The New Life in Christ

For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members of one another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us... Rom. 12:5-6

Greetings to you all, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For this months update, we will try to focus on how different gifts are used in ministry, and simply to ask for your prayers for those who are suffering.

The job for which we were called is Dan's work as the Finance Secretary of the Lutheran Mission Cooperation. While most of the work is done from the office, it has an impact on the leaders, workers, and members of the Evangelical Church of Tanzania. This week, Dan was reviewing a report of one of the ongoing medical projects in one of the ELCT dioceses. His job requires that he reviews projects for financial accuracy as well as comparing the results to the original goals. Assuming that the project is meeting its goals and the finances are reported truthfully, Dan's job is to send the next installment of funds. This particular project is supported by LMC members and other external sources. The project is to provide a mobile medical team for rural and nomadic people focusing on eye diseases. The report detailed the number of various cases both of eye diseases and other medical problems seen last year compared to the year before. The report also listed the number of surgeries, and pictures were attached. One particularly striking picture was captioned "Mobile Eye Clinic Under the Tree." The patients were being examined outdoors, under the shade of a tree, without a building in sight.

The author of this report emphasized the importance of all of the members of the team. Not only did the doctors, surgeons, and nurses play important roles but there are many other parts of this body. There is a choir that travels with the team to provide inspirational music to those who are waiting for medical treatment. There are also evangelists who preach God's word. The pilots from Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) were thanked for helping the group reach some of the most remote areas. The author of this report also recognized the drivers, the cleaners, and the watchmen who stay up all night to protect those who are sleeping. While the initial emphasis may appear to be on the doctors providing the care, this body would not be able to function without the many members contributing to the goal. Your prayers and support are also an essential part of this body.

We didn't expect HIV/AIDS to affect our personal lives. Little did we know that it would impact the families of two of our full-time employees. One has lost a brother, a sister-in-law, and a nephew, and there are other sick children. We just learned that a second employee lost his sister-in-law, and that his brother and one of their children are both very sick. It is estimated that approximately one person in ten living in Tanzania is infected with HIV/AIDS. One of the major goals of the "Stand with Africa" campaign, which the ELCA has joined, is to combat this epidemic. (To learn more about "Stand with Africa" visit the ELCA website at www.elca.org.) We ask for your prayers for those who have lost loved ones to this terrible disease. Pray for the doctors and scientists who are developing treatments and cures, and that those treatments may be affordable to our neighbors and friends. Amen

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Dan, Cathy, Sarah, Emily and Grace Smith
PO BOX 15128
Arusha
Tanzania
http://www.goodshepherdkettering.com/pages/mission.html
smithfam91@yahoo.com
or
missionaries@goodshepherdkettering.com
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