TIM'S BlOG
March 29, 2011:
Later this afternoon Evan Pyle and I will depart for Tanzania. It feels a bit strange to be leaving home so soon after my last mission. My body has barely had time to readjust to Louisiana time since I returned from the UK two weeks ago. But we are certain that the scheduling of this mission is correct. And once again, I write to you to request that your prayers accompany us throughout this mission, to the end that you will be with us, if not in body than in spirit.
About four months have passed since our November mission and the dramatic encounter I had with the Lord concerning my calling to work with the Maasai. Upon our return home, Evan and I had several discussions about our work in Tanzania, and what we could do to build upon our past successes. Those discussions prompted us to write this letter to the elders of the village:
In Acts chapter 10, God spoke to Cornelius in a vision, telling him, “And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname in Peter” (Acts 10:5). The next morning, Cornelius sent three men to Joppa to meet Peter. God told Cornelius that Peter “shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do” (verse 6).
The very same morning, God gave Peter a wonderful but very mysterious vision. Peter did not know it, but God was preparing Peter to bring the gospel to a people beyond the Jewish culture. When the vision was over, God told Peter, “ Three men seek thee… Go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them” (verse 19,20). Just at that moment, the servants of Cornelius arrived at his door!
Peter traveled to the house of Cornelius. The two men told each other of the visions that God had given them. Then Peter asked Cornelius directly, “I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?” (verse 29). In other words, Peter asked Cornelius, “Why did you send for me? What is your reason for bringing me here?”
WTWH has been coming to Madungulu since 2004. During that time I am certain that we ALL can say that we have learned much about God, ourselves and each other. Just like Peter and Cornelius, we were led by God to working together. Yet, we confess that, in all these years, we have not asked you the important question that Peter asked Cornelius.
So we ask: From your perspective, what is the purpose of our missions with you? What is your aim, your goal? How can we help to bring to pass Father Ngekee’s vision? What can we do for you that will help us reach that goal together?
We would like for the board of directors of ITO which includes elders from HIMWA and the women’s prayer group, to pray about this matter and discuss it together. Then, after we arrive in April, we would like to sit down with you and discuss our mission together. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will give us clear vision and a path to follow. We are confident that the Lord will lead us into the fulfillment of his will.
(ITO is Illasak Tenebo Oninye, "Workers Together With Him" in Maa. HIMWA is Huduma ya Injili na Maendeleo Kwa Wafugaji, a pastoralists’ organization founded to represent the Maasai in land issues with the Tanzanian government. HIMWA provides the legal covering for all of our missions among the Maasai, a very important requirement for this work.)
This meeting with the village elders is our primary reason for making this trip so soon after the November mission and we are very excited about what we will learn. But as always, we are also going to teach. With the help of Paulo Kurupashi as my interpreter, I will be presenting "The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ," and Evan has some wonderful teachings planned as well.
Once again, thank you for your prayers on our behalf, and for the well-being of our families while we are away from home. The success of these missions is very much a group effort, the greatest contribution always coming from people who work "behind the scenes." I look forward to telling you about this mission after we get home on 10 April.
At the same time Evan and I are in Tanzania, our co-worker from the International Church of Berne, Rev. David Mantock, will be teaching in Kenya. His mission runs from 2 to 9 April. Please keep David and his missionary team in your prayers as well!
Ashe naleng! Thank you very much!
Tim
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