Below is the text of a greeting from our sponsored missionaries in Tanzania, the Stubbs Family. They are serving as music teachers.
Please hold them in prayer! You can also sign up to sponsor them for a week on the church bulletin board ($25) and you can learn more about them at their family website: Stubbs Family Website
Pr. Carrie
"Greetings to you Pr. Carrie,
Sorry for the delay in responding. We are happy to hear about your Global Mission Sunday tomorrow. Here are a few updates from the Stubbs family serving in Tanzania:
We give thanks for the continued progress with music activities at Tumaini University Makumira on many fronts. During the past year we organized several 1 day music workshops for church music directors in various parts of Tanzania. We also expanded into offering 2 one-week church music seminars at Makumira in August, which were very well received. Our department has agreed to continue these in the future, both on and off campus.
In November we graduated 12 music students. Now there are a total of 33 persons in the entire country of Tanzania with a music degree! Many of our graduates are teaching in various certificate and diploma programs or other music-related posts through NGOs, the government, and opening their own businesses.
We will begin a major grant project with funding from the European Development Fund next month. The grant (written by Randy) is for just over 1 million Euros, plus Makumira’s contributions (some on hand and some still to be raised by us) of 700,000 Euros. There will be archive projects for traditional music, creating a performing arts village with performance, workshops, classroom and other spaces on 4 acres at Makumira, non-degree dance training, tapping into the vast tourism market for future financial sustainability and more. This is a HUGE step for the music program and the university.
Carol has had great success at a nearby government school that ranks near the bottom of all results. She and our students decided to offer music last year and the response was amazing. The first day 115 students showed up. Eventually 49 took the national music exam for Form 2 students and 46 passed. Not only is that kind of pass rate completely unheard of here, but for nearly all of the students music was their highest score. This is very important and significant in showing what could be possible in other schools.
Carol, Randy, and Megan had an opportunity to perform with the Nairobi Symphony in November and just 2 weeks later Carol and Megan were featured soloists for a concert in Dar es Salaam. They got to fly instead of taking the 11 hour bus ride each way. God continues to provide many opportunities for our family to shine musically, individually and together.
Megan (20) is enjoying her 2nd year as a music major here at Makumira. She loves all the activity and work and is an excellent student. She posts frequently on Facebook if you want to keep up with her.
Marissa (18) continues to love her schooling with a Tanzanian teacher and she enthusiastically participates in all dance and choir rehearsals with the department. She is our schedule and chore keeper, doing her part to try and keep us all in the right place at the right time.
Nathan (17) is doing his Junior Year of HS as a home schooler. He is taking some online courses, some courses at Makumira and others as self-study. He lives and sleeps computers, but he is also doing a good job dancing with the department and singing with the department choir.
Juliana (17) has been living with us 3.5 years now. She is now in Form 4 and studying hard so that she can pass the National exams and go on to Forms 5 and 6, which will allow her to go to university later. She dances and sings with us when she is not in school and is learning flute, and doing quite well.
Adelina (32) has been living with us about 1 year now. She is one of our recent graduates that went through some difficult times. Next week she will interview for one of the few secondary school (private) music teaching jobs in our area. She has helped a lot around the house and we hope that she is nearly ready to take the next step in her life.
Katie (18) is a friend of Megan’s from DeKalb, IL. She is taking a gap year between HS and college and spending it in Tanzania. She is soaking up the culture and language and customs quite well. Her mom will arrive next Friday and then I guess we will find out what she thinks about her daughter’s experiences the past 4 months.
Irene (14) is our housekeeper’s youngest daughter. She moved in with us 3 weeks ago because her family cannot afford for her to be in boarding school. Now they can pay the tuition at the same school where Juliana attends. So far she is doing well and enjoying the slightly busy Stubbs’ household.
Of course everyday we have other students from the village next door coming for music lessons and practicing (instruments have to stay here). We send the last students home at 9:00 PM each night. When you add in our cat, dog, and 4 goats (milking) plus a few more workers to help us out it’s pretty busy. Oh yes, then there is our official job of teaching at the university!
One of the important things that God is showing us/teaching us is that EVERYTHING in our life is our work. We do not work 9-5 M-F. We are ambassadors for Christ 24/7/365 at work, at home, at play, everywhere. We have never worked so hard and we have never felt so blessed by God as we do now. Bwana asifiwe!
Of course there are some days that are very difficult for us, not our teaching at the university, but being fully integrated into the Tanzanian community. Those are stories that we do not share in our blog, but they are sometimes the most meaningful and profound, for us and those that we are struggling with together.
Our big concert is next Sunday (9th). Immediately after that I (Randy) will board the KLM flight for the States to see my Dad before he passes away. He is in the late stages of cancer and for me and him and my family I am making this trip. I ask your prayers for safe travel and for peace for my dad. 9 months ago Carol’s father passed away from a heart attack. Sometimes life gives us some challenges just to help us keep our perspective. Perhaps the most difficult part of serving overseas is being so far away when your family needs you.
This is not anything close to a summary of what is happening, but it is a little taste. We thank you for your continued prayers and support and opportunity to share together as God’s Hands fulfilling God’s Plans.
In His Service,
Randy, Carol and the rest of the clan
