Jarvis Journey - Missionaries to Tanzania

I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH. PHILIPPIANS 4:13

Dear Friends,

Christmas 2008 is now behind us and we are looking ahead to a new year filled with new challenges. A few weeks ago, we were asked by the TAG National office to serve as interim principal at the Mwanza Bible College for one term. We have done many things in our 30 + years of ministry, but we are preparing to enter into an area of ministry for which we feel completely unprepared. Fortunately, God has told us that “if any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously…” (James 1:5)

The Mwanza Bible College is dear to our hearts; we finished the project and opened the college at the end of our first term in 2001. We have already spent a good deal of time there since our arrival back in Mwanza, Tanzania. The new term begins in less than a week and we are already feeling a bit overwhelmed with the responsibilities that come with the job of principal. In addition, we automatically become senior pastors of the Bible College Church located on the campus; there are four other faculty members who are also on staff at the church.

We have toured the facilities and have slowly become aware of the many areas of need; the Mwanza Bible College is the youngest of the four TAG colleges and is far behind the others in the areas of facilities, supplies, and equipment. We have a long list of needs that we are adding to daily as we discover more and more things that this school lacks.

The Bible College runs about 80-85 students each semester and we graduated 30 students last November with three year diplomas. The staff and faculty are an incredible group of people who are committed to educating future pastors and leaders; they do so with joy and under less than ideal circumstances. We consider it a privilege to work with this group of people; they have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and are taking on extra duties to help as we adjust to our new role.

PLEASE PRAY WITH US FOR THE FOLLOWING NEEDS:

· We are starting the year at the Bible College with a “0” balance in the bank and with over a $1,000 worth of bills that are overdue or due.
· We need to buy food to feed close to a 100 people every day starting next week.
· We are short of or out of almost all supplies including textbooks.
· Some of the faculty housing does not have water; they use an outside spigot to haul water.
· The dining hall does not have tables and chairs; students sit on the floor or stand to eat.
· There are not enough dishes or eating utensils for all the students to eat at one time.
· Some of the buildings are in need of repair or need to be finished.
· The school truck is unusable because it needs work done on it.
· The road to the Bible College is in bad repair and often requires use of four wheel drive.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A PERFECT SETTING FOR GOD TO WORK MIRACLES! PLEASE PRAY AND BELIEVE WITH US FOR THESE NEEDS.

Workers Together for the Harvest,

Tim & Joyce Jarvis
Missionaries to Tanzania