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Recent Pictures – November

Monday, December 7th, 2009
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“He’s the Creator of all you can see or imagine!”

Monday, November 16th, 2009
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In October, my boss, Jeremy Feser, was published in Collide Magazine for his article titled, Opening Africa’s Creative Space.

“Picture this: You’re standing in one of the most remote corners of Tanzania, East Africa, in a place called O’lerumo. Around you are a few bomas (collections of huts). You’re in a Maasai village comprising maybe 200 people, living more or less in a dozen family groupings. There are no cars here. There are no wells here. There is no electricity here. There is no one here with more than a high school education, and even those who have finished elementary school are in the slim minority. You’re standing in a circle of a dozen people under a thorn tree, praying, and you’re feeling like for the first time you really understand just how nearby God is. Then a cellphone rings and a dozen Maasai reach into their shukas and pull out their phones—some of them have three—and someone apologizes and takes the call. It’s in that moment you’re reminded that the difference between “here” and “there” is not as big as it used to be….”

To finish reading this article please follow this link to the Collide website:
http://www.collidemagazine.com/article/265/opening-africas-creative-space

East African Travel

Friday, October 16th, 2009
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Even though I am technically a resident of Tanzania, I feel like I have spent just as much time at home in Tengeru as I have outside of Tanzania traveling in neighboring countries. I have spent over a month in Kenya, and by the beginning of December I will have spent just as much time in Uganda.

My most recent trip to Uganda involved a 18 hour bus ride overnight, two border crossings, and a traveling salesman. I had never been to Uganda till a few weeks ago and I enjoyed every bit of the adventure into unknown territory. The 18 hour trip was tiresome but the lovely green Ugandan country side and random herbalist salesman added much enjoyment to the trip.

Uganda is a beautiful country, similar to what I am used to in Tanzania, but significantly greener. English is a major language at least in Kampala, the city I stayed in, so communication was very easy. Except when I would, out of habit, start speaking to someone in Swahili, forgetting that they don’t speak Swahili there.

I enjoyed many things about Kampala. One, was the great relationship that was formed with a lovely couple, Nick and Vanessa. My leader, Sig, had been corresponding with Nick since our tour in Nairobi and we are seeing God knit our hearts together with them in regards to some of the pastoral literature and training that we distribute through Pamoja. There is a large Congolese community in Kampala and many of them don’t have good training materials or pastoral resources in a language they understand well. So it has been really good to connect with Nick and through him connect the Shepherds Staff, in French, with these church leaders. The reports that we have gotten back have been amazing. One woman cried when she received the book and told Vanessa’s mom that she had been praying for this book for 9 years and that God had brought it to her door. Praise God! The Shepherds Staff is provided for free by World MAP to anyone who teaches/preaches to more than 20 people weekly. Nick and Vanessa were very kind to have me to their home for a meal and fellowship. We had a great time sharing about the things God is laying on our hearts and getting excited about the things that we can see God doing through this new relationship between us. Vanessa is Congolese and gave me a fun language lesson on some of the differences between Congolese Swahili and the Swahili in Tanzania. Since half of the Sowers Group are Congolese I was able to come back home and randomly insert some Congolese Swahili into our conversation. They definitely were shocked that I knew some of their Swahili. Very fun!

Another thing that I enjoyed were these fabulous little motorbike taxis, called bodaboda’s. They were a very cheap and fun way to get around town. Because of the large number of these little taxis the traffic is very aware of their presence, making it a fairly safe mode of transportation. This is definitely not something that I would consider in Arusha where there is absolutely no concern for motorbikes from the rest of the road traffic.  In Kampala, I would leave my guest house in the morning, walk to the road, grab a passing bodaboda, tell him where I was going (usually someplace in town), haggle about the price and go. It cost roughly $1 to get from where I was staying just outside of the city into downtown. Not bad! The day I was leaving to catch my bus back to Tanzania, I strapped my one suitcase to the back of the bike and held my duffle on my lap and rode to town that way. Love it!

More to come!

Sowers Music Video – Stop

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
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Cheza!(dance) pictures

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
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The Sowers Group – World Hope Tour – Kenya

Meet Mike and Christelle – Mike, lead guitar and vocals, head honcho;
Christelle, vocals and Mike’s wife

Meet Oswald – Lead vocals and Mike’s older brother

Meet Kosto – Acoustic guitar and vocals, childhood friend of Mike and Oswald, cheeky

Meet Felis – drummer, comedian, and my Congolese twin of only 9 days separation

Meet Kelvin – Bass guitar, Tanzanian representative

Doing what they do best!

Pamoja Ministries Marketing and Distribution Manager – ME!

Do I love my job????

enjoying the show with daniel, a student at Sunshine School

enjoying some downtime at Java House – does coffee make you smile???

Just a small sampling of our two weeks in Kenya. Pamoja Ministries and The Sowers Group will be continuing the World Hope Tour in Arusha and Moshi over this next month, along with Uganda and Dar es Salaam on the horizon. Please be praying for this continued ministry of Hope and for continued formation of good relationship.

And ‘Yes’ I do love my job!