"God wants all of us to be His children . . .”

In February of this year, I was contacted by the pastor of a church in Ichesa to be their speaker for Easter. You may recall that visiting this church in our first tour of service here led to the establishment of a new school. Sadly, the building permit has to date not been obtained from the regional government, but village interest in the project remains intense. As you see in the pictures, young people are always present.

My speaking assignment was to teach for four hours each day, Saturday and Sunday, with one session on the care of orphans and the remaining on the resurrection. As time drew near, I learned that four churches would be assembled for the Easter conference: Ichesa, Ihowa, Itewe, and Welu-II. I was to stay with Michael Kalinga, the pastor at Ichesa.

The church sent a motorcycle at 7:00 on Saturday morning to pick me up, and we made the 45 minute trip without too much slipping and fish-tailing on some of the final trails to Michael’s home.

Services began at 9:30 and ended at 6:00 in the evening, with a two hour lunch break from 1:00 to 3:00.

Each church had prepared a number of choir presentations, with different aged choirs represented.

So many choirs brought music that there was very little congregational singing.

We also had a visiting group from another church in Ichesa bring a choir.






The message on orphan care was the first address, and in a way set the mood for the weekend. Children are a constant presence in this culture.

They occupy nearly half of the bench space during church services, gather quietly around adult conversations, and eagerly respond to any attention given them.

But life here is hard, and the mortality rate is high. As always happens, people here want to know about life in America, and one question asked this weekend was, “Is it true that babies don’t die in America?”



During the weekend, one of the pastors repeatedly mentioned that the message on orphan care had touched his heart. He said he is determined to do more. I had emphasized from James 1:26-27, 2:14-17, and Matthew 25:31-40 that our “care” should not be the meeting of physical needs only, but should include “visits” with the intent to relieve the distress of emotional bereavement, loneliness, and hopelessness.

Saturday evening, on our walk home, we heard singing in the mountain forest. It was like a chant, the same phrase being repeated over and over. Michael told me it was the pagans, worshipping the spirits. What they were saying was, “Heaven is so far from us.” I suggested that their song would be a good starting point for the gospel message. Michael’s response was, “They are in opposition to the church; they oppose the gospel.” I replied, “Well, that’s the job Christ has given us, just the same.”

During the meal that night, with all pastors present, news was brought that a 15 month old girl had died of illness in the home of a pagan family, who happen to live just down the mountain side from the church. It was decided that we would visit the family on the way to church in the morning and see if they would allow us to speak at the funeral. Be ready in season and out for divine appointments set for you. I reflected on Matthew 18:1-6, in case I was asked to preach, which I was. It was a restless night, thinking about the new Sunday schedule, wondering if I would have “visitors” through the holes in the wall of my “guest room,” and thankful for the four inch foam mattress and warm blanket. I went to sleep listening to the mama pray with her children and woke up Sunday morning to the quiet prayers of Michael in the front room.

As planned, we took a side trail on the way to church to pay our respects to the family. There was already a crowd gathered, men sitting in groups talking and the women gathered in the home and around the front door, wailing. Some of the men were working on the construction of a small coffin. We spoke to the grandfather, who invited us to participate in the funeral. Michael discreetly pointed out a man as the leader of the pagan worship group we’d heard the night before.

The Easter service began with congregational singing, followed by a number of choirs, a time of greetings, scripture reading, and more songs. It had been arranged that a person would be sent to the church when the family was ready for the burial service. We would go and return, and thereby not disturb my preaching schedule at the church.

Well, Joanne and I have adopted a saying, “The only thing for sure is that nothing is for sure.” Half way through the first message, notice came that the family was ready for the burial. The series of expository sermons I’d prepared from I Corinthians 15, that the resurrection is the basis of our hope, allowed me to use the funeral as an illustration I am sure they will never forget.

On the way down the mountain, Michael reminded me that funerals are village events; everyone is invited, and that there would be many pagans in attendance. Shortly after we arrived, the small coffin was carried from the home, draped in katenge (the printed fabric used by women to wrap around their skirts while working and as slings for carrying their babies). We followed single file on the trail through coffee, maize, and banana plantings to the burial site.

(Would love to have had photos of the funeral, but did not want to offend . . .)

The men lowered the coffin into the hole and replaced the dirt. Hundreds of eyes turned towards us. We stepped forward.

“God loves children . . . God loves children . . . Children are precious to God . . . God wants all of us to be His children . . .”

Reading the Matthew 18 passage, we preached that heaven is very near to us when we come as children, trusting in Christ for salvation and a resurrection to eternal life.

The tradition at funerals here is to share a “kande” meal. It is very much like hominy soup with perhaps some beans added. Banana leaves are provided, a folded strip of which makes for a handy spoon. Small groups of people eat from a common bowl.

The rest of our Easter conference proceeded as scheduled, ending only an hour or so later than planned. The motorcycle was waiting to return me to Idigima, but was a bit cramped. The church, in appreciation of my services, had blessed me with a large bag of maize and a laying hen. We arrived home at twilight and a full moon rising.

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There is another story that must be told in conjunction with Ichesa and the pagans. One of our Form One students from Ichesa scored 100% on the Bible Knowledge Mid-Term Examination. When I mentioned his name, Anangysie Mtafya, to the pastors, I was told that the only Mtafya family in the area was pagan. In sharing this with Joanne upon my return, she recalled instances during the last few months where the other students seemed to have shunned him; he always seemed sad and lonely. These quiet ones draw our attention, and Joanne made him uniforms. He was very appreciative and made comments like, “No one has ever done anything like this for me.” Now, in hindsight, we can see the reason for his hunger for God’s Word. When we show God’s love to the world, the world is drawn to Christ. Seeds of the gospel are sprouting.

Thank you for your prayers; they are effectual.

Your fellow servants in God’s fields abroad,

Gary and Joanne Grenell

Be It Ever So Humble, There’s No Place Like Home!

Dear Supportive Friends,

May God bless you richly in His grace as you grow in the knowledge of His will. We are so encouraged and strengthened in the spirit when we consider your faithfulness and joy in sharing the inheritance of Christ and the citizenship in His kingdom now and forever. Let Him be glorified!

Our blogmaster, John, recently reminded us that we had promised an update showing a tour of our home. Sorry for the delay, if this was something you have wanted to see; student ministry stories and school projects are hopefully represented as a priority in our blog.

While we consider our living conditions here of minor importance, they are quite time-consuming and different than urban America. The house is more than adequate for our needs, and we are often convicted of it spaciousness when we consider the ghetto rooms of our students and communal living of the other teachers. Chalk up a point for marriage considerations and our supportive role here at the school. Actually, if you removed the space used for ministry, we would be living in a single room much like all the rest.

So, let the tour begin!

The flower and shrub beds in front of the house were built

and planted by students to provide them with money for living expenses.

As you enter the front door, there is the “great room,” which regularly floods during the rainy season. Storm doors, weather stripping and thresholds are unknown in this rural setting.

The great room is seldom used apart from large gatherings for games and meals. This was Joanne’s birthday party, to which she invited some of the students who regularly help us with grounds work, sewing, and language projects.

Turning right from the front door takes you into Gary’s office, or the twiga (giraffe) room, as we call it.

We had villagers build the table and book shelf. We’ve brought personal library items from the States as well as stocked the shelf with some books from the school library. Students enjoy sitting in the quiet of our home to study. Notice the solar panel in the window. Life here is definitely “off the grid.”

The next room has had quite a history. Our first year here, it housed chickens we’d hoped would provide meat and eggs. It proved labor-intensive and expensive, being unable to allow them to free range. Besides, who wants a rooster crowing in the house at 4:30 in the morning? At the end of that first tour and the second year, it housed guinea pigs, which were much less noisy and much more entertaining, but again proved to be expensive to maintain, as we were paying students a lot of money to collect greens. Yes, they are a tasty source of protein here.

This year, the room is being used for storage of tools and harvested maize, which we provide to needy students.






The back hall provides a run for a much-needed clothesline during the rainy season. Notice the bins and buckets for storing beans, flour and rice. The open buckets of water and basin at the corner are for hand-washing.

The hall leads to the bathing room and much-acclaimed squatty potty. These rooms represent the extent of our “indoor plumbing.”

The “running water” for bathing and flushing of the toilet is accomplished with buckets and pitchers.

At the back of the house is the cooking area, with a large bin of water, bucket of cooking (palm) oil and the “jiko” charcoal cooking stoves. We’ve hung a “katangi” curtain in the doorway to keep the cooking smoke less intrusive.

Villagers make charcoal and deliver it in large bags. Usually, it is good quality on top, but turns to chips and woody consistency as you progress through the bag. We’ve learned to keep them honest by having them fill our bags instead of exchanging bags.

Coming back into the great room and turning right is the location of our food preparation counter. Again, an area carpenter built the cabinet for us. Rice, beans, flour and some spices are the daily cooking staples.

The green container on the shelf houses our silverware, and the green bucket underneath holds our dishes.

We recently added some color to the back entrance porch. Notice the chicken coop; one of the students Joanne sewed for gave her a hen.

Children of a couple of the other teachers like to hang out with Grandpa when he is doing projects outside.

The “bustani” (garden) between our house and the neighbor’s provides potatoes, fresh green beans, carrots, zucchini, squash and greens…including weeds.

Surprisingly, many of the “weeds” we pull in America are edible. As a result . . . we don’t do as much weeding as would be expected anywhere else.

This room is used primarily for Joanne’s sewing ministry. We call it the pundamilia (zebra) room. It is usually crowded with students. Much of Joanne’s “salary” goes into this ministry. Although most of the students are expected to pay for their uniforms, many do work projects in exchange,

assisting with the sewing, weeding the flower beds, washing dishes, etc. Even then, the prices charged seldom cover the cost of the materials. This is purposeful, to make sure there is a message of Christ’s love and compassion going out the door with every shirt, skirt, trouser, scarf and tie.

In this culture, curtains are used in doorways designated for privacy. This is our bedroom. We’ve had a mold problem on the exterior walls during this rainy season, so have the head of the bed towards the door.

We are back at the front door, and look…the Tanzanian lawn mower has arrived. Let’s hope he doesn’t get carried away and groom the flower beds.

Your Hands & Feet in Tanzania,

Gary & Joanne

Cobras

Here is another audio presentation, a narrative in Gary's own voice, telling a story about dealing with the snakes, specifically cobras.

To play back the audio recording, be sure to first turn on the speakers of your computer, and either scroll down the right side of the blog to reach the "Featured Audio Clip" or click on the "Audio Clips" tab across the top of the blog to open a new page that will eventually hold the archive of all the audio clips.

Enjoy!

John Williams, Your Hands & Feet blogmaster (for the Grenells)

Piece by Piece

Trucks arrive with building materials


A few First Aid patients followed the unloading of the metal roofing, but there was an air of great excitement and energy when trucks started arriving with building supplies.




The students swarmed over the trucks, unloading ceiling boards, paint, nails and sheeting.



VST was doing what they said they would do, and the villagers are responding in like manner with their side of the equation.



Reports are coming in from Idiwili, Iyula, Itewe, Ikuka, Ichesa, and beyond about bricks available for the Idigima project to complete the school buildings.



















Timbers arrive for the trusses




Soaked by rains during the shipment, timbers are stacked for drying before being moved to the building site.
















Bricks, bricks, and more bricks

Student streams (classes) have been taking turns loading up in the truck and being hauled to area villages where they will spend the day moving bricks from burn piles and loading the truck...again and again and again and again.




On the other end, students are called from class when the truck arrives. Actually, the truck arrives with its horn blaring, and students pour from the classrooms to meet it at the designated building site.




They carefully stack each brick on edge to protect it from rain damage. Small walkways form through the growing sea of bricks that will become the walls of future classrooms, science laboratory, community center and health clinic.













Stones and sand



Teacher Madam Odilia's son, Misheki, sits on a pile of stones . . . one of many, many piles . . . loaded by the hands of our students and hauled to the school.

The stones will be used for future foundations of additional teachers' houses, walls to join the buildings and enclose the campus compound, and possibly student dormitories. This foundation for two classrooms already has walls going up!




Sand is dug from the river, piled on the bank and later loaded into the truck or hauled by bucket to the building site.





Trusses in place





Meanwhile, on the other side of the school complex, trusses are being set in place.






This building and the adjacent one should be enclosed by the end of November, providing four new classrooms to our growing student body.













Cement floors



A huge truck rolled into Idigima this past week, and the students unloaded 300 bags of cement to be used for the floors and walks of the new classrooms.



2011 was a huge building year, now finishing 8 new classrooms and a laboratory building, thanks to the faithfulness of some blessed friends.

Your Hands & Feet in Tanzania,

Gary & Joanne