News from Tanzania

Dear friends

We have just had the launch of Kanisa Mlimani (Church on the Hill). This is the church planted by Martin Ubwe, up at his home in Pugu Hills just outside of Dar es Salaam. It is a work that God started in Martin the day he simply made himself available to share the Good News with two neighbours. That led to them being saved and he started meeting with them daily, teaching foundations. This soon led to other neighbours asking to join and so the Lord added ... we have seen so many people getting saved through that little group - muslims, animists, religious ...

One story I have to tell you is the day two muslim ladies that had travelled from Kawe (over 2 hours away by daladala) pitched up at his door, looking for the catholic priest who prays for people. Martin said he didn't know who that was, but they insisted that they had heard from down in Kawe that there was someone who could help them up here in Pugu and that everyone had pointed them to his place and told them that that is the house they need to go to. "Well", Martin told them "I'm not a catholic priest, but yes we do pray for people here". They pleaded that he would pray for them as they had been afflicted and tormented by demons for some time and their imam was not able to help. Martin called some of the folk from their group to minister with him and they prayed for them. After some time they were both delivered and afterwards gave their lives to Jesus. Martin gave them the contact details of a pastor friend living in Kawe and they left rejoicing!

Martin was ordained into eldership at Lighthouse Church in February 2009, after which we had a massive celebration up in Pugu. It was amazing to see the turnout of friends and family that gathered together to witness and celebrate this event.

So all of this culminated in the 25 October where we officially launched (or formally recognised or whatever..) the church plant. I have to say without bias that it was the most joyful day I have experienced here in Dar. And that is really not because the days here have been dark and gloomy at all! We have had incredible times here, fun times and lots of joy ... but that Sunday was like diving into the cool ocean on a hot, steamy day ... like dancing in the rain and splashing through the puddles. This was the day that the Lord had made ... and we rejoiced and were glad in it!

So that has been the sweet side of life here, but there is also a bitter. We had opportunity to discuss with Alan and Marcus, (the two team guys from New Covenant Ministries International that speak into our lives) the season that we were in and what lies ahead. This included looking at the state of our family, our finances, the church and projecting that into the next season. The outcome of our discussions and deliberations was that we would return to SA by the end of this year, Meg will start grade 11 in SA and Jess will be starting at Tukkies. We had no idea of where we would be going although we have received wonderful offers of accomodation from all over (Jesus said you'd have no shortage of housing!). However after allowing for a time of processing, we have felt that to return to Nelspruit/White River would be the correct move for us - from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.

Although it is impossible to describe the emotions involved in the deliberation, this was not a decision made lightly and carried incredible pain. Because the core of the church was either leaving to SA (Mike & Lydia also moving back to SA) or transferring to Pugu, the decision also meant closing down Lighthouse Church in Masaki and for me this carried the most pain as there still remains those who will have to find another church. I myself have criticised those shepherds who have (seemingly) so easily left the flock to fend for themselves ... another lesson learned - don't criticise until you've walked a few miles in his shoes, check. It is hard to describe the heartbreak I experienced, but as I read Jeremiah the following morning God echoed it for me:

"A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping,

Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted,

because her children are no more."

I couldn't wrap my head around it... but I knew God was in it. I couldn't understand it ... but I received the peace that passes understanding. God spoke: "in days to come you will understand this" and that was enough for me. Whether Lighthouse was a Rachel giving birth to Benjamin, a Moses giving way to Joshua, a David not building but Solomon ... many pictures of new beginnings, whatever it may be that God is purposing, it will be purposed .. His word will not return to Him without accomplishing that for which He has purposed it. We are most grateful to the people who have been part of our lives here in Dar es Salaam and know that a part of our hearts has been removed and planted here. The passage above goes on to say:

"Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,"
declares the LORD.
"They will return from the land of the enemy.
So there is hope for your future,"
declares the LORD.
"Your children will return to their own land."

Much love

Andrew

WAR OF THE WORLDS! Kingdoms in conflict

"I will sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea.

The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

The LORD is a warrior;
the LORD is his name."

(Ex 15:1-3)

eXoDuS .... getting outa Egypt!

If you walk into our house, one of the first things you'll notice are all the photos up on the walls. Its Ange's trademark ... "bang, bang, bang" up go the pictures - each hammer blow a reminder of God's blessing in our lives.

... that's when my house becomes a home - surrounded by our friends, family, places ...

memories

inheritance

legacy

Recently, late one evening, a man came to see me, drunk as a skunk.... he could hardly stand. He smelled like the carpet of Polo Tavern after happy hour - politely I suggested we talk outside with a cuppa tea. He could hardly string a sentence together, but there was much on his heart. As it was the last time I'd see him before he left Dar, I tried to minister to him with little effect...

"A dzunno hoo a'yam ..." he slurred.

And then, as if a revelation had suddenly come to him, he said

"Ay'ma drunk, justa drunk"

He put down his mug of tea unsteadily and tried to focus on
me,

"an yu kno wha? ... ay lyk'it tzoo mutsh tu shtop"

As I looked past his shoulder through the big double glass doors, I could see my inheritance looking back at me off the passage wall. What would a man give in exchange for his soul? I thought of all the junctions in my life where God had spared me, rescued me, disciplined me. How I had rebelled, fought His discipline, lived my life ... Truly the kindness of God leads us to repentance - and it's grace that opens our eyes to His kindness.

I can truly say (and many others would say amen to that): but for the grace of God, there go I! By the grace of God I am what I am ... but God's grace was not in vain...

What have you done with the grace of God in your life?

Are your eyes open to the kindness of God?

I set before you today life and death! Choose life that you may live!

It's interesting that we never take photos of our bad times, sad times ... our "I'd rather forget" times. Its not that we don't go through those times, but they're not what we'd like to show our friends and visitors. Even so, when we look back and remember where we came from it is either with incredible thankfulness for what Jesus has done in your life ... or with terrible regrets of a life wasted and inheritance lost.

destroyed marriages

hopelessness

lost children

bitterness

anger

sin

And so it is with Israel and their exodus from Egypt. God is so honest and open about the failings and shortfalls of His people. He doesn't try to hide the mistakes, sins, fears and doubts of His own family. The reason He does so is for us to learn and grow and mature - SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES THEY MADE! How many times do we want to say to our kids "You don't have to make the same mistakes I made!"

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about the exodus:

I do not want you to be ignorant .... These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. (1Cor10:1,11)

• It's one thing to getting Israel out of Egypt, its another to get Egypt out of Israel!

We're studying this incredible account of Israel's journey with God through the wilderness for the next few months because it relates so directly to our own journey with God. Jesus met with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration where they spoke about His coming exodus. The exodus of the Israelites 3,500 years ago was only a foreshadowing of that mighty hinge of history that was swung back by our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary some 1,500 years later but that was rooted in eternity before the foundation of the world.

Jesus came to set us free from captivity. No matter how badly we have messed up in the past - our family album may be a thing of shame and embarrassment; but if we will turn to Him and trust Him - we will find NOT ONLY a Saviour, the One who leads us out of captivity, but also LORD, our King who leads us into His promises.

He is Hope for the hopeless, Bread for the hungry, Light for the blind, Life for the dead, Love for the fearful, Shepherd for the lost. He is the Qualification for the disqualified, Justification for the condemned, Sanctification for the defiled, Peace for the troubled ... no one who trusts in Him will be put to shame!

(Col 2:13-15)

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.

He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Heavenly Father, you have called me to be a son, not a slave. You have redeemed me from the slave market of sin, You paid the price in full by the life of Your Son Jesus. May that amazing grace toward me never be in vain as I walk this journey with You. May my life be a love song of praise to You.

In Jesus precious Name.

As Surely As The Sun Rises Tomorrow

When you're weary ... feeling small.

When tears are in your eyes,

I will dry them all.

I'm on your side - When times get rough

And friends just can't be found ...

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay Me down

These heart wrenching words from Paul Simon's 1969 hit song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" brought much comfort to me in my troubled waters of July 2008. It just felt like everything was falling apart... Not being able to afford rent or school fees, I'd sent the family back to South Africa to stay with family, packed our home into storage and moved in with a friend. As our friends left Dar one by one - some for holiday, some permanently; it was like the last leaves falling from the tree in winter...

As we look back, the pain and uncertainty of that time has faded like a distant memory. But like fire-refined gold left over in the crucible, what has remained is a deeper, abiding faith. It has taught us a greater compassion for those going through trials and allows the comfort of God to flow through us as broken vessels. We don't have it all together, we don't have all the answers, but we do have an awesome and compassionate God who is in control and who is bringing all things in heaven and on earth into conformity to His will.

It is incredible how Paul doesn't ignore or play down the troubles he faced - he told the Corinthian church, ... we were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it! We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves ... BUT, he goes on to say, .... but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us!

As the cherubim over the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant were made of hammered gold, so our faith and devotion to God are moulded by the hammer of circumstance upon the anvil of experience. Angus Buchan always says: If your faith is costing you nothing, then its worth nothing! How will you respond to difficult circumstances, to harsh criticism or persecution? God I didn't sign up for this! Where is the BLESSED LIFE that You promised?

OR

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2 Cor 1:3-5)

We ARE able to bring comfort, to bring hope, to bring assurance to those in trouble .... to those who are down and out, to those on the streets, to those whose only companion is pain ... because our God is faithful and our God is true - all His promises are YES! YES! YES!

As surely as the sun rises,
He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth

(Hosea 6:3)

This is our time to shine - with the glory and grace of God upon us, because Jesus is our Bridge over troubled waters and he has laid Himself down for us, He has taken our part. He is the Friend who is closer than a brother, who will never leave us nor forsake us.

Mak's Day of Joy!!!

Makumbula's moment! As Clean (pronounced Ki-le-n)comes down the aisle, Mak can't wipe the smile from his face. Mak and Clean were married in Wananyamala Pentacostal Church by our good friend Fidel. The reception was held afterwards in Manzese.

Mak and Clean supported and encouraged by their friends from Lighthouse Church, KPC and Clean's church in Mbezi. Family came fromDar es Salaam, Morogoro and Dodoma.

Hard to capture was the colourful expressions of joy and celebration!

Martin, Samson and Agnita rounded off the evening with wonderful music.

Pascalina blessed the couple with her speciality wedding cake. One minature for each of the couple's family also.

Clean presents the cake to her new mother Rosaline (in white).

A big THANK YOU to all who contributed to make this day one that Mak and Clean will never forget ....

Stretch The Tent Curtains Wide

What an amazing weekend!

Alan and Rowland came up from South Africa representing the New Covenant Ministries International apostolic team to ordain Martin as an elder in Lighthouse Church on Sunday. While they were here we also had a leadership training time over the weekend for local leaders which was so appreciated by all of us attending. Makhumbula did a wonderful job of translating the whole weekend.

The ordination on Sunday morning was such an incredible occasion, I felt the Lord telling me to note this day, almost like when the Israelites crossing over the Jordan were told to take a stone from the river bed and place it in a cairn on the other side as a memorial. I felt it was a memorial stone laid in my heart - ... tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you. As Alan said, it a continuation of the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham all those years ago "... all peoples on earth will be blessed through you". Because of God's love for us, here raises up shepherds in the body that will carry His heart. God's promise through Jeremiah the prophet was: I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD (Jer 23:4). Another reason God raises up shepherds is because He wants to bring increase. God's plans for us are far beyond what we could imagine - The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation (Isa 60:22).

The little theatre at Slipway was so full that children were sitting on laps, as friends and family of Martin attended from far and wide. Afterwards we were treated to true Tanzanian hospitality at Martin's house as the family put on a celebration (sherehe) of note! There were about a hundred folk that attended the celebration which was held outside on the lawn under the shade of a tent.

Martin and his friend Samson along with Samson's son Joshua played and sang for us, leading to spontaneous dancing and celebrating by everyone - including the mzungus! Never taking an opportunity for granted, we shared the good news and a number of people responded, including the cameraman and Martin's neighbour and his children!