Greg Wagoner & Family

Some of you have been wondering where our posts are, haven't you?
Well, the Bloginator (a.k.a. Greg) has been striken with malaria!!
It all began on Thursday. Greg goes out to Kingereka on Thursdays and spends the day out there visiting and then teaching the Bible Lesson in the afternoon. Last Thursday he came home not feeling well. We chalked it up to the flu and "cruds" that the rest of us had had earlier in the week. Friday he was not better, and, by the evening, we had decided that he should get a malaria test. (I thought that if we could get the medicine started in him, it would help him get through the weekend a little better.) The test came back negative. Now, we're back to thinking that he just has the flu.
Saturday morning comes, and he is a little better and takes the kids to their lessons in Arusha, then comes home and crashes.
Sunday morning he preaches and, once again, comes home and crashes. Last night was the worst... his fever spikes, he is shaking the whole bed with chills (no joke!!), and he soaked through two different t-shirts when his fevers broke (Tylenol was in his system).
This morning I took him to a doctor to get a repeat malaria test and also to see if there was maybe something else going on. Praise the LORD the malaria was positive!! We now have medicine, food and rest on his agenda for the next few days.
We have people coming to our house for the 4th, so pray that he is better by then!!

Posted by Paige at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Naftary just called me. They just finished up a crusade in an area called SONGA MBELE - SANUNGU. With the assistance of Truth Baptist Church in Katesh, Tanzania, one of John's supporting churches, they were able to see a new church started. God really did a work in this village. 76 people made a profession of faith in Christ and now Brother John will start holding Sunday services. Please pray for this new church plant.

Posted by Greg at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By now you have heard about the recent stinch of B.O. on the Bible. It is amazing that the liberal senator from Illinois, who is vying for the presidency, is also a biblical master! Evidently, Barack Obama has labored over the Holy Writ. No doubt, he has struggled with difficult passages and applied orthodox hermeneutical principles of exegesis to all the textual content, which he refers to when...
Obama said Leviticus suggests slavery is OK and eating shellfish is an abomination. Obama also cited Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, "a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application."
"Folks haven't been reading their Bibles," Obama said in the speech.
James Dobson says that Obama has 'distorted the Bible'. Quite frankly, I believe his statements are meant to mock the Word of God and those who revere it.
When B.O. sprays off on slavery and shellfish, he very simply does not understand that Levitical Law was instituted for the NATION of ISRAEL. God was their Sovereign, their President, and their only King. Thus, He established a set of laws for harmony, health, and holiness within their specific community.
When he mentions the Sermon on the Mount, again... he would do well to ask himself whether or not Jesus was talking about national security. I'm pretty sure the Lord Jesus said - "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight..." (Jn. 18:36) The Sermon on the Mount is all about the behavior of humble individuals who belong to a Heavenly Kingdom.
B.O. says that people haven't been reading their Bibles. Well I'll give him that one, but up the ante... People, including Barack Obama, have not been STUDYING their Bibles.
When we get to studying our Bibles, we will be able to rid the atmosphere of B.O. on the BIBLE and supply the air with a fresh aroma of clarity and verity!

Posted by Greg at 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Saturday we went to Arusha for lessons. Me and Ab do tennis. Joe does karate. Tennis lessons are fun. We think we are going to play in a tennis turnamit. If we do I hope I do good. I probably will because I have a good teacher.

Posted by Susanna at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thirty people gathered for church services today. We got started, on time - amen, at 9a with Sunday School.

Majaliwa did his best job ever brining the lesson about Joseph being betrayed by his brothers, and accussed by Potipher's wife.

Brother Nasson led the singing in the worship service.

Abigail sang a spesho. (That's what you call a special song in Swahili.)
I preached from Romans 5:1-8 on what we have through justification by faith: (1) Peace, (2) Access, (3) Joy, (4) Holy Spirit, (5) Love.

Posted by Greg at 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The kids and I were able to get back to our play day in Arusha today. We did some shopping at a couple of supermarkets first, then it was off to Player's Sports Club. Abigail got worked by her tennis coach for 45 minutes and then deferred to Susanna who was along for the first time. She wants to begin tennis lessons also. I am hoping that all three of the children will be able to play in an upcoming tennis tournament; we'll see. Joseph's Tae Kwon Do instructor was pleased to see him again and said that he's not too rusty after an extended time off.
I was able to sweat in the gym and also meet with Bro. Eric Bohman, who lives in Arusha. We were able to talk over some plans for an upcoming mission meeting we will be having in Mwanza September 8-10. All in all, it was a proftable day.

Posted by Greg at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Most of my day today was spent reading and evaluating sermons authored by the students of LVBC. Between each session they are required to develop 10 -12 sermons with an Introduction, 3 points + subpoints with supporting material (illustrations, etc.), and a Conclusion. The final step is life application to be communicated to the listeners.
The ones who have been in the college for a while do pretty well. Some of the newer students have a way to go. Please remember to pray for these servants in training!

Posted by Greg at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week I spent Wednesday in Kingereka, since we have our mid-week service on hump day. It was then that I discovered Weds. is one of the big market days in Boma Ng'ombe. This means an early evening church service is not feasible for some. So... On Sunday I polled the audience, and they preferred a mid-week service to be scheduled for Thursdays. Waa-laa, 'tis done.
Today I was back out in the village, hoping to make some visits in the homes of those who have recently come to Christ. Maiko & Paulina are a delightful couple with three children and one on the way. Nasson & Anna (Maiko's big sis) have a beautiful family and we talked about everything from 'What constitutes a legal marriage' to 'The End Times'.
In the prayer service we finished our discipleship lesson on Jacob.

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A special shout out to all of my fellow Fathers out there! The folks who came up with the idea of Father's Day were really on to a good thing. I got some great homemade cards from the kids today. Teeny Nic went high-tech with a little help from mom. She sent me a puppy card via e-mail. Now, Abigail is making banana bread. Supa!
Church was a blessing today. We had an attendance of 23 with several familiar faces missing. I tried to preach from Romans 5:1-8 but never actually got around to the meat of the message. When I was going through the introduction, I wanted to lay the ground work - AGAIN - that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone... not by works of righteousness. So, we looked into a little bit of "God's Math."
sin + law = __________ (I was glad when one man said these equal guilt and condemnation. We are on the right track.)
law + works = __________ (One man piped up - SALVATION. Oh my, we have some work to do here. And, do the work, we did. We used a lot of sermon time to review the fact that good works does not, cannot, and will not ever, ever, ever save a person's soul. Thus, law + works = guilt and condemnation.)
works + grace = __________ (Another said - SALVATION. Here we go again... We took the rest of the time to reveal that works and grace are kinda like oil and water... They just don't mix. See Rom. 11:6. 99% trust in God's grace and 1% trust in one's own good works will land a person in Hell. We must fully rest in the saving power of God's grace alone. The right answer here is, again... Guilt and condemnation.)
grace + faith = __________ (Amen, SALVATION is indeed the correct answer to this formula.)
I hope to preach the encouraging message of WHAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST from Romans 5:1-8 next Sunday. Please keep praying for our new church in Kingereka.

Posted by Greg at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mom decided it was time for my braids to come out. At about twelve this afternoon Mom and I started the process of unbraiding my hair. At first, it was fairly simple. I mean, all we were doing was cutting the ends, right?
When that was done, we called Sus, Chris, and Joe to help us. Then we unbraided and unbraided and unbraided, and to change the pace up a little, we unbraided some more. People came and went, started and stopped, stretched a bit, but it was pretty much just the same monotonous thing. Well... to make a very long story short, after about two hours of work the last braid came out. Woo-hoo... Hallelujah!
Of course I look like a poodle because of my frizzy hair, but it is finally over.
Don't worry mom and dad! I will never ask to have this done ever again!!

Posted by Abigail at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the last many years the Lakers and Celtics have been rivals. Ever since Lakers' stars: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson and Celtics stars: Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Well, this year they are playing each other in the Championship. That is why my title today is A RIVALRY RENEWED. But, of course, there are different stars like Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Celtics' Paul Pierce. And I like the Lakers. Sadly enough, the Celtics lead the series 3-1 and no team has ever come back to win when they're down 3-1. My dad and I will watch game 5 which comes on early Monday morning here. THE LAKERS MUST WIN! GO LAKERS!!

Posted by Joseph at 8:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My daddy made a tire swing this week. You can swing so high. It feels like you are flying when daddy pushes you. It is really fun. But, the rope hurts your hands sometimes especially when you twist yourself; but, it is still fun.

Posted by Susanna at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A 21" Craftsman push mower with a 6.5 hp Briggs & Stratton engine will work well in a pinch if you don't have a brush hog! I found this out by mowing the church lot in Kingereka. Today was yet another... WORK DAY on the property. I am beginning to think that clean-up at our church may turn into a full-time ministry for someone. lol. I am really glad for a few faithful folks who tossed mawe mengi (a lotta rocks)off the lot while I cut down grass, clover, weeds, things that resembled weeds, small trees, and thick reeds!
When the landscaping was done, I took a "bucket bath" in the choo. (A choo is kinda like an outhouse.) Have you ever taken a bath with shampoo while you splashed water over your body from a 5 gallon bucket? Well... if you ever do... Make sure BOTH socks are well clear of the splash zone. I thought I placed both of my socks on my shoes over in the corner of the choo. But, when my splash affair was over... my left sock was wringing wet. dobt!@ (More on the sock later.)
With a wet left hoof and a dry right boot I went trekking through Kingereka with Eliana. (a.k.a. "Mama Mzungu" - go figure! - I always tell people she is my mom.) This is when the day really got good. We went to Anna's house. Eliana says that Anna has been asking her about her life change, etc. since she started coming to the International Baptist Church. Short version... I gave Anna the Gospel, and she trusted Christ. Amen.
From Anna's house we went to visit Sophia. Kumbe... She had her baby last night. (Who would have known?) It was a blessing to hold the fresh baby boy... Lift him up to God, pray... and kiss his little forehead. So, in a 10 minute turn around, I got to see a second birth and a first birth! Pretty exciting.
In our midweek service we looked at the life of Isaac's slick boy, Jacob. If God can use a Jacob... Yep... He can use you and me!
On the way home I took off my left boot and sock to let my foot dry and breathe. I was thinking... "If I have an accident and die surely the investigators will be very puzzled - WHY DOES THIS WHITE MAN HAVE ONE SHOE AND SOCK ON AND THE OTHER OFF?"
What a great Hump Day!

Posted by Greg at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

500,000 more copies of the soul-winning Romans booklet left the shores of the U.S.A. on May 10th. The 40' container set sail across the Atlantic and made its way through the Mediterranean Sea, via Spain. Since June 2nd the box has been resting on the shores of the Red Sea in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. When a container vessel is full, the Scriptures will make the final leg of their water transport from Jeddah to Mombasa, Kenya. Once the box is unloaded in Mombasa, a truck will bring it to us in Moshi.
Thankfully, all of the paperwork has been processed and payment has been made for duty. It is our hope that there will be no hiccups along the way. We would appreciate your prayers as the booklets journey towards Tanzania.

Posted by Greg at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have a question...
What do you do with your remains if you were the one who invented the Pringles packaging system?
A - You get buried in one of the cardboard cylinders! Full Story
I always wondered about Pringles dust in the bottom of the can.

Posted by Greg at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Majaliwa did a fabulous job teaching Sunday School today. I have been coaching him to practice looking at the people he is teaching rather than his notes during the lesson. He taught on Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah. I was so encouraged as I thought about Jehovah-Jireh. Truly, we serve a God who provides for His people.
In the worship service I preached from Romans 4, which meshed very well with the Sunday School lesson. In this chapter Paul used Abraham as a vivid illustration that it is by FAITH man is justified, not by works. I am glad we are declared righteous as we place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and not in ourselves.
Now for some praises...

I praise God for the faithfulness of a handful of adults at International Baptist Church!
I praise God for Moses! (A young believer who is following up a piece of land for a cemetary for International Baptist Church - Kingereka.)
I praise God for Frankie! (A first time visitor who got saved.)
I praise God for John! (A faithful man who is following up a way for us to get electric service to our property.)
I praise God for Eliana! (A faithful lady who is following up a way for us to get water service to our property.)

Posted by Greg at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mate Makali means - "Bitter Spit." (Mate pronounced "Maa-tay" - Makali pronounced "Maa-kaa-lee") That is exactly what some cobras on this continent project as a warning to someone who has gotten closer than the snake prefers. Majaliwa, our day watchman/worker, was served this venemous cocktail yesterday evening as he was passing by a fence. He was unable to rest well last night after the spittle got splattered on him. His eyes hurt, his lips are swollen, and his face is broken out.
I am sure Majaliwa would appreciate your prayers. We are thankful the serpent didn't strike!

Posted by Greg at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recently introduced to Facebook "Flairs" I 'bout died laughing when I saw some buttons for NUTELLA! I thought, "My soul, people really eat that stuff?" Then, I began to think... "Maybe the Flair button isn't a joke and it IS good!" When the kids and I were in town Monday, guess what was in stock?... Yep... NUTELLA. I could have gotten 400g or 800g. I opted for the 400g. (Ours comes from the homeland - Italy, w00t!)
As soon as I got home I popped 2 pieces of bread in the toaster. After a couple of minutes... Walaa... 2 perfect lightly toasted slices sprung from the mini-appliance. I peeled back the tamper-resistant foil from my new favorite food group and spread. I took a bite and thought... "This is all right!" Joe loved it. I took my toast to Paige and had her close her eyes and open wide. She took a bite and asked if it was NUTELLA. (We laughed, together, at the Flair!)
I am not being paid for this advert, but if anyone in the business wants to throw me a bone for the pitch, ni sawa tu!

Posted by Greg at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday evening a handful of believers met at church for the mid-week service. Brother B.J. brought a lesson from Genesis 18-19 on God's desctruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The focus of the message was on Abraham's plea for and the testimony of Lot and his family. While listening to the teaching a thought came to my mind as I perused a man like Lot and then, what Peter had to say about him (under inspiration)... Peter called him "just Lot" and "that righteous man." My thought was this... It doesn't take a whole lot to be a righteous man in God's sight.
The Lord places His righteousness upon those who believe Him. That's all, amen... He has done all the work.

Posted by Greg at 8:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When the kids and I were at the market getting veggies and stuff I saw a T-shirt with the following...

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups!

Posted by Greg at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BJ Schultz called to see if we had a phone number for a doctor close by. He said that their 2 year old, Daniel, needed to get some stitches in his head. We did not have the number but offered to help in any other way that we could.

Later, they pull up to our gate. It was "after hours" at the local clinics and the hospital takes a while to get to things. They wanted to know my "expert" opinion. HA!! Daniel had been soothed with some pain reliever earlier, so we were able to take a quick peek. It looked like something I thought we could handle here. I remembered that I had some steri-strips somewhere. Now if I could just find them!! :) Cathy and I went out to one of my "stashes" of medical supplies and found them, plus gathered anything else that we thought might help with the process.

It took some time to get the blood and hair away from the incision, but after that was done, the rest was pretty simple. Daniel slept almost the entire time!! He woke up at the very end when I was shaving around the area so we could get a bigger bandage on to protect the steri-strips.

Posted by Paige at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was my first time making a meal for the family all by myself. It started with a trip to the market. All of us kids went with dad and got potatoes, green peppers, garlic, watermelon, and pineapple. Then, we went to our local bakery and bought a bunch of buns and some cheesebread. After we left there, we went across the street to pick up more groceries. The store didn't have cream, which was an essential item for the meal - beef stroganoff. So, when we got home I messaged Mrs. Cathy and asked if she had any cream. She had some and I was able to begin the preparations. I never was so rushed in my life.
When everything was finally done, I was so glad. The meal went well, but when we were done eating, everyone was too full to have any cake. We will eat it later.

Posted by Abigail at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a month away from the work in Kingereka, we found ourselves at International Baptist Church this morning. It was great to see the familiar faces of those who have been saved and baptized since this church was started. The building also looked much better with plaster on the inside walls. SAFI!
I preached from Romans 3 on the Law being: (1) A Light - which exposes our sin; (2) A Ledger - which reminds us of God's mighty acts; (3) A Leader - which points the way to Christ (Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.) I encouraged the church folk to know the 10 commandments and use them in their witnessing efforts.
Please pray that the Lord would use the members of the church to reach out to their friends and neighbors so that others would come to know the LORD.

Posted by Greg at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)