Back in the States again

Monday, October 10th, 2011

I just wanted to let everyone know that Russ and I safely made it back to the states this morning after a very long flight from Addis Ababa.  

Sunset over Nairobi from "The Blue Nile" was beautiful - is it just because I'm heading home?

After leaving Ethiopia we had a five and a half hour flight to Rome, Italy where the pilots were exchanged for some fresh ones.  It was 3:30am there local time when we arrived.  We stayed in our seats for the hour in Rome, and then we were off again.  

The lit up city of the port city of Taranto, Italy (I believe) at 3:00am local time.

This time it was a nine and a half hour flight to Washington DC.  Over 15 hours in the same seat is too long!  I was glad to be back in the states, but I think I was even more glad to get off that plane!  That was too much time with "The Blue Nile" - Ethiopian Airlines newest aircraft.  From here Russ returns to Minneapolis and then back to Mankato.  I head on to St. Louis for our Southeastern Pastoral Conference which begins tomorrow morning and goes until Thursday noon.  Then I will get to (finally) return home.

Thanks again for all your prayers.  Please continue to remember our work in East Africa in your prayers, as well as our work throughout the world.  May the name of our Savior be spread and His kingdom come!

In His service,

Nathanael

Coming Home

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.  Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 136:1-2).

Right now, Russ and I are sitting in the airport at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  We left Nairobi almost 4 hours ago and will soon be boarding our plane for Washington DC (via Rome).  It has been another long day and we are looking forward to getting back home again.

We left Matunda at 8:45am this morning, boarding another shuttle for the 5 hours trip to Nairobi.  Mike walked us to the bus stop and waited with us for the hour it took for the shuttle to arrive.  It doesn’t feel like Sunday, having missed church, but we did have a service yesterday....

We arrived safely in Nairobi and Jemima graciously had us picked up from the bus stop, even though she was just coming into town herself.  She had a meal prepared for us, and our room ready in case we wanted to rest up before our flight.  What a wonderful lady!  As it turns out, we had to eat quickly and get back to the airport for our flight out of Nairobi.  Thankfully, the airport is a very short drive from Jemima’s!

The men of the Chotororo seminary - one of the reasons we are here in East Africa!

It has been a long trip, but we are nearing the end.  Thank you for your prayers during our trip.  No doubt our graciously Lord heard them all and answered them by giving us safe travels!  May the Lord of the Harvest continue to bless the work here in East Africa through the seed that is being sown.  Oh, give thanks to the LORD!

In Christ,

Nathanael

A visit to Mike's Home away from Home

Friday and Saturday, October 7-8, 2011

Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting (Psalm 147:1 ).

We left the Jazz Hotel at about 7:00am to make our way to the bus stage for our trip north out of Kisii to Eldoret.  We had a nice shuttle, which meant that we weren’t packed in like sardines.  We each had our own (paid) seat, and there were no stops between Kisii and Eldoret to pick up passengers.  It was about a five hour journey, and we arrived in Eldoret a little after 12:30pm.  We had a few errands to do so we visited the bank, the Bible Book store, the Grocery store and a few other odds n ends.  Finally we were ready to leave Eldoret for Mike’s home in Matunda.  We had another 45 minute ride, but the roads were much improved from what they were last year.  When we arrived, Mary was at Mike’s already and she was busy making supper!  We visited with Eric for a little bit and soon Anna arrived.  She had been at Emmaus church supervising the construction of the second classroom there.  We made a quick journey to the church to see the progress and I had the opportunity to get up on the roof and help the fundi (carpenter) install the iron sheets on the roof!  He looked at me skeptically at first when I asked about coming up, but by after driving a few nails, he saw that I had experience and invited me to keep helping!  It was a nice change of pace!

We returned to Mike’s for the supper Mary had prepared for us (which we enjoyed immensely) and after visiting with the Sagala family for a while, turned in for the night.  We settled into Mike’s house, which is the upper story of a duplex.  He has a kitchen and living room as well as three bedrooms and a bathroom.  It is in a much better location than his previous house, and although he is a little further from church, he is closer to town.  To top off the night, Mike made us grilled cheese sandwiches, which were REALLY good.

 Russ gets a picture of me at work in Mike's living room the night before we leave.

On Saturday we went to the church to meet with the school children, their parents and members since Russ and I were not going to be able to be there for Sunday services.  We began at about 10:00am and finished up at about 2:00pm!  After that we went to a little restaurant for a small lunch with Anna and Mary, and then went to Mary’s house for the rest of the afternoon.  We wrapped up at around 6:00pm, said goodbye to Mary and Anna and walked across town to Mike’s.  It was a somber evening....  While Russ and I are glad to be going home, it is difficult to leave our compatriot behind.  But he only has two more months left and he will be following.

Mary, Mike, Anna and I after our lunch on Saturday afternoon (Mike and I were a little burned!)

Please keep Mike in your prayers during the coming two months.  You can follow his work here:  http://emmausmilimanimission.tumblr.com
 
In Christ,

Nathanael

Final Days in Chotororo

Tuesday - Thursday, October 4-6, 2011

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.  For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me (Colossians 1:28-29).

It was more of the same the past three days.  Five hours on the road and six to six and a half hours of teaching....

On Tuesday Mike and I went out to the seminary to teach, while Russ stayed in Kisii again to get more things done for Wednesday.   We worked through the 14 pamphlets this week.  In the morning I presented the topic of Law and Gospel, and in the afternoon Mike presented “What is Lutheranism?”

Mike teaches at the Chotororo seminary while students look on and take notes.

Wednesday brought something different day.  Instead of taking our typical travel, we hired a taxi to carry out all the books for the seminary and the gifts for the children at the Etago KINSHIP school.  So he took us to Chotororo where we unloaded five boxes of books for the seminary.  We brought two paper boxes of books that were donated by CLC members, two boxes of Swahili catechisms and one box of Kisii Hymnals.  After the morning session, Russ went on to Etago with Pastor Enosh to the KINSHIP school to distribute the gifts he had purchased from the KINSHIP committee.  Toothbrushes and toothpaste, balls, and a few other toys went out to the kids.  In the morning I covered the Charismatic movement and in the afternoon Russ presented a study of the Lord’s Prayer.

On Thursday we had a bit shorter of a day.  In the morning I did studies on Marriage and the Role of Women in the Church.  We broke at lunch and in the afternoon had meetings with the teachers and students about the schedule for the coming year.  We finished up at about 3:30 and said our goodbyes to all those who were there.  I won’t see them again for another year. Yet what a joy it is to come and to teach God’s precious Word of Truth to these men who are eager to study for the ministry!  While this is a struggle, it is worth the effort when we know and understand that the Holy Spirit is at work through His Word.  

When we arrived back in Kisii we had packing to do for the coming morning.  Tomorrow we leave for Mike’s home in Matunda.  We have to be ready to go by 7:00am once again.  We are all starting to wear down a little from the hectic schedule.  We are tried and don’t have the energy we should have.  It has been a very long five weeks, but we are nearing the end.  May the Lord continue to be with us and bless the spread of His Word of Truth in this land!

In Christ,

Nathanael

A hair-raising trip to Chotororo

Monday, October 3, 2011

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

It has been a very busy week.  Originally we were only going to be spending two days at the seminary in Arusha and another two days at the seminary here is Chotororo.  In the course of our visit this year I decided to rework my schedule to enable us to spend more time at each seminary.  We spent a full five days in Arusha and spent four days here in Chotororo.  This was a very beneficial change to make and one I will plan to incorporate in future visits as well.

Even though our stay in Kisii was shorter than our stay in Arusha, it was much busier, for a number of reasons.  Kisii is a main city in the Southwestern Region of Kenya.  This city has become our base of operations for when we come to work in this district which sponsors a seminary at Chotororo and an orphan school at Etago.  While I focused on the seminary, Russ eagerly took up the responsibility of the orphan school.  Mike assisted in both arenas.

On Monday, Daniel Mugeni (from Uganda) and I made the long trek from Kisii to Chotororo.  We left Mike and Russ in Kisii to purchase gifts for the children at St. David’s KINSHIP Academy in Etago and do some printing work for seminary.  Daniel and I boarded a Matatoo at a little after 7:00am for our trip to Awendo which took about an hour and forty-five minutes.  Poor Daniel was not used to this kind of “Kenyan driving” and was almost sick from the crammed in people, wretched roads and chaotic driving!  He says it is much better in Uganda.  We finally exited in Awendo with Daniel almost white as a sheet.  While he sat down to recuperate, I procured two motorbike drivers to take us up the mud roads to the hill village of Chotororo where the seminary is located.  That was almost as hair-raising as the matatoo ride.  We had two good drivers though and made it up the hill without incident.  We arrived at 9:30am after spending 2.5 hours on the road, and began our day at the seminary.  I gave our test in the morning, corrected them over lunch, and went over the test in the afternoon.  We had about 17 men there in total: teachers, students and a few additional leaders from our churches.  We wrapped up the day at about 4:00pm and I had to repeat my trek back down the hill to Awendo, and then on to Kisii by matatoo.  It was after 6:30pm by the time I returned to our hotel in Kisii to meet up with Mike and Russ, and I was beat!  It puts a new perspective on “commuting to work” - that’s for sure!  Five hours on the road and six and a half teaching!

The beautiful view down on Chotororo from the seminary at the top of a hill.

So the next time you think about how much you despise your commute consider having to make it in a bus crammed over the limit with people, live animals and other goods, on horrible roads in a vehicle with no shocks or struts left for your first leg, and then a motorbike up muddy roads unable to be traveled by other means for the second leg....  Then thank God for the many blessings we have in the United States!  I’m thankful I only have to do this for 3 more days!

In Christ,

Nathanael

From one seminary to another

Saturday - Sunday, October 1-2, 2011

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13).

On Saturday we got up early to catch a bus for Nairobi.  Pastor Jeremiah’s Son, Elisha, came to pick us up and drop us off at the bus station.  We have spent some time with Elisha over the last couple of trips here, and he is a wonderful young man.  We always enjoy our time with him when we get together, and he is always glad to get together when he can.

A view of the barren terrain between Arusha and Nairobi from our bus.

Our bus left just a little after 8:00am and we had a five hour trip to Nairobi.  We made it to the Kenyan border at Namanga in record time, due to the completed roads in Tanzania.  We only had one diversion, and that was a short stretch where they were working on a bridge.  It was sure a nice change from all the previous years we have traveled on this road!  We got off the bus at the airport and then waited for Andrew to pick us up from there.  He took us to Jemima’s where we were treated to lunch and then supper and welcomed for the night.  What gracious hosts!  In the evening Mike and I made a two hour trip across Nairobi to visit the Lutheran Heritage Foundation, but when we arrived we found that it was closed.  I hopped the locked gate and finally found someone who could give us information about the schedule.  After that we had another two plus hour trip across town again, doubling our traveling for the day!

An Islamic mosque is not far from where we stay in Nairobi.  Another reminder of why we are here....

On Sunday we hit the road once again for Kisii.   It was another long trip on a big bus.  It was after dark by the time that we arrived - almost 7:30pm.  We met up with Daniel from Uganda who came to sit in on our seminary classes at Chotororo this coming week.

This year I have come to realize that I need to change the way I have been approaching the work here in East Africa.  Instead of visiting congregations and running all over East Africa, I will be focusing on teaching in the institutions we have set up and are sponsoring.  I have spent one week in Arusha and will be spending the coming week in Chotororo at the Kenya seminary.  I believe that this is a far more profitable use of my time then traipsing all over these countries visiting congregations, but not really accomplishing much.  I have revamped my schedule this year to incorporate this, and will be implementing this in future years as well.  I pray that this will serve to better equip our men here for the work of ministry as we continue to grow in Christian wisdom, knowledge and zeal for our Savior’s kingdom work!  

In Christ,

Nathanael

Teaching at Arusha seminary

Monday - Friday, September 26-30, 2011

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:15-16).

I’ve been a bit behind on my posting since the last two weeks have been so busy teaching at our seminaries in Arusha, Tanzania and Chotororo, Kenya.  Let me revisit for you the week that we spent in Arusha....

We spent five days teaching at the seminary in Arusha.  Each day we began at around 9:00am when we were picked up by Pastor Jeremiah.  It was about a one hour trip through Arusha to Pastor Jeremiah’s church where the seminary classes are held.  Classes began at around 10:00am and continued until about 2:00pm when we stopped for lunch.  We continued teaching until about 4:30 or 5:00pm.  Then we had another one hour trip back to the hotel.

Pastor Gondwe receives a laptop that was donated by one of my members back home.  Pastor Gondwe is our district leader in the Tanga region and a teacher at our seminary - it will be put to good use!

Arusha is a beautiful area - it is covered with bananas, coffee, corn, tomatoes and other plants.  Jeremiah’s church is set into this beautiful surrounding.  We met with the seminary students, as well as some of the pastors from the Arusha district during this week.  We began the week with a review on the two lessons that Mike and I gave at the Pastoral Conference in Moshi.  I covered Fellowship and Mike presented the pamphlet: “What is a Lutheran?”.

On Tuesday, we gave a test on the catechism just like we have given in other places.  After giving the test, we went through the answers and reviewed the Biblical references that provide the support for those answers.  It was once again well received and we had a good review of these Bible Doctrines.

The rest of the week was spent going through the Catechism.  On Wednesday we went through the 1st Article and part of the 2nd Article of the Apostles’ Creed and Baptism.  On Thursday Mike presented more on the study of the 2nd Article and I covered the Sacrament of the Altar.  Friday was concluded with the remainder of the 2nd Article and the Lord’s Prayer.  So we made it through almost the entire catechism in the week we had here.  This has been a good review and we have been able to incorporate some better teaching methods in the classroom.

Mike teaches at the seminary, and Pastor Nathan Lengutai serves as his very gregarious translator.

We have been staying at the Caanan Hotel in Arusha.  I found this hotel on the Internet last year and it has been a pretty good place for us.  It is owned by a Maasai man who we have seen from time to time.  The only downside is that it is a long walk to anything that you might want.  We ate in the Hotel Restaurant most of this week, even though the selection was very sparse, and the food was more expensive then we could have found it somewhere else.  They had a nice menu, but whenever we asked for something, our waitress would tell us that it was not available.  About the only thing that we would have was chicken - either with fries or with rice!  I did get Spaghetti one night and that was sure nice for a change.

Tomorrow we are on the road to Nairobi where we will be for less than 24 hours before we board another bus to Kisii. We pray to the Lord for more safe travel over the next couple of days.

May the Lord bless His Word here in Tanzania!

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

Worship in Machame

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).

We are left the Moshi District today.  But before we leaving for Arusha we visited our small congregation in Machame which is just off the road from Moshi to Arusha.  This is another congregation that, like Himo, has struggled with the effects of the court case over the Seminary building.  The pastor of this congregation is a former seminary student at Himo, and one of the men who graduated from there in 2008.  There was only a small number of people there, but they were eager to join in the worship of our Triune God for the gift of salvation He has won for us.  Before the service we were invited to the home of one of the members, where we had tea, bread and hard-boiled eggs.  Two members and the pastor joined us as we waited for service time.

Russ plays some "pre service music" at Machame on his Ukelele.

When the service started, it was very familiar.  Their liturgy is much like our back home.  It contained the Invocation, Confession and Absolution, Responsive Psalm, Confession of Faith, Scripture Readings, Responses, the Lord’s Prayer, and Benediction.  We even sang familiar hymns like Rock of Ages and God Loves Me Dearly!  I had been asked to preach and used the word of Romans chapter 5:1-5 once again.  I emphasized God’s work of Justification and the results of that work which are ours: Peace; Hope; and Comfort in Tribulation.

What a privilege it is to worship with fellow believers teaching and admonishing one another thought the readings, hymns and parts of the liturgy!  And thanks be to our God who has given His Word for this purpose.  How often we forget or fail to realize that our Lutheran Worship is full of God’s Word.  We don’t just hear God’s Word in the Scripture readings - we also hear it in the hymns and in the various parts of the liturgy.  Through and through it is a Biblical service teaching and admonishing us!  We dare not take this for granted, but understand that God is at work through His Word in our liturgy.  May the Lord continue to be with His people here at Machame and throughout the Moshi District.

Following the service we caught a shuttle which took us to Arusha.  It was a two hour trip through some very beautiful country.  It is full of banana trees, coffee plants, maize, beans, and various other crops.  Since it is so close to the mountains, there is lot of rain and the climate is very conducive to crops of various kinds.

We arrived in Arusha mid-afternoon and checked into our hotel on the north side of Arusha.  The prices have gone up quite a bit with the electricity shortages and economic problems, but it is still a good value compared to other hotels.  It even has wireless internet (when there is electricity).  We are glad to be able to settle in here, knowing that we will be here for a week.  It is always a good feeling when you know you will be in the same place for more than one or two days!  We also look forward to working in the seminary this whole week.  May the Lord bless our service to Him.

In Christ,

Nathanael

Maasai gifts in Msita wa Tembo

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4).

This is our last day in Moshi.  While there have been plenty of challenges and struggles to deal with while we have been here, we have really enjoyed our accommodations.  The people here are very kind and eager to help, and we have gotten to know many of them by name.  The beds have been comfortable, the shower has been hot (usually), and the food has been great!  So we glad to be moving on to Arusha for the next stage of our work, but we are going to miss our lodging place!

This morning I had a meeting with two of the pastors of the Moshi district to discuss some matters that have come up in the course of my stay here.  It was a difficult situation, but it was necessary to work toward resolving an issue among some of our pastors.  After that meeting I visited the local Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.  They have a large church and administration offices right here in Moshi.  This is a liberal Lutheran Church body, much like the ELCA is the States, although the ELCT churches are not happy with some of the recent decisions in the ELCA.  I wanted to do some checking on pastors in the ELCT, locations of their churches and ask some other research questions as well.  The people that I met with were very friendly and helpful in answering my questions.  

After my research safari, I met up with Mike and Russ and we rode out to one of our churches in Msita wa tembo with Pastor Malyi.  It was about a two hour ride through the sugar cane field south of Moshi and into the desert sands at the foot of a small mountain range.  It was quite a change in scenery!  From rich and plentiful land growing bountiful harvests of sugar cane, to dry barren land that nothing but scrub brush can grow in!  It was here in this barren wasteland that we found Pastor Mollel’s Maasai congregation waiting for us and singing hymns of rejoicing.  

The members of the church in Msita wa tembo.

We were ushered to the front of the church building constructed with stick as the congregation continued their singing.  They had two choirs - a youth choir and an adult choir and they took turns singing their hymns of praise.  We were introduced to the church leaders, and were given gifts from the congregation in appreciation of our coming.  Russ, Mike, Pastor Malyi and I each received a hand made bead cross necklace.  They also gave me a Maasai robe which they tied around me.   We were then given an opportunity to greet and share the word with the congregation.  Russ did his Jonah presentation, and I again addressed the congregation from the book of Romans.  I asked questions to determine the understanding of the people, and I was impressed by their responses on basic Bible doctrines.  They were very alert and receptive throughout our speaking, nodding their heads in response and appreciation.

Pastor Gurath sports his Maasai cross necklace.

After a few more hymns and the benediction, we were ushered to the sacristy where lunch was served.  There was cabbage, rice, soup, meat, tea, coffee, water and peanuts.  It was a good meal, but my favorite part was probably the peanuts!  All the while the congregation continued singing different songs of praise in Swahili and in the Maasai tongue.  What an amazing thing to see these people who have almost nothing rejoice in the greatest gift of all - salvation through Jesus Christ!

I visit with Pastor Mollel and Pastor Malyi in my Maasai robe following the service.

We had a long trip back after the service and it was evening by the time we arrived in Moshi.  We ran a few errands on our way back to the hotel, and packed our things, ready to leave tomorrow morning.  A new adventure begins tomorrow....

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

Last Minute stop in Makanya

Friday, September 23, 2011

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

We had an extra day since we moved the Moshi District seminar up to yesterday afternoon.  Originally the Moshi District seminar was scheduled for today, but we moved it up to yesterday and saved costs on a hall rental and gained an extra day.  We filled that extra day by going to visit Pastor Godson Mshana in the small village of Makanya. Mike and I met with Pastor Gondwe at 7:00am this morning and caught a bus to Makanya which is located halfway between Moshi and Tanga.  We had planned to visit him on our way to Moshi from Tanga, but he was out of town that day, so it didn’t work out.  This was a nice back-up plan.

It was a two and a half hour ride from Moshi to Makanya.  We rode on a big bus which was more comfortable than most of the ones we have ridden this year.  We hopped off the bus at a hole-in-the-wall market in what looked like the middle of nowhere.  A few minutes later Sadiki met us and led us on a 10 minute walk to the church in Makanya.  Pastor Mshana is in the process of building a 9 room hostel which he plans to use to support the school they are running and looking to expand.

He took us to see the school that the church is running.  They have about 200 pre-school students ages 3-5.  This is an area highly populated by Muslims and they are teaching Muslim children here as well.  They teach Bible stories and Christian principles, so who knows what the Lord may work through this opportunity.  Pastor Mshana’s wife is the head teacher and she is assisted by two other women.  They would like to expand and build more classrooms and add more levels in the coming years, but funds are hindering them at this time.  They have the land to build, so it is possible to build the that additional classrooms in the future.

Go to Pastor Gurath's blog to see some video of the children from the school here in Makanya. You can find them here: http://emmausmilimanimission.tumblr.com/

Pastor Mshana walked us around the village and introduced us to the teachers at the public school, at the hospital and clinic, and in the market.  It was obvious that people in the village knew and respected him.  For a small village in the middle of nowhere, this village had many conveniences which one would not expect like the school and hospital (with a doctor “in house”).

Following the tour of the village we came back to Pastor Mshana’s home and were served lunch.  His wife and family were very gracious and hospitable, and Sidiki offered a wonderful heart-felt prayer for us and for the Lord’s work in Makanya and throughout East Africa.  After lunch we had to say goodbye and catch another bus back to Moshi.  It was a very worthwhile trip and very exciting to see how the Lord’s word is at work in this area of Tanzania!  May the our Great High Priest bless their witness and confession!

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

Conference wraps up, Moshi district seminar

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb (Psalm 19:7-10).

Day two of our conference began this morning at 8:30am. Today was just a half day, so that those who were traveling a long distance could begin their return trip. Our conference began with a paper by Pastor Jeremiah Issangya on unity of church leaders. Pastor Issangya is the principal and teacher at our seminary in Arusha, Tanzania. In his paper he offered very practical examples of the dangers church leaders face and suggestions for how to maintain brotherly love in our working together. It was well received and incorporated some very profitable discussion among the attendees.

Following this we took some time to hand out the tests on the catechism which were taken yesterday and to review the answers. It was a helpful review to all our pastors, showing the importance of knowing and using the catechism regularly in our ministries.

Attendees of the conference representing five different countries.

Several reports were offered on our work in various fields before we concluded with our schedule for next year, and prayers in word and song. Goodbyes were said among brothers before many headed to bus stations for return trips home.

Since we were only able to rent the hall for a day at a time and not half days, we decided to use the hall for an afternoon session for the leaders of the Moshi district. After lunch, the men of the Moshi district returned to the hall overlooking the city of Moshi for some additional studies. With many new contacts in the area, I explained the men the colloquy process and explained that new contacts would have to go through a period of instruction with me before they would become pastors affiliated with our churches in East Africa. While this will be a lot of work both for the inquiring pastor and for me, it is necessary to maintain the unity we strive for, and will be beneficial instruction as well.

A view of Moshi from the upstairs room of the Newcastle Hotel where our conference was held. Kilimanjaro is in the background but hidden by clouds....

We pray for the Lord’s continued blessings on this process and on those looking for the truth of God’s Word. In addition, the afternoon session contained a study of the Lord’s Prayer which Russ presented and a study of the Biblical presentation of Grace Alone and Universal Grace and how one or the other of these are rejected by the majority of Christian churches today. This included a study of Calvinism and Arminianism.

We wrapped up our afternoon session at about 5:30pm. More meetings were held in the evening as plans were made for the coming days. Tomorrow we will be on the road again for a brief visit to a village I have never been to.

We thank the Lord for blessing our conference and for building us up through the Word of Truth which has been taught and heard during these past two days. May He continue to bless the work of these pastors and teachers in their service to Jesus Christ!

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

East African Pastoral Conference begins

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

The East African General Pastoral Conference began this morning at 9:00am. Pastor Malyi served as the chaplain and opened with prayers, hymns and a devotion. Men were in attendance from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and the United States - 16 men in all. We were supposed to have twenty men, but several were unable to attend for various reasons. We still had a good turnout from a variety of our East African fields. This year I decided to take some time to review doctrines that set us apart from other church bodies and presented in Koenig’s 14 pamphlets (these can be found on the CLC’s Lutheran Missions website under Teachings). I took the attendees through a review of the Doctrine of Fellowship and Pastor Gurath followed with a review of “What is a Lutheran?”

Attendees begin to arrive and greet one another at the beginning of the conference.

In the afternoon Pastor Fred Ogendo took us through a review of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Pastor Ogendo serves as one of the teachers at our seminary in Chotororo, Kenya, in the Kisii District. This was followed by a review test on the Catechism, which was given by Pastor Gurath. The purpose of the test was to see how well our pastors know and understand the Catechism, and to encourage them to study the catechism more and teach it in their congregations. The test was received well by the attendees, and they appreciated the review of these basic Christian teachings.

In the past we have had problems getting copies of the Catechism to distribute to our pastors and the people of the congregations here. I have brought English catechisms which have been donated by our members in the states, but those have been few compared to the large number of people who need them. Last year we were finally able to get copies of the Small Catechism with Explanation and began distributing them in our seminaries. This year we have picked up more and are distributing them to our pastors and church leaders for review and instruction. This has been received very well and appreciated by our pastors.

Attendees work on the Catechism test in the afternoon session.

The conference mixed singing English and Swahili hymns for the opening and closing of our sessions. It was a joy to be able to sing with these men and have them sing with us. Many hymn tunes are familiar in both languages and can be sung in either English or Swahili. What a joy to gather around the word of God in Spirit worked unity and sing together praises to our Triune God! May He continue to bless the proclamation of His salvation through each one of us as His witnesses and keep us faithful to His word of truth.

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

Himo School

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12).

The congregation in Himo has been the central focus of the lawsuit brought on by a former member of our church in East Africa, against us and against certain individual members of our churches in the Moshi district. This has been going on for two years now in a very slow process, and although it seems to be nearing the end, we cannot be sure when everything will be finally resolved. The chief matter in dispute is the ownership of the seminary building in Himo. The seminary has been closed for two years, but the members of the Himo congregation, who used the seminary chapel as their sanctuary have been allowed to continue to use it in this way during the case. While that has been a blessing, it has also put them in the middle of this battle.

Thankfully we found that the pre-school that was also operated at the seminary has also been able to continue. They have about 80 students from ages 3-5 who are taught by Pastor Makundi’s wife and one other woman in the congregation. We arrived at the seminary building at about 11:00 as they were wrapping things up for the day. The children greeted us in English and did some counting and singing for us. The school here receives some fees from parents, but is supported mostly by the members of the Himo congregation and other TCLC churches in the Moshi district. Of course they have more needs than they are able to meet themselves and they would like to be able to provide. One thing they would like to provide is a bowl of porridge for the children in the morning. They would also like to buy some small blackboards for the younger children so they can practice their writing. I have asked Pastor Makundi to provide me with a full list of the needs they have and what those items would cost, to see if we can help.

A picture of the happy faces of the children of the Himo congregation's pre-school.

From the school we went to visit the family of a Himo member who passed away earlier this year. Mr. Uiso had been a rock in the Himo congregation and he became ill with a liver disease at the end of last year. We wanted to pass on our sympathy to his family.

We also went to visit with some of the members of the Himo congregation to encourage them to continue fighting the good fight of faith and not give up. In the face of all these difficulties, we reminded them that our hope in the future has not changed, no matter the outcome of the current court case. The Lord will be with them as He has promised. It was a very beneficial and uplifting visit, for us and for them as well.

Greeting the Himo members before heading back to Moshi.

We caught the bus back to Moshi and met up with the men who had already arrived for the conference. More continued to poor in throughout the late afternoon and early evening. It was a joy to sit and visit with them all and to discuss the state of affairs in East African politics and religion amiably and as brothers in Christ. It makes me look forward all the more to our conference tomorrow!

In Christ’s service,

Nathanael

Bear with one another

Monday, September 19, 2011

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).

We all have problems getting along with others. It is part of our selfish human nature. It can be seen in children and adults, men and women, rich and poor. Bearing with one another in love is one more God-desired fruit of the Spirit which we need the Lord’s help to do. Sometimes we also need reminders and encouragement from our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

In some ways, the Africans countries struggle with this to a great degree. We hear a lot about racism in our own country - but it is widely prevalent here in Africa as well. There is obvious racism against white people, but there is also racism against between various tribes - where one person thinks that they are better than someone else because they are from a different tribe. Even though our faith in Christ unites us as Paul says in Galatians 3:28 (“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”), the flesh still raises its ugly head against that unity and equality in Christ.

We met with two men today who have been working in the same village for many years as well as a couple others. A conflict has developed between them so this meeting was called to try to resolve the situation. It was clear that lines had already been drawn before everyone arrived. Accusations were made, tempers flared, but some ground was covered. It will not be resolved today, but we pray that it will be in the near future. How sad it is when the devil uses personal desires to hinder the work of Christ’s kingdom! We should all be aware of this in our own lives and pray for His help in striving against such attacks from the devil and our own flesh.

We also moved to a new “hotel” which was nicer, but cheaper then what we were paying at the place where the conference will be held. We are very happy with this new location, which is just a short walk from the Pastoral Conference venue. We are always looking for ways to cut costs and keep things as inexpensive as possible. We are staying in a single room, but which can sleep three. It is new and very comfortable.

A view of the inside of our new and cheaper "home away from home" in Moshi.

The rest of the day was spent in preparation for the Pastoral Conference which is just two days away now. Agenda were completed, papers prepared and printed, and accommodations readied. Tomorrow we will be visiting the school at Himo, so we will be gone for most of the day and in the afternoon Conference attendees will be arriving.

Lord, be with us and bless our work that You might be glorified in all things! Amen.

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

The Lord's Day

Sunday, September 18, 2011

(Let us not forsake) the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).

Today is Sunday - the Lord’s Day. It was called the “Lord’s Day” in the early church because it was the day when Jesus rose from the dead and showed Himself to his disciples. It was the Lord’s Day because our Lord showed openly that He had defeated sin and death through His death on the cross.

We still celebrate the Lord’s Day today, centuries later. His death and resurrection, His victory is still ours through faith and we need to be reminded of it constantly. It is a privilege to be able to worship our God for the salvation He has won for us on this day. But oh, how easy it is to take this privilege for granted! We think of it as unnecessary or as unimportant compared to other events in our busy lives. This is true in Africa, just as it is in the states. It is common to find women bringing their children to church, but often the husband is busy working to put food on the table. Sometimes both parents are absent, and the children are left to get themselves to church on Sunday morning. How sad this is to see! The Lord reminds us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). How many distractions there are in this world! How easy to loose sight of the importance and need we have to gather with fellow Christians to encourage one another and be b

uilt up by the Word of God on the Lord’s Day!

Pastor Lengutai translates for me at our service this morning at Pastor Jeremiah's church.

There were only a few who gathered with us this morning at Pastor Jeremiah’s church. Students were away to school, and others were gone, unable to watch video services or “Skype” in for church as we do back home. Russ did a presentation for the children on the account of Jonah, and I was asked to preach. Pastor Nathan Lengutai translated for me as we heard Paul’s words of comfort found in Romans 5:1-5. We pray for the Lord’s blessing on this small church, that they may continue to grow in knowledge and understanding of God’s work for us, and in their witness to one another and to the world!

Following church we were invited to Pastor Jeremiah’s home for a lunch of rice, soup, bananas and soda with Pastor Lengutai, Evangelist Tangeza and his family. We discussed the coming Pastoral Conference and other topics, and then said our goodbyes. Pastor Jeremiah then took us to the bus station to catch a bus back to Moshi. It was not a comfortable ride. We were crammed in like sardines, with even the isles filled with people. Our luggage was strapped to the top of the bus with everyone elses, but we didn’t have any more room. It was a good thing it was only a two hour trip which we paid only about $2 a ticket for! Boy, were we glad to get off that bus! There was also the typical ridicule by the public of the “white men” - which gets a little old after a while....

We checked into our new hotel in Moshi and rested up for a while, getting ready for the next day. We ended the day with a treat - real pizza at a little Italian restaurant we found behind our hotel. It wasn’t Pizza Hut, but it was good! Tomorrow we have some meetings scheduled and we are considering moving to a new hotel just down the street, because we found a better deal. I’ll explain tomorrow. For now, blessings to you all on this Lord’s Day. Thanks be to Him for His grace and mercy!

In Christ,

Nathanael

Masai congregations outside Arusha

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Through him [Jesus Christ] we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2).

Today we had the opportunity to visit two Masai congregations to the West of Arusha. They are both stories of hope, so I’d like to tell you their stories.

This morning Pastor Jeremiah picked us up at about 9:00am. He was accompanied by Pastor Nathan Lengutai and Evangelist Tangeza. We drove through Arusha and headed west into the dry and barren wastelands of northern Tanzania. In this area there is little vegetation on the ground, and the dirt is easily stirred up by the turbulent winds well known by the people of this land. There are no big cities, just villages of mud buildings with thatched roofs along the side of the road. The typical passerby would hesitate to stop here, just like they would hesitate to slow down if they found themselves in one of Chicago’s bad neighborhoods. But the people here are kind and ready to offer a cup of tea for weary travelers. This is Masai land. A ranching people who herd sheep, goats and some cattle, they are wanderers - taking their animals wherever they can find grass to feed them. They are a simple people who have little or nothing beyond the wooden stick in their hands and the colorful sheets which they use to clothe themselves.

It is in this environment that we arrived. We met a large number of members from the Engamata Masai congregation (even though it was a Saturday). They were working on the second stage of constructing a new church. The land had been leveled and holes had been dug into the ground with tree branches jutting from them. This frame was beginning to give the new church shape. The members greeted us and took a break from construction to sit with us and discuss their project and their situation.

The frame goes up on the Engamata church building.

We found that this was the same congregation we had visited several years ago. They had built a nice church and had started a school as well. But their land has been taken over by the government as a part of land to be used for military operations. In a recent military exercise, the church building was destroyed, forcing them to move further away from the military zone. They are now building on the other side of the road, far away from their former land. They are requesting assistance with the iron sheets to cover their church building before the rainy season comes in November. The cost of supplying the iron sheets for this building would be about $350. Although discouraged by the destruction of their church they are not giving up. They are moving forward, eager to start again and continue in their service to the Lord.

Sticks have been gathered in anticipation of the new building project.

From here we traveled further to the north, many miles from anything more than foot travel. Rocks and ruts lined the “road” we drove on and lions are said to roam these lands in the evening looking for the stray sheep or goat to feed their family. We came to the village of Noosuyan, which was nothing like what you might picture in your mind. This village consisted of 9,000 residents, but they were scattered over hundreds of acres. We came to a community school where the church now worships. It was a nice building, although small, made with a stick frame and using iron sheets for the roof and walls. The church has now been given a plot of land by the village elders for the purpose of building their own church.

The land given by the village elders for our new church building.

The interesting thing is that this is the only church in this village at this time. We were told that this was the only church in 20 kilometers, and that is a huge distance in this land. They have already gathered the wood for the frame and are ready to begin building here too. Again they are asking for assistance to supply the iron sheets for the roof. About the same size as the first, this would also cost about $350. What is encouraging is the opportunities we have in these two areas. Two groups of people who are focusing on the hope that God alone can give through His word of truth. May our Lord continue to be with them and sustain them through the trials of this life through His word!

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

From Moshi to Arusha

Friday, September 16, 2011

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10-11).

To fill the rest of our vacated schedule we decided to travel to Arusha to visit a few of the churches in Pastor Jeremiah’s area. Before we could leave Moshi though, I had to resolve the matter of a hall for the Pastoral Conference for next week. Still I had found nothing suitable for a reasonable price. Many places, when they see a white person, will increase the rates for residents because they believe they can get more from a white person. This would be called discrimination in the states, but here it is common. It helps when people find out we are pastors and are working with other pastors, but some people don’t care, they want to make an easy buck (or shilling). We find this on the buses, businesses and everywhere we go.

Because of this it has taken a long time to find an acceptable and affordable place for the conference. One young man who worked at the hotel we were staying at was w

illing to walk me around town to visit some other locations. Finally after three stops we found a hotel that was reasonable and offered affordable prices for accommodation, food and hall rental for our conference. I met with the manager and organized everything for the meeting. We also found a new hotel that offered a room that all three of us could stay in for a cheaper rate then what we have been paying for two rooms in our current hotel. We strive to be good stewards of the money that we have for the work of God’s kingdom here. The less we spend on our trip, the more we have to use for other purposes in the work of God’s kingdom. It was a great trip all around!

After booking the hotel for our return, I met up with Russ and Mike and we boarded a bus to Arusha, which is about an hour to the West of Moshi. Of course, it took longer than that, even though we were on a shuttle. It ended up taking two hours to get there and we arrived mid afternoon. We checked into our favorite hotel from last year, and found it much the same, except that they had raised their prices! Because of the power shortages they are running a generator through the needed times which has caused them to raise their rates on accommodation and food at the hotel. But it does have wireless internet, so that makes it much easier for us to check e-mail and post to our blogs. I even had the change to Skype my family back home and talk to them that way. It was really nice to see my wife and kids and talk to them all.

Mike and Russ stand in front of our hotel hidden in the metropolis of Arusha.

I have also made the difficult decision to cancel two visitations that I had scheduled in Uganda and Bungoma so that I can spend more time teaching at our two seminaries. We will be spending a whole week in Arusha, Tanzania (Sept. 26 - 30) and a whole week in Chotororo, Kenya (Oct. 3 -6). It is important that we spend this time with our seminaries in assisting with the instruction of our students. Here also we strive to be good stewards of our time and in teaching the men of our districts. We pray that the Lord will bless our teaching efforts.

So this will be our new schedule for the remainder of our time here. We will be here in Arusha through Sunday when we will return to Moshi before the Pastoral Conference.

Thanks again for your prayers on our work and travels. Mike is still a bit under the weather, but is beginning to feel better. Russ has been tired from the lack of electricity at night, but has been handling it well. I remain healthy, and thank the Lord for His blessings so far. Please continue to pray for us and for the pastors of this area that the Lord would bless their service to Him.

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

Marangu and Himo visits

Note: I’m sorry that I am so far behind in getting the blog updated. We have had many electricity and internet problems while we have been in Tanzania. If you would like, you can fill out the email update form on this page and you will be sent an e-mail whenever I make a new post. This will save you from having to check the blog when nothing new has been posted. Thanks for following our trip and keeping the work in your prayers!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Today we were scheduled to visit the Kajaido district, but that had to be cancelled because our leader there had to leave the country for a while. So we have had to rework our schedule and arrange to do other things instead. Yesterday I made plans with Pastor Malyi to visit a church in Marangu and the pastor and his wife in Himo.

In addition to that I also needed to make arrangements for a hall for our Pastoral conference next week. It has been a real pain to get this organized. In the past we have used the hall here, but they have some kind of government event here next week, so there are no halls available. Lucy, the lady in charge of special events here was very kind and took m

e to a school that she thought we might be able to use. We looked it over and it looked good, but when I went back this morning, they said that it was not available either. Pastor Malyi and I also looked at a community / government hall just a block from where we are staying, but the people there gave me a very high price, so I’m going to keep looking around town.

After working on the hall rental, Mike, Russ and I caught a ride to Maran

gu, where Pastor Malyi took us to visit an elderly pastor who serves a church not far from his. He is 68 years old and has built a very nice church on his own property. He has no son and is concerned that when he dies, his brothers will take it and give it to another church body. He would like to sell it to the CLC for $3,000 so that his brothers are not able to obtain

it. The church is worth far more than that. It is much different from most of our churches in Africa, with concrete walls, a finished and painted exterior, a cement floor and even real glass windows! But once again, we simply don’t have the money to be able to buy such a building and there are many other needs that are more dire at this time. It is our prayer that the Lord will give Pastor Jackson many more years that he may continue to use this church building to the glory of His name.

Pastor Jackson's church building in Marangu. Pastor Malyi, Gurath and I are heading in.

From Marangu we returned back to Himo to visit Pastor Davis Makundi and his wife. Pastor Makundi has been one of the central figures in the seminary building problem here. He is the pastor of the church at Himo, and the congregation is able to use half of the seminary building for worship while the case is in court. He and the congregation here have been right in the middle of this struggle and have suffered greatly. What’s more, Pastor Makundi and his wife just lost their first baby only a few weeks ago. May the Lord give them comfort in this time of earthly loss!

Pastor Davis Makundi and his wife at their home in Himo.

It was 4:00pm when I finally returned to our hotel. After some work in my room we came down for supper and I has an interesting conversation with a Belgium couple. I had met them earlier in the day and knew they were going to be leaving the next day, so I wanted to say goodbye. We ended up talking for over an hour about all kinds of topics. If this couple is typical, then Europeans are more liberal than I thought. They have traveled the world and have no real concept of God. They have been turned off by the Roman Catholic Church which is THE church of their small country. They believe that the Bible is not God’s Word (although it presents some good ideals) and that God is a vague thing which is different for each person. They have been together for 20 years, but are not married. While that is commendable, it is sad that the true God is not part of their marriage or life.

It was a sad discussion, and I tried my best to turn them away from Catholic teaching and to the truth of God’s Word with passages during our conversation. Who knows what will happen, but we have the Lord’s promise: “(My word) shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

A change of schedule

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! (Psalm 148:1-3).

This psalm is a wonderful tribute to the truth of the one and only true God. In the midst of those peoples who worship the creation rather than the creator (Romans 1:25), this Psalm brings that all-important message: There is only one God, the one who has created the world and everything in it – don’t worship what is not God! May the Lord bless our message as we

proclaim His name to all the world!

A Hindu temple in the foreground and the minarets of a Moslem mosque in the background shows some of the religious diversity in Moshi.

While Mike and I were glad to get to Moshi, we found there was some discouraging news. For some reason, Tanzania is rationing its power supply, which translates into no electricity last night. They are rotating the power around, so one day there will be no power during the day, the next there will be no power during the night. Although most businesses have generators to help them through these outages, it still has made it very hard to get things done. The internet place we usually use has been down today, making it impossible to get email and updates done which we had planned to do today.

In between writing reports and getting to exchange place to get more T. Shillings, I did have the chance to meet with Pastor Malyi. Pastor Malyi is the district leader for the Moshi district. He is also the main person who is involved in the legal case with the seminary building. He had some good reports concerning the case, which we are glad to hear.

Due to a change of schedule with on of our pastors, I have had to change my schedule as well. Pastor Papani is out of the county and working in the Sudan, so he will not be available for our scheduled visit to his district. So I have had to fill my schedule with other work. I talked about this with Pastor Malyi and also talked with Pastor Jeremiah in Arusha and they were eager to fill the now-empty days with work in their districts. So tomorrow we will be visiting Marangu and Himo in the Moshi district, Friday we will finishing up preparations for the Pastoral Conference and then traveling to Arusha where we will spend Saturday and Sunday. We will return to Moshi on Sunday or Monday to spend more time with the Moshi district and have the Pastoral Conference.

Even though it was a slower day, it was greatly needed and appreciated. Mike is feeling worse again today and trying to rest up and kick the cold he picked up in Tanga. Russ is feeling a bit run down too with the shortage of electricity to run his C-PAP at night. I’m doing well, and am thankful for that. I did get a lot of catch up work done today, so it wasn’t a lost day by any stretch of the imagination. Regrouping and catch up days are vital as well, if we are to keep our heads above water.

Right now there is a wedding send-off going on at our hotel. The music is loud and the lights are bright and it will probably go into the wee-hours of the night. Hopefully that means they will run the generator and have electricity through the night for Russ. Tomorrow will be another busy day again. May the Lord grant restful sleep and health to us this night!

In the service of Christ,

Nathanael

From Tanga to Moshi

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! (Psalm 105:1-3).

We didn’t sleep very well last night. It was pretty cold, and although we had all our clothes on, we were still chilled to the bone under our one blanket. Mike has come down with a nasty cold as a result of the temperatures up here at night. We were finally awakened for good by our host’s portable radio at about 5:00am. We had decided to skip breakfast and get an early start down the hill. Then we said our goodbyes and prepared to head back down the hill to catch a bus to Moshi. Pastor Steven, the elderly pastor here at Amani, had heard that they were installing a culvert under the road which could prevent our traveling. He awoke early and went down the hill to the site to make sure we would be able to pass. Such is the concern and love of the people of Amani!

We loaded up the car, along with an additional guest, but didn’t make it very far. After rolling only 200 feet we found that we had a flat tire. Once again, the people of Amani assisted by gathering rocks to put in front of the tires (to keep it from rolling) and for under the car (as an added support in case the car fell off the jack). We were able to get the tire changed, and then pumped up the spare and the now flat tire at the next village (using a bicycle hand pump, no less).

Three hours and a million and one bumps later and we arrived in Muheza where we would catch a bus to Moshi and Pastor Gondwe would catch another back to Tanga. Since we had skipped breakfast and had time to kill while we waited for our bus to arrive, we walked across the street to have breakfast. Our breakfast consisted of several samosas and a soft drink. Samosa (often called sambusa) are one of my favorite snacks. They are small and triangular shaped, thinly breaded on the outside and stuffed with meat and spices on the inside. Very good especially when they are warm! Now, if I could only get a Cherry Coke....

Our bus arrived at about 12:30, and our estimated travel time of four hours to Moshi was again short of the mark. It ended up being a 5 and a half hour trip crammed into a very small seat on a very big bus. Poor Mike had to straddle two seat to get enough room for his legs! I had to keep my bag on my lap because there was so little room and ended up with deep bruises on the top of my legs from all of the jolting and pressure! It was a miserable trip, and we were exuberant to finally get off the bus. Once again we noticed the plethora of Muslims, this time running the bus. The bus driver was a hulking Arab man, and there was another slender one assisting with seating and ticket checking. Four others were working on the bus with baggage and other jobs, and several of them were wearing the unique hats of Muslims. While less prevalent inland, Muslims are making inroads across Africa.

It has been a very long and hard travel day and we were very glad to meet up with Russ and get settled into our room under the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Tomorrow will be a slower day for running errands, writing reports and resting up a bit. Mike is feeling more miserable tonight, so hopefully the bonus day will be good for him.

We give thanks to the Lord for His wonderful works, and rejoice to be workers in His kingdom!

In Christ,

Nathanael

Tanga Pastoral Seminar

Monday, September 12, 2011

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105).

It was an interesting night for Mike and me. We shared a small room in the home of a teacher from the village. He didn’t have any extra furniture, so someone in the village moved a bed from their home to this man’s home for us to sleep on. When the sun went down, it became dark quickly and all we had were kerosene lanterns to give light in the house. Mike fell asleep while he was lying in bed waiting for supper to arrive, and slept there pretty soundly until morning. It was pretty cold though, and we each only had one blanket. We both slept with our clothes on to stay warm and protect against any investigating critters which we knew surrounded us! It was a unique experience to say the least.

The beautiful view looking down on the valleys of Amani Zurai from the top of the mountain.

This morning some of the women of the congregation brought us tea and chapati for breakfast. The tea was the best I have ever had. The chapati (pancakes without syrup) were good too. We had a bit of time to study in the morning in preparation for our seminar. It was scheduled to begin at 8:00 but didn’t actually begin until 9:00am. We had about 30 pastors in attendance, most of whom were former members of the Anglican church or the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). They had left these church bodies because of the liberal teachings promulgated there, and have joined the CLC. About 18 of them had received formal theological training, and others were serving as Pastoral assistants or deacons, or interested in the ministry.

Mike and I decided to do something different to help us ascertain the knowledge of the men we are working with. We gave the men a test on the catechism, going through the Law and the Gospel, the 10 Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and the Ministry of the Keys and Confession. Mike gave the test and since it needed to be communicated into Swahili, it took all morning to give it. We finally wrapped up with the test at about 1:00pm and took a break for lunch. In the afternoon we came back to go over the test. I took the afternoon session and quizzed them on their responses and went through the answers to the test. We wrapped up at around 5:30pm as some of the men had quite a journey back home yet before it became too dark (it gets dark at around 6:00pm there).

Pastors of the Tanga district gathered in an open school room for our seminar.

It was a very profitable day for us and for them. A number of the pastors mentioned to us after the sessions that they had greatly appreciated the presentations and that they had learned much from them. That night, the elderly pastor of the host congregation came by to check on us and he too mentioned how much he had benefitted from the seminar and the review on the catechism. We planned to send catechisms to the pastors and leaders in the Tanga district, but I had an extra one in my pack and gave it to him. He was very appreciative, and as soon as he received it he turned on his flashlight to begin reading through it. After several minutes had passed (while discussion in the room continued) he started nodding vigorously. Pastor Gondwe related to us that he had discovered a point in the catechism which had been made in the seminar and again reinforced that point in his mind! And that is just how the word of God works - bringing light where there is darkness. This was a point well taken as we sat in a place where we could see only by the light of a lamp or flashlight, and where traveling without one could have dangerous consequences!

In Christ,

Nathanael

Into the Hills of Tanga

Sunday, September 11, 2011

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!” (Psalm 122:1).

Wake up call was at 4:30am this morning. We had to catch a bus at 6:00am for Muheza to get up into the mountains for church. It was decided to save costs that we would have the Tanga district seminar at one of the churches in the mountains this year. We would be staying in a place without electricity, so Russ decided to go on to Moshi, while Mike and I visited the Tanga district. We split up at Muheza where Russ continued to Moshi and where we caught a taxi to Amani Zurai. The Amani Zurai church was up in the mountains northwest of Tanga.

Some of the roads on the way to Amani.

Mike and I recognized many of the roads as the ones we had been on last year. It was a rocky and uncomfortable three hour ride to the church at Amani Zurai. We arrived at around 9:30 after the service had started. It was a very special service. Pastors from all over the district were here for the service which would be a confirmation / communion service. They had over 50 confirmands in attendance from the different congregations. The confirmands were of all ages - teenagers as well as adults. One was a convert from Islam who, after he had been questioned with the rest of the students, received his certificate and joyously waved it in the air, showing the appreciation he had for his study! It was quite moving to realize how the Lord had brought him out of the darkness of Islam!

It was also impressive to see how they conducted the Lord’s Supper celebration in view of all the visitors who were in attendance. The pastors dealt with this in a very evangelical way, communing only those who were communicant members of our churches, just as it was practiced in the early days of the New Testament church, and is still practiced in our midst.

Mike and I were both asked to preach which was a real joy and privilege. I would guess that there must have been over 300 people in attendance, but it was very hard to count. The congregation is currently building a church which is not finished and which would not have been capable of housing all the people who were there even if it was. So we met in front of the village’s secondary school under two large tarps to protect people from the sun. Seve

ral choirs from the various churches sang, and a sound system was set up to amplify the word and song down the hill and throughout the whole area. It was quite a day and quite a service, finally concluding at about 2:30pm! What a joy to be able to go up to the house of the Lord, and what a privilege to see and hear his word proclaimed!

The church at Amani which is under construction. Pastor Gurath is in the foreground.

Following the service we had lunch with the pastors and leaders and then visited the site of the congregation’s church building which is still under construction. They are collecting money and hope to complete it very soon. The problem that they face here is that they are building the church with bricks made from clay and with a clay mortar as well. So, when it rains it can wash out the work that they have begun by deteriorating the clay products. They need to get iron sheets on the roof to protect the bricks and mortar, but it is very costly for them, since that is a product they cannot produce themselves, and must have shipped up the mountain from Tanga. It would cost about $800 to buy the iron sheets needed for the

roof here. Again, this is one of projects that we would like to assist with, but this is just one of many churches with such a need in this district. We simply cannot provide for all such needs of our congregations. I will be able to assist with maybe one or two, but the others will have to wait until more money is available – probably next year sometime. P

lease keep these congregations in your thoughts and prayers and remember the needs of these congregations which are funded out of the CLC’s MDF. There are so many more needs than we are able to fulfill at this time, even though we would like to help.

That’s all for now, but I’ll write more later.

In Christ,

Nathanael