Hello to our Friends & Family !
We want to begin this post by saying a big thank you once again to everyone who participated in our potluck. Thank you again to those who invested their time, their products, their delicious food, and their services. Thank you to those who helped behind the scenes and encouraged us! A big huge thank you also to those of you who invested and will invest financially to partner with us in this God sized journey.
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” 2 Corinthians 9:7
The theme of “giving” continues to burden our minds these days. During our fundraiser on April 6th Graydon had mentioned the great “African illusion”. That people from the Western world believe that the people of Africa need or want the same things we do.
If you are like us, you may wonder, “ How come there are millions of dollars being poured into Africa but poverty, hungry, illness are still so prevelant?” . A large part of this illusion is the fact that countless charities and organizations throw money at Africa in the hopes of eradicating “their problems”. More often than not the money that is thrown into Africa doesn’t reach the people in need.
Although the people of Africa have needs they are not the same as ours . The people are thankful to live with the little they do have. They are thankful for just having clean water, food, and a community of people who care.
Among the needs that they have, basic english Education is important to the future of many Tanzanians. Though Education is something we certainly take for granted, Graydon mentioned that when they first opened the English school there were hundreds of applicants lined up to receive a basic education in english. Why? Why would 100+ Tanzanians feel the need to take time apart from their lives to take additional schooling when people here rarely see the inherent value in the same thing?
The simple answer is that for most Tanzanians their Education and future will either start or end with a grade 7 English proficiency exam. The difference between passing or failing this exam could either mean joining the other thousands of Tanzanians that live in poverty or having a chance at earning a living and supporting a family.
The Rufiji lighthouse english school is a shining beacon of hope, not only for the education it brings but most importantly because it has the ability to serve as an open door for God’s great love to be shown to a people who do not know Him. When we think about a “lighthouse” we think about what it represents. It represents safety, and life, as ships would use the lighthouse to find safe harbour while in the darkness or a storm. In the same way, The Rufiji Lighthouse offers the people of Mloka a very special way to find eternal life and hope through Jesus.
True, that the Tanzanian people need an English Education but even more so they need the Love of God to be shown to them. How beautiful is it that God has brought them a little beacon of hope that serves to bring them both!?
“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” John 6:35