Faith Life Group at McGregor Baptist Church
Craig Mayer - Instructor
Fort Myers Florida

Today is

Faith Life Group,

Please enjoy the monthly newsletter and ensuing answers to prayer. These were our first Missionaries that our class supported. Emily grew up at McGregor and she went as a single woman to Tanzania. She met Tim while living in a small rural African village working as a teacher. Please praise God with them.

Patti Mayer

From: Tim & Emily Tanner tim-emily.tanner@aimint.net

Dear Family & Friends,

Have you ever been so caught up in a battle full of victories, yet in the
midst of a defensive too, in such a way that you feel at a loss for the
words to properly express it to others - not wanting to oversimplify,
over-concern, inflate, or discourage simultaneously? Then the moment comes
when one knows, no matter how poorly written, one must call out for the
prayer of others as it is the mightiest weapon we have! We are in that
moment now! Please pray with us ...

Our dear friend Mama Sudi is in Dar es Salaam right now at Muhumbili
hospital in critical condition with her baby stuck & with loss of blood
after trying to deliver here at the health center. She has already lost 2
infants/toddlers, the last one just in October. Pray Jesus would intervene
and she would see it and finally give her life to him - we have had much
testimony in her life and family.

Wednesday, the day before the preschool was to start, we received word from
the District Education Officer, via the local school principal, that
permission to use a classroom short term was revoked due to strong complaint
from a few Mxslxms. Pray we have a successful peaceful parent's meeting
today that will guide us on what to do next and that these parents and
students, who are mostly Zaramo/mxslxms, would not become discouraged or
afraid to attend!

Pray for our neighbors who are discouraged and literally sick of the
negligence/neglect of the local health center = they have come to us for
help/instruction on cleaning wounds and treating illness that they have
tried to treat via the local clinic with no success. For example this week
our neighbors have been coming to us with infected amputations, burns,
soars, chronic malaria ect. Pray for us to know how to help well.

Pray for us as we grieve the loss of Mama Harima's brother from a motorcycle
accident. Pray for Emily and the rest of the team ladies as they visit Mama
Amina, his widow. Pray for us to be a tool of God's healing comfort during
her 40 day mourning home isolation. Mama Amina is the woman who had
accepted Christ on our porch years ago, but we had no more contact with her
as they lived permanently away up country. She has asked for a Bible to read
during her isolation. Pray this time with her would also renew Mama Harima
in her faith!

Praise God for baby steps of growth in the Zaramo believers! Praise God for
the first baptism of one of the Zaramo believers, Mzee Kombo last Sunday.
He gave an awesome testimony followed by the baptism led by Tim & Pastor
George. It was witnessed by a few of the other Zaramo believers, our team,
and the Buguruni church! Pray the others would be emboldened to follow his
example in obedience to the word!

Praise God that the Zaramo - in the driest, hottest of seasons- have been
encouraged that they have some water because of the community hand-dug
cement ring wells they dug and they want to dig more! Praise God a Zaramo
man wants to be trained in how to install and maintain the bio-sand drinking
water filters so he can help not only his own household, but his neighbors
too to have consistent clean drinking water! Praise God that Tim's local
corn crop, planted using the farming God's way methods, has produced in the
harshest conditions and the Zaramo have seen the difference and want to
learn!

Pray that we would live the truth of Eph. 3: 14-21

By His Mercy, For His Glory!
Tim, Emily, Caleb, & Imani Tanner

PS - We will be sending pictures of the baptism & mzenga life shortly! We
wanted to get you praying ASAP! :-)

Pictures

Tanner Letter #2

Dear Family & Friends,

Thank you for the outpouring of prayer on our and our Zaramo friend's
behalf. We are so thankful!

Praise God the parent meeting went incredibly well! There was a good
turnout with a peaceful, yet determined spirit of unity and hope on how to
move forward in getting good education for their children. One of the
parents, who is a teacher in the Mxsqxx, rallied the people together sharing
that, "everyone knows we (the Zaramo) are the most undeveloped, uneducated
tribe in Tanzania, but we are going to change this for our children. We will
now be a family, all of us parents and students at the school, and together
we are going to make a better life and be an example for all the Zaramo to
follow!" It was amazing! It was unanimous that the preschool should not be
delayed, but start today in our backyard bonda - and so it did! Praise God
for a great first day of school!

Praise God that Mama Sudi's life was spared during childbirth. It is
heartbreaking to share that her baby did not live. Mama Sudi is still
recovering at the national hospital, but it is hopeful that she will be
discharged soon. Again, pray for us to know how to lovingly comfort our
friend and her family during this traumatic loss.

The rains have started and everything is being renewed and growing! We are
thankful.

By His Mercy, For His Glory!
Tim & Emily