Dear Cherished Interested’s,

Hilda and I fly home leaving Tanzania September 1st for a month in the Pacific Northwest. We leave the Pacific Northwest from Portland Oregon October the 4th to return to Tanzania.

During that time in the states these two grandparents hope to see and hug each and every child and grandchild we can. That is our first priority.

Hilda needs to renew her driver’s license and I hope to renew my commercial drivers’ license. A bit of a task and expense with hurdles due to age, time in Africa and being less than medically perfect. I had no idea that my many years using that license would prove to be valuable here. It has. Also if we need to return in a more full time way to the states after Hilda’s contract to teach teachers expires in December, I may need the license wherever we find ourselves.

Freeborn Lutheran Church, a courageous little church near Stanwood WA, blessed and sent us with a letter. Two other local churches, Our Saviors Lutheran Church in downtown Stanwood and Faith Lutheran Church in North Lakewood WA also prayed over, blessed and sent us.

These three churches are near some of our children. We plan to be with each as possible too.

vwilliamson@sprynet.com / facebook messenger / Hilda’s Phone number 360-815-4302

Part of the sending involves experiencing education and pastoral formation here.

I have seen use, having preached five times from three different pulpits in local churches in Usa River, Kilala, and a new rural preaching point here on Mount Meru. I have also been presenting messages from the weekly scheduled readings of the local Tanzanian Lutheran Church in a small intimate study / worship time each Sunday with the Mama’s who care 24/7 for the residential care children of The Small Things, Happy Children’s Village in Nkoaranga. Everything Hilda and I have done and continue to do has been at the request of local people.

I am as yet not in a formal Theology program. I have found another person who is part of the local University that motivated our coming all this way so I could finally go to school. I have received an assurance that this coming week of the 15th of August 2022 that I will be seeing the head of the Theology program at Tumaini University, Makumira. There have been many false starts. Hoping and praying this is better.

We came this far for many reasons. There are many hurdles but here are four big ones. No one from America has ever tried to attend full time this local Theology program. The culture of theological education here in TZ, and the details surrounding matriculation are vastly different from those of North America. The Government of TZ is completely involved in accreditation, evaluation, and certification of not only schools and universities but also every student. I am still a child in this culture not knowing what I still do not know. Confusion reigns.

Still, local pastors and people here are praying our way, before us, just as so many of you are.

vwilliamson@sprynet.com / facebook / Hilda’s Phone number 360-815-4302

Thank you to each of you for all the patience you extend and likely will need to continue to extend. Communication between where you are and we are, is still less than ideal. While we are in motion in the Pacific Northwest we may be difficult to find but believe that we want to be found. We need to speak to what your prayers have done and continue to do. How we are dependent upon whatever moments you sacrifice to throw us at God in prayer.

!! Additional bout the Mama’s at the Children’s Village.. !!

Two of the local Tanzanian teenagers who have helped with Sunday school and the messages with the Mama’s are now safely in school with their folks in Connecticut. The remaining young man is still here. I was able to spend a day with him just hanging, walking, stupid movies on line, food and Hilda’s kittens, this last week. I hope to be able to again before we leave for the month of September.

I have prepared for him, from the scheduled scriptures, a message for the Mama’s for each week we are to be gone. Pray for him too please. His name is Elisha. He is a brilliant teenager who misses his family deeply. Brilliant teenagers, in this nation with a median age of seventeen, who miss their family, are apt to face distractions. May those distractions be edifying and enlightening for him and may he and those loving and caring for him and his little brother be safe and ever the beautiful people they are.

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Also please continue to Pray for:

Travel mercies for Hilda and I. Plane travel represents a supreme physiological trial to someone my shape, size and medical history.

Affordable time in the Pacific Northwest and over to Colorado for those dear children and grandchildren who miss us and whom we miss deeply.

Makumira Secondary School, my brilliant helper Elisha’s school, is looking to share stories and partner in some way with a foreign school, Great leaders, teachers, students, programs, strong backs, minds, and hearts –

Hilda’s invisibility to those who can only see their own authority –

Visa situation (another 3 month extension for us both granted!) we will be good again until after we return -

Our armed forces families, our leadership, our people, whole world round, all of Gods kids -

All the tough and blessing expressed above –

The love of folks –

Whatever is on your hearts and minds for us –

I continue to be under much harsh spiritual attack concerning my sense of self-worth and those many things I have yet to get to, please, only as you are comfortable, remember me, indeed us.. the world doesn’t like what we are doing out of love we don’t own.. yet have none the less -

For our health to stay ahead of whatever is before us, for us to let our health fail so others can shine –

For a way for us to invest with our experience and even financially in support of local industrious people so we can afford to stay and continue to make a difference one face at a time –

For those who have braved the donate button to discover Kajun Crofton, our daughter who helps getting each one of your donations to us and every blogpost to where you can read it –

For you who find other ways to uplift and support us -

For each and every one of you –

Each and every one of your prayers, your precious conversations with God –

Prayers, Your Prayer, skipping stone and even groaning prayers make all the difference..

Vern W

May Life be as Music to your Heart - May Music be as Heart to your Life 

- May Heart be as Life to your Music -