Tanzania, Africa
Chimala Newsletter – Jason, Madesha & Levan Stapleton – February, 2004
Dear Brethren,
We have finally made it! The trip was very long and tiresome, but worth it. We have been here just about two months now and things are going great. Madesha and Levan are doing great; Levan said Africa is better than reading a book. He really seems to be enjoying himself here. The country is beautiful. We are in the last part of the rainy season and everything is green. The flowers are in full bloom; it really is a beautiful place to live.
The work here is going well. We really couldn’t do much the first few weeks as we were trying to figure out where to start. Now with each passing day we are getting more and more involved with the work. Madesha, of course, is busy with Levan. She is also taking part, along with the other missionaries, in a women’s seminar that will be held in the last part of March. I have been busy with the Chimala School of Preaching. I teach there each week and help with the scheduling of the classes, as well as the various seminars that we have throughout the area.
The opportunities for evangelism are wonderful, but I’m finding out very quickly that there’s a lot of heartbreak as well. A few weeks ago we were asked to go to a certain village not really knowing anything about it. After we got there we found the church had been established there, but died thirteen or fourteen years ago. So we scattered throughout the village asking whether anyone knew anything about the church. We found about eight Christians who had all just stopped worshipping, but who wanted to worship again. So, to say the least, we were pretty excited. We—about 25 of us—have been back there several times now. We take two cars, I drive one and Chris Raynor drives the other. We fill the cars up with instructors and students from the School of Preaching and we canvas the whole village spreading the word of God. It really is a wonderful thing to experience. As a result of the work that God has allowed us to do four more souls have been added to the Lord’s Church there at Mpolo.
Brethren, I want to thank you for being a part of the work here. Without your support none of this would be possible. Please continue to pray for the work here in Chimala, it really is a wonderful work and we need your prayers and support.