Ring Those Bells
We have been here in Mago for about a week now and Janet has had us painting, of course this was after a day of settling in. She (Janet) is anxious to get the sewing class down in their classroom for the class is more than twice the size as it was last year and is bursting at the seams (pardon the pun). We have eight of these girls staying here on campus and their little house is also quite crowded, so Janet is turning one of our classrooms into a dorm room until the girl’s dorm is completed. She is asking me to be the dean which is going to be a new experience – not necessarily deaning, but deaning to non English speaking girls. We will see how it works out.
A friend of ours, Sally Smith, who works at EVI in Colorado purchased and donated some (13 colored bells) for a kids bell choir here in Africa. Would you believe the first Sabbath in Mago we had special music with 4 of the village people playing them. It was so good to see. Samuel, one of the boys from TX plays bells at church back home and he was a great help in directing us, he also played with the village people that first Sabbath. We are going to let the Africans take it from here with some direction and I think they will do well. They seem to be enthusiastic about it. Theresa has been also teaching some English, health, and will be teaching cross stitch and embroidery to the girls while she is here.
The fundis which we had here last year is busy at Kibidula building an addition to a primary school and also they will be building a church; so they won’t be here until they finish with their work there. This is fine for we really do have plenty of work to do with the painting that needs to be done. Janet has the window glass and doors for the school on order and cushions for the sofas at her house on order. Things are shaping up.
Along with the painting of the school Theresa and I painted Janet’s kitchen. It is a peach color on two walls and a lighter peach color on the other two walls. The cook is back to cooking over an open fire until we are done. Janet wants the cupboards to be built before going back to cooking on the cook stove, so hopefully that will happen soon also, but she has said that the painting is priority.
The rainy season appears to be over, but we have had more clouds than sun since being here. We have had a few sprinkles but nothing more than a few minutes here and there. The days are warm when the sun is out – probably in the 70’s but when there are clouds maybe upper 50’s to low 60’s.
I am typing this on the 23th and hope to get it posted later today or tomorrow. Not sure how often I will be able to blog, but will be typing ahead of time so that I can copy and paste it into the blog so that I don’t take too much of the internet time.
Hope this finds everyone well and praising the Lord. There has been a song that keeps coming into my mind every day and I wish the promises it has in it for each one of you. I sing it daily, sometimes too often I think, but it is a promise from the Bible – Isaiah 41:10. I am sure we all know it and it promises of strength, help and the presents of God in our lives. This is my prayer for each one of you. Thank you for your prayers, God is good in sustaining us and teaching us to be content where He has us working.
Correction from last blog. Theresa’s two sons is Jarus and Samuel not Jarod and Samuel. Sorry!
That is it for now from Mago, Tanzania
Deniece
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Ring Those Bells
We have been here in Mago for about a week now and Janet has had us painting, of course this was after a day of settling in. She (Janet) is anxious to get the sewing class down in their classroom for the class is more than twice the size as it was last year and is bursting at the seams (pardon the pun). We have eight of these girls staying here on campus and their little house is also quite crowded, so Janet is turning one of our classrooms into a dorm room until the girl’s dorm is completed. She is asking me to be the dean which is going to be a new experience – not necessarily deaning, but deaning to non English speaking girls. We will see how it works out.
A friend of ours, Sally Smith, who works at EVI in Colorado purchased and donated some (13 colored bells) for a kids bell choir here in Africa. Would you believe the first Sabbath in Mago we had special music with 4 of the village people playing them. It was so good to see. Samuel, one of the boys from TX plays bells at church back home and he was a great help in directing us, he also played with the village people that first Sabbath. We are going to let the Africans take it from here with some direction and I think they will do well. They seem to be enthusiastic about it. Theresa has been also teaching some English, health, and will be teaching cross stitch and embroidery to the girls while she is here.
The fundis which we had here last year is busy at Kibidula building an addition to a primary school and also they will be building a church; so they won’t be here until they finish with their work there. This is fine for we really do have plenty of work to do with the painting that needs to be done. Janet has the window glass and doors for the school on order and cushions for the sofas at her house on order. Things are shaping up.
Along with the painting of the school Theresa and I painted Janet’s kitchen. It is a peach color on two walls and a lighter peach color on the other two walls. The cook is back to cooking over an open fire until we are done. Janet wants the cupboards to be built before going back to cooking on the cook stove, so hopefully that will happen soon also, but she has said that the painting is priority.
The rainy season appears to be over, but we have had more clouds than sun since being here. We have had a few sprinkles but nothing more than a few minutes here and there. The days are warm when the sun is out – probably in the 70’s but when there are clouds maybe upper 50’s to low 60’s.
I am typing this on the 23th and hope to get it posted later today or tomorrow. Not sure how often I will be able to blog, but will be typing ahead of time so that I can copy and paste it into the blog so that I don’t take too much of the internet time.
Hope this finds everyone well and praising the Lord. There has been a song that keeps coming into my mind every day and I wish the promises it has in it for each one of you. I sing it daily, sometimes too often I think, but it is a promise from the Bible – Isaiah 41:10. I am sure we all know it and it promises of strength, help and the presents of God in our lives. This is my prayer for each one of you. Thank you for your prayers, God is good in sustaining us and teaching us to be content where He has us working.
Correction from last blog. Theresa’s two sons is Jarus and Samuel not Jarod and Samuel. Sorry!
That is it for now from Mago, Tanzania
Deniece
We have been here in Mago for about a week now and Janet has had us painting, of course this was after a day of settling in. She (Janet) is anxious to get the sewing class down in their classroom for the class is more than twice the size as it was last year and is bursting at the seams (pardon the pun). We have eight of these girls staying here on campus and their little house is also quite crowded, so Janet is turning one of our classrooms into a dorm room until the girl’s dorm is completed. She is asking me to be the dean which is going to be a new experience – not necessarily deaning, but deaning to non English speaking girls. We will see how it works out.
A friend of ours, Sally Smith, who works at EVI in Colorado purchased and donated some (13 colored bells) for a kids bell choir here in Africa. Would you believe the first Sabbath in Mago we had special music with 4 of the village people playing them. It was so good to see. Samuel, one of the boys from TX plays bells at church back home and he was a great help in directing us, he also played with the village people that first Sabbath. We are going to let the Africans take it from here with some direction and I think they will do well. They seem to be enthusiastic about it. Theresa has been also teaching some English, health, and will be teaching cross stitch and embroidery to the girls while she is here.
The fundis which we had here last year is busy at Kibidula building an addition to a primary school and also they will be building a church; so they won’t be here until they finish with their work there. This is fine for we really do have plenty of work to do with the painting that needs to be done. Janet has the window glass and doors for the school on order and cushions for the sofas at her house on order. Things are shaping up.
Along with the painting of the school Theresa and I painted Janet’s kitchen. It is a peach color on two walls and a lighter peach color on the other two walls. The cook is back to cooking over an open fire until we are done. Janet wants the cupboards to be built before going back to cooking on the cook stove, so hopefully that will happen soon also, but she has said that the painting is priority.
The rainy season appears to be over, but we have had more clouds than sun since being here. We have had a few sprinkles but nothing more than a few minutes here and there. The days are warm when the sun is out – probably in the 70’s but when there are clouds maybe upper 50’s to low 60’s.
I am typing this on the 23th and hope to get it posted later today or tomorrow. Not sure how often I will be able to blog, but will be typing ahead of time so that I can copy and paste it into the blog so that I don’t take too much of the internet time.
Hope this finds everyone well and praising the Lord. There has been a song that keeps coming into my mind every day and I wish the promises it has in it for each one of you. I sing it daily, sometimes too often I think, but it is a promise from the Bible – Isaiah 41:10. I am sure we all know it and it promises of strength, help and the presents of God in our lives. This is my prayer for each one of you. Thank you for your prayers, God is good in sustaining us and teaching us to be content where He has us working.
Correction from last blog. Theresa’s two sons is Jarus and Samuel not Jarod and Samuel. Sorry!
That is it for now from Mago, Tanzania
Deniece
Friday, May 7, 2010
Africa At Last!
We (Theresa and her two sons, Jerod and Samuel) arrived this Friday morning at 7:00 in Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, Africa. God was merciful for safety on our travels. Janet was waiting for us. She arrived here yesterday and had to do some business on Friday after our pickup so we are staying through Saturday night at the YMCA in Dar. Right now we are in an internet cafe in Dar right next to the "Y" and I thought I might as well write a short blog being that I am here and I don't know when I will be able to get one posted once I get to Mago.
It is hot and humid in Dar today but should cool down some by evening. There was some flooding yet here in Dar so the rainy season has not ended yet.
Sunday morning we will catch the bus for Kibidula at 5:30 am. In Kibidula we will get Janet's truck and leave to go home shortly after that.
Again, I praise the Lord for His watch care and His love that He shines along our path to reasure us of His direction and guidance. May He show you too, the same for you as you look to Him daily.
Signing off for now in Dar,
Deniece
It is hot and humid in Dar today but should cool down some by evening. There was some flooding yet here in Dar so the rainy season has not ended yet.
Sunday morning we will catch the bus for Kibidula at 5:30 am. In Kibidula we will get Janet's truck and leave to go home shortly after that.
Again, I praise the Lord for His watch care and His love that He shines along our path to reasure us of His direction and guidance. May He show you too, the same for you as you look to Him daily.
Signing off for now in Dar,
Deniece
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Time Is Approaching
Well,t I have 10 days left before I leave for Africa. It seems like it took forever and yet it also seems it is here with no time to spare. I have finished the project of church pew ends that Janet had given me to do prior to her leaving in March for Africa. The container is here with some things loaded, but Frank is to take the "bull" by the horns and finish the job as complete as he can prior to return in July. (She is coming back for ASI and also to ship the container.) I am to meet up with a woman and her two sons in London and we will be traveling together to Dar Es Salaam. They are leaving Texas about the same time that I will be leaving Denver. Her and her sons will be working with us for about a month. We also have a couple and their two sons coming to stay at Mago with us in September when Janet comes back to Africa. I talked with him and he is familiar with the type of hydroelectric plant that we have to install - things are starting to look promising for us to get electricity this year, of course Lord willing, that is; and I can't figure out any reason why the Lord not to will it for us. It has been a long time coming.
Janet said she was going to start working on a staff house for them and hopefully it will be done or at least close to being done by the time they get there. I am sure there will be plenty for me to do to assist the completiong of the project.
I am looking forward to being used by the Lord while there. I have in the workings to teach English to the people over there (do I really know what I am doing? No! but thru Christ I can do all things!!); I am still going to be doing her finances and anything to everything else she needs me to do.
I hope this year will fair better than last as far as me being comfortable and at ease over there. Please keep us (Janet and I) in your prayers. Everyone needs to know that prayers are going up for them and I know that that is happening for us. The Lord has trials for each of us to chip away the much needed worldliness on our character and I think I am ready for this to happen in the way He deems best. I have the promise that He will not bring on me nothing that I can't handle with Jesus by my side. That was my strength last year and He will be my strength this year. I know He sent me to Africa last year and is leading me there this year. What else can I do but follow.
Back to packing at this end and work here at EVI. I am hoping to take off the last week of my stay here from EVI work schedule so that I can get all ready and not have to run around the last minute for things.
Seven and a half months seems like a long time but before I know it I will be rushing around there to get ready to come home in December.
That is all for now, not sure if I will have another one before leaving.
God bless all of you and may we be ready for what is coming upon us like a storm.
Signing off from EVI,
Deniece
Janet said she was going to start working on a staff house for them and hopefully it will be done or at least close to being done by the time they get there. I am sure there will be plenty for me to do to assist the completiong of the project.
I am looking forward to being used by the Lord while there. I have in the workings to teach English to the people over there (do I really know what I am doing? No! but thru Christ I can do all things!!); I am still going to be doing her finances and anything to everything else she needs me to do.
I hope this year will fair better than last as far as me being comfortable and at ease over there. Please keep us (Janet and I) in your prayers. Everyone needs to know that prayers are going up for them and I know that that is happening for us. The Lord has trials for each of us to chip away the much needed worldliness on our character and I think I am ready for this to happen in the way He deems best. I have the promise that He will not bring on me nothing that I can't handle with Jesus by my side. That was my strength last year and He will be my strength this year. I know He sent me to Africa last year and is leading me there this year. What else can I do but follow.
Back to packing at this end and work here at EVI. I am hoping to take off the last week of my stay here from EVI work schedule so that I can get all ready and not have to run around the last minute for things.
Seven and a half months seems like a long time but before I know it I will be rushing around there to get ready to come home in December.
That is all for now, not sure if I will have another one before leaving.
God bless all of you and may we be ready for what is coming upon us like a storm.
Signing off from EVI,
Deniece
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Back to Africa
Well, I have l month before I leave for Africa. Janet and Frank is there now and I think Frank is due back on April 8 and Janet may stay in Africa. She ordered a container before she left and it should arrive this week. She also purchased a new John Deer tractor with 4 implements to put in the container for us to use over there. The tractor will surely cut our work short, for sure. The EVI church had donated some of their church pews for us over there and they will be going into the container also, with a "few" other items that will be put in for us over there. I am making ends for the pews for we will be cutting them in half for our small church and so the ends will be used to cap off the cut end of the pew; and I am almost done with what I need to do with them here. I am going to meet up with a family at the London airport who Janet had made arrangments with before she left that will be coming with me to Africa and will stay and help for about a month. I think there will be the mother and two of her sons. I am thankful because I have not traveled overseas by myself before and sometimes, I fear, that it can be intimidating to go through customs and all. Anyway, I am looking forward to arriving and getting to work over there.
In my last blog someone made a comment that they wanted me to post pictures of Baraza and Mariam's baby "Isaiah". I can attach them now, but when I get over there I cannot for it takes up so much time and memory on dial up internet. So below are some pictures of Isaiah.
I will try and post at least one more blog before leaving, possibly two, depending on how busy I get between now and then.
Signing off from EVI, CO
Deniece
In my last blog someone made a comment that they wanted me to post pictures of Baraza and Mariam's baby "Isaiah". I can attach them now, but when I get over there I cannot for it takes up so much time and memory on dial up internet. So below are some pictures of Isaiah.
I will try and post at least one more blog before leaving, possibly two, depending on how busy I get between now and then.
Signing off from EVI, CO
Deniece
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sooner Than You Think
Well, I have been thinking of writing a new blog since we have been back from Africa, but for some reason kept putting it off. Sorry about that and so I will not postpone it any longer. May is coming around sooner than you think. Janet and Frank will be leaving in March for a tour of theInstitutes over there (Riverside, Kibidula and EVIFCM) with an ASI representative who is going to do articles on them. Janet is about convinced that she will be staying because she will only be here for 3 weeks before going back. She is thinking also of getting a container this year. We have quite a bit of large items that needs to go.
I will still be leaving in May, probably around the 5th and anticipate getting back to work quickly. Today, in fact in about 1/2 hour I will be having surgery again on my hand. If you remember last year I had gotten a splinter in my hand and Janet had operated also the Doctors at the hospital but neither could find the splinter. I still am getting infection in the area and there is something hard about an inch long that still brings pain upon rubbing up against it. I do not want to go to Africa without having it removed. So today is the day. The Doctor's here at EVI are going to do it. May the Lord guide their eyes and hands.
Anyway, now that I have started the blogs up again, hopefully I will continue at least every week or two. Thanks for hanging in there with us and my the Lord continue to bless you and EVIFCM.
Signing off here at EVI in CO
Deniece
I will still be leaving in May, probably around the 5th and anticipate getting back to work quickly. Today, in fact in about 1/2 hour I will be having surgery again on my hand. If you remember last year I had gotten a splinter in my hand and Janet had operated also the Doctors at the hospital but neither could find the splinter. I still am getting infection in the area and there is something hard about an inch long that still brings pain upon rubbing up against it. I do not want to go to Africa without having it removed. So today is the day. The Doctor's here at EVI are going to do it. May the Lord guide their eyes and hands.
Anyway, now that I have started the blogs up again, hopefully I will continue at least every week or two. Thanks for hanging in there with us and my the Lord continue to bless you and EVIFCM.
Signing off here at EVI in CO
Deniece
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
