John Rowse News – 12th Nov. 2017

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Mbeya, Tanzania

Kay’s phone no.: 041601041

12th November, 2017

 

Dear praying friends,

Kay

Thank you all for your kind praying. Kay has now made a really good recovery. She still has the other hip to go, but she is managing fine. She just needs Asha to help her with getting her shoes on. She can drive, again, and has been giving Asha her first driving lessons! I am now in Tanzania again. I left with no idea when the next operation would be, but they could give us no idea. Just last week they said it should be within 365 days.

Then suddenly, the other day, Kay gets a call to say it will be in two weeks time! She wants me to just plough on here, as she assures me she will be just fine with Asha being on school holidays and Rebecca is going to come over and sleep at our house. So do please be praying that this left hip replacement will go well without any of the mishaps we had last time.

One Door Closes – Another Opens

Since I got back to Mbeya, although, as you may recall, the Moravian bishop who thinks I am a heretic closed the door on the radio work with “Radio Baraka”, I have already had four sessions on a secular radio station, “Generation FM”. This new door is well-and-truly open. So this is another point for thanks. A couple of the sessions were responding to listeners questions (sent in by sms). This is going to be a slight challenge, since I am there alongside Dr N., a former lecturer from the Moravian theological college here, who sadly has had some liberal input. So do be praying about these sessions.

Pray for another “Timothy” of mine. Pastor Mwambola with the Lutherans has just been transferred to Mbeya City as a senior pastor, and is in a perfectly strategic position to get a seminar happening with the city churches here. Sadly, he wasn’t chosen to be bishop; someone not so desirable got the job (to put it politely). But, amazingly, he, too, wants me to teach his pastors – when earlier (as assistant bishop) he had been a thorn in my side, road-blocking earlier attempts to have a follow-up seminar with the pastors. That is really quite amazing. So thanks again for praying. Mwambola might in fact accomplish more by not being bishop​. The voting was so doubtful there was talk of bringing in the anti-corruption authority. It’s never dull here!

Mbeya – the Home Base

Back here in Mbeya, Shabani is taking over more and more of the book work, and seems to be doing well. We have some major challenges to face in the next few months over the land – still some legal hiccups, but now we have a great Christian lady who is a lawyer working for us. Do pray for her and Shabani, and for Andilile, our secretary here

Lake Victoria and Region

It will all stop for a few weeks, though, while I head north to Lake Victoria, the other end of the country. It’s a huge journey – two flights and some bus rides! It’s especially the bus rides I don’t like the thought of. Here’s the programme:

  • This coming week (November 17-19) I am with Daudi Ores (if you recall Daudi, who’s my off-sider in those northern parts), teaching Anglicans and others in Magu, between Mwanza and Musoma. It’s near the West end of the Serengeti.
  • Tuesday (Nov. 21) we are back in Rorya (near Tarime, close to the Kenyan border, north of Musoma) where following the last seminar with PEFA (Pentecostal pastors), others churches have asked for one, too. That’s from Wednesday 22 to Friday24
  • ​Next stop, Buhemba, with mainly Anglicans – still up there on the East side of Lake Victoria – for the weekend (Nov.25-26).
  • ​Then a longer bus trip right back to Mwanza​, for “the big one”.  A key leader of the PEFA church was present with us in Rorya last time, and got quite excited. Now he and David have got together and set up a major seminar for the city – with PEFA pastors and other churches too – for Nov. 28 – Dec. 1. (That’s when Kay has her hip job.)

​Please be praying that the arrangements will go well – with pastors getting the word in time​​, and turning up and seeing the course through to the end.​ And pray that in every place they will be teachable, and really grasp the gospel. Then, that they will not only believe it for themselves nor just go home and sit on it for fear of what the church elders and people will say; but rather pass it on.

Family Snippets

Philip has been going through a really rough time – just horrific, in fact – with an unfaithful wife. Do pray.

Thanks for your praying for Asha at school. She’s feeling more on top of things now, and getting some good marks. She’s also getting great experience working just a few hours each week in a cafe – though she’s been running up against some rugged Aussie culture there. ​With thanks and love from all of us.

John