Special Edition

Apr 2013

A Decent Place to LivePart 2 by Tim Neet

If you have ever ridden the back roads of Tanzania in late September you will remember the incredible amount of dust that swelled up around your vehicle. You will also remember the thick coating of brown clinging to every tree and shrub within 30 yards of the road and unfortunately some of the people that you passed. The month of April, however, is a cleansing time as the Long Rains begin that refresh the ground and turn the landscape to deep shades of green. Tanzania is largely an agricultural economy with a significant dependency on God to provide the necessary elements for their crops to grow. However, the long rains can also play havoc with the stick and mud or cow dung dwellings in which many Tanzanians live. The cold rainy season can be especially difficult for a widow seeking to care for her children or grandchildren.

Tanzania Journal Issue 39

One such widow is Elisifa Isaya having lost her husband three years ago. She is only in her early 40s but has four children (Fanueli, Baraka, Jackson and Elisha) that are dependent upon her. In addition, one of her husbands co-wives (this is a polygamist society) has left for another husband, leaving Elisifa two more children (Lightness and Mark) to mother. This family of seven live in a stick and mud or cow dung home with separated cooking area, thatched roof and dirt floor. (above) They subsist on growing crops on the few acres that were left to her from her husbands family. Prayer for the long rains to come and for a fruitful harvest reflects her dependency on a loving and faithful God, and the goodness of His church. This time of year a fire in the middle of the hut provides warmth while smoke filters through holes in the grass thatch roof. Life can be hard as a widow of six, without electricity or running water, cares for her children sharing her very limited resources. Last year Perimeter Christian School responded to needs of widows by collecting donations for better housing. The first house was completed a few months ago and now Elisifa will be the grateful recipient for the second. Construction has begun with blocks now having been laid up to the ceiling level. This new multi-room home with actual bedrooms will be a major blessing to the family. In gratitude Elisifa says she would like to thank almighty God and the many supporters who, with God, made it possible. This support is one of the special ministries of our PUNCHMI partnership in Karansi, Tanzania, along with monthly widows gatherings, food support, chickens, cows and even a field to grow crops. Through these services the widows are increasingly enabled to care for themselves and for the children in their charge while receiving spiritual nurture from the church. If you would like to contribute to our widows fund just designate your check made out to Perimeter Church to TZ Karansi Project Widows fund in the memo field and we will apply it all to their various needs.

Volunteers by Tim Neet

One of the best selling points of Project Child, is that all donated funds go direct to the benefit of the children in Karansi. Unlike most child sponsorship ministries we have no stateside overhead costs, except for our occasional mailing of child letters, which does cost postage. Perimeter Church continues to bless us by processing virtually all of our donations, including donor receipts, and transmitting our monthly wire transfers. This some of the administration. Would you be willing to help us is really significant. put out a mailing to sponsors? We have no marketing costs as Could you help with facebook we primarily communicate by promotions, or assist with buildemail and facebook and word of ing out student profiles that we mouth. Our most effective marprovide new sponsors? None of keting comes from individuals these are very time demanding and families who visit the project and only pop up occasionally, in Tanzania where they have a but we do need some people that chance to see Project Child in we can occasionally turn to. If action. you would be willing to consider To keep costs low, we do need a occasionally lending a hand please let me know. few volunteers to help us with

Praying for your Sponsored Child

Pray for your child each day of the month. (Adapted from a Compassion International prayer guide) 1. to accept Jesus as Savior and to grow in Christ. II Cor. 5:17 2. to trust God for everything. Ps. 34:7-8 3. to do well in school Col 3:23 4. for the project leaders Ps. 34:11 5. for his/her family Eph. 4: 31,32 6. to resist negative peer pressure Phil. 4:13 7. to practice good hygiene Ps. 24:4,5 8. for good nutrition Phil. 4:19 9. for strong friendships Prov. 17:17 10. to develop a tender heart Ps. 51:10 11. to learn Gods Word Deut. 11:18 12. for protection from natural disasters Ps. 121: 1,2 13. to use good social skills Prov. 16:7 14. for a bright future Jer. 29:11 15. to develop her skills and talents Phil. 1: 6,9,10 16. to learn from the center programs Col. 3:16 17. to make wise decisions James 1:5 18. for safety in daily activities Heb. 13: 6, Ps. 27:5 19. for freedom from fear Rom. 8:37-39 20. for patience and perseverance Ps. 27:13-14 21. to resist temptation 1 Peter 5:8-10 22. to always tell the truth Prov. 12:19 23. for the desire to follow Gods will John 8:12 24. for good sibling relationships 1 John 4:21 25. for physical health and strength Ps. 103: 2-5 26. to honor her parents Eph. 6: 1 27. for a spirit of hope and joy Prov. 15:29 29. for comfort in sadness Jn. 14:1 30. for stability for his/her family Jude 24,25 31. for solid self-esteem II Cor. 9:8 Neh. 8:10 28. to grow closer to God in prayer

Mail Call !!
All letters delivered to Wendy Williams and projectchild@att.net by March 15 were packaged up and mailed to Tanzania, arriving the first week of April. Similarly, we received some 200 letters from Punchmi School children and are in the process of mailing them on to the appropriate sponsor.

59 New Sponsors Needed

Each year we take an additional 30 Two children needing sponsored can students into our Kindergarten Probe seen below Please pray that God gram at Punchmi Christian School. will lead us to sponsors for both They are screened and selected by Pastor Wariaeli, Headmaster Godfrey and the school staff, insuring not only that the child comes from an impoverished situation, but also that the parents are supportive of the educational opporYOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO tunity and will invest in ownership of SEND A LETTER OR PACKAGE TO the childs education. This includes YOUR CHILD WILL BE WITH THE payment of minimal fees, or work in MAY 2013 SHORT TERM JOURkind, as the parents are able. KAC522 Elizabeth Mbando NEY TEAM. This means that we continually need to All letters and packages must be delivfind additional sponsors who are willered to Wendy Williams at Perimeter ing to give a child a chance to become Christian School or projectchild what God has intended. @att.net NLT May 15. Gifts must fit in a 9in by 12in envelope. Space perJesus Loves... mitting the May team will carry packages over and photograph their delivYou are his hands & feet ery to your child.
KAC523 Innocent Elidaima Further information about PROJECT CHILD is on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U86pIogAkTg Or email timneet@att.net or visit Facebook Project ChildTanzania