Tanzania 2009

Kid's Club and Tammy

2009-05-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

What a blessing the last three days have been. We held a three-day event called Kid's Club at the Mission House. In the States we call it VBS. Each day we had an average of 140 to 150 kids, ranging from the age of 2 through 19. New kids came each day.

These kids are so hungry to hear the Word and to receive the Lord; even with the challenges they face, they are full of joy.

We received so many different responses from the kids in the village about us Wazungu's (meaning white people. Some are so scared of us because they have never seen a white person so they would cry and run from us, but some are so fascinated they want to touch you and hug you, hold your hand and follow you all around. It was so funny, some of the girls kept wanting to touch my hair.

Harold and Coni have done an excellent job discipling a group of Youth nationals (meaning Tanzanians) to step in to leadership and to run the Kid's club on their own and to disciple other kids on their own but not by themselves, they receive continual discipling from Harold and Coni.

There is currently a team of college students from the "William Jessup University" here doing missions as well. So between the Kid's Club leaders and the WJU students they put together and ran the daily programming of the Kid's Club activities. I did not have to do much except sit in on their planning and throw a few ideas out to them and they would take the idea and make it their own and run with it. It was so wonderful to watch the team work.

A daily program would consist of game time then praise and worship. Boy do the Tanzanian people know how to praise and dance for the Lord during worship. They then would do a different Bible story each day. Day 1 was told through a drama skit. Day 2was using puppets. Day 3 was using a flannel graph.

The most impactful part of the three days for me was when they were offered to accept Jesus into their lives and led through a prayer for salvation. All three days there were at least 20 new kids giving their lives to Christ. That experience alone was worth the whole trip for me. Praise God!!!

After the altar call the kids were encouraged to see a Kid's Club leader to let them know that they had made that choice for their first time. The leaders came at the end of the day with great reports of the kids coming to them.

The next step of the program the kids would break up into two different age groups and work on a memory verse and a craft. At the end of the program they would have to tell the kids it was time to leave because they did not want to leave.

After they would finally get the mission center cleared out, the Kid's Club leaders and the WJU students would huddle and review the day and then received a teaching from Jim on their first day of Kid's Club out of Jeremiah Chapter 1-6. To see their faces, they are so open to receive the Word of God.

God is truly working through "Hope of The Nations" to train up leaders to go out and spread God's word to their fellow Tanzanians.

I also got to experience the Kid's Club drama team. They travel to local churches and youth groups to do their performances. The one skit was awed over was called "King of Hearts"; I did video tape it so if anyone would like to see it please feel free to ask me.

Next week the Kid's Club will be doing outreach in Kamala. The WJU students will be living out in Kamala in tents all week doing the program out there. If you ever want to experience just a little of what it may have been like to live in the Bible days come to Kigoma and live for a while. There is no power 95% of the time; some of the people have no power or water. No grocery stores at all. You shop on the street at road side stands. You want fish or chicken for dinner they go catch it, unless you can find it at the street market. They cook outside here over an open fire as well as a one-burner kerosene burner.

This whole mission trip has not only been a blessing to my Spirit, but has brought an awareness of how good of a tangible lifestyle I live but miss the mark on simplicity.

Community Education in Kamala

2009-05-27T11:10:00.001-07:00

I (Janet) would like to tell you - especially the gang at AHC – about the amazing community education that is taking place at the Kamala Training Center. God is showing His amazing love for the people of Kamala through the ministry of Hope of the Nations.

The center has an great preschool that ministers to the poorest of the poor. The children are educated in Swahili, English, Math, Science, Art and Music. Many of the beautiful faces in these pictures do not have parents or a home. They are the most vulnerable children of Kamala. They sleep wherever they can find shelter, and for many, the snack of Chai tea and Mandazi is the only food they will eat for the day. But God loves them and he has not forgotten them. He has sent Winnie (the head teacher), Lucy, Happiness and Rashidi(pictured) to love and teach them so they can have a brighter tomorrow.

The training center also has classes in sewing, jewelry making and baking. The sewing Mama’s (as they are called) pictured here, have learned to sew and can come to the center at any time and work on projects to sell. For many of them this is the sole source of income for their family. The mama’s are also working on quilts that tell the entire story of the bible. They already have orders for 15 quilts. Pictured here are some of the mama’s with the squares they have already completed. One of the girls is an orphan who had never sewed before and she now has a way to provide for her needs.

Jewelry making has also provided a new source of income for the community. The couple
pictured here are a husband and wife team that make jewelry together. Before making
jewelry, this mama sold homemade brew (alcohol) to earn money for the family.
Not only has jewelry making provided a new way to earn money but also new life for her marriage as she and her husband work together, thanking God for His love and
provision for their lives.

At the baking school, men and women are learning to bake bread and cakes to sell. The oven pictured here has many shelves and is heated by charcoal. Over 200 little cakes were baked for our women’s seminar.

The Kamala training center has become one of my favorite places to be at here in Tanzania. The handprint of God is all over it. In Luke 17:21 Jesus says this about the Kingdom of God, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘here it is or there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you”. The Kamala training center is the result of the Kingdom leaking out of people who carry the life-giving love and power of Jesus Christ inside of them. When we live to release the Kingdom within us – communities are transformed!!

On another happy note – the rest of our team has safely arrived. Jim Hansen (my brother), Tammy Stone, and Brooke Miller have joined us here in Kigoma and we are very thankful for their safe arrival.

Women's Seminar

2009-05-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord for electricity! We've been out of power since our last post, so we're thankful to be able to get online again and share with you.

The Women's Seminar was so much fun and we were able to minister to more than 150 women. It began on Friday afternoon, with worship, skits by the Kid's Club Leaders, then Bible teaching from two of the Hope of the Nations staff. Pictured below is the women worshipping. The women love to dance and sing to God, it is so much fun!!

Saturday morning began with worship again, another skit and then I (Julie) began teaching on the book of Esther. Overcoming fear and trusting God was the main theme. Just as the king offering his scepter to Esther represented life, Jesus offers us life through his cross. Each women received a cross pin as a reminder that life is found in Jesus.

I (Janet) taught on how valuable we are to God, using the parable of the lost coin and the lost sheep. I stressed how we need to see ourselves and others as God sees us and treat one another as a person of value. At the end of the talk the women stood and made a decision to live like a person who is valuable and loved. I gave each one of them a penny to remind them that God values each person like He values His son.

It was an exciting 2 days! We saw over 30 decisions for Christ made! Here is a picture of Julie and I with the women - can you find us!!!

Sunset in Kigoma

2009-05-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

It's saturday morning here and we're getting ready to head out for Day 2 of the Women's seminar in Kamala. We'll write another blog when it's over and share stories from that.

Right now, when you wake up in the morning back in America, we want you to enjoy a little bit of African sunset. Isn't our Creator majestic? There is beauty everywhere we look and here's just a little taste of ours.

We know you are praying for us -- thank you so much! We love you.

Janet & Scott & Julie

Take a Walk With Us!

2009-05-21T02:06:00.000-07:00

Julie and I (Janet) would like to take you on a walk through the village of Kamala. We set out from the Kamala Training Center and walked through a new section we had not been to before. This region is probably the poorest part of town. We talked with people on the road and prayed for people at their homes when they would allow us.

We always seem to cause quite a stir - Coni is really the only white person whoever goes to this part of town. People stare and laugh and unfortunately some of the children burst into tears at the sight of us. But after we say hello in Swahili we are welcomed with a smile. I was able to hold a beautiful baby and as I was caressing her little head her mother was checking out my head. Julie always ends up with a train of children holding on to her - must be the grandma in her leaking out.

Our purpose was to invite the mamas to the women's seminar on Friday and Saturday. They all seemed excited to come especially since there will be food and soda - which is like champagne to them. Many will come to be fed physically since they don't have very much food, but we are so excited to be able to feed them on the love of Jesus.

We met some very interesting people on our walk like this woman who was stripping leaves to make a broom. She was so sweet and allowed us to take a picture with her. We also met a man who makes mats and after much negotiation he also allowed us a picture on the condition that Coni will bring him a copy of his own.

We also had the pleasure of participating in the making of palm oil. Palm oil is the oil they use to cook their food. He was very excited to show us how it was done so he set up the device so we could see and experience firsthand how it is done. They first boil the palm nuts and when they are soft they put it in a big grinding wheel that you push like an ox to squeeze the oil out. It is very hard work and we only pushed for a short amount of time but we were great entertainment for the people and children looking on. Because everything is so primitive here the people have to work very hard to provide for themselves. I will never take another bottle of Wesson for granted again.

These are such beautiful people and we had such a great time interacting with them, but it also can be very heart-wrenching at times. It's hard to see a woman lying in the dirt outside her home, sick with malaria with her toddler sitting beside her. We were able to pray for her and sit and love her for a little while. We also saw children with swollen bellies because of worms. We came upon ths one little guy who was crying and hungry and as Coni bent down to comfort him I prayed that God would provide bread for him today. Just as I finished praying a piece of biscuit fell out of Julie's purse. Julie then remembered that she had a few biscuits in her purse so she gave the little boy one to eat. God is good!

We are very thankful for your prayers on our behalf and ask that you also lift up the people of Kamala.

Kamala Village

2009-05-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

We are spending quite a bit of time in Kamala in preparation for the upcoming 2-day women's seminar. For those who have read the latest blog on the Hope of the Nations website, you will remember reading about Mamma Rachel and her new baby Anna who is blind with cataracts and may have some other issues, too. Today we were able to bring her the good news that she and Anna would be able to travel to Dar Es Salaam and receive treatment at a hospital there. Please pray that they will be able to correct Anna's blindness and diagnose any other issues. We also spent time praying for healing and spiritual deliverance. There are many people dealing with sickness in Kamala now, so please lift them up during this high malaria season.

As a "treat", we purchased these boiled sweet potatoes from a lady on the road. They are boiled in palm oil and then people walk by and purchase them, wrapped in a sheet torn from a magazine!

One thing we all agree on -- the children are beautiful. They start out shy and don't come to close, but soon are overcome with curiosity. They nestle in close, grabbing on your fingers, jumping in your arms, and when it's time to leave, they hate to let you go.

One final picture to close out the day -- here's Julie doing her best to be a good African mama. How's this for balance.

For those of you who have been praying that we will sleep well at night, I am happy to report that we have been getting a good nights rest! KEEP IT UP! DO NOT STOP PRAYING!

We Have Arrived!!

2009-05-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

After two days of travel we have safely arrived in Kigoma. We touched down just after a huge rain storm and discovered the red mud of Africa. Harold and Coni took us to dinner at a hotel overlooking the lake. We've included a picture of the zebras that live on the hotel grounds.

Today was the first day of school. Scott is learning how to work with a translator but it seemed to go very well. We are all very excited to see what God has planned over the next three weeks.

Janet went with Coni and Julie to the village of Kamala. Julie got to reconnect with old friends she had made on previous trips and Janet was introduced to some new ones. After lunch the ladies spent time preparing for the women's conferences that will take place this week and next. Tomorrow they will be prayer walking Kamala and handing out flyers for the conference. Please pray for the mamas of Kamala - that their hearts will be open to God's love and that the bondage they've been living under for so long will be broken.

Preparing to Go -- 2 more weeks

2009-05-01T03:31:00.000-07:00

It's now exactly 2 weeks until we (Jim & Julie Hansen and Scott & Janet McGee and Tammy Stone) leave for Africa for a mission trip to work with Hope of the Nations (http://www.hopeofthenationstz.org/)! Follow along on our journey to the town of Kigoma, on the western border of Tanzania, on Lake Tanganyika.

Scott Janet and Julie are heading out on Friday, May 15th, from San Francisco and will arrive in Dar Es Salaam on Sunday morning, May 17th, and then catch an in-country flight over to Kigoma. Jim and Tammy will fly out the following Friday, May 22nd. This is the first trip for Scott & Janet and Tammy, Jim's 3rd trip and my 4th trip. Scott will be teaching at the Bible College for a 3-week session on the book of Isaiah, while the rest of us join in on teaching, seminars, kid's clubs and much more.

We will try to update as often as we can while we're in Kigoma, but that will depend on the electricity, which is sporadic.

If you'd like to join our prayer team, please let us know by adding a comment. We can never have too much prayer!

Because of Him, JJJ&S