At the crack of dawn we left Dar in a two car convoy, in the second car was the Kuykendall family (fellow team members with two kids).  Our first stop was for breakfast in Chalinze – hot, fresh chapattis (a thick, fried tortilla), chicken soup, chai and passion juice.

Along the way we drove through the Mikumi gamepark (where we saw giraffe and other animals) before we turned south and drove along the base of the Udzungwa mountains.  The scenery was beautiful; green mountains, streams flowing under numerous bridges, banana trees lining the road and the vast Kilombero plain on our left.  On the way we picked up the district missions director from the village of Kidatu.

About 6 pm we finally pulled into the small town of Mahenge.  Our last hour of driving took us up into a mountainous area and the evening was cool and foggy - very different from life on the coast.  The local TAG pastor had arranged for us to stay at the Tip Top Lodge, they even had hot water in buckets for our baths!  Each room came with a roll of toilet paper, half a bar of soap and a clean pair of used flipflops to use in the bathroom!   The kids were very excited to find the hotel had satellite TV with two channels on it. One of the channels was showing Sponge Bob – quite a contrast being in the middle of Africa watching Sponge Bob.

It was a long 12 hours of driving and we still weren’t done with the day - hospitality is an important part of Tanzanian culture and our pastor wanted to bless us with supper. So after bucket baths we drove over to the pastor’s house. While we waited for the food to be put on the table our 4 MKs taught the pastor’s kids how to play Pick up Sticks and a card game called War.  Supper was very good – beef stew, rice, spinach and bananas. We fell into bed about 9 pm pretty much worn out.

The next morning was Sunday.  After a quick breakfast, we drove an hour down a bumpy road to church. The countryside was filled with people walking along the road. Many of their faces lit up with delight as they saw our kids in the car waving to them. It was exciting to visit the church as it was one of our 200 strategic church plants. As we drove into the small village, we saw people carrying chairs on their heads. They were going to the church - sitting on benches wasn’t good enough for their guests (us) so they brought chairs from their homes.
The first hour of church was filled with singing and dancing, even Laurie Kuykendall and the kids joined in.  I passed on the dancing, as I have no rhythm! Roger Kuykendall preached his first sermon in Swahili. It was great to be there.

After church the pastor asked us to plant trees to commemorate our visit!  Even the kids each got to plant a tiny tree!  We plan to return in several years and check on our trees!  Then we had a light lunch (Lunch #1) consisting of chicken, chapattis, chai, sodas and roasted rice.  They gave us a basket of fresh chicken eggs to take with us on our return journey! We then drove back to Mahenge where we had a second lunch (Lunch #2)!  So we stuffed ourselves on more chicken and rice, beans and bananas!  Our kids drew a large crowd, and they began playing soccer together in a nearby field. It was quite a site – 4 white kids running around a field with 100 little Africans.

Monday was our day of rest and relaxation – we hiked up to the Sanje Falls in the Udzungwa Mountains!  We picked up our guide, Bariki, who lead us carrying his cell phone and a pen!!  We were carrying our camelbacks, snacks, swimsuits, binoculars (Karen) and camera (Scott).  The hike, the indigenous rainforest and the views were incredible. Scott and the girls went swimming in icy cold river at the base of a 540 foot waterfall!  Great memories!!

We returned to our guesthouse and sat on the balcony drinking Karen’s chai.   It had been a great weekend!  We love living in Tanzania and working with the church here is a privilege!

Thanks for traveling with us!

It was an incredible trip and my life will never be the same. From watching a Muslim lady give birth in the back of a pick up to meeting heroes of the faith who bring Life at great personal cost to those in darkness. I know that the road to Utende has helped me see the world in a whole new perspective. Thanks for praying and partnering with us.

Please pray that we will have safety as we travel.

Please pray that we will be an encouragement to our pastors.

Please pray for Karen and the girls while I am gone. 

Ninjo

Njinjo is one of our tarafa projects. On our first visit there we discovered a place that was 99% Muslim. The village was only accessible 8 months out of the year. It was a place of darkness and witchcraft. Today not only do we have a church but we also have a pre-school where over 60 of the children from the village are coming to learn. The village is thrilled for the educational opportunity and we are excited, not only to help with education but also to allow these children the opportunity to know Christ. The church now runs about 15 believers and persecution remains strong. One Muslim lady, named Mama Happy has given her life to Christ. Her family immediately put pressure on her to renounce her new faith but she refused. Her older brother was so angry that he threatened to kill her if she ever set foot in the door of his house. He called a meeting of the entire clan and called her in to batter her away from Christ but she refused. As I write this email she is preparing for a baptismal service where she will publicly proclaim her faith in Christ. The seed has taken plant and lives are being changed.

Just a few years ago we had just a handful of pastors. During our trip we stopped in to visit our new training facility in Mtama. The timing was impeccable as the section of Lindi and Mtwara was having its sectional meeting. Over 20 pastors had gathered together for fellowship and strategic planning. What an incredible site to see the change from just a handful of pastors to a whole section.

Through the generous donation of one of our partners we have been able to build a beautiful facility to train pastors. One of the critical needs in reaching an area is the ability to train the ministers who are establishing the churches. It was exciting to walk through the facility and to realize that in July the doors will be opening for our church planting training program. Yet another sign of life in a place that was so desolate.

Nyanyumbu

The final stop was in Nanyumbu where we are in the process of finishing a preschool and church building. I was elated with the progress. The pastor's name is Martin. He is a sharp young man whom I have worked with on an earlier occasion. The school building is in the final stages of construction and the people in the village are very excited about it starting up. Many of them have approached our pastor and asked him when it will be opening. It is another incredible opportunity to reach this lost community with Christ.

Martin is also working on building a church building. The area is a strongly Islamic community and there is a lot of persecution. Currently there are 15 believers half of who come out of a Muslim background. Many of these new disciples face persecution and have been kicked out of their homes. Some have even been beaten for their faith. Yet many remain strong and will not denounce Christ.


It is a wonderful privilege to serve the Lord and to see his plan of redemption transform places where the name of Jesus is virtually unknown. Thanks for your partnership with us in making this happen.

Each change is a little adjustment that adds up to a much different lifestyle than we have been living the last nine months in Roseville. We are back at home and I am glad to be here!

Have a great New Years Celebration!!