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MSALATO MATTERS JULY 2010:
Dear Friends in Christ,
Thank you for your prayers and support and for the love we know surrounds us as we work here. We do enjoy getting your emails. We have had a good break and return enthused for the term that lies ahead. There'll be lots of hard work to be done but feel blessed to be here doing His will. Sixty new students should arrive this week because there needs to be 60 or so new parishes created and therefore more Pastors needed due to the growth of the church. Praise the Lord. When you think of the level that some of these students come in at which is Form 4, you would marvel at the great strides they make. Our Reading Recovery programme is working so well in lifting students' reading and comprehension ability.
During our time away, Iri was able to baptize our little grandson Noah and we spent time with our family which is so very important when we are away from them for long periods of time. Before we left in early July, we needed to register Gertie, the NZCMS vehicle. We went to the Transport Authority on the 30th of June but were told to come back again the next day as the registration wasn't due until July. We went again next day to the TRA to get the account, went to the bank to pay it, went to the stationers to photocopy the bank receipt, went to the TRA to give the original receipt and had to go back in the afternoon, another 12 kms on the rough, dusty road to pick up the registration papers. Just as well your prayers are with us. I think an extra prayer for patience would be well founded.
Unfortunately we missed the Ordination of Priests in our short absence. This was at the Cathedral in Dodoma on the 25th. of July, the day we were travelling for 7 hours on the bus from Dodoma. The service was planned after we were committed to our flight dates. Those ordained were ex- Msalato students who had been made Deacons the previous year. We will visit as many as possible on our Sunday village trips and support those in need. We hear that one lucky one was even posted in a village where there's electricity but some will be where there is not even any water so do remember to pray for them and think of them when you simply turn the tap on.
We hear that the winter is pretty harsh there this year so let me tell you about winter in Dodoma. We have the same seasons as NZ; the trees are bare, there's a gentle breeze blowing, the sun shines - every day and there is no rain. Sp, if you are not deoendent on water, the climate is perfect. daylight every morning at 6.30, sunrise by 7am, sunset at 6.30 and dark again by 7. Maybe this will entice you to come and teach here. We need more English and Theilogy teachers, especially for 2012. Please email us on
kateandiri@hotmail.com if you need details.
Our student Stanley whom we write about has been posted to Ilangali on the Southernmost border of the diocese. Apparently the Bishop is trying to strengthen that area for last year he posted another top student, Mwani, to Magaga, the second to last outpost. We are helping Mwani and the people of Magaga complete their church so should get a chance to visit Stanley and encourage him although the journey will be a long one.
Must away, Iri and a student are planting banana trees and need a cup of tea.
For now, love and blessings,
Rev iri and Kate Mato
Serving in His name in Tanzania.
MSALATO MATTERS MAY 2010:
Time flies when you're having fun and it's certainly been a fun month here. Since last writing, we have travelled to Mindola to celebrate the completion of the church there and, what a joyous occasion it was. The timing was God's because, Stanley, the student who first invited us there a couple of years ago, will graduate at the end of June and become ordained, which means he will be moved to another parish. The work he did there, fund-raising and co-ordinating the building of the first Anglican Church in that area means he will always be remembered. The name of St Georges, Gate Pa will also be remembered in Mindola for it was through their support that the church was completed. There was celebration at the gift of forty Swahili Bibles which will be used by the youth group, Uwake; the women's group and the Wazee; the men's group. As in all other villages we visit, there are many women in the church but in Mindola, it is such a joy to find many, many young men who have come to the Lord through Stnley's example. We praise God for the growth of His church.
It was from Mindola that we brought the first kanga home and again Stanley has been instrumental in organising that project along with two DCT Area Deans. To date, nineteen pastors have been to collect their pair of birds and have signed their willingness to tithe a pair of birds to a catechist or evangelist when they have ten birds. This shouldn't take long as kangas are known to produce many, many eggs. More birds arrived this morning, had their wings clipped and are now swarking in protest as they await new
It will be student election day on Friday and we wait to see who will replace Stanley as student chairman. The preparations for the elections are just delightful. Today, those standing for the position must present their manifestoes to the student body but last week had to collect their registration forms. We were upstairs having a staff meeting when we heard drums,whistles, bells and singing as a merry band passed by downstairs. This was a group of student supporters taking their candidate Obed to collect his registration form. It was such fun to
Although it's almost exam time and there's serious work being done, we had another amazing day yesterday when we took Anna Tovey, who's been staying with us on her way home from Romania, and 7 students to Isangha where Iri baptised a seventy two year old man. This man has 3 wives, 23 children and over 50 grand children and has at last invited Christ into his life. Being a patriarch, it is probable that the whole family will follow him, not just now, but for generations to come. We pray for Matthayo and praise the Lord. How patient He is.
MSALATO MATTERS APRIL 2010:
Dear friends in Christ,
Thank you for the many messages of condolence on the death of Iri's brother. It was hard for me knowing of Tohi's passing while Iri was still flying and sad that Iri didn't get there in time to say goodbye but at least he was able to take the funeral. I have missed him of course but have been very well cared for by the students, who are always coming to check up on me, and the staff, who have invited me to meals so, I feel very loved. My only concern has been the frogs that ooooze themselves up the plug holes and jump unpredictably. I solved the problem by having Mama catch the offenders and take them outside
then put plugs in all the outlets. Students have come to harvest Iri's maize and to plant out the spinach and tomato seedings. This work provides them with a little pocket money for their 'needs'.
It was a joy to join with other Australian and New Zealand mission partners to remember our fallen ANZACS last Sunday. We gathered with Bishop Mdimi and Irene for prayers followed by a progressive lunch of real 'home' food including lamingtons for the Aussies. I used to make these for my dad to take on his fishing weekends to the Great Lakes in central Tasmania many years ago so I enjoyed the memory. Flags and bunting adorned the trees and there was much comarderie.
We've had a good little project going for the first year students whereby they work for twenty hours in the college grounds and receive a text book in return. This has enabled them to gain an NIV Study Bible. Now they are working towards an African Bible Commentary which includes the work of Francis Foulkes under whose scholarship award some students study. We felt it a bit tough to have to work for a dictionary so thanks to the kind donors, we will present a new Study Dictionary to each graduating student. This will replace the rather tattered copies we loan them during their time here.
A project that will conclude with celebrations next weekend is the completion of the new church built at Mindola in conjunction with our home church of St Georges, Gate Pa. We have purchased forty Bibles to donate to the church as a final gift for it's time to move on to a new project.
What's next?
Well, it's the Kanga Project which aims to give to each Pastor who has graduated from Msalato a pair of kanga.
What's a kanga?
A kanga is a guinea fowl and this project has been co-ordinated by student Chairman Stanley from Mindola and two of our senior students who are Area Deans and know the Diocese and the needs far better than we do.
Why kanga?
Kanga are good guards, produce many, many eggs which can be hatched or eaten, have plenty of tasty flesh and good feathers for stuffing pillows and apparently they do not suffer from disease as hens do. Giving a pair to each Pastor should allow them to soon build up a flock enabling them to tithe a pair to a catechist or evangelist in their church once they get 10 birds. In turn others will be required to tithe so the joy should soon spread and provide food or a little income for families. Please pray for the success of this project.
Pray also for us as we serve in His name,
With love, Iri and Kate
MSALATO MATTERS MARCH 2010:
Dear friends in Christ,
Ifingha had been blessed by plenty of rain and a good harvest is promised there this year as well as in many areas but there are sadly those dry areas where people will go hungry. We have been honoured with the first fruits of the harvest being presented to us on three different occasions. We see this as a real privilege and a blessing. As the tall stalks dry in the sun and the wind, we love the musical rustling sound. The other sounds that we are really enjoying are those of the many types of birds around at the moment. The spectacular Superb Starling catches our eye because of its paua-shell coloured wings. The Beautiful Sunbird is smaller but with the same wing colour and red on its chest. Watching the weaver birds build their nests until one meets the satisfaction of the female is fascinating. He may build four or five but then tears down the ones which are not up to his prospective mate's standard.
This morning we have been to the bank! So what, you say but going to the bank here involves leaving home at 8am and being prepared to return about 11. With the new universities in town, and students paying fees directly into the bank, it's hard to know the right time to deposit money sent to us for the education of children in other areas. What a crush of humanity. Iri hurt his arm when he was squeezed into the doorway as the doors opened at 8.30 but we joined the long snaking queue and got back safely. The roads are pretty gruesome now after all the rain but our trusty Gertie never lets us down.
For now, love and blessings in His name,
Iri and Kate
MSALATO MATTERS FEBRUARY 2010:
Greetings to you all from green and wet Msalato. Our prayers have surely been answered with Dodoma having more rain this year than most other areas of Tanzania. Of this rain, Msalato has received the most so please include now in your prayers, the outlying areas of the Diocese of Central Tanganyika where this precious rain has been light. Here the 'corn is as high as an elephant's eye and it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky.' This promises to be a good season for the local people but there have been difficulties as people wait for their crops to grow and some allocation of food has been necessary. With the frequent showers of rain over the last few weeks has come an abundance of insect life giving food for the many birds we delight in seeing. There are birds of many sizes and colours and it is pure joy to sit and watch them splashing and swimming in Peter Akester's bird bath.
Speaking of water flowing, Iri and his team of 'fundis' have completed the installion of a new 10,000 litre tank which will bring water from the reconstructed bore, half a kilometre away, to the college. This will save us paying excessive rates for water. What a relief to see the tank finally lifted onto the 6 metre high foundation, to have everything connected and water coming through the pipes. It was a big job but well worth the effort.
The students have returned to find five new, well-qualified, staff members installed at the college. Staff housing and student accommodation are now being stretched to the limit but we know that God will provide for those He calls to this place of learning where the motto is ' Equipping God's servants'. In addition to offering courses to those seeking to do theology, we are offering English courses to the general public, hoping to subsidise student fees in this way.
We are looking forward to the visit of the New Zealand Youth team and hope to be able to have them visit here but unfortunately their visit coincides with the end of the semester. We well remember the wonder in the eyes of the youth team who visited with Robert Kereopa and know the visit has impacted on their lives. We know God will change the lives of those coming at the end of June just as He has changed ours.
As we write we await the birth in London this week of our first grandson and pray that both mother and child will be well.
May grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Serving in His name,
Rev. Iri and Kate Mato