Teachers, teachers, and more teachers; and Jif!

Yesterday I got to do something I've been looking forward to practically since I got here - go see almost all of the Imara teachers at a seminar SBC is putting on in Arusha! There were about 40 of our JTTC (and other) teachers at Arusha Community Church, and I haven't seen most of them since exactly a year ago! I was a presenter at the seminar for a couple of days last year and got to see many of them, but then I left for home. As I sat in the devotions (with the Imara worship leaders, who I also hadn't seen since I got here), I was overcome with gratitude that the Lord had truly brought me back to TZ, to the very place I last left. A great reunion with them all after devotions, and during tea time and lunch time, with many promises to come see them in their schools, looking at baby pictures (Godfrey's newest daughter, Glory, looks a lot like Faith, his oldest; Loomoni's 2 daughters are beautiful), hearing an update on John's house (no roof, yet), hearing the news that Moses' daughter Lulu will be taking her Standard 7 exam this year and Exavier will be taking his Standard 4 exam, so many prayers for them, please; it just went on and on! Hated to leave, but I wanted to run by Imara, too, and see Miriam, Isack, and everyone else there.

While I was at the seminar, sweet Sharon, from SBC, gave me a huge "Miriam bag" with some teacher materials, a letter from a sweet couple I know in AZ with pictures of their new baby, and what she called, "leftovers" from their trip so far - teas, Starbucks instant coffees, oatmeal, Crystal Light-type drink mixes, grape jelly, and (best of all) half of a 3lb jar of Jif! She'd been planning to bring that to me all along, but then "sacrificed" some of it for the sake of the team in one of the remote villages where they stayed. Like Christmas, but more unexpected!

It really is funny how much something small like that reminded me of God's goodness - I certainly didn't "need" those things, but they were such treasures that I remembered I have a loving Father Who even cares that I get Jif peanut butter in TZ. A good reminder to me that He can handle the little things as well as the big ones, and that all I have to do is trust Him (harder to say than do, sometimes, though, I admit).