Ministry Update

It is so encouraging to see the change of heart in my kids. When Mesiaki first came to my class he had a heart of stone. He had a tough, bitter, angery kind of heart and was very standoffish. Now He gives me hugs at the end of each day and is very active in class. A lot of kids come and give me a hug but then run a way laughing nervously, I’m ok with this though I love it. But Mesiaki gives me a big long hug and pats my back as if to say “I love you thank you so much for loving me!” This morning one of my girls Marietha saw me and ran up with a huge smile and arms wide open to give me a hug. I was so full of joy that I started to laugh. It made me think that this must be how God feels about us. When we realize that we haven’t spent time with Him and then come running instead of feeling guilty and hiding, or when we come to Him nervously and cover our faces but approach Him none the less. I can see Him laughing not because we are funny, but because He is so full of joy that His loved child is coming and He sees growth.

Last week was a huge spiritual battle. I felt like crying a lot of the time, and many things happened that were out of my control. I felt like I had a weight on my heart and I was unable to shake it. On Tuesday I was asked to preach for our staff Sunday outreach. When asked I had a mix of emotions. First I was honored and excited, then I became nervous and didn’t want to do it. All that week I had been struggling with patients and love and so I felt even more as though I was the wrong person to be giving the word of God. I ended up preaching on the power of a name. I talked about God calling you by your name and the power of Jesus’ name. God was faithful and moved on many hearts. This one girl gave a testimony with tears in her eyes. She said that she knew God knew us all but this was the first time for her to hear that God knows her. That God is a personal God and knows her by her name, not just the church as a whole but her as Neema. Praise the Lord! The week of struggle was well worth it!

In my class we have been talking about following Jesus, what that looks like and what it means. So last Thursday I asked if anyone wanted to follow Jesus and three of my students raised their hands with such joy on their faces. The following day I was talking about Jesus calling His disciples. I really focused on Mathew and how He was a tax collector but Jesus didn’t see a bad man, instead He saw a person who would love and follow Him to the end. I explained how much Jesus loves each one of us and it doesn’t matter what we do, His love will never change. I then asked if anyone else wants to follow Jesus and the rest of my class raised their hands, even the toughest and hardest of my students. There was one student who was absent those two days but I can now say that because of God’s Spirit moving on the hearts of these kids 17 out of 18 students in my class now know Jesus. How amazing is that!!!

Please be praying for protection and peace. There has been a war going on for almost a month now. The Massi in Arusha specifically Mt. Meru are cutting of the water supply from the Massi in Engikaret. They are doing this because the Engikaret Massi are not letting the others graze in their lands. They have talked things through and the problem seemed to be solved. There was water coming and everything but then the water supply was cut again. What was happening was the Massi at Mt. Meru were saying sorry and then turning on the water letting the Engikaret Massi see, but then once the Engikaret Massi left the closed it again. A couple days ago hundreds of Massi came together and are now standing with the Engikaret Massi wanting to fight. I’m not sure where they would fight, but I drive from Arusha to Engikaret every Monday and Friday. The Government officials were called and now there are many solders caring guns and gas bombs at the border. I’m not sure if the Massi are going to fight now that the Government has stepped in but if they do there will be a great bloodshed. In the Massi culture when people are called to war all men must go. If you refuse you are beaten, so you have no choice. This war will kill many; it is a die or surrender kind of war and I don’t want to see it get that far. It is strange being so close to a war. God please, we need your peace!