Dear Cherished Interested’s, July 31th 2024
We have been in Greeley Colorado since the night of July 29th,
so Hilda was here on time for her new teaching position at Tointon
pre-engineering school. 4 flights, 5
airports, 3 countries, 3 states, a fair amount of driving to get to
Greeley. All safe, all with Angels given
along the way.
Most of the workers in Doha Qatar are Swahili speakers from
Africa. It is great to be able to affirm
and thank them for their work. Had a
good long discussion with a young Kenyan mama working security at the flight to
the US. As seems unfortunately normal
everywhere, the hardest working and least paid get the least affirmation and
thanks. I am thankful for the opportunity
to remedy that even a little.
I wore my crucifix everywhere in that Muslim Airport and got
nothing but bows, nods and smiles from the Qatari people. No sharia police issues.
Flight from Doha to Philadelphia, 14 hours, had four strangers
talking intensely outside the Restrooms mid-deck. An amazing Hindi Nepali woman managing to
educate over 200 children in Nepal and who wants Hilda and I to come, an
American Muslim textile engineer born in Egypt, who wanted to talk about Jesus
and what we were doing, an Arizonan who leads a free global medical services
providing NGO, and me, a near penniless Christian missionary. Sounds like a wind up for a joke, but it isn’t. We have each-others contacts now. More people to remember and pray for
now.. what a wonderful problem to have!
In Philadelphia, Robert, a career musician for the Coasters,
sky-capped for us. It was a wonderful
time through customs and immigration with both Robert and I, old guys, talking
music and the Northeast USA where we are both from. The customs inspector asked Hilda and I
questions, reading us and Robert as we responded. We were waved through with thanks for our
work as missionaries from this young federal cop. No physical inspection with the trunks just
take them to the counter and watch Robert help the ticketing agents whisk them
onto the flight to Dallas.
We were waved, by the elder boarding agent, onto the flight
for Dallas before our Zone was called too.
Dallas was a survivable mess. Musical gates but we got our flight to
Colorado Springs.
In Colorado Springs, it was the next day when we arrived, so
we collected our rental truck, thanks to James at Budget Rental who stayed late
to get it to us.
Then Kenowa, at baggage claim, stayed late too, to use the
baggage claim cart to pack our trunks outside and across the street to the
truck in the rental parking. These are
all interesting conversations with people who want to have them. We seem to give people permission to talk
about things that are important to them, simply by being honest and open with
who we are and what we choose to do with our lives. And listening.
I don’t think anyone gets listened too, here at home in America,
anymore.
Hilda has been very well received at the Greeley School District
6. No one has been afraid of this older
African missionary chosen by them to come teach 8th grade physical
science in a two year old pre-engineering school. Even top level school administrators here
have spoken publicly during training this week about the importance of faith.
As far as the work goes so far, even with jet lag, Hilda is
on top of it and adding to it well.
We have applied for an apartment on the University of
Northern Colorado Campus. This,
available for teachers within the Greeley-Evans school district 6. If we get it, Hilda will have relatively
affordable housing with campus security for while I am gone from her, God
willing.
Transportation hope are bus or local Uber. We are avoiding permanent car expense as long
as we can. Rental now. Hoping for none later until I return to find an affordable something to fix.
-------------------------------------
Tanzania whats apps every day, several times, asking about
Hilda.. They are diligently carrying on
the work without me there with them. Including
the work of caring for those who have no family to assist their efforts towards
a hoped for independence. My heart
explodes at their efforts with tremendous joy and love. Just brilliant normal vulnerable women reflecting
what we strove to do while with them.
I communicate when internet is available juggling two phones
and computers at various locations.
Your hearts and minds faithfully work miracles, your praying
is part of that!
-------------------------------------
Hilda is smiling..
Obedience is hard.
But, Hilda is smiling..
Your prayer again.
Thank you.
------------------------------------
The book of messages written from Tanzanian Lutheran Church
lectionary in two languages is still in process but nearing completion.
I wrote the final two messages for the book, to incorporate
the lesser festivals of the global church, both in one day before leaving. Hilda listened, read, and insisted they be
translated and included.
Hilda settled safely.
Then she is booting me back to TZ, God willing to finish things and
close Africa house. Deserting the loved
ones there is extremely painful. Perhaps,
with today’s tech, it won’t be as complete a desertion as it was in the
past.
Long way to go. Your
prayer deeply sought for this work too.
Thank You.
------------------------------------
We have been invited to church here in Greeley. Immanuel Lutheran Church on the way up the
hill to University Campus had a worker bee outside as I drove by and swung
in. Similar pattern, listen to people,
help them pack their tools and be real, you become a safe place to speak their hearts.
It is such an honor to be invited by such people. People longing to be heard because the youngers’
seem to be only phone screen minded.
Ignoring each other is not good ministry, nor good humanity. We need to work on this together, okay?
We may live dangerously, but we are alive. Thank you for praying us the courage to live
this way, if dangerously. We don’t see
it that way.
-------------------------------
You who read and pray and suffer
along with us. Please believe what we
get to see. Thank you for praying our
strength and guidance for each moment with each face. Folks
like you are beyond precious.
Really blessed while deeply
under attack.. all of it is
spiritual.. I wish I could teach that to
everyone so they could truly know it. I
didn’t know it for far too long.
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 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
No comments:
Post a Comment