Is this our last day on earth in this life?

I know this is an unusual title but this hit me yesterday like never before.  

Last year we temporarily hired a young lady teacher for the month of November.  I was looking for a new teacher with her qualifications but I needed to observe her teaching style and her character.  I liked what I saw and we hired her this January to be one of our teachers at the Christian school here in Arusha.  She came back late from Christmas break because she was traveling  to see her family in Morogoro and Tabora.  Transport here can be tricky to say the least.  She arrived and we put her to work.  She was not active like she was in November.  She seemed tired but she worked hard.  Last week she went to the doctor and was told that she had pneumonia.  Here they say that for a bad cold.  She worked on Monday but was not really feeling well, and on Tuesday she wrote me a message on my phone that she was going to the hospital to get some medicine for her pneumonia.  We tried to contact her Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning with no success.  One of our teachers finally talked with her friend over this teacher's phone.  Her body was in the morgue.

We were shocked.  We knew she was sick but with no information, we didn't know she had admitted herself to the hospital late Thursday night.  She did call her family in Morogoro and said that she was really sick.  Her friend here got a call from her phone on Friday morning but talked with her nurse who said that she was very ill.  The friend went later and they told her that her friend was in the morgue.

We do know that this teacher, Restuta, heard the gospel.  I really don't know what her spiritual condition was, but I do know that she was under the gospel here at the school during devotions in the mornings and in our chapel time.  She heard the gospel.  She came to church here several times. 

We are really feeling badly that she was alone without friends during her last hours.  Did she get the best medical attention?  We do not know.  Did someone pray for her during those last hours?  We had prayed for her in devotions each morning at school.  All that I know is that yesterday was her last day on this earth. 

We went to the little room she rented.  It was locked up.  No one really knew her much.  She was new to the area after her graduation from teachers' college last year.  Her family is in Morogoro, 10 hours away.  We knew her slightly but she left a mark on our students.  At a prayer time after we heard the news, many tears were shed by teachers and students. 

We need to tell others about Christ when we are with them.  We do not know if that is going to be their last day on earth or not. 

I came upon a bad accident where one man had bled to death on the road after an accident of a Pepsi truck and a daladala, a public transport small van.  The van was in the ditch on its side and at least one person died at the scene.  All were shocked but the moment before the accident, I am sure, the people in the public transport van were talking or laughing, not knowing that in the next few seconds their lives would be changed and one would die on the road. 

Is this your last day here?  What are you doing for Christ?  Live your life like today is your last.  Tell others about the Lord and what He has done for us on the cross.  Don't delay or be lazy.  Keep faithful to His call on your life, and give the precious gospel to the ones you  come in contact with day after day.

Pinball or Video game?

When the kids were home, they played video games with their dad.  Tom was very competitive and really liked to win.  He did not like to lose.  Sometimes the air was tense and all were glued to the screen with white knuckles and flying fingers.  My grandson is following in the same footsteps.

Well, traffic in Tanzania is so much like the time with the white knuckles and things flying past your vision.  It is sometimes like you are in slow motion but you better be on your toes.  With slow bicycles weaving in and out, motorcycles coming down the middle white line both ways, walkers trying to find a crossing place, wooden pushcarts with loads of cement blocks or grain , herds of animals, fast driving public transport vehicles, overloaded buses, big blue trucks loaded with rocks or people which are coming side-ways at you, and many unbelieveable and unexplainable things to distract and disturb the natural easy flow of normal traffic.  Did I say normal?  Did I say natural easy flow?   That does not describe the traffic here in Arusha.  It is "dog eat dog. " No turning back or backing up, . . .all forward and fast . . .and if you see a hole in the traffic or on the opposite side of the road, take it! Don't worry.  The police are almost worthless.  They won't stop you when you do this.  Unless they want tea or a present. 

You need to pray for your missionaries in foreign countries.  We have unbelieveable traffic and it is the most dangerous thing we do.  We face death so many times on the road.  We overwork our guardian angels!

National Exams, Tanzanian Style

Our school, Bible Baptist Academy, is six years old.  We are starting our sixth year and we are adding a class each year.  We are up to Class 5.  Our school year is from January to November.  This year we have 207 students.  Tanzania requires all schools, private and government, to be registered with the government.  We have that governmental registration and with the requirements, we are required to administer a national test for our fourth graders and our 7th graders each year.  Last year was our first national exam.  All of the teachers were worried and anxious about this all year.  The teachers and students worked hard and put in long hours learning and reviewing.  They went to school on Saturdays.  During one month of break for the rest of us, the fourth graders and teachers were still studying.  In November, they sat for their national exams. 

Today I received the results.  They all passed and did well on the tests!  Our school is thrilled.  It shows all, parents and teachers and community, that our school is a really good school.  The kids are celebrating with the teachers with watermelon, soda and cookies today. 

We are thanking God for helping us to keep focused and to keep on task.

A note I found/love eternal

My husband liked to say, "I love you."  He never failed to say it.  He was very loving and told me that he loved me.  I received beautiful flowers (here they are inexpensive  and abundant) and he always put lots of thought into gifts.  He was a romantic.  Me, I am a little pragmatic and practical, so sometimes, I am afraid, I didn't appreciate his thoughtfulness.  I miss him and his kindnesses to me.  I miss hearing his words of affection and adoration. 

Recently, I found a post-a-note from him.  It just said, "I love you," in big letters.  It took my breath.  I also found, after I returned to Tanzania, a card meant for our anniversary already purchased, and ready for our anniversary.  He was so thoughtful and expressed it without shame.

How are we in our expression of love to our dear Lord?  Do we tell Him we love Him?  Do we express our love and gratitude to Him for His love to us?  I think we neglect to say the words or show our love so many times.  We get busy.  We have to tell Him our needs.  We think we have to say the common phrases with little meaning.  We neglect to tell our beloved, "I love you."  His love is eternal and is available and is unending.  He tells us by His Word that He loves us.   Over and over He tells us that he loves us so much and He shows us His love in so many ways.  What about us? 

His love letter to us is rarely read or meditated on. 

He loves us. 

He wrote us a huge book of love letters.  Do we lose our breath when He says that He loves us?  Do we appreciate His kindness to us and His affection to us?  How do we show Him that we love Him?  Yawn at His Word?  Indifference? 

HE LOVES YOU.

Philippines/my new adventure in 2011

My father served in the army during World War 2.  He always talked of the Philippines as a place he might like to visit someday.  I know his time there was not a vacation or a business trip.  He served with a lot of brave men and women who gave their lives trying and successfully, freeing the people of the Philippines from the Japanese.  He fought and he suffered.  I know he had a hard time talking about the war and the things he saw firsthand.  I heard the stories and the heart felt memories from my dad and I always thought I might go to the Philippines some day.  Not as a missionary but to see the same mountains and valleys and coastlines that my father saw so many years ago.

I have the opportunity to go to some meetings in the Philippines in February of this year.  I am so excited!!  I want to go tomorrow but my plane is not leaving for about six weeks.  I will be in the city of Cebu City.  I don't know if my dad was there or not, but I dream he was.  I want to smell the smells, drink in the culture and enjoy the islands.  God has allowed me to go but it will be a sacrifice of funds and of time.  I know though , God will bless the time there.  I will see a great church built by a pioneer missionary, Bob Hughes.  My dad has probably met him in Heaven.  I am sure my dad also has met many Philippino believers in Heaven too. 

I am really looking forward to this live changing trip.  Pray that God will bless and will provide for this trip.

December newsletter 2010

Dear Praying churches and friends, December 2010

I praise God for His provision to me over the years. God has allowed me to be a missionary since 1997 and He has provided so much for me. I count it a privilege to serve in Tanzania. Thank you for helping me minister here for these 13 years.

I am really busy with school activities at our Christian school as we get ready for a big day of Kindergarten graduation. We will be hosting 450 students and parents for this day. Our church will be full of parents, friends, students and staff of Bible Baptist Academy. The gospel will be given and we will take every opportunity to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are roasting three goats and we are having a “celebration” at our school for God’s provision over the year of 2010. Next year we will have over 200 students in our Christian school. Praise the Lord!

On Sunday, I visited a home in an Islamic area with a few church members. I was given a soda for refreshment and a lady joined us from a neighboring room. She was the wife of a new believer in Christ. The husband had told us that she was ready to hear the gospel. I presented the gospel to her and she prayed the prayer of repentance and received Jesus as Savior! This woman was an Islamic believer but now she is a child of God, born again! The husband, a new believer in Christ, rejoiced with us as we walked down the path back to my car. God is so faithful.

Continue to pray for Hafsa, my Islamic neighbor, who has just had a new baby. This is a tender time for her. She is afraid of her family and is reluctant to accept Christ. She has heard the Gospel and is still open to hearing. Two of our ladies from the church, one is a new believer and a former Islamic follower, are going to present the gospel to her this week. Pray for Hafsa that she will be softened to the Gospel and will decide to follow Christ.

I need to replace my car and I need to raise 7000 USD to add to the monies I have. Please consider helping me with a one-time gift of 100, 200 or 500 USD to help me pay this. The roads are rough here and I need a good car that is four-wheeled drive and high clearance. Please help me at this Christmas time. Thanks. God bless you and yours.

Your missionary in TZ since 1997,





Joanne Foltz

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

garbage in, garbage out!!

I saw in the news today that Haiti is having a terrible problem with garbage.  I am sure they have had garbage like this before, but the news people are appalled at it.  When asked, one man commented that they are used to it.  It is normal.  In most poor countries, they become immune to the garbage or the litter.

This is how sin is.  Little by little, garbage is allowed in.  One thing then another, until it is filthy and you don't even notice.  Here in Tanzania and in the states, filth in the media, magazines, billboards and on the streets,  is  becoming normal.  We get immune to it and don't even get shocked by it.  It becomes the norm.

Don't allow sin or bad influences in your life to become the "norm."  Keep the Word of God in your mouth, mind and in your life.  Keep your eyes from evil and your life from filth.