Labor of Love

Hello Everyone! We are a bit late with this update, but April has been a very busy month! As I have reflected over the last four weeks, I have decided to call this blog post, “Labor of Love” for several reasons, which I trust will be clear by the time we’re done :-)

We are really enjoying having little Gracie in our home! She is extremely smart, fun, and a joy to be around! ! I have moments when I realize I (John) am a 53 year-old with a one year-old child 😳, but we also have been so blessed receiving her into our family. The life and love that she has now is incomparable to her previous situation. It has also been amazing to see our children accept, embrace, and love on her since she has joined our family.

Adoption truly is a labor of love :)

We recently saw Tori off at the airport in Dar after staying with us for almost 3 months. She came with the team in February, but stayed on to help us during this busy season. She was a TREMENDOUS help in so many ways. Our girls will never forget dancing on the beach during the sunsets :)

She helped us daily with Grace, with homeschool, with cooking and cleaning, as she became a part of our family! She truly was an answer to prayer, and an excellent example of a true servant. It was bittersweet seeing her disappear over the stairs in the Dar airport. Tori's service to the Lord on our behalf was truly a "Labor of Love"!

Jennifer is continuing to work in the Baptist hospital here in Kigoma. She often has different nurses and volunteers shadow her to see and learn the work of labor and delivery first hand. Recently, she had a German nurse come along for a day of work with her. That day they had 3 births, including an emergency c-section.

Jennifer is also continuing to make good progress on her masters course in midwifery. She is enrolled at Frontier Nursing University. She appreciates your prayers as she juggles this busy season of life! Labor of Love!

We had a small Easter service at the chapel in Kizenga. Justin Wallace (new missionary who has been commended to the work in Kigoma and Camp Nuru) gave a message on the 7 sayings of the Lord Jesus from the cross, and I, (John), translated for him. It was a good day as we brought refreshments for the chapel to enjoy some fellowship afterwards. Justin aarrived in February with the team from the US and has been granted his 2 year visa, praise the Lord! It was a challenge getting it, but thankfully it came through right before his tourist visa expired. Justin has been busy learning Swahili, repairing his house (he is living on our compound in Kigoma), and helping with the planning and construction of Camp Nuru.

Emmaus ministry is continuing to grow, and we are amazed at the new doors opening for these solid Bible study courses. There is a real hunger for the Word here, and also a tremendous need for solid Biblical teaching. Currently we have over 250 active students of Emmaus in our region, and that number is growing. That includes students who come into the maktaba in Ujiji, in 3 prisons, in the lake road villages we visit every 3 weeks, the Kizenga church, the city of Mpanda (6 hour drive away), and these courses are also being used in a sickle cell ministry in a remote area south of us.

Gerald and I are rejoicing over another student on the lake road circuit who has completed all 35 courses to receive his final certificate - diploma! There are around 5-6 who are expected to complete these courses on our next trip. We aare so thankful for this visible fruit, and continue to pray for them as they serve the Lord in their various ministries.

So many getting certificates these days! Gerald and I are the only ones organizing, grading, recording, and ordering certificates and new courses. Pray with us regarding adding someone who can help us in this ministry. It requires someone who not only has an adminnistrative ability, but also has the spiritual maturity to give students helpful answers to missed questions, especially when those missed answers involve crucial doctrinal errors.

Labor of Love!

The maktaba has a steady flow of people each week who come in for reading glasses, Emmaus courses, and looking for books or tracts. Children come in the afternoons to watch various Gospel films including "The King of Glory". These days, Gerald holds down the maktaba and stays busy grading Emmaus courses and helping with the needs of our visitors. I am usually running between Kizenga, Camp Nuru, and home as we juggle many responsibilities. Below are a few pictures of various visitors over the month of April.

We are so thankful for the donations of reading glasses as this continues to be a way to connect us to so many people who would not normally come to the maktaba. There are even pastors from churches in the village who come with a list of names/reading strengths for their saints who need reading glasses. What a joy to meet these needs, and also give them Gideon NT's, tracts, and anything else we can help them with :).

Labor of Love!

Camp Nuru construction is moving forward, and we thank those who have contributed to this work! This is the "not so fun" part of getting this camp built - the wall. Like I said before, in Africa, if you have no wall, you will have nothing at all! Though we rarely hear of any violent crime in our area, theft is a HUGE problem. We must get this wall built first, then we can focus on the buildings, soccer field, other playground projects etc.

Approximately half of the population of Tanzania is under 20 years old! There are children everywhere, and Ujiji/Kigoma is no exception. We already have kids sitting across the street asking when they can play soccer! The need is so great, and the opportunity before us is HUGE! Camp Nuru is also a Labor of Love!

Pray with us for the Lord to provide for and protect this work!

Last week we had some big rains come through and really flood the camp property! We are within a week or two from the dry season starting here in Kigoma, but the rainy season is going out with a BANG!

Even the only road into the camp was washed out and impassible for the delivery trucks. We had to unload the blocks in the road, and hire a motorcycle to carry them to the site. The storage building was knee deep in water, and we lost some sand and a few bags of cement due to the heavay rains. Thankfully, the Lord has protected us from anything worse, like a wall falling down, which was a very real possibility.

We are in an area with lots of witchcraft! Twice we have found evidence of witchcraft on the road in front of the camp property. The black cloth, bowl, and gourd scoop were all used in some kind of ritual, then left behind. This stuff is used for various reasons, like for good luck, to gain wealth, or to place a curse on someone/something. These things have no power over us as "He (the Spirit of God) who is in you, is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world." It is interesting to see how afraid the Tanzanians are of even touching these items!

Praise the Lord for all He is doing out here to further His Kingdom!

On the home front, thanks to Tori's help, we were able to finish school at the beginning of May for all 4 children! This coming August, Isaac will begin his senior year of high school, Elaina will be starting her junior year, and Sam & Katie will both be going into 6th grade.

The adoption process for Grace will begin at the end of the 6 month fostering period, which ends officially July 24, 2025. We do not know how long the adoption process is going to take. We do know that we will need much prayer support through the process, and once she is officially adopted on the TZ side, we will return to the States for a much needed and much anticipated furlough! Brethren pray for us!

We thank you ALL so much for your prayers and support!

You holding the rope for us is also... a Labor of Love :)

~ The Kinlaws

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Please pray for Grace as she continues to grow and develop that she would stay healthy. Also pray for the upcoming adoption process to go according to the Lord's timing.

• Please pray for Jennifer as she works in the hospital - every day is an adventure! Also please pray for her studies in midwifery.

• Please pray for the spiritual growth of the many Emmaus students.

• Please pray for the ministry goiong on in the maktaba each week. (Many seeds being sown in the hearts of many)

• Please pray for the provision and protection of the work on Camp Nuru.

The roads in TZ are for EVERYONE :)