Tanzania, Africa
Chimala Newsletter – Chris & Tam Raynor – February, 2004
Greetings from Africa!
After the long grueling trip getting here, with Tam being sick from Chicago to Dar, we made it. I can remember Bob Stapleton saying that we were going at the right time of year. He said the landscape was beautiful and green and he was right. The people of Tanzania are wonderful. The ones that work here on the mission have been very helpful in making Tam and I feel welcome. They are patient with us when we try to talk to them in Swahili. Many of the employees can speak some English, which helps. Tam and I have now gotten settled in and accustomed to the time change and the different foods.
I want to say thank you to all of you who have supported us in the past and to those who are supporting us now, so that we could be here. I think our stay is going to help us, as well as the people of Tanzania, to grow spiritually.
I am working at the Primary School and getting acquainted with the teachers and the children. I am really impressed with the children; they are very respectful and very sweet. They take their education seriously. I think it’s going to be great working with the school.
In the time that we’ve been here, a little over a month now, I’ve had the opportunity to preach at several congregations. They always make us feel very welcome. The village of Mpolo contacted one of our employees here at the mission about us going there. We learned that the church was started there several years ago, but fell away. We have reestablished the congregation with about eight members who have come back to the church. We conduct studies there each week and have baptized four souls. There will quite possibly be more in the future. The preacher students have been helping us at Mpolo by studying with people and passing out tracts. They have also been going out with me when I preach at the congregations.
I’m really impressed with the people of Mpolo, as well as those in other places, on their willingness to study the Bible. The studies that I have helped with all have been conducted outside. The people bring chairs out for us to sit on and make us feel welcome. At one study, as we were sitting there, there were chickens and goats all around us. It made me think back to the time of Christ when the people would be studying outside on the ground with their animals around them, wanting to hear the word of God.
I’ve now started teaching a New Christian’s class at night. I have about nine students who meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. They are very serious in their studies and make it easy for me to teach them. I’m also learning along with this class because we always need to be reminded of the basics. Starting the first of April, I’ll be teaching a class in the Chimala School of Preaching to the first-year students. The course of study will be the books of Timothy and Titus. On March 30th and 31st, we’re having a Ladies’ Seminar. I will be teaching in that, along with Tam and the other missionaries and their wives.
Erhard, my translator, and I are beginning to develop a close working relationship. It took a little time to get accustomed to working with a translator. But it’s helping me to do better in my preaching. It gives me a chance to think about my next point while he is translating what I said into Swahili. I’m impressed with him; he is a very serious Christian. When we went door to door in Mpolo, he was very eager to go out and study. From what I’ve been told about him, he is a very good preacher himself. I’m getting used to the language and with Tam’s help I’m learning some words and phrases. I get to practice Swahili with Hamisi, our gardener, and Hamisi practices his English on me! So it works out for both of us.
I want to ask that you keep us in your prayers as we’re doing God’s work. We are very thankful for your help financially, because if it wasn’t for your help, this wouldn’t be possible. In Third John, verse 8, John tells us that we are co‑workers for the cause. I am proud to be working with you in Tanzania!
Between Darrin, Jason and myself, I think we have a good team of missionaries here. We are developing a good Christian friendship among ourselves and are working well together. It’s good that we all have the same goal in mind—to teach God’s word.
In Christian love,
Chris and Tam