Thursday, December 1, 2011

Kigoma or bust...

Greetings to all and blessings to you in this holiday season. I write on behalf of my beautiful wife and kids as we travel Africa together to serve God and the African people with the undying and unstoppable love of Christ.

When we last updated the blog, our final ministry expedition had commenced and we were heading toward the finish of our Advance Mission Training in preparation of our departure for Tanzania. Now we write having survived a four day rainy season drive across Eastern Africa in which the close calls and perils were unrelenting and a slew of African challenges were met in uniquely African ways. If there were a perfect way to completely immerse a family in the African experience, I think this trip about covered it. Now for some of the last chapter's details...

On Monday, the 21st of November, the 9 person team packed into the 7 seat Land Rover Discovery - new trailer overflowing and hitched - and set out from Livingstone, Zambia towards home in Kigoma, Tanzania. Having completed AMT two days earlier, our work at Overland Missions Rapid 14 Base was done, but the journey has really only just begun. At 8:30 a.m. we hit the road for what was a 6 - 8 hour trek to the town of Kabwe, with a planned stop in Lusaka for lunch with a dear friend. By 4 p.m. and with our lunch plans dashed, we finally left the mechanic who was repairing the leak in the exhaust system he had fixed 12 weeks earlier that had threatened to set the car on fire as we initially arrived in Livingstone. But no sweat, we only had to drive 100 kilometers or so out of the way before we noticed and we only wasted about 8 hours of perfectly good drive time...

Around 11 or 12 that night we pulled into the quaint little town of Kabwe, which could best be described as Ybor City meets a truck stop and gets decorated like downtown Beirut. The "Disney" - a night club - tries as best as a night club can to make the city feel like the place you want to raise your kids, but I am afraid it comes up a little short in the end in an attempt to make your dreams come true. As you could expect at that time of night on a Monday in such a desirable location, the lodge we were headed for (a gem in the middle of this place for sure) was fully booked. Why did we not have reservations, you ask? Because the phones at Overland were down all week after being fried in a lightning attack and Google Zambia doesn't offer much in pinpointing your search requests for this specific hotel. Predictably, all the other inns were booked as well. It really was exactly what we needed to hear - a local government council had some sort of conference/getaway for its officials - in beautiful Kabwe.

No biggie at this point. From Kabwe (now at about 12 - 12:30 a.m.) it was only about another hour to the next town of Kapiri where we were told we would find another nice lodge that was clean and safe for our kids. Of course, this was a relative opinion because the town of Kapiri was no larger than a interstate rest stop with a few small communities of shanty towns and markets surrounding it. This was not going to be the place we were finally succumbed to a brigade of bedbugs. No way, no how. With an arsenal of peanut butter and jelly, granola bars, and various other bunker foods, we decided to aim for the next stop. Kasama and the Thorn Tree Inn was only about eight more hours of driving; just what the kids were hoping for. When we did finally arrived at the Thorn Tree, well before the previous night's guests were ready to check out, it was like pulling into Eden after a long walk in Death Valley. There were pillows. There were beds. There were showers and a restaurant and a place to park more than the truck. Thank the Lord because we really had no idea what lied ahead.

The following morning would be the first day we got into the mountains and got to see what the rains had been doing for the last few weeks. The border of Tanzania was wet and green and as we hit the end of the tarmac it wasn't all that bad. We made good time that day and had an uneventful last night on the road.

On Thanksgiving, we were up and out at 6:30 a.m. with one last day of driving - about 12 hours in normal conditions (which are mountain passes and rock piles and river beds on this stretch) and, by our estimation, 14 to 16 hours in the rains. It all went fairly well for the first half of the day. We dragged the trailer up into the mountains of Southern Tanzania, right through the Tongwe and Rukwa chiefdoms we will be working in for the next five years. The roads were wet and it was raining on and off, so the driving got more and more treacherous the farther we pressed on. But the worst trouble was handled by caution and steady driving. The only major setback we endured up to this point was a cattle truck that had bogged down in some deep mud ruts at the top of a mountain. After a brief survey of the roads and surrounding terrain we decided to skirt the truck and try to push through the mud with the trailer in tow. With a little slipping and sliding, the Land Rover did its thing and made it through.

The descent of the mountains and approach to the Malagarasi River began what we expected to be the last 6 hours of the trip. The roads were taking a beating by this point in the day's rains. The mud was deepening. The ditches were widening. The oncoming traffic was getting more and more unnerving.  After we crossed the river, there is a salt mine and juncture that signals about 2 - 3 hours till home. But it was apparent these hours would test us as the darkness fell and the rains didn't let up.

Even with the setbacks and long hours in the car, the group was doing pretty well. It was 8:30 p.m. and we were finishing the last bits of decent food we had - the sandwiches and breads - and were munching exclusively on the packaged foodstuffs that go down easily and stave off hunger long enough to open another. The water wasn't cold anymore. We were running low on fuel without any options for refilling. It was feeling a bit tight and like we needed the end to come soon. But it was all okay because the end was near; less than three hours away. And then we hit the road construction.

As you hit the regional limits of Kigoma, there is a huge swath of road projects being developed by Chinese companies. The roads look like a mixture of dirt half-pipes and construction service routes cut right through villages and along washouts and ditches. There is no signage and the visibility goes from poor (the normal African standard) to impossible as the roads twist and undulate. People are moving across and along at all the worst times. All of this was culminating at a bottleneck behind a pile of earth movers, trucks, and concrete masses. And the word from the site workers was turn back. No getting through till 10 a.m the next morning. You've got to be kidding. Happy Thanksgiving. At this juncture there were three options:
1. Sit and wait. NOT A CHANCE.
2. Turn back to Kasulu and take the detour roads into Kigoma. Six more hours of driving. BARELY enough gas to get to Kasulu. Gas stations will be closed in an hour. Who knows what those roads look like.
3. Drive five minutes back to the Chinese work camp and try to find a ladder we can climb to the bosses ear. Maybe they will show us compassion and give us passage on a service road they have to get past this mess. Or maybe we could at least buy a little gas to make it the long way. EXHALE...

Right about now, there was nothing orthodox or simple to any of the circumstances around us. Turning around with a trailer in this muck while avoiding sliding off the poorly graded roads and into a pond or another vehicle was a problem. There was no visibility in the darkness and the rain. But it had to be done. Sure enough within five minutes we were pinned between two stuck semis and spinning our wheels in about 18 inches of mud. Our only salvation would be the grace of God and the shovel on the roof. And I wasn't the driver and the driver wasn't gonna dig. At least I didn't lose a shoe. Pushing and pulling the truck, clearing wheels, and guiding Steve as he negotiated the gas pedal and brake with the perfect turning angles, Javen and I were able to get the truck out after unhitching the trailer and digging. We then had to lift the trailer by hand and swing it into position to be reattached to the truck and pulled for the final escape. All of this in the soup, and the rain, and the dark - with about seven Tanzanian road workers scurrying around us to try and offer help and sometimes getting in the way. In any case we were out, albeit fully drenched and covered in enough mud to paint the six inches of foot and leg space we had to get back into. At least we were heading somewhere.

A few kilometers back in the wrong direction we pulled in to the Chinese workers' camp. It was a construction supply yard with bamboo and banana leaves manicuring the edges of the property. There were dorms and offices built in typical construction site trailers. The bathroom was straight out of the abyss - I mean this one was worse than the village squat houses you encounter in the bush. At this point some of us HAD to check out the bathroom, and subsequently resist the temptation to eat the food offered us. And Steve had to make small-talk with a Chinese construction worker in broken Swahili. Caitlin's portion of the conversation took place over a few bottles of water and even included an invitation to be the guy's first Facebook friend - what else do you talk about in a Chinese worker camp in Tanzania on Thanksgiving at 11:30 pm? If I had internet I would have tweeted something like: #feelslikeAliceinWonderland.

In any case, all of our time (about 90 minutes) and effort (many jumbled words and uncomfortably silent smiles) and sacrifice (more gas burned on the way here and more dignity lost on the way to potty relief) resulted in this: "Turn back to construction. There is detour. Small trucks getting through. Trailer problem to pull." Interpretation: If there is an opening, no matter how tight, or mud-ridden, or challenging to us pulling this trailer, WE ARE GETTING THROUGH. He just told us we could give it a try.

Now, at this point there are only a few words that could describe the emotional atmosphere in the truck. However, to most accurately describe it, you probably need all of those words in some emphasis and order. Tired - no, exhausted. Elated. Or maybe more relieved. Desperate. Manic. HUNGRY. Cannabalistic. Or at least ballistic. Nervous. READY - to try and run this mini-caravan over an eight foot high drain pipe with some dirt that is now the consistency of mashed potatoes sprinkled over its sides?! This is nuts. This is the detour?! It's only 10 feet wide! There's a 10 foot drop on either side! This is nuts.

Countless and faceless Chinese and African workers: "Do it. DO it. DO IT!"

Donna: "I dunno Steve, that looks high."

The rest of us (in our minds): "She's right, but who cares at this point, we should just do it. At least its exciting. NOT A GOOD THOUGHT. We'll be closer to home. Yeah, let's do it."

Steve: "I'm doing it! Hold on."

We hit that hill at about 40 degrees and with as much momentum as you can get when you gas it in 2 feet of mud with 9 people in the car and pulling 1500 pounds of trailer. We hit it like a rhino in a footrace. It was ugly. We weren't kings of this hill. We were stuck again. And the crowd of workers were calling and signalling to execute the rescue plan. At least they seemed to have it covered. Yup, here comes the backhoe. The huge Komatsu backhoe in front of us was now swinging in our direction. And the guys in front of us were hooking the truck to a toe cable. Salvation. A couple of good yanks from that steel behemoth and we were dislodged (we'd find out later that the force of this pull bent the steel bumper welded to the truck and hitched to the trailer) and crawling past the most ridiculous driving event I have ever witnessed. But we only got to crawl about 100 yards. Because that was where the next roadblock was, courtesy of the bus whose battery had died in the middle of the only passable road out of here. Welcome to Africa. it's not Thanksgiving anymore. Oh well.

The good news is the most dangerous and difficult part of our trip was behind us. The bad news was we had 2 more hours to wait this mess out while the bus in front of us got its battery issue solved. After that, we only had about 2 more hours to drive! Piece of cake at this point...and as you can tell, we survived. We even got to bed by 4 a.m. after spending a whole 22 hours straight in the car - of course that is after 58 hours of driving in 4 days with 3 kids and 9 people total packed in one car. And yes, we ALL survived.

And we're all coming back for more.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas. We can't wait to tell you more.

TO VIEW GLIMPSES OF THIS ADVENTURE ON VIDEO, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE LISTED BELOW. ITS WORTH THE LOOK!

--
The Garrett Family
Overland Missions
813.486.7632
@Africanjohnny on Twitter
YouTube: "Tanzania Ablaze.avi"
facebook: John Nikki Gaudiosi-Garrett
http://kigomatanzania.blogspot.com/
http://www.overlandmissions.com/

Monday, November 21, 2011

Upcoming Dates:

11.20.2011
John will be preaching Sunday morning at Church of New Life For All Nations in Livingstone, Zambia


11.21.2011
The family departs from base for what should be a 4 day drive and could be 6, depending on the weather we face on the roads back to Tanzania...

12.04.2011
From Dar Es Salaam we fly back to the States,
arriving at JFK Dec. 6!

CHECKS TO:
Overland Missions
USA Office P.O. Box 566

Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
NOTE IN MEMO:
Account #3068


This will ensure that your gift will go to our efforts

DONATIONS:

Newsletter

OVERLAND MISSIONS TEAM:
Garrett Family Newsletter
TANZANIA
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: AMT Graduation 11.19.2011
 

Its hard to believe that 12 weeks have come and gone since we arrived at Overland Missions in Livingstone, Zambia. Our family has survived almost 3 months of class work, expeditions, weather extremes, survival training, team building (and testing!), rounds of sick-ness, and community living. But mere surviving isn’t what any of us came here for. We left every natural thing we had and came with one goal: To be strengthened as a team and family in the assignment God has given us, and to add to the arsenal of tools and knowledge we will draw from as we build the Kingdom in the
most remote parts of Tanza-nia.


There is no doubt those things were accomplished and we will leave AMT an infinitely more solid team. Our faith in God — and each other — was strengthened like never before. It is often said that "the man with an argument is at the mercy of the man with an experi-ence." After having spent the past three months ex-periencing our physical, mental, spiritual, and emo-tional limits, we will leave with a resounding confirma-tion in our souls that Africa is where we are called — and standing with our ex-
tended family as a ministry team is the most incredible privilege anyone could ask for in serving God.


We now set our sights on an upcoming tour of the U.S. promoting our vision and spending time with all of the incredible people who have been a part of us being here. We’re so blessed to have an extended team back home who covers us in prayer, supports our mis-sion, and reinforces the Body of Christ to us at every juncture. Its humbling to know God is using us to unite people from all around the world in the work of sal-vation to the nations!

Hands on, hands in, hands up....

To Our Dearest Friends, Family, and Loved Ones,


We are once again overwhelmed and blessed to have an opportunity to share some of our excitement with you. Africa is amazing and God is good and we have been continuously enveloped in both. The stories don't stop and the pace isn't slowing for us here, so we certainly have some catching up to do. Buckle your seat belts or hold on to the roll bars or if you're reading this in Africa wedge yourself between a fixed portion of the vehicle and one of the innumerable bodies pressing against you - and hold your breath.


First, to bring you up to speed on our AMT (Advanced Mission Training), it is important to let you know that we are weeks past our Wilderness First Responder course and we finished our first two textbook and theology courses: Bible In The Light of Our Redemption & Ministry Ethics. It was a drastic change of speeds from the two weeks with SOLO and all of the hands on medical training and ministry in Nsongwe Village. But the change was much needed and many of our backgrounds have been challenged and weighed with our Western church experiences against the sort of raw and grassroots Gospel that gets planted first when you come into areas never having heard the Word before. So much of the ministry and message we are used to getting and sharing back at home is enhanced and we often incorporate some of the add-ons and extras from wealthy churches (and ALL Western churches are wealthy when compared to what we see here) into our own basic Gospels, thinking we need these things to walk as Christians. This is how Christians get sucked in to comparing churches and ministers based on things which really make no difference to anyone's salvation or anything eternal - shopping the size of ministries, the newness and niceness of facilities, or the quality of toys in the children's church - rather than the character of the people, or the vision of the leadership, or the truth being taught as compared to the Word. In any case, personal theology is challenged a bit more than usual when all of the shiny props are gone and the only thing you have to minister with is the content of your heart, the content of your Book, and the Spirit leading you through both.


Which leads us directly into our second expedition, in which our AMT teams went out into the Mukuni Tribal region for five days of one-one one evangelism. Towards the end of last month we loaded up the personnel carriers and set out during the rainiest and most interesting weather we have had since we arrived. Through the heat baked days, to nights of downpours and cold air, we spent five days preaching the Gospel to families who had sometimes heard the name of Jesus, but for the most part had no idea who He is or what He has done. The tribal leaders, headmen, and Chief Mukuni, opened these doors wide for us because of previous relationships and the beginnings of work Overland has done in parts of the Mukuni tribe. They built us a facility of sorts in the middle of nowhere which included a shaded area to sit and cook, and must have taken much effort. It just so happened it was right next to a cemetery (in the middle of nowhere we were camped on a grave site wow isn't that the plot line to a million movies we've all seen!?)...


As far as the ministry, though, it was incredible. Rather than the changing settings and crowds of our last expedition with the fishing groups, we were right smack in the middle of village communities and got significantly more intimate with families and people. We shared meals, fellowship, and work within the setting of daily village life and the time together opened doors for our lives and words to witness the the love of Christ. In turn, people shared many of the personal, familial, and tribal battles they struggle with and we were able to pray and minister to specific needs. In one case a family shared the physical, mental, and spiritual bondage that had entangled them through their interaction with a witch doctor. What an open door for prayer and an opportunity for the power of Christ to reveal itself as tangible and living right in the face of superstition and deception! In another case, a group of women told about an ancestral spirit that they said visited them in their sleep to enslave them in all sorts of hideous acts and that influenced their marital and sexual relationships in terrible ways. Against the darkness light shines so bright and to see people set free and blessed with the freedom and liberty of true love and intimacy is something ONLY Jesus can give! We got to hold a women's conference where each of the team preached and taught for an hour. How incredible it is to be the bearers of such a life-changing message. When things - be they practical, physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual - bind people and destroy their lives and relationships, it is nothing short of a miracle to see them confronted and turned from destruction to peace.


All in all, we saw 123 people ask for salvation in prayer. Again, like we saw in Nyawa during our first expedition, the relationships and groundwork have been laid in this area for our teams to return and bring continued deliverance, resources, and encouragement to the Mukuni nation. With the political landscape changing in Zambia (national elections just facilitated the rise of a new ruling party and the end to a long-standing government) it is imperative for us to be on solid footing with all of the peoples we touch. Keep Overland in prayer as the new president and his administration will certainly bring change in one direction or another to this developing nation.



As the expedition wound down, things just got crazier for us. Hillsong (the largest Christian worship ministry in the world) set Livingstone as its first tour stop in Africa this year, and our team was the host organization for the event. We built a stage, set up a security detail (which John headed up), and took care of most of the logistics for a weekend that included three mini performances around town which built up to a concert attended by somewhere between three and five thousand locals. It was a shot in the arm and a great encouragement to the local churches here, and through these events over 1200 people committed their lives to Christ. What a way to continue growing as a team and how awesome to get to be a part of Hillsong Africa! Of course, after the shows we had to break it all down, and we were so close to escaping the madness of our frenetic week unscathed when Javen, Nikki's brother, was impaled clean through his ring finger with a framing nail! In the grand scheme of things, that is a pretty pedestrian injury in Africa. How much cooler would it have been if I wrote he survived a Hippo attack with mere flesh wounds or he was kidnapped by baboons and held for a ransom of one million bananas until we performed a SWAT-like maneuver and rescued him from such a perilous ordeal? Oh well (sigh)...


As things stand now, we are at the end of three more classes, Diesel Mechanics, 4x4 Driving & Recovery, and Agriculture & Development - and last week we completed Preaching 101 and Welding/Workshop. We are past the halfway point and nearing the completion of our time in Zambia extremely fast. Of course, it would be a great misdeed to not tell you that Nikki got drenched today twice (once by Angelina and once by an unnamed perpetrator) for her birthday. She is 29 today and almost 30 and that means she is officially one year away from old. At least she isn't balding like some of us who contributed to this email OR the Detroit Tigers who shredded and mauled my beloved Yankees (who are a FAR better team, of course) by beating them in the gimmick best-of-five series which was severely altered by a rained out game and another rain-delayed game (I had to mention this due to a friendly wager which I lost and my integrity forces me to honor)...



In any case, there are many more things I would like to tell about...Montezuma's revenge...Catching chameleons as pets for the kids...Christmas in October with a slew of packages that THRILLED [not just the] the kids...Seeing Victoria Falls and swimming in the famed "Devil's Pool"...Our new-found fame at a local curio market...Up close and personal with one of the world's clear testaments to the existence and creativity of God - the giraffe...Mixing cement by hand is the same in Africa as in America because IT STINKS but different because its AFRICA!..Don't ever listen to anyone try to tell you 110 degrees isn't that bad in Zambia because its dry heat...How to fill a water bottle when there is no water...Why is there a cow drinking out of that sink?..Should I teach the kids how to pee in a bottle in the dark or just get up ONE MORE TIME tonight and walk the length of a football field outside in the dark to take them to the mosquito breeding grounds for a 2 second tinkle?..I don't know if this is funny or if I am delirious...exhale...


We love you! Keep on praying for us. Read Romans 14 if you get the chance today... Remember, it's all about Him, always has been about Him, and ALWAYS will be about Him!


--
The Garrett Family
Overland Missions
813.486.7632
@Africanjohnny on Twitter
YouTube: "Tanzania Ablaze.avi"
facebook: John Nikki Gaudiosi-Garrett
http://kigomatanzania.blogspot.com
www.overlandmissions.com

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

An Old Friend...

Hello and blessings to our team and family in God's work!


This is a story that is so dear to me and I am honored to be able to share with you. I hope it encourages you to not ever lose the hope in Christ that was paid for with the blood Jesus shed for us. In His time all things are made perfect and one day we will get to see all of the ways He answered us that we simply didn't perceive because His answers didn't come the way we expected them.


A little over 20 years ago, when I was about 9 or 10 years old, I met a boy from Africa named Basil (said the British way, not the way Americans pronounce my favorite spice). He was the step-son (a technicality) to a missionary who my family was connected to and who I remember to be a strong and intense, yet warm and approachable man. This missionary, David Hart, ended up marrying a woman named Janet who has been a pastor in Africa for over 20 years.


My friendship with Basil was very unique when it began. My stepfather had been planning a missions trip to Africa to work with Basil's family's church through a ministry we were very closely involved with. When he called Africa, I often got to chat with Basil about the types of things young boys do - toys and games and animals and all of the differences and similarities our lives shared from halfway around the world. There was something special to me about having Basil as a friend - he connected me personally to a place I was intrigued with. Even as a young boy something about Africa called to me and I am now beginning to see the depth of that call. Basil was one of the bridges God built in my soul to connect me to what I would one day know as an assignment and destiny in Christ. I loved the times we spoke and wrote each other, and for a few years our friendship grew, albeit with very certain limits.


However, over the years that relationship would struggle to survive. We didn't live around the block and get to ride bikes together. In fact, I had never even gotten to play a game of any sort with Basil. All I ever knew were the communications from thousands of miles via a phone or a letter. As my family moved around and things changed in our lives, so did our contact with Basil's family. Then, all of a sudden, David died when we were about 16. David was the main connection between Basil's family and ours. He was the missionary that traveled back and forth to the States, and a fatal battle with malaria shook everything up. Even the ministries that connected us at that time began to dissolve. That chapter was closing and our friendship was a clear loser in the margins of life.


To compound all of these changes, the next season of my life was one of much loss and compromise. I walked away from my faith and grew bitter toward the church and things of God. Like Basil, my father passed away tragically. Soon I was on the brink of disaster, hurt and lost, seeking relief from drugs and sin. My salvation and the passion God planted in me for Africa were dissolving into the same space that my friendship with Basil had.


But God wouldn't let that be the end to the story. I get to write you today because of the salvation miracle God did in my life. He rescued me from the death this world has to offer. He gave me a wife and beautiful kids and, piece by piece, restored me with a vision for His Kingdom that is built on the bedrock of those earlier experiences. In total awe I am writing you from Africa today! This alone is a testimony to God's faithfulness.


However, it is the part of this story that included Basil that I wanted to share most with you. Last weekend Basil and I got to eat lunch together for the first time in our lives. After finally meeting face to face two weeks earlier, we got to spend time catching up and ministering to each other and testifying to the greatness of God in our lives over all of those lost years.



You see, Basil's mom has been pastoring here in Livingstone, Zambia faithful to the call of God, in spite of, and ever since her husband's death. Sure there were vague connections through the word of others over the past decade or so, but it had easily been 15 years since Basil and I last spoke. In fact, the only contact I have had was really none at all - 7 years ago Nikki and I sowed something small into Janet Hart's church for a building project they had. We prayed in faith that one day we would be able to see that seed blossom. As far as I know the only person who knew we sowed was the mutual friend we asked to send it for us. But God knew the faith we stood on then. Now God has my family in the same town as Basil being trained for our work in Christ.


This Sunday coming, we will all get to worship at Janet Hart's church here in town. I don't even think it is the same building we prayed over 7 years ago when Nikki and I sowed. But the church was never a building. And this story was never finished. Even these new chapters are still being written and I really cannot explain the excitement and expectation in my spirit for what is to come. For some reason God has brought what was stored up for all of those years to fruition now. And knowing God and how His timing works, whatever is in store now is far greater than what would have been or what I ever asked for.


The same is true right now in your life. Through time and distance, pain and loss, wherever you are now can be redeemed by a God who does all things well and whose ends are infinitely more glorious than our dreams. Hope that is in Christ is never lost. Even when we lose sight of it. Keep praying. Keep trusting. If somewhere along the line you forgot how to do either, just try and remember. Look to Christ for He is the AUTHOR AND THE FINISHER - THE PERFECTER - of your faith.


I hope this blesses and encourages all of you.


John

Thursday, October 13, 2011

105 degrees and climbing!

Hello Everyone!


It is exciting to be writing you once again. It feels like things are happening so fast and we never have the time to put it all on paper (how do you say that when its in an email and you never use a pen or paper???). We have finally finished our Wilderness First Responder Course and a weekend off is a welcome reprieve. With temperatures sitting between 105 and 110 and steadily climbing, the endurance of the heartiest people can be tested in an outdoor classroom after lunch. This is one American family that now has a greater understanding for the rest of the world's use of the siesta. Wow I love siestas...


There are moments within each season of life where we get to take a breath - albeit sometimes short - and glimpse into the future with new perspective. You get to imagine how where you've been or where God has you could possibly affect where you are going. Sometimes we stand in awe and humility before God and what He has done. Sometimes it is overwhelming as responsibility for what we have been entrusted with hits us in the face. It can even be scary. We are at a moment like that right now.


After two weeks of Wilderness First Responder, taught by SOLO (www.soloschools.com), we have been blessed with a new set of tools. We are truly being called to a new standard. For years now God has had us in a school of faith and spiritual growth. For the last two weeks He added a physical dimension that we probably never would have looked for if it weren't for being here at Overland Missions AMT. In the school of thought most spirit filled missionaries come from, practical life skills are often neglected and even sometimes viewed as obstructions to faith. I cannot guess how many times I personally have discounted the need for certain training and chalked it up to the mindset that we live by faith and God will provide. It really is laziness. It is a way of thinking that doesn't want to be accountable for moving forward. I am thankful God has opened the doors for us to walk into this moment and the Holy Spirit has been re-shaping our perspective. We are not short-term missionaries. We need to walk with long-term mentalities. We need every moment of every day to add every skill and tool God provides us for a LIFETIME of fruitfulness and growth. We are eternal beings with eternal destinations. We need to build with the mindset that we are going to be doing our Father's business for quite a while.


With that said, I have included some pictures to illustrate some of what we have done. We have learned to identify and care for a wide swath of wounds, injuries, and sickness. We were taught leadership skills and strategic planning in the face of crisis and tragedy. The knowledge alone has helped take away a lot of the apprehension for facing certain situations that are inevitably waiting for us in the mission field. The Word says to "take every thought captive," and when you have certain knowledge and understanding about things you encounter it helps to squash the fear and imaginations that threaten to cripple us when we are surprised by what we meet. Even when our purpose may be to pray and see the sick healed, it is one more way we cut Satan off to be prepared and equipped physically and mentally against the attacks he brings - be they spiritual or physical.


After 12 days of ten hour sessions and practicals, we spent the last two days of our course teaching what we learned to some of the women and elders from a local village. We got to spend a lot of time with these folks and share with them simple ways of minimizing the catastrophic damage that injuries can inflict in a people with limited resources and access to health care. We laughed with them, and ate with them, and got to learn from them things about their culture and approach to life that you cannot gain from a textbook. One of our trainers, Rowan Lewis, is a Zimbabwean who helped teach us in ways that Africans tend to learn, through the weaving of information and illustration, demonstration and experience. The other two of our teachers are giants in their own right - Paul MacMillan (despite being a Bostonian and Red Sox fan) is an incredible teacher and life-long educator He is currently the Superintendent of a public school district in New Hampshire. Dr. Frank Hubbell is the school's founder and an expeditionist, ER trauma doctor, and pastor among many other hard-earned things. He has trained emergency response on the highest levels of civilian, government, and military settings around the world. Over these two weeks all of these men have become great friends and we are privileged to have been under their tutelage.


Of course, complimentary to all of the AMT classes and knowledge, we are still sitting here on the edge of the lower Zambezi in awe of this place and its beauty. Whether we get to daze into the sunset and watch the canyon's eagles soar and screech, or take an early morning to hike into the gorge and explore its intricacies, or it is simply to sit still and listen as the air around us tells its story, this place is intoxicating to the senses. Our class took a river boat last week on the upper Zambezi and we got to see hippos, beautiful bird life, impala, and so many other animals in their natural habitat. Yesterday we took a few hours by a local hotel's pool and on the drive in saw three giraffe that live around the grounds. This is like an Edenic playground that you can never out-grow. We are so blessed.


It will be a little strange to not be with the training staff from SOLO. We have built great friendships with these guys and they have poured so much into us over the last two weeks. I can only hope and pray the God blesses us to be able to work with them again in the future. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to work hard and invest in the calling we have elected to run hard after. It is an honor for us to be in this position and we covet your prayers which are part of the foundation we stand on.


Be blessed in all of your goings and comings,

--
The Garrett Family
Overland Missions
813.486.7632
@Africanjohnny on Twitter
YouTube: "Tanzania Ablaze.avi"
Facebook: John Nikki Gaudiosi-Garrett
http://kigomatanzania.blogspot.com
www.OverlandMissions.com

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Fishing.

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

It is with a deeper appreciation for life that we greet you today; camping and ministering in the African bush with children, a limited water supply, and miles of walking will create in you a greater appreciation for life...In all seriousness you know your paradigm is shifting when you get home to your 12 x 8 tent, shared showers, shared dining, and community living spaces with great joy and relief.


This was the first leg of three team expeditions we will be doing into the bush. Our 20+ person AMT team traveled to a tribal chiefdom called Nyawa where we set up a tent city and lived self-sufficient for almost a week. The incredible thing about this time is that the "crazy" stories we came home with really aren't at all the highlights. Having a leopard walk through camp at 3 am, or bathing a family with a few gallons of cold river water after the temperature dropped 40 degrees, or trying to fabricate fishing equipment to "keep up with the Jones" who were hauling in catfish by the dozens - these weren't the incredible moments we had. Not even close.


Nyawa is an awesome model of the Overland Missions "Sector management" strategy of reaching untouched people groups. The manager in place has laid a strong foundation and the evidence is the reputation he and Overland Missions has on the ground in Nyawa, even among people he hasn't yet contacted or met. Many people were aware that a "mzungu pastor" (white pastor) was making his way through the tribal nation and many seemed to be waiting until our reach extended into their corner of the land. Nyawa is a large chiefdom that spans several thousand square kilometers. The central village has shops and electricity, but the fringes are so remote that in several instances we met elders who never dreamed a white man would make it to their village.


As Jake and Jessie, Nyawa's sector managers, continue their work, their influence is radiating out of Central Nyawa and their local leaders are developing a solid foundation of believers that have progressively been able to reach more and more people. With several key leaders in place, and resources from Overland's LIFE Project and SAM ready to hit the ground in full stride, our expedition team landed with a mission to establish relationships with representatives from Nyawa villages at the farthest ends of the kingdom. Their annual fishing festival was the perfect setting.


We started walking...and walking...and walking...just like the Nyawa people do. And then we went fishing just like they do. With baskets, and bamboo sticks, and spears we fished. We mended nets and cooked meals and sat and talked with the villagers. We spent time getting to know them and played with their children and tried to understand this event and the place and time we were stepping into their culture. It took the entire five days of ministry to see things come full circle, but the breakthroughs along the way were so wonderful. What started as a curiosity of sorts quickly gained momentum. We gained access because we had Overland's credibility in the area. Having the simple power of the Gospel not only spoken but also demonstrated through us earned the warmth of the people. The care we showed for the people, not just visible "results", has left us and Overland with relationships and a foundation that will be built on for generations to come.


Some thanked us for coming and asked when we would be back with more of the friendship and message of hope we were sharing. Its easy to answer that question when you can point to Jake and Jessie really working a solid plan. Others cried with us as they shared stories about their life. We laughed with many as we made fools of ourselves fishing with them. Children walked miles to gather around our camp fire so we could read them Bible stories and help them pray for themselves and us the way we were praying for them. It was great to hear that by the end of the trip the chief, or "Headman" only opened up some of the largest fishing locations because our team stepped in to help and added a critical element of manpower needed to work those places.


I was able to preach the altar message after our night showing the Jesus film. Nikki got to do some one on one evangelism and discipleship with one of the hiking teams. Angelina even preached Jesus to a group of about 20 villagers who were amazed a 7 year old could be so articulate and powerful. At the end of the day, all of the breaking we experienced as a family negotiating the extremes of the African bush resulted in people being touched by God and seeing Jesus Christ revealed. We couldn't have asked for anything better.


We are looking forward to some down time the next two days before we hit our course work hard next week. Dr. Frank Hubbel will be flying in to start our bush EMT training course. Maybe I will learn what to do for the really annoying rash I have around my neck and chest from the caterpillar that decided to hitch a ride on my jacket collar. I hope that bug never sees one day as a butterfly!


Be blessed wherever you are,


--
The Garrett Family

Friday, September 9, 2011

Zambia Pictures

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Base Camp.

Greetings from Zambia!

We are so grateful to have all of you to share this amazing time with! I write this to you on behalf of my family and in some part all of the Tanzania ministry team. Before anything else, I would like to acknowledge our friends and loved ones in Windham, NY who have been hit very hard by hurricane Irene. I know there are many people who have been affected by the storm - not only in Windham - and there are more under siege in the gulf coast region right now, but our prayers are with the town of Windham in particular. So many people from there have played key parts in my life and been instrumental in our family being where we are right now. Please remember them and offer anything you can to your brothers and sisters at home facing the storms of life around you. If it is you facing the storm, look to the Lord and to those He has placed around you because none of us are island unto ourselves and we all need God's help just to breathe.


This morning saw the majority of our Advanced Mission Training (AMT) class depart for the first of three bush expeditions. The two families with children have stayed back until Tuesday to meet the rest of the group and minister to villagers until Friday. The setting for this will be a section of river in the tribal nation of the Nyawa people. For the first time, Overland Missions expedition teams will be involved in ministry during the regional fishing celebration where thousands of villagers from many tribal nations converge on the river for a week. As the river drops the catfish congregate on this particular spot on the river where there is still water and it results in an abundance of fish for the people. There is a flurry of activity as fisherman use every and any thing in there possession - from spears to buckets - to haul as much fish as they can.


Our ministry will be basic evangelism and prayer for these people as we live with them for a week and share in their experience. We will be meeting people and some of their needs one on one and establishing relationships that will open doors for future ministry into many of the nations represented. We expect God to move mightily and for people to experience His great love and power through our witness with salvation, healing, and deliverance manifest in our midst. Keep us all in prayer as we don't always know what to expect going into situations like this but we know the cover and anointing of the Almighty is above all else...


Up to this point, much of the last few days has been getting settled on base and acclimated to the day to day operation of Overland Missions. Most everyone has stepped in quite smoothly, however, this is the African countryside so things sometimes move at a pace that's slower than we are used to. Our family has been living in a temporary tent so we haven't really been able to unpack. Its a little inconvenient with the kids, but really not a big deal. Donna (mom) has been dealing with some minor things that have been big enough to hold her back a few days from the expedition with the family group. Her eyes were giving her trouble when we first arrived but God is good and there was an American team of opticians that were temporarily working in town and they were able to treat her. She also had an infection in her tooth that was causing great pain and a dentist in town was able to see her and prescribe the necessary meds. It can be scary to deal with this stuff in Zambia, but we were able to find people who are reputable and you just have to trust situations like this are in God's hands, just like everything else!


On another note, Donna and Steve got their Land Rover back from a mechanic in town yesterday. When we left Dar Es Salaam last week, some work was done on the exhaust system. The welds were so poor and sloppy that the entire exhaust pipe was warped and wasn't fitting properly to the engine's manifold. Simply explained, the work compromised one of the exhaust pipe's seals, and in turn it created a leak that was allowing a large amount of heat and even flames to escape. What we didn't know was the extent of the issue and the mechanic showed us that flames were washing over our undercarriage for two full days of driving and it was a miracle that nothing caught on fire. It was so hot that 4 of the 6 bolts holding the pipes together melted. Just a day at the office, I suppose...



In light of all these fringe happenings, things have altogether seemed pretty smooth and even at times feel normal. The kids have been having the times of their lives in this awesome landscape and I would have to admit, so are the parents. It really is an incredibly beautiful place and the team is an amazing mesh of people from so many backgrounds and with incredible strengths. We are working into a very selfless and seamless operation with one heart and one goal - the salvation and restoration of nations.


The next time I write will most likely be after our expedition next week. until then, be blessed and keep us in your prayers.


With love,


--
The Garrett Family

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Drive.

Greetings to all of you!


On behalf of our family I would like to say we hope you are enjoying these correspondences. They are not much of a conversation but at times it feels as if this running dialogue is the only connection we have to all of our friends and loved ones at home...



Last night we finished the last day of a four-day drive from our soon-to-be permanent home in Kigoma, Tanzania to the Overland Missions base camp in Livingstone, Zambia. They were four grueling days of driving, with the first 2 being the hardest in regards to road conditions and terrain. We drove through the southern roads of Tanzania that Steve and Donna use to get into the tribal regions; some of the things the Land Rover did with 9 people and all of our luggage strapped to the roof was incredible. We went over mountains and through ditches, crossed rock beds and navigated the shoddy tarmac of Northern Zambia. With all of that considered it was often the truck drivers and villagers passing by that posed the greatest hazard, even on some of the nicer roads we passed heading further south towards the Zambian capital of Lusaka.


Over the course of our roughly 3400 kilometer (1900 mile) drive we passed countless trucks, tankers, and buses that had collided or overturned on the roadside, some freshly laid in ruin while others had become odd monuments to this cross-country African drive. There were so many different towns and villages peddling different produce and using differing architecture in the construction of their crude buildings and huts. The landscape changed as well, alternating constantly between different soil types and elevations, between rugged rockiness and smooth savanna plains. There were some wetlands and rivers, but mostly it was dry and dusty terrain. There were some tall groves of eucalyptus, but most of the trip was painted with smaller and sparse African trees; you probably know the ones that look like large bonsai growing up from the African scrub.


Certainly the pass through the Katavi game preserve was a highlight of the travel. We saw elephants and wild boar and a wallow of at least a hundred hippos as we crossed a riverbed. Steve even said he saw a giraffe, but at that point he was channeling the insane African bus drivers we were passing and at those speeds it was almost impossible for him to stop the loaded car fast enough to double back so we could all get a glimpse.


Well, with all of the shifting scenes and evolving cultures we journeyed through, there were some clear constants that tied the entire trip - and even the previous week's travel - together so tightly. The poverty and need from one end of Tanzania to the farthest end of Zambia never went away. The droves of children running barefoot along busy roadways and flocks of people corralled into open beds of trucks so loaded down it was a wonder they could drive were everywhere we went. With the exception of small pockets in some of Zambia's cities where for a moment you might think you were in a fully functional city, you could pull over anywhere, at any time, and not stop for the rest of your life helping people who will never have as much as any of us at our worst and most broken moments. And with that in mind, there is an echoing in my soul that I cannot seem to shake...


Since I first met an AK-47 armed man named Peter on the bus from Dar I have heard his plea ringing in my ears. He told me, "The African people are tired of the pastors who come here and tell us about God and the Bible and promise us a new hope and then we find out that they are just as filthy as our politicians and just as corrupt as the people they preach against." And, after meeting a group of other missionaries who seemed dazed and numb to the world around them and almost shell-shocked and helpless in their countenance toward the task before them, this echo has continued to crescendo across the open valleys and jagged rock-mountains of Africa...


CHURCH WAKE UP! Church in America: SHAKE OFF THE LAZINESS OF CONVENIENCE AND THE SLUGGISHNESS OF INDULGENCE AND LIVE DESPERATE FOR GOD BECAUSE YOU NEED HIM TO BREATHE, NOT JUST WHEN YOU WANT HIM TO MOVE! Church in Africa: YOU HAVE NOT ARRIVED BECAUSE YOUR PLANE LANDED! THE GLORY OF GOD IS NOT YOUR PRESENCE IN THIS FOREIGN LAND OR THE TITLE YOU HAVE AWARDED YOURSELVES! Body of Christ: Just be the body Christ called us to be! Submit to Christ, the Head of our body, and live led by the Spirit, according to the Word of God. YOUR SYSTEMS OF MEN ARE KILLING PEOPLE NOT OFFERING THE LIFE CHRIST DIED FOR! SET PEOPLE FREE!


Don't take this as if I have excused myself from this message. I am caught at the moment somewhere between these two churches and forever a part of the Body of Christ. But the stakes are just too high to not say what is so obvious. Its lives on the line and in many "church clubs" people have become collateral damage. And its not just happening in America. We can thank Jesus there is an antidote. Jesus revealed through real "Church" is that cure. The Kingdom come by way of the King on the backs of our witness. Its really pretty easy if we keep ourselves out of the way...


Well, if any of you are still reading, I would like to update and tie up some stories I haven't told all the way through to conclusion....The blind old woman Angelina and Bibi (Donna) prayed for in Dar Es Salaam was there again the next night. On the first night she prayed with us to receive salvation and on the second they prayed for her to see. She began shouting and pointing at us and yelling that she could see our faces! Needless to say that drew a crowd and we got a chance to pray for salvation with a group of Muslims right there on the street. And, on a much less important but equally miraculous note, the baggage we shipped across Africa while Javen and I rode the bus all arrived - albeit in two shipments and not quite on-time...but regardless, it arrived at home in Kigoma!


Thank you all for your prayers and support. Thank you for reading and may God bless you all!


--
The Garrett Family

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Just Hop On The Bus

Dear Friends and Family,


I am taking the time to write as much as I can to you because soon enough our travel will again put us in a position where we are not able to.


Last night finally brought us all together again. Javen and I traveled by African bus across Tanzania while Nikki and the kids and the rest of the team drove across the country in the Land Rover. Three days later we have all arrived safely in Kigoma, and what a beautiful place Kigoma is.


Situated on Lake Tanganyika, Kigoma is a port city much like a Carribean fishing village or port. The town is in the process of being developed by the government and the Chinese have even taken a flyer on Kigoma, investing in infrastructure with the promise of port locations in return. If you travel north on one of the main roads out of Kigoma, you climb some hills and begin to pass coffee farms and pineapple groves on the hills that overlook the mountainous border of Burundi. It can truly be breathtaking. But that is a little about the destination, the real exciting part is the journeys that got us here...


Snapshots From our Bus Ride


Javen and I began our trip to Kigoma being taxied to the Dar Es Salaam bus terminal. This was the underbelly of a major African city exposed - at 5:30 am and before sun even rose. Both directions of street that lead to this terminal were piling up for miles as we bottle-necked into this little two lane entrance into a terminal shaped like a two-sided comb. As we pulled in, porters and escorts and vendors are yelling and reaching into the car wanting to know where we are headed and the driver diverts them by shouting "Arusha!" several times. Arusha is the major safari city in Tanzania and it makes perfect sense the two mzungu (white guys) would be headed that way.


By the time we parked and exited the taxi, word of us being there and heading to Arusha tavelled ahead of us in the sea of people, probably 1,000 strong in each of the 4 to 6 different terminals. The mob was calling out to us as we passed, trying to sell us the best bus and convince us to hand our bags off to the next guy hoping to make a few bucks, or to make out with new bags full of American booty. By the time our driver walked us to a bus that was run by the company that we were ticketed with, we had to catch our breaths and check our pockets more than a few times.


In any case, after about five minutes of being left at the Sumry High Class bus we thought was taking us to Kigoma, Javen and I were rebuffed when we tried to board and told this bus was the wrong bus and our bus to Kigoma wasn't at the terminal yet. That had to be impossible because there was no more space for a bus among the 40 or 50 that were already there and we were supposed to be leaving in about 15 minutes. The thought of being the only 2 mzungu stranded at a bus stop in Dar really was a little uncomfortable. We began to ask the bus driver where to find our bus and in his hurry to get his loaded he was less than helpful. At some point, from the pressing crowd around us, came a voice that called to us in a mixture of English and Swahili, "Where are you headed and what bus?" With Javen trying to engage the bus driver for a clear answer, I turned to this fellow, a mid-thirties African with noticeably more education than most you meet in Tanzania, and said, "Sumry High Class Kigoma." His reply was brief but the same as everyone of the hundreds of Africans wanting to make some sort of profit from us, "Come with me!"


Ok, now I have to take a second to point a few things out. Javen and I have been in Africa no more than 48 hours. Javen speaks Swahili, but is clearly less than comfortable in this position and we are the only two white guys in a sea of Tanzanians all hustling something at the bus depot. The bus depot itself is best described as a small city. It is its own self sufficient system of shops and ticket offices and professional peddlers and hustlers that never leave because their entire lives function around the commerce and bustle of travelers that move through several times a day. And even this doesn't paint the full picture. Because shops and offices are Western terms that get us to think of neatly placed and functioning buildings. This is the Wild West at best, it is a shanty-town and people sleeping on benches and food vendors cooking out of coal ovens made from old bus wheels. This is Africa.


Back at the bus stop, Javen decided to put the driver of the bus we were left with in touch with the porter asking us to follow him. After a few seconds of discussion, the driver seemed to shrug Javen off by telling him to go with the porter. What other options were there at this point? So we followed him. Behind the last row of buses we followed him. Through a small ally behind those buses and out the back of the bus depot we followed him. Into a dark and empty dirt parking lot scattered with broken down buses we followed him. To a Sumry High Class bus, jacked up on all sides, with tires off and a few mechanics scrambling around it we followed him. Sure enough, this was the bus to Kigoma. The one Tanzanian man standing beside it with his travel bag confirmed to us minutes later that he too was waiting for this bus to be road readied for our trip to Kigoma. It certainly looked like a few tires were more than this bus would need for a 2 day journey. Another bus and two middle-of-nowhere breakdowns later we would discover that was exactly the case.


In any case, we boarded the bus an hour later and took a trip that was full of many more stories I will have to save for another day. We stayed overnight in a smaller bus depot with its community of peddles, met villagers as we waited for repairs to the shoddy bus, narrowly avoided collisions, drove through Maasai country, and met two policemen packing AK-47s with whom we made great conversation and new friends. We were even asked to come to one of their homes and to pray with his family. At the same time our families were living their own stories out as they drove across the country a day behind us. Right now we are still exchanging those stories and will soon share them with you.


There is less than a week until we depart for Zambia to begin our Advanced Mission Training. Another four days of travel until we reach the Overland Missions base camp next to Victoria Falls and begin the mission we are here for. Amazing how God is already putting our team through certain tests - as if we are being prepared for more than just a training course. Something inside is telling me we are going to set this entire class on fire. And maybe a few villages too. After all, we aren't in Africa just for the ride...


------
Love you all. Cannot wait to share more.


--
The Garrett Family
Overland Missions
813.486.7632
On YouTube:
"Tanzania Ablaze.avi""Burning For Tanzania.avi"
"Tanzania Ablaze (short version).avi"
www.OverlandMissions.com

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Touchdown. August 18, 2011

All in safely for the evening. Got in at 2:30 am and in bed this morning by 5, just as the Imam began early morning prayer. I can remember from Turkey the way the air comes to life with animals yelping and buzzing just before prayer, as if they know the time...

Spent the day hopping around here in Dar Es Salaam...extremely crazy, just like I would imagine an African city to be. The first thing that hits you as you exit the plane on the tarmac ramp is the smell - and it truly is something special - almost something I have smelled before. It is like the smell of pretzels roasting over a shopping cart fire outside of the old Yankee stadium and the smell of an open air market in Chinatown combined, amplified, and laced with this sweetly acrid undertone, likely from the garbage. The poverty, the chaos, the momentum of this place is a step above anything I have witnessed in the islands, although along the same lines.

The Highlights:

Nikki and Donna took the girls to the textile market and bought materials for a few African dresses. 
Ate at a cafe today (see if it is a highlight in like 12 more hours!!!) and at an Asian restaurant...both very yummy. After dinner got to share the leftovers with 2 street families and Angelina and Bibi prayed for the blind mother, who asked Christ for salvation and then promised to meet us in the same spot tomorrow night. We will bring her a conga (?spelling?) because all she owned was on her and her baby's back, and it wasn't much. We then bought 5 kids ice cream. The poverty in the city is overwhelming. You don't see it during the day other than everything looks old and poor, but at night the homeless women and children and cripples huddle together on the streets, and I am talking in groups of 2 to like 40 or 50...and it is on every street.

In general the people are very friendly. Even Giuseppe is amazed at the world around him, staring at everything and shouting out and laughing to the countless people who cat-call him and want his attention.

At this point I am still a bit emotionless; still very tired and still in a task-oriented mode so the emotions are only coming in small situational waves or bursts. I am finding myself constantly thinking and looking for threats - most of the ones I am concerned about are the ones I cannot actually see like bacteria and infection, and this preoccupation is keeping me from feeling quite a bit right now. Most of the rest will come with the hard work of re-training oursleves to not do the habitual things like touching faces and biting fingers, as well ans with the new habits of constant washing and mess containment.

Ahhh. Intro to Dar lasts one more day. Then its immersion by fire into Tanzania on the cross national pleasure bus!