March 2009 Update

Uvira, DRC. In February I was able to travel to the town of Uvira in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). You may remember it as Zaire or simply Congo. This nation has been at war with itself and others for a very long time, most of the troubles being rooted in the Eastern Congo just across the lake from Kigoma. It’s history - from the colonial days of King Leopold of Belgium, to the Belgian rule that followed, to it’s independence from the West, to today - is both complex and tragic. The country is one of the biggest in Africa comparing approximately in size to the entire Western United States. With so many problems, so many different people groups and languages (over 400), and a central government located at the far western edge of the country, even the best regions and districts are tumultuous, corrupt, and just barely getting by. Eastern DRC borders Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, and most of its residents speak a slightly altered version of Swahili (the national language of Tanzania). In addition, many Congolese escaped the war and death in their home country by entering Tanzania as refugees. Many Eastern Congolese have spent anywhere from five to twenty-five years in refugee camps in the Kigoma region. This common language, close proximity, and similar culture makes Eastern DRC a perfect addition to our scope of ministry, and one that God had told us about in advance even before we ever left the United States. From Kigoma its about a seven hour journey by boat or automobile to get to Uvira, which means that ministry is only a short day away. The needs are great and there are often difficult hurdles to overcome in order to accomplish anything there. The corruption of government officials, the depleted economy, the devastated infrastructure, and the unsettled nature of a country still recovering from civil war and chock full of rebel groups and rogue military elements, all make for a potentially strenuous environment to minister in. But all things are possible with God, and where He guides He always provides: the way, the means, the wisdom, the energy, the safety, the everything. He is the Great I AM!

In Uvira I met with Pastor Sepa Mamboleo, Pastor Tito, and other local and regional pastors and elders associated with them. The meeting went very well. The primary focus of the meeting was to discuss the training of pastors in the Eastern Congo. There are many pastors and church leaders in all of the regions of Eastern DRC - from Provence Orientele in the north (where the LRA has recently set up shop after leaving Uganda), to North and South Kivu (where various Hutu and Tutsi rebel groups still operate and terrorize the people for personal profit), down to Katanga in the far south. All of them have expressed a deep desire for solid Biblical instruction so that the pastors and leaders of the churches in these villages and towns might be firmly grounded in the Word of God and fully equipped for the ministry. We plan to accomplish this by establishing a Pastor Training School in Uvira, which is basically a middle ground between the north and the south. Here current and future pastors can come and be trained in the Word of God. Currently - as is the case in much of Tanzania and many other African nations - a pastor is typically named “pastor” because they are the oldest, or wisest, or most popular or “spiritual” and have expressed a desire to be a pastor. Sometimes the motives are good and other times the motives are based on a desire for recognition or status. Rarely, if ever, is it because they have met the Biblical standard of an elder, teacher, and/or pastor. By attending the Bible School they will not only learn what the Bible says about foundational doctrines, but what it says about being and elder, teacher, and/or pastor. The Word of God will then divide the called and those with godly motives from those who are “in it” for the wrong reasons. Those who remain and complete the training will learn how to study the Bible for themselves. They will learn through the Bible what it teaches in regards to the foundational truths of the Faith. They will learn how to serve the people with a pure heart, on behalf of the Lord, as a true mtumwishi (bondslave), and not for personal prestige or gain. They will learn the importance and centrality of being lead by the Holy Spirit, according to Scripture, in order to accomplish God’s will and purpose in their lives and lives of those they serve. This is what’s lacking and they know it and have asked us to help. How can we refuse?

Jon with the leaders of the church in Uvira, DRC

Kigoma, Tanzania. There were many challenges waiting for us when we arrived back home in Kigoma. With God’s grace and strength we made it through and are now settled in and back to business.

Kevan has begun helping with another local ministry that takes care of the destitute. For more information about it, please see the previous blog entry titled "a heart for the poor." Please pray for Kevan to continue to grow in Christ and be sensitive to His calling and leading in ministry.

Jon is now teaching a weekly discipleship / Bible training class to the leaders of the local church that we work with. This takes place every Tuesday from 3 to 5 pm (local time is currently 11 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Time). Please pray for these meetings to be fruitful and for the church to become healthy and grow accordingly.

Carrie will begin teaching the ladies group from the local church once per month. Please pray for her to have the time and strength for study and preparation, and for the Lord to give her peace to overcome any nervousness.

Jon will soon begin teaching at the Bible College on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Please pray for his time of study and preparation. Also please pray for the students hearts and minds to be prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive from the Lord.

Carrie is working hard as 5th grade teacher to Kevan, 2nd grade teacher to Keenan, 1st grade teacher to Caleb, Preschool teacher to Jada, and nursing mother to Jasmine. Please pray for her physical, mental, and emotional strength in homeschooling. It is a very difficult and tiring endeavor, though very rewarding.

Jon is working with a close friend to help find a way to provide for several orphans to continue their education. These are young boys and girls with no parents who are being cared for by friends or neighbors. They have passed their primary school exams and been accepted to secondary school, and so have the opportunity to move on but cannot afford the school fees, school supplies, school uniforms, and shoes. Those who receive support will attend a weekly Bible Study in order to remain in the program. Please pray that the Lord would provide the support needed for each of these children (only $19 per month). Currently there are about 40 children who have been screened and identified for assistance.

Jasmine Grace. For those of you interested in Jasmine’s growth and pictures, please visit the following internet sites for information and pictures: www.thelangleyclan.org and http://thelangleyclan.blogspot.com

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Current Needs. As you have read in this update, there is a lot going on and a lot to do. We would really appreciate your prayers and your helping us get the word out so that we can move forward on the projects that the Lord has put before us. Prayer and financial support are two common ways to partner with us, and many who read this newsletter already do both. You can also help by telling others and getting your church involved as a whole.
--- The pastor training school in Congo will require $77 per month per student to run (or a total of $1855 per student for the full 48 week program). We need sponsors for these brothers to be trained. Once they’ve been trained they’ll minister in their home villages and towns, some will become missionaries, and others can teach in the school themselves. Please pray for the Lord to provide for these students.
--- We need Holy Spirit-gifted and qualified teachers to come and teach at the Pastor Training School for two-week sessions. We will be scheduling two teachers at a time, one to teach the morning session and one the afternoon session. We need to be able to schedule a total of eight teachers for each session of eight weeks. Please pray that the Lord would guide us to the right brothers for this task and provide for their needs to come and share in the work for a short season.
--- The orphan education program will require $19 per month per child. This is a small price to see these kids get the chance to continue their education while being discipled weekly in the things of the Lord. With this combination of Biblical discipleship and basic education they can not only grow in their knowledge and relationship with the Lord, but also use that foundation to make an impact for Christ in their country, which is slowly moving more and more towards Islam and away from Christ. Please pray that this need will be met quickly so the students don’t miss this opportunity.
--- The ministry both here in Kigoma as well as in Congo is being expanded by the Lord. This expansion further emphasizes the need for one or two godly Tanzanian co-laborers to help with administration, translation, teaching, and government relations. Those who wish to serve the Lord in this way don’t have the benefit of having family & friends who can financially support them. In order to bring a couple of servants on board with us, we’d like to provide them with a fair wage so that they can meet the needs of their families. Currently we can do this for $250 per month per person. Please pray that the Lord would provide for this according to His perfect timing and wisdom.

Praise Him! Thank you so much for your prayer. We are feeling much better, are settled back into our home and somewhat of a routine. Our electricity has been good compared to most others, so we thank God for that constantly. God has also blessed us with a couple of partners in the ministry who have contributed towards our health insurance for the year. Thank you Lord!

Please Pray. Getting water to the house is still a problem. Please pray that God would provide for the extra expense of having to hire men to bring in buckets on their bikes. We were only paying a few dollars a month for water before and now it costs us about $20 each week (I know it sounds small but our budget is VERY tight). We continue to pray that God would provide the remainder of our medical insurance premium for the year. We know He will take care of us. Please pray for Carrie’s wrists. She has been having a lot of pain in both of them for some time now.

Jazz at the Lake

I'm sure that you've heard us mention how much we enjoy spending quality family time at the lake. Now that Jasmine is here she gets to join in the fun!

February 2009 Update

Most people that we talk to ask us what our children think about us living in Africa. Our response is always the same, “They love it in Africa.” However, if you have any doubts about our response and wonder what the children really think about living here, then read on and see what they’ve said in their own words. The itlics are parental editorial to give context and a better understanding to what the kids might have said.

Jada (2.5 years old) - “I like the lake and going to Bond and Heather’s house.” [Jada is very young and doesn’t yet realize that now that we are back in Kigoma we are nowhere near to our friends Bond and Heather in San Diego. We’re confident that she’ll adjust. She was only 1.5 years old when we left and remembers very little.]

Caleb (6.5 years old) - “I like it in Africa. I like the lake. I like swimming in the lake. I like diving off the rock. I like to eat mandazi and the round burnt things [he’s referring to kitimbua]. I’m looking forward to sleeping at home and finding quartz.” [FYI... we are currently staying at the guest house of another ministry. When we arrived in Kigoma our house was in terrible condition due to the regular dirt, dust, and bugs, but in addition we had some water damage that caused mold in our bedroom - on our bed and on many of our clothes - as well as a continued issue with bats in the the attic. It will take some time to get things back to normal. We are even praying about moving to a different house to start fresh as this house we are renting continues to have problem after problem.]

Keenan (8 years old) - I can’t wait to go to Bible Study and see my friends. I like to swim in the lake, jump off the rock, and go to Allys and Sun City. I have fun jumping on the big trampoline. I like making poison and doing secret stuff, and scaring people. I like playing with Jonas. I’m happy to be in Africa. Oh, and I like eating chips mayai. We try to fellowship with other missionaries in the region at a regular Bible Study. It really helps to have like-minded people of a similar culture to talk to from time to time. Allys and Sun City are a couple of little hole-in-the-wall places to eat in town. Visitors wouldn’t think much of them, but eating there is a treat to us! The trampoline belongs to another missionary in town, and Jonas is one of our guards who loves to play with the kids.

Kevan (10.5 years old) - I like the lake. I like to eat at Hilltop. I have a heart for the poor and want to help them. I like making new friends. Our guards are fun to play with. They are good at hide and seek. They’re hard to find in the dark because they’re black. I don’t like the monkeys because they take my things, so I shoot them with my sling shot. I like the food here. I have fun going on Harry’s boat [Harry Johnson - the one with the trampoline - has been a missionary in Congo, Burundi, and Tanzania his entire life. He has a little sailboat at the lake and takes the kids out on it sometimes.]

So you see, they really do like it here! In fact, because of their willing hearts and flexible attitudes, they have made it so much easier for us to transition to life here and do the ministry God has called us to!

Please Pray. After being gone for so long and having so many hurdles to cross in order to get back here and get going again, there is often a strong temptation to be overwhelmed and want to give up and go back to the “easy life” of the land and culture we are familiar with in the States. Please pray for us as we get things back in order and get back to the work God has called us to. Please pray for good health, spiritual strength and discipline, and family unity. Please pray for us to have wisdom and patience in dealing with an ever-growing problem with electricity and water in the area. Also, through our partners in this ministry God has provided a portion of the cost of our medical insurance for the year. Please pray that God would continue provide the remainder.

A Heart for the Poor

If you know our oldest son, Kevan, then you that he has a very caring spirit. When he was just a few years old and beginning to talk, he was riding with Carrie in the car while she was driving her mother home. Carrie's mom lived in downtown San Diego, in a very low-income area. Kevan noticed the people sleeping on the sidewalks along many of the streets downtown on the way to Grandma Berta's. He asked Carrie, "Mom, why are all of those people living on the streets?" In her attempt to simplify the explanation according to his age, she said something like, "They don't have a home to live in." Kevan asked, "Why not?" To which Carrie replied, "Well, they don't have enough money for one." Kevan had the last word, "When I grow up I'm going to build them all houses so they don't have to live on the sidewalk."

That's Kevan. Though he's older now and his knowledge and understanding of the world around him is much deeper and more complex, his heart has not changed. When we recently asked him about ministry in Africa he responded that he had "a heart for the poor" and that he wanted to help them. Knowing that there are so many destitute people here in the Kigoma area I invited him to join in helping with a local feeding program nearby. So last week we went together to assist in feeding the destitute. These are people who literally live in what's called a "destitute camp" outside of town (and I'm referring to what is considered "destitute" by local African standards). They are mostly aged, sick, maimed, diseased, or otherwise "unfit" for society. The government allocated a piece of land and built a few shabby buildings for them to stay in several kilometers from town. Out of sight, out of mind. Some friends of ours here in Kigoma minister to them regularly, including a thrice weekly feeding program, so Kevan and I joined in serving them a hot meal. There were about 200 children and 50 adults on that particular day.

Kevan serving bowls of hot rice and beans to some of the children

Kevan will continue to minister to the poor and hurting in this way in the future. The very program he is helping with was actually started by the teenage daughter of our missionary friends. Her own father didn't think it would work, but she had the heart and the vision and put a plan into action. Years later she is gone and married but the ministry she began continues. Please pray for Kevan to continue to have a heart for people, and pray that he will develop his own vision for ministry here in East Africa.

Planes, Pains, and Automobiles

We were scheduled to leave LAX on January 7th. On the morning of January 6th, Jada began vomiting. We had the flight changed to the 14th to be sure that she had time to get over it, as well as anyone else in the family who may have picked up the same bug. Jada got better, we finished packing, and on the morning of January 14th we caravanned from El Cajon up to LAX. My dad drove his large SUV with Kevan and sixteen of our checked bags. I drove the Suburban my grandpa had given us taking the rest of the family, the other eight checked bags, our twelve carry-on bags, and the baby stroller.

I decided to go to the airport very early because we had so many bags and our tickets were kind of a mess due to many changes over several months. When we got there at noon, the British Airways counter was empty and the sign said that they would open at 12:30. So my dad, Kevan, and I unloaded both vehicles onto the curb and then parked the cars in the airport parking lot. By the time we were done, not only was the counter open, but there was already a long line!

I talked to one of the roving BA agents to let her know our luggage situation. She was very nice and helpful and directed me to stack everything at one end of the check-in area. So my dad, Kevan, and I proceeded to bring in all 24 checked bags, as well as the 5 heavy carry-on bags. Mom and the kids all helped with the lighter backpacks and the stroller.

Once everything was now moved again, I got into the very long check-in line. After waiting about thirty minutes, I neared the front of the line and was told by another agent that when my turn came I was to go to window 25. They had an agent there waiting for me... just me.

It took about forty-five minutes just to clear up the ticket confusion and get the proper seats and boarding passes. Once again, the BA staff was tremendously kind, patient, and diligent. After the ticketing was in order we began the long process of checking the bags.

Checking bags at the airport is typically a simple process. Since we are anything but typical, the process, once again, was anything but simple. Two by two - like Noah's cargo - we weighed the boxes and bags. After each was weighed it received four different stickers, like tattoos or brands on cattle, each signifying to those whose paths its crossed to whom the cargo belonged, where it was headed, and even how much it weighed. At most airports this is where the luggage is fed into the mouth of the great TSA luggage monster by the monster's uniformed handlers. Unfortunately for us (and a whole lot of other travelers at terminal B of LAX), after each bag is checked with the airline it must be taken to the opposite end of the terminal to the TSA luggage area as the TSA system and the check-in counters are not yet integrated. So as we weighed and labeled each piece of luggage we stacked them onto luggage trolleys and my dad, Kevan, and one of the airport staff moved them over to TSA for me. The service that we got from the airline and airport staff was nothing short of miraculous and an answer to prayer.

So after an additional thirty minutes of luggage handling we were finally done checking in. Since it was now about 2:30 and the kids were "starving", we lugged the carry-on bags up the escalator to the airport McDonalds and ordered lunch. While Carrie and the kids ate, my dad and I went back down and out to the parking structure and took the Suburban back to my grandpa's house to leave it there and then my dad drove us back to the airport again. We met up with Carrie and the kids again and then headed down for the security check. After saying our goodbyes to my dad we headed down the long causeway to the security area. Once again the Lord answered our prayers and their was NOBODY in front of us and NOBODY behind us. This meant we could walk right up and take our time getting all of the bags and shoes and belts and jackets and stroller and everything else imaginable up onto the xray machine belt. It went as smooth as physically possible and then we headed to the gate.

As you can imagine getting all of us and all of our stuff onto the plane is no easy feat. BA allowed us to board early, along with the other passengers with small children and those with physical disabilities (funny how those always seem to go together). We got situated and had a nice flight to London. The nine and a half hour flight actually seemed to go rather quickly. As an additional blessing, BA has finally completed Terminal 5 at Heathrow. This means that we didn't have to land at Terminal 1 and then take a bus to Terminal 4 for our flight to Tanzania. We landed and departed from Terminal 5 (theoretically... more about that in a minute). This made the flight change a lot easier.

When we arrived at Heathrow we navigated our way across the various causeways, onto the tram, up the elevator (rather than the two escalators), across the terminal, and through the security screening to the Terminal 5 waiting area. After a few hours of "potty breaks" and napping we were ready to head back down another giant escalator to our gate to wait for the airplane to Tanzania. This is where is gets a bit comical. When it was time to board we went through the doorway of the gate and ended up outside on the tarmac where a bus was waiting to take us to our plane; a plane that was far far away parked on the tarmac at none other than Terminal 4! So we had to move five very heavy carry-on bags on and off of the bus, along with all of the kids and their backpacks and Carrie with the baby, the baby bag, a stroller, and a laptop bag. Once we arrived at the plane we had to get all of that UP THE STAIRS onto the plane and then back to our seats and into the overheads. Again, to God be the glory that it went smoothly, but by the time we were done WE WERE EXHAUSTED and needed the ten hour flight just to recuperate.

We made it to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania safe and sound and tired. Dar es Salaam is on the east side of Tanzania on the Indian Ocean, and it is notoriously humid. The heat was probably only in the high 80s, but the humidity was very high. This shock to the system whilst disembarking the airplane is never one that you get used to. It's kind of a non-verbal "welcome to Dar es Salaam" that you wish had gone unspoken. We waited in the passport control line in the heat and humidity, each of us taking a non-voluntary shower in our own perspiration. Eventually we finished and found all of our luggage had arrived safely. Bwana asifiwe (Praise the Lord)! I gathered the bags into one location and then contacted our usual driver who has a minivan. We cleared customs with them checking only one bag and taking my word on the rest, and then, with the help of four or five porters, we loaded the minivan with twenty-three pieces of luggage and drove them over to the airport cargo department a couple of kilometers away. While I dealt with the cargo, John Francis (the driver) went back to the airport and collected Carrie and the five kids and the thirteen bags and brought them back to where I was. It took about twenty minutes to unload and weigh the cargo that I needed shipped to Kigoma, and then about two and a half hours to finalize the paperwork, x-ray the cargo, negotiate payment, and get out of there. All the while Carrie and the kids were melting in the heat and humidity with no water to drink. It was a real blessing to get the cargo taken care of immediately, though the price was high both in dollars spent and my family's time, temperature, and health. They were such troopers, though, and we finally headed off for the guest house.

The next morning we got to the airport at 7:30 a.m. for our 9:15 a.m. flight to Kigoma. After passing through security we were told that the flight was not leaving until 11:15 a.m. now and that we could not check in until 10:15 a.m.. That meant sitting in the hot airport check-in area for almost three hours with no food or water... again! After about an hour I went to the counter with family in tow to ask for an exception and they agreed (upstairs by the gate is semi-air conditioned and they have food and drinks available). But once they started to process the tickets they told me that our open-ended tickets had never been booked for that day. I was disappointed in the agent in Kigoma who was supposed to have taken care of this already. Then they told me that I was also missing a ticket (since we had a new baby), which was another item I thought that the agent had handled. So I had to go back outside of the airport to the Precision Air ticket office to take care of it. The girl behind the glass did this thing and that and printed something out and said it was okay so I went back through security again and to the counter. They began to check us in and said that we were still short one ticket. I was so frustrated. They called over the woman in charge and she apologized and figured out what was wrong and said I needed to pay for an additional ticket. I agreed but did not have enough in my pocket. So I headed back outside again to use one of the two ATMs at the airport before heading back to the ticket office AGAIN to finally get everything straightened out (by now it was nearing the actual check-in time). As I approached the first ATM I could see that the screen had a message on it stating that it was out of service. I went to the second ATM nearby and found it had a similar message. I truly had faith that the Lord would work it all out and kind of chuckled at the insanity of it all. I went to the ticket office and told the girl that I needed to pay for an additional child ticket. I then told her that I was short 50,000 Tanzania Shillings and that both ATM machines were broken. I asked if she could issue the ticket and I would pay the remainder at the Precision Air office in Kigoma. She said no and then tried to explain, but honestly I stopped listening after the "no". I then called the agent in Kigoma and explained the situation. I asked him if he could issue the ticket from there and allow me to pay him when I arrived. He said he would take care of it and to wait "a few minutes" for his call. It was now 10:30 a.m.. When he hadn't called back after almost ten minutes I called him again. I handed the phone to the agent at the airport, they spoke the secret airline language, she hung up, printed something, and then handed it to me. As she handed it to me she folded it in half and said, "He must have given you some kind of discount. Don't let the others [in line] see this." I took it and looked at it and found about a 20,000 Tshs. savings. What a blessing!

I went back through security for the third time. Upon entering I found Carrie at her wits end from dealing with hot, sweaty, hungry, whining kids. I rushed to the counter and finally got us checked in and our boarding passes issued. Then we rushed upstairs, through another security check, and to the gate waiting area. It was now 11:05 a.m.! We thought we had just barely made the flight, but with the precision that gives Precision Air their name, promptly at 11:15 a.m. an announcement came over the PA system: "Precision Air. We regret to announce the departure of flight PW741 to Kigoma has been delayed. The flight will now depart at 12:30 p.m.. We apologize for any inconvenience." For once, an airplane delay that we welcomed. We were able to go to the small eating area nearby and get the much needed water and food for all of us.

By 1:00 p.m. we were boarded and on our way to Kigoma. Around 4:00 p.m. we were landing in Kigoma and relieved that the "adventure" was almost over. It's funny to me because so many people think of living here as some sort of adventure when really it's getting here that's often the true adventure.

Our good friends Mwenge and John, both of whom work with a local ministry called Joy in the Harvest, picked us up from the airport and helped us to get our luggage loaded. They took us to our house in the Burega area where we were greeted warmly by two of the watchmen. Upon entering the house we found the usual build up of dirt, dust, bugs - dead and living - and spider webs. It was a bit depressing in the sense of not being a welcoming sight. Then I found that a window had blown open in our bedroom allowing rain to get all over our bed. Mold was growing on the bed and sheets as well as on much of the clothes in the closet. All three of our pillows were destroyed and you can't buy pillows here. The depression went a little deeper. Then I found in the living room the strong odor of the bats in the attic above. I had tried to get rid of them several months ago. About 400 of them left but it smelled like some had returned. The depression dipped even deeper. Then I asked about the water situation. Jonas - our daytime watchman - told us that no water had come since the last time I was there in September. The depression started to feel like despair.

In times of frustration, depression, and even despair, God is always there! Mwenge told us that we were welcome to stay at the Joy in the Harvest Guest House while we got the house cleaned up and livable. The guest house is very nice and very clean, and they work very hard to make sure it has water and even electricity. We were so relieved and blessed by the generosity of Lowell and Claudia Wertz (the missionaries responsible for Joy in the Harvest), and Mwenge, their right-hand-man.

So that's where we're at now. Every day we clean up the house a bit more, get a few more pieces of our cargo, get a little more readjusted to the time zone and weather, and generally settle in. We thank God so much for His faithfulness. I admit there were several times when the circumstances of getting here, the situation with the house, the readjustment to the time zone, the renewed culture shock, and the missing of our dear friends and family all combined to bring me to a place of wanting to call it quits. But in those brief moments of emotional turmoil God was right there renewing my vision for why we are here and what He wants us to do. It's amazing how strong a motivation purpose is, especially for a believer who is struggling with near-sightedness and self-pity! As the Scriptures say, even "when we are faithless, He remains faithful".

With that in mind we ask you to thank Him along with us for our safe return and to pray that all will get back to "normal" quickly. Please also pray for the new ministry opportunity in Congo as it appears that the Lord is moving quickly in that area and I will probably be scouting it out next month. Mungu akubariki (God bless you)!

January 2009 Update

The new year has come and not much has changed for us other than the date. We still have so many opportunities and so much to do. By the time you read this we’ll most likely be back home in Kigoma, Tanzania.

2008 was a time of stretching and blessing. The Lord was so good to us, blessing us not only with a beautiful new addition to the family, but also meeting each and every need, each and every day. At home in Kigoma, through faithful partners like you, He blessed us with a used diesel generator to replace our broken one. He also provided a used washing machine from an older retiring missionary couple, and with a little bit of hard work and money we should be able to get the water piping working good enough to use the washer and be free from the daily hand-washing in the tub. While in the U.S. the Lord provided places to stay, food to eat, and opportunities to serve. These daily blessings and needs being met were a result of His divine care through ministry partners like you. We give Him thanks daily, knowing that He has used you to bless us.

Just as this past year had it’s blessings, it was also a long and trying year for us as we were delayed by a lack of finances and by the unexpected timing of Jasmine Grace. Even though we were blessed by the Lord’s provision of various rooms and trailers/campers to stay in, the vagabond lifestyle is a tiring one and truly causes you to appreciate home. It was especially difficult for Carrie and the children as Jon went back to East Africa to minister for a few months, leaving them behind. But all of that is behind us now as we arrive back in the land God has called us to. We are so thankful to be called and used, and grateful that He has decided to continue to use us this new year.

As we get back to the ministry in East Africa, please pray for our re-adjustment and our health. Because we’re living here full time once again, we’re exposed daily to the risk of Plasmodium falciparum (our local strain of the malaria bug and the most deadly), Entamoeba histolytica (amoebic dysentery), Giardia, and other parasites, bacteria and viruses less commonly encountered in the United States. We have each had experience with at least a couple of these ailments in the past and we know that God is in control. We only ask you to pray with us for protection from these painful annoyances and strength to get through any future encounters with them that God may decide to allow.

We’re excited to start the new semester of teaching. Jon will be teaching Church History and Daniel to dozens of eager men and women in Kigoma. He’ll also be planning a trip to eastern DRC (The Democratic Republic of the Congo) as soon as time and finances will allow so that he can begin to establish a Bible School there as well. Again, please pray for God’s provision and mercies in planning and executing this new work He has put before us. Also pray for safety, as the work lies just to the south of one of the worst regions of DRC (in terms of rebels, fighting, factions, corrupt military, etc.). Lastly, pray for each student that God would bring to hear His word, that their minds would be prepared to receive from the Holy Spirit and to be changed and used mightily by God in East Africa or elsewhere.

As a couple of foreign missionaries we simply cannot bring the gospel, discipleship, and sound teaching to every single person in Africa. What we can do is reach those whom God Himself has brought directly to us and then watch in amazement as His word and His Spirit works in their lives and transforms them, eventually using them to reach many times more people than we ever could have. That’s the strategy that God has arranged and shown us in His word, and it’s one that He is blessing. We have only begun and look forward to seeing all the lives He is going to touch and use to bring the glorious good news of Christ and the truth of His word to the beautiful people of this war ravaged and struggling region.

Current Need. Now that we’re back home and back to work we still have one rather large need, which we’re confident that the Lord will provide for as well. We need to get medical insurance for this year (2009). This is special insurance that pays for health care for the entire family while abroad and even has partial coverage for when we are visiting the States. It pays for air transport to the nearest appropriate medical facility and evacuation in case of any emergencies. Considering what is covered, the cost of $4,000 for one year is very inexpensive (compared to U.S. rates), but still an expense we just don’t have enough for presently. Please join us in petitioning the Lord that He would meet this need. If you want to be used in this area, please contact Far Reaching Ministries and let them know you’d like to help with the Langley family’s medical insurance expense. Mungu akubariki!

December 2008 Update

Immanuel... God with us. The Scriptures tell us that before Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, God, through a messenger, spoke to both Joseph and Mary to explain what He was about to do. He told them that Mary would conceive of the Holy Spirit and bear a son and that they were to name him Jesus, “for He will save His people form their sins.” He also told Mary that Jesus would be called “the Son of the Highest”. The name Jesus is the English translation of the Greek name Iesous, which is from the Hebrew name Yehoshua: Yahweh is salvation. God was telling them both that they would be the earthly parents of His own Son - the Son of the Highest - who was coming to save His people from their sins, as His name foretold: Yahweh is salvation. The Son of God would become the son of man so that He might save us from our sins.

“Who, being in very nature God, did not demand and cling to His rights as God, but made Himself nothing, taking the humble position of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:6-7) And so the Creator of the universe humbled himself and became a man. And not just any man, but a newborn infant. And not just any newborn infant, but one born to a poor, unwed girl, from a tiny, third-world, backwoods village in a despised and neglected region of a tiny little “country” detested by it’s occupying government. This was no ordinary birth. It was less than ordinary. The lowest of births. The humblest of beginnings.

“And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even a criminal's death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) From the humblest of beginnings, came the most powerful man ever born. And yet His real power was not in miracles and healings, but in humble obedience. His real power was in the fact that though He was God in human flesh, he did not hold onto it, but humbled Himself and obeyed the Father in heaven. His obedience was ultimate and complete, willingly giving Himself to die a criminal’s death by crucifixion at the hand’s of the Roman’s, who had perfected the art of torturous death. His power was in His perfect humility and obedience. It was the most powerful force ever known, able to conquer the power of sin and death, enabling you and I to be free from the bondage of sin and the judgment of damnation, so that we can humbly serve our Creator in like manner to our Saviour.

Isaiah, in the 53rd chapter of his writings, sums up nicely the life of the Christ (and he was writing 700 years before Christ was born). He prophesies of the Messiah’s humble origin, His ministry, and His rejection leading to His atoning death. But then he reveals something so shocking in verse 10, “Yet it pleased the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin...” (Isaiah 53:10a). Having sent His one and only Son into the world as the greatest gift of all time - the first and only real “christmas” gift - He then crushed Him on our behalf! For “all sin and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus the Lord” (Romans 6:23). We’ve all earned our wages in this life, and the paycheck due us is death itself. Because God is perfect in righteousness, His righteousness requires Him to pay the wages owed. The choice was plain, crush you and me under the weight of our sin wage, or crush Christ, His only begotten Son. He chose the latter, and took pleasure in it.

The work of sin,
the wages owed,
we earned it, you and I.
Required to pay,
His Son He chose,
the price of love so high.

What kind of God would do such a thing? What kind of Christ would humbly submit to such an act? One who was not willing to spend eternity separated from the object of His love, His elect children. One who was willing to pay the highest price to redeem His creation from the chains of sin and set them free to know and serve Him once again.

Current Need. The Lord is so good to us. This past year He has blessed us not only with a beautiful new addition to the family, but He has also met each and every need of our family, each and every day. At home in Kigoma, through faithful partners like you, He has blessed us with a used diesel generator to replace our small Chinese “knock-off” that died on us. He also provided a used washing machine from an older retiring missionary couple in the area. With a little bit of hard work and money we should be able to get the water piping working good enough to use the washer and be free from the daily hand-washing in the tub. While in the U.S. the Lord has provided places to stay, food to eat, and opportunities to serve. These daily blessings and needs being met are a result of His divine care through ministry partners like you. We give Him thanks daily, knowing that He has used you to bless us. Now that we are so close to getting back home we have one rather large need, which we’re confident that He will provide for as well. We would like to get medical insurance for the next year (2009). This is special insurance that pays for health care for the entire family while abroad and even has partial coverage for short visits to the States. It pays for air transport to the nearest appropriate medical facility and evacuation in case of any emergencies. Considering what is covered, the cost of $4,000 for one year is very inexpensive (compared to U.S. rates), but still an expense we just don’t have enough for presently. Please join us in petitioning the Lord that He would meet this need. If you want to be used in this area, please contact Far Reaching Ministries and let them know you’d like to help with the Langley family’s medical insurance expense. Mungu akubariki!

Ministry News. As you probably know already, we’re in the States briefly due to the birth of Jasmine and the need for sorting out her papers and vaccinations before returning home to Kigoma. As an added blessing to our family and friends, this means we’re here for Christmas. Though our location is different, our ministry is similar. One of Carrie’s primary ministries is still the teaching of the children each day. Just as important, and even more time consuming and energy depleting is the caring for and raising of all five children, especially Jasmine. She was very blessed to be invited to speak at a women’s conference as well, and based on the feedback we got, the ladies at the conference were blessed to hear what the Lord had to say through her. Carrie was encouraged through this opportunity to continue to use her gift for teaching and encouraging others in the future. In fact, if you would like for her to come and share at your church’s ladies event, be sure to let us know right away so we can work out the details.

When I’m not helping to lighten Carrie’s load a little, I’m studying for the classes I’ll be teaching come January. I’ll be teaching Church History and Daniel this coming semester at the Bible College in Kigoma. There is much to do to prepare for these classes and I’m really enjoying the time spent studying and preparing the syllabi and outlines. In addition to the preparation for these classes, I’m volunteering at a local church as well and trying to organize opportunities to share at local churches about the ministry. In fact, if you would like us to come and share at your fellowship, please let us know right away so we can make the arrangements. We would love to come - no charge, no expectation of “honorariums”, etc. We just love to share about the Lord and encourage the family of Christ in the Word. Please don’t hesitate to contact us. All of our contact information is at the bottom of the page.

A new opportunity has arisen, one that we’d love to have you praying about. We’ve always told others that we felt the Lord was eventually going to have us do ministry in DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) after we settled in Tanzania. It would appear that He is putting the necessary things into place to accomplish this. I’ve been contacted by a Congolese pastor named John who has been networking with several other pastors in DRC and throughout East Africa. He has received a request from a group of former refugees that I met in 2006 while they were living in the Congolese refugee camp at Lugufu, Tanzania. Now that they have been repatriated back to DRC they’ve sent a request through John to me, asking if I would assist them in establishing a Bible School in Eastern DRC. Some have been repatriated to the Katanga Region of DRC, and others to the South Kivu Region. They would like to have a school for each but cannot really even afford one school, so they’re praying about a location “in the middle” so people from both areas can come. Now take a minute to look at the map of the DRC below. To give you a reference point you can relate to, the DRC is roughly 30% of the size of the continental United States; or Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico COMBINED! The regions of South Kivu and Katanga are connected, just like Oregon and California are connected. Basically they’re trying to decide on a location between “Portland” and “Los Angeles” for a Bible School so that people from each location can attend. That’s how far they’re willing to walk in order to find a place where they can learn the Bible so they can return to their home villages and be used by God to teach and lead their own people. Following are some specific areas to pray for us regarding this new opportunity.

- Safety. The South Kivu region is on the fringe of the renewed fighting between rebel Tutsi forces (former DRC military-turned rebels), and current DRC military forces. In addition, all of Eastern Congo is plagued with bandits and corrupt officials.

- Wisdom. We don’t want to turn down the opportunity but we are already stretched thin on time and completely spent on financial resources. We also need wisdom in helping our friends to decide on the best location, taking into consideration safety and accessibility.

- Resources. Pray that God will continue to provide for everything He asks us to do. Pray for co-laborers to come along side of us to help.

Family News. Jasmine is doing well. She eats, burps, spits, and sleeps, and fills her diaper just like any newborn baby should. She’s growing a bit every day as well. We were blessed to get her birth certificate and social security card quickly, and so have already applied for her passport and expect to receive it by Christmas. Meanwhile, a friend in Tanzania is working with the local immigration office to have her added to our work permit so we don’t have to pay an extra $100 when we go home to Kigoma after Christmas. Kevan, Keenan, and Caleb are all doing well with their schooling. Kevan recently took the CAT (California Achievement Test) so we could gauge where he’s at and make sure he’s doing as well as we thought. His overall score was in the 97th percentile! That was a real blessing for both of us, especially Carrie, as she bears the most burden in regards to his schooling and wants to be sure that she’s doing a good job, not just as a mom, but also as a teacher. We’ll probably have Keenan and Caleb do the same tests at the end of this school year. Jada absolutely loves having a baby sister to “pet” and “help” take care of. She’s a great big sister.

Please pray for all of us.
- Health and protection from the cold and flu “bugs” here in the States.
- Faithful and fruitful witness to family each day and throughout the holidays.
- Quick return of passport
- A safe return home.