Dear friends,
Since my last update:
- April 11th, marked our 100th Jesus film showing in East Africa!! This total includes the 21 showings we were a part of in Uganda as well as 20 we were involved with when we first arrived here in Tanzania with Pastor Kevin Olson and the team of youth workers.
- We also recently reached the milestone of an estimated 30,000 people who have attended these Jesus Film showings. Praise God for His protection, provision, and faithfulness in so many ways with regards to this on-going ministry.
- A pretty bad flu bug has been going around lately and Ben took his turn with the resulting fever, sore throat, coughing, and tiredness. We are so grateful for those of you who faithfully keep us and our health in your prayers even though it is often difficult for us to get word to you as specific needs arise. As of this writing, Ben is virtually back to his normal, energetic-self. May God bless you for your faithfulness!
- Sunday, April 20th was a special day here at the school with an afternoon of choral presentations by various groups including families, students, and staff. Even Ben and I sang a couple songs for the occasion. It was a good time of fellowship with our friends here at the school as well as an opportunity to interact with some of the local villagers. Due to that event here at the school, our only film showing for the weekend was scheduled for that Friday night. Ben was still quite weak from his bout with the flu but I was able to go do the showing with a couple students and the school’s driver.
- By way of a very practical praise – WE HAVE WATER!! Plumbing to all the buildings on campus has actually been in place for years but recently, different issues have prevented water from being consistently available in those lines. These “issues” have included the collapsing of the original well, problems with the pump, as well as the school’s occasional inability to affordable running the generator even if the well and pump were in operational order. Some of you will remember that last year a big project was digging a new well to replace the one that had collapsed. Other work has also been done since that time including installing a new pump, running power lines from the generator to the new well/pump, constructing a “pump house”, and running pipe from the new well to the existing holding tank. On April 10th, when all this was finally completed, the campus again had a regular source of water!! This is a huge blessing especially to this year’s students who have needed to fetch virtually all their water (for cooking, bathing, washing clothes, cleaning floors, etc.) in 5-gallon buckets from a hand pump on the edge of the campus. Fortunately for the school, this new water pump is able to be powered by the same generator which gives us our 1 ½ hours of electricity each night. Now, all we need is a more regular source of electricity!
We continue to look forward to the upcoming visit from Pastor Craig Johnson from Bethany Free Lutheran Church in Astoria, OR. If all goes as planned, we will be meeting him at Kilimanjaro Airport around 10am (West Coast time) on Wednesday, May 21st. During his week here, he will not only visit the Waama campus but participate in a busy weekend of village ministry with us, see some of the area surrounding where we live, and go on a safari with us in a local national park. Please pray for his safe travel, for blessed days with us (that we won’t get eaten by a lion, chased by a cape buffalo, or sat on by an elephant when we are on safari), and also for the week he will spend with the Nate Jore family (Ben’s brother) in Uganda following his time here.
Again, it is hard to believe how fast this year has passed!! Have I said that already? I look forward to seeing many of you in just a few short months! Thank you so much for your continual prayers and support. God richly bless you!
In Him,
Jesse Long
Mbulu, Tanzania
PS – The picture is of me with one of our students and his church below in the background. It was taken when we were in his village showing the Jesus Film recently.
