Updates from Jerry and Stacy in DMK

9 December 2004 AD
Advent

Dear All,

Just a quick update on Independence Day morning here in Tanzania. We are getting ready for Christmas; there are no lights, decorations or trees. No overcrowded Wallmarts. We are simply awaiting Jesus' birth. It is unusually cool and rainy which, among other things, means Malaria and Cholera; there's a terrible outbreak of the latter at present. Stacy is working her way through Typhoid (it's horrible and a regular part of life here!). Prayers appreciated. Especially grateful to Kathy, Mike and Joe for the rapid response team in getting meds on the way to us which we're eagerly awaiting.

Last Saturday we celebrated World AIDS Day with our 200+ Compassion Children here at Christ Church. The event culminated in the planting of a tree, a sign of God's love, nurturing and new life (photo attached; I can envision the onslaught of snide "mitre" emails -- that's a tree hat and we are ALL wearing them!). There are more than 2,000,000 AIDS orphans here in Tanzania alone, including many of the Compassion kids.

Speaking of AIDS orphans, we haven't mentioned Joseph in a while. He checks in most weekends, hoping to catch a movie at our house, get into the care package boxes, etc. Doing EXTREMELY well in school and not running away from his aunt's "house." Looking forward to seeing him regularly over the Christmas break. He's a gentle, quiet soul and nice counter balance to Blaise and Nina (neither gentle nor quiet).

Sunday we enjoyed a wonderful Confirmation Day here at Christ Church (which is also First Communion in this culture). 25 kids in all. The bishop quizzed them hard in front of the entire church and they were flawless. A young Kenyan man in our Friday discipleship class taught them every Saturday for a year. They appear to have the entire Book of Exodus memorized! Six of the Confirmands came from Islamic homes via Compassion. We took up a collection and threw a wonderful party for them afterwards, as their families would not celebrate the occasion.

Thanks to all who've been able to offer year-end gifts; looking like we'll make it another year here! Especially grateful for the help towards Christmas presents for the local children, particularly St. Helen's and Samaritan Village Orphanage, medical fees and continued food relief. St. Helen's Church just about finished; we'll focus on the school buildings in 2005 plus three new Maasai churches.

Be assured of our prayers. Much love and many blessings from Kili,

jerry+, Stacy, John, Nina and Blaise

22 November 2004 AD
Feast of St. Cecilia

Dear All,

Sunday morning we made the arduous drive to Engaruka, first following tarmac, then cow trails, then simply rolling over open mara while skirting the eastern face of the Great Rift Valley. Along the way we saw zebra, giraffe, ostrich, baboons, gazelle and lots of dust. It’s fortunate these trips are spiritually uplifting because they are physically grueling to a degree that defies description. We arrived at the hottest place on the planet; the sand was literally scorching.

The Christian community at Engaruka began only a few months ago with one evangelist, a few interested Maasai and an old tent on loan from our great friends at Here’s Life Tanzania (Jesus Film). Today there wasn’t sufficient room inside the sweltering canvass. We baptized many into the Body of Christ, with more to come in the weeks and months ahead. A new community in a village of 500 four hours away by foot has formed; Joshua, the evangelist, makes the 8 hour round trip trek several times each week. We hope to ordain him deacon in a few months and then add another Maasai evangelist there to assist him, bringing the number of rural evangelists we are supporting to seven.

The Engaruka area is all part of the Monduli District, in which we hope to land an additional Maasai evangelist for Lord of the Dance Church early in 2005. So the Engaruka Christians will be moving north east, while the Monduli Chini Christians extend south west – giving us a complete line of approach to this vast, unreached area. Believe us, we had no strategy at the outset: God put it all together. The one common denominator to everything that has gone well here is that we didn’t plan it.

We’ve already received word of 70 or so Maasai in the area who wish to be baptized, but no church or pastor could reach them. Now the search is on to find them. It’s amazing how many people in this corner of the world have yet to hear the Good News or have the support of a church fellowship. The harvest is plenty, the laborers are few and resources almost non-existent.

Today was an historic occasion as we used our new Maasai Prayer Book for the very first time (anywhere, ever), baptizing in their native tongue. Aibatis te nkarna Enkai Papa, Oinoti o Engkang’et Sinat (I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). It was powerful to hear Christian songs sung to Maasai beats and tones; their beautiful culture, created by God, is now praising Him in glory. The hymn underway upon our arrival was, “Wherever I travel, I find my mighty God.”

In celebration we walked back to the primary boma where we feasted on rice, roast goat and spicy black tea; I feel another round of antibiotics coming on. I’m not sure if it was hotter outside or inside the unventilated mud hut. It felt like being inside of a pizza oven. While waiting on lunch, the people huddled under a great tree. I was offered a seat, but that would have meant sentencing someone else to stand out in the sun. So I hovered on the periphery. An old bibi (grandmother), a latecomer, plunked down at my feet, using me as a human shade tree.

Following lunch, Stacy, Lenkai-Blaise Lloyd and I each went up to the village Elder – who had assumed his seat of authority -- for a blessing. This consists of bowing your head to him (you always bow to your senior for a pat on the head), whilst he grabs your ears and spits in your hair, then looks up to God (Enkai) asking favour upon you; I heard about it from Stacy on the LONG drive home. Blaise then marveled them with his spear throwing prowess and the Elders taught him about how to effectively fend off lions. The Elders basically sit around, dispense advice to the youth, solve the occasional dispute, and spit in people’s hair.

We have so much for which to be thankful each day. Today was simply over the top. This past year we’ve seen parents cry when paying for the children’s school fees, the hopeful look of families when delivering food aid during the worst of the drought, the happy voices of our children at St. Nicholas Academy, the students from St. Helen’s Technical College working around our computer, funny moments like a group of rural Maasai pastors gathering around our TV watching “Free Willy” with Blaise, or all the pastors in brutally impoverished Babati receiving new stoles on Thursday and then wearing them straight out the door, on the streets, at work, at home, etc. until Sunday. But there is nothing we appreciate more than seeing the Gospel come to an unreached area and a Christian fellowship coming alive, bringing light to the darkness. And we thank you all for making this entirely possible by your prayers, encouragement and support in so many ways. Esai! (Amen!).

Happy Thanksgiving week from Kili where we are always grateful. Warthog is on the menu here for Thursday. Blessings,

jerry+, Stacy, John, Nina and Lenkai-Blaise Lloyd

29 October 2004 AD

Dear All,

Just a little Friday afternoon update. Earlier this week I finally made the grueling trip to Kibaya. We found the shortcut, reducing the time from twelve to eight hours. There was never a time we were driving on anything that could – in the greatest charity – be considered a “road.” It was an all day roller coaster ride, but well worth the effort (and $150 in fuel/$5 a gallon here!).

Kibaya is the capital city of the Kiteto District, where we have five deaneries that next year will form the Communion’s newest – and likely poorest – diocese. The Church there is simply exploding with growth. They now have 100 full parishes with 40 more under construction. Each parish must have a plan to double and split every five years. Tiny Maasai villages with little mud churches only a year in existence see 250+ attendees on Sunday. And almost always next door is a larger mud church up and coming.

What’s fascinating, too, is that within this barren area the size of Vermont in the heart of East Africa, the Anglican Church is truly the sole Christian presence. There is one Catholic priest for this entire territory and a handful of Lutheran Churches. We’re it. Every major village/town on the Western Frontier now has a parish, so their next push will be into the Maasai bomas and Muslim villages in the hinterlands. We need prayers!

The new cathedral is under construction, with every parish sending a volunteer team to burn bricks, dig the trenches and foundation, etc. They have already built a dormitory for 40 boys and are now working on a girls’ dorm. The new diocese now has a vocational school operational where they teach typing and English. Soon they’ll add agriculture and carpentry. They also have one of only two theological colleges in Tanzania accredited to offer B.Min. Degrees in Theology. Quality theological education for our clergy is a desperate, desperate need.

Our missionary bishop from the U.K. +John Hayden spends six weeks down in Kibaya then six weeks back home. With 2005 being the “big year” in the push to become its own diocese, I’ll be making the trek south one week a month to lend a hand. It’s a brutal drive so prayers please for travel mercies. There is no traffic on the short cut route so if the car breaks down, you’re likely lion food.

Already volunteering to make the next trip is our great friend and neighbour, Maasai Kicha (Crazy Maasai), who wants to visit his brethren in that part of the country. Kicha is not a Christian so I’m hoping this will be a Spirit-filled experience for him, as it was for me! Speaking of which, he showed up today to take me to market (Friday is market day in Mbauda, need help from a local negotiating lower prices) in full Maasai Warrior garb, including sword, and sparkling new ladies’ sandals. He was quite a sight! African men generally hold hands while walking together, so the mental picture is Maasai Kicha in his lovely new white sandals, and me, holding hands while strolling around town. During our market trip I wanted to work on Ki-Maasai, but he expressed an equal interest in learning “American,” so we switched languages every ten minutes or so. We had a blast.

After shopping, I wanted to thank him for the scoring some great deals, so took Maasai Kicha for his first ice cream ever. The major point of contention was assuring him it did not involve fish. Maasai hate fish. This was an enormous obstacle. Earlier in the day I had to convince Kicha that fish were in no way involved with the Trident fruit chewing gum I had given him. Anyway, after successfully explaining the concoction was mainly comprised of milk and sugar, he relented. It ended up, however, being a mild payback experience for all of the awful things the Maasai have given me to eat of late. He grumbled and complained all the while about how cold it was, while shivering on this hot late spring day under his blankets. Kicha finally demanded hot tea, but we settled on a warm coke. At the end of the day I asked if he would wear a Maasai cross, to which he eagerly agreed, so one is on order for him with the mamas who make beaded jewelry in town. He’s a wonderful and dear friend whom we pray the Holy Spirit leads to Christ.

Which leads to the greatest news we’ve had to report since arriving a year ago: the entire adult Maasai community in Engaruka, where you have helped us to plant a church (actually two), wishes to be baptized. They will wait until I can get there, the third Sunday of November. On that day, the Feast of Christ the King, I will baptize all 43 of them. God is good. This will hopefully be the inaugural trip for the new Alpha Mobile – a 199_ Land Rover.

Stacy and the kids are doing just great. Mama Mchungaji’s birthday is November 6th, the first anniversary of our arrival on scene, and Nina turns seven on the 10th. Prayers for them both appreciated. John is having a fantastic eighth grade year and Lengai Blaise-Lloyd is enjoying first grade at “the big boy campus.”

We’re sorting things out with the new property for St. Nicholas Academy and hope to get underway with construction early in the New Year. Plan is to move St. Helen’s Technical College to the site, as well, if we can talk the City into extending us a power line and some water access.

Thanks for keeping us going here in every way. Be assured of our prayers daily. Much love and many blessings,

j+ et al

8 October 2004 AD
Feast of St. Bridget

Dear All,
It's a beautiful spring Friday afternoon here in East Africa and we wanted to give due praise to God for a great week and a word of thanks to you all for your prayers and support. You make this ministry entirely possible.

There is so much for which to give thanks:

* The two new Maasai missions in Engaruka are doing marvelously. We rec'd word this afternoon from our friend Kay who teaches at the diocese's bible college/evangelists' training school. She recently visited her former pupil, Jacob, a Maasai from Namanga, who is the now the local evangelist (supported by you all) there. She said the Church has been in the area for sixty+ years, but has never made any attempt to reach out into the rural Maasai Community. Jacob is going from boma to boma proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is the first time the Gospel has ever been proclaimed in these parts. People are coming to the Lord. We can't put it any better than Kay: "This is what it's all about!" I’ll spend next weekend in Engaruka: stay tuned for a report.

* WE HAVE LAND FOR ST. NICHOLAS ACADEMY! It's been a long slow haul, with many false trails, but God has delivered in a big way. We just kept telling the people in Mbauda to pray. And thanks for your prayers as well. Our Church Elders have been scouring the area and finally found the perfect spot for the right price. Hopefully next week we will close the deal on God's Little Acre near to the present campus. Will try to send some pics (but can't show up with a camera just yet or it will quickly quadruple the price). We are purchasing for $2,800, from our Mission Fund, which is an absolute miracle. Should be able to start turning dirt for the new buildings shortly.

* Our orphan, Joseph, came by last Sunday as he normally does. Looks great, healthy, happy, clothed, fed and doing wonderfully in school (his aunt sends progress reports with him). The tutor we hired to help him catch up over the summer break said from the start he was a very bright boy; he just needed some love and hope. Thanks to all for his school fees, and for all the other children – literally hundreds --who are going to school right now because of you.

* From the "If you can't beat them, finance them" Department, some of you know that many moons ago we hired carpenters from a local, very poor church -- St. Joseph's, Ngaramtone -- to fashion the majority of the furniture for our home at Christ Church. We should have known when they showed up with saplings this wasn’t going to be an overnight project. They also moved immediately into our back quarters, cooking their meals and doing laundry off our back porch, etc.

After many months of chairs and tables making their way into the vicarage at a tortoise pace -- they have no power tools, all work done by hand -- we thought they would finally pack up and move on. Any day we kept telling ourselves. One day their foreman, Sampson, came racing excitedly into the house to show us his brand new stamp (Tanzanians love stamps). "Smack!" onto the piece of paper: CHRIST CHURCH FURNITURE MART. Yes, they've turned our backyard into a commercial furniture factory. And it would appear they are living with us for good.

So, we opened the "Kramer Mission Micro-Finance Division,” making our first small business loan that would enable CHRIST CHURCH FURNITURE MART to purchase a power saw (which blew all of the power in the middle of this email!). We're making flyers/cards for them and they’re busy filling orders. They’re also patronizing our Cathedral bulletin.

We actually like having them out back as it means additional security, plus they help to shoo away the increasingly aggressive monkeys. Our house -- new puppy and laundry especially -- has been under serious attack of late. Gimley the dog can take on one monkey alone but they always send in reinforcements and we have to bail him out of trouble.

* Stacy's AA work continues to flourish. Her goal is to start a meeting in every parish. We visited St. Andrew's, Oloirien this a.m. -- had a wonderful tour of the school we've been helping out through you -- and they were very keen on participating. Thanks, too, for your prayers for John M. who was lost but now is found. Some angel picked him up off the streets, cleaned him up, fed him, took him home and connected with family. He's come back to the group sober and ready to continue his recovery. Prayer works.

There's so much more but these are this week's highlights. Sunday I conduct my first Maasai wedding, hopefully no food poisoning in the aftermath. Please continue sending us your prayer requests -- which we love to receive and share with our friends here. We also really enjoy sports' updates of all kinds (we have a great friend who's narrated the entire baseball season for us!) and reports on families, children, pets, etc.

We also had two couples from Houston join us last weekend. It was such a blessing. Hopefully more of you will “drop by.”

Have a great weekend. Much love and many blessings from Kili,

jerry+, Stacy, John, Nina and Blaise.