Tim and Carol Derbyshire - Tanzania |
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Prayer Update September 2008
Greetings to you all from Dodoma.
Our thanksgiving item is for the safe return of Tim from the States, followed two weeks later by ZBZ, the caravan that he went to inspect. The whole team gathered at Dodoma Airport to welcome its return on Friday 22nd August. Ferry Pilot, Dylan had flown over 8000km through Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Europe, Egypt and Africa to bring ZBZ back, hopping the Atlantic on his way. Alan & Davina (Programme manager and wife), Stephan (pilot) and Tim and I reflected together. We recalled the last time we stood under ZBZ’s bent wings at Hydom (Easter 2006) trying to shelter from the rain and shivering with a mixture of cold, shock and relief. We were safely on the ground, a result of the pilot’s skill and how much more the hand of our gracious heavenly Father who had deemed our lives should continue that day and nobody would be injured or killed. Yes it was a joy to see the plane shiny and new-looking, but also to reflect on God’s providence, protection and care.
Pray for the team as they complete additional installations and get the plane back in service. OPE the other caravan is overdue an engine change, so ZBZ was desperately needed to continue the vital flying work that MAF does.
Pray for Juliet, the 4 year old daughter of a family living close to Compound B (the other group of MAF houses). She fell from an unguarded upstairs balcony and suffered a fractured skull. Pilot Martin was able to fly her to Hydom Hospital for a CT scan and praise God there was a surgeon on hand to operate immediately. Pray for a full recovery.
At college we are still waiting for three Diploma 1 students, two from the Moravian Church in Mbeya and Tobias from the Anglican Church in Tabora. All were promised support from their dioceses, but this has not yet materialized. Stanley form Kagera arrived on Friday and has four weeks of catching up to do. Pray for these students and they struggle to find a way to continue their training in ministry.
Continue to pray for Moses Matonya as he leads the team. Moses has also been asked to prepare Bible studies for Synod which will be the first gathering of all DCT pastors for the last 4 years. Difficult church politics resulted in a one-year delay.
The government is making it harder for mission partners to work in this country, making immigration procedures more lengthy, difficult and expensive. They have now decided to tax mission partners on their ‘income’, not agreeing that these are gifts which enable us to work here. We are praying that the threatened back-dating of this taxation over the last three years will not materialize.
Thanks so much for continuing to share with and support us here in prayer, through prayer we are joined in serving God in this place, and supporting the work of His kingdom.
Blessings,
Tim and Carol