Our Sister in Tanzania: Update from Michelle Ko
Peter Brown
July 2018
“Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading”. --Oswald Chambers
After two weeks of searching under the hot sun for a suitable and secure house to rent and not finding anything, the perfect place was provided--with a little (or I should say a lot) of renovation.
Taking time to pray and asked God for the decision making, I felt at peace to fix/renovate a house that is located behind a Tanzania pastor's house. Pastor John, who is semi-retired, has helped me very much since the first day I arrived. He is also a board member of SIM Tanzania. I got to know his family very well and feel safe to stay close to them in the granny flat which is located in their backyard. But the granny flat is unlivable and needs renovation. Therefore, for the last two weeks, I have been very busy buying building materials and getting a few workers to work on the house: repair the floor and walls, install tap water so I can have a shower and a toilet inside the house, etc. Thanks to pastor John’s kindness that the total cost of renovation is my rental in advance.
Here are some pictures of my new home (before renovation):
Each day I struggle to use my limited Swahili to communicate with workers. It's a big challenge communicating in another language. But by God's grace and with some help I have overcome all difficulties. The house should be ready in early July. Then I will start to look for furniture. We don't have Bunnings/Home Depot or IKEA where you can get almost everything in one place. I need to go around the area on my bike to look for different things and prices. For some things, I will have to go to Dar Es Salaam (the capital city which is a 10-hour bus journey). The house is totally empty and I need basic items (such as a pair of housecleaning gloves) to set up my home.
Praise and Prayer items:
- Thank God that I got a good used bike that enables me to get around easily
- Thank God for His provision to find a place to settle
- Thank God for Pastor John's family welcoming me to stay close to them
- Thank God for every opportunity to practice Swahili
- Pray for the renovation be done smoothly and my home to be set up
- Pray for my work permit to be granted by the end of July
Keep trusting,
Michelle
"The Coast, For Christ, By the Church!" --SIM Tanzania