Dear Friends,
We were contacted by AGWM (Assemblies of God World Missions) today; we have been given a deadline of July 31 to finish raising our funds. If we have not raised all of our funds by this date, we will not be allowed to return to Tanzania. Currently, we have raised 75% of our monthly pledge support needed and we still need $26,000 in cash.
Please pray with us for this urgent need; we will post updates every few days on this site so that you can keep track of our progress.
We need a financial miracle; please pray with us for this need.
We believe that our God is able to meet our needs!
Be blessed,
Tim & Joyce Jarvis
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Status Report May
Friends,
I want to just give you a quick update as to where we stand in our support. We were at almost 78%; however, we had a budget increase which dropped us back down to about 73%. The Lord has given us several new ministry partners this week and our monthly support is now back up to 76%; please continue to pray for us.
We have been itinerating for 21 months now and had hoped to leave for the field this past January; we are urgently needed in Tanzania. We are the only missionaries assigned to the western region of Tanzania; this region is about the size of the state of Indiana. There are still many unreached areas in that region. In addition, there are a number of new churches there that need our help in becoming strong indigenous churches that will reach their communities with the Gospel.
Please continue to pray that we will be able to return to Tanzania very soon; we know that God has called us and He is more than able to supply our needs.
Be blessed!
Joyce
I want to just give you a quick update as to where we stand in our support. We were at almost 78%; however, we had a budget increase which dropped us back down to about 73%. The Lord has given us several new ministry partners this week and our monthly support is now back up to 76%; please continue to pray for us.
We have been itinerating for 21 months now and had hoped to leave for the field this past January; we are urgently needed in Tanzania. We are the only missionaries assigned to the western region of Tanzania; this region is about the size of the state of Indiana. There are still many unreached areas in that region. In addition, there are a number of new churches there that need our help in becoming strong indigenous churches that will reach their communities with the Gospel.
Please continue to pray that we will be able to return to Tanzania very soon; we know that God has called us and He is more than able to supply our needs.
Be blessed!
Joyce
Monday, May 19, 2008
Variety
Yesterday we went to two different churches; one in the morning and the other in the evening. Both of them are Assemblies of God churches but were very different in their style of worship and the way the services were conducted. The variety that exists in our churches has always amazed me; as we have itinerated these past twenty months in churches located in seven different states we have seen all parts of the variety spectrum. We have seen everything from very conservative to very liberal and all things in between.
I suppose this has to do in part to the variety that exists among individual people as well as different parts of the country and even between city and rural areas; America is a melting pot of so many different cultures. In Tanzania, there is less variety in the order of service and in the worship style than there is here in the states. I think it's because they are less exposed to outside influence and they are more the same as Tanzanians in general. The biggest variety we noticed in Tanzania is in the instruments they use during their worship time; we've seen guitars with various numbers of strings, keyboards of all sizes, drums of all varieties, shakers, boards, pop bottles, and even a whistle in one church. Anything that they can use to make a joyful noise with they use to worship God.
It reminds me of the scripture in Revelations 5:9, "...ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation". In heaven, they will be singing and worshipping God around the throne throughout the ages. The song and the worship will basically be the same, however, the variety among the people will be unparalleled.
Be blessed today!
Joyce
I suppose this has to do in part to the variety that exists among individual people as well as different parts of the country and even between city and rural areas; America is a melting pot of so many different cultures. In Tanzania, there is less variety in the order of service and in the worship style than there is here in the states. I think it's because they are less exposed to outside influence and they are more the same as Tanzanians in general. The biggest variety we noticed in Tanzania is in the instruments they use during their worship time; we've seen guitars with various numbers of strings, keyboards of all sizes, drums of all varieties, shakers, boards, pop bottles, and even a whistle in one church. Anything that they can use to make a joyful noise with they use to worship God.
It reminds me of the scripture in Revelations 5:9, "...ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation". In heaven, they will be singing and worshipping God around the throne throughout the ages. The song and the worship will basically be the same, however, the variety among the people will be unparalleled.
Be blessed today!
Joyce
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Tanzanian Friends
Hello everyone,
Recently, we had an opportunity to spend a little time with some Tanzanian friends. The Mhiche's (m-he-chay) came to the states to see their oldest child, Daniel, graduate from Evangel University in Springfield MO. Neither of them have ever been to the states before and they were both a little overwhelmed with the many things that assaulted their senses all at the same time. They were in awe of the wealth and possessions that the Americans have and take for granted. Mama Mhiche spoke to me in Swahili about the beauty of this country and how clean and neat our streets and cities were kept.
I remembered back to how we were overwhelmed when we first arrived in Tanzania at how poor the Tanzanian people were; there was poverty and disease all around us and it assaulted our senses as well. We come from totally different worlds; one very affluent by African standards and the other very poor.
We came together for a common cause; we each had a desire to reach the Tanzanian people with the Gospel. We became friends and formed a bond of friendship with mutual respect for one another; we are all part of the family of God doing the work He has called us to do.
Mama Mhiche hugged me and said, "Now that I have seen your country, I understand what your family left when you came to Tanzania".
As the scriptures say, "we are compelled by love".
We are anxious to return and work together with our brothers and sisters in Tanzania to see the lost come to Christ. Please pray that we will be able to return soon.
Be Blessed,
Joyce Jarvis
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day
Dear Friends,
Today is Mother's Day; a day of great joy for me personally. Both of my daughters are out of state today and so we are not able to be together. However, I know that they will both be calling me sometime today to wish me a Happy Mother's Day and to tell me they love me.
This day is probably the most emotional day of the year; many are joyful and nostalgic about today. Others, because of various situations experience deep sorrow, regret, or loneliness on this day. The emotions we feel on this day have to do with our experience in the area of motherhood; very few people do not experience some type of strong emotions related to this day.
I am thankful that I have two beautiful, loving, Christian daughters; I have been blessed.
However, I think of the mothers today in the country of Tanzania where there is no holiday that honors them. Few of them see all of their children grow to be healthy adults; there is a very high mortality rate among infants and children in most African countries. Mothers watch helplessly while their children who are born with complications die because they do not have health care available to them. Many of them watch their children die because of diseases and illnesses that are preventable and curable; but they do not have the money to buy the medicines or medical care that they need to survive.
I have known women whose husbands sent them away or took another wife because they were not able to bear children for their husbands. In Tanzania, it is a great shame for a woman to be barren. I have often prayed with women across Tanzania who were barren and came to me in desperation asking me to pray that God would give them children. I have seen some of these women bear children and have seen them rejoicing because God has blessed them.
I feel blessed today that I was born and that my children were born in a country where we had health care available to us. I look forward to the time I can return to Tanzania and again have the opportunity to minister to the incredible women of that country.
Be blessed today!
Joyce Jarvis
Today is Mother's Day; a day of great joy for me personally. Both of my daughters are out of state today and so we are not able to be together. However, I know that they will both be calling me sometime today to wish me a Happy Mother's Day and to tell me they love me.
This day is probably the most emotional day of the year; many are joyful and nostalgic about today. Others, because of various situations experience deep sorrow, regret, or loneliness on this day. The emotions we feel on this day have to do with our experience in the area of motherhood; very few people do not experience some type of strong emotions related to this day.
I am thankful that I have two beautiful, loving, Christian daughters; I have been blessed.
However, I think of the mothers today in the country of Tanzania where there is no holiday that honors them. Few of them see all of their children grow to be healthy adults; there is a very high mortality rate among infants and children in most African countries. Mothers watch helplessly while their children who are born with complications die because they do not have health care available to them. Many of them watch their children die because of diseases and illnesses that are preventable and curable; but they do not have the money to buy the medicines or medical care that they need to survive.
I have known women whose husbands sent them away or took another wife because they were not able to bear children for their husbands. In Tanzania, it is a great shame for a woman to be barren. I have often prayed with women across Tanzania who were barren and came to me in desperation asking me to pray that God would give them children. I have seen some of these women bear children and have seen them rejoicing because God has blessed them.
I feel blessed today that I was born and that my children were born in a country where we had health care available to us. I look forward to the time I can return to Tanzania and again have the opportunity to minister to the incredible women of that country.
Be blessed today!
Joyce Jarvis
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Licensed
Hello, everyone
We just finished attending the Southern Missouri District council this week; it was a very busy time. This was our first time to attend the council for this district; we attended all of the events in an effort to meet as many pastors and officials in this district as possible. Each day we were at our booth before the morning sessions started and stayed until at least 10:00 each night. We made ourselves available to answer questions about us and our ministry in Tanzania.
I, Joyce, received my credentials (license) with the Southern Missouri District council on the final evening of the council; it was a highlight for me. I am now a minister with the Assemblies of God and am licensed through the Southern MO district. Tim is ordained through the Michigan District; this makes us both Michigan and Southern Missouri missionaries. Sarah was able to attend the credentialing service and presented me with a dozen red roses from Jenn, Sarah, and Tim.
I believe that being a licensed minister will open doors of opportunity for me to minister more effectively both in the states and in Tanzania.
Be blessed,
Joyce Jarvis
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