A DAY WITHOUT LEARNING IS A DAY WASTED

 My daddy told me many years ago that "a day without learning, is a day wasted".   We have just experienced 18 days in Tanzania, Africa and not one day passed that we did not learn something!  Bwana Asifewe!!  Every time we visit this country, we come back with a better understanding and experience something new.  Having the experience of actually living with them, instead of staying in a hotel the entire trip, has given us a new perspective on our lives and on theirs.

I have learned that no matter what state I am in that I should be content.  This is a commandment from the Word of God.  We read the scripture, but do we honestly grasp what it is saying to us?  I get it now!  I have just experienced cultural differences that without stepping back, getting a grip, and picking up my Bible to remind me, I don't think I would have been able to maintain our stay in Mwanza.  T

Kitonga Village child

I have learned that beauty comes from within!  I can stand in front of the mirror and paint a face on, walk away with a sigh of relief that I can now face the world without embarrassment, but all the makeup in the world does not make me beautiful.  Beauty comes from your heart!

I have learned that my circumstances should not control my ability to live.  Although my circumstances can seem to be overwhelming at times and I may think that if these circumstances don't "get fixed", I won't be able to survive  another day, I have realized that "no weapon formed against me shall prosper"!  It's only a circumstance and if I believe the Word of God, (and I do) then I will refuse to allow this circumstance to control my life.



 I have learned that I am truly blessed.  I have learned that even on my worst day, it is not as bad as many face throughout this world.  I can live without air conditioning, I can live without a vehicle, I can live if I only have rice to eat and I can live if I don't have a mirror to look at myself everyday.  But I cannot live without my friend Jesus.

We arrived home last night from a long, tiring ride in a plane for 26 hours!  We sat in the airport at Dar es Salaam for 9 hours before our departure.  During this time, we didn't sit in an air conditioned building with a shopping mall and nice restaurants surrounding us.  We sat outside, on a hard bench, walking around occasionally, until it was time for us to load the plane that would finally take us home.  Wow!  Another test  - this trip was one big test - but I am proud to say that we have passed and we are ready for the next chapter!

Friends picked us up at the airport and as we were riding home, we were reminded of our rides on the bus and the taxi while we were in Tanzania.  What a difference to be on a highway that has lanes divided and red lights that actually work.  We didn't hear a horn blow the entire trip from the airport to our apartment. 

As we opened our locked door and walked into our beautiful apartment, we were reminded of the homes that we have visited that have clay walls, dirt floors, no furniture, just empty rooms.  As we flipped on our light switch, we have light that fills the rooms, and smell the nice fragrance of home and are reminded of the homes that have no electricity, no running water and smell only of dirt and body odor.  



House of Pastor, Kitonga Village

 Oh, my, as we pull back our comforter and plump our pillows, climb into the most comfortable bed in the entire world, we are reminded of the dirt floors that serve as beds, and the pieces of cloth that may be used  to place under their heads.  We are truly blessed!  We serve a mighty, mighty God.



Although we realize that we cannot change the world, we do realize that we can make a difference.   Not only have we learned from them, they have learned from us.  We do have a lot of work to do, and we will continue to press toward that mark! 









 







HOMEWARD BOUND!!!!

We have taken our last bucket bath, swallowed our last sip of hot soda, squatted over the last hole, and awakened to the last cocka-doodle-do at 5:00 in the morning - - - we are on our way home today.  Although this has been a way of life that we are not accustomed, we will leave remembering all the faces of the precious people that have touched our lives.  We will leave with a better understanding of what life is truly about.  We will go home with thankful hearts that are full of love and compassion for others. 

Please pray for the people of Tanzania.  Pray for us as we continue to do the work that God has placed in our hearts for this country.

RENEWAL OF VOWS- AFRICAN STYLE

For those of you that know Eddie and me, the fact that we do something out of the ordinary wouldn't surprise you.    We were married 19 years ago, and since that time our life together has been up and down, over and under, and after reaching a point in our life that we finally feel we have reached steadiness, we decided to renew our vows.   When we were making our plans for the trip to Africa, we decided that we would experience this African style!   

Janice & Matron of Honor, Julia



Eddie & best man, Gordian two stepping



Moses, his family, and the church family were so excited when we shared this possibility with them.  Never in the history of Mwanza, have the people seen a white couple married in an African church.  This was certainly going to be an interesting event.  Before we arrived, the planning had already begun!  The first thing that we were told was that we would have to learn the "dance"!  The dance?  In Africa, you don't walk into the church, you do this little two step going in and coming out.   We practiced every night for one solid week!  After stepping on toes, being laughed at, and many agonizing hours of hearing "one - two - one - two!", we finally just said whatever happens, happens, we'll just suck it up and go for it.   There are several dancers that enter the church once the wedding music begins.  Then the groom and his Best Man, Gordian, enter.  Once they get to the front of the church, the dancers go back to dance in for the bride and Matron of Honor, Julia.  I stop just after entering the church, Julia steps behind me.  The Pastor directs Eddie to "go retrieve his bride".  Here he and Gordian come, two stepping until he reaches me.  Gordian then steps beside Julia, and Eddie and I begin two stepping together to stand in front of the Pastor. 

By the time we repeated our vows, sweat was pouring down my face.  Eddie thought I was really nervous because my hands were so sweaty, but it wasn't nerves - IT WAS HOT!!!  After the vows were said, we exchanged rings to "seal" the vows.  This is a big thing with the Africans.  You don't just hold the hands and slide the ring on the finger, you have to hold it high as you put the rings on.  It took a couple of  "raise the hands higher", before Moses would continue. 

After the rings, two girls walked up with pillows.  I was thinking "what an interesting wedding gift".  This wasn't a gift, they put them down in front of us because Moses was going to bless us with a prayer.  At this moment, I felt a strong sense of panic.  I might be able to get down there, but getting up could prove to be very embarrassing.  I whispered to Eddie "help me! how in the world am I going to get up!"  And I said a quick "Lord, Jesus, You must help me here!" 

In the background of the picture you can see another white girl!  The receptionist at Ryan's Bay Hotel, Fiona, and her boyfriend, Rob, accepted our invitation, and to our surprise found their way to the church!  Not by my directions though, because I wouldn't be able to find my way anywhere, much less give directions to somebody else.  Fiona is from Ireland and has lived in Mwanza for the past two years.  They were excited about coming because neither of them had been to an African wedding.  They were greeted and escorted to the front of the church as soon as they arrived.  

We finally were introduced to the church as Mr. & Mrs. Eddie Singlelatary (that's the way they pronounce it, it's not misspelled).    Throughout the church you heard the loud, high pitched yells the women do with their tongues.  You will have to take my word for this and imagine it if you can.  We were then escorted to the "front table" that had been set for the Bride, Groom, Matron of Honor and Best Man.  Music began and as we looked to the entrance of the church, in came girls dancing carrying our cake!  This was an OMG! moment.  This was the cake we had paid 80,000 schillings for and it's about to be smashed in the dirt.  To our surprise, they danced this cake all the way to our table!  There is no end to the talents of these people!  But why should I be surprised at this?  If they can carry a 5 gallon bucket of water on their heads, surely two of them could dance holding a platter with a three tier cake on it.



After we cut the cake, we were honored with gifts from the people.  Music was played as they brought gifts for us.  Then the entire church came single file and lifted their hot bottles of soda to our glasses in a toast.  It is very common for sodas and water to be served without being cold.  This is not something that I am fond of, but we have learned to just go with the flow.  As the wedding ended, Eddie and I danced our way out the door, with the entire church following in celebration!   This was worth every drop of sweat that was dripping down my entire body!

Even though my dress was one of the most unusual "wedding dresses" you'll ever see, and Eddie's shirt was not quite the tux that you would expect, I felt like a princess and Eddie was my knight in shining armor!  This was truly one of the most special days of my life........



SEALED WITH A KISS



KITONGA VILLAGE

We traveled far out of Mwanza to a church under the umbrella of The Pentecostal Church of Mwanza.  The church is located in the Kitonga Village.  In Tanzania, 80 percent of the population are people living in villages.  Villages that have clay houses, with grass roofs, no electricity, no running water.  The people are uneducated, they have no means of transportation.  They grow their own vegetables and raise cattle and goats for meat to feed their families.  As we turned off the main highway onto a narrow lane, not what I would consider a road, we drove for what seemed miles and miles of ditch and bumps.  On either side of us were fields of dirt and occasionally you would see a cow, or in the distance you could see someone walking.  Far in the distance were rock mountains.  Finally we turned to the left, no road, so how in the world Moses knew this was the place I have no idea! 

We drove for another mile or maybe two and we began to hear voices singing.  As we reached the village you could see the roofs of houses.  The houses are made of clay, some with a piece of tin in the doorway, and some without doors completely.  They are sparsely scattered on the property.   When the people saw our vehicle, children came running toward us.  As we stepped out of the vehicle, a little girl in a purple dress grabbed my hand.  She must have been about 3 years old.  Eddie was welcomed immediately by a little boy.  You would have thought that we were long lost relatives and they had been waiting for us for a long time.   The little girl walked with me hand in hand as we visited the village homes and then began playing with the other children.  Eddie's little buddy, however, did not leave his side the entire day!  This child was determined that he was going to soak up all the anointing he could!  It was the most incredible thing you can imagine.   He would stand between Eddie's legs while he was sitting, at times going to sleep with his head rested on his leg.  When Eddie walked out to preach, he still had hold of his hand, so Eddie took him with him to begin his message.

There were hundreds of people that had walked to this village crusade.  Not within our eyesight did we see enough houses to account for the people.  Everywhere you looked, you saw people that had come to see and hear the Man of God from America.  They were sitting under trees, sitting on the mountain rocks, standing in the distance close enough they could hear.  The churches had made special preparations for this day, which is such an honor for us.  The dancers had matching shirts, which meant that they had to make a trip into town at some point.  Town is a long, long way from this village, I promise you.  You probably wonder the same thing I did about their clothes.  Where do they get them?  Most of the clothes that you see on these precious people, are worn, torn & obviously ones they have had for a very long time.  It is a fact that the clothes you see them wearing are more than likely ones they have been wearing every day for the past year.  One of the elders of the village will go into town once a year and purchase clothing and other items that may be of use to them.  Yes, it is very hard to grasp and imagine this lifestyle.  But it is a lifestyle that they are comfortable with and the only lifestyle they know. 

There were three churches that had come to the crusade and all had choirs that prepared their songs and dance to honor us and to honor the Lord.  It was so touching and very entertaining to watch them as they danced and sang.   What amazing talents they have and what a shame that this talent is only seen within their boundaries.  The background music was played using a generator.  Once our church bus arrived, the singers were able to sing with the background of the keyboard, drums and guitars.  Many songs were sung without music, and the harmony of the voices is absolutely overwhelming.  This is truly what the scripture is talking about when it says that "God inhabits the praises of his people".   

Eddie began his message to these Kitonga Village people, as he continued to hold the hand of the little boy, that to seek Jesus we must become as a little child.  This is a message that we all can learn from.  The faces of the people were focused and listening to every word as though they were accepting and believing it was directly for each one individually.  Occasionally you would hear a yell or clapping of hands, and a heavenly "Amena".   As he preached, the little boy was close by, never stepping far from his new found friend.  At the end of the message, an altar call was given for those that did not know Jesus, but wanted to accept Him as their personal Savior.  Several came forward and stood with their backs to the crowd, waiting for the Man of God to anoint them, lay hands on them, and pray the prayer of faith with them.  One young man standing in line, wearing a white shirt and black pants, holding his hands toward the heavens as Eddie walked toward him, had his eyes tightly closed.  Soon after Eddie touched his forehead, he fell to the ground.   The young man began to show manifestations of demon possession as he lay on the ground.   After a few minutes of this spiritual confrontation, Eddie had declared to the demon that "I am tired of dealing with you!,  depart".   At this time, the young man went limp on the ground, Eddie and Moses helped him stand, and he raised his hands high to the heavens and began weeping with joy and accepted Jesus as his personal Savior!  I have come to believe that the Word of God is as true and real today as it was 2000 years go.  We tend to read about the demon possessed in the Bible, but want to think that was then and only then.  This is far from the truth.  What I witnessed on this day was real, it was not an act, it was not planned.  Jesus clearly states in Mark 16:17 & 18, that these are signs that will follow them that believe.  I am a believer, are you?

People that were sick in their body were asked to come forward for prayer.  I would say that probably one fourth of the people came walking forward and stood in line waiting.   One scripture that I claim and stand on daily is "the prayer of faith shall save the sick!"  Eddie motioned for me to come beside him as he prayed for the people.  Tears were flowing as we walked to each person, anointed them and prayed for their healing.  Many people would collapse and others would receive the prayer of healing as they were anointed.  We never know what the Holy Spirit will do and what manifestation will take place, but we do know that He is who He says He is, and He will do what He says He will do.  It is an awesome experience to be used by the Lord in this way.  The last person standing in line was a young mother, holding a baby boy in her arms.  He was wrapped in a piece of cloth that was tied around her neck to securely hold him.  He burned with fever, suffering with Malaria.  Tears were in her eyes as she begged for prayer for her precious child.  Eddie anointed the baby with oil, and I took him in my arms as we prayed.  As we were praying, the baby raised his head, looked in my eyes and turned his head looking for his mother.  She began to weep as I handed the baby boy to her and she  hugged me and Eddie saying "Asante!  Bwana Asifiwe!".   We do not walk away in HOPES that this child is healed, we walk away believing that he IS healed in the name of Jesus!!!!  All I can tell you is that he now felt cool and certainly was now alert! 

Dishes drying

After the ending prayer, as the singers sang and danced, and Eddie and I were gathering our things to leave, Moses informed us that the women of the village had prepared food for us.  It was getting late in the afternoon, and we were certainly not expecting this.  They motioned for us to step inside a clay brick building behind us.  As we pushed back the cloth covered doorway, they had prepared a small table, one that we would consider a "coffee table", with chairs around it.   We sat down as we watched the women carrying buckets into the room.  I am sitting there wondering how were we going to eat what they have prepared.  Okay, God, it's up to You right now to make this happen without obviously incident.  The Pastor and his wife came to sit beside us.  They were so proud to be able to serve us this food that they had no doubt spent most of the day preparing.  My mind is racing about now.  There is no running water, and the water they do have we have no idea where it came from.  And I just took a picture of the dishes they use and how they dry them.  Each one of us was served this huge bowl of rice .  On the table they placed two bowls.  One was filled with what appeared to be boiled chicken in a red sauce.  The other bowl was unidentifiable to me.  Moses leaned over and said "Janise, this is goat"  GOAT?  As in billy?  "Have you ever had goat?"  That would be a definite "no"!  Everyone is sitting very close at this little table, so there is  no way I am going to get by without them watching every move my spoon makes.  Eddie is looking at me and just smiles.  We are "one" you know, and he knows exactly what is going through my mind and is waiting to see how I handle this!  First of all, let us pray!  God bless this food and our stomachs!  I took a piece of the goat and placed it in my bowl and slowly brought it to my mouth.  All I can tell you now is that I have tried goat once in my life.  By this time it is getting dark, thank God, because it is hard for them to see what we are eating.  The only thing that you could see was the white rice, Eddie and me.  We were getting ready to go because Moses had plainly told us that mosquitoes in Kitonga Village were the biggest ones he had ever seen, and the mosquitoes come out at dark!  We started getting up to prompt Moses and he caught on and motioned for the others to stop eating so we could go.   Moses told us as we were driving away, that he appreciated that we ate the food they had prepared because it blessed the people for us to share a meal with them.

This was truly another blessing for us to have an opportunity to visit the village people.  We leave here, as we have many other places we have visited, asking ourselves what can we do to make a difference?

  

As you say your daily prayers, please remember the people of Kitonga Village.  Although there are hundreds of miles between us, they will always be close in our hearts.

ESTHER and MAOMBI

ESTHER

MAOMBI

These are the faces of two of the most incredible girls we have ever met.  Look closely at their faces, the smiles, the eyes that show obvious love and contentment.

ESTHER

Esther is a 22 year old school girl with the ambition and desire to excel in this life.  She comes from a family of 4 sisters and 2 brothers.  Her home is in Dar es Salaam.  She came to Mwanza to better her education and attend school and she has not seen her mother or her family in over one year.  Goodluck met Esther in school when he visited to minister to the girls.  Esther is the Prime Minister of the school, which would be our Vice President.   As they became very close, Goodluck and Julia "adopted" Esther and invited her to stay with them when they have breaks at the school.  When we arrived at Goodluck's the first night, after our long, tiring ride on the bus from Dar es Salaam, we were greeted by Esther and Maombi with their warm smiles and "Karibu, Karibu Sana" (welcome, you are welcome very much). 

Esther is full of life, full of joy, full of love for the Lord.  We listen to her sing as she washes the dishes and washes clothes.  This 22 year old gets up early every morning to prepare breakfast and coffee.  She never complains, never whines when she has to fetch the water from the well and carry the heavy 5 gallon buckets  to the kitchen and bathrooms.  

In her broken English she will put her arms around our necks and tell us that she loves us, calling us Mama Janice and Daddy Eddie.   Since we have been here, we gave her the pet name of "Esy".   This is not common in Tanzania, so she and Maombi feel very special with their new names.  Esther is getting homesick for her mother and will be going home Monday to see her before the school year begins again, October 8.  She is looking forward to cooking the new dishes of chicken & rice, vegetable soup & hash browns for her family that she has learned to cook. 

Esther has blessed our hearts with her sweet, sweet spirit.  She is quite in nature, but she loves to laugh and enjoys every opportunity she has to sing for the Lord.  Her voice is absolutely breath taking!  She thinks that we have taught her much since we have been here.  Little does she understand how much she has taught us. 

MAOMBI (Prayer)

Maombi is 18 years old and was orphaned when she was very young.  She has no family, and now considers Goodluck & Julia her "Daddy & Mommy".  Maombi also attends the school with Esther.  This is where they met and became very close friends.  Maobmi is the President of her school.

Maombi has a very outgoing personality, loves to laugh, makes jokes and is full of life.  No doubt she and Eddie hit it off from the very start.  When we were introduced to her, we started calling her "Mo".  She is now officially "Mo", and has told us that she loves her new name and will be called this now by her friends. 

She too gets up early to start the daily chores.   In Tanzania you do not see yards that are manicured with green grass.   Homes are surrounded with red dirt, trees and occasionally a beautiful plant filled with flowers.  We were sitting inside one day and heard this sweeping sound and a beautiful voice singing praises.  Looking out the window, we saw Maombi as she swept the dirt!  You are kidding me, am I actually looking at her sweep the ground?  Not only was she sweeping, she was sweeping with a pattern!   When she finished it looked like the ground was covered with ceramic tile. 

Maombi loves to cook.  She spends most of her day preparing meals.  Truly, she is a master at cooking rice.  No matter what the menu, since we have been here Eddie has requested that Mo prepare rice.  Maombi has watched closely as we prepared the meals for them, because she loves to cook and wants to learn new ways to prepare meals for her Daddy Goodluck & Mommy Julia.

Maombi also loves the Lord.  As we walked by her room one morning, you could hear her crying out before the Lord.  She was praying in Swahili and I know that her praises are pleasing to the Lord.  It was not a concern to her that someone might hear, she was not quiet in her prayer.  As you could hear her weeping and calling out to the Lord, you could only imagine that her hands were raised as she gave Him praise.

Esther and Maombi will begin their school year October 8.   In Tanzania if a student excels in their studies, the Tanzanian government will pay for their education.  There is no doubt that Esther and Maombi will qualify at each stage of their school exams.   Their graduation will be in February, 2011.  Then they must pass their final exams to qualify for the university of their choice.  Both girls plan to further their education and attend a university.  Boyfriends are not a consideration while they are in school.  They are focused on their future and have no desire to allow anything to hinder them.  Imagine that concept in America! 

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world!  From the first step off the plane, a child will catch your eye.  Children are everywhere!  They may be walking hand in hand with an adult, they may be carried on the back of a woman or another child, or they may be all alone on the streets.  You cannot look anywhere without seeing the face of a child. As we walk down the street, we are met by many that have their hands outreached, or patting their bellies to let us know they need food.  And then there are those that will run to us with a smile on their face, reaching out their hands for us to touch them. 

One of the things we brought with us were bags of candy.  It is so satisfying to see the little hands reach as you place a piece of candy in them.  They all bow as they take it, and say "Asante" (thank you).  When we walk out the door each morning, you would think an alarm goes off!  The children run to the fence, or come running up the drive way.  When we come home, you can expect the same scene!   You would think they had just received the biggest wrapped present on the planet! 



Gideon



Yesterday, we visited Gideon Nzwalla at a clinic outside of Mwanza.  Gideon is a son of Moses, and he had requested that "Mama Janice and Pastor Eddie" visit him while he works.  He is a receptionist, and a very handsome one I might add.  We drove to the clinic on narrow, washed out clay roads.  The clinic was located on the slope of a hill.  Gideon came running down the hill when he saw us, so happy to show us his work place.  When we walked in the front room, it was lined with people waiting to see the doctors.  Gideon was anxious for us to see his desk, where he signs the patients in and keeps the records for each patient.   I'm still pondering on his filing system.  The files are all in several piles in what we would consider a bookcase.  They are hand written with a name and a number.   He has a method to this madness I am sure, but my mind can't wrap around what this method could possibly be.  I didn't even try to get him to explain.  He then took us to the laboratory.  There sat a woman at a small desk.  In the front of the room was a table, with a microscope & other medical supplies.  A laboratory?  I'm looking  around the room, and unless there is a hidden door, I don't see a sink, nor do I see a faucet of any kind.

How can they possible sterilize anything?  There are no rubber gloves hanging on the wall, no scrub shoes or hair cover on this woman.  The woman greets us with a typical Tanzanian "Jambo" (hello) and a handshake.  She turns back around to finish her work as we leave the room.  We walk out of this room through a doorway - without a door.  How can this possibly be?

Gideon walks down the hallway and knocks on a door.  He was introducing us to one of the three doctors.  He greeted us with a smile and "Karibu" (welcome).  He didn't speak English, so this visit lasted only a few short seconds.  No need to continue with conversation that neither one of us could understand. 

We then walk down a dark hallway, with rooms on each side. Gideon walks in a room that has two beds, one under a window and one pushed against a wall.  Lying on both the beds were little babies.  I would think they couldn't have been more than a year old.  Their mother's were sitting beside them.  One of the babies had tubes attached.  The mother's looked so sad as they sat there with their children that were suffering from Malaria. 

As I stepped into this room, the compassion for these children and their mother's overwhelmed me.  I couldn't step out as I had so quickly done as we had visited the other rooms.  Tears began to flow and I felt an urgency within me to touch these babies and pray for them.  I asked Gideon if he would ask  permission for me to pray.  Both the mothers sat back and reached out their hands as if to say "Please, please help my child".  I could only pray in the spirit as I touched their little heads that were burning with fever,because I didn't have the words to say except "you shall live and not die.  God please touch these children.  Give them life so they can grow to serve You."    You may think that I am acting out of emotion at this moment, but that is far from the truth.  I know the healing power of my Jesus.  I have seen healing miracles may times.  The Word of God says "the prayer of faith shall save the sick".  I stand on this promise and I believe it.  So it is with this power that I know is within me, that I have this need to touch these children.   I may leave and never see them again, but I leave believing that yesterday was the day their mothers will remember as the day that their child was touched by the healing hand of Jesus. 

WALK WITH ME

Road from our house to the bus stop

We went into the city of Mwanza again yesterday.  We had an appointment with the attorney at 11:30 am.  This means that we must get up early, get dressed, and have breakfast so we can leave the house no later than 10:00.  One of the things I look forward to each morning is that morning cup of coffee.  African coffee is absolutely the best ever!  It's funny though, because one of the things that Moses always requests that we bring him is coffee from the States.  He loves the Maxwell house coffee.  He thinks it is so much better than the coffee he has here.  That would be typical, I guess.  Just human nature. 

We rode the city bus again today.  The trip was no different than any other day....Goodluck insists that we sit in the front with the driver.  He thinks he's being considerate.  Little does he know that having the front row seat is torment for me!   I make sure I'm prayed up because I know that before we get to the getting off place in Mwanza that my nerves will be completely out the window! 

Once we jump off the bus in Mwanza, we then walk to the attorney's office.  It's not a walk just around the corner either.  I have been wanting to tone the muscles in my legs, God has heard my desire and He is making sure that this is granted!  We made it to the office just at 11:30.  Moses was waiting for us, but the attorney was not in.  Go figure!  Another revelation that we've had since we've been here is that time means nothing to these people.  You just go with the flow - don't sweat the small stuff!  So we wait....the attorney's secretary will call us when he gets in.  Meanwhile, we will go elsewhere.

We walked to a hotel restaurant to discuss arrangements for our ceremony this Sunday.  Would you believe that someone recognized us!  This just goes to show you that you have to be careful, because no matter where you go, you might run into someone you know!  Imagine that!  When we were here last year, we stayed at Ryan's Bay Hotel and met the Chef there.  We had given him a Bible before we left the hotel.  He has changed jobs and is now at this hotel restaurant.  He came over to our table, grabbed our hands and told Moses we were good friends of his.  He told him that we had given him a Bible and that he was so happy we had come "back home".  You must know that this warmed our hearts.  My great-grandmother, Grandma Hall, told me years ago that when you meet someone you should always be sure that when you leave them, that they feel better after you leave than when you came. 

The secretary finally called and we are on our way back to the attorney's office.  We met with him for a short time and as we stood up to leave, Eddie walked over to his desk and told him as the attorney reaches his hand to shake, that he would like to pray for him.  Oh my, this boldness of my husband sometimes makes the hair stand up on my head.  Thank goodness for the braids at this moment!   The attorney took his hand and said "I am a Muslim, but you can pray for me".  Wow!  Eddie prayed that his business would increase, that he would be blessed, and closed the prayer "in Jesus name".   We walked out of the room, Moses said "Wow!  I cannot believe that you just did that.  He is a Muslim, and he allowed you to pray for him!".  The awesome thing about this is that when this prayer is answered, this Muslim man will remember this prayer and he will want to know who is this Man Jesus!  We were not aware until that moment that he was a Muslim.  It seemed that from the moment he met us that he was drawn to Eddie, and there was favor with him.  He had agreed to help us with our project and it will make a huge impact on the future of this ministry.  God has opened doors for us that we will be able to share at a later date.    

We left this office and visited a friend of Gooluck's, Mr. Lema.  He had asked Goodluck to bring us by so Eddie could pray for his business.  He is the owner of "Glory to God Electronics".  We walked into his office and on his desk was an opened Bible.  How often do you see this?  He is not ashamed and does not fear that he will be reprimanded for his born again belief.  We joined hands and Eddie prayed for God to increase and bless his business, as well as his family. 

Peter, the tailor

Entrance to Peter's business

Now we go to the tailor that has made the clothes we have chosen.  This room that holds two peddle sewing machines, is approximately 10x10.  The owner is a small man, but he always has a big smile.  It is amazing the work that he does, not using patterns, just does his master work by measurements, material and scissors and a drawing of the style we chose.  Amazing!   Everything fits just perfectly and we leave, but not before we pray for his business as we have the others.  He gives us a big hug and says "Asante, Asante Sana! Bwana Asifewe!"  (Thank you, thank you very much.  Praise the Lord") 

This has been a good day!  It blesses our hearts to be able to pray so openly and touch the lives of people, as they touch and bless ours.  We go back to the house now, to be greeted with a hug & kiss from Maombi & Esther.  We brought them a pizza and you would have thought they were given a million dollars!   We end our night with a meal together, laughter, and praises to our Lord.  We go to our room, take our bucket bath and sleep with such peace in knowing that we truly serve a Mighty, Mighty God!