Dear Family and Friends,

The last six weeks we have seen both blessings and difficulties. Thank you so much for praying for the local situation in the Magambua church. Representatives from the diocese came and spent an entire weekend in lengthy meetings, listening well to all sides concerned. We’re grateful for the hard work they put in to trying to bring reconciliation. Continue to pray, there are still further steps needed to see real forgiveness and peace come. Because of the outcome of those meetings, a new head pastor will be assigned to AICT Magambua. It’s likely also that two of our Tanzanian nurses will moving on to a new assignment. Please ask the Lord of the harvest to bring fellow Tanzanian workers with hearts for loving and reaching the local people in Usandawe.

The Mvumi eye team came at the end of May, and we had another successful eye surgery clinic. They screened and treated nearly 70 eye patients and did 20 operations, mostly cataracts. One elderly Muslim man from Kwa Mtoro expressed deep appreciation for great improvement in his sight after the surgery. Another patient, a Maasai elder, had a very serious orbital cellulitis infection, and required IV antibiotics and removal of his left eye. Unfortunately, his right eye had an old dense corneal scar, and he remained blind, but thankfully was able to receive treatment for his potentially life threatening disease.

After the eye surgery clinic, Melissa, Margaret and I enjoyed attending the wedding and reception of Otto’s brother. It was a privilege to take part of the festivities, with much music, Sandawe dancing, gift giving, and feasting!

Following the wedding, we had a unit prayer day organized by our Unit Leaders in Karatu. It was great getting together with fellow missionaries to pray for the ministries of AIM in central Tanzania.

In this last week, we enjoyed a mid-term break with all the kids and the French family up in Kenya, and then an anniversary trip to the Usambara Mountains……….more about that in a future update.

Right now, please pray for Sarah- a med student and Michelle- a nurse, two short term missionaries with us for a week in Magambua. They’ve hit the ground running here today, helping treat a burn patient, cerebral malaria, and also pyomyositis. In the span of one day they’ve met Sandawe, Masaai, Sukuma, Nyaturu, and Barabaig patients.

Pray also for Melissa, who will be the cook for RVA’s sixth grade safari from June 20th to 24th. They will be camping out at a wildlife refuge in Kenya.

Blessings in Christ,

Jon