“...and I count all things but loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may gain Christ.” - Philippians 3:8
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Hop on the Beer wagon...
"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.
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
Thursday, August 9, 2012
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
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
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.
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
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