Tabora Baptist Temple Missions Conference

The Missions Conference at Tabora Baptist Temple had a great ending Sunday night. Their commitment was more than last year and everyone was excited about the fact that they will continue to be involved in winning souls around the world. Brother Whitfield taught the Adult Sunday School and translated for the preacher as he preached the morning service. The missionary from Kenya, Shaddrack, preached Sunday night. Wow! We couldn’t understand a word he said but everyone else sure did. It is a blessing to watch the Tanzanians as they sing the same songs as we sing, just a different language, and as they turn in their Bibles and follow the message then respond at the invitation.

I want to thank you for praying for John’s nephew, Timmy. He is out of the hospital and is doing fine.

I also want to thank you for praying for us. We are doing fine. The preacher and Brother Whitfield are still walking every morning and Kim is feeding us the right kind of food so we should be real healthy when we get home. HA! HA!

Now I will ask you to pray for the services this coming Sunday. It will be the 5th anniversary of Tabora Baptist Temple. There is a big day planned. There will be unsaved people there. Pray for Brother Whitfield as he presents the gospel and we will see some saved. Four adults and one teenager are going to be baptized Sunday, the church is going to be organized, John will be ordained and called as the Tanzanian pastor of Tabora Baptist Temple. Our prayer is that the Lord will be honored in everything that is done.

We are praying for you and certainly miss all of you! Don’t forget you can e-mail us or leave comments on the blog. The preacher’s e-mail is dwsmith1947@aol.com



Love,

Sharron

Greetings Once Again from Tanzania, Africa

Greetings Once Again from Tanzania, Africa:

Brother Tim Whitfield and I have just returned from a three day journey to the west of Tabora. The village we visited is called Ngaruka. I preached each night to approximately 50 men and women. The Lord gave great liberty and one precious man trusted Christ as his Savior! Praise the Lord!

There was no electricity in the village and no running water. None of the creature comforts we are used to. I am amazed at how much we take for granted. We stayed in a “guest house’ that basically had a bed and a mosquito net. We bathed out of a 5 gallon bucket of water and brushed our teeth with bottled water. The trip there and back was 8 hours of dirt roads with seemingly more dust on the inside of our vehicle than outside! You literally could feel and see the dust and dirt all over your body and in your hair. I am not complaining, I am just trying to let you know what it was like. What an experience!

The people we met were precious, friendly, and very excited that we had come to visit them. Two men who were recently saved were baptized in a large Tanzanian lake. Brother Whitfield had the privilege of baptizing them. It is amazing to see such a large body of water and yet the entire country has to hunt for water for their daily supply. I guess all that will change as the rains come in early November.

Our Missions Conference at Tabora Baptist Temple started Wednesday evening, (10-21-09). We have two national missionaries, one from another part of Tanzania and one from Kenya. They are testifying and preaching each night and then I have been given the privilege of preaching the closing message on Faith Promise Giving each evening.

Sharron is doing excellent. Her foot is improving each day. She lets nothing keep her from attending each service and doing what she can to help. We feel very blessed to be able to serve together the way we do.

Brother and Sister Whitfield are spoiling us. Such great fellowship, food, and oneness of Spirit. We pray the Lord will use us to be an encouragement and blessing to them personally. How we love them and appreciate all they are doing for us.

Please continue to pray! Missions commitment is coming this Sunday. We are looking to the Lord for an increase in faith for the membership of Tabora Baptist Temple.

We Love You!

Brother David Smith

How to post a comment.

Mom mentioned some were having a problem posting comments to this blog and she asked me to try to explain. The easiest way is to click on the comment icon at the bottom of the post you wish to comment about. Type your comment and make sure to sign your name. Then under profile just choose "anonymous" and then follow the instruction regarding the image below your comment (I think that is just to validate your computer info, etc.) I hope this helps. You know nothing with computers is ever simple.
Susie

Dear Praying Family and Friends,
We are alive and well in Tanzania and loving every moment of it. We just finished our first session of Bible Institute. We had 10 national pastors and students in training to be pastors. I taught on the subject of Personal Holiness with Brother Whitfield interpreting. What a special time for me. The sessions were lively and the students seemed to thoroughly enjoy each day. Can you imagine, we were in the Word of God from 8:00 A.M. until 12:30 P.M.! By the end of each day Brother Whitfield and I were completely worn out. I am already preparing for the next institute class which will be held in early November on the subject of “Dispensations”. Please pray this class will be attended with power from on high by the blessed Holy Spirit.
In the morning Brother Whitfield and I will be leaving for Nguruka, Tanzania. This is a large and remote village about 4 hours to the west of Tabora. Brother Whitfield says it is very primitive and he is worried about me making the trip. Well, that is like saying “sickem” to a dog. I am ready and excited about the trip and the special meetings that will be held through Sunday A.M. Please pray for God’s power and safety. The ladies will stay behind and mind the home front. The associate pastor, soon to become the pastor of Tabora Baptist Temple, Brother John Masanja, will do the preaching. By the way, we are going to have the privilege of ordaining him to the gospel ministry on Sunday, November 1. This will be the church’s 5th anniversary. Pray much for that day. We are working for a record attendance on that day. Brother Whitfield would like to see 125 in attendance. Pray, Pray, Pray!
Sharron and I are doing great. No health issues to speak of, with one exception. We think Sharron has another stress fracture in her right foot. She is hobbling around, however, as usual, it has not dampened her spirits, or stopped her from attending church. I call her “Super Woman.”
Pray for the Whitfields. What gracious hosts! We love them and count it as an honor to assist them in whatever way we can.
Thank you for praying for John’s nephew, Timmy. He is doing better. He is able to walk with help. His jaws are wired closed so he is enjoying vanilla milk shakes. Continue to pray for his recovery.
We love all of you and deeply appreciate your prayers. May the Dear Lord continue to extend to all of us His wonderful grace to serve Him until He comes.
I Love You,
Brother David Smith

October 11, 2009

We have been in Tanzania 10 days. We have adjusted to the climate (the preacher thinks it is too hot), the great food Kim is feeding us, and the sweet fellowship. We found out I am not suffering from “jet-lag” but a reaction to the Malaria medicine I am taking. I still can’t sleep and the doctor said it will take awhile for the medicine to get out of my system. She put me on a different Malaria medicine and said to not worry about being awake most of the night. Boy! Do you know how long a night is?!?!? HA! HA!
The church services have been special. We know the songs they sing so even though we don’t know what the words mean, while everyone is singing we just pronounce the words with them. Tim tells us every time they turn to a scripture so we stay with them.
Maria, a lady in the church, works in a meat shop. Yesterday she invited a man to church. He came today and got saved. Pray for Michael as the men will visit with him this week about baptism and discipleship. Another person was saved last Saturday during visitation.
Friday the men are going to a village about 4 hours from here. Tim’s church is supporting a man from their church who has started a church there about 1 or 2 years ago. The will have services Friday, Saturday and Sunday. After church there on Sunday morning they will be back here in time for church Sunday evening. Pray for souls to be saved and their safety.
The Tanzanian government decided not to turn off the electricity every day in the whole country for 12 hours at the same time. So they issued a new schedule. When we came the electricity was off every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 P.M. until 10:00 P.M. Now it will be off every Saturday from 9:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M. and every Tuesday from 6:00 P.M. until 11:00 P.M. Yesterday was not bad, there was a breeze. But in the evening when the breeze stopped we used the generator for an hour or so for the fans. Now Tuesday might be another story. The generator is kind of loud for the neighbors and the lights won’t be on until 11:00 P.M. So we might use the generator in the evening, get comfortable, turn it off, go to bed and WAIT for the fans to come on. HA! HA!
Tim, the preacher and I walk every morning. We started going about 1 ½ or 2 miles. We have worked up to 1 hour and we go just over 2 ½ miles. Thank you for praying for the preacher. He is doing pretty good. His sugar was higher today than yesterday but at least he is checking it.

I want to ask you to pray for (my brother-in-law) John's nephew, Timmy. He was in a car accident and is in ICU. He was with a lady and her daughter, they were both killed. Please pray for Jean and John's family during this time.

We miss all of you and pray for you every day.

Sharron

Hello from Sharron

Hello from Tanzania,


It is Tuesday afternoon about 5:15. I have 40 minutes to get this typed and emailed. So all my typos should be excused. HA! HA!

Today was the first day of the Bible Institute in October. The preacher said it went fine. It took him and Tim 2 hours to get through the first lesson. They took a break, changed their tactics and they got through the next 3 lessons in 2 hours. They are excited about tomorrow and what (and how) they will be teaching. They will have 4 hours tomorrow and 4 hours Thursday. I took a picture today but I am not sending it. Let’s just say the lighting wasn’t good. HA! HA! I will take more pictures and you will get to see these national pastors and preacher boys. Some came on the bus or train and are bunking at the church. A lady at the church is preparing meals for them.

The reason I am in such a hurry is because the electricity goes off from 6:00 P.M. until 10:00 P.M. every Tuesday and Thursday. The computer has to be turned off, unplugged, etc. There is a generator here at the house. It will keep the refrigerator and freezer going. We can turn on some lights but not many at the same time. The preacher and I have only done this once, last Thursday night, so we are not experienced yet. But by the news we heard last night - we will be experienced before we leave Tanzania.

The entire country of Tanzania has a water shortage, which means an electricity shortage. Last night they announced that the electricity will go off every morning at 7:00 A.M. and will not come back on until 10:00 P.M. each night. This is suppose to start next Monday and will continue through November. We are going to enjoy every light we have until then. There are two things we are praying for. #1 Rain - so there will water to run the hydro power to produce electricity. #2 The repair of a big generator that will run the hydro power since there isn’t enough water.

We are still suffering from “jet lag”. We are sleepy at the wrong time in the day and when we go to bed we can’t sleep. We are going to give ourselves a couple more nights before we find a pill to take. HA! HA!

Tim and Kim are great hosts! We are enjoying every minute. One last note: The preacher is feeling good. We have been walking each morning and eating better. Please continue to pray for him.

Sharron

The Burden is Great.

I am writing this note on Monday morning. First, let me thank my sweet daughter, Susie Coyne, for doing such a great job managing our “blog”. The little paragraph explaining what a “blog” is and how to get the most out of it was excellent. I love you Susie.


My heart is both joyful and burdened as we begin our two month period of serving in Tanzania. Joyful to have arrived safely and to be with Tim and Kim Whitfield, veteran missionaries, whom we respect greatly and are learning to love deeply as we live and serve alongside this choice couple.

My heart is greatly burdened as we see the spiritual condition of the Tanzanian people. The needs are overwhelming. Pray much that Sharron and I can encourage our missionaries as they carry the heaviest portion of this burden. We have been able to pass out many tracts, pray with a number of people, and invite many Tanzanians to church during the few days since our arrival. We had one saved last Saturday.


On Sunday I had the privilege of preaching out of Isa. 12:3 “therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” While Tanzania is suffering from a severe shortage of water, I was happy to tell them that there is no shortage of “living water” which is available through trusting Christ as Savior. What a joy I received through preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ to these dear people.

This week we start Bible Institute classes. I will be teaching Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for 4 hours a day on the subject of “Personal Holiness”. We are praying for many national pastors and preacher boys to attend. The hope of Tanzania rests largely on training and equipping the nationals for the work of the ministry here in this needy country.

Sharron and I are doing fine and enjoying every minute with the Whitfields. Please know that we love all of you and appreciate your prayers and encouraging notes.

Yours for Christ’s Sake,
Brother David Smith

Questions about blogging...

Hi Everybody,

It seems there have been some questions about the blog so I will try to explain. We set this site up so that my parents can keep all of their friends and family up to date on where they are and what they are doing. It is also a way for the supporting churches to keep in touch with them and a way for you to encourage them in their efforts.

We will try to put interesting pictures and stories on here and then if anyone has questions about the posts you can simply make a comment and we will answer. If you would like to send personal messages to them you can use their private email addresses. The blog is more like a diary of what they have been up to and where they have been.

There are two ways to follow the blog:
You can set up a "google" account and become a follower by clicking "follow" on the right hand side of this page. This will allow you to get email notifications each time the blog is updated.
Or, you can just view the blog anytime you want without being a member. You can also make comments without being a member. Make sure you sign your name if you are not a member so everyone knows who is commenting.

I hope this makes it a little easier to understand but if there are any other questions just post them here.

Susie

Prayer Letter September 2009

September 28, 2009

Dear Pastor and Friends,

Since our last letter we have been in churches in Massachusetts, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and back in New England.

During the Missions Conference at Fairview Baptist Church in Kansas City, KS, a couple surrendered their lives for full time service. Also, Fairview Baptist planted a new church on September 20, 2009. We helped pass out nearly 25,000 John and Romans, along with invitations to the new church. I also had the privilege of preaching during the “get acquainted” meetings. A special thanks to the Pastor and people of Jonesboro Baptist Church in Jonesboro, AR, for inviting me to preach at their Missions Emphasis Sunday. They raised an extra $100.00 per week for missions.

I preached at New Hope Baptist Church in Lynn, MA (Metro Boston) on Wednesday night, September 23. What a blessing to be in the same vicinity where we planted a church over 30 years ago. Three ladies we led to the Lord during those years at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Peabody, MA came to the service to see us. We enjoyed a great evening of fellowship.

The Missions conference at Heritage Baptist Church in Berlin, NH, concluded last night and was a blessing. Many decisions were made in the area of surrender, commitment to missions, and soul-winning. Also I preached twice in the NH state prison where Pastor Hoyt is the chaplain. Many came forward making decisions during the invitation.
We will be flying out of Manchester, NH, tomorrow, September 29, for Tabora, Tanzania. After traveling over 28 hours we will be met by missionaries Tim and Kim Whitfield. We are excited about spending October and November in East Africa working alongside this great missionary family. A number of special meetings are planned. Pray for souls to be saved, as well as Christians to be challenged

Our daughter has set up a “blog” site for us. Please look at it. She will keep it updated as we send pictures and information from Tanzania. Also, we will still be able to receive our e-mail. Both the blog and our e-mail addresses are listed above.
We have enclosed a few of our new prayer cards. If you need more, please let us know. I hope they remind you that we need your prayers as we continue to follow our blessed Lord.

Thanks for Your Friendship and Encouragement,
David and Sharron Smith

We made it!

We safely arrived in Tanzania on Thursday October 1. Tim and Kim Whitfield met us at the Tabora airport and took us to their home. Kim fixed us a wonderful dinner of pasta salad and BBQ pork sandwiches (from a pig they butchered on the back porch 3 weeks ago). It was delicious. Needless to say, it was not hard to get to sleep that evening after getting on and off three airplanes and being in the air twenty hours.

We woke up on Friday refreshed and ready to get to work.