June Email Update

Hello from Korogwe!

We hope you are having a great summer so far. We have been blessed with unusually lovely weather lately - blue skies and not too hot temperatures.

This last month, we continued to adjust to life in Korogwe. I (Stacie) am learning to get around town alone, but still need to learn the language. We like it here and are getting to know the people and places around here much better. We are also learning about the needs of the people. One of them is freedom from superstitions and false beliefs. They run deep and really keep people in bondage. We hope to show them the freedom they can receive from knowing God's great love for them.

Our ministry focus in June has still been the container. It just arrived in the Tanga port (about 2 hours from Korogwe) and we are still waiting for the tax exemption letters. We need God to intervene and help us with the process of clearing the container. The port officials are trying to charge a lot of money to release the container and we are fighting it. Hopefully this next week, progress will be made and we'll be closing to finishing the process.

In an effort to secure my residency in Kenya as a dependent of George, George had to make two trips to Kenya. The first trip was disappointing initially as nothing had been done with the paperwork. Fortunately, a lead immigration officer assisted George and promised to help. George just returned from a follow up trip with the news that my residency was approved! Now we just have to present a few documents and show up with them (and me), to finalize the process. Praise the Lord!

July is going to be a crazy month for us. First is, Lord willing, getting the container to Korogwe. Second is preparing for a team of nine people coming with Africa Harvest of Hope in the middle of the month. They will be doing VBS for the kids at the orphanage, doing some construction projects up there, distributing goods to widows and the needy, showing the Jesus film and lots more. We are so excited to have them here and very much look forward to their arrival (July 17th). Third is planning for our temporary departure from Tanzania. Because we don't have work permits yet (paperwork still pending), we have to leave the country after 90 days which comes around August 1st. That gets us to Kenya with less than a month before the baby is due. Plus Kenya has better hopsitals than Tanzania. We need to find someone to stay at our house and take care of Nala while we are gone. We hope to be back to Korogwe in about ten weeks. During our absence, we pray our Tanzania residency/work permits are completed. Fourth is preparing for the baby. I am due at the end of August. We still need to find a place to stay in Kenya and finalize where to deliver the baby. After the baby arrives, we have to get his passports ready for our return to Tanzania.

As you can see, it's going to be a busy month. We are really looking forward to returning to Korogwe as a family of three, ready for ministry work. We'll really need your prayers to make it through these next couple months. There is a lot to do and we don't know how it will all be done. We are trusting God to work out all the details and timing perfectly. Here are some items you can be praying for:

1. Clearing the container and getting it to Korogwe ASAP without having to pay a lot of money.
2. Smooth preparation for the Africa Harvest of Hope team. That God would use them in a mighty way while they are here.
3. That we find someone to stay at our house while we are gone. Someone who will love Nala like we do.
4. That the Lord provides a place for us to stay in Kenya and wisdom to pick the best place for the delivery.
5. A car – we desperately need one especially with the baby's arrival
6. Good health for me as I have about 8 weeks left until my due date.
7. Strength for George as he leads our family.

As always, be sure to visit the blog (http://thisisstaciesblog.blogspot.com/) or our ministry Facebook page for stories, photos, prayer requests, support information and more. It's the best way to keep you involved with what we are doing.

Lots of love from Tanzania,

George and Stacie Orwa

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep praying.