Dear friends,
We had a very refreshing and productive ti me in Arusha from February 8-12. We had a lot to do which made the time pass very quickly but just having a change in pace was good. On Sunday afternoon, we had the opportunity to go out motorbiking with one of our friends there who also has a bike. He took us to see some amazing areas. We climbed hills, chased gazelles (I almost caught one…I felt like a lion!), passed solitary Massai dwellings, explored dry river beds, etc. It was amazing.
Another exciting opportunity we had during that weekend was to visit with a fellow missionary who recently returned from the States with a piece of equipment we are considering promoting here in the future. It is called the Acclaimer and it is put out by Faith Comes by Hearing Ministries. It is a self-contained DVD/video projector/sound system. (You can check it out at the following website: http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/acclaimer-portable-video-player) The beautiful thing is that it can be run on AC, DC, or solar power. Our goal is to find a sustainable way to equip the local people here to carry on the film ministry that we have been involved with over this past year and a half. The fact of the matter is that even if we're to give some evangelist all of our equipment, the cost of a vehicle to transport it all to the various village locations would not be manageable. With the Acclaimer, however, the whole unit weighs less than 50 pounds and could easily be transported by bicycle, donkey, or even on someone’s back. We are still in the planning stages of how all the details would work of helping the people here acquire equipment like this. We covet your prayers.
On a slightly different note, I want to share a letter with you that we recently received:
February 3, 2008
Ben and Jesse,
Subject: Thanks for the gift you brought on January 20, 2008
Greetings in Christ Jesus:
As stated above, the Christians of the church here at Barakta village would like to thank you for the gift of Bibles that you brought when you visited our church. We are so grateful and pray that God richly bless you. Also, we want you to know that we have already done as you directed and have distributed the Bibles to those Christians who do not have the ability to buy one on their own. Furthermore, those who received the Bibles send their sincere thanks. May you continue in the heart that you have shown!
Thank you.
Yours,
Evangelist of Barakta Village
I share this letter because I honestly feel that many of you deserve this thanks as much, if not more, than we do. Without a doubt it is your prayers and support that make it possible for us to be here and do the things we do. God is working in this part of the world, not just through our availability, but also through the generosity of you who have partnered with us to make this work possible. The truth is, if it were not for you, we could not be here much less be the recipients of a letter like this. Thank you so much for your prayers and on-going support. More pictures have made it onto our blog in recent weeks. Check them out at http://benandjesse.blogspot.com. God richly bless you all.
In Christ,
Jesse Long
Mbulu, Tanzania
PS – Ben took the attached picture without telling me he was taking it. I didn’t think it turned out too bad so I thought I would send it out so you all can have a recent picture of me and can rest assured that I am alive and doing well. It is me in front of the church we visited this past weekend.
