We were out in service this morning with Paul and Donna at the craft market. The African people sell their wood carvings of animals and Masai people, along with paintings, bead work and many more things. Many of the Africans speak English so there are many studies held there. The other week a local priest came walking through the market asking everyone to come to the church. We found out later that they had sent him away, telling him that, ' Jehovah's Witnesses take good care of everyone' there and that they, ' teach the truth about the bible'. So a good witness is being given.
This morning we went to do a regular study but he wasn't there. We were just showing Donna and Paul a few of the shops there when a man approached Nate and asked for us to come with him to meet his mother. He is studying the bible and goes home after every study to tell his mother what he has learned, but she wanted her own study. We walked for 15 minutes then entered a labyrinth of mud houses, trying to remember for future visits how we got there! He led us into a corner gate and more mud rooms with a few banana trees in the garden. All the rooms are owned by his family. We went into a very small mud room and Donna and i immediately started the study. She had 6 children. One son, his wife and child, died of Aids, and another daughter was poisoned by a friend.
When we came out of the room Nate and Paul were sat in the garden studying with 5 more family and friends in the garden! They are so very poor but are so happy to study. The hope that the bible gives them is so important to them. After we came out the son thanked us so much for coming to study with his mother and said how happy she was. We feel so helpless when it comes to their present situation, but it's the best feeling you can experience sharing with them the hope Jehovah holds out. It reminds us that no matter we do that's the only thing that will bring them lasting benefit.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Life In Africa!
Well we have just passed our 2 month marker and life is becoming familiar. We enjoyed such a wonderful visit with Marni and Tiff. We had a week in between then Donna and Paul arrived yesterday and we are happy to have family here.
There have been a few weird and wonderful things happen since we last wrote. The wonderful of course being our ministry. We have a few studies that are making good progress. Justez, whom I wrote about earlier in the blog is still going through a hard time with his sister being so ill. On the other hand he is happy to have a beautiful baby girl. He text me a couple of weeks ago asking me to text verses from the bible that show we shouldn’t accept blood. We text back then he sent another requesting scriptures about idols. Afterwards he explained that he was going over what he had learned at the meeting with his girlfriend. Amiram is another study who is very humble and meek. He appreciates us studying with him so much. We have to travel for almost an hour to get to him on a Sunday. There isn’t a direct bus so it requires a lot of walking but he is well worth the effort. He came to his first meeting last week. We have also started a study this month with a man called Emanuel. He works in the craft market. We really enjoy our study with him as he really speaks from his heart. He has so much faith and trust in Jehovah, he just lacks knowledge. When we discussed the first chapter of the book where it talks about religion teaching that God is to blame for bad things, he said that people can only believe that if they don’t really know God.
Our brothers here also add to the ‘wonderful’ happenings in our life. It’s very dangerous for white people to be out at night here. We live 15 min’s walk from the kingdom hall. Marni, Nate and I were the only ones walking home a couple of weeks ago so a brother from our hall drove behind us shining his lights in the road so we were safe!
Nate had his first No.1 talk. He did a really good job. He has been assigned as a conductor for field service once a week, and often has parts on the meetings. The brothers are really using him and he is happy to help the congregation as well as in the ministry and gain the experience.
Now to the ‘WEIRD’!! We visited the snake farm while Marni and Tiff were here. It was here that we saw the famous black mamba and green mamba. They are very poisonous and live here in Arusha. On our way to the meeting for field service this morning we came upon one in the next street to where we live! It had been killed in the road. It did freak us out though as we walk this road everyday!
At Nate’s request I also have to sadly report that some of our dear friends have succumbed to round worm and larvae! All those who are a little squeamish should probably stop reading! Amoebas and worms are common here. They live inside and feed off what you eat and can be ingested in a number of ways. They are however treatable when found. One poor sister here was infected with larvae from fly’s that lay eggs on your clothes. If you have a cut on your skin and they get inside and form big infected boil like bumps. You can take anti-biotic or the other option is to soften the skin and squeeze them out! Mmmmm!!
On that note I will tell you all that we miss you and will be back soon with more news.
There have been a few weird and wonderful things happen since we last wrote. The wonderful of course being our ministry. We have a few studies that are making good progress. Justez, whom I wrote about earlier in the blog is still going through a hard time with his sister being so ill. On the other hand he is happy to have a beautiful baby girl. He text me a couple of weeks ago asking me to text verses from the bible that show we shouldn’t accept blood. We text back then he sent another requesting scriptures about idols. Afterwards he explained that he was going over what he had learned at the meeting with his girlfriend. Amiram is another study who is very humble and meek. He appreciates us studying with him so much. We have to travel for almost an hour to get to him on a Sunday. There isn’t a direct bus so it requires a lot of walking but he is well worth the effort. He came to his first meeting last week. We have also started a study this month with a man called Emanuel. He works in the craft market. We really enjoy our study with him as he really speaks from his heart. He has so much faith and trust in Jehovah, he just lacks knowledge. When we discussed the first chapter of the book where it talks about religion teaching that God is to blame for bad things, he said that people can only believe that if they don’t really know God.
Our brothers here also add to the ‘wonderful’ happenings in our life. It’s very dangerous for white people to be out at night here. We live 15 min’s walk from the kingdom hall. Marni, Nate and I were the only ones walking home a couple of weeks ago so a brother from our hall drove behind us shining his lights in the road so we were safe!
Nate had his first No.1 talk. He did a really good job. He has been assigned as a conductor for field service once a week, and often has parts on the meetings. The brothers are really using him and he is happy to help the congregation as well as in the ministry and gain the experience.
Now to the ‘WEIRD’!! We visited the snake farm while Marni and Tiff were here. It was here that we saw the famous black mamba and green mamba. They are very poisonous and live here in Arusha. On our way to the meeting for field service this morning we came upon one in the next street to where we live! It had been killed in the road. It did freak us out though as we walk this road everyday!
At Nate’s request I also have to sadly report that some of our dear friends have succumbed to round worm and larvae! All those who are a little squeamish should probably stop reading! Amoebas and worms are common here. They live inside and feed off what you eat and can be ingested in a number of ways. They are however treatable when found. One poor sister here was infected with larvae from fly’s that lay eggs on your clothes. If you have a cut on your skin and they get inside and form big infected boil like bumps. You can take anti-biotic or the other option is to soften the skin and squeeze them out! Mmmmm!!
On that note I will tell you all that we miss you and will be back soon with more news.
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