Thank you all so much for your continuous prayers for our family and the ministry in Tanzania. We are leaving the States at the end of May, so we are down to the last few weeks. The Lord has been so good to us during this medical furlough. Rachel is growing well and finally gaining good weight. We struggled at the beginning of her birth to find the right formula that would agree with her system and with her acid reflux. We are planning to take some formula back with us so we won’t have to introduce her to a brand-new one right away. As far as the rest of the crew, we always take advantage of being back Stateside; we all go to the dentist, get physicals, etc. We love taking advantage of the good healthcare in the States. A few days before I had my routine physical, I noticed that my Adam’s apple looked crooked. Well, to make a long story short, I had a golf-ball-sized cyst in my throat and needed to have surgery to remove it. I’m doing well, and there have been no side effects. Martha was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, so we have been going to many doctor’s appointments, getting educated on how to be a success with this disease, especially while living overseas. I cannot lie; it is challenging and not the easiest thing. But God continues to give us grace and mercy, and we know that we will be just fine.
Ministry
We had the opportunity to present our work in four churches. Two were new, and two we visited to give an update. We are always grateful for the opportunity to brag on God and to let people know how He is working in other parts of the world. Back home in Tanzania, things are going well. They had an all-night prayer meeting back in March, and 60 folks came out. When the pastor leaves, you sometimes wonder if people are going to leave too, but our folks at Grace Baptist Church remain faithful and continue to grow spiritually. We are grateful for the 340 people they have been averaging. Ministries are going on as normal: soul winning, bus, public schools, church services, etc. For Easter, our teens went to minister at our village church in Gairo. They sang and preached and had a good time celebrating our risen Saviour with those folks there. Back at Grace, 401 folks came, and they had a great day, with salvations and baptisms as well.
Prayer Requests
• Our president passed away last month. Please pray that things will go smoothly for the vice president as she transitions.
• As we head back, pray that we won’t have trouble getting in due to COVID. So far, there seems to be no problem, but the rules are changing daily.
• Pray that Martha’s and Rachel’s passports will arrive on time. Because of COVID, they said that they are not at full capacity in the office, and things take a little longer than normal.
• We need to take insulin back with us. Pray that the insurance will work with us to be able to take back months at a time.
We are always honored and grateful that you all would partner with us. Thank you for the cards, notes, and messages that we receive. They are very encouraging to us. Please know that we pray for you all and the ministries that God allows you to serve in. Also, if you ever change your email address, please let us know. We always want to be able to keep in touch. Our letters go out bimonthly, so if you haven’t heard from us, please reach out because we may have the wrong email. Again, we love and appreciate you all.
Your missionary representatives,
Mshama, Martha, Esther, Benjamin, & Rachel Kinyonga