Happy New Year! 2007…wow! Can you believe how fast the time goes by?! I trust the holidays were full of blessings and lots of good memories for each one of you. Already, Ben and I are back here at Waama preparing for the week ahead which will hopefully include first-term finals and the beginning of this second term.
As far as the holidays hear in Africa, I am going to have to say that despite being away from my American family and friends, this will likely go down as one of the most memorable holiday seasons I have ever had. One highlight was the opportunity for Nate, Ben, and I to each preach in different village churches on Christmas day. The village I went to has only been meeting for about a month but already had about 60 people for this special service! It was so fun to see people excited to have a church in their village, a native pastor willing to work with them even if it meant hours of riding his bike to get there, and young men being trained to take over these new churches once they are on their feet. Already, in the short time that Nate and Rhoda have been in Uganda, they have been made aware of over 15 villages needing and even requesting a church to be started. It was exciting to be in the middle of all that.
After spending Christmas with Ben, Nate, Rhoda, and the boys in Uganda (and, of course, going whitewater rafting☺), I had the opportunity to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with a business contact from my time at LEKTRO. The 5-day climb up to around 19,000 feet was an absolutely amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience! We started on the 29th and the final ascent began at mid-night – December 31st! The weather for the first several days was absolutely miserable – some of the worst my guide had ever climbed in. As a result, by the time we reached the highest base-camp, virtually all my gear was soaking wet and many people were too tired, cold, or demoralized to even attempt the final ascent. The rain we had experienced at lower altitudes was obviously snow on top. This resulted in the people who had hoped to summit even the day before us being prohibited from even attempting. God had mercy on me, however, and we woke up that night to a cloudless and starry sky. There was still a lot of snow and the climb was not fun or easy, but after 6 hours of wading through knee-deep and sometimes waist-deep snow I reached the top and became the first one to arrive at Gilman’s Point in 2007!The top of Kilimanjaro is a large crater. On the other side of the crater (opposite Gilman’s Point), is Uhuru Peak. Uhuru is actually slightly higher than Gilman’s and the highest point on the mountain but due to the weather conditions and large amounts of snow, none of guides were allowing their climbers to make that final trek. It was a little disappointing to not get the full experience but I was certainly willing to come back down – dreaming of a warm shower and a clean, soft bed with each step. I have included some pictures of the adventure with this email and will also place a couple on our blog at www.benandjesse.blogspot.com.
As an item for praise, I had no problems coming back into Tanzania as the officials at the border were willing to simply issue me another tourist visa while I wait for final processing of my residency permit. Ben was not so fortunate and may be faced with some additional temporary permit expenses if our residency is not received in the very near future. We hope to have a response this week. Thank you for your continued prayers.
As far as a car is concerned, we have not purchased anything yet. We looked at one in Arusha on our way to Uganda but did not feel perfectly at peace with it. We continue to follow leads as they come up and will keep you updated. Again, we appreciate your prayers for God’s clear direction and our obedience in these regards.
We also obviously covet your prayers as we begin this new term. Students are again leaving their families, traveling, and preparing for another term of study. Pray for both staff and students and God’s blessing on each one. Thank you all for the investment you have already made and continue to make in us and this ministry. May God continue to richly bless each one of you.
Jesse
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Ben
Thank you for your prayers for journey mercies. God has abundantly answered. Jesse returned to Tanzania on December 26 so that he could climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. He successfully made it to the top as the first person in 2007 to do so. I decided to stay back in Uganda until after the New Year and met up with Jesse in Arusha, TZ on Thursday. We were both allowed in the country even though our residency permits have not yet been issued. That situation has become a little more urgent than when we left. If we do not receive the permits soon, we may need to leave the country until they are issued or face a steep fine. Would you pray for our residency permits to be granted soon? Thanks.When we arrived in Arusha, we were told that we might not be able to make it back to Mbulu because there has been so much rain the roads might be impassible. Though the roads were covered in mud and we actually had to get out and walk through one spot, we made it back safely and now are at Waama. We are now waiting for the students to return so that we can start classes again. We are expecting them to start returning on Monday and hopefully we will be able to start classes this week.
Praise God for...
- a wonderful Christmas Break--a great time with Nate, Rhoda, and family; a safe and successful climb up Kilimanjaro for Jesse, and a renewed passion for our ministry.
- safe travel and permission to reenter Tanzania.
- our residency permits to be issued quickly.
- wisdom for Jesse and I as we continue in the ministry here at Waama.
Ben
