Also recently we hosted some future coworkers for a few days.  Our hearts were so greatly encouraged because of the time we got to spend with them.  One reason is because they complimented us over and over again on our Swahili ability at this point.  Although it’s not a formal evaluation, it was very encouraging to hear these compliments and it encouraged us to hit our studies even harder.  As a side note, both Amy and I feel very good about what we are able to comprehend now.  As is expected our ability to produce the language correctly is not as advanced, but we are making progress.  The plans are in motion to bring a language consultant here the first part of March for a formal evaluation.  Please pray that these plans continue in the best way for everyone involved (us, the consultant, and our language helper).

Our language helper and I got a couple of opportunities to discuss scripture.  He is a pastor with many years of bible study under his belt, so it was not like I was evangelizing him.  We were able to have some fairly deep and challenging discussions.  Although most of it was in English, not Swahili, it was very encouraging to broaden our relationship in that way and be encouraged by the truth of God’s Word across cultures and languages.  We talked about Acts 8-10 as well as the book of Job.

We have now been here for 11 months.  These past 11 months have been extremely challenging, and yet a completely blessed experience as we see God moving in ways that we have not experienced before.  It is clear to us, because of discussions that have popped up out of the blue, and because of some work on our part, that the door is opening for us to set up an ‘NTM-type organization’ here.  We still have a lot of work to do in order to even be ready to apply for registration, and we were told it truly helps to do it all in Swahili, but we are anxiously awaiting the day when we can register our own organization here.  Please pray that we get the language well and can apply for registration within a year from now.

Things overall are going very well here. We feel our language learning is going incredibly well.  We just started Phase 3 of our program and we were very encouraged at the results of our end of phase 2 exercises/beginning of phase 3 exercises. The other day, our language helper and I went out to do some language learning and at the same time locate an aluminum trash can.  It took about 5 hours and after walking to several shops and taking a couple of city buses, we got to a place that custom-made it for us.  It was quite a fun experience, and mostly done in Kiswahili.  Here are some pictures of it!

Our New Can Ready for Action!

Right now, we want all of you know to know some of the challenges that we are facing.

First, we are in the process of requesting a language evaluation.  There are several things that are hindering us from taking an evaluation at this point.  One of the tests we could take is provided over the internet.  We have to pay for it (which thanks to you all is no problem!), but our internet is very sketchy.  We are asking what happens if we lose the internet connection in the middle of the test.  Another test we could take we don’t feel is very thorough and might not provide us with an accurate assessment of where we should be focusing in the future.

Second, our employees are requesting a raise.  We have one houseworker, three full-time guards, and one part-time guard.  (If you want more information on these folks and why we have so many, please ask and I’ll explain more fully.)  We have work contracts with each of them, so we don’t feel like a raise is due at this time, and it is not part of the contract.  This obviously causes some tension around the house which is not helpful for what we are trying to accomplish.  We want to be sensitive, but we also don’t want to be taken advantage of in this way, while at the same time presenting a good witness.

Third, in our hearts we are feeling anxious about getting the ball rolling to establish our organization here (we’ve even been brainstorming a name…such as, “Ndiyo, Twende Makabila” which could be shortened to NTM and which means ‘Yes, let’s go to the tribes’!).  We are so far from being ready to do this, but nevertheless we are getting anxious to begin the process.  We will be hosting some folks from the NTM USA leadership next month, and we will use some of that time to talk about some of the issues.  Also, our first teammates will be arriving at the end of January and we are very excited to have others here in country.  They will be able to provide a lot of insight into how to get the process rolling.

Lastly, (but certainly not least) it IS December and we are truly missing being with all of our family and friends.  I think a big thing we are all missing this year is the Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant.  Amy started playing Christmas music around the house yesterday and it was so funny watching the kids sing and dance to it.  We love you all and miss you very much.  We pray that the Lord showers you with great blessings at this time for the ways you serve Him and give to His work.

All for Jesus,

Rob, Amy, Shelbyanne, Emily, & Donovan

I cooked two turkeys at the same time!

          

Put the can over the turkeys...add charcoal.

Hey, that's me! Ready to unveil the turkeys after just one hour of cooking.

TAAADAAAA! Two turkeys cooked to perfection...they were delicious.

Hello Everyone!  I’m happy to tell you all that we are enjoying our Swahili lessons…again.  We were without a language helper for about a week and a half because she went back to university to get her teaching degree.  During that break, we hosted our future co-workers for a few days, and we took care of some overdue business like checking our medical insurance, making appointments with doctors and dentists, and preparing for Shelbyanne’s schooling.  We asked several of our friends here to help us find a language helper, in addition to all the prayers you and I have been raising up.  Well, the Lord again answered those prayers in a blessed way. We met with a friend of a friend and talked all about our program, training, purpose, families, etc.  We felt that we connected well and we feel that she understands why we are here and why we need her so much.  Her name in Swahili is Malaika, which means “Angel“!  (I think God wanted to remind us of His sense of humor here!  Anyone else agree?)

MINISTRY: So, we are progressing and it feels so good to be back on track and learning so much.  It is very difficult to gauge our progress at anything right now.  But we know we are learning the language.  And we know we are ministering to those around us as much as possible.  Only the Lord knows the hearts of those we are ministering to here.  We know we are bringing the love of Christ.  Even this month, which is a special month in another prominent religion here in Tanzania, we are trying to minister to those around us in appropriate and loving ways.  Sometimes that means giving them extra food, sometimes it means not even offering food to them.  We are learning.  It is a work in progress.

PRAYER: The Lord is at work here.  We know He has a plan for the people of Tanzania.  We are excited to be a small part of it.  And thank all of you for your part as well.  I love our team, this team. Please continue to pray for one of our workers, “Harrold”.  I am convinced that our lives here are making an impact on him and we are praying for the day that we will be able to share Christ with him.  Pray for the Lord to be preparing his heart and the hearts of his family.  Thanks.

Me, DJ, and 'Harrold'

Also please continue to pray for our financial support.  The Lord is providing for us in truly amazing ways.  We are at about 95% of the support we need each month, so we do need a few more monthly supporters.  God will put it on the hearts of people, pray that they respond.  Thanks again.

We miss all of you, very much.  But we are happy to be here having this experience and being used by God in this way.  So, what is God doing in your life these days?  We’d love to hear from you!

Ok, so it’s not really a view from above.  It’s a view from our balcony.  I walked around our house and took some pictures from the balcony.  I wanted to post them, but then reconsidered as a safety precaution.  At the current time, we have a pretty small ‘area of familiarity’.  It is the area that we are most familiar and comfortable with.  There are some places within this area of familiarity that we are not as comfortable with, simply because we don’t have the language ability or cultural awareness needed to act appropriately in those areas.  That naturally leads to fear and a desire to stay away from those areas.  As we learn the language and explore the culture, our area of familiarity can expand and we learn to be much more comfortable in various areas.

We are at an interesting point in our ministry right now because we feel so limited, so small.  We are only able to minister to a few that are very close to us; and even then it is only in how we are living.  We aren’t able to communicate why we are here, or why we do certain things like provide them with food.  We are hitting the language study very hard.  We do 5 hours of focused study during the day and sometimes review stuff in the evenings after the kids go to bed.  With three kids it is quite a challenge to get 5 hours of focused study in, but we thank God for what we’ve been able to do.  Our ministry right now seems so limited.  We live out the gospel and trust that one day God will provide an opportunity to fully discuss spiritual matters.  We look to minister to those we are in contact with every day.  First our family.  Then our workers and friends.  Then on a much smaller scale we try to minister to those closest to us in our community.  I guess this is the ‘seed planting’ time.  We pray that as the good Lord looks down on us, His view from above, we hope we are pleasing to Him.  2 Corinthians 5:9 says, “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”  That is our goal, we hope that we are pleasing Him as we live out the gospel at this time in our ministry.

The link below is our latest newsletter, it is from June.  Just click the link  and enjoy!

Ubarikiwe!

Jun 11 Newsletter

Or, send a check to New Tribes Mission.  Make the check payable to New Tribes Mission, but designate the funds to Rob and Amy Ellis Ministry on the bottom left of the check.

NTM

1000 E. First St.

Sanford, FL 32771

Our language training is going very well!  We feel like we are absorbing so much.  It feels almost miraculous.  God has made us with minds and tongues that are absorbing Swahili apparently, so we are loving it.  We want to ensure that the learning process continues when we return to the city, so please pray for structure, opportunity, and courage to continue progressing.

The biggest thing on our mind right now is housing.  We really, really want to settle on a place by mid-April.  We recently learned of one unfortunate development: the “realtors” (term used very loosely) want to charge us a full months’ rent as a finders fee.  Also, the way they do rent here is you pay for 6 months up front.  We have to agree to pay the finders fee in order to see any houses.  Please pray that something adequate and workable opens up for us; a house that is going to be a blessing to us and a place where we can bless others.  Please pray with us for this house.  The Lord knows our needs and our hearts.  Also pray for the Lord to provide the extra funds in order to pay these fees and other things that I’m sure are going to come up. We are close to 100% support, but are not there yet so this news is another opportunity where we are learning to place our trust in God and watch Him work.  If the Lord puts in on your heart to give, click here.

Thanks to all of you for your part on this team to reach Tanzania.  It is quite an honor to co-labor with you.

The house hunting has not gone well.  The places we have been shown are either insufficient or still under renovations (“it should be ready in 3 weeks” is the standard answer but you know how that goes).  Anyway, the search has been called off for now because….get ready for it….we are heading north to attend a 3-week Swahili course.  We are so excited about this since diving into the language in the area where we will be living is much more difficult than we could have expected.  We need a basic working knowledge of the language in order to get around and buy food, furnish the house, and take care of our family.  This language school will give us a big head start.

We will resume the house hunting when we return in mid-April.

Please pray for our housing.  We are praying that the Lord will not only meet our needs, but also some of our wants.  We need space to make sure we are not only able to minister, but to thrive and enjoy our ministry here.  Also, the way that rent works here is that you pay 6-months of rent up-front, so that is an expense that will come out of the money that we have apportioned as set-up costs.  In order to furnish our house we are trying to raise about another $8,000.  If you would like to give toward this, please contact us or go to www.ntm.org/rob-ellis/give.  We thank the Lord for providing for us, and thank you for being a part of that.

Nothing could have prepared us for the differences that we have encountered here.  The Lord really knew what He was doing when He gave us a heart for the people of Tanzania.  It is not natural to want to be here with all the differences.  We are definitely enjoying it, even with the drastic differences in the culture, food, and tempo (all of which could be summed in the term “worldview”).  Pray that our time here results in a world of difference for the people of Tanzania and our family.

Another thing that has been on my mind lately is that our church in Fort Lauderdale is around 2500, while our church here is around 25.  Praise the Lord for the Body of Christ and how He designed it to function together.

Keep lifting us up in prayer and thanking God for the opportunity to be a part of what He is doing here in Tanzania!

For example, we just found out that our visas will most likely not be approved before our arrival.  After stressing for a few minutes (like 120…), and after some pretty scattered prayers, Amy and I talked about all of our options and came to a decision that we know the Lord led us to because of the peace He gave to us.  We have decided that our best option is to apply for temporary visas upon arrival at the airport in Tanzania.  Like I said, the Lord gave us peace with this decision and we know everything is going to work out for the best.

We’re still just as excited and we understand that sometimes stuff like this is going to happen.  These are just opportunities for the Lord to show Himself mighty and sovereign.  We get the privilege of seeing Him work and giving Him the glory for it all.

On another note, we have finished purchasing all the bags we are taking with us.  We have 5 suitcases, 5 rolling duffel bags, and our carry-on bags.  Our duffel bags were only $30 each!  Now our big focus is on filtering through the items we are going to put into all those bags.

And….we’re having a huge yard sale on Feb 26th!  Please come out and buy some of our stuff!  Amidst all the activity, we have peace.

Some of the prayer requests we are focusing on at the moment: we are still praying for visa approval.  God still does amazing things, so we’re praying for something amazing.   We are praying for clarity and wisdom when it comes to stuff to take with us, to sell before we leave, or to store while we are overseas.  We are praying for faithfulness in seeking God through His word.  We’re praying for a better understanding of how to lean on Him, knowing that as we arrive in Tanzania we are really going to need to know how to lean on Him!

Thanks for keeping up with us.  The countdown is officially at 26 days until our departure for Tanzania!

The Fish Bed

Alabama…we made it!  Well, what a whirlwind of activity our last few weeks have been.  We finished Pageant. We packed up our stuff and cleaned up the house we had been house-sitting since June.  We had Christmas at Rob’s Mom and Dad’s.  We neatly (yeah right) put most of our stuff into storage while we are away in Alabama. Now we are getting settled into an efficiency apartment that has been provided to us, and we are exceedingly thankful.  Here are some pictures of the apartment.  We have decided to affectionately call it “The Fish” instead of home or the apartment.  (Get it?  The Fish, as in e-fish-ency apartment.)  We like to keep things fun…you know…for the kids.

The Fish Table

We will be here in Alabama for about 5 weeks and we are so excited about spending this time with our family, friends, churches, supporters, and anyone else who would like to be a part of this team to reach Tanzania.  5 Weeks may seem like a long time, but this time is going to fly by.

In terms of our plans for leaving, we are on-schedule to depart on the 2nd of March.  I guess we should start some sort of countdown…maybe Facebook is the venue for that.  We still need our visas, so pray for that process please.

The Fish TV and Pullout Couch

In terms of financial support, we currently get 70% of what we need each month.  We are confident that God will provide us 100% of what we need each month.  We are praying that we will be at 100% of the recommended support before we leave for Tanzania.  If you want to be a part of the team, please contact us.  Please pray for more financial partners.  Please pray for our spiritual growth these weeks as we learn to deal with so many changes.  Please pray for our kids to enjoy this time in Alabama and begin to understand/accept all the changes we must go through.  Oh, and please pray that we will have a place to stay in Fort Lauderdale between 8 Feb and 2 March.

The Fish Recliner

While we are in Fort Lauderdale in Feb, we are planning a yard sale so start saving your pennies now and plan on coming out to take advantage of some great ‘going away’ deals.