We pray this Thanksgiving season has been a
joyful reminder of God’s rich blessings. We rejoiced to have several other
missionary families over to our home to celebrate Thanksgiving together. It was a special day of laughter, delicious
food, and games, but most importantly a day to remember all that God has done
for us. So in that spirit, I would like
to share a few things we are thankful for in our ministry here in Tanzania.
God’s protection: In our last update we shared some of the challenges we were facing at our church in Mapea. We recently went through a very painful church discipline of Barakieli. In revenge, he tried to kill Ema (the young man who is interning with me) by poisoning him. Providentially, the Lord protected Ema from the full force of the poison and healed him completely. Initially, this event caused much fear and uncertainty in the lives of our church members, but ultimately, we have learned that God is not mocked, and even those things that are done in secret will one day be revealed openly.
God’s increase: Even
through much of the uncertainity of the last several months, God has continued
to draw men and women to Himself. We
rejoice in the opportunity to baptize six souls (four of whom are
Datooga). Please pray for these young
Christians (in order from top to bottomt: Moses, Danieli, Mama Jonas, Mama Ema, Elizabeti, na Raheli).
Church families: We
rejoice that God is bringing families together to worship Him. It is a delight
to see several whole families coming faithfully every Sunday to worship
together. In this culture, it is unheard of to leave your house completely
empty on account of thievery. A few of our church families have been taking a
leap of faith in doing this each week. One such family closes their shop every
Sunday to come worship together. Another young couple carries their two small
children roughly two miles each way. Another single mother faithfully brings
her five children over a mile each way. Pray for these families to be wholy
dedicated to Him.
Your Prayers: We
truly cannot thank God enough for the prayers of his people on our behalf. When we were walking through difficult days,
we were being upheld by your prayers for us. Thank you for your service to God
through prayer.
Together for His
Glory,
Aaron & Nicole Shipe
