Proclaiming and demonstrating the good news of Christ...

Sukuma church sponsors new mission team in TZ!!!Our team provides logistical support to new mission teams in Tanzania, and we regularly help prospective mission teams explore possibilities here. Recently, we bridged a relationship between the new team in Mtwara, Tanzania, and one of our mature churches in the village of Langi.Also, we had the opportunity to host 15 university students exploring missions. Highlights from both of these visits is on page 3.

Kingdom Growth AboundsAs our churches gathered in their clusters for Christmas celebrations, over 200 people were baptized in various locations. In the Kijima Kanda alone, at the new church at Inonelwa, over 100 people participated with Christ in Baptism.

Also, one of our church leaders, Emanuel from Kanyelele, is hard at work planting a church in the village of Budo. He is continuing to teach there weekly, and, Lord-willing, we will see a harvest there in the weeks to come.

Church Research ProjectFrom October through January, Jason Miller spearheaded an ambitious project to collect quantitive data from 10 of our church clusters, and perform extensive interviews to gauge church leader’s own perspectives on their churches’ vitality. In addition to better informing our work strategy, this extensive process also equips our leaders to engage in self-analysis, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and grow to full maturity.

Family Ministry SeminarIn November 2010, Aaron Marisa Bailey (& their kids!) were joined by four mature Christian couples for a weekend retreat focused on Christ-centered family life. Consisting of bible study, worship, prayer, and personal testimony, this weekend strenghtened key relationships, sparked greater emphasis on family spirituality, and has birthed new ministries in several churches. Read one attendee’s account of the weekend on page 3.

...and empowering local churches to do likewise Mis s ion Mwanza

Pleasant Valley Church of Christ, Little Rock, ARLandmark Church of Christ, Montgomery ALNorth Blvd. Church of Christ, Murfreesboro, TNOverland Park Church of Christ, Overland Park, KSSinging Oaks Church of Christ, Denton, TX

Kanisa La Kristo, Mwanza,consisting of 11 rural church clusters,and an urban church in Mwanza Citycomprising over 100 churchesin the Mwanza Region of Tanzania

e-mail us: team@missionmwanza.org,or visit www.missionmwanza.org, Kanisa La KristoSLP 1371 MwanzaTanzania, East AfricaSP

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One aspect of our church research project was compiling growth trends over the history of this ministry. We were elated to confirm the revival occuring in one of our oldest clusters: the nine churches surrounding the small town of Sumve.

After many years of stagnant growth, 2008 marked a turning point for this cluster. Each of the 8 churches has grown significantly since then (many have doubled in size!), and one new church has been planted. Together, this accounts for 111% growth (from 305 to 645 believers). Praise be to God!

Manyama baptizes at Lwashi, Mwanza cluster,

on Easter Sunday

Please join us in prayer & thanksgiving for:Churches of Sumve double in size✦Our health and wellbeing. We especially ask for prayers for the Linderman’s, as they are expecting a baby in August.

✦Safety for us in our travels. We are thankful for the positive resolution of the Guild’s car accident last year (see page 2). We ask continued prayers for our travels here in Tanzania, as well as for the Miller’s and Bailey’s during their furloughs.

✦Our families stateside--Of special concern is Marisa Bailey’s father and Jason Miller’s father--both struggling with cancer. Because of the seriousness of these situations, the Baileys have extended their current furlough by six months, and the Miller’s are currently taking a portion of their furlough early.

✦Rain for a harvest--the early rains failed for many of our churches, causing a poor first harvest. We are partnering with churches to help the most vulnerable, and we are praying for the current rains to continue, to keep a difficult situation from becoming dire.

✦Spiritual warfare--pray for God’s protection for those who reject spiritual and community pressure during these difficult times, and instead choose to trust in God’s sovereign power.

✦Upcoming Easter celebrations. Our church clusters will be gathering for 3 days of teaching and worship--strengthening the believers to endure this difficult season, and providing new hope for those who have not yet placed their faith in Christ.

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October 2010March 2011

Mama Shija celebrates renewed strength in the Sumve cluster

M I S S I O N M W A N Z A M A R C H 2 0 1 1

In October 2010, while driving to Kenya with my family for the birth of our fourth child, a ten year old boy ran out in front of our vehicle. Despite trying I was unable to avoid hitting him. The boy, Ntambi Maduka, died instantly.

We immediately drove with a witness to the nearest police station to inform the authorities. As the police took statements, investigated the accident site, and opened a case file, we were busy on our phones. We contacted our teammates in Mwanza (they were soon on the way to help), shared the news with family in the states, and asked for the prayers of church leaders throughout Sukumaland. After many hours, due to Susan’s impending delivery, we were allowed to continue onward to Kenya. Thankfully, our teammates provided surety for me, and they then sought out Ntambi’s mother to express our sorrow for the loss of her son.

I returned the next week from Kenya. With the support of teammates and church leaders, I was able to make my appointment at the police station, come to a financial settlement with representatives of Ntambi’s family, and, two days later, close the court case with a minor road accident fine—and immediately return to Kenya for Elisabeth’s birth.

Though the legal case was settled, other issues remained. I needed to return to seek reconciliation with Ester, Ntambi’s mother. Fear of this and further potential consequences weighed heavily on my heart and created many questions: How could God let something like this happen? Would there

be further legal action? Would I be arrested? Kicked out of Tanzania? How would this affect my relationship with Tanzanians? With team? With family? With the Lord? I still ask myself, “Why did this happen?” and I still have lingering “what if’s?” that might have made a difference in avoiding the accident. Tanzanians would have similar questions with their own unique nuances, such as: “What power is being used against me here? What have I done or whom have I offended to cause this? What must I do to correct this?” As Christians, we ask, “Where is God in this?”

Thankfully, Christians all over the US were praying for us and for Ntambi’s family. I sent text messages to many Sukuma Christians—amazed that they were being called on to pray for their missionary, they fervently prayed for us throughout this entire situation. God’s presence was real. And in spite of my own fears about meeting face-to-face with Ester, God would show his presence in our encounter as well.

I, along with five church leaders from churches near Mwanza, visited Ester and her family in January. Several of these leaders have had multiple tragedies in their lives as well, which they shared with Ester. Because Ester did not see the accident happen, I shared about the accident from our perspective, answered her questions, and asked her forgiveness. With the help of the church leaders God worked in our conversation to build openness and trust. We began to build a friendship with Ester and her family. I fulfilled my obligation to help financially and we all went together to the nearby town to purchase

roofing material (that she will later use to build a house).

We had a short time of scripture reading, singing, and even shared thanksgivings for our new relationships. We closed with a time of prayer and blessing. The entire family present was very receptive and encouraged, spoke well of us, saying that we were “true” people, and appreciated that we cared for them, unlike others might be in a similar situation.

To my great relief, Ester said she did not blame me and felt no ill feelings toward me. She even asked if I could bring her a Bible, which I promised to do when I visit her again.

This day I had dreaded turned out to be a good day in which God began to redeem relationships—including ours with each other and also with Him. We all learned about the comfort of God—and the power of prayer to bring good from the worst of situations.

“Does God really work, in all things, for the good of those who love him? (Rom. 8:28) As with Joseph, can God cause the harm done to Ntambi to accomplish any good for his Kingdom, much less save lives? (Gen. 50:20) Through all this struggle I have seen God’s grace, faithfulness, and goodness. I give glory and praise to God for calming my fears, preventing potentially worse outcomes, and beginning to bring about good in this situation.”

Eric and Susan Guild are joined by Matthew, Anna, Rebecca and Elisabeth. They are

supported by Pleasant Valley (Little Rock) and Southwest (Tigard, OR) churches of Christ .

An accident leads to tragedy, but prayer brings restoration ! ! ! ! Eric Guild

S E Q U O I A C L U B

(Note: John and Margaret, along with three other couples, attended this seminar, planned and hosted by the Baileys. These are John’s reflections on the seminar.)

“Lengo la semina ilikuwa kupata vijana na familia yenye nguvu katika kanisa la Kristo, kufuata maandiko matakatifu, na kuwalea watoto wetu kupata familia yenye nguvu.

Na matokeo ya semina imekuwa vizuri--kwa mfano Mke wangu Margaret ameunda kikundi cha wakinamama kanisa la Ng’ombe, na nimeunda kikundi ya wakinamama Itagula”

Translated: The aim of the seminar was to strengthen our youth and our families in the church of Christ, in following the word of God, and in raising

our children [in such a way] to strengthen our families.

And the outcome of the seminar was great--for example, my wife has formed a women’s ministry group at the church in Ng’ombe, and I myself started a women’s ministry group in the church at Itagula.

One of the most enjoyable parts of our trip to Africa was the short trip that we got to make to Mwanza, to meet the mission team, stay with the Linderman’s, and go to the village with Kevin. It was great watching him interact with people in their local language, encouraging one of the men, Enos, to do some of the teaching, and training another young leader for the church there. He also let Enos baptize the people at Ng’wanaluku. It was very encouraging to see the numbers of people serving the Lord that were at every worship service they had at the village.

It was also great spending time with the Linderman family. The nightly devotionals, the great cooking from Mrs. Charity, watching Micah run around the house and playing soccer with Elijah and Josiah was great to be around. It was wonderful seeing the family lead by actions and not just by words. We really appreciate the hospitality that was shown to us and hope that things continue to go well with the villages.

Sukuma Church Sponsors Makonde Mission Team

(Ross and Heather Kellis are members of the Makonde Mission Team, which recently arrived in Mtwara, Tanzania. They came to Mwanza to receive an official invitation f to serve as missionaries amongst the Makonde people. Here is an excerpt of Heather’s account of their visit to Langi)

...They poured warm water over my hands into a basin in preparation for the meal. They brought us steaming brown mounds of brown ugali made of millet and maize along with piping hot samaki (fish)... so moist that it fell off of the bones as we pinched bits to eat with each handful of ugali. When I was full, and I thought that the meal was done, the women of the church produced several trays the size of shields piled high with fluffy white rice and red beans. They dished me a serving that overflowed a large bowl. After that came cassava and white sweet potatoes that had been boiled… I have been offered extravagant displays of hospitality many times throughout my travels in Africa, but for some reason, this experience was different...

After the meal, the formal ceremony began. The Langi church greeted us warmly and invited us to return again. Each person present introduced himself. There were five elders present along with their wives, a church minister, and some other church members. After the men introduced themselves, they asked the women present to introduce themselves. Mama Lupimo stood and introduced herself as a “Mama” in the church who led a women’s group that met to encourage each other in the faith weekly. Mama Lupimo carried herself with dignity and confidence. Next, another elder’s wife introduced her self. She had on a purple dressed wrapped in a blue and yellow kanga. She told us that she had nine

children with her husband [Emanuel] and that she had been married for many years. “This marriage,” she said, “Is the real thing.”

Ross and I introduced ourselves in stuttering Swahili and then Jason Miller (missionary to the Sukuma) translated as Ross spoke in English. We told our story, from the beginning—the ministries in Kenya of the parents of our teammates— through the spiritual journey of the Downtown church related to the Makonde mission. After we explained who we were and what our team intended to do in Makonde land, we asked if there were any questions

Mama Lupimo stood up, “Are there any churches in Makonde land now?” she asked thoughtfully. Other questions were, “How will the future churches choose their leadership,” and “Will these planted churches be churches of Christ?” The answer and question time was followed by the presentation of a formal letter that Jason Miller had written in Kiswahili in which the Langi church invited our team to work in the Mtwara area. This letter would be submitted to the government for approval.

The Elders and their wives gathered around, carefully reading the letter. They discussed the legal implications of sponsoring our team. I could tell that they were taking their responsibility and their future relationship with our team very seriously. After consensus, they all signed the letter and with parental warmth stated, “We are glad to do this. Our church is here because people like you came to Sukumaland. We will come see you in Mtwara in two years to see how you are doing.” I grinned and smiled, “Karibuni” (you all are welcome).

Aaron and Marisa,Trey, Rayna and Faith Bailey, currently stateside, are overseen by the North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Family Ministry

Ross Kellis and Langi church elder, Emanuel

Jason and Emily Miller, Judah, Ezra, and Zoe are sponsored by the

Overland Park, Smithville and Acklen Ave. Churches of Christ.

“In their words”—notes from Mwanza

Mama Shitabo and Heather

Margaret and John Kasabuya

Harding University Visit— by Tanner Nichols

Kevin and Charity Linderman, Josiah, Elijah, Micah, and a baby

coming in August, are supported by the Landmark Church, Collins

Church, and Redwood City Church

Tanner at Ng’wanaluku

M I S S I O N M W A N Z A M A R C H 2 0 1 1

Family Highlights

• Webelos and Wolf scout camping trips in the Serengeti.

• Girl Scouts (Daisy Rebecca and Brownie Anna) off and running.

• Our kids compete in the Rock City Marathon.

• Football for Thanksgiving!

• Christmas in Mwanza.

•New Years’ with Geita Team (Hailey Groen and Rebecca Guild get into the facepaint!!!)

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Introducing Elisabeth Joelle Guild!After a wonderful furlough in the US—and all the timely good pregnancy eats—we traveled to Nairobi to deliver our fourth child, Elisabeth, in October. We praise God for her safe arrival on the 19th, weighing 3.4kg. It was an extra special time since Grandma, Julie—Susan’s mom, was with us! This is her seventh grandchild and first time she could be with us for a delivery in Africa.

God blessed us with a great place to live for a longer than anticipated stay in Kenya due to both African and American forms of red tape in obtaining legal documents. A missionary family who was on furlough in the UK let us stay in their home on the campus of AIU (Africa International University). This is also where our former Mwanza friends the Rasmussens live, who were able to help out tremendously during our stay. Elisabeth is healthy and growing and enjoys her new home in Mwanza. She loves to watch her siblings entertain her, “sings” and coos in the mornings when she wakes up, and makes friends wherever she goes. She is eagerly waiting to meet the rest of the Guild and Hinds clan when they, the grandparents at least, hope to visit later this year. Thank you for your prayers for our growing family!

Next Issue:

A church is “bewitched” —the story of Nyang’holomoko

An interview with a Sukuma church planter

More insights from our church research

A new approach to leadership training

AND—more pictures!

M I S S I O N M W A N Z A T E A M & F A M I L Y N E W S

Susan Guild

Another hot Christmas Day, but it’s always cool on top of the Landcruiser!!!

Micah and Ezra having a swing!

Matthew is ready for his Webelos campout!!!

“Brownie” Anna Guild is planting flowers !

Faith Bailey and Zoe Miller sit with Mama Lupimo.

All smiles before the race through Mwanza!

Bald in the ‘Boro: While the struggles of adapting to life in Tanzania reduce over time, the burden we feel for our families back in the states only increase over time. We all have deep concerns for family members, and struggle with a feeling of powerlessness when we are so far from home!Thankfully, due to the generosity of North Boulevard, the Bailey’s have been able to extend their furlough by six months, allowing their family more time to

minister to Marisa’s father, Eddie Glass, who has been facing a chronic battle with cancer.

One opportunity they had was to show solidarity with those undergoing cancer treatment through a St. Baldrick’s Day event—Aaron and Trey were both sponsored to shave their heads bald—matching the style of Marisa’s father--while raising money for cancer research!

Thank you for keeping our stateside families in your prayers!

Aaron and Trey Bailey, and Eddie Glass

Trey, Rayna, and Faith in October—with all their hair.