Good Bye to Theresa and her Boys

Well, I am giving something new a try. I found this on Word as a Blog post. I don't know how it works, but if it does work it will save me on cutting and pasting plus I hope going out and posting. We'll see.

Anyway, guess what I did today? Yes, I painted some more. We are just starting to put on the second coat of oil base paint on the window and door frames in the class rooms; next will come the café and then the mechanic/carpenter shops. Sounds exciting, huh? The second coat of primer is about complete with our last building and all the buildings really look nice. I think Janet is getting some white semi-gloss (washable) for the café and also for the classrooms. I think she may just leave the primer on the carpenter/mechanic shop, I am not sure. Word is that Jason suggested leaving it white wash because it is going to get dirty anyway; we'll see on that one also.

It is Thursday (6-3) and Theresa and her boys are going to be leaving Sunday so tomorrow they will probably get things all together for their trip back home. It has been good to have them here, especially since Janet has had to be gone these few weeks. Not sure when she will be back to stay longer than a couple days; hopefully this next week. Anyway, I have plenty of work to do, yes, painting.

When we came we were told that the rainy season was over. Wrooonnnggggg! We have had rain some part of the day on about 75-80 percent of the days since we have gotten here. It has been cold and miserable today. I am already tired of the rain.

Today is Monday and Theresa and her sons left yesterday. Janet came to pick them up. While she was here she received a phone call with some bad news. A young girl we knew at EVI drowned a couple days ago in the canal by EVI after going in to rescue her puppy that jumped in. Britney was only 22 years old. Her mother, Cindy, also works at EVI. Please pray for the family for the lost of a loved one. Britney worked on our farm and was a great help. She will be missed in a lot of ways. Cindy, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Janet has 8 more nights of meetings left in the evangelistic seminars that is going on at Kibidula and surrounding areas. She says she is hoping for about 25 baptisms out of one of the five churches involved in this series. There has been a great turnout of Non-Adventists showing up and hopefully more interests for baptism will result from the entire series. Anyway, the seed is planted and now the Holy Spirit can water. She is hoping to be home here in Mago come either Sunday or a couple of days after that and she is hoping to be bringing the fundis with her to start the construction we have to do here. We will see what develops.

I wanted to share something again that I read in the Great Controversy: "Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour's mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God. The precious hours, instead of being given to pleasure, to display, or to gain seeking, should be devoted to an earnest, prayerful study of the word of truth. The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days." {GC 488.2} Boy, did this talk to me. May we all examine ourselves to see if we are lacking in anything that we can do better. Awesome thought

That is all for now from Mago….

Deniece

Still Painting

Well we have been here for almost a month and I haven’t done much of anything but paint window and door frames. The buildings that we had built last year needing painting inside before classes can start down there. Janet has windows and doors ordered but in the mean time she needed the inside of the buildings painted. She has been busy coordinating evangelistic meetings for the conference near Kibidula, but before leaving she left primer for the walls and oil paint for the window and door frames making sure she left enough work for us since she was going to be gone for almost 3 weeks.

Theresa and I have been painting the window and door frames and her boys have been putting two coats of primer on the walls. We should finish by Thursday or Friday. This is a good thing for they will be leaving on Sunday to come back to America. Sure was good to have them here. Theresa taught health class to the girls in our sewing class and also touched on Basic English. There was a lot of questions and interest in both.

Nothing much else happening, just keeping busy and staying away from splinters.  Oh, Theresa and I also have painted Janet’s kitchen and Living room/dining room for her while she has been gone. She was here briefly and saw the kitchen but has yet to see the living room/dining room. The paint she got was a little different than what she wanted but it actually doesn’t look that bad. We’ll see when she comes on Sunday.

We still do not have indoor plumbing yet, but having the water right next to the house is a far cry better than hauling water from a distance away. Maybe when Janet comes to stay we might look into it.

I am reading the Great Controversy again and am on the chapters covering the midnight cry. This book always amazes me as to how accurate it is, but then again it shouldn’t for it came from the Lord who is all knowing. Something I had read earlier this week on p. 397 - "The spirit of error will lead us from the truth; and the Spirit of God will lead us into truth. But, say you, a man may be in an error, and think he has the truth. What then? We answer, The Spirit and word agree. If a man judges himself by the word of God, and finds a perfect harmony through the whole word, then he must believe he has the truth; but if he finds the spirit by which he is led does not harmonize with the whole tenor of God's law or Book, then let him walk carefully, lest he be caught in the snare of the devil."--The Advent Herald and Signs of the Times Reporter, vol. 8, No. 23 (Jan. 15, 1845). {GC 396.2} It is so important for us to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit and pray that we won’t believe a lie and also for us to be studying God’s Word ourselves so we will not be deceived into believing that we are right when we are wrong. This is my prayer for each one of us.

That is all for now from Mago, TZ Africa

Deniece