Safari For Souls In Full Swing...

Greetings Fellow Workers,

We greet you with much joy and thanksgiving. The Lord continues to bless His work here in Tanzania in a grand way. We hope this short report finds the same in your life, blessings, joy and thanksgiving. We thank Him for each of you, your prayers, your service, and your support. Without you, we would not be where we are, souls would have gone wanting, and the Devil would be rejoicing.

Our brothers and sisters from the Hoover congregation have come and they are gone. Yes, they are gone, but not forgotten. Their works continue in the conversion of two new souls at the newly planted White Rose congregation, in Arusha. Vanesa and Rutty gave their lives to God this day, making the number of souls who have done the same 20 in number. Dozens of studies continue and the building is going up both physically and spiritually. Thanks to the vision and support of our good brothers and sisters from Hoover the White Rose congregation will have a permanent meeting house in the next two or three weeks.

Our dear brother Michael Mitalami called a couple of days ago informing me of one soul being added to the Church at Karatu. This is the third soul to obey in the last month through the efforts of Michael using World Bible School material. The printed page continues to have a great impact on the lost of East Africa.

Julius Gasper reports: “We greet you brethren in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are doing well with the work of the Lord here and we thank God for the three souls added to the Church.” 

Our summer Safari for Souls campaigns are in full swing. Our follow-up efforts continue at White Rose, our pre-campaign efforts continue to Ngurdoto (the campaign begins this Tuesday), the pre-campaign efforts at Kwa Mrombo are going well.

The Hoover group has left, Gary Box has left, but Parker Aultman remains, Cotton and Hannah Box are here, Hawatthia Jones and Byron Benitez arrived yesterday, the OK group arrive tomorrow (group of 20), Brian Horner and Rissa Morris arrive this week.

We are blessed on so many levels and in so many ways. We have put into the hands of the people more than 400 copies of God’s Word, over 500 copies of the Searching for Truth book, thousands of tracts and hundreds of Bible Correspondence Courses. The work continues to God’s glory and to the saving of lost souls.

We continue to solicit your prayers and support as we strive to live for Him through our service to others. Please continue to remember our sister Soneia who is to begin cancer treatment this week. Also our brother Charles Lollar who has been put on a heart transplant list and our dear sister Kathy Minor who has had heart surgery and is recovering. Thank God for hearing our prayers, and for answered prayers! May your week be a blessing in the lives of others to the saving of their souls. 

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Safari For Souls Leading Souls To Christ...

Greetings Fellow Servants,

We are well, busy and thankful to be a part of God’s family. We hope the same for each of you as you begin a new week in Him. Our co-workers have arrived! Cotton, Gary and Hannah Box have been busy with Bible studies, working with local evangelist, translators, and Christian brothers and sister from the areawide congregations. The studies are many, the excitement contagious, and the good being done, Heaven only knows. The Hoover group of 15, lead by Sid Aultman and Chuck Webster are here as well, ready to begin the work of reaching the lost with the saving message of the Gospel.

Today Cotton and Gary taught and preached at the newly planted White Rose congregation. Chuck and Grant Webster taught and preached at Kwa Mrombo. As we reflected on the morning, Cotton mentioned, “father-son” teaching and preaching at both congregations. What an amazing testimony to the “scriptural home” as God would have it! Thank you Cotton and Chuck for leading your families in the way of the Lord and for the good example you have lead for so many.

I received a short note from our brother Josephat Massawe, evangelist for the Kilimanjaro congregation and director for the Moshi Bible School.

“Dear brothers in Christ, It is our hope that you all are doing well with this great work of love. We also continue to thank Him for great things and opportunities that he grants  us. I can remember sometime ago I had offered request of prayer on behalf of our young Christian sister, Christina. She obeyed while she was three months pregnant. Being suffering from miscarriages before, she was nervous that she might lose the baby prematurely. But with prayer God helped her to carry it through normal delivery. She had had three consecutive loses before her baptism but now she is happy nursing her baby as well as enjoying the wonderful fellowship in the body of Christ. The second item is Christina and her young sister Joyce whom we studied with, is very close to obey the gospel. Stephen Masas and his wife who have been attending services for about seven month, they have come the the knowledge of truth and his wife Georgina is ready for baptism this Sunday. We thank you all for caring about God’s work and for your prayers. May God bless you richly.”

We are reminded daily of God’s love and protection in our lives. We ask of each of you to join us in this month of Safari for Souls campaigns and outreach efforts. With your prayers, God’s providential care, and the power of His Word, we know great things await us. We are willing, able and busy about His Kingdom’s work. We know without you, this would simply not be the case. Thank you, God be with you all, and may He have His way in each of our lives to His glory and to the saving of many souls.

Please remember our sister Kathy Minor who suffered a heart attack this past week, under went surgery and is now recovering. Also our sister Soneia Galloway who is to begin chemo treatment in the coming days. Also please remember our new missionaries Nathan (graduate of Bear Valley) and Jessica McVeigh as they continue to travel this way. They were due in this morning at 1am, but due to weather have been delayed and are due in tomorrow morning at 3 am. Pray for this family as they adjust and begin their work in the Kingdom. 

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Love, Generosity, And Sacrificial Giving...

Greetings Fellow Servants,

We hope all is well with each of you. We count it all joy to be in fellowship with you in the greatest labor we can know. It is indeed a blessing to be a part of God’s “Scheme of Redemption.” Recently we received a short note from our brother Daniel Gaines on an appointment he had as he and the family continue their fund raising for their upcoming move to Tanzania. Here is a tale of genuine Christian love, generosity, and sacrificial giving.

“Brethren, I wanted to tell you about this weekend's presentation. The congregation was small (42 in attendance on Sunday morning), and had no elders. I was invited to attend a men's meeting after services regarding helping with out work in Tanzania. The treasurer was consulted and reported that there was no surplus of funds from which to draw. Yet the men desired to be more involved in missions and believed in the work we presented. As the conversation progressed, they began to question the need for internet service at the building. The preacher was part-time and didn't keep regular office hours so the internet was not heavily used. The preacher, in the meeting, agreed that he could do without the internet at the office.  So they decided that they would cut off the internet service and reroute those funds to our mission work. Additionally, several men pledged to increase their giving to provide funds for monthly support. As it all turned out, the congregation has committed to contribute $300 per month!  

One of our current donors is a member there and already gives us $150 a month, and a widow pledged $20 per month. If you add these to the total, then that means this congregation of 42 people is contributing an impressive $470 each month! I was astounded, and wanted to share the moment with you. Daniel”

We experienced a very similar situation during our fund raising back in 1998. There are many in the Church, if given the opportunity, would do more in full-filling the Great Commission. The Gaines family needs our help. They are just over half way regarding their monthly needs. They now lack $10,000 in one-time needs.

Please contact Daniel, help them where you can, help them with an appointment to share with your congregation the good work they really desire and want to be apart of in the coming weeks. Thank you for your prayerful consideration in this most important need. 

Daniel Gaines
(270) 777-6402
daniel-gaines@hotmail.com

We close with some really good news. The pre-campaign work continues and has now brought forth four more souls. One new sister in Christ was going with members from the Kisongo congregation who were helping with the pre-campaign efforts. Through hearing the Gospel preached, she expressed her desire to become a New Testament Christian. We are thankful for Ralph, Cindy and Caitlin Williams efforts at White Rose this past week.

Today we worshiped at Kisongo, where our brother Chuck Ramseur taught and preached two powerful lessons, one from Matthew 6 and the other from Matthew 7. During the invitation several requested prayers, two repented for the harm they had caused against the church, one teacher expressed his desire to obey the Gospel. Yes, God is good all the time.

Thank you all for all you do to make this work of God possible. 

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Students In The Final Stretch Of The Quarter...

Greetings Fellow Servants:

We greet you with thankful hearts and in Christian love. We hope and pray all is well in your life and that God is having His way with you, no matter what life might be dealing you.

We are good here in Tanzania, thankful for the privilege to serve. The pre-campaign efforts are well underway. One has obeyed the gospel at White Rose and another soul has been added to the Kingdom at Ndurgoto. 

The students are in the final stretch, two weeks left in this quarter. We are thankful for John Galloway who taught last week, Christian Doctrine & Ethics. The students were more than thrilled as to John’s class and wisdom only a mature man of God can have. John brought his daughter and 2 granddaughters from Birmingham with him for their first visit to Tanzania. They joined Stephanie in Bible studies at White Rose and Jennifer who is also an RN joined her 2 days working at the TCC clinic in Monduli. 

This week we are blessed to have our brother Chuck Ramseur from Denver, CO. He will be teaching “The New Testament Church” to the first year students. Please remember Chuck’s wife Brianna and their four children in his absence.

We are also blessed to have Ralph, Cindy (Ralph’s wife), and Kaitlin Williams (Ralph & Cindy’s daughter) coming in tonight from the Dallas, TX. Both Chuck and Ralph are part of the BV extension program, teaching men in their own country the Word of God, that in turn these men might take the saving message of the Gospel to their own people and the people of the world.

Yusuph write two souls obeying the Gospel at the new church plant at Katoro (near Ushirombo, just south of Lake Victoria. Gasper sent a note informing us of one soul being added to the Church today at Mongere (a congregation planted by the Mto wa Mbu congregations). 

Our brother Ahimidiwe and some of the ACSOP students have traveled to the Babati region where a congregation has built their own meeting house. Because of the love and generosity of the Edgefield congregation in Dallas, TX donating the funds, they will begin putting on the roof. While this is going on others will be going house to house evangelizing. Through their teaching three souls were restored to the Lord today.

We close with thanksgiving for all the team efforts that take place daily making this mission work of God possible. You, our friends and supporters, are never far from our hearts and prayers, thank you! 

We ask for your prayers on behalf of our dear sister Soneia Galloway. She will have surgery in the morning followed by months of treatment.

Till we meet again, may our God be with you each step of the way. 

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

More from Cy...

I hope all is will in your life and work. Below is a short report from our brother Fariji. It is an amazing thing to see the hand of God working in the lives of His people. Just 15 short years ago, this new convert, would attend the ABS and later the ACSOP. He has given his life since that time to the furtherance of the Gospel. Through you, Fariji, and the Lord's blessings through the TZ2000 mission effort, the Usa River congregation grew from a dozen souls to more than 80. 

The need was seen for additional church plants and the congregation, under the leadership of our brother Fariji, did just that. So, from this small group, the Maji ya Chai and the Manyire congregations were planted. Through the combined efforts of the local congregations, the TZ2000 team, the Safari for Souls efforts, our friends, supporters, and team players (the Second and Adams group out of OK), there was another church plant last year, the Ngurdoto Church of Christ. 

That small group of a dozen souls has grown into four congregations with a combined membership of around 135 souls, and growing. 

Thank you all and may our God bless each of you in a very special way.

Date         Attendance     Baptized/ restored                                       

07/04/2013     37          

14/04/2013     43       4 restored                   

14/ 04/ 2013   30                  

28/ 04/ 2013   33

Greetings,  

We believe that you are well. We are doing well. About the work of God, it is good, still it sometimes becomes very tough but I thank you to pray me and church.

About the church building windows help request; we have been asking you for this because the windows are not good. Is not the greater amounts of air being help this, the God will glory. Thank you for you are praying to us and church.  

May God bless you.   

Very truly yours,  
Fariji Paul and church

A Baptism Worth Reading About In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

We praise God for another great day where we came together to worship our God as He described in His word. We just finished and I am sending the reports early enough so that I will attend to some other things.

Joy was provoked in heaven as he finally obeyed the gospel. He was a chairman in the Roman Catholic church here in Wotutu and in the nearby communities. His baptism will be eye opening to many in our community. His baptism was followed by another leader in the Baptist denomination and his wife who testified today during our announcement that we should continue doing what we are doing every 5 am. It will help many to grow. Their baptism is accompanied with lots of persecution. Keep these 3 souls who were added in Wotutu in your prayers.

We do hope your week was great and God blessed you and allowed both of us to see the start of a new week. Our worship was great today as we had 3 first time visitors.

Last week was great and we praise God for His care over us and the students, even though some are still sick like brother Namana Martin who has not returned from home after we sent him because of ill health. Please keep him in your prayers and many who are sick here.

Brother Mokwe Eugene and brother Dikana Masumbe were ready on Friday evening to travel for weekend evangelism with some tracks. As I write this mail they are still far away into the forest struggling with bad roads to come back, but God blessed their outreaches with 2 souls in Munyenge congregation and Bova congregation respectively behind the Cameroon Mountain.

I was able to exhort Mr. Kounda Julius who later became brother Julius beside the river, as he was ready to obey the gospel after studying with us and listening to our “Back to the Bible” radio program keenly.

We are on sport to keep fit (1 Tim. 4:8). The sport yesterday was spectacular as it was attached to site seeing.

The students visited workers in the tea farm harvesting tea and the master allowed them to meet with the workers and to know some little bit about the tea. This was a great opportunity for the students to share and invite them to come worshiping with us and by His grace. 1 came today to worship while some promised to come and to study with us as they also can listen to our program every morning. “Evangelism is our mission and our mission is evangelism.”

Brother Agbor James, one of our students, taught this morning on the topic “Christian Morals”  because we are paying attention this month on that. He did a good job. Many thanks for all those who are praying and laboring daily for these students to study. They are benefiting greatly and the church of Christ in Cameroon will witness great changes and transformation in the near future by His will. I am proud of them and it gives me appreciations to all our joint efforts.

Some sisters in the Wotutu congregation sat back today after worship to study as sisters and to plan for the work of the church, like the forth coming preachers wives’ seminar and the marriage and family short course in CBIW. Keep these programs in your fervent prayers.

Plans
1) The preachers wives in Cameroon will be in Wotutu from the 24^th to 26^th for the second edition for them to meet and learn, pray and make proposals on how they can better help their husbands in the ministry. We count on your prayers and any input towards the success of that event.

2) We shall be moving this weekend with some graduates from CBIW to Ndian district in Cameroon, very far from Wotutu, coupled with bad roads to revive a congregation there.

Appreciations
Oh God we thank you for bringing us out of darkness and you have shown us the great light through your word. Thank you for those who are standing in our lives and ministry who are praying for us, supporting us in many ways to reach out with this great light to many in our country Cameroon. Bless them and keep them strong, sound and focused as we map out plans to rob from the strong man’s house. We cannot do this if we don’t thinks souls. Thank you for helping us daily to think souls.

Do your best to share this report with others in your life. God bless you and your entire family. Keep us in your prayers as we celebrate our national day tomorrow, that the peace that is in Cameroon will continue to be.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director CBIW