Grace like Rain

"Halleluiah, grace like rain, falls down on me"

This line from the song "Grace Like Rain" was in my mind all day yesterday.

I woke yesterday morning and after looking at the sky thought, "Today is the day - it just HAS to rain today!" There were beautiful, rain-filled clouds in the sky and I just hoped they wouldn't pass us by. It's been hot and dry and the crops need a drink. While the rainy season can bring flooding and other problems with the inadequate infrastructure here, it also is essential to life and food and income!

We've been praying for the rains to come.

During our normal morning routine of the girls playing on the HOPAC playground, I heard Hope joyfully proclaim, "Mommmy! It's raining!" It was light and gentle and we held out our hands to enjoy it. It was a little foretaste of what was coming.

A few hours later we sat in the middle of an all-school assembly. As the speaker was walking to his seat after sharing God's word with us, it started to downpour! The whole school broke into cheers of celebration. It didn't last long, but it was glorious! About an hour later it rained again! 

Grand Rapids Christian High School Vision Trip

We have a few friends who teach at Christian High. Almost all of my former youth group students from my time at Plymouth Heights attend GRCHS. So naturally, we suggested a trip to come visit us during their two week "Winterim" term, hoping it would actually happen but thinking realistically it probably wouldn't.

Guess what? It DID happen and it was AMAZING!

The group that came to visit was fantastic. They had humble, grateful attitudes and were ready to learn. They asked insightful questions and were willing to let their ideas/thoughts/hearts be molded and changed. Even the first day, when they were completely wasted after travelling/being jet lagged with little sleep and dealing with the extreme weather change, they did not complain. They may have taken a few cat naps that day, but they pressed on and were obviously ready to embrace their week here.

First day tour of HOPAC on no sleep - they were troppers!

One of our many goals was to introduce these students to what "missions" actually looks like. It can be incredibly vague, and often we think "missions" is living in a mud hut in an African village with half-naked children running around. (See my LAST BLOG POST for more thoughts on this). So throughout the week, we had different missionaries come and share a meal with us and tell us about their call into missions and what they ACTUALLY do as a missionary. We also met with local pastors and friends who have incredible ministry happening here. We heard about church planting, training local pastors, village ministry, teaching, training programs for girls to learn sewing/business skills, Young Life Africa, coffee house buisiness providing jobs/income, midwifery/mother care, and more. It was amazing for me to even hear the stories of some of my friends and their experiences. It was inspirational.

Visiting the Hindu Temples (priest is in the middle of the pic)

One of the things we continued to talk about was both the beauty and the brokenness of what we saw and experienced. It was neat to see the students really grab hold of that. We wanted to make sure that they saw not only the broken things here in Tanzania, but the ways that God's beauty is all around us. Of course in the animals, the ocean, the palm trees, but also in the people, the ministry happening and the ways God is already powerfully at work.

I've previously posted our schedule (SEE HERE), so I won't go into all the details, but I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite moments with this group.

* A conversation on the bus from Mikumi National Park (safari site) back to Dar with a few of the students who were asking incredible questions about systemic poverty, following God's will, entitlement, materialism, faith.

* Being trapped in an open air banda because an elephant was too close to move out of it while we were on safari. He was interested in the trash can, which he tipped over and went through.

* Catching up with two of my former youth group students who came on the trip. Just amazing.


* Discussing spiritual warfare with a few students after hearing about the reality of these encounters by some of the missionaries here. They had doubts and questions, but listened and asked good questions.

* Having 12 people from Grand Rapids, Michigan in our home in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. They've been here! This really is incredible to have 12 more people who have seen and experienced a bit of life here.

* Seeing things through the eyes of people seeing it for the first time. Even after only being here 1 1/2 years, some things have become 'normal' - traffic, bumpy roads, the heat, etc.

* Hearing one of the students say, "I actually never really knew what it meant to be a missionary before, and now I'm starting to understand!"

One of our dear friends and Christian High teacher, Mark VanderWerf, wrote a reflection about his time here with the group:

Mark with Isaac (and a nice photobomb by Kendra!)

"Exploring God’s world, exploring God’s kingdom, and discovering God’s call. Those were our three goals for the Grand Rapids Christian High School Winterim trip to Tanzania…and what a success! Steve Tuit and I and 10 students were richly blessed by Gretchen and Marc’s leadership as they shared their firsthand experience of life in Tanzania. We experienced the rich beauty of Mbudya Island, the rich cultural and religious diversity of downtown Dar, and the stunning beauty of a safari. But more than that, our eyes were opened and our hearts stirred as we experienced some of the deep brokenness present in Dar: false religions, broken families, and systemic poverty. Through all of this, we were constantly reminded that God is at work in and through a whole range of people who have heard God’s call to serve – sometimes in radical ways and sometimes in subtle ways. This trip would not have been at all possible if were not for the amazing work of Gretchen and Marc Driesenga. Thank you guys for sharing your life and ministry with our students! Their lives are changed because of you. Asante sana!"

Living Out Our Sending

On New Years Eve, we had a few friends over to celebrate the coming of a new year with us. Throughout our evening of food, games and conversation, we joked about collaborating together to write a book about our years as "fake" missionaries here in Tanzania. We talked about chapter titles, such as "Arguments that no longer work on the mission field" (i.e. 'at least I'm bringing home the bacon') or "A Survival Story: 15 hours without power" (we complain about it, but only around 20% of Tanzania has electricity to start with).

We joke about it, because we think it and feel it. Not because it's true, but because the term 'missionary' has held such a narrow definition and we do not fit in it. We've felt it as we've spent time with "real" missionaries living in the bush and realize the luxeries and conviences we take for granted by living in a city. We've felt it from some who don't support us because we're "fake" missionaries.We've felt it when we post pictures of our lives here and people make comments about being surprised by how nice our house is (which it is!), or how it must be like vacation because we're close to the ocean and get to visit it frequently. We are "fake" missionaries in some peoples eyes...even our own sometimes.

Where does our definition of "missionary" come from? 

Ponder this for a few moments. What images or stories immediately come to your mind? What causes those specifically to come to mind? Who or what has shaped your idea of what being a "Missionary" means or should look like?

As a child, I remember hearing an older single woman come to speak at our church. She was a missionary, though I cannot remember where. She had on an ugly, outdated ankle-length skirt, had a short and non-flattering haircut, no make-up and seemed to be someone I could not, nor would not want to relate to - at least according to my pre-teen, totally hip and stylish self. In my young, concrete-thinking mind, I judged her as out of touch and well, dorky.

But she - SHE - was a "real" missionary.

And then I grew and read stories of "real" missionaries - stories of people leaving their family and country - not just for a 2 year stint on the field, but for LIFE. Servants of God who packed in their coffins with the expectation that they would die on the field. Followers of Jesus like David Livingstone, William Carey, Hudson Taylor, and Amy Carmichael. I took missions courses at Calvin Seminary and was inspired by the real-life sacrifice and devotion of those we studied. I went to a missions oriented dinner-theater that introduced the story of Jim Elliot and Nate Saint to me. These were the "real" missionionaries.

Then there is us. The "fake" missionaries.

We work at an international Christian school. It's made up of missionary kids, expat kids and local Tanzanian kids who have the money to attend a private school. There are scholorships and some families are truly sacrificing in order to send their kids to HOPAC, but many have the money to do so.

We attend a church plant which meets at a theater in the local mall. Our church is incredibley diverse with a large Tanzanian population but also a large expatriate population coming from the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Uganda, Denmark and I'm sure I'm missing others. Our church reaches out into the community but also helps those in our family with micro loans, school fees, etc., which I love, however, many in the church are well educated and are able to make ends meet.

We have a car, running water (most of the time) and electricity (most days), we have a wall around our home with an electric fence, and as the team from Christian High recenetly noticed, we even have 'fancy' ceilings in our house. We visit an orphanage periodically, interact in our community when we can, but almost all of our time and ministry is currently spent with educated, working Tanzanians or other missionaries/expats.

Where does our definition of "missionary" come from? Where should it come from?

Jesus said to them again, "…As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." —John 20:21

Oswald Chambers says in the classic devotional, My Utmost For His Highest, "A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus."

 

Some have been sent by Jesus Christ to serve the poorest of the poor in the world.                          They are missionaries.
Real missionaries.


Some have been sent by Jesus Christ to serve the educated, future leaders in the world.
They are missionaries.
Real missionaries.

Some have been sent by Jesus Christ to stay where they are to faithfully and obediently serve.
They are missionaries.
Real missionaries.

Strip away the images of mud huts, language lessons, selling all that you have, medical clinics, swollen bellies, fundraising, rice fields, dirt floors, school buildings, church plants, village life, city life, orphanages...being a 'real' missionary isn't about these things - it's about one simple question:

Are we living out our sending?

Jesus said to them again, "…As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." —John 20:21

 It's really all about being obedient to Jesus' call, isn't it? That's what qualifies you as a "real" missionary - being obedient to the sending of Jesus Christ.

We have felt and continue to feel that God has lead and sent us to teach at HOPAC here in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. While we continue to learn what living out this sending looks like, we are confident that God has sent us to be missionaries, REAL missionaries, here in Tanzania. And He has sent you too, wherever that may be.

Jesus said to them again, "…As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." —John 20:21

 

 

We had a group visit - will you be next?

Ever wonder what a visit here might look like? What would you see? What would you do? Who would you meet?

I thought I'd post the schedule from the Grand Rapids Christian High School winterim trip here, so you could get an idea. We have another potential group coming in May from Western Michigan Christian, and we hope that in the summer of 2016 our home church, Plymouth Heights CRC will be sending a group. We love hosting groups, but also individuals as well. This is one of the reasons we picked a house with an extra room. If you've ever considered coming to Africa, we encourage you to come! Send us an email!

GRCHS Winterim Trip

7-January, Wednesday

3:30am            Arrival to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
5:30am            Arrive @ ministry center
9:00am            Karibu Tanzania - expectations/culture/rules
10:30am          HOPAC - tour of school
11:15am          Lunch at snack bar
12:00am          Nuru Center - meeting artisans with disabilities
4:00pm            Young Life Africa ministry center  - Ben & Mary Cook
5:30pm            Dinner @ Dunkers (rice, beans, mchicha, cabbage

Debrief/hangout

8 -January, Thursday

9:00am            Wamama Kahawa - Doug & Lyndi Buckley (pastor & owner of coffee shop)
11:00am          Mbudya Island - boat ride, snorkling, swimming
5:30pm            Dinner with the Dunker & Medina families (training local pastors & church leaders)

Debrief/hangout

9 - January,  Friday

9:00am           Head into City Center - our friend Izzy joins us for the day
10:00am          Hindu Temple Visits
12:00pm          Lunch at Chow Patty Indian restaurant
1:00pm            Textile Markets
6:00pm            Dinner @ ministry center (Ugali, rice, banana, mchuzi)
7:00pm            Lola to size for shirts and skirts made from fabric bought that day

10 - January, Saturday

8:00am            Leave for Green Pastures Orphanage - hear from Pastor Douglas
1:00pm            Ministry Center for lunch
2:00pm            Tingatinga art market and Slipway shopping
5:30pm            Dinner @ Addis in Dar Ethiopian restaurant

11 - January, Sunday

8:15am            Depart for God's Tribe Church          
9:00am            Church
12:00pm          Leave for Mikumi from Mlimani City

 Dinner @ Tan-Swiss Lodge

12 - January, Monday (public holiday - Revolution day)

6:30am            Breakfast at Tan-Swiss
7:00am            Mikumi for Safari - lions, elephants, zebra, cape buffalo, giraffe, hippo, croc, etc
3:00pm            Depart Mikumi for Dar
                       

13 - January, Tuesday

9:00am            Wamama Kahawa - plan Bible story for afternoon kids club        
11:30am          Tegeta Market - split into pairs to buy things from the market

12:30pm          Lunch at Steens House

1:30pm            Meet with Shawn Graham (missionary to salasala area)
3:45pm            Salasala kids club (share bible story to 100 kids - 40% muslim)
6:00pm            Dinner @ ministry center with Sheshi & Trudie Kaniki (church planters)

 14 - January, Wednesday

9:00am            Leave for Bagamoyo Town  - Slave Trade History

2:30pm            Return - down time until football
5:30pm            Football at HOPAC
7:30pm            Dinner @ Driesengas with Lucy & Hosea
                         Worship

15 - January, Thursday

9:00am            Sifa Threads - SIFA THREADS
12:50               Benaco school visit w/ Trudie  (government school - read to kids)
3:00pm            White Sands Resort
6:30pm            Dinner @ Dunkers (Chipsi mayai & Mishkaki)
                          Final debrief/pack
11:00pm          Depart for airport

16 - January, Friday
12:00am          Drop off at airport
4:30am            Depart from Dar

As you can see, we kept them very busy, but I think the experience was worth the exhaustion! :)

 

Women's Night of Worship

God continues to stretch and grow me through my role as a worship leader. In addition to leading worship at church most Sundays, I've had the opportunity to lead worship at three Women's Nights of Worship. The first one happened last June before a dear friend left. It was really her brain child. She wanted to get together with women in her community to worship prior to moving back to the States. So we did. Then, my friend Dyan and I decided we should do another one in August after everyone who had travelled was back. And finally, we hosted the third event on November 30th.

 Around thirty women came to worship and pray through the prayer stations we had set up. One station was dedicated to meditating on the story of Jesus birth. We took time to read the accounts of Jesus birth and pondered the thoughts and emotions of each person in the story. What was Mary thinking and feeling? Joseph? The shepherds? The wise men? The animals?

Another was focused on praying for those who do not know the Lord. We identified those people in our lives and wrote their names on paper, adding them to a chain when we had prayed for them. We also took time to think through areas in our own lives that needed to be brought again to Jesus.

The last station was to choose a picture of a Young Life staff member in the ebola stricken countries in West Africa and pray Psalm 91 over them. We covered those faithful servants of God in prayer.

 

And of course we had lots of amazing food and fellowship.

 

Even though Dyan has left for home assignment until August (tear!), 'we' still plan to have a few more of these throughout the year. It was a beautiful night of worship, prayer and fellowship. My only regret is that I didn't record any of the songs as these women sang their hearts out to God! WOW! It was truly awesome and a meaningful way to 'kick-off' the holidays season.

 

 

 

Black beans, parmesan cheese and chocolate chips.

Friends, we are so excited...

We have a group from Grand Rapids Christian High School coming the first week of January! We can't wait to show these students both the beauty and brokenness of Dar Es Salaam and engage with them as they process the work of God here and in their own lives. We LOVE having groups and sharing this experience with them.

Not going to lie - we also love them because they get extra luggage space, and that means we get a few goodies from home!! :) We're filling a few suitcases with school/church items, and giving some space to friends who are in need of particular things. BUT have saved a little room for our family as well.

So if you're out at Meijer and want to pick any of these items up, we'd love you forever & ever. Let us know and we can connect you with someone coming on the trip to hand it off to.

Our list:

* 6 bags of dried black beans
* 2 containers of parmesan cheese
* 3 bags of chocolate chips
These three are the top of my list EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. :)

* 20 packages/containers of Crystal Light drink mix OR Kool aid  - various flavors, but several lemonade (this is for my Tanzanian friend who loves Kool aid!)
* Ziploc bags - 1 box quart size, 1 box gallon size
* 2 containers Italian seasoning (again, for my friend)
* Socks for Isaac (a package of 3 ankle athletic socks- he wears size 1-2)
* Tennis shoes for Isaac - he needs size 2 - used it great!
* Medications: Aleve, Tums, chewable Immodium, Children's tylenol, Zantac
* notecards. I would love packages of cute note cards to write notes to people.
* iTunes gift cards to buy movies/music
* hand-me down summer dresses size 4-5T for Hope. I've got plenty of other clothes for her, but running short on dresses.
* non-Chocolate candy - marc loves it. skittles, starburst, etc.

Thanks friends! I miss Meijer. :)

Giving Tuesday - THANK YOU!

As today is "Giving Tuesday", we wanted to take a minute to THANK YOU for your giving!

1st fundraiser on December 1st, 2012
 

Two years ago yesterday was our first fundraiser for our move back in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We had a craft show at Plymouth Heights CRC and raised over $2,000 to jump start our fundraising process.

Since then, many people have partnered with us through giving, whether special or monthly gifts, and we are so completely grateful for your support.

Your support goes far beyond what you may know.  Your support helps us pay rent, utilities, buy food, put gas in our car, yes...but here are a few ways your giving continues to give that you might not know about...

Eva and Hope 'helping' Elnert make tortillas.

* Your support pays the monthly wage of 2 employees. Their work for us is a huge asset to freeing up our time to engage in ministry. Elnert is our house helper and does our cleaning, wash, dishes and periodically helps with the girls. She is 24, married and has a almost 2 year old son. She did not have full time work prior to us coming. Hosea is our gardener - he cares for the proprty, helps with the dogs, opens and closes our gate, runs errands for us and is incredible with the kids - they love to play with him! He and his wife, Lucy live on our property and we are so thankful for them! Hosea has a big and generous heart, and I have heard often of times when he and his wife are giving some of their salaries to help people who are sick, buying mosquito nets for families without, or just using their hard-earned income to take a bus over 4 hours to go into a small village and preach the gospel. Providing work for him allows him to engage in ministry.



Lucy and Angie during a Swahli lesson
 

* Your support pays for my langugage lessons. Lucy, (Hosea's wife, who lives on the same property) sits with me and my friend Angie for 9 hours a week to help me with my Swahili. She, like her husband, has a huge heart and I consider both of them local missionaries. She has become a very dear friend and sister in Christ. Again, by supporting us, we are able to provide a bit of additional work for Lucy, which helps them make their monthly trip to the village to minister.



The Life Group we co-lead on Wednesday Evenings
through our church, God's Tribe.
In our group we have 6 countries represented: Tanzania,
Kenya, England, Zimbabwe, Canada and America.

* We tithe to our local church, God's Tribe. This church plant is just over a year old and is very much a toddler church, but is faithful in preaching the gospel each week. Your support is also supporting the work and ministry of this church.

* Your support allows other missionary families to engage in their God-given callings. Many, many, missionaries who live in remote areas are given only one option for schooling for their children: homeschooling. This is a viable and great option for some. HOPAC is strategically planted, however, in a large city which becomes the center for many missions agencies. This allows parents of these children an amazing, Christ-centered option for their kids for school.

If you're a parent, take a moment and think about what you could NOT do each day if your child's school did not exist and you had to homeschool....

LOTS, right?

Now, think what a blessing it is to have an international Christian school for these families! The missionaries who send their kids to HOPAC are doing amazing work: Young Life across 20+ countries in Africa, Doctors, Survey work (figuring out where the unreached people groups are in order to send new missionaries there with the gospel), local pastor training through theological education, ministering to the poor through kids clubs, sports clubs, and relationship building, teaching English to future teachers, teaching skills to women in order to give them sustainable work, drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, church plants, etc.

YOU are supporting these missionaries as you support us. Think of the lives that are being touched by all these missionaries here in Dar - YOU are partnering with them! What an amazing gift!

I'm sure there are ways your giving is touching even more lives and ministries - unseen ways - even to us on the field. I know it blessed us and brings joy to have so many partnering with us in the work God has called us to do here.

Now here comes the other side of this: We're still in need.

In the next few months, we are going to need to pay another 6 months rent (most of this is saved so far, need $800 yet), self-employment taxes (possibly around $8000- $9000) and we really, really, really hope to come 'home' for 8 weeks or so next summer, but that requires plane tickets (around $7000). We have not met our montly budget once since being here, despite reducing it twice. We've used every penny of our own savings. We're confident the Lord is asking us remain and continue on, but we need help in doing so.

Specifically, we are in need of an additional $1500 in monthly support and also in need of some annual or special gifts. We have some who give $5 a month, and others who give $200 a month. We have some who have given $20 a year and others who have given $1000. Would you consider supporting us with any amount this giving Tuesday or in the upcoming year?

If so, please click HERE and select "Missionaries - Africa" and then "Driesenga, Marc".

Posts and requests like these are difficult. We want to just share the stories and the great work that God is doing here in Dar, but fundraising is a part of our job as well. It's humbling, it's overwhelming, it's faith-building and it's truly a joy to watch the Lord provide for our needs.

Thank you for truly being our partners in ministry.

Asante sana, marafiki. Mungu ni Mwema.
(Thank you very much, friends. God is good.)