A Stern Simplicity...

I know, I know...I’m a terrible blogger. It’s been 3 months since my last post and so many things have happened. I rushed back to South Africa in November, almost certain that my Mother was going to die. Both her lungs had collapsed and she was facing other serious health issues at the time. God is great though, “He will not suffer the righteous to be moved” Psalm 55:22 and my Mum is at home and doing better, even though she retired from her job.

I arrived back at Kibidula on the 4^th to January pick up where I left off. I didn’t think I would miss the people so much. The fact that I missed a simple plate of rice and beans even more was quite surprising! (no offense to my Kibidula friends). God has truly blessed the men of Kibidula with some great cooks!  Shortly after my return, we welcomed another young student missionary from the USA. Her name is Melissa Watson and she is helping out with the sheep farm project. Melissa studied Animal Husbandry at Andrews Adventist University, but she probably should have studied Animal “Wifery” since she is a girl...just kidding ;)  She is a really nice girl. It is nice now that we have 3 single young people here...we can visit together without being “culturally inappropriate” haha.

My shower has been broken since mid January. I had no hot water in my bathroom for nearly 3 weeks, so I was taking cold bucket showers in the mornings and evenings. Waking up to brain-freeze every morning is pretty exhilarating, but it gets really old, really fast. Doing plumbing in Tanzania is like mixing a million different puzzle pieces from a billion different puzzles...and then trying to build a nice little puzzle. Bill helped me to solve the hot water problem, so I was able to take warm bucket showers...much better J We managed to fix the shower today...so tonight I will be joyfully repeating my entire shower song repertoire several times!

 

A friend of mine recently shared something with me. She is a pastor and she took me on a brief tour through the life of Moses. There was a “stern simplicity” that marked his life after he had left Egypt for the first time. Moses, as heir to the throne of Egypt, had been trained in many schools of discipline. He was a learned man, honourable and strong...but he was full of pride and thought himself to be self sufficient. God could not use him in this condition. After killing the Egyptian taskmaster, Moses spent 40 years in the desert...tending to his father-in-law’s sheep. God used this “stern simplicity” to strip Moses of all pride and self sufficiency...until he became “meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” Numbers 12:3 It was during this time in the desert that the Spirit of God inspired Moses to write the book of Genesis, and it was only after this desert experience that God could use Moses to lead His people out of the bondage of Egypt.

Now, I am not at all like Moses was after those 40 years...but I know that my character is marked by many of the qualities...or rather the faults, that marred his character while abiding in Egypt. God has been using Kibidula to mold and shape my character and Kibidula has truly been my crucible. I have not been through a more emotionally and spiritually exhausting time in my life. I know that many of the results are yet to be seen in years to come, but I praise God for the things He has managed to smooth out thus far. I know, and the Word declares that there is no one that is good, no not one, save the Father...and that the heart of man is desperately wicked and that our ways are naturally inclined to sin....but the same Word also says that there is a price that has been paid for me, worth more than gold, a ransom for my soul...and that "He who has begun a good work in me will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" Philippians 1:6

It is with this state of mind that I will be leaving Kibidula in a few weeks, completing nearly one year of service as a student missionary. I have applied to go and study Medical Evangelism at the Wildwood College of Health Evangelism in Georgia, USA. I have been accepted and God is opening doors to make it financially possible. Just as God trained Moses, He has been training me.  He wants to continue to do so; that I may be more effective in leading others to Him, to shine brighter...and also...that I may come to know Him better. This is what God has impressed upon my heart...that I must go and study, but as it is written;  “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

If you are reading this, I ask that you pray with me. Pray that God’s will may be done in my life. I have no wisdom of my own and I do not want to leave Kibidula if it is not in the Father’s will that I do so. However, the little doubt that I have is slowly melting away as I see His hand move in the situation. I am praying that God will grant me the last $2000 that I need to pay for my Visa, kit, books, and plane ticket. In His unfailing love and mercy, God has arranged that my tuition fees will be taken care of... 

"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us; And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." 1 John 5:14-15

I thank God for this wonderful promise.

That’s it for now...

Love

ryno

Hop on the Beer wagon...

 

 

It’s 9:00 AM and I have just missed the bus I was supposed to take to Dar. I want to get there as soon as possible, change my flight arrangements and get home to see my Mom. It’s not the best feeling in the world to be thousands of miles away from the one person that you love more than life itself. She tried to phone me…I listened to her voice fading away as she whispered that she misses me and loves me. Both of her lungs partially collapsed. She is in ICU. I wish I was there already.

 

I got on my bus just after 9:00. I had missed the bus to Dar, so I took one to Morogoro instead. There was a mix-up with bookings, so I ended up having to stand for the entire duration of the trip. I had a heavy backpack on my back. The bus was so crowded that my feet were shoved together…like a soldier standing at attention. The bus was speeding over bumps, making it even harder to keep my balance. I reached Morogoro at 4:00 PM. My legs were burning. The bus ended up going to Dodoma, so they dropped me off 2 km from the bus terminal. I had my backpack and my duffel bag (big enough to fit an adult in it)…all weighing about 40kg. I made my way to the bus terminal, just in time to get a shabby bus to Dar. I sat down for the first time in nearly 8 hours. Bliss!

 

The lady that sat next to me took up more than her share of room on the bus. This included half of the isle and half of my seat. This didn’t bother me until she fell asleep, resting her colossal body on my bony shoulder. I have never been squished against a wall and forced to look out a window before…but I have to say that I enjoyed the scenery. By 8:00 PM we were still a few hours from Dar. There was a huge accident and a truck blocked the road. Small vehicles and motorcycles where zipping by. The rest of us were stuck. I sat there for about an hour and then I decided to be brave/stupid (not sure which). I got off the bus, got my buffalo-sized bag out of the cargo compartment…and I walked. I had no idea how far I still had to go. I walked for nearly an hour…dragging my luggage through the chaotic mess of police, trucks, busses, and severely irritated pedestrians.

 

As I was walking, I heard a man laughing. “Pole mzungu!” – sorry white man! I looked around and saw a bright yellow motorcycle with a carrier on the back. I might have been delirious at this point, but I immediately thought NY taxi cab! It was a bright yellow Kilimanjaro Lager delivery bike. Struggling to be polite, I asked him to stop laughing and offered him 20,000 shillings (R100) to take me to Dar. It was all the money I had left in my wallet. His sneering remarks instantly changed to “please, make yourself comfortable”. I tried to no avail. I sat on the steel bed of the carrier, covered with a tarp that smelled like beer, hiding from the police. I wasn’t supposed to be in there, but I could care less. I didn’t have to walk anymore! We traveled at a snail pace for nearly 3 hours until we were free from the traffic jam. After that it was another hour’s drive to Dar.

 

I arrived in Dar a few minutes after midnight. Bill and Nanette were in Dar already. They arrived this morning with the three Czech girls. They booked a room for me at the same hotel. I fell face first on the bed…thanked God for keeping me safe and fell asleep. 15 hours on the road, hiking, no food…it was a day that I want to forget as soon as possible. It ended on a happy note though. I got up at 2:30 AM to take the girls to the airport. We shared our last smiles and laughs. I will miss them…

 

I really need to sleep now…

 

Love

 

ryno

"Chicken Public"...

I went down to Dar a few weeks ago. Bill and I had to pick up a group of SM’s (Student Missionaries) from the Czech Republic. Hanka, Ratka, and Zuzka (Zuzi) had volunteered to come and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Tanzania. We hosted evangelistic meetings in the remote village of Madibira. The Czech girls each had their own site and translator and they were preaching and presenting Jesus for 17 nights…consecutively. Many tears of frustration were shed, many challenges faced, and by the grace of God…many obstacles were overcome. It was all worth it though… 47 Tanzanians accepted Jesus as their Savior. Many of us were in tears when we watched as they were baptized in the muddy river water. I thought that the muddy water was quite fitting. Jesus saves us from the mire…from our filthy sins. As they were baptized, one by one, Jesus was cleansing them of all unrighteousness…washing away all the “mud” from their lives. It was beautiful to behold.

 

I also gained something from the experience…3 loving friends. I have been teased about this many times already, and I am sure that I have not yet heard the end of it…but I really enjoyed Zuzka’s company. I won’t try and deny the fact that it was quite pleasant having a beautiful 20 year old, blue-eyed blonde girl around…but it was her heart that interested me.  We spent much time together in prayer, discussing God and how He leads us, how He loves us…and how often we do so little to return that love. I would go so far as to say that I have never met a more tender hearted person than Zuzka Havlová. After 8 months of being the only person in their 20’s, it was such a blessing to have some young people around, sharing with each other and encouraging each other to be all we can be for Christ. Zuzka, Hanka, Ratka, and the rest of the team faithfully supported me and my family in prayer. My mom has been in ICU for quite a few days now. I am hoping to fly to South Africa within the next 48 hours.

 

 

From left to right: Me (restraining myself from hugging them like teddy bears), Zuzka, Ratka, and Hanka

 

 

This post is dedicated to the three Czech ladies that gave me all the hugs I needed to make up for the 8 months I was away from my mom. You girls kept a smile on my face when things were difficult. Zuzka…all the prayers and sms’s, the encouragement…Thank you J I hope to visit you all in “Chicken Public” one day…soon.

 

“Miluji tě”

 

ryno

In the meantime...

I have come to the sad realization that I am terrible when it comes to the business of “Blogging”. I don’t know if people even want to read this.  My Mom has some kind of “motherly blog-reading obligation” towards me…so she has no choice. This post might be a bit of a “novel” since I have been very quiet in recent weeks.

Many things have changed. The Fournier family has returned from furlough and my Kibidula Mom (Nanette) has returned from Canada after taking Joiya to school. It’s great to have her and the Fournier’s back, not to mention the fact that their return included dried papaya, dried cherries, tortilla chips, salsa, a tootsie roll pop…and a MASSIVE bag of MnM’s. My Kibidula family knows me all too well J

Lucas, the young man who was visiting me for a month, returned to Switzerland. He made a stop in Zanzibar before he left and he got robbed as he got off the ferry in Dar es Salaam. They took his backpack with his camera. I felt so sorry for him. The two of us had lots of fun though. He invited me to travel with him to the Ruaha National Park, offering to pay for the fuel. I would not have been able to afford it otherwise, so I really appreciated his offer. We saw some hippos, giraffe, crocs, and the usual overdose of impala and other critters. We saw no lions but had two close (and scary) encounters with elephants.

 

 

Closer than I would like to be...

 

The trip to the Park made me think about things. I was excited at the thought of seeing lions, maybe even lions making a “kill”. We often gaze upon scenes like that…and strange enough, we see what appears to be “the beauty of nature”…when in reality, it is the result of sin…death. God never intended for His creation to destroy itself. Death was not part of creation until sin entered this world. All things were in harmony. I longed to be in heaven as I watched a group of vultures stripping the remains off some bones…the lion’s previous victim.

 

 Isaiah 11:6  “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”  Isaiah 65:25  “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.”

 

I can’t imagine the peace and love that awaits us…

 

 

Now, back to Kibidula. I was sent to the Morogoro region to do some work for our One Day Church project (ODC). I had to take pictures and GPS coordinates of 20 churches that were built in the mountains and valleys surrounding the town of Morogoro. I spent several days on the road; some places might not even have qualified to be called “roads”. I slept at a church elder’s house in Morogoro while visiting the surrounding churches. As I moved further into the mountains I had to sleep over in villages. I was glad to find a “guest house” in one of the villages. Space was limited though and I had to share a bed with my guide, Kulu, an elder from that village. Tanzanians are not very hairy, so when I turned around in the middle of the night, sticking my beard into Kulu’s neck…he was a bit surprised to say the least. I replied by mumbling: “beard…sorry” and went back to sleep. We got up before sunrise, boarded another taxi, travelled several hours and then hired another motorcycle that would take us further into the mountains. This particular motorcycle had more metal than seat covering, and my buttocks were already bruised (no…really) from the previous day’s travels. I found myself appreciating the hidings I got as a child: My parents lovingly conditioned my rear end for spreading the Gospel…what a joy! I returned to Kibidula 5 days later…still wearing the same clothes that I left with and wasting no time to start a fire. A hot shower was top priority!

 

 

 

 

I have started to teach at the Agricultural school. I have a class of 30 students, ages ranging from 14 to 21. It is quite challenging, but I am enjoying it. Please pray for me. I have no idea what I am doing and I am really depending on God to lead me in this. I want these kids to have a better chance in life and most of all; I want to give them an opportunity to know Christ. I have also been presenting a Computer Literacy course for the primary school teachers. I find this much easier than my other class and I am really having fun with the teachers. This helped me to appreciate the privileges of having a computer and how much easier it makes my life. Think about that for a moment. It is such a joy to share knowledge and see how it changes lives!

 

Our Swahili teacher has finally arrived. He will be staying at Kibidula for the next three months, teaching all the missionaries, including the children, how to speak Swahili. Classes are pretty expensive and I have no idea how I am going to pay for them yet, but I honestly couldn’t care less. God sent me here to work for Him. In order for me to be more efficient, I need to learn the language…which ultimately places the responsibility of paying for the classes on God. My share of the classes, 6 hours per week, works out to around 24,000 shillings per month. To give you some perspective on the matter…my monthly stipend is 135,000 per month. God has been faithful in providing me with some extra money where needed. I picked up 18,000 shillings when I went walking (not very common), and Lucas left me a nice letter and 50 dollars when he left! Come to think of it…that should cover my Swahili classes! Isn’t God faithful?

 

Well…that’s about it J

 

Love

 

ryno

 

 

 

 

He knows me...

If you know me, you will know that I love to be around people. You will know that I love to talk and that I love to help. I am so glad that Jesus knows me...

A few weeks ago I found that I was running out of work in the office. Work would be slow to come in and I found myself becoming more and more frustrated. “I want to work with people, not paper” I said as I silently prayed in my heart. Mrs. Temboh was still on furlough and I was alone in the office. My best Kibidula friend, Joiya, was about to leave for Canada and I hated the thought of the loneliness that awaited me...as if it wasn’t bad enough already...but God knows me!

It had been less than a week after Joiya left when Jean-Luc walked into my office and announced that a young French-Swiss man would be visiting Kibidula for a month. Jean-Luc asked if it would be okay if he would at my house, to which I gave a reluctant “yes”. I was longing for the company of a fellow youth, but I also enjoy my privacy. I’m one of those “I don’t like it when you squeeze the toothpaste at the front end of the tube” kind of guys...you know, those kinds of things. I prayed about it and Lucas arrived a few days later. He is 24 years old and very friendly. He is quite reserved, but always willing to help. I enjoy the company and I find myself to be happier in my work and in my heart. To make things even better...Lucas brought me 300grams of Swiss chocolate as a gift! “This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” I thought as he pulled the massive bar of Lindt chocolate out of his luggage...haha!

God has provided me with a friend, and I have also been asked to teach English to the students at the agricultural school. Furthermore, Hanne-Lise (the head mistress of the primary school) has asked me to present a computer training course to the teachers at the primary school. When God answers a prayer He doesn’t play around...tell you what! I don’t mind working in the office, I find it quite enjoyable at times...but I needed some variety and good conversation. God has provided me with both in less than a week after I lain my problem His feet.

God knows us...our Creator knows us. He knows our spiritual, social, and physical needs. He tells us not to worry about tomorrow and He promises to provide for us. I can testify to that. Great is Thy faithfulness!

Love

ryno

Long Overdue...

After nearly four months in Tanzania, I have finally decided to start working on my blog. I have posted some photos of my house and what I have been up to. Internet connection is slow, so I won’t be posting too often. Here is a short summary of what life as a volunteer missionary has been like:

Tanzania seems to be filled with friendly people. There is a vast contrast in the overall “feel of things” when I think of all the racial tension in South Africa. I have not been experiencing any of those feelings here...not even a hint. I love it. The Tanzanians have welcomed me into their homes and I am always greeted with a friendly “Karibu” – literally meaning “come near” or “welcome”. 

I enjoy the peace and security here. We can leave the car unlocked at all times, even in town. The town that is nearest to Kibidula Farm is Mafinga. The open air market is filled with many stalls. People sell their fruit, vegetables, rice, and beans to try and earn a living. Some of the bigger stalls are draped with a variety of colourful wax print cloths. They are used to make congas (wrap around skirts), but as you will see on the photos...they serve as curtains in my house.  There is a little import store in town, Lydia’s. I can buy shampoo, toothpaste, and other necessities there. 

The dining room - complete with "conga curtiains"

"Old Faithful" - Great for making tons of pancakes!

I have grown to love the primitive lifestyle. I have a wood fire stove that also serves as a warm water heater. I prefer to cook on the stove, but due to time constraints I often have to make use of a little gas burner. Gas is very expensive though and refilling one bottle amounts to half of my monthly stipend. I wake up early in the mornings and I have found chopping fire wood to be quite therapeutic. The large Acacia forest behind my house is a perfect setting for personal worship. I have cut down some eucalyptus posts and erected a pull-up bar behind my house. Spending time with God and doing some physical exercise has helped me to fight the loneliness. There are not many people of my age, none to be honest. There are Tanzanians, like my friend Victor, but our conversation is limited due to work and other perplexities. I have erred greatly in studying the Swahili language. I spend so much time in the office and working on other projects that I barely find time to do language studies.

My "backyard forest" - I built a cosy bonfire spot for the missionary kids. We have campfires and we make snakebread...yum!

I have had the privilege of being able to help build a church. It was shortly after my arrival in April and it just so happened to be my birthday. What a blessing! The person in charge of the One Day Church project is Bill Ross. He is from the States and has been living in Tanzania for several years. Bill is married to Nanette (whom I now call “mom”)and they have four beautiful children. The Ross family has adopted me as their eldest son and big brother. They have been a source of love, advice, and laughter over the past few months and God has blessed me tremendously by making them a part of my life. They have faced many of the trials I am facing now and having them around has made things significantly easier.

A church we built in a beutiful village in the mountains

An old Lutheran church in the same village

My work as Administrative Secretary has many challenges. It is similar to the work I had been involved in before I left South Africa, but it gives me more joy. Apart from all the frustrations, I gain a sense of fulfilment from it. I know it serves a greater purpose and that it is helping to spread the Gospel message. Those of you who know me will know that I prefer to work with people as opposed to paper, but I am beginning to see that this is something I need to do. God uses uncomfortable, difficult situations to shape our characters after the likeness of Christ. If we choose to trust Him and persevere...we will reap a sure reward.

"Church with a view" - The people are always happy when they can be provided with a place to worship together.

Well there it is...my first post. Hope I didn’t bore or disappoint. I ask that you keep me in your prayers. There are many challenges here...more than I have faced before, but God is faithful and I can truly say that it is a joy to serve Him.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials; knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience; but let patience have its perfect work in you, that you may be complete and entire...lacking nothing”-James 1:2-4

Love

ryno