Alan - Out of Africa
As I start to write this it is twenty five past six on a Saturday morning and I have just said goodbye to Jan Smits and Stephan Schramm as they fly to the far north west of Tanzania to pick up a patient who is about to be medically evacuated to Europe after being injured. We all watched the sun rise together as the pilots did their preflight checks. As most of this weeks work is tidied away I thought I might start writing what will be our first “official MAF Prayer Letter.” In considering what to write, and as we left the UK just over six months ago, I thought it might be interesting to write about the highs and lows of my physical, mental and spiritual life over the last six months and thus give you some idea of what to pray about.
Let me start with the physical. As some of you may know who have either experienced Africa or have read some of the things we wrote when we first arrived, living here at first can be an assault on one’s senses. I don’t mean this in a negative way but everything is so new. Things taste different (better), colours are more vibrant, sounds are very different and the smells are at times a mix of wonderful and not so good. All of this has dulled a little now and much of what we took as new has become familiar. However, we do continue to be surprised by the Lord’s creation, two Sundays ago we watched a chick hatch from one of our hen’s eggs.
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This chick is the only one still alive from seven that hatched.
Praise God we have been in the best of health since we have been in Tanzania but after working most weeks for five and a half or six days of ten to twelve hour days I am feeling very weary. I am looking forward to the Operations Manager’s return. Please pray that we continue to praise the Lord for his creation, that we remain in good health and that I can soon have a time of rest. Please thank Him for the health and strength he has given us this year.
Things of the mind mmmm. It would be difficult to exaggerate some of the emotions that both Davina and I have been through since the beginning of this year. We were forewarned that we would feel a kind of shock or upset after we had been away awhile. I have to confess I did not realize how this would manifest itself. What happened was that after a few months here Davina and I were unable to communicate with each other on anything other than a surface level and I know there were times when I was less than kind to her. Things now are vastly improved thank the Lord. The other major emotional trauma was saying goodbye to Luke when he came to Dodoma on holiday in September. I felt physically sick and tearful to watch him leave. Something that has been very frustrating was the state of electronic communication over the last couple of months. I guess this is the same for all of you as you will have experienced the other end of it. On a very positive note we find simple things exciting, new experiences, new people and a new language. Please pray that Jesus continues to uphold our marriage relationship and that we can keep up relationships and communication with family and friends. Please thank him for all He has bought us through and the strength he has given us.
The worship and warmth in our church, Kanisa la Mungu la Tanzania is wonderful. To hear the singing, watch and sometimes get involved in the dancing is quite something else. I can only imagine that it is the kind of thing that the psalmists described when talking about praising God. Please thank the Lord that we have found a spiritual home.
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I have found my personal quiet time difficult over the last few months. It really is all to do with time again I think. I tend to have to rush around in the mornings and somehow do not seem to be able to focus on the Lord the way I could in the UK. We are also of the belief there is a spiritual battle taking place in Dodoma. Many Christians both in MAF and in Davina’s school have been unwell and there seems to be a spirit of fear. Please pray that God’s plan for Dodoma will be fulfilled and uphold His people here.
One of the most humbling things for me is realizing that I would not be here without the support of all of you. I do thank you for your continued prayer and physical support for our work in Tanzania. It is wonderful to have so many faithful old friends and to have made so many new ones in the course of this year.
God bless you all,
Alan
And this is the meaning of the stone:
A TRUSTING LIFE WON’T TOPPLE
Isaiah 28:16 (The Message)
