Dear Cherished Interested’s,                                                                                         May 15th, 2023

Pastor Lazaro(Lazarus) has trusted me with the people of his Maasai Parish, his Leganga Parish, and now his Ngyani Parish.  Our first parish of his to visit was his Maasai Parish and we did not preach there but were honored by the trust of being taken into some of the most impoverished families on the planet.  This is a community that out of complete desperation can fall victim to trafficking of young women promised jobs that take them far away from family.   

Sunday we walked a short way down the mountain to get our ride to Kanisa Ngyani.  This is the church of the retired Pastors wife around whom The Children’s Village has grown up.  One of her many adopted sons is my English student, he was our ride to their church. 

Local folks planned for me to preach there yesterday with the Pastor translating.  This is the second time and the second church that I have preached for this pastor who was going to translate for me but he has been called away to an emergency each time. 

My English student, was directed by the evangelist to translate for me.  Andrew did well.  Andrew was also singing and singing was a larger than normal part of yesterday’s worship and why we were invited to attend, and preach.  Kanisa Kilinga also sent a kwaya(choir) to worship with Kanisa Ngyani.  About a third attending were worshiping choirs.

Andrew translated for both services. 

Andrew is very shy and reserved while being extremely soft-spoken.  His fellow choir members did not expect to ever see Andrew translating from / preaching from / the pulpit and he did amazingly well in spite of turning to mug and make faces at his choir-mates keeping half the back row where they were seated laughing in their joy. 

Joy and eager teasing by gesture at seeing this extremely bright young man doing something so unexpected.

Where we are the first born child of a family is brought to the church after they can walk and let through the iron altar rail to stay in the altar space where pastor, evangelist, and other presiders direct worship. 

That was the case at the Ki-Swahili service yesterday.  A presider then closes the gate preventing the toddler from reuniting with family below the altar.  The toddler is kept there until the family buys their child’s freedom by offering a goat or cow or sheep or sum of money.  Then they can have their child back. 

That little child wandered into the altar space through the open gate and after the gate closed walked directly up to me lifting his tiny arms to be lifted onto my lap.  There he stayed on my lap for about 5 minutes before squirming down to wander around up in his altar jail waiting for the goat.  The goat came and his father handed the rope for the goat through the rail to his tiny son who held obediently.

This unexpected blessing of total acceptance by a local toddler who had never seen me before was extremely heartening.  Yes the child went home with Mom and Dad.   

-----------------------------------------------

The Sunday prior we were at Kanisa Mulala participating from the back row where four of the girls from The Children’s Village came to sit with Hilda sharing our Swahili Worship books. 

--------------------------------------

We found an old friend this last week too.  David Mtui was the business partner of Elizabeth Hudgins, a retired English teacher from Vancouver Washington.  Elizabeth and David took care of two mission groups I have been part of coming here.  The second group included our elder daughter. 

Elizabeth was aware of our planning to come and strive at trying to get me into theological training here.  Unfortunately Elizabeth died of COVID between us selling our house and getting to the plane to fly over.  It has taken about a year and a half to find David. 

Thank You for praying for things none of us can know about.  We were a safe place for David to share about the loss of Elizabeth.  He was comfortable to embrace each of us with sincere happiness.  It has been eighteen years since we have been together in Tanzania.  God willing we will take a break and go see his farm on Kilimanjaro soon.

-----------------------------------------

I cannot describe the spiritual attacks we have been facing as the time hopefully approaches ( a couple more weeks? ) when we will engage with the University again.  Relationships here on the ground in addition to my imperfections and mistakes are being used to try to drive us away from our striving.  Each day is a sincere struggle.  Hopefully that means we’re on the right track.  Please pray for those around us.  Please pray for the local faces which fearlessly now smile and greet us as we walk.  

Please keep crumpling us up and throwing us at God.  That is where we need to be.  God will sort us out.

One day at a time.  Just like how you each live.  Just one day at a time. 

Thank you, each of you.

              -------------------------------------------------------

What to Pray for:

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 –

For our children and grand-children who miss us.. 

For Makumira Secondary School looking to share stories and partner in some way with a foreign school, Great leaders, teachers, students, programs, strong backs, minds, and hearts –

For our health to stay ahead of whatever is before us –

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 each and every one of you –

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

Prayers, Your Prayer, Even your groaning prayers makes 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