("Change Your Mind"... Sounds better in Swahili, don't you think?) There was just a wonderful degree of liberty to preach this morning, and the folks seemed to receive the Word with readiness of mind. I was a little surprised that there was no movement towards the altar, except for Sister Mary who said she was coming on behalf of everyone ;-) However, this type of message needs to be put in shoe leather, not just prayed over at the altar. Please pray for these believers to walk the walk, thanks!

Posted by Greg at 9:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Right now the New York Yankees are third in their division. (Toronto #1, Boston #2) They are out of their slump and are on a 4 game winning streak. Newly acquired Nick Swisher is having a fabulous year as is Mark Teixera, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, and Melky Cabrera.
REHAB REPORTS
Alex Rodriguez is supposedly coming back around May 10th.
Chien Mien Wang is due to return to the line-up mid-May.

Posted by Joseph at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had a great time in Mwanza. I got to see the Helbys and the Tanners. I liked eating there, especially because it was really good food. I liked it when I sleeped, too; because it felt good. I got to see the Brouwers, too. There were three babies there that I got to play with. I got to talk to some people like Patrick, Pendo, Nathan's mom, Rhoda, Sophia, and Justa.

Posted by Christine at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We have been in Mwanza for LAKE VICTORIA BAPTIST COLLEGE. While here we have been able to see some friends like: the Brouwers, Weeklys, Helsbys, Mickeys, and the Tanners. For the first two nights we slept at a hotel called Ladson Lodge. Then, we moved up to the college campus. We have been sleeping in tents and tent cots. While talking to my friends I found out about a gaming website called runescape. It is the most played computer game in the world.
We will be leaving tomorrow and taking an airplane; because we sold our van. It has been a fun time.

Posted by Joseph at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I praise the LORD that He allowed the kids and me the opportunity to attend this session of Lake Victoria Baptist College. We arrived last Wednesday evening and stayed at a little hotel down the hill from the college for the first two nights.

Friday morning we packed up and headed up on the hill to 'camp out' with Greg :) Actually it has not been too bad sleeping in the tent cots that we bought our last furlough. We have been fairly busy since making the move to the hill. Friday was the Marriage Seminar that I was able to take part in teaching. Saturday was the ordination and graduation. What a blessing!!!!!!!! These men and their families have been a tremendous encouragement to us during some difficult times here on the field. It was an extreme pleasure to see them reach this milestone.

Another purpose of my coming to Bible College was so that we could attempt to get all the tests and work graded and back to the students by the end of the second week. (Furough is coming in three weeks. Not having any work hanging over our(my) heads will make leaving for furlough that much more enjoyable. :) )Lisa Newland has been a HUGE help in getting this done. By the grace of God, I think that we are going to be able to do it!! We are heading back to Moshi on Thursday afternoon, so we have all day tomorrow and and a little bit of time Thursday morning to get everything finished up.

Posted by Paige at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This morning we gathered for a "Solemn Assembly" at the Independent Baptist Church of Ibungilo. There was no Sunday School, no singing, no offering... just a time to deal with the problem at hand - Discord, Disunity, and Disassociation. I began the service by giving a history of how, why, and to what extent the church was founded. Then, I gave an accentuated reading of 2 Corinthians 11. (To those of you reading this entry... It would serve justice to this post for you to peruse 2 Corinthians 11 at this time.) At the conclusion of the reading we, myself with Pastor Delphinus at my side, informed the congregation that:
1.) The Independent Baptist Church was being dissolved;
2.) Pastor Delphinus would be starting a new church this evening.
3.) The new church would not be worshipping on the same property, but would be meeting in a new location.
Thus three major benefits were solidified:
1.) Those who were supportive of Pastor Delphinus would continue with him in his "new" church.
2.) The problems caused by land, building, and business would be non-issues in the "new" church.
3.) The college and church would be two distinct entities.
This evening Pastor Delphinus started the "new" church in Bwiru at the home of a member and had 20 people for the inaugural service. This is very encouraging. Also, some of the other unified members, who have been walking quite a distance to come to Ibungilo, have started another church in Nyasaka. So... Praise the LORD for two GOOD works which have been born out of one.

Posted by Greg at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was quite a day for our four graduates:
Delphinus Donatus Nyamwiyula (2.00 GPA)
Emmanueli Pelegrino Bernadi (2.79 GPA)
Joas Kibaba Ruhukwe Nyosha (3.15 GPA)
John Naftary Walwa Manonga (3.18 GPA)

This morning each of these men defended their Biblical positions before an ordination council. Each of them received an ordination certificate for "official" entry into the ministry.

At 4pm the first ever commencement ceremony was conducted as these four received their Associate Degrees of Biblical Studies. It was a blessed time of pomp & circumstance with an African twist that blessed everyone's heart... After each graduate received his degree he stepped down from the platform to a table where gifts were offered to honor him and his hard work. Then, each gave a brief message of appreciation and exhortation. It was a day that we will never forget!

Posted by Greg at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ah yes... Love and Marriage... In a uniquely Tanzanian fashion, we discussed these two topics, in depth, with the student body of LVBC during a seminar this afternoon. The panel consisted of three veteran missionary couples: Tim & Kim Whitfield, Bill & Tammy Brouwer, and Paige & myself. The main topics of discussion were:
*How to conduct oneself during the espousal/engagement period
*That which constitutes a legal marriage by Tanzanian Law
*Biblical principles of love, a marital relationship, and the home
*Domestic violence

Posted by Greg at 7:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)