South African connection strengthened...

At the airport with Dave and Vince and Carl (Farming God's Way representative)


Taking a breather between meetings at Meru Lodge

Fountain Vineyard (Port Elizabeth) pastor Dave Pedersen, accompanied by Vince (a young church planter), came to Arusha for a few days to spend time with the Vineyard leadership team, and strengthen the connection between our churches through helpful counsel and resourcing. Fountain Vineyard was where Judi and I transited on our way to Tanzania and developed some wonderful friendships. There's plans for more visits in July and November, as Fountain shifts some of its missional focus from Malawi to the work here in Tanzania.
Doors are opening for us (D&J) to provide some visionary leadership to the Arusha Vineyard, while we continue to work with pastors and church planters in the region, as well as ongoing work with Maasai women.

Dave Pedersen was also accompanied by Carl Schmidt of "Farming God's Way", an eco-friendly approach to agriculture that produces amazing results (up to 4 times the yield). This is of course of great interest to us here in East Africa where regional famine looms once again if the rains fail to come in sufficient volume. Carl ran a two-day practical seminar that had a turn out that was well beyond expectations. (See http://www.farming-gods-way.org/FGW_files/Page1034.htm).