Christmas Greetings from Jesse Long - Tanzania

Dear friends and family,

Minutes after sending my last update, I received word that a dear friend, who was also one of my most faithful prayer warriors, had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. Leaving a very big void here on earth with those she loved, Sandy Andrie doubtlessly received a champion’s welcome when she arrived at Jesus’ side on November 30th, 2007, and heard the words we all look forward to hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

What a powerful reminder this has been to me to praise God for the many people He has placed around me who, just like Sandy, have had an eternal impact on my life and its direction. Thank you for your part!! Furthermore, it is difficult to receive news of the death of a loved one (especially as we come to the end of 2007) without being challenged to re-evaluate one’s focus in life and goals for the year ahead. God help us all live with a focus on eternity like these heroes of the faith!

I would like to use most of this update to praise God for the many ways He has showed Himself faithful in my life and in this ministry over the past 12 months.

• Praise God for preserving the life of my new brother-in-law, Dary, when he was shot in Iraq on March 5th and God’s continued hand of healing on his body since that time.
• Praise God for Dary and my sister, Anna’s, wedding which took place in Washington, D.C. on April 7th.
• Praise God for my opportunity to be back in the States and re-unite with family and friends over the summer.
• Praise God for the opportunity my brother, Joe, has to study at the Bible School in Minneapolis this year.
• Praise God for the estimated 12,500 people in Tanzania and 8,000 people in Uganda who have seen the Jesus Film in 2007 alone.
• Praise God for over 300 Bibles that have been given away this year. (This is also a huge tribute to the generosity of many of you!)
• Praise God for the 90+ students who have had opportunity to study here at Waama over the past 12 months.
• Praise God for His abundant provision (through many of you) which has enabled all of these things to become a reality and has now also allowed Ben and me to return here to Tanzania for a second year.
• Praise God for the Schierkolk family who blessed us with a visit shortly after our return in September.
• Praise God for all His spiritual blessings in our lives over the past year.
• Praise God for the champions of the faith (including many of you) who, like Sandy Andrie, He has raised up to be examples and role models for me and my generation.

I could go on but I think you get the idea. Furthermore, I am sure you could make lists of your own. I would like to close with a quote from Elisabeth Elliot’s book titled God’s Guidance – A Slow and Certain Light. As I recently read this book, I found myself very much relating to these words:

“It has usually happened that a place God has put me has proved to be (sometimes quite in contrast to my expectation) a place of contentment. I have looked at others and said, ‘How do they stand it?’ and then, finding myself in a similar place, in the will of God, I had the answer. It is a great thing to know you are where you belong.”

How true! And this is one of the things I praise God for the most as I look back on this past year.

Let me say again what a blessing each of you have been to me. Thank you so much for your part in my life and in this work here in Tanzania through your thoughts, prayers, words of encouragement, and support. Have a blessed Christmas and may God richly bless each one of you in 2008!

With much love and gratefulness,

Jesse Long
Mbulu, Tanzania

I am also hoping to have some new pictures on the blog very soon. Be sure to stop by when you get a chance!! http://benandjesse.blogspot.com