Out of (Arusha) Africa

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Goodbye for another year, Tanzania! This morning we packed up our things, ate our final breakfast at the Eland. I have become partial to using hot sauce on my Spanish omelette in the morning now (to the utter disgust of Larry and delight of Russ). There is only so much that they can do with eggs, and it has gotten a little old for me after two weeks. But it sure is good that I have gotten in the habit of eating breakfast while I’m here, because many days we don’t know when we will be eating our next meal. Today was one of those days. We boarded our shuttle to Nairobi at about 8:15am and were soon on the road. This shuttle was not as full as the one on the way down. The shuttle was the same size as the one we rode on the way down, but there were several seats that were unoccupied. They didn’t even have to put our luggage on the roof – they were able to fit all the luggage in the rear seats of the bus.

As we left Arusha, the roads became bad quickly. They are reconstructing this road, so we were diverted to a side “road” while the main road was being constructed. This really wasn’t much of a road. It had been plowed out for traffic while the main road was under construction, and was very poor. There were rocks protruding from the ground and ruts sinking below the surface. This diversion lasted for an entire hour and by the time we were finished, we felt like dice that had been shaken in cup during a game of Yatzee! There were several times where I didn’t think our bus was going to split at the seams or that the glass in my window was finally going to give in to the strain and shatter under the pressure! It was quite the ride. Finally we made it to the border town of Namanga. There we had to exit out of Tanzania in a customs building on one side and then enter into Kenya at a separate customs building. Our visas were checked, passports stamped and we were off once again.

In Kenya the roads were much better. Here most of the road have been completed or are nearing completion. In the past few years they have brought a lot of heavy equipment into these two countries in order to expedite the construction of their roads. It seems like it is working. I have been impressed with the amount that has been accomplished since last year. Hopefully it will be even better next year.

A picture of the new road (taken from the bad one!)

We arrived at our stop in Nairobi a little late - around 2:30 pm and Charles was waiting for us. He quickly reminded me that he is very “time conscious” – something that is unusual for Africans. It is not unusual for many people to regularly run an hour or more behind schedule here. From the bus station Charles took us back to the Southern Blue Hotel. Charity (the friendly and very helpful desk clerk) was there waiting for us and quickly checked us back in again. We unpacked and then came down to the restaurant for a late lunch. I had Spaghetti. It was good but it wasn’t like at home. Being in Africa sure makes me miss and appreciate Debra’s cooking....
The rest of the afternoon was spent getting ready for church tomorrow morning and for the rapidly approaching East African Joint Pastoral Conference in Kisii. Tomorrow we will be attending church here in the Nairobi area and then boarding a bus for Kisii.

In His service,

Nathanael Mayhew

“But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).

Wrapping up in Arusha

Friday, November 6, 2009

It is about the half way point in our East African visitation. We have been here for just under two weeks and have about two weeks to go. Today was also our last full day in Tanzania and was reserved for wrapping up loose ends and discussing the beginning of a temporary Pre-theological institution for the training of pastors here in Arusha.

I had scheduled a meeting with a representative from a bus/shuttle service at 8:00am this morning to purchase tickets for our bus trip to Nairobi tomorrow morning. I decided to go with the Jamii Shuttle since they said they would pick us up right here at the hotel. This shuttle was a little more expensive than the one we rode down on, but it would save us paying for a taxi to get to the bus station. The cost was $25 each.

After breakfast we met with some of the men from the area and discussed some of the matters facing our congregations in this area. We met in the front gathering room of the Eland Hotel. We sat in padded chairs that were very low to the ground at tables that were also low to the ground. They were so low that you couldn’t put your feet flat on the ground and get your knees under the table. You had to extend your feet straight out under the table, or bend them back behind you along the side of your chair. They were very uncomfortable but we appreciated having a nice place to meet that we didn’t have to pay extra for!

Thinking back on our visits so far we recognize that there is much which could be done. The drought that is afflicting the people in Kenya and Tanzania and the hardship of the people here tears at your heart. As a Christian I want to help these people, but there are so many who are struggling in different ways. As the Missionary, my primary responsibility is to preach the Word and assist in the spiritual growth of the pastors, teachers, and members. The primary purpose of the Mission Board is to assist our fellow Christians here in the proclamation of God’s Word. And with the funds that are available, even that work has its limits. I continue to remind myself of Jesus’ words, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Our focus as a church must remain on the preaching of the Gospel, first and foremost.

With that in mind, we also met with three of the leaders in the CLCEA regarding the beginning of a theological training center in Arusha. The purpose is to prepare the young men of this area for the public ministry here in Tanzania. The cost of putting together such a program is high, primarily due to travel costs for both students and teachers. The teachers all have theological degrees and teaching experience, but some come from quite a distance. We discussed curriculum, schedule, costs, and other items of importance. We were able to brainstorm a bit and come up with some beneficial and cost saving changes. One thing that was discussed was the possibility of buying motorcycles for some of the men who live at a distance. The purchase of motorcycles would greatly reduce transportation costs, as well as assist them in their congregational visitations and pastoral work. In several cases the motorcycles would pay for themselves in one year! This would certainly be a worthwhile investment.

After our meeting we had a late lunch at the Eland and spent the afternoon preparing for our trip back to Kenya. I worked on reports and on my paper for the upcoming conference in Kisii. Larry reviewed proposals and considered different ways we could help the people of our congregations.
I was very glad to have been able to visit the two different Maasi stations this year. It was my first time visiting both of them, and it was very valuable. It would have been nice to be able to spend a few more days here, but with our upcoming visits to Uganda and Mois Bridge, we had to cut some other visits a bit shorter. It is always disappointing to leave an area with so much more to do, but in the end I tell myself that there would always be more to do – no matter how long we stayed. That is just the nature of the ministry. Still, it is my hope and prayer that some day soon the CLC will call a full time Missionary to East Africa. There is more than enough to keep one busy....

In His service,

Nathanael Mayhew

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Thursday, November 5, 2009

This morning we had another exciting trip planned. We were going to visit Pastor Papani’s district in Kijairdo, Kenya. That’s right, the barren wasteland of southern Kenya. This area is so remote that we needed to rent a 4 wheel drive Safari truck to get us to Papani’s church. We were scheduled to leave at 8:00am, but our transportation didn’t arrive until 9:00am. This is a pretty common occurrence here. Pastor Jeremiah, our driver, Larry, Russ and I piled into the big vehicle for the 4 hour ride east. To be truthful, even though it rode like a truck, it was very comfortable. There was a bench seat in the front and then four captains chairs in the rear. The roof had three removable partitions in case the riders wanted to stick their heads out the top to look at animals on the savanna. We didn’t remove them on our trip!

We drove east back through Moshi and at Himo turned north driving around the east side of Mt. Kilimanjaro. At Murangu we got off the nice paved road and began winding our way around the side of the mountain. This road was full of switchback trails curving around deep gullies and hills. The road from Murangu into Kenya was being completely reconstructed. Graters, dozers and rollers were in full service, and many small bridges were seen in different stages of construction. There were many diversions while this work was being completed. We were told that this construction was being done because an election was coming up and they were trying to get reelected. When the road is finished, it is supposed to go all the way to Nairobi around the east side of Kilimanjaro, as an alternate route to the Nairobi - Arusha highway. Maybe it will be done by the time we return next year....

Finally we turned east again and started to leave Kilimanjaro behind us. As we dropped in elevation the temperature began to rise and the landscape began to change drastically. The banana trees gradually thinned out and gave way to flatlands used for grazing and farming. We were on a rougher road now that consisted of two deep ruts between fields. After a while we turned off this as well. There was a road, although most people wouldn’t call it that. In many places we just drove in the direction we wanted to go. Kilimanjaro was in the distance behind us now, and the land here was very dry. The fields for crops were ready but waiting for rain which has not yet come. The cattle that we saw were very sickly looking with the ribs showing clearly through their tough hide. The goats looked better, but they can fair well on just about anything they can find. The people here are really struggling right now because they depend on the rain for their survival. The Maasai are generally herdsmen, but they do some farming as well. Pastor Papani has also received a loan from the CLC and has used it to drill a well for water. He is using this to grow tomatoes and other vegetables to provide for his family and the members of his churches. We were hoping to see his project but were not able to due to time constraints.

We arrived at Papani’s home and were shown around. His yard is surrounded by acacia branches wound together to form a thick three foot high wall to keep unwanted animals (like lions and hyenas) out. In sided the fence there was a corral for keeping goats and other animals in when necessary. There was a cookhouse which was a round building about 8 feet in diameter with mud walls and a thatched roof. Then there was Papani’s house. It was rectangular in shape, about 8x25 with a metal roof and mud walls. There were three rooms inside the house: A “living room” with bedrooms off to either side. It had a wooden door that could be locked from either the inside or outside and wooden window built into each room for sight and ventilation. In spite of the heat it was quite cool inside the house. They offered us sodas and then fed us a dish which included rice, cabbage (grown in Papani’s garden) and roasted goat meat. It was pretty good, although they gave us much more than we could eat!

Pastor Papani's house and "yard"

After the meal we walked over to the church building which was less than 50 yards from his house. This also was a mud building with a metal roof and holes for windows. It was about 15x45 with a dirt floor and a slight step at the back of the church for an altar area. Slowly the people began to arrive. The Maasai people dress in very colorful garments of red and blue and the women wear colorful beaded jewelry around the wrists and necks and in their ears. Soon the church was filled to overflowing with people. Today we had to use two translators since Pastor Papani doesn’t have a good knowledge of English and Pastor Jeremiah doesn’t have a good knowledge of Maasai. But it was still a very beneficial visit, and it was clear that the people were glad that we had come.

Papani has started about seven stations in the area here, and since we were not able to visit them all, the people of these churches traveled here to see us. The other stations have started building churches similar to the one we saw here, but they cannot afford the metal sheets for the roof. The problem is that if they do not get roofs on these buildings, the rain will wash the mud walls away and they will have to redo the work. They have requested our help to get these churches roofed, but the MDF has been almost completely depleted. It is hoped that we will have money in the MDF soon so that we will be able to get these put on before they are washed away. It would be nice to be able to get a mission helper trip here to put these roofs on and teach them how to do it.

The other thing that is needed is transportation for the pastors. We would like to get Papani a motorbike to visit the congregations, and bicycles for the other pastors so they would be able to travel more quickly in this difficult terrain. This too will have to wait until the MDF is built back up. We pray that the Lord will bless His people so that they are able to assist in the work of His kingdom in this way.

At about 5:00pm we said goodbye and loaded back into our Land Cruiser for the long trip back to Arusha. By the time we returned to the Eland, we had been gone for over 12 hours. It was a long day, but it was a rewarding day – for us and for the people we were able to visit. May the LORD be with them and bless them physically and spiritually.

In His service,

Nathanael

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10).

Arusha Maasai visits

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

We are back at the Eland Hotel again, in our triple room on the second floor. The mosquitoes have been giving me some trouble this year – there is something that they like about me because they don’t bother either Russ or Larry. They have been telling me that I must be “sweeter” than they are! But I have had to pull down the mosquito netting over my bed almost every night to prevent a mosquito onslaught. The first night we were in Nairobi I didn’t pull the netting over my bed down and I had welts all over my arms and head. Since then I have decided to use the netting when it is available. It can be a bit troublesome, but it worth it to me. This morning I found a couple of big fat mosquitos in our room, but I don’t think they got me. The other tow guys must just sleep through it!

Usually we get up between 6:30-7:00am, depending on what we have going on. We generally head down for breakfast at around 7:30. This morning we were supposed to leave at 10:30, so I decided to take some extra time putting reports and letters together while the others went down for breakfast. When he came up from breakfast Russ told me that they had liver and onions in addition to the regular morning breakfast buffet. This excited me, since it has basically been the same thing every morning for breakfast for almost two weeks. But when I went down for breakfast, it was the same old tune: Fresh watermelon and muskmelon, tea or coffee, and eggs with a hot dog (they call it a sausage). Oh well - so much for something different!

After breakfast I walked down to the Bureau de Change to exchange US dollars for Tanzania Schillings. The current exchange rate was down a bit from 1320 to 1315 Shillings per Dollar. When you exchange money here, you end up with quite a wad of cash. The main bill here is the 10,000 Tsch, which is worth about $8. In the same building there was an Internet place, so I took some time to stop in and check my e-mail and try to get some info on the blog. I know that internet connections are a bit slower here in Africa, but this morning took the cake. I was in there for 30 minutes and I was able to read one short e-mail. It was almost painful! Finally at about 10:15 I gave up so I could walk back to the hotel in time to leave. The internet place is about 7 blocks from the hotel and it is an interesting walk. There are many small shops along the side of the road, cars rapidly driving by and honking at other drivers and pedestrians, and people crowding the sides of the streets. Arusha is a very busy town.

When I returned to the hotel Jeremiah and Pastor Lengutai were there waiting. Of course we had to wait another 30 minutes before our ride arrived! The leader of the Masai church we were going to visit was Sayore. He rented a Dala-dala for us for the day, so we had it all to ourselves for the trip out and back. It was almost like riding in style – except for the fact that the vehicle was dragging necessary parts on the street below, had holes in the floor where you could see the ground passing under you, and looked like it was soon destined for the automobile graveyard! It was nice not to have to worry about stopping at every intersection to pick up more people though. Two men traveled with us - the driver and the conductor (he is in charge of getting people on the bus and colleting the fares from them). As we were driving the conductor would regularly stick his head out the window and inform prospective passengers that they were not stopping for them with his patented wave of a hand and shake of the head. Yes, riding in style...

It was about a one an a half hour trip to the Masai village. We left Arusha heading due West. We passed a small airport, coffee farms, and left Arusha in our rearview mirror. We soon entered Masai land, which was covered with goats, donkeys and some cattle. The donkeys are used to carry water from rivers and other sources to the people’s homes. We were told that the Masai often have to leave two hours before sun-up to get water for their homes, and travel many, many miles to get it. This is a trip that is repeated every day of the week. This was one of the reasons why we were not meeting with them until the afternoon. The land here is extremely dry. It is not always been this way, but they have been suffering from a severe drought here for almost two years.

Maasai children's playground toys!

We pulled off the highway and began to head south on what looked like a “farm road” – basically a light path thought a very barren landscape. There were big ruts in the ground that functioned as rivers during the rainy season, but were nothing more than dried up crevices. We also saw a large number of rocks, many of which were volcanic looking. Sure enough, we found out that the was an active volcano in the area and that it had erupted only about 2 years earlier. In Masai, the mountain is called the “Mountain of God.”

After a very winding trip we arrived at a very secluded area with several buildings. The first was a hut used as a kitchen, the second was a larger building used for a school and church, and the third was a fence of sticks a bit more distant which served as a latrine. We were told that you should always be careful when entering a hut like the kitchen because cobras will enter there to find shade during the heat of the day and hide in the corners or in the branches of the roof. They also shield themselves from the sun in piles of rock, so you have to be careful where you sit!

The church/school building was made of the large towering shoot of the sisal plant. This is not a wood, but become almost as hard as wood, and will not be eaten by termites. The building was sheeted with iron and housed about 40 children. They would like to add another classroom to this existing building so that more ages can be added to the school. Right now the older children have to walk a very long way over very rough terrain to get to school.

After visiting the school we met out under the shade of a huge acacia tree. Rocks were already set up in a circle for the people to sit on. We were invited to sit with them and after introductions, we were given the opportunity to speak to them. Pastor Lenguati was with us and speaks both Masai and English so we didn’t need two translators (sometimes it can be hard to find such a person so one person translates from English to Swahili and another from Swahili to Masai. It can become quite the ordeal. After our meeting they offered us bottled water and sodas as a demonstration of their appreciation for our coming to see them. It is really amazing to see the Gospel at work in such a remote area, and with a people so far removed from society. Even more exciting was the fact that Sayore has several of these stations going right now – several of which have no church building at all, but simply gather for worship under an acacia tree like the one we met under. What an opportunity!

In His service,

Nathanael Mayhew

“And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation” (Romans 15:20).

Arusha and a bus fiasco

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Our time in Moshi came to an end today. We decided to leave Larry in Moshi to check on a few other details with one of the members here, while Russ and I rode to Arusha for the conference there. We walked into Moshi carrying our bags to board the bus for Arusha. By the time we arrived at the bus, our arms were about ready to fall off! It was quite a hike, and it was already very warm, even though it wasn’t yet 8:00am! The bus we boarded was a small one, only three seats wide (two on one side and one on the other with an aisle in between) and about 15 rows long. An evangelist from one of our churches was already on the bus and helped us get on and settled. The cost to take the bus from Moshi to Arusha (about a two hour trip) was 2,000 Tanzania shillings (about $1.50) per person. This is much less expensive than renting a car, and much quicker than taking the smaller local buses.

The scenery is quite beautiful along this route, with all kinds of agricultural diversity. Coffee, bananas, and corn are grown, and goats and cattle are herded. I had my book unpacked to read, but never opened it. Even though I have traveled this road many times now during my trips to East Africa, I still find new things to see and enjoy. I had to smile when we passed the Dik Dik hotel, which Bruce had made a big deal about when he was here last year. Bruce, I hope you were able to get that picture to your brother!

The ride went smoothly until we arrived in Arusha. The bus was supposed to stop at an intersection near the hotel we were staying at, but they must have been in a hurry. We told them they had missed our stop and they pulled over so we could get out. I had two bags, and Russ had two bags, plus his suitcase which had been put in the boot. As I hustled off the bus started moving, and Russ almost didn’t make it off. As we crossed the street Russ realized that he had left one of his bags on the bus. We turned around and the bus was gone! I grabbed his suitcase and told him “GO, I’ll take this!” Off he ran to catch the bus with plenty of Africans laughing at the site of a Muzungu chasing a phantom bus! At one point he grabbed on to the window of a moving Dala-dala, to get a ride after the big bus. It was here that he was assisted by a young lady named Margaret who was on her way to work.

I checked into the hotel and went up to check on preparations for the conference which was scheduled to start at 11:00am. When I came back down, Russ was back, but he still didn’t have his bag. He was talking to people to see what could be done to find it. In a matter of minutes it seemed like the whole city of Arusha (as well as all the people who had come to Arusha for our conference) were out looking for Russ’s bag! Finally, with quite a bit of help from Margaret and conference attendees, the bag was recovered. It did end up costing him about $30, but it was worth it. His camera, printer and other items were in there, and would have cost more than that to replace. His ticket to Arusha ended up being a bit more expensive than $1.50!

After everything settled down we began the conference. We had 16 people in attendance from all over the area. There were pastors, evangelists, and Sunday School teachers there. Once again I went through the study on the church year calendar and pericope, and Russ went though a study of the Second Article.

After the conference I scheduled meetings with different pastors and groups of pastors to talk about their work and individual situations. This was especially important with those who we would not be seeing again on this trip. These meetings went on for about two hours and we wrapped up at about 5:30 – just about the time Larry finally arrived from his adventure in Moshi. It was another good day, with a lot of worthwhile work accomplished.

After a short break, Russ, Larry and I sat down to discuss the events of the day over supper. Supper itself is usually an adventure. The menu is pretty limited, and you don’t always get what you order. Larry ordered fish one night, expecting a battered fillet and instead was given a full pan fried fish - head, tail, eyeball and all! To his credit he ate it, but said that it was more work than it was worth! I won’t even eat fish the other way!

Tomorrow we are off to visit one of our Masai stations outside of Arusha. We are all looking forward to it. May the LORD continue to bless our visitations and strengthen the believers here though the study of His Word!

In His service,

Nathanael Mayhew

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

The Living Water

Monday, November 2, 2009

Every once in a while, we need to have a catch-up day. Today was just such a day. We were scheduled to visit the congregation in Masita wa Tembo to the south of Moshi. No specific time was set, but we had to wait for Pastor Jeremiah to arrive from Arusha. So, after breakfast I decided it would be a good time to get to an Internet Café to catch up on e-mails and reports and to get some copies made. Most of the internet service in East Africa is very slow. The best place that I have found while I have been here is in Moshi at PAMM INTERNET. The connection is very fast and reliable, I can use my own laptop (instead of using their computers), and it is very inexpensive. I can even use Skype from there to call back home for very little cost. I told the owner that his internet place was the best place I have found in East Africa, and he was very thankful!

Later in the morning, several men arrived to visit with us about the work in this area of Tanzania. It was so very enjoyable to see their zeal for the preaching of the Gospel! There have been some divisions between these men in the past, but now they are coming together to carry out the LORD’s work. What a joy!

We were supposed to go to Masita wa Temba to see the church there, but some changes had to be made. Last night we had a hard rain and it made travel to the congregation we were supposed to visit very difficult. So we had to cancel our visit. Pastor Martin of Masita wa Temba, was given a loan to help him support his family and ministry. We heard that he had put his loan to good use by drilling a well to provide water for crops. Larry especially was eager to see his project and how the loan money had been used. So, Larry, Martin, Jeremiah and I rode out to see Pastor Martin’s land, crops and progress. We drove south out of Moshi past the Kilimanjaro Brewery (where they brew Kilimangaro Beer), and past a huge sugar cane plantation of 60,000 acres and factory. As we drove through the plantation, it was crop after crop of sugar cane in different stages of growth and harvest. They have a portable irrigation system for watering the crop during the dry season, and about 1,500 workers employed there.

From there we drove into an area of fairly good land which was used for growing corn and beans. It was in this area that Pastor Martin had his small field. He proudly showed us his field with corn, tomatoes and beans, and the well he was able to drill with the loan from the CLC. This area is currently very dry, and without the water from the well, would be unable to be farmed. He has a very good system of flood irrigation, and should have a good harvest with the water he now has. We were told that he has set a great example here and that many are pointing to his field as a model farm for this area! In addition to the farm, Pastor Martin operates a small store in his village. He buys products in bulk a the market in Moshi and takes them back to his village to sell them for a small profit. This seems also to be going well.

We were thankful to see a loan being put to such profitable use, and pray that the LORD would continue to bless his efforts to support his family and church.

In His service,

Nathanael Mayhew

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

Sunday in Marangu

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Today is our first Sunday in Africa this year – we have been here for one week now. It was planned that we would visit the church in Murangu this morning. Last night we made arrangements with a taxi driver to take us to Murangu in the morning. We would have to leave a little before 8:00am to make it there in time for the 10:00am service. After our now-typical breakfast, Larry, Russ and I met Pastor Malyi in front of the hotel and loaded our luggage into the boot (that’s the African word for trunk). We headed East out of Arusha and passed several other churches that I have visited on previous trips: Momella, Legruki, Moshi, Kiberaloni, Jerusalem, Osehu, Uchira, and Himo. We left the shadow of Mt. Meru and entered the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Along the way we decided to drop Larry off in Himo while Malyi, Russ and I went on to Murangu. The seminary building is located in Himo, and one of our congregations uses the building for worship services on Sunday mornings. One of last year’s seminary graduates now serves the congregation in Himo.

After dropping Larry off in Himo we turned North and headed right for Mt. Kilimanjaro. About 20 kilometers north of Himo is Murangu, right next to one of the entrances for the Mt. Kilimanjaro park. It is a very beautiful and prosperous area with all the agricultural products that are grown there.

We arrived a little late – it was about 10:15am – but there were only a few people there. Slowly, more and more people began to show up and finally we began at a little after 11:00am. The congregation was made up primarily of women and children, but this seems to be typical of African churches. They had congregational hymns, responsive readings, Scripture readings, a condensed liturgy, and the time for the sermon. Russ used the story of David and Goliath as a reminder that even the small and weak can prevail with the Lord on their side. I preached on Ephesians 2, and reminded the people that we are dead in sins but have been made alive in Christ. I emphasized the fact that this is the work of God since dead people cannot do anything for themselves. I was amazed how many people remembered the sermon I had done on the armor of God two years before!

After the service one of the women of the congregation brought us oranges, cucumbers, papaya, and donoughts, with coffee. I am not a coffee drinker, but I tried some – I still don’t know why so many people like coffee!

We returned back down the hill to Himo to pick up Larry at the seminary and greeted some of the members who had remained after the service to visit with him. It was good to see them again, and they were glad to see us as well.

After saying goodbye, we turned back to the west to return to Moshi. We had a meeting scheduled with a member here to talk about some of the issues facing our churches in East Africa. We visited for about 3 hours and learned a lot from the meeting. It was well worth the time and effort.

Tonight we are staying at a hostel in Moshi, probably one of our favorite places to stay while in East Africa. It is used as a training facility for hotels across East Africa and offers inexpensive lodging, great food, and wonderful service. I turned in some clothes to get washed and had a whole load of laundry done for me for less than $5! It is always clean and it is returned very neatly folded! Usually we spend more time here, but this year we will only have two nights. Maybe we will have more time here next year....

In His service,

Nathanael Mayhew

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).