Dear Cherished Interested’s,                                                                                           February 2nd, 2023

Zawadi ni Imperishable

We’ve learned that most developed world leadership of NGO structures is focused on how to pay for things(money).  This comes from being confronted with real stark need.  We aren’t big check writers, never have been.  We strove to serve at home with everything we had.  We still strive to serve folks at home by sharing what we find.  Hilda and I are deeply programmed by our lives together of hand to mouth survival to stay focused on how we can serve people and not a budget projection of well worldly educated hopes staffed often by well-meaning non-locals. 

This lifetime of training is a blessing.  We are among stark need.  One of our greatest resources is empathy.  Living among the desperate we try to err on the side of being vulnerable, exposed, seen, approachable.  We are currently no longer part of any NGO structure.  This may change as Hilda needs to teach.  Until then we are free to serve anyone and beholden only to the best leadership possible, our Heavenly Father.  Please keep holding our feet to the fire.  Please keep us in God’s hands and at God’s desired work, whatever that is in each moment.

English Tutorial: 

The girls’ tutorial happens Saturday morning now and in the girls’ grandparents’ home where I leave the door open.  After a while the grandparents come over and close the door to keep little ones from distracting the study.  This trust is unbelievable.

This morning, Thursday between 9 and 10:30 or so, two young men were with me in English Tutorial.  This tutorial is held at The Children’s Village up on the mountain and is still ongoing at the request of local people who work there.  Even though neither of us is on the books or in the budget, as we aren’t seen by the non-local leadership as shiny enough to attract disposable income to the cause, local folks want and choose to need us.  

Thursday has become tutorial for the boys, one is a father, both are grown.  The textbook is a locally(Arusha) available NIV English Bible purchased and gifted to each student.  After reading the first two chapters of 1^st Peter out loud for me to help with pronunciation and definitions, we discussed the text.  The young father, whose local name means gift, informed me that his name was now “Imperishable”.  That being one of the many words discussed at length for its meaning within the text.    

This young man also preaches on weekends and has seemed to be getting real pleasure at our study time together.  He is a vociferous note taker.  Zawadi ni Imperishable [Gift is Imperishable] is written in his notes from today.  This from describing and discussing at length, at their request, perishable and imperishable in an expected biological context then going a step further indicating that even silver and gold perish, lose their strength, shape, and beauty by perishing in fire, when things get hot. 

Zawadi doesn’t like being reminded, but he is basically onsite operations manager, a big shot.  I’m glad he chooses to stand firm when it gets hot.  The children he serves at work need him as much as the children he serves at home. 

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Yesterday my/our fixer came by.  We have been without Passports and current Visa’s for a few days.  He returned them to us opening up mine to show us that the Visa Stamped in them this time doesn’t expire until 2024.  Instead of having to pay for new Visa’s every 90 days we will only need to drive to Kenya to cross the border and then return every 90 days.  And, I now have not only a Tanzanian Primary School certificate but our fixer is off to Dar es Salaam to collect my Tanzanian Secondary School, High School, certificate.  We try the University again soon, God willing.  

Our fixer is another young father.  He was almost a Catholic Priest before his parents sat him down and said that as their only son he had to marry and have children.  He ran a region of the National Parks here and was forced to either resign or die after discovering a very high public official shooting and killing an elephant in his Parks Region.  Though not illegal everywhere, that is illegal hunting activity where it occurred. 

Why do I mention this?  This genius fixer with an eidetic memory claims that before meeting me and going to work with me on my going to school here as a pathway for other folks, that he was very nearly out of business entirely.  He claims that since I walked through his door, business has been pouring in.  He is working on lots of projects now, including bringing medical students from Harvard this year for study in this developing world context. 

Your Prayer spreads like ripples in the water.  We don’t see where those ripples all go.  We only see the top.  With God there is always a lot more going on underneath or behind that rock along the edge somewhere.   Thank You..

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Yes, two Sundays again now with the boarding students at Silverleaf Academy.  We are up to over sixty littles now from the forty before.  More girls in school now from the big lake out in the bush too.  Your Prayers are awesome!

Tomorrow we restart ‘religion’ class in the afternoon for Silverleaf Academy too.  Again, local folks are the ones coming to get us and insist on our participation. 

Last week I met some folks while in Arusha from Cyprus.  It was a moment in which prayer for a child needing emergency surgery back home in Cyprus was needed.  So there in the middle of a café at the back of a huge wealthy person store, security everywhere, we stood together and prayed.  I wasn’t wearing my cross so I still don’t know how they knew to come to me.   I was there getting special food for another developed world one on the anniversary of her father’s death. 

That same small group from Cyprus came to English Service at the Cathedral out in Usa River Sunday too..  WOW! 

We strive to be without fail worshiping with the littles and then the Mama’s at The Children’s Village too, so far with nearly no exceptions so good.

On the way down the mountain today I got a call from another local pastor.  He needed me at 10:am on Sunday until 1:pm or so.  I begged him not to give up on me but that we had two Sunday Schools and a Worship Time already to do during those hours.  He promised not to give up.

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WE don’t fit the expected boxes..  The local folks have decided to either love us or hate us for that.  The ones who love us seem to be winning..  I think your praying has been a huge part in that.  God is listening, watching..  laughing some too?? 

Thank You for that.

Also please Pray for:

Visa situation..  Except for perhaps needing to drive to Kenya to cross the border and re-enter TZ every 90 days, the Visa stamp in our passports indicates current until 2024.  Thank You!

Gratitude..

Gratitude for our time in the Pacific Northwest and over to Colorado for those dear children and grandchildren who miss us and whom we are overjoyed to have had our precious time with.

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 –

Imbasenny school is one of two schools run by a Mchungaji here.  He requests prayer for Imbasenny school as that school has no external support and parents school fees fall short of what the job takes.

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

Our armed forces families, our leadership, our people, whole world round, all of God’s 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..  –

Us is not only Hilda and I but a growing circle of local folks.  Please imagine them too as you pray for ‘us’. -

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..

If we should ever cross your mind, even if we are strange and confusing, just grunt, crumple us up and throw us at God.  That is where we need to be.. 

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