Two poisoned dogs and a black mamba 

Very sadly my two lovely, sociable dogs, Tanga and Nyika were poisoned by somebody on Friday night. They struggled through Saturday and died on Sunday morning despite our best efforts. There can be a number of motives for someone doing this horrible thing, among them being the preparation for a break-in.  I am grateful that there was a place on the property of a friend to bury these two where my first two dogs, Rafiki and Chui are already buried - so now they are all together. But this sad day wasn’t over, yet. Later that evening I was sitting outside the back door, next to the raised bed where the dogs used to sleep when for some reason I put my feet on the table and leaned back in the plastic chair. I’ve never done that before as the chairs are a bit flimsy to lean back on. However, I did then. No sooner had I done that than a black mamba slid across the tiles to where my feet were a moment before. I whisked them off the table and went behind the snake as I looked for a stick. Nothing. I walked softly into the house and there wasn’t one there, either. The snake had meanwhile slithered slowly under the dog’s bed and began tracking along the wall towards the doorway that I was standing in. I imagined it was intending to come into the house. I watched it approach and raised my right leg and waiting until it arrived just short of  my left shoe. Then I executed Genesis 3:15b and managed to kill it without it striking my heel. Glory and thanks to God. Quite a day! You really must come and visit!

On a more productive note, I managed to renew my Tourist Visa at the border immigration post for another 3 months. There was a new officer and it was touch and go until ‘George’ walked into the room and began singing my praises! I knew George from some 20 years ago when I was flying for MAF from Kasulu. His unexpected and glowing report changed the Immigration official’s mind and she renewed. Another angel; thank you Lord!

Medical
Then I paid an overdue visit to Heri Mission Hospital while I was still up in the hills and was delighted to find the brother of the surgeon who was at Heri when I first arrived in Kasulu in 1998. They visited us and shared at Sunshine Asembly last year. Mørten, helps to raise funds when he is at home in Denmark and God is really blessing his efforts with two new wards and equipment.

We have sent two patients to a Burundian hospital for operations. A mama with cancer and a man with a serious bladder problem. We did this to see if it will be any cheaper/quicker than sending them to Dar. It turns out to be much closer than Muhimbili Hospital in Dar and the it is run by an American surgeon that I managed to get contact with through a friend in Bujumbura - so we expect that paying the bill to be more straightforward. More news next time.

Education
Please could you pray for the ex-Sunshiners-now-2nd-year 6th-Form students. They have just finished their Mocks and have their final ‘A’ Level exams in May.

Elisia, our Headteacher is in her 9th month and the cook is about 7 months, I think. Do pray for them as many of you did wonderfully for Adela. She is now delivered of a healthy baby girl, last week, praise God.

At yesterday’s Board Meeting, Aggie offered to come back and teach at Sunshine again 2 days a week. We are delighted with this news. We have really missed Aggie. Our Lower School is not strong at the moment, and we look forrward for those A Level students who are not going on short National Service when they leave school, to come back to Sunshine and assist the teaching as they wait for their results.  Happily, after the June holiday, we are expecting to have our two sudents who have been at Teacher Training College (and are currently on Teaching Practice in Dar and Morogoro) to come to join our staff.

Thanksgiving for:
All that is happening as a result of God working through what we do here each day.
Jehova Jireh is our provider.
Praying and giving folk like yourselves keeping us before the throne.
For our assemblies. They are always good fun. Thanks to my housegroup in England for sharing this great song. We love it.

The new chekechea
This is our new pre-school class, which we call our checkechea and starts w/b11th March now that the all checks are done to confirm they really are mayatima (single-parent or orphan children living with guardians).

Please pray for:

• Our pregnant ladies’ safe deliveries
• Edisa in the office particularly when Elisia’s maternity leave starts. Edisa is very busy, already.
• Sunshine Lower School staff and pupils to pick up the pace now and in the second term.
• New guards and dogs for security
• Good performances at their final exams from the A Level students in May
• General health. The malaria these days seems tougher to deal with than before
• That staff, visitors and students will not be troubled by snakes.
• The two patients we send to Burundi for operations.
• For us to be strong in our appeal to Jehova Jireh and to do what we can to spread the news of what we do to others whom The Lord may have waiting to support this work. 
   

Thank you!

‘The Lord bless you and keep you 
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord turn His face toward you and give you Peace.'
Numbers 6: 24-26

‘Blessed are those whose help(er) is The God of Jacob, whose hope is in The Lord their God.’
Psalm 146:5 

Best wishes,

                                                   Andy and the team, students, children and patients