UPDATE

There is always so much going on here! The last three months have been “choker” – a team of 29 from New Zealand, visitors and incoming mentors from various parts of the world, our next classroom completed, seminars conducted in different parts of the country, new business initiatives, and more! I trust you’ll enjoy the various reports and updates available from this website. – Alan Stephenson, Board Chairman

JOSHUA LEADERSHIP MISSIONS COLLEGE (JLMC)

Preparation continues for the bilingual course beginning in 2011. There are many areas to be established for this to work properly. The greater use of some of our graduates to return as lecturers and mentors is also a great step forward – raising the need for them to be mentored and remunerated as well! The challenge for adequate funding of this strategic ministry continues and the faithful support from those standing with us is so vital and appreciated by all. It would be such a blessing to you if you were to witness the transformed ministry of these graduates as they continue to impact their respective areas, while networking together to reach the harvest!
Our 4-month, degree-level leadership modules continue to change lives powerfully. Alumni testimonies abound! Here are a couple…
Revivalist Solomon N’gimba: The best thing I ever did in my ministry was to attend Joshua. Using that material I have travelled through Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique each year for years now, preaching the gospel and establishing believers. Always there are miracles!
Senior Pastor Deo Rudovich: the churches I oversee in a Burundian refugee sector of Tanzania have been built using what I have gained at Joshua. It has made all the difference. – Owen Wagener, Dean

EDUCATION UPDATE

Joshua Teachers Training College (JTTC)
Our new teacher training course is underway! Students started the residential part in early July, and are currently being intensively trained in Bible, thinking skills, computer and English. Five of our six mentors are now in Tanzania, with our sixth arriving soon. We are excited about working with these student teachers in our new mentoring model to see still higher levels of teaching practice in our schools.
Joshua School Arusha (JSA)
At our recent parents’ day the children charmed parents with their English and acting skills! Parents expressed delight with the quality of care and education their children are receiving at JSA. – And another classroom is almost completed!
Joshua Schools Magugu (JSM)
A highlight for us was the visit in July of a large group (22 upper secondary students and 7 teachers) from Kingsway School in Silverdale, New Zealand. This capable and enthusiastic group led groups of students in Kids’ Games on our campus in Magugu for 2 consecutive weeks. Their time was broken by a 2 day safari in the middle – a welcome break from village life and food!! The school is still ringing with songs, raps and the general buzz of the Kingsway input.

WOMENS' MINISTRY

Tabora in the west is the old slave capital of inland Tanzania. Pastor Deo Rudovic, a graduate from Joshua’s Leadership College had asked me to conduct a leadership conference with Burundian refugee women there. On the second day a vehicle arrived with 7 soldiers carrying machine guns. We were all taken to the police station where Deo spent 8 hours in ‘lock up’ despite the fact that it’s illegal to take a minister from a church! Thank you for your support for this aspect of Joshua’s ministry. The African women who make up the leadership of the women's work are becoming free of the strongholds that have held African women in bondage for centuries. Will you stand with us as we move out into the fields of East Africa? – Lois Wagener

BUSINESS

Poverty affects every aspect of people’s lives. Business is a proven and effective tool to address poverty and bring life. Business conducted in a Kingdom way, with Kingdom values, objectives and training will bring about the change Jesus so wants to make in a poor society! We have worked strategically over the past 18 months to embark on an effective business ministry. Some of the key aspects are:

• Establishing a Charitable Company East Africa Development Limited
  
• Securing rights to the world’s leading tyre sealant product – Slime (www.slime.com). Punctures are a reality here! We are starting distribution this month (August) through a significant company and anticipate it doing well.
  
• Commencing a Community Bank to assist people to save and have access to capital for small business. 80% of Tanzanians have no access to banking facilities.

We are commencing the development of a business-training curriculum which can educate those interested in running a micro-business with little education. Long-term our goal is to train enough business people to influence the way business is conducted in Tanzania and to attack poverty. Corruption kills much African progress and potential. We’re committed to addressing this fundamental societal cancer. – Richard Wagener

OVERSEAS TEAM MEMBERS

Richard and Pammela Kay join us mid-September from New Zealand as permanent on-field staff. Richard will be involved in leadership training, while Pammela will manage our guest and sponsorship departments!.

TEACHER TRAINING

This is the final term for current Joshua Teachers Training College students. They have just finished three months out in schools on a final block teaching practice. They were assessed by JTTC mentors three times during that period. Many of them are showing foundations necessary for truly becoming great teachers. Now they are back at En Gedi studying for their final Government exams which will be held from the 6th to 16th of May. The students are very self motivated with their personal study and would appreciate prayers for their success!

LEADERS’ SPECIAL MODULE

A special module of only 7 weeks’ duration for some 25 leaders from three African nations ended mid-February. This will enable us to conduct our biggest-ever graduation (along with primary and secondary teachers) on the last Saturday of November this year! … Watch this space!

NEW PRE-PRIMARY CLASSROOM

Our new pre-primary classroom is rising amongst the trees beside the Kijenge River and should be ready by the end of May. Meantime our growing pre-primary school is conducting class as usual, but this time using our leaders’ lecture room while leaders are out from En Gedi completing their theses and research papers.

JOSHUA MAGUGU SCHOOLS

These schools – Pre-primary, Primary and Secondary – are powering along with over 500 children on board, and not without challenges! The greatest of these is trying to find capable, there-to-stay teachers who have the welfare of these needy children and their community at heart.

MAGUGU ‘BUS’ CRASH

Recently Lynda and Joanna were in Magugu at the time of a terrible truck-come-bus crash. An old truck laden with 83 children flipped, pinning nearly all of them beneath it. Shortly after, Lynda and her team were called in to pray at the clinic-come-hospital, now overwhelmed with broken bodies, groans and crowds of lamenting parents. Only one child died, and all received prayer in Jesus’ wonderful name, often asking the team to return and pray over them again. The Muslim population marvelled, never knowing such confidence and love in the raw face of disaster. Grateful thanks have been extended to the Joshua team and the Christian testimony of Joshua Schools continues to grow in the region. Our God is good!

JEREMY STEPHENSON BOOK RELEASE

Jeremy (with Nadine Feser writing the script) has printed his first book of outstanding photos on the theme of radical transformation amongst the Maasai tribespeople. 60% of proceeds from the sale of this beautiful book go to establishing schools for Maasai children in ‘bush conditions’. Read all about it on www.en-kata.com.

JOSHUA SCHOOLS

Joshua Schools are forging ahead, appreciating the new curriculum materials we are writing, and maturing in their ability to be self-governing and self- monitoring. Our secondary school administration block has taken another step ahead with the roof now on!! With the huge increases in building costs we are running behind budget with this project, but believing God for His provision to see the job fully completed.

We are also excited to have ‘new’ desks and text books which have arrived in a container sent by King’s Church in the UK. Along with that they raised a donation from a local school which is now going towards completing our computer lab in Magugu. All these things are helping us to offer an opportunity for young people in Magugu to get ahead in life.

PRACTICAL NEEDS
We are praising God for the arrival of the long awaiting container from the U.K., which contains the bridge to cross the river into the promise land. The enemy has done everything possible to stop that container from reaching EnGedi ground, but our God is faithful to deliver. Thank you so much for your prayers!

It’s also been tremendous to see the response to our “Famine Relief” project in the local area. Each week some 1000 people are being supplied enough maize to carry them over a very trying time. Many have come to the Lord, while our local staff, student leaders and teachers, plus mission team have been involved in the distribution, prayer and preaching accompanying the project. Difficulties however will continue until the September harvest, so your prayers and ongoing support is coveted!

We are thankful for the port arrival of the Perth container carrying the donated well drilling rig… pray for its quick release.

WOMEN'S MINISTRY
The last Sunday evening of June found 30 excited ladies sitting in the café at the En Gedi campus feasting on a lovely chicken dinner. This was like a shadow of the “Feast” the Lord had prepared for us all during our week-long annual Women’s Leadership conference.

We began with a time when the Holy Spirit encounters us and we exchange our hurts, pains, abuse, rejection, etc for His love, forgiveness and acceptance of us! Many women present were visibly changed as the Holy Spirit brought new life from broken vessels.

Over the next four days the ladies discovered the Grace of God. Trying to please God and others always leads to frustration and condemnation. They learned to hear God’s voice and respond in faith. This released them, as it has us, from ‘striving in the flesh’. They experienced Jesus love and goodness in new and beautiful ways. They were built up in the inner man and inspired to spend time with their Lord and Saviour.

WEDDING
Jeremy Stephenson’s wedding to Kendra Woods! The Stephenson’s oldest son’s wedding was celebrated in Zanzibar in the place where African girls were bought back from slavery by Christian missionaries in the nineteenth century, and then educated and given their freedom.

ARRIVALS

The Owens'...
New long term missionaries from Canada, Pastors David and Judi Owens (with Justine and Zach, their two children), arrived December 12th and will be of great assistance in the Leaders College, follow up on the field, and Judi as my P.A. We commend them as worthy of your prayers and support. They write:
"Twenty six years ago, we individually received a call to mission. We were somewhat bewildered that our journey took a turn into church planting and marketplace ministry in Australia and Canada (we recognized this as "mission" but sensed our call was to the Developing World). Well, after all these years, here we are! - Tanzania has certainly captured our hearts and we are finding our fit here at Joshua and endeavouring to master Swahili." David's heart is in the area of pastoral equipping and unity, working part time with African Enterprise and local ministries as a natural extension to his work at TJF. Judi's heart is in the area of freedom for women to contribute their valuable part within the family, society and the Church. She will also be serving in the area of administration at the Joshua Base.

The Maxwells...
Mid-January saw our Sydney reps Grant and Anne Maxwell join us for three-months. As a successful IT company CEO, Grant will be developing our IT department and training programs. Anne will be assisting our under-pressure accounts department as we establish new computerised systems.

BIBLES FOR CHRISTMAS
IN MAGUGU
The new year for Joshua Schools started off with a buzz as we distributed Bibles, Bibles, and more BIBLES to Magugu students as late Christmas presents!! Huge thanks to New Zealand City Impact Churches!

THE ACADEMIC YEAR BEGINS
February 4th launches yet another four-month Leadership Module for over 30 pastors coming from 5 African nations. This module's theme is "Church, Family and Leadership", three vital integrated components at the heart of the kingdom of God.

AGRICULTURE...
The agricultural department has many exciting things happening! Our rabbit project is up and running and should provide meat for our teachers and pastors by February. We have also purchased 2 new pigs, one mature boar and a pregnant sow, so that we now have two pregnant sows. We are expecting many little pink faces very soon!

Our new Agricultural classes have been a real blessing also. "Farming God's Way". We have seen breakthrough already in the lives of those attending the classes!

PERSONAL CARE
Part of our mission is to extend a hand to those in need. Recently the wife of one of our staff members had a 2 months premature baby and was languishing in a local "hospital". Malnourishment there meant that mum was unable to produce milk and contracted amoeba and malaria. Thanks to some generous donors (and our own Josh Moose), we relocated the mother and baby to a fully equipped hospital. Both have now been released from hospital and are doing really well.

CELEBRATIONS!
Our Joshua Colleges held their Annual Graduation Ceremony this month! 6 of our leaders donned caps and gowns to be awarded their degree in Missions after 4 years of extensive study! While many others received diploma's and certificates for their endeavours. Hard work and determination brought these leaders this far and we were thrilled to be able to share in the celebration of their success!

WEDDING!
Patrick Lubilanji had a double celebration this month! Not only did he graduate from Joshua Leadership Missions College with his well-deserved Bachelor of Missions, but he also got married to Rebecca Bell, one of our Teacher Trainers! Big congratulations all round!

GOODBYES
Paul and Liz Scouller and family have served with us for the last 13 years, but are now moving on to establish their own business in Tanzania and beyond. Their contribution has been outstanding and they will be missed greatly!

We also wave goodbye to Hannah Allen, who has devoted the last 3 years to establishing the P.R and Media side of The Joshua Foundation. Another loved member of Joshua, she returns to the U.K this month.

RABBITS
Our Rabbit Breeding Project has now begun, with the first bunnies due at the beginning of December. By mid February, we hope to be able to provide a continual source of meat for our leaders and teachers in Joshua colleges.

LAND EXTENSIONS!
We are excited to announce that 14 acres have now been purchased across the river from our En Gedi base for our upcoming “Community Centre”, model school, and agricultural college! This now gives us a total of 31 acres for our ministries, enabling us to reach out more effectively across Africa.

OUR FIRST RABBITS ARE HERE!
Our Agriculture rabbit-breeding project is set to begin, with the arrival of our first 7 rabbits. The initial purpose of this project is to provide a continual source of meat for the leaders and teachers at our training colleges. Here's hoping these bunnies live up to the old saying and 'breed like rabbits'. See Agriculture for more info on this project.

TRUCKING BUSINESS
After months of planning and preparation to get the trucking business up and running, we are now seeing healthy monthly returns which are helping to finance our ministries and projects. Thanks to all those who contributed to help us get this business started!

NEW TEAM MEMBERS!
New Zealanders Richard and Jenny Wagener along with their daughter Grace, joined the Joshua Team this month. Richard will be handling new sports and business aspects, while Jenny will be "seconded" to Selian Hospital as a surgeon.

EN GEDI PRESCHOOL UPDATE
En Gedi Preschool has now completed 2 months of great teaching and learning. From initial tears, fears and general disarray the little student body is now a happy thriving learning community!

JOSHUA SECONDARY SCHOOL OFF TO A GREAT START
Joshua Secondary School opened as planned on March 5th with 61 students and 4 staff. We have already seen 4 kids give their lives to the Lord and just know that this is only the beginning! Download our latest Joshua Report to read more!

EN GEDI PRESCHOOL OPENS!
Our latest education initiative has just been launched! En Gedi Preschool opened on the 28th May!! One of our very first Joshua Teachers Training College (JTTC) graduates, Celina, joined our TJF staff to be the teacher of this school. Our students include Talia Carstensen, one of our TJF team kids and 6 of our En Gedi staff kids.

JOSHUA SECONDARY SCHOOL
Joshua Secondary School is well on it's way now, with it's first two classrooms almost complete for the opening on March 5th. We have two beautiful laboratories, a real luxury in Tanzanian secondary schools, and a long list of applicants for positions in the school! Two more classrooms will be underway this month.

TRUCKING BUSINESS UP AND RUNNING!
Since the purchase of Joshua's Fuso truck, it has now been significantly modified to handle African roads and is now out there, hauling freight on a regular run from Arusha to Lake Victoria every week. This business will soon be placed under Joshua Holdings, enabling the ministry to earn valuable Africa-based funds.