Sharing the Gospel

This past week we had a break down of the Gospel. I have been teaching on Business as a Mission for the past month and was getting a lot of questions that made me think that maybe their idea of the Gospel isn't quite clear and that maybe even some of them didn't know it at all. So, Screech!!!! I put on the breaks and took a few steps back. I began to think about how to share it without making it long complicated and more confusing. It's not that i think the Gospel is confusing but translating it into a different language in a different culture isn't always easy. I have had many, MANY misunderstandings the past 4 years i have been here.

First of all we bought Bibles. My friend Kendall and I ( we went through Teen Challenge together) got all excited about sharing this important story with our women. We bought Bibles, found a new believers Bible Study and Prayed for about a week that God would open their hearts.

We met last week and just shared our heart. I told them what Jesus did for me and what he is still doing everyday. I gave Bibles to Muslims who were excited to hear more and we had ladies sharing what God means to them. Afterwards we prayed. I asked if any had prayer requests and they laughed as they all put their hands up as if saying "who doesn't?"

This is what it's all about. I work so hard to make a quality sandal, manage our employees, work on contracts and job descriptions but this is the real work, the work that will really transform these women and their families.

Dog Goes to Church!

Last Sunday I woke up with an overwhelming feeling that I just wanted to stay home, skip church and relax. I have a friend visiting from the US and we had been running around all week. I had my personal devotions which talked about how important fellowship with the saints is and that going to church puts us in community with other believers and it's important for our "walk" with Him. Ok! So I started feeling a bit convicted. I said my apologies and prayed for forgiveness and asked if He could help me to become more disciplined. Then Kendall, my friend from home and I took my new puppy on a walk. As we were walking through the village a woman flagged us down and in her best English invited us to come into her church. We tried to argue that we had our dog and we were on our way for a walk but her smile was so sweet and the invitation was so heart warming that we couldn't say no. We walked in to find this broken down one room shack made into a tiny church full of children. Now, children in Tanzania are terrified of dogs so the fact that we walked in with one was more then some of them could take. We sat down in the back and expected to hear complete Swahili coming from everyone and not  understand most of what was going on but to my surprise the pastor spoke wonderful English. He explained to us that this was the children's service and that we were most welcome, so we stayed. There we sat, two church skippers, with a dog, in a service we should not have been able to understand hearing and receiving the Word of God. I walked out of there feeling so loved by my Savior. He heard my cry earlier about missing church, He excepted by apology and then found a way to show me He was thinking of me and was providing me with all I need. Thank you Jesus for making me feel so very special.

David James

I've been reflecting on the life of David James this past week. For those of you who didn't know David he was a little HIV orphan that Shining a Light sponsored. We lost him to meningitis last week and I have been struggling as to what could have prevented such a senseless death and what I could do to change this common event in Tanzania. Although I know that God is the ultimate ruler of life and death I still have this sense that He is speaking to me, to us, about the fact that we get so caught up in the things of this world, things that are not important. So what is important? My heart tells me that people are but what does my head tell me? When projects need to be organized and job descriptions need to be written, donors need to be informed and updated and boards are pressing in to see results and progress. It's so easy to get caught up in the project instead of focusing on the people. Jesus always had time for people. He was never worried or stressed by deadlines and quotas. Aren't we suppose to be reflecting him?
I've lost David but God has placed so many more lives in my care. I have a new resolve to see these people come to know Jesus, to make their lives healthier and their futures brighter. We will take more time to see the faces and hear the voices instead of the bottom-line and learn from David James that even though God took his precious life he will live on in the work we do through Shining a Light.

I ask that you reflect on who or what is taking precedence in your life and if it's what, change it to who!

A Story of Reunion

Most of the time we hear the stories of children being abandoned over here in Tanzania but this is a story of reunion. I met Baby almost two years ago. She was a four year old little girl living with her Grandmother because her mother had to flee the area to escape an abusive husband. Her mother went to work as a house girl in another region of Tanzania because she feared for her life. After several abusive confrontations and a stabbing that left her scared for her and her child's life, Fatuma left her child in the care of her mother and ran as fast and as far as she could.
Now almost two years later she as returned. I have been helping Baby's grandmother care for her, taking her to the doctor when needed, paying school fees and buying food and clothing for her. But now that her mother has finally returned my hope and prayer is that she will be able to be the mother Baby so desperately needs. Our training center/workshop is a great place for Fatuma to get those skills that she needs to provide for Baby. We are hopefully going to welcome Fatuma into our program and save this family from every having to be separated again. Not only will she be able to provide for her and her child but she will be able to give her a life she never had herself. Our goal at Shining a Light is to create an environment of Empowerment so that mother and child may stay together and learn the skills necessary to sustain a brighter future for themselves and their family.

Balloon Love!

The kids in my village are nuts about balloons. I mean what kid isn't? Any party I've ever been to instantly kicks up a notch when balloons are brought into the mix. Well kids in Africa are no different, except for the fact that most of them have never even seen one. Any visitors that come and ask what to bring I automatically say balloons. They are cheap, easy to carry and always ALWAYS are a hit. Last weekend I had a crew of kids at my gate, actually, every day I have them at my gate. They are relentless. They knock and knock and know until I finally can't take it anymore and must go see what is so urgent. Nothing ever really is, they are just bored and want some "Jen Fun". So I came to the gate prepared, a bag of balloons!!!What followed was a frenzy of jumps, air punches, high kicks and over excited shouts. They came from all sides, kids I have never seen before, to get their own balloon. The fun lasted hours and the shouts didn't die down until late into the afternoon. They stopped knocking and I was able to get back to whatever it was I was doing. But the joy and excitement that they experienced over one tiny balloon made me envious of simple pleasures and made me want to answer those knocks  at my gate.

Jennifer
www.shiningalight.org

AFRICAN SANDALS

These sandals are gorgeous, right! But what you don't know is that they are empowering women in Tanzania. Women in Tanzania struggle from the very beginning of their lives. They don't get any choice in how their life will go and which path they will take. Money for education is scarce and usually goes to educate the males in their family. They hardly ever get to choose their husband or even how many kids they will have. On top of all of this their husbands do not respect them, they often abandon them and if they do stick around demand that the woman, with no education, training or resources provide for the home and the children. Shining a Light is rescuing these women through these beautiful African Sandals. We are teaching them the skill of beading, providing business training and money management and teaching them in the area of literacy. We then help them enter the market place so that they may earn a living and provide for their children. Through the purchase of these African Sandals at www.shiningalight.org you can participate in helping us transform the lives of women in Tanzania.



 Go to www.shiningalight.org to purchase a pair of these gorgeous African Sandals Empowering women TODAY!

Monika's Story of Hope

Monika is sweet and quiet. She comes to work every day with her head down and ready to give it her all. She's not the fastest beader and her quality is not the best, she might not even like to bead. But she does it! Every day! She knows that this is her opportunity to provide for her children. She is 30 years old and has two children. She has been married for seven years but hasn't seen her husband in two. this is her life. No one cares about her, know one has invested in her, protects her or listens to her. This is a common story here in Tanzania. She has no self confidence and thinks very low of herself. Her only goal in life is to send her children to school and make sure their stomaches are full. This WAS her story.

Thanks to Shining a Light Monika is making a new story for herself. She is working hard to learn a skill, save some money and learn about business. She is trying to imagine herself running a business some day even though it's beyond her imagination. Building her confidence through her work and knowing she has money in the bank will help her focus on a dream she has never dared to dream, independence, security and safety. her children will see her new found confidence and become more confident themselves. Her children will also know there is money for education and work hard to reach the next level. All of this will come from her training at Shining a Light. A life of struggle for a life of hope. 

We are changing lives and you are helping! By sharing this blog, spreading the word and buying our sandals at www.shiningalight.org women like Monika are being empowered and changing their future.