Lisa Tresch in Azerbaijan

Salam,

We arrived in Ganca (pronounced Genga) on Saturday evening after a long, wild and bumpy ride in a rented mini-bus across the flat terrain of Azerbaijan. We took the quicker route instead of the road that runs through the Greater Caucasus Mountains because there were ten of us and our luggage crammed into the bus, and the driver was concerned about the bus overheating. We obliged him because although we are up for new and exciting adventures, being stranded on the side of the road is not one we wanted to experience. We arrived in Ganca around dinnertime and joined our hosts for a delicious meal of beef stew and potatoes.

The weather is beautiful here. If you close your eyes you might think you were back in the midst of an Oklahoma autumn, but with open eyes you would see that you were many worlds away. If you stand in Azerbaijan and turned to the south you would be facing Iran. Turn north and you are facing Russia. Look west and you will be looking toward Armenia. Turn east and you are facing the Caspian Sea. But we are here to look at Azerbaijan and to see the people here. And they are a beautiful people. Their dark piercing eyes seem to look us over with a mixture of curiosity and wonder, and perhaps with a little suspicion.

We visited the market on Sunday morning and our senses were overloaded with the sights, sounds and smells. Row after row of merchants were selling everything from fresh pomegranates (a favorite and plentiful Azeri fruit) to a sheep’s head. Some of us walked through the fresh meat section of the market. The smell is what you might expect from freshly slaughtered pigs, chickens, lamb and cows and they are hanging only a few inches from where you walk. We didn’t linger.

In other parts of the market piles of bright green fresh herbs, red tomatoes, orange carrots, black grapes, green cucumbers and bags of nuts are arranged neatly in baskets, and behind the arrangements sit the vendors: women with deep lines etched into their olive skin smile warily at us. The men all wear dark suits since the summer in Ganca is coming to an end. It is their preferred way of dressing. Even construction workers can be seen toting piles of lumber wearing the standard black suit. They dress up here in Ganca because appearances matter. Even if they don’t have enough to eat, they won’t leave the house looking underdressed.

It is Tuesday as I write this, and we have visited the baby orphanage, the vocational school, and the psychiatric hospital where we sat in on the art and sewing classes. It is an experience we will not soon forget. The women in this hospital will probably live here for the rest of their lives. Some have been placed here by their families because they could not take care of them. Some, however, have lived their entire lives in an institution – from the baby orphanage to the children’s orphanage to this hospital. “You have brought us joy today,” one of the patients – a young girl - told us before we left. “And you have brought us joy,” we replied, because they did. We laughed and joked with them and they wanted to talk about American music and singers and movies.

The men will be painting a room in the baby orphanage while we are here. They were going to paint it orange, but when they paint went on the walls, it turned out pink. But it looks nice and smells fresh.

We have met quite a few Azeris and enjoyed their hospitality, which always consists of a pot of tea, some pastry sweets and talk of family. Marriage and children are high priority, but family structures can be complicated arrangements of several generations living under one small roof. Life is not easy here.

We are here in Ganca for a few more days and will then take the night train back to Baku. Melanie and I will share a compartment and hope to get some sleep on the eight-hour ride across the rails. Until then, we will be visiting another orphanage, another psychiatric hospital, an international school and perhaps the market again. We hope to meet more Azeris before we leave on Thursday evening. Although we are confined to communicating with them through interpreters, we grow richer through each conversation we share.

We appreciate your continued thoughts for us.

Sag ol (goodbye) from Ganca, Azerbaijan,
Bill, Mark, Bob, Melanie and Lisa

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 10

Jambo,

Well this will be my last journal entry. It is Sunday night about 8:00pm and we just arrived back at LJS we were 80km into the bush. The roads were much better than what we had experienced from our previous trips into the bush. Sorry I didn't get a chance to journal yesterday but on Saturday's there is no electricity until evening time and when I came to use the computer it was already in use by others. We went to Mukumi National Game Park on Saturday. It was very nice. We were able to see and take pics of many different animals; Hippos, Giraffes, Reebok, Impala, Baboon, Elephant, Zebra, Wilda Beast, Cape Buffalo...

We had to leave very early in the morning to get there early in hope of seeing the most animals. The park is an awesome place and you can actually rent bungalows and stay there. They had a very nice restaurant and small pool a true resort. We did not eat at the restaurant but we did enjoy a cold soda and relaxed on the patio and watched Zebras near by drinking in a watering hole. Our one and only night on the town was Saturday and we went to a Pizza Restaurant. It was very nice and the pizzas were brick oven and quite tasty. We also had COLD soda which is quite the luxury. I never realized how good a cold beverage taste until this trip.

Now how do I put into words one of the most special days of my life. We started early this morning, packed into a sport utility heading into the bush. Robert and I went with Herb Hofferman and 4 Wort Bird University students for a day of worship. Let's get one thing straight when I say a day of worship - that's exactly what I mean. We left LJS at 8:00am and arrived back home at a little after 8:00pm. I can't begin to tell you what all happened. Jjust understand it was truly unbelievable; food, music, music, music, music, preaching, family blessing, communion, offertory and I promise one like you have never seen unless you have been to Tanzania before. We started with the usual, money, and everyone and I do mean everyone gave something, may not have been much but by golly they gave what they could. Then the interesting part; bananas, 2 cases of soda, cookies, cloth, soap, rice, corn, maize and the always popular live chickens. They also had a goat but we ate it for lunch. Oh, did I mention one of those live chickens rode home with us in the car, yep you got it, he was a passenger...

They had the auction where people bid on all the offering stuff and at the end they even auctioned off the 2 paper envelopes that the cloth came in, and some newspaper that had been used for packing... I'm telling you I just can't believe what these people need and use in their lives just to survive. Robert and I were talking about these people don't live in poverty, this is survival of the fittest in every since of the term. Everyday when they wake up it's about what are we going to do today to survive... Again I have to mention that what little these people had they insisted on giving us the Lion's share of everything. Even if it may have meant they might do with out. Remember too, you need to eat their food, drink their drinks, or you will dishonor them and rob them from Blessing you. This county takes its hospitality very seriously.

People walked for hours to come worship today. The songs they sang were indescribable. One of the songs was about AIDS and how if you turn your life over to "YESU KRISTO" (Jesus Christ) you will not want to or be involved in the things that lead to death and life with AIDS. They sang about young people needing prayers because they are going down the wrong path. Their songs have very deep meaning, about today's issues and answers. There were 4 choirs today from 4 different locals; I would say all together we heard or sang approximately 40 songs. Robert and I decided during service we know there were more than 20 songs. Dub and Heart eat your hearts out (no Pun intended) how would you all like to prepare for that each week...

Well, it's getting late and I need to go pack up the things I am taking home. We are leaving for Dar in the morning (Monday) but won't be leaving the country until 11:00 pm. We arrive home on Tuesday afternoon at 4:30pm so just another quick flight home... haha

One final thing I don't know if I mentioned it or not but if you have not been on a mission trip WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? If you have, I hope that I have inspired you to sign up and go again. I guarantee you will receive the blessing far over what you are able to give to those you are serving in the name of Jesus. If you haven't been apart of this work of our church please get involved.

Last but certainly not least; I want to personally thank all of you who made this trip possible for me with your financial support, and all of you who have prayed for me and the rest of the team while we have been gone. We have felt your prayers and appreciate knowing that we are covered in prayer while we are here... God Bless you all, I can't wait to share my experience with al who will listen. See ya soon!!! Bwana Asufiwe

In His Grip,
Glen Grusendorf Jr.

Greetings from Baku

Dear Asbury family,

The team in Baku is doing well! The consultation meetings were held Thursday and Friday where we made new friends and renewed old friendships. We learned some of the new things being done in the country and were encouraged at the growth that is occurring. There is an increasing number of things being organized for children and a focus on the youth also. The local people are very committed to seeing advancements. It is humbling for us to see and hear their passion as it is not so easy for them to be bold here, yet they are. We were eating lunch together in a local restaurant and one of the girls who had sung at the meeting got up and sang in the restaurant. It was a song that we were surprised to hear when we learned what she was singing - the content was not what we expected! Despite that, she sang right on and was not afraid.

The one thing that causes angst with all of us is the driving in the city. Driving is the art of negotiation done with the front bumper. Lanes on the street are just for options - not for driving within. We are most thankful for our very experienced and accident-free driver!

Lisa, Melanie, and Bob arrived late Thursday night and were able to see some of the city yesterday with our host. We all went to an old caravan place which is now a restaurant last night and had a typical Azeri meal and Azeri music. It was great fun with a flame swallower and other entertainment in addition to the meal. Lisa has gotten some wonderful pictures of the city and we are looking forward to sharing those when we return.

This morning we are preparing to leave our American host home which is hardly mission accommodations! They are so good to us and we are grateful for their wonderful hospitality. The work really starts today as we drive to G-City which is about 5 hours away. We are hoping to see the Greater Caucuses Mountains on the way if the clouds lift. We are looking forward to our time there and will try to send an update of our work in that city.

Thank you all for your thoughts and messages to "Dad". The notes for the team have been much appreciated!!

Mary Ann

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 9

Jambo,

Well, just another day in paradise. I worked on computers all day and in my opinion didn’t help much. They think I did a good job, but they are nicer and have lower expectations than we do back home. I burned up a power source on a new computer (to them) it was about 6 years old. I went to town to try and get a new power source and they didn’t have one that would work. So, hopefully I can get the right one in the US and send it back with Grant.

The construction team finished the cement floor in the church and they were very happy about this. The floor project has been in the works for almost 2 years. It is tough to not help with so many little things that you know a couple of bucks could solve the problem and potentially change a community livelihood for years to come. Not to mention the opportunity we would have to show the Love of Jesus to people who may or may not be believers.

The "Wet Ones" came back with good news today the well we drilled 2 days ago will be up and running the first part of next week and the water supply looks great. Hallelujah praise the Lord…

Tomorrow morning Saturday we are leaving the school at 5:00am to go to a Game Park that is about a 2 hour drive away. Then on Sunday everyone but Robert and me will go to regular church service. Robert and I will be going with Herb Hofferman to a village about 100miles from here. We leave early in the morning on Sunday and return late at night. We will enjoy baptisms and communion with our brothers and sisters in the bush. This should prove to be a very memorable moment for the 2 of us.

It amazes me how we came over to serve others, but you can’t help but feel like we are the ones receiving all the blessings from those who have little to nothing in relation to possessions to offer us. What they lack in stuff they make up for 1,000 times over with smiles, love, generosity, hospitality, kindness, etc… These people are truly amazing, putting it mildly.

I will say it again if you have never been on a mission trip drop whatever you are doing and go sign up now… If you have been in the past what are you waiting for this is old news to you and you know what you are missing out on…

In His Grip,
Glen

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 8

Jambo,

I have stayed back at LJS (Lutheran Junior Seminary) today to try and fix some of their computers. The 2 computers that are in the common area that everyone has access to are very-very-very-very slow. In case you didn’t understand me I said they are SLOW! The scary thing is I am the one with the most knowledge around here on how to attempt to speed them up just a little bit. They are Pentiums with 48m of ram, running windows 98. It is very frustrating for the students to work on. What would take us back home an hour or two of research will take them weeks (Literally.) This is due to how slow they are and they have to share them too. I would rather have my teeth pulled without anesthesia, than have to do research on these 2 PCs they have here. Some of the foreign students (not all) bring laptops which help out some. But don’t forget there are NO high speed connections here.

The people we have been working with are not in the city areas but rather the outer laying areas around Morogoru.

When I say poor, I don’t think you have the ability to picture what I mean. I know maybe you have seen pictures on TV or documentaries but it is just not the same as seeing and experiencing these things in person. Many of the people we have been with literally wear rags for clothing. I don’t think I am off the mark by saying that in the US we wouldn’t even consider them rags they would be trash. They wear these same clothes day in and day out, for many days in a row before they put on something different, if that option is even available to them… I was talking to Linda Spitalari this morning and while walking with her I asked her what about the greeting she and another woman exchanged. Now get this, I hope you are sitting down; she said the greeting basically was how are you, did you make it through the night, did your family make it through the night, and is everyone in your family ALIVE and ok this day. Wow! Now I don’t know about you, but as a normal casual greeting with someone in the states I have never been concerned about did everyone in your family live through the night (with the exception of people in the hospital). That is how short and devastating it is to live in this country. Grant has told us some really sad stories about unfortunate things happening to people here.

I have to admit you would have to be something other than human to not appreciate ALL of the luxuries we have back in the US . I mean even the smallest of things are HUGE deals in this country.

Now let’s talk about some things that are very positive that we can and have learned from these wonderful people.

• Slow Down
• Put on a smile
• Be thankful & grateful
• Be Happy!
• Take life as it is and enjoy
• Help others in all you do
• Always believe it can be done, especially if you have no other choice ***
• Take time to talk to people and get to know them. Care about their families and loved ones.

Probably one of the most important and enjoyable things here is to spend time with our unbelievably kind, gracious, considerate, loving, giving, servants of God.

Grant Miller ( he is our Asbury Man, born & raised in our Church)
Robert & Linda Spitalari (Missionaries)
Herb & Kierstan Hofferman (Missionaries) Staff and others at LJS

I just want to make sure all of our Asbury friends know just how much EVERYONE here appreciates all we do as the body of Christ for our brothers and sisters here in Tanzania . I still cannot put into words the way in which we are enhancing their way of life by installing water wells and building churches and supporting evangelists in these remote areas of the world. May God continue to bless our church and all of those who support us with their Prayers, gifts, talents, service and witness… I love you all…

IN His Grip,
Glen

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 7

Jambo,

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Well, no pun intended, the "Wet Ones" kicked me off their team today… Not really, but that sounds better than they needed me on the construction team. Today we were back at the church were we worshipped at on Sunday in Gezeloule. Today we were pouring a concrete floor for them. There were many men their working along side of us. It was amazing watching them hand mix almost 5 yards of concrete. The truth is "we" the men, were playing soccer with kids while the men of the village were mixing concrete. We had a blast watching the kids eat the sour Jolly Rancher candy (tum-tum) that I brought for them. I am just guessing but I don’t think they had ever tasted any candy like that before today.

The "Wet Ones" had lots of planning with village leaders to clear paths for the drilling rig to get to the well sight. It is interesting all the villages have community leaders called "Chairman"; it was a chairman that I gave my hat to yesterday.

Everyone is very pleased with the amount of work both teams are able to accomplish in the short amount of time we are here.

On the interesting side we had a bat flying around in the dining hall this evening while we were eating. We also had a famous artist (wood carver) bring some of his goods in for a private showing and sale. I was able to get some great stuff at a great price.

We had a wonderful Devotion tonight. We all talked about our families in depth. It was an assignment I gave the group so we could get to know each other on a more personal level. Then we spent about an hour talking about Matthew 25 (the least of these). We had a great discussion.

Again, I just can’t begin to tell you all what you are missing out on by not being involved in missions. For those of you who participate in mission trips I am just wetting your appetite, preparing, and encouraging you for your next great adventure; whether it be across town or across the globe.

In His Grip,
Glen

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 6

Habari,

Well, it just gets old telling you all the same old thing, but I guess I have to. Just another unbelievable day in paradise. I don’t have much to report from the construction team. They went and finished some work on the Evangelist home where we had been working and spent a lot of time with the kids. They had some fun entertaining them and Bill even road a bicycle backwards sitting on the handle bars (no accident). This amazed everyone but I think it amazed the team the most… haha

Now, do I have some stories to tell. I joined the "Wet Ones" today on a drilling project. Oh, I guess I need to tell you they did not like me naming them the "Wet Ones" and therefore nicknamed me for the day "Wet Wipe"… I guess that let’s you in on a secret we are all bonding really well and having plenty of fun with each other. We were at Mananila drilling a well; we found water and are going to set a pump there for the locals. We found out some interesting facts. For one this well will help over 400 people that live in the bush and believe me when I say bush, they are in the jungle. It was about a 40 minute trip into the plains and over some hills and valleys. There, nestled in a valley was the most beautiful area. It looked like what I imagined an Oasis would look like in the dessert. They had banana trees, papaya, peppers, corn, and onions. Just the most amazing green in an environment of jungle that was mostly brush with the occasional tree here and there. Most of the trees are very small. The reason for this is they cut down the big ones and make charcoal out of them. We had a great day working with the villagers. When we left at the end of the day, we had one of the locals run in front of our vehicle looking out for stumps and cut off brush that will spear the tires and result in a flat tire, which they had 2 days ago. This guy ran for over a mile in front of our vehicle and never broke a sweat or even started breathing hard. These are amazing people and I could go on and on for hours.

Well, they are going to run us out of the computer room soon, so I have to wrap up. We went to a worship service tonight where Grant Miller preached the gospel and we had communion. You should hear these kids sing - it is unbelievable…

In His Grip,
Glen

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 5

Habari,

Hey all - just another wonderful day in paradise. We had a great day today on the construction team and everything went as planned. We were even able to do additional work at the church we had not planned on.

We completed the trusses and made perlins for them as well.

We are having a great experience with the people of this village. We had some extra time on our hands today so Bill, Mike, Bo and I went for a walk in the bush with some of the people of the village in search of Baboons. EUREKA >>> We found them - several different groups of them actually. We couldn’t get any closer than about 75-100 yards. It was awesome just walking in the bush with these other men. They have a unique custom of holding hands with you as you walk along. In America not only would I probably not do this, I would feel very uncomfortable as well. They don’t do it every time you walk; just occasionally. It’s really quite cool and humbling. These people teach you life lessons that you will never forget, but probably have a hard time adhering to them when you return.

The water well team or as I called them tonight the "Wet Ones" had another great day filled with tons of walking and searching with the Massai people. They all came back with many questions about the clothing that is worn and the significance it represents. They wear very beautifully colored clothing and lots of jewelry too. They also have these plastic white sandals as part of their attire. They found a well that had been dug 15 meters deep by a small boy (Chief’s son) this is close to 50’ and it was only about 30 inches wide. I can only imagine what that was like.

Both teams are having a great time and we are both experiencing two completely different yet similar things along the way. We have people interacting with us on the construction team. The "Wet Ones" are dealing with tribal elders and many other things in an attempt to start the drilling process for new wells.

Bo and I had a great time this evening at a meditation area that looks out across the plains that are at the base of the Uruguru mountain range. I don’t know how tall they are but I would guess at least 5,000 feet. These aren’t the hills of Oklahoma … I would call it a beauty that you cannot imagine without being here. So, have you signed up for your next mission trip yet, or even your first one, what are you waiting for? You too can be a part of Asbury’s wonderful mission experience serving God and others… I will close with letting you all know we have been praying for Mary Ann, Bill Abernathy , and Mark Watkins as they head to Azerbaijan . We wish them well and pray that God will work through them in mighty & powerful ways.

P.S. It’s Bo’s 45th birthday tomorrow and we have something special planned for him… In His Grip, Glen

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 4

Habari,

Wow, I realize this is just a 3 letter word but I just can’t think of what to say about so many different things.

The construction team was building trusses today for a new church. We have to build 10 trusses. This is more than normal for the typical church. They usually build 4 trusses. This church is an actual brick building with windows and a door, but dirt floors. The work was very hard and hot, but extremely rewarding to know that a new church is going to give worship opportunities and so many other things to yet another community. Again we had a great meal and I was shocked to have such great food. God has gone before me and provided the entire mission team with outstanding food.

The water well team had a great day working with the Massai tribe and was able to actually explore drilling in 3 different locations. They too had a wonderful meal. They had the opportunity to change a tire, meet some new people, and show God’s love to others with their servant hearts.

The financial backing from Asbury offers a whole new way of life to a group of people half way around the world. I don’t want anyone to under estimate the great things that the body of Christ called Asbury is doing for our Christian brothers and sister here in Tanzania . We are truly helping them change what they had for centuries believed was their way of life, in a way that enhances all their lives, and the community they live in.

I just have to say I think everyone needs to experience a mission trip. So, if you haven’t scheduled one what are you waiting for? Get with it, you’re wasting time, burning day light, resting on your laurels…haha J I guess you get the message. Tom and Mary Ann are not the only ones that think everyone should be involved in missions.

I will close with I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring. Oh, we are having a rain shower right now and it’s not the rainy season, just another miracle from God… I was talking with Bo on the way over to send this email (he walks over here with me every night) anyway we were discussing how easy it is to see God’s hand at work in a place like this on a trip like this… Wow, what a joy it is to walk with Jesus…

In His Grip,
Glen & Bo

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 3

Habari…

I will start with wow!!! What a day we had today. We were blessed with wonderful worship and fellowship at Gezaulole. This is the village where the first water well was drilled. It was wonderful to see the economic impact and other uses for this well. The well, besides doing the very obvious (providing healthy and clean drinking water,) has allowed them the opportunity to start making bricks. In return this has given them the opportunity to start growing their community. The village has a much better countenance - the people are great! Several of the groups that had been there previously were able to share stories of changes in the lives of those they had met in the past trips.

One of the many highlights of the day was when Mike Mastraccio gave a young man his ball cap. The young man was wearing a ball cap that literally was torn to shreds, not just holes but rather strings… Mike gives him the hat and he just began to glow and instantly threw his old hat into the bush. It was very funny and everyone laughed but you can tell he was overjoyed to receive the hat as a useful and needed gift.

We are having wonderful devotions at night. The food has been GREAT! You have to understand this is coming from a person who feared what I may have to eat (I am very picky.) They served us great food, broke out the China, and best of everything to show us their gratitude.

We met Leonard, the resident evangelist, and his brother who is a traveling Evangelist, who gave the message today. It was a great story about the widow’s mite and being thankful for all the ways you can give and receive blessings. I was touched beyond measure and we were lucky he insisted that Grant interpret for us, which I understand is not always done (it can be disruptive.)

We also were blessed with being present for an auction. This is where they bring things in and our entire group bought everything and then we gave it to those who could use the items that we purchased. It is a great system where we overpay and then give everything away … The people would run up and fan you, it was in fun and they are singing to you and trying to encourage you to bid higher… The highest priced item purchased today was a large bag of corn, which we gave back to the church. You should have seen the look on those faces around the circle as the priced just continued to rise. You have to understand we are just having a great time bidding against one another. There is no attempt to try to purchase the items for the lowest price possible. It’s the exact opposite we are trying to see just how much we can pay…
This is such a beautiful place with the mountains and valleys. It is truly amazing. Tomorrow the construction team is going to Maseyu to put a roof on a church there. The water well team is off Sietema to check on a local for a new well. We stopped to see 2 other churches that have been either built or worked on by Asbury Mission teams. We also witnessed first hand the horrible water that these people have to use when there is no water well. I cannot put into words the blessings we are giving these people, village upon village by drilling these wells.

Well, I will sign off for now and ask that you continue to remember the teams in your prayers...

In His Grip,
Glen

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 2

Habari,

Well we arrived finally and all is well. The accommodations are great and the hospitality too. I am really happy to admit it is great being 5’8" tall, because poor Jack who is 6’5" tall had a terrible experience on the plane being jammed into the seats. The girl in front of him even insisted on reclining her seat to add to his misery. I guess as we talked earlier he was suffering for Jesus.

I have to report that Bo is one up on me. We have decided to have a snake killing contest. We were hardly here an hour an Bo takes his first victim. It was an 20’ long spitting Cobra… NOT REALLY! It was about as big around as a pencil and wouldn’t kill or hurt a bumble bee…

If you were here, you would know that last year Bo killed a snake which is not done very often here, so they were all talking about it when we arrived.

Our flight was about 32 hours long total and took approximately 48 hours to actually get here to the LJS. It is a very beautiful place with a magnificent mountain range to gaze upon. We are in a flat land. Bo and I just walked past a church service going on and we are anxious to get back there. It is Saturday night here almost 10:00pm. We were experiencing the Holy Spirit in that service in a mighty and memorable way. I will right more later I have to get off the computer now. I actually tried to email when we arrived but had problems with the PC… Surprise surprise…

In His Grip,
Glen & Bo

Asbury VIM Construction/Water Well mission trip - Entry 1

Habari

The team has reached Tanzania . We left Tulsa on schedule at 6:00 am Thursday arriving in Detroit . There we enjoyed a great brunch at the Cracker B arrel. From there it was on to the Henry Ford museums. We had a limited amount of time there and then back to the airport. B o was the first one off to Amsterdam . We tried in vain to get him moved to the flight the remainder of the team was on but to no avail. We rejoined B o at Amsterdam and then after a couple hour layover it was on to Dar. We arrived on schedule to find all of our luggage as well as Robert, Linda and Grant waiting to pick us up. The travel indeed had gone smoothly.
We spent the night at the Catholic guest house (God bless those Catholics) and awoke for a 7:00 am breakfast. At the same time the water well team met with their contractor Wilson to discuss the progress and problems of the deep wells that they are attempting. The construction team moves on to the LJS for some more rest.

At the Catholic guest house Glen experienced his first internet problem. He spent much time composing a message to send back only to have the system go down and then they switched from the power grid to their generator and then there was something else so he never got a message off.

We are currently resting at the LJS awaiting the water well team. We lunched on potatos, rice, greens and meat with bananas for a fruit. We did stop on the road for some cashews. The construction team (Dwight, B o, Glen, B ill and Mike) are staying a the guest house adjacent to Grant's while the water Well team (Jack, Robert and Mark) will be staying in the rooms for the language seminary.

Sometime ask Jack how well a 6 ft 5 inches guy fits into the KLM economy seats. Pray that the return trip he can get the bulkhead.

Tomorrow we go to one of the villages to worship.

Mike Mastraccio

Day Eight - Tanzania - Homeward Bound!

Friends and Family,

Sadly we have reached the end of the journals. This update will be the last, as we will be boarding the plane for home tomorrow night. But of course, I will give you a synopsis, however brief, of our final full day.

We started the morning bright and early, boarding the bus at 5:15. We drove a little over an hour to an animal park, where we would spend the rest of our morning. Our bus drove us around to look through the park for quite sometime, allowing us the opportunity to see a variety of different animals, including many elephants, giraffes, and zebras. We were even able to see a few hippos residing in a pond in the park. The park experience was very enjoyable, and before heading home we stopped at the gift shop and to buy cokes.

We drove back and just barely made it back in time for some lunch, and had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves. Some of us stayed at LJS to pack; others went into town, while a few shopped one last time with the vendors. This evening we went to a restaurant in town that served us pizza. It was quite the sight for sore eyes. It definitely wasn't Hideaway quality, but as a college student, it was better than most of the food I eat on campus. We enjoyed our last dinner together as a team before returning to Dar es Salaam tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning we will have a devotional meeting as a team, and then we will head into Dar es Salaam soon after lunch. We will have a chance to see the Indian Ocean and spend some time in the city before going to the airport. Our flight leaves just before midnight tomorrow and we will be flying over 8 hours to Amsterdam. From there we once again fly through Detroit and then home to Tulsa (or for Jennifer and Katie, St. Louis). Twenty-four hours after our first flight takes off, a tired team will return home. We all look forward to seeing you, and we all are talking about our first meal back. Something tells me it won't involve rice or beans... Please pray for safety in travel, and please pray that we will still seek our opportunities to glorify God. I've been on enough mission trips to know that some of the best opportunities to share with people
can come on the plane flight home. So while our trip comes to a close, we still have plenty left to go.

I've enjoyed writing you each evening and look forward to seeing you. I hope my long-winded journals have kept your interest throughout the week, and I hope I have provided quality insight into what our team experienced this week. Thank you one last time for your prayers and support.

Kwa hari (goodbye)
Ryan

Day Seven - Tanzania

Hello once again!

My day in a nutshell:

• 45 minutes of off-roading up and down mountains: painful
• 20 minute hike: tiring
• Singing 6 songs at an afternoon church service: embarrassing
• Helping spread the Word of Christ to the Masai: priceless
  (Thanks to Jeffrey Harrison for that introduction.)

Today was the day that Jordan, Jeffrey, Katie, Jennifer, and I all went on an adventure with Herb. I'm not sure I've mentioned Herb before so I'll spend a minute explaining who he is. Herb is an American, born and raised in the upper Midwest. He went to a Lutheran college in Iowa and also attended seminary. When he was in his 20s, he felt called to become a missionary in Tanzania, and moved here to LJS to attend language school. It was here he met his wife, and he has been living here ever since. He has lived here for over 40 years now. I will describe his typical day as I explain the events of my day.

Indeed we drove quite a distance in order to reach the village this morning. We drove about 45 minutes on the main road, and then spent another 45 minutes taking the "road less traveled." The path to the village was a dirt road. I must say that I once thought that driving on Lewis was very narrow; my perception was changed today. The road was hardly wide enough for Herb's SUV to fit through at times. I kept wondering what would happen if we encountered another vehicle on the road, but it was clear that no other vehicles were traveling on the road all day; our only encounters were with some of the local people.

The "villages" that we passed were very spread out; at times it felt as if we were searching for a needle in a haystack. As we drove along, Herb said, "If we pass a certain village, we're lost." Add this to the list of things that one never wants to hear when in Africa. A few minutes later, Herb said, "Oops," and we were forced to turn around and retrace our path. (This made that list as well.) We finally reached our destination after passing over a couple of mountains and by a few homes along the way, all made of grass, mud, and sticks.

When we got out, a lively old man was there to greet us. We thought for a time that he was the owner of the land and had an incredible amount of energy, but we later found out that he was the "town jester" who floated from village to village, encouraging people along the way. He gave us quite the tour of the land, however, and we met the cows, goats, and sheep that were on the property. He had so much energy we doubted his sanity for a little while, but he certainly made our morning memorable.

After our jester experience we walked about 20 minutes to another village, and then walked to where we would be having church. The location of their church reminded me of the top of the "mountain" at Camp Egan; it was on the top of a hill and was overlooking the countryside. It was small, with only a few benches and a small pulpit. The church service included about 25 people from the two villages. I should not forget to mention that in each village we met about 15 or 20 people, mostly women and children. I brought the guitar along with us today, and Herb asked us to sing multiple times during church. We were quite an anomaly to the people, and the "choir," as we were named, was warmly received.

The highlight of the service came when Herb baptized some of the people. Some young men were baptized, with ages similar to those of our group - 19, 20, and 22. There were also young babies baptized, and they were to receive Christian names upon their baptism. The children were named Jennifer, Jeffrey, and Katrina, after our group, and another was named Hoffermann, which is Herb's last name. It was a humbling experience to have children named after us, especially since they had only known us for such a short time. This village was called Choza, and Herb commented that he had only established communication with them for a short time, since April. The young men were so excited that they were being baptized, and as we have experienced many times during our stay in Tanzania, their hearts were clearly very passionate for the Lord.

The village that we visited today consisted of Maasai people. They, along with the Kami people, are the two most prominent people groups in the area, and have been the ones we have dealt with all week in the clinic. I had intentions of explaining their differences, but this short space would not suffice, and pictures would certainly help. Therefore, I will leave it for the team to describe the differences when we all return home.

I am told that the clinic was somewhat smooth today; the number of people needing medical attention was much smaller, but we were still able to see a fair amount of patients. Nevertheless, the team packed up a couple of hours early, as soon as we ran out of medications. Bert Johnson and the dental team were at the seminary today caring for the students here. We are thankful that we can help to care for some of the people that have made our experience here at LJS so pleasant.

My lengthy journal will end here for the night, as I look at my watch and realize that we are boarding the bus in 7 short hours. We are going to the animal park tomorrow and are to be ready for the bus at 5:15. I also hear that we get pizza tomorrow night! Please pray for the safety of the team as we travel tomorrow, and for patience and energy as the trip comes to a close. Thank you for your continued support.

Ryan

Days Five and Six - Tanzania

Good Afternoon America!

As promised, the internet was down last night and I was unable to write. In tonight's installment of the team journal I'll catch you up from events over the last couple of days.

Both days have been spent at the clinic once again, with nearly the exact same routine as the first two. I believe I forgot to mention how many people we saw on Tuesday; our final count was 39 children, 87 adults with medical problems; 15 saw the dentist, and 150 saw the optometrists. Our numbers have been somewhat similar all four days.

Each morning we leave LJS at 8:00 and ride in the bus to the church. When we arrive, we set up our equipment and supplies for the day, just before a large group meeting. Each morning the people sing a song or two and then Raymond leads a morning devotional. While he gives the sermon in Swahili, we were told today that he spoke about the story of Mary and Martha. After the sermon, we return to our workstations and begin our day. Yesterday, Raymond requested that I bring the guitar to the church the next morning. Therefore, today, after the people sang one song, our team sang two songs for them. The songs of choice were "This is the Day that the Lord has Made" and "Jesus Loves Me." It was quite the elementary school flashback, but our team did well and we were well received.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go and see Raymond's home. It was across the street from the church and up on the side of a hill. It took us less than ten minutes to walk to it, passing by other homes along the way. He has a nice home, where he and his wife live along with their two children and two nieces. His children's names are Happiness (Happi for short) and Emanuel. When we arrived at the house, Raymond started looking for the key that they hide under some rocks. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to locate the key, so he had to call his wife from his cell phone to see if she had it, or if she would send one of the kids to come and find it. I laughed as I realized that this paralleled many American homes.

When we finally entered, we sat in his living area on his couch and talked for some time, and I had the opportunity to look through his scrapbook that Asbury made him when he visited Tulsa in 2004. Among other things, I saw the family pictures of the Millers, Daltons, and Lesters. I also saw the pictures of Raymond's experience of driving the Dalton's van; I wish I had been there to see that! He talked about how he was going to return to school in the Fall and how he would have to pay rent of $25 per month where he was, and he was worried about the funding for it. I experienced another reality check as I realized how this money was a great sum for him, as it is for everyone in Tanzania; yet for us it seems so small.

His home was by no means large for our standards, but it seemed nice compared to the other homes here. It was built on a solid concrete slab and had strong walls and a metal roof. The entire home was smaller than most one-bedroom apartments, but it works for their family. I noted that behind his home there was a small shed where he kept his goats. I asked him about them and he explained that he had six goats, and he was saving them so that he may buy school
uniforms for his children in the fall. All in all, I enjoyed the experience of visiting Raymond's home.

Our hearts pour out for these people as we continue to medically serve them. We've seen far too many cases to explain in a journal entry, but it's quite amazing to hear some of the stories. One man had a tumor growing on his shoulder blade that had been there for ten years and had been putting stress on his lower back for the past five years. We had one man that cut open his foot and tried to clean up the wound with battery acid; needless to say we had to send him to the hospital. We have noticed that when we ask a patient about malaria, we don't ask if they have had malaria, we ask when was the last time they had it.

Speaking of malaria, Linda, a nurse that lives at LJS, had it a couple of days ago (I mentioned her in the last entry; thank you for your prayers, she has fully healed). It amazes me the hearts of the missionaries who live here. For those missionaries who live here long term, we don't ask if they've had malaria, we ask when they last had malaria. Some of them have mentioned that they (only) get it about once a year; they say it causes flu-like symptoms, but there isn't much they can do to prevent it from affecting them. We were told that a family of six moved here and within 18 months, all of them had suffered from malaria at one point, and two of them had gotten it 3 times each. It's one thing to devote much of one's time to service; it's quite another to do it at the expense of one's health at times. The people here are not lukewarm about what they do; they truly are passionate for the African people and it is inspiring to absorb their attitudes and spirits. The Lord has truly blessed them with servants' hearts.

Last night we were able to attend the Wednesday night service that is held at the seminary. Along with many students, we sung hymns, listened to songs of praise by the choirs, listened to a sermon (in English), and received communion. We enjoyed the experience to worship alongside our Swahili speaking brothers and sisters in Christ.

My last topic of the day will concern our translators. Most of them are in their early 20s and live at the seminary. They have a variety of different aspirations for their lives; one is going to medical school in September, another is a Swahili teacher here at LJS, and another will be attending college soon. They have been so incredibly helpful this week; I can't describe it enough in this short space. Aside from translating for us, their attitudes have been very positive, never once complaining about being tired or hungry or anything else. They work hard and have been a joy to be around. Additionally, the cooks and all of the other people we have worked with have had similar attitudes and have been uplifting to our team.

As 8:00 local time approaches now, I must go to our nightly worship meeting. Please pray that we will have enough supplies tomorrow; the amount of drugs that remain is thin. The team is becoming slightly more tired, but grumbling is still rare. As a praise report, supplies seem to keep showing up like loaves and fish. As soon as we don't think we will have glasses for a patient, one pair seems to appear in the bottom of a bag. As another example, Scott Mays had a patient today that cut her foot open about a year ago, but it never fully healed. He gave her a bandage, but she wanted to run on it soon and would not be able to without a brace. He happened to bring along one foot brace on this trip, and it just so happened that it fit perfectly on the injured foot of his patient. Praise the Lord for the plans he had in store long before we came! Thank you once again for your continued prayers.

Ryan

Day Four - Tanzania

When I say Habari, you would respond with "Nzuri." This was my Swahili lesson of the day. So once again, I will greet you with Habari!

Structurally, today was very similar to yesterday, as we setup the clinic at the same location. This will be the scenario daily until Friday. The only exception is that Jeffrey and Dana took an adventure today and went into the village today to learn more about the people and their way of life. I have been told that I will be taking that same adventure on Friday along with Jordan Hill, so if that happens I will certainly share my experiences at that time.

Each morning vendors greet us at our bus stop. Each of them has a variety of items that they obviously are trying to sell to us. The rule of thumb is to not buy at the beginning of the week and risk something not being there in hopes that the price will decrease as the week progresses. It is Tuesday and I have yet to purchase anything from them, although I have my eye on a few things. The big winner on our team started at a price of 150,000 shillings (roughly $150) and worked him down to 40,000. Most of us have enjoyed the daily bargaining, and hopefully will have great souvenirs to show from it.

Since I am a "helper" this week, I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of different areas. I hope that by sharing my individual experiences, it will provide a general picture of most of the areas in which our team is working. I started this morning in triage; Janet Craig was kind enough to teach me the routine and before long I was on my own. The patients' first stop is at triage, where their vitals are taken along with their chief complaint. From there we release them to go wait for the doctor. The last two days triage has worked much faster and we have had a brigade of patients waiting for physicians by lunch, so we have shifted those working in triage to seeing patients and helping in the pharmacy in the afternoon. Fortunately our team is very flexible, and it seems that we have just the right cast of characters for our tasks. A medical student named Alexis, who grew up in Asbury, has joined us this week. It has been a blessing to have her, and she is now seeing many children to help ease the workload. She is spending her entire summer in Africa, and God has so clearly set her heart on the African people. Nancy, a fourth year PA student, has also been able to make the shift from triage to seeing patients, which also helps to ease the strain on everyone else. It has been made so clear to us that the Lord has handpicked our team; each member has a specific purpose that he or she is fulfilling so well. Our entire team has been so helpful and encouraging throughout the week, and when hardships are encountered everyone is willing to help or be flexible in all the situations that have arisen.

As I was working in triage, most of the cases began to sound similar: headache, stomachache, back pain, rash, etc. After a while I got used to the routine and started to coast, when one woman had a slightly different story. "What's wrong," I asked. "I'm HIV positive," she replied. I paused for a moment, not exactly expecting such a strong answer. It was a little bit of a shock and made me realize once again that I was in Africa, a continent plagued by rapidly spreading cases of HIV. Although this was the first person that I had seen who was confirmed as HIV positive, I'm sure that there were many others like her, but they did not share their entire story with me.

Late in the day when most of us were finishing up our last patients, some of us had the opportunity to play with the children that were hanging around the clinic. We recognized some of the children; many of them were at church on Sunday. Jordan Hill worked hard to teach them the names of different body parts in English, enough to teach them the song, "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." It was quite the sight to see four of us leading 30 kids in singing this song. After they mastered that, we taught them the chicken dance. Unfortunately some of this was caught on film; something we may regret as soon as we return to the states. We enjoyed spending time with the kids, however, and we love getting to build relationships with them. I am looking forward to seeing my favorite children the next few days, and I am sure that they are exciting that we will be returning.

We became much more popular when they discovered that the optometrists had sunglasses that they were giving away to some of the patients. Everybody wanted sunglasses, but we did not have enough to go around. But Scott Mays, who has a seemingly bottomless bag of toys for children, was able to give all of them a new pen to enjoy (not just a regular pen, they all clicked on and off... much to the dismay of mothers everywhere). We joke that if we were patients, we would want to see him because he has so many fun toys.

I will mention a couple more short stories before I finish for the night. First of all, Jordan Hill is afraid of bats. When I say afraid, I mean terrified. We had one that was flying around the dining hall this morning. This did not phase most of us, but Jordan was not "most of us."

This story is still developing and may become funnier as the week progresses. We're all enjoying making comments about bats to Jordan, which are always followed by a "gotcha!" or a "made ya look." To make matters worse, this afternoon Jordan was walking in the seminary and one bat flew right by his head and another flew right into his chest, hit him, got back up and flew around right in front of him before finally flying off. As I said, this story continually becomes funnier. I will keep you updated.

My final comment will be on the fact that we had chicken tonight for dinner. Chicken! We couldn't believe it. And it was actually pretty good! I have been told that overall the food has improved here over the last three years. Mom, maybe you should get their recipe for the chicken. (I'm serious; it was good!)

I will finish today's post by listing some specific prayer requests, as some of you have requested them. Nancy broke her collarbone about three weeks ago and it is still very sore, so please pray that it will continue to heal and will not trouble her during the day. Linda, a missionary nurse who lives at the seminary, was of great help to us on Monday, but unfortunately last night she was struck with a case of Malaria and was bed-ridden throughout all of today. It was her fourth time to get malaria in the 2.5 years she has lived here. Please pray for a speedy recovery for her. Please pray for the children that we are seeing; many of them may not get adequate treatment because their parents will not take them to a hospital when needed. Thank you all for your continued prayers and emails. I look forward to writing you tomorrow!

Ryan

Day Three - Tanzania

Habari! (It means hello in Swahili)

I was told before we came here that Grant does not wear a watch because hours and minutes really didn't matter here. To a large extent, that is very true. Outside of the meal times being somewhat consistent from day to day, the sun dictates when we rise and when we go to bed. Since we are so near the equator, the day is right at 12 hours. Therefore, it is light at 6:30AM and dark at 6:30PM (quite the change from the late summer sunset at home). We have worship nightly at 7, and by this time it is pitch black.

After breakfast we went to the village and setup the clinic in preparation for the day. We actually held the clinic in the same buildings that were dedicated yesterday, the church and the evangelistic center. These two buildings actually provided the perfect location to hold a clinic, as there was enough space for everything we needed. The people waited in a line outside of the church, upon entering their first stop was triage. The nurses checked their vital signs and found out the gist of what was wrong, before assigning them to their final destination. They had three choices, optometry, dentistry, or medicine.

Katie and Jennifer (our optometrists) established an efficient system very quickly - they saw the most patients and finished the day with a count of 156. This number becomes even more impressive considering their machine that was going to assist them quit working not even one hour into the morning. The girls said that everyone was very grateful to receive glasses, especially the ones that needed a strong prescription and couldn't see before receiving them.

Once the doctors and the pharmacy had a little practice under their respective belts, the business started rolling through much more quickly later in the day. The collection of physicians that we have is actually perfect: one pediatrician, one family practitioner, one internist, and one cardiologist. It provides an excellent balance and they have learned to work very well as a team. Each has his own exam room, as does our dentist. The patients are sent to the pharmacy to receive their medications after their exam, where our amazing pharmacist, Alison Anderson, and her team work hard to fill the prescriptions and get the people on their way.

The numbers from the day are as follow: 58 adults and 43 children were seen by the physicians and 14 patients were seen by the dentist.

I will mention that while many of the cases that we saw included Malaria and worms, I will comment on a couple specific stories from the day.

I held a variety of responsibilities throughout the day, and part of it I spent shadowing physicians. My dad, Rodney, saw a 73 year old woman who experienced some back pain and also joint pain in her hands and knees. After speaking to her for a short time, he diagnosed her with having arthritis, prescribed her with something to help, and was ready to see the next patient. She kindly thanked us and then said something that stuck out among everyone from the day: she had walked over 4 miles to see us that morning and was so thankful to see the doctor. We stood there stunned for a moment trying to imagine what it would be like to:

1. Walk to see a doctor while being in pain
2. Walk four miles period (especially in Tulsa)
3. Walk four miles with arthritis while being 73 years old

My second and final specific story of the day involves our dentist, Bert Johnson. He and Pastor Tom pulled teeth for most of the patients they saw. While they were pulling one particular person's tooth, after the initial force, the tooth flew out of the mouth, up into the air, and straight down into Bert's shirt. Amid the surprised expression and laughter from the room, he shook the tooth out from the bottom of his shirt and admitted that it was the first time that had ever happened to him. The rest of the clinic had a good laugh and after he cleaned up, Bert was fine.

Bonus Feature of the Day: Pictures!

We have not taken a group photo yet so I cannot send a picture of everyone, but each of these includes different members of the team. Let me make quick comments on all of the pictures although I believe they speak for themselves.

Janet Craig is seeing a patient with a translator in one of them. In another, Nancy Thompson and Jordan Hill are talking to patients.

Pastor Tom and Bert Johnson are showing their pearly whites as they help to make others' look as nice. There is one shot of the many people we helped today as they were waiting to see a doctor; as you can see, our first day was busy!

The final picture is of Marilene and Gregg as they are standing with a translator on the far right and an evangelist next to him. His story was fantastic and I thought I would share. A few months ago, Asbury sent some money for famine relief; these people desperate needed food and their next real stock of food would not come until the corn was harvested in three months. With the help of Robert, an agricultural specialist (and the fifth person in the picture), they were able to grow a special kind of pea that would harvest much faster than the corn. These peas also provided much more nutritional value than the corn that they would be eating. The community had reached the point at which they could not even eat everyday, and they had to ration their food; thus it was truly a blessing for them to receive these crops.

Unfortunately I cannot promise that I will be able to send anymore pictures, because I had to borrow a student's laptop in order to upload them onto a computer. The computer that I'm typing on right now (circa 1997) probably could not handle digital pictures. You should see us trying to use these computers; it's quite the test of patience. It takes me about 15 minutes to check 5 emails each night; broadband has spoiled us. Additionally, I was told that this is one of the faster internet connections that Tanzania receives.

Everything else is going well thus far! Thank you for your prayers and also for your emails! It was great to see the inbox tonight. Oh, and Frank, please send drugs!

Ryan

Day Two - Tanzania

Let me preface this entry by introducing to some of you to three main people in our lives this week.

Grant Miller - Our full-time missionary from Asbury who lives here in Tanzania. He lives at LJS and some of us are actually housed right next door to him this week.

Raymond Dunia - an evangelist who serves at Fulwe and is going to school to become a pastor. We have developed a relationship with him throughout the last five years as we have come here on various mission trips for construction and drilling water wells.

Bishop Jacob Mameo - We met Jacob a number of years ago and helped to fund his education in Washington State. He is now the acting bishop over a number of churches in the area and has become one of our greatest success stories as his influence has grown immensely.

Last night we were receiving a synopsis of today's events and the dialogue went something like this:

Team: "What time will we leave tomorrow?"

Grant: "We'll head out about 8:30."

Team: "Oh, that's good, what time will church be over?"

Grant: "Well, tomorrow's service should be pretty short, I think we'll be out by about 4:00."

Team: "Oh, alright; when do we get lunch?"

Grant: "As soon as service ends."

Today we went to a building dedication ceremony for the congregation at Fulwe; two buildings were opened today, an evangelistic center and a church.

These buildings had been funded by Asbury and the people planned the dedication ceremony around our arrival. The morning started with a brass band playing and the people singing songs of praise as everyone entered the area before worship. The congregation sang hymns before the dedication. The singing was beautiful; they must have had five different harmonies, all in perfect pitch. It was quite a sight to witness the music they could produce.

After the singing, we all walked around the church three times to complete the dedication. Our team made many jokes about not walking around seven times and yelling, or else the walls may come tumbling down. After this the church service began, numerous dignitaries were introduced. There were four choirs that came from all over Tanzania to perform for this special occasion. We learned that some of these choirs practice up to three nights a week, and it certainly showed. Their performances would have made Hart Morris and Geoff Logan proud, as the choirs were more animated than I've ever seen any Methodists. Their love of Christ was evident on their faces and they weren't afraid to show it. The people were proud that they know Christ, and it was refreshing to see such energy in worship. Some of us commented that at times the singing was so amazing that it felt as if we had front row seats to a Broadway musical.

We had the privilege of sharing in communion with the people, and they were very warm in welcoming and receiving us throughout the entire service. Some of our group commented that even though the songs were sung in Swahili, some of the members of the congregation tried to help incorporate us by pointing out the words and helping us to follow along with the songs. It was quite an amazing experience to worship with such a passionate and loving people.

I must comment that even though the service lasted over four hours in another language:

1. It was never unbearable for us; at times it seemed a little long but not too bad
2. The children weren't screaming up and down the pews and had no problem sitting still for that amount of time
3. Nobody left early
4. The people were energetic the entire time! When we were losing energy toward the end, it seemed as if the service had just started for these people.

So often it seems as if we take our church for granted, but these people absolutely cherish each and every moment of their Sunday in fellowship with fellow Christians. Without sounding repetitive I just want to note once again how refreshing this is compared to our normal weekly lives at home.

During the offering, many people brought forth items that were to be included in the auction after the service ended. Such items included goats, tea, bananas, watermelons, and cloth. Tom won the bidding on the first goat and then proceeded to donate it to one of the women in the church. Many of us did the same, with Raymond and Grant helping us bid on the various things that were being sold.

Lunch was served (right on time, at 4:00), and we soon returned back to LJS. Dinner soon followed, and then we had worship, reflection, and a devotional. I'm sure we will call it an early night, as our first day of clinic begins tomorrow. Hopefully the men will not encounter the same problem that we had last night - a rooster started to sound off at 3:15 in the morning. Oh the joys of living next to the animals.

Thank you for your continued prayers and also for your emails. I don't think all of the team has checked their email yet but some of us do daily, and words of encouragement are always welcome to find in the inbox.

Ryan

Day One - Tanzania

Greetings from Tanzania!

It's wonderful to finally be here! We had quite the flight schedule on the way here; it included a long layover in Detroit and two 8+ hour flights to Amsterdam and Dar es Salaam. After about 36 hours of fairly smooth traveling we finally reached our destination, albeit exhausted and ready for bed. The Lord has blessed us with safe travel, and prayers have been answered as all of our team luggage (and therefore our medication) arrived on time. Additionally, customs did not give us many problems and we were able to leave the airport without much resistance. Grant was there to receive us and it was very comforting to see a friendly face after such a long travel.

Walking outside of the airport felt very similar to a warm Houston night, very humid and muggy. The city is right on the coast of the Indian Ocean, hence the moist air. Contrary to popular opinion, swarms of mosquitoes were not there to greet us as the sliding doors opened to the outside, but we have had our fair share of swatting the pests. We rode by bus to a Catholic Guesthouse. By this time it was about midnight local time, and we were certainly ready for bed. The quarters were quite nice and we all had showers, which was our primary concern.

The next morning we had breakfast and left for Mogoro, the location of the Lutheran Junior Seminary, where we will be staying the rest of the week. The bus ride was about three hours long, which allowed plenty of time to make observations. Poverty seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. It looks very similar here as it does in Guatemala City, where I have been on youth missions. The nicer homes near the road we traveled on were made of cinder blocks and metal sheets; others were made of wood and straw. We saw some people "mowing" the native grass along the side of the road, but it wasn't with the lawn mowers that we are used to; they were swinging machetes back and forth, cutting down the grass until it was an acceptable height.

Since it was Saturday, it was a busy day for the various markets that we passed, and when the bus stopped the people tried to sell us the many items that they had. The nice buildings and cars that we are surrounded by at home were nowhere to be found. Logic told me that if there were so many old cars, then at one point we would have to pass some newer cars, but I was wrong. Occasionally we saw a newer building, but it was rare. Ironically, we passed an enormous stadium that was being built, and we were told it was going to be for soccer. On a related note, the airport was by no means luxurious but somehow it had flat screen televisions that were replaying World Cup highlights. These people love their soccer.

The drive was interesting; we all fit on a bus that seemed to hum and rattle a little at high speeds. Also, passing other vehicles on the two-lane highway doesn't feel like the safest activity, but we made it to our destination safely. On our pit stop about halfway, I noted that while Pepsi and Coke was only 30 cents per bottle, gas was more expensive than back home, coming in at a little more than $3.50 per gallon.

We arrived to LJS just after noon, and immediately had lunch. The food was good - hot dogs, rice and beans, and the best pineapple I've ever had. The team's spirits were high as the good meal came as a surprise to some of us. We settled into our rooms and spent the rest of the day relaxing. The doctors went to the nearest pharmacy to purchase more medicine. I was told they were able to buy $300 worth of medications that would have cost about $3,000 in the states. As you can imagine, this was yet another blessing.

This evening we ate dinner and had a worship and devotional time, which was followed by an "unpacking party," in which we sorted the medications and prepared for the rest of the week. As a random observation, I asked Grant this afternoon if it would be a good time to write this journal; he said yes except for one problem: the electricity was turned off. He mentioned that this evening when it was back on, I could write it, assuming the internet was working. I then found out that on Saturday afternoons they ration the electricity in order to save money. Fortunately it was quite the pleasant day, so it was hardly missed during the day. As you can tell, these journals may miss a day or two, depending on the conditions here.

Thank you again for your prayers and your support. The trip has only just begun but the Lord has blessed us as so many things have gone right already. I look forward to writing you again.

Ryan

Asbury Team Arrives in Tanzania!

Just a brief note to let everyone know that I talked with
Grant a few minutes ago (midnite Friday here - 8 am
Saturday in Tanzania). He and Raymond were getting ready to
meet the team downstairs at the guesthouse in Dar es Salaam
for breakfast. Grant said that everyone arrived safely, on
time, and with all their luggage. No problems at all. It
apparently took a bit longer to take care of currency
exchanges, so they did not get to the guesthouse until
around midnight their time. After breakfast they will be on
their way to the seminary, arriving in time for lunch.
Praise God for safe travel and all luggage accounted for!
I'll post any incoming emails just as soon as I receive
them. Stay tuned...
Donna M.

Tanzania Medical Mission 2006

Eighteen members (and friends) of Asbury UMC will be departing for Tanzania this Thursday, July 6, 2006. There are four physicians, four nurses, two optometry students, a pharmacist, a pastor and several helpers. While in Tanzania they will be conducting medical, dental and eye clinics. This will be the seventh year that Asbury has sent a large medical team to minister in Christ's name to the people of Tanzania. Many of the team members have participated in previous mission trips to Tanzania and many are taking family members with them on this trip. Your prayers for the safety and success of team are treasured.

We hope to be bringing you regular updates from the team as often as they have access to the internet from their location. Please check often for a journal of their experiences and to learn of specific prayer requests. In the meantime, please pray for safe travel, good weather, favor with customs officials (for their medical supplies) and for Christ to be honored and lifted up in all they say and do. Please also pray for the team "that they will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love..." (Col. 2:2 NIV)

Estonia Update - Saturday

Hello! We are in Parnu at the Agape Methodist Church and they have somewhat high speed internet. As you may have guessed from the lack of emails, the internet at camp gideon is not really working. Artur's wife Valentina tried very hard to get it to work on her laptop, but the phone line would drop every time I started an email. I will try and update as well as I can, but am going to be sort of brief so I can send the email before any connections fail! We had the most wonderful week at camp! Our team stayed all together in two rooms near the dining hall, which is different from years past because we usually sleep in the lodge in separate rooms. We had the six ladies in one room and the four guys in the other and shared a small kitchen. We have all decided that this was a blessing because we were close to the campers and closer to each other. We used some sidewalk chalk to set up some four square games and things got pretty competitive.

This was youth camp rather than children's camp so the campers were high school age. They had small group time and recreation and worship, just like at home only in Russian! The staff was also amazing, they had such a heart for the youth in estonia. Recreation was the
most complicated and competitive stuff I have ever seen. Basketball, volleyball, soccer, skits, relays on the beach, water balloons....we did it all. Then immediately afterwards was crafts, dinner, service that lasted about three to four hours. Estonians can sit still.

Thursday evening some of us went down to the lodge because they were holding a prayer service for anyone who wanted to stay up late and pray. It was such an incredible experience. Students were pouring out their hearts and we prayed for them and with them. I feel like the Lord is doing something significant in the lives of these people, students and adults alike. Estonia is growing more influential and may certainly become a lighthouse for the rest of Northern Europe. We need to keep praying for men like Artur who have such a broken and willing heart. He and Valentina pray every morning at five AM for the church and the country. They have met God in some extraordinarily tangible ways. Its very cool and very humbling!

The biggest blessing for me has been friendships with the other campers. David, Rachel, Tiffany and I had so much fun being with them on the beach and hanging out with them like we had been friends for a long time. When I was here five years ago I met a boy named Pasha who became my little friend, we took a picture together that year and he was a foot shorter than me. He was here again at youth camp this year, now a foot taller than me and no longer a little boy. He and others were our special friends. We took another picture together so we can laugh at how we've changed.

We just got back from walking around Parnu and are resting up to go to the beach later. We are tired from all the Russian rappers and fireworks last night! haha! The ocean here is such a picture of God, its so big that you stand in awe, there's so much that you can't see, but also something that draws you in, you just have to jump in no matter how cold the water is!

I'm so sorry that the updates have not been regular, but if teams are going to be at camp it may just not work out! We will attend the worship service here in the morning and head back to Tallinn right afterwards. Mom, Meeli lives right down the street, so if I don't see her in the morning I will leave her note with the Pastor's wife here. Please pray for safe travel and rest, and now you can all begin praying for Rachel and I, maybe we are supposed to live here next summer!

Love you all and we'll see you in a few days! - Emily

Estonia VIM team arrives safely

Hello All! Our team has made it safely to Estonia and everyone is getting ready for a much needed night of sleep. We are all working on a little over twenty four straight hours. Thursday morning we flew into Chicago and from there to Stockholm, Sweden. Because of our six hour layover the team decided to venture into the city and take a look around. It was amazing! We all road the train into town and arrived there just in time to watch the changing of the guard at the royal palace/administrative offices. The city is beautiful and surrounded by water. Along the shores were all these boats for touring and eating dinner. On our way back to the airport we shopped for a little in the streets and then headed back for our short flight into Tallinn. I think everyone slept for that hour. The Lord has truly been watching over all the transitions we have made thus far. Our luggage all arrived at the same time and a man was waiting right outside with a sign for Joe Spence. He had our two vans we had rented ready to go. The hotel was prepared for us as well, and after we got settled we headed into Old Town for some dinner. In the morning we will visit the Baltic Mission Center and then in the evening drive to Camp. Your prayers for safe travel and convenience have certainly been answered and we are all resting up tonight because it’s more than clear that the Lord has more great things in store! Please keep praying! - Emily

Estonia update from Dick

Glad you received Emily's note. Fun day yesterday and most everyone slept very well last night. Just returned from Baltic Mission Center with Toomas and his wife Heidi for a wonderful tour. Toomas spends greetings to Mary Ann, Tom and the entire congregation. We will head to Camp Gideon this afternoon!

Everyone is well! We will send greetings and updates as we can from Camp Gideon. Thanks for your continued prayers for health, safety and effectiveness. - Dick

Estonia VIM team arrives safely

Hello All! Our team has made it safely to Estonia and everyone is getting ready for a much needed night of sleep. We are all working on a little over twenty four straight hours. Thursday morning we flew into Chicago and from there to Stockholm, Sweden. Because of our six hour layover the team decided to venture into the city and take a look around. It was amazing! We all road the train into town and arrived there just in time to watch the changing of the guard at the royal palace/administrative offices. The city is beautiful and surrounded by water. Along the shores were all these boats for touring and eating dinner. On our way back to the airport we shopped for a little in the streets and then headed back for our short flight into Tallinn. I think everyone slept for that hour. The Lord has truly been watching over all the transitions we have made thus far. Our luggage all arrived at the same time and a man was waiting right outside with a sign for Joe Spence. He had our two vans we had rented ready to go. The hotel was prepared for us as well, and after we got settled we headed into Old Town for some dinner. In the morning we will visit the Baltic Mission Center and then in the evening drive to Camp. Your prayers for safe travel and convenience have certainly been answered and we are all resting up tonight because it’s more than clear that the Lord has more great things in store! Please keep praying! - Emily

Greetings from Estonia!!!

Hello All! Our team has made it safely to Estonia and everyone is getting ready for a much needed night of sleep. We are all working on a little over twenty four straight hours. Thursday morning we flew into Chicago and from there to Stockholm, Sweden. Because of our six hour layover the team decided to venture into the city and take a look around. It was amazing! We all road the train into town and arrived there just in time to watch the changing of the guard at the royal palace/administrative offices. The city is beautiful and surrounded by water. Along the shores were all these boats for touring and eating dinner. On our way back to the airport we shopped for a little in the streets and then headed back for our short flight into Tallinn. I think everyone slept for that hour. The Lord has truly been watching over all the transitions we have made thus far. Our luggage all arrived at the same time and a man was waiting right outside with a sign for Joe Spence. He had our two vans we had rented ready to go. The hotel was prepared for us as well, and after we got settled we headed into Old Town for some dinner. In the morning we will visit the Baltic Mission Center and then in the evening drive to Camp. I am attempting to attach some photos of the team in Stockholm, so hopefully that will work out. They will be in a following email. Your prayers for safe travel and convenience have certainly been answered and we are all resting up tonight because its more than clear that the Lord has more great things in store! Please keep praying! - Emily

VIM Estonia Lighthouse 2006

With Dave Meilner leading our team, eight volunteers soared over the "big pond" and landed in another world. Our prayer was to glorify God at the Lighthouse Children's Center in Tallinn, Estonia. We developed "missionary durability" after dragging our belongings and suitcases up four flights of the steepest and narrowest stairs known to civilized man.

Our agenda from June 2-12 was extensive with many events on the schedule and several goals to meet. Church at the Baltic Mission Center included confirmation. We were blessed to witness this on Pentecost Sunday and inspired by these young people who made this day in their lives so reverent. On Wednesday evening, our team attended graduation at the BMC. Smiles and joyful noises abounded as each graduating student came forward. The presence of the Lord was surely in that place.

From Monday through Thursday, music filled the air at the Lighthouse as Kay Hayes taught the children how to bang out a tune with the "boom-whackers" and toot out a song on the recorders. Assisting her on piano and all other instruments was Lauren Howard. The musical instruments were a gift from the Asbury Music Department, a gift that made a dream a reality for Mall who wanted so very much to add artistic programs to the curriculum at the Lighthouse. Puppet training was taught by Jan Meilner with her assistant, Jennifer Rowe. We surprised Mall with another gift of five puppets, two CDs, and a book of scripts. Edie Clark, Nancy Maddin, Jennifer, and Lauren handled crafts. Dave Meilner and John Colbert worked feverishly to prevent a bathroom shower from leaking. On our final day with the kids, they gave each of us a signed handmade card and then we all went bowling and out for pizza.

The Agape Methodist Church in Parnu was our next stop from Friday through Sunday. Dave drove the "beast" with Mall at his side and the rest of us still squashed together. Kulli and Tonu Kuusemaa made us all feel so welcome and right at home...especially after taking us to of all places...a Tex-Mex restaurant. Saturday was spent on the island of Kihnu where old customs, traditions, and attire are maintained. What a cultural experience! But another highlight of the day was Lauren's eighteenth birthday as she opened card after card from her church family in Tulsa. We sang "Amazing Grace" for the congregation on Sunday morning and headed back to Tallinn after lunch. - Missy Sistrunk

Welcome to Asbury VIM Journal

Asbury Missionary support twenty-eight families are supported under the global outreach budget. They are involved in various ministries and are in 17 countries including Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, Estonia, Hungary, the Middle East, Philippines, Tanzania, East Asia, Central Asia, Columbia, and Israel. Several travel world-wide related to their ministry.

Twelve of our missionaries are people who grew up in Asbury or are currently members.

Jesus Said

Jesus said in Mark 12:31: "The second most important commandments is this: Love your neighbor as you love yourself." What better way to demonstrate Jesus’ love than dedicating some of your valuable time and resources to a short term missions project. Be bold and take a vacation for God. Come and experience His love.