First snow in 4 years!

"Daddy, Mommy, Look! It's snowing!!!!!" Our children were jumping up and down with excitement when they saw the first snow. This was the first snow they had seen in four years (three years in Tanzania and one in Dallas).

12 seconds and 120 feet that changed history

Credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

Orville and Wilbur Wright are credited with inventing the airplane because on December 17, 1903 they successfully flew the first manned, powered, controlled heavier-than-air machine. The first flight was 120 feet and lasted 12 seconds.

I'm just as amazed now as I was when I was a little boy. Such genius! Such courage!

When we find ourselves amazed at the awesome creativity of the human mind we should remind ourselves that we are created in the image of the Awesome Designer, the Original Inventor, the one and only Creator God.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Genesis 1:26

King Jesus is With Us

adapted from The Adoration of the Shepherds by Rembrandt 1646

It's that wonderful time of the year when we celebrate the advent of Jesus. One of our favorite names of Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. The theme of God dwelling with his people is woven through the entire message of Scripture. Join us for our daily Bible readings as we trace this thread from Genesis to Revelation. You can find our reading schedule here:

ADVENT-2015-Daily Scripture Reading

Enjoy!

a Minnesota worship experience

On our recent trip to Minnesota, we couldn't help but worship God as we enjoyed the beauty of his creation. Here's a little taste of what we experienced and how we worshiped.

Oh praise the one who measures the waters and commands each drop to fall!

Oh praise the one who fashions the majestic oak and bends its branches toward the sun!

Oh praise the one who generates every mighty wave and determines its perfect path!

Oh praise the one who designs dazzling color and transforms every leaf!

Oh praise the one who carves rivers through rock and teaches the eagle how to hunt!

Oh praise the one who traces the lines of the agate stone and paints them with delight!

Oh praise the one who upholds all things by the word of his power; from the rotation of the earth to the reflection of sunlight off the moon!

Oh praise the one who meticulously guides the driftwood to its final resting place!

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, 
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; 
bring an offering and come before him! 
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; 
tremble before him, all the earth; 
yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, 
and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”

--1 Chronicles 16:28-31

From Depths of Woe I Raise to Thee a Reformation Hymn

detail from Martin Luther Preaching by Lucas Cranach the Elder 1547

Happy Reformation Day!!!!

Here's a hymn by Martin Luther to help us celebrate today.

From Depths of Woe I Raise to Thee

Martin Luther 1523

From depths of woe I raise to Thee

The voice of lamentation;

Lord, turn a gracious ear to me

And hear my supplication;

If Thou iniquities dost mark,

Our secret sins and misdeeds dark,

O who shall stand before Thee?

To wash away the crimson stain,

Grace, grace alone availeth;

Our works, alas! are all in vain;

In much the best life faileth:

No man can glory in Thy sight,

All must alike confess Thy might,

And live alone by mercy.

Therefore my trust is in the Lord,

And not in mine own merit;

On Him my soul shall rest, His Word

Upholds my fainting spirit:

His promised mercy is my fort,

My comfort, and my sweet support;

I wait for it with patience.

What though I wait the livelong night,

And till the dawn appeareth,

My heart still trusteth in His might;

It doubteth not nor feareth:

Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed,

Ye of the Spirit born indeed;

And wait till God appeareth.

Though great our sins and sore our woes,

His grace much more aboundeth;

His helping love no limit knows,

Our utmost need it soundeth.

Our Shepherd good and true is He,

Who will at last His Israel free.

From all their sin and sorrow.

Where is the path to the dwelling of light?

I've recently become awe-struck when I see beams of sunlight piercing through these beautiful autumn trees. Sadly the photos can't compare with the real splendor but maybe it can help us worship the one who spoke light into existence.

I'm reminded of the book of Job. When Yahweh wanted to reveal his magnificence to Job, he questioned Job about the dwelling place of light in Job 38:19-20,

Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness? Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there?

Or I'm reminded of how the psalmist exalts the Creator God in Psalm 74:16-17,

Both day and night belong to you; you made the starlight and the sun. You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter.

It's difficult to imagine that on the new earth we will no longer need the light of this beautiful, dazzling, awe-inspiring sun. Isaiah 60:19,

No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

(Revelation 21:23, 22:5)

Amen.

Look what God has done for the Jita people

We're so excited! The Holy Spirit is at work among the Jita people.

When we say, "DONE" we mean that these books have been Consultant checked and are ready to go! "In process" means I am still checking these books for accuracy and clarity and they need to be checked in the community and then Consultant checked. "Not started yet" means, well, we haven't started them yet. Of course, we could also add the rest of the Old Testament to that list.

Please pray for us as we bring God's Word to the Jita people.

Strong women

Tanzanian women are incredibly strong and very hard working.

They walk for miles with heavy loads.



At a young age they begin carrying 5 gallon buckets of water on their heads.



Have you ever tried to balance a 5 gallon pail of water on your head PLUS all your pots and pans PLUS carry another container of water and then walk for a few miles?!?!



How big is Africa?

We confess, before we were called to serve in Tanzania, we didn't know much about Africa. Africa is huge! It covers 11.6 million square miles. Check out this video....

Three years in Africa

Three years ago today we landed in Tanzania, Africa. We had no house, no car, no phones and 19 suitcases. We didn't know a single person in Tanzania. We went from Dar es Salaam to Iringa to Musoma.

We love the missionary community in Musoma. Here we are celebrating the 4th of July.

Now, three years later, we're learning the language, seeing our kids adapt beautifully, enjoying our home, loving our friends and watching God work in amazing ways. Thank you for your support and encouragement these past three years. We appreciate all of you!

How to get lost while shopping for shirts

Daddy, they're selling socks out of a wheelbarrow.

Check out this video of our adventure in the used clothing market.

"I thought we said we never wanted to do this again?!"

Time to pack up and move out...again. Three years ago we were doing the same thing when we prepared to leave America and move to Tanzania. After moving from Michigan to Texas to Michigan to Dar es Salaam to Iringa to Musoma, Jeannette said, "I don't ever want to move again." But here we are again. Everything has to be sorted and cleaned and then we decide: should we store it, pack it, give it away or throw it away? Thankfully, we don't have much to bring back to America, but we do have to pack up the house so that the creepy crawly creatures don't take over while we're away :)

We have 5 more days to finish packing and things are actually going really well. God is sustaining us with his peace and helping us walk in his Spirit during this time of transition. We're thankful for the friends we have here and we will miss them a lot. At the same time, we're thankful for our friends and family in America and we can't wait to see them again.

So, back to packing....

Shoe Shopping Shock

Our kids need shoes. They've been wearing flip-flops every day for the past three years. But now we're taking the big journey back to America. We're flying out of Nairobi, Kenya, where the weather is chilly right now.

So we went to the local used clothing market, AKA "the labyrinth." And here's what we experienced...

Condemning homosexuality as sin is not enough

Homosexuality is sin. Just like many other sins listed in God's Word. But condemning homosexuality as sin is not enough. Whenever we declare, "homosexuality is sin," we must immediately follow it up with, "but there's good news! God loves you so much that he sent Jesus to die for your sin so that you can be forgiven and free. God wants you to repent of your sin and receive his grace and be transformed by his Spirit."

This is exactly how the apostle Paul deals with homosexuality three times in the New Testament. He condemns it as sin, but when you look at the larger context, Paul always points people to the gospel of grace.

Let's start with Romans.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. (Romans 1:26-27)

Homosexuality is sin. In the larger context, Paul explains that homosexuality is the end result of people worshipping and serving the creature rather than the Creator (v25). When people choose to suppress the truth about God (v18) and exchange that truth for a lie (v25), the end result is homosexuality and a host of other sins (v28-32).

But let's remember the bigger context. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)

Paul's condemnation of homosexuality is set in the context of the gospel. Paul speaks harshly against the sin of homosexuality so that those enslaved to it will repent of their sin and embrace the good news of Jesus and enjoy salvation and forgiveness and freedom. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, including homosexuals. 

Let's go to 1 Timothy.

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine. (1 Timothy 1:8-10)

God gave his law to expose sins, including the sin of homosexuality.

But let's remember the bigger context. Paul goes on to share his personal story of grace.

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (v12-17)

If God’s grace is powerful enough to save the chief of sinners, then God can also rescue people from the slavery of homosexuality. God’s mercy is deep enough to reach into the darkness of homosexuality and shine the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Jesus came to save sinners, including homosexuals.

And finally, 1 Corinthians.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

Homosexuality is sin. Those who continue to live in unrepentant, arrogant, shameless homosexuality have no place in God’s kingdom. 

But let's remember the bigger context. 

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (v11)

There is hope for every sinner.  Whether you are a homosexual or a thief, whether you are an adulterer or a drunkard, there is hope for you in Jesus Christ.  When a homosexual repents of their sin they are washed clean, they are made holy, they are declared right in God’s eyes. When a homosexual trusts Jesus as Savior they are transformed by the Holy Spirit living in them.

That's the gospel of grace.

So condemning homosexuality as sin is not enough. We must also point people to the good news of salvation and mercy and forgiveness and freedom and hope and joy in Jesus.

lawn ornament

Best lawn ornament EVER!

1 and 2 Timothy in Jita is a spiritual victory

Magesa, Neema and Ben checking 1-2 Timothy in Jita

Jita:  Nyamuwanga niwe omukama unu atari na obhuteero, 

atakufwa na atakubhonekana, atari-wo owundi rwa omwene. 

Omwene ayaanwe echibharo na rikusyo akajaanende koone. Aamina.

Translation:  To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, 

be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

--1 Timothy 1:17

That's what we said when we finished the books of 1+2 Timothy in the Jita language! We followed all the steps: drafting, spell checking, editorial checking, advisor checking (that's me!), community checking, and consultant checking.

After we finished, we were discussing the value of these Pastoral letters with Magesa (Jita translator) and he shared that these letters are very important for Jita pastors because many Jita pastors don't understand Swahili (the national language) very well. Therefore, how will they lead the church of God if they can't read how to refute false teachers (1:3-11), how men and women should conduct themselves in church (2:8-15), how to appoint elders and deacons (3:1-13), how to handle widows in the church (5:3-16), etc. Magesa was delighted that now Jita pastors can read about God's church in their own language.

We also rejoice that Jita people can now enjoy wonderful gospel truth like 2 Timothy 1:9

Omwene :aachichunguuye, ^naachibhirikira chibhe abhaanu bhaaye abheeru. :Ataakorere kutyo kwa okubha ati ebhikorwa bhyeswe ni ebhya ekisi, tari :aakorere kutyo kwa okwenda kwaye na obhwitiriranya bhwaye. :Achiyaaye obhwitiriranya obhwo inguru eya Kirisito Yeesu, nooro achaari okubhumba echaaro.

God saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

But this translation did not come easily. During the entire process, we were bombarded by spiritual attacks. When we scheduled a day to sit together to check the translation, Magesa would be sick or have to attend a funeral for a relative. On another day I would be home sick with sick kids. On another day, Neema was so exhausted because she spent the previous evening praying with other Christians against sorcery in her neighborhood. After she finished praying, she went home and spent the rest of the night actively resisting demonic attacks in her home.

It was spiritual warfare, but we're praising God because he is the King of kings and Lord of lords and he has an unstoppable plan to bring his gospel to the Jita people!

Top 10 things to carry on the back of a bike

What would you carry on the back of a bicycle or motorcycle?

#10  a fish (just one, not sure why)

#9  a guy holding a bicycle

#8  steel rods (be careful going around a corner!)

#7  eggs (be careful on those bumps!)

#6  grass (it's heavier than you think!)

#5  bread (does he have any donuts?)

#4  lumber (I'm sure it's safe)

#3  chickens (fast food?)

#2  broken down copy machines

#1  Twenty five plastic chairs (he must be going to a party!)

Ok, I couldn't resist throwing in one more...

Wanna take a ride on the Luxury Express?

Translation challenge - "they lowered the ship's gear"

Here's a video showing one of the interesting challenges of translating God's Word into Jita...

Thanks for praying!

In the shade of the holy tree, we heard about the Creator God

Welcome to the village of Nyamuswa, in Ikizu territory. Ikizu is one of the languages we work with in our office.

Yesterday we dedicated the book of Genesis in the Ikizu language!!

This was a big day for the Ikizu translators. They have been working on Genesis for over three years.

Many Ikizu people gathered under the shade of the holy tree called "Omong'we."

It was a joy to see Ikizu people reading and listening to Genesis in their own language.

From old men....

...to young people...

...to small children, they all heard about Yahweh, the Creator God.

Please pray with us that the Ikizu people will read God's Word and seek Yahweh, the true and living God.

Pray that the Word of God would spread among the Ikizu people.