In August we took delivery of our new (new to us, at least!) school truck. Of course, in Tanzania, where "British English" is used, it's not a 'truck'…it's a 'lorrie.' But, for our American readers, a truck by any other name is still a truck!
In fact, it is what we in the U.S. would call a 'dump truck,' and was immediately put into service hauling sand, gravel, foundation stones and other building materials for the ongoing construction work at the school.
Since work started on the school, the 'workhorse' has been the Toyota Landcruiser which Hart and Lynn purchased new when they began their missions work in 1999. When they returned to the U.S., the vehicle became the property of The Lion of Judah Academy, and has performed incredibly well hauling construction materials. But as it has gotten older, we have become concerned that asking it to do duty as a construction vehicle will substantially shorten its life…and the school needs a vehicle like the Landcruiser for day-to-day tasks. That, combined with the new challenge of building The Lion of Judah Secondary School, made the purchase of a school truck a necessity.
Of course, it cost more than we initially were told…that's simply the way things work in that part of the world! Customs taxes and other expenses had gone up, and were passed along to us.
And 'new' is a relative term. Like virtually all vehicles of its kind in Tanzania, it is not literally new, but refurbished. However, we were able to get it from the most reputable dealer in the Mwanza area, at a fair price. And are confident it will serve us for many years.
It finally arrived from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, after a long journey across the Indian Ocean, through customs, and finally across Tanzania. And immediately it was put to work.
Thank you!

Praise God!!
In the spring the first phase of the dormitory was occupied by 56 students and the Masanagulilos, our dorm parents. That phase included 7 student rooms (8 students to a room), dorm parents' apartment, single dorm parent room, plus toilet and bath facilities and a common room.
After only a short break, construction began on the next stage, which will include sleeping rooms and toilet facilities for many more students, rooms for dorm parents, common areas and storage areas, as well as the school's main dining room and kitchen. Also included in this second stage will be a guest suite, sick room, computer room and classroom.
We have received word that the foundation and walls for the entire dormitory are now completed. The next step will be to add the roof.
When completed the dormitory will be in the shape of a huge rectangle, with a large, protected courtyard in the middle. Boys will be one side, girls on the other. There will be bathrooms connected to each dorm section. On the third side of the quadrangle will be the dormitory and kitchen, with other smaller rooms. On the fourth side will be study rooms, storage, dorm parent facilities, and other necessary rooms.
The entire facility has been designed with the students in mind. We have already had other schools and organizations visit the school and tell us they plan to adopt many of the dorm's ideas and features at their own school.
In addition, when classes are not in session, the facility will be used for church conferences, meetings and other events, providing a much needed conference site for this area, and generating income for the school.
When The Lion of Judah Secondary School opens in January, 2007, the first classes will be meeting in a room of the new section of the dormitory.
Thank you!

In December, 2001, when ground was broken for the first two buildings of The Lion of Judah Academy, none of those involved even remotely thought a secondary school might be part of God's plan.
How limited our vision can be, compared to the limitless vision of God!
In January, the Lion of Judah Secondary School will open, with the eleven September graduates (see article above) joined by other carefully selected and qualified students.
Lynn Inlow will be traveling to Tanzania a few days after Christmas, to be there for the opening!
Of course, that means yet one more challenge…and in some ways it will be the biggest yet! More buildings…more dormitories…more teachers, educational materials, and on and on. It certainly is a good thing that the true founder and head of this miraculous project owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10 - "For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills")!
Please pray for God's continued blessings and provisions.

We were shocked recently to receive word that Tanzania has increased all teacher salaries for government teachers by 50%! Effective immediately!!
Now, on one hand that's great news! Tanzanian teachers are poorly paid…often receiving less than $100 a month. Low pay, combined with the fact that teachers frequently don't even receive the pay promised them, unquestionably hinders many bright students from becoming teachers.
On the other hand, since The Lion of Judah Academy has committed itself to pay our teachers at least as much as the government salary scale, we suddenly were challenged to increase the salaries of our teachers by 50%!!
There is simply no way we could make that kind of substantial payroll increase during the current budget year. But we promised our teachers that we will increase their salaries as soon as possible, to continue to match at least the government salary scale.
So, we are praying for provision of the funds necessary to increase those teacher salaries…even as we pray for God to continue to provide talented and committed teachers.
Please pray…

Zephaniah was one of the brightest students in his class. But suddenly and unexpectedly his performance started to slip. Teachers encouraged him…he worked harder…but still his grades fell lower and lower.
Finally he admitted to his teachers what was happening…he could no longer see the blackboard. His eyesight had become so poor he could not read even when the book was only inches from his face.
The one-time confident, outgoing student, grew quiet, uncertain, discouraged.
Teachers and other adults around him tried to understand what might be happening, but he had a difficult time expressing the nature of the problem. He just couldn't see.
Eye glasses were tried…but gave no help. And he complained of discomfort in his ears.
Zephaniah's father was a missionary in a distant area of Tanzania. His family has very little money. He would not be able to attend the school without the large scholarship he receives from U.S. and other donors. They could not afford doctor visits and the treatments everyone feared might be necessary.
So the school, at its own expense, took Zephaniah to a physician in Mwanza, who referred Zephaniah to the largest hospital in the region. There it was determined he was suffering from an unusual infection which was affecting both his eyes and his ears. A treatment of various medicines and vitamins was prescribed. Once again, the school…with the help of our contributors…paid the cost.
That was in July.
Today, Zephaniah's eyesight is not much improved, and continues to bother him. He took his exams, but struggled greatly with the reading.
We are hopeful to find answers and healing for him.
Please pray for Zephaniah's eyes, ears, and spirit.

The Lion of Judah Academy has graduated its first class!
On September 30, 2006, in a ceremony covered by one of Tanzania's local television stations, STAR TV Tanzania, the 11 students who make up the standard seven (seventh grade) class became the first graduates of The Lion of Judah Academy. We congratulate them, and we praise God for His faithfulness.
Most of these students were in the group which started The Lion of Judah Academy in August, 2002, in borrowed classrooms. How things have changed since then!
All of the students plan to attend The Lion of Judah Secondary School, and will be the inaugural students of the secondary school when it opens in January, 2007.
In August, 2002, the school started with standard one, two and three. These graduating students were in the standard three class.
By the time they had completed standard three, this group of eleven students had progressed so quickly they had actually completed the standard four curriculum. In effect, they completed two years of curriculum in only one year! So at the end of that year, they took the standard four national exam - in English, rather than Swahili! - and passed with flying colors. So at that time, the decision was made to advance these eleven students directly to standard five (the remainder of the class continued normally into standard four). That is one of the main reasons this is a smaller class than all the others at The Lion of Judah Academy.
Now - and this will seem odd to those familiar with the American system - while these students have taken the standard seven national exam, they have not yet received their national exam scores. Those will not be available for several more weeks. Why have they already graduated, if they don't yet know their exam scores? Because the graduation is the recognition of the fact that they have successfully completed the curriculum at The Lion of Judah Academy. The national exam determines if they will eligible to continue on to secondary school. Only 4% of Tanzanians actually have the opportunity to begin secondary school. But we have no doubt that all eleven will do very well on their exams, and will be the first students in the secondary school in January.
As an added note…most graduating students take October, November and December off from classes, after they have completed the standard seven exam. These eleven students, however, all decided to continue classes, so they could get a head start on their first year of secondary school! That's a testimony to them and their dedication…and it's a testimony to their teachers, who are also going 'above and beyond.'
Thank you!!

Four and five months ago we issued urgent requests for your prayer.
The situation in much of East Africa, and in the area surrounding The Lion of Judah Academy, was desperate. After two, and in some cases more, failed growing seasons, famine was imminent unless rain fell.
Well, the rain did fall, and a crop was harvested. It was not a great crop, but in most cases it was enough to get by…barely.
During the difficult months before - and after - the rains fell, while the harvest was maturing, many of you opened your hearts and pocketbooks. You sent contributions to the emergency food program which the school initiated for its needy students, as well as other children in the surrounding area. You may recall that students were actually fainting in class because they had not eaten…their families could not afford food. And many children in the village who were not connected with the school were going days without food.
Well, the emergency food program was, quite literally, a life-saver!
The crisis is past. But the food provided by your contributions was like manna from heaven for hungry children in the area of Bulima, Tanzania.
Please pray once again for rain. The 'short rains' are due to begin within the next couple of weeks. The situation is still very tenuous. Last spring's crops provided barely enough to get through the dry season. Another emergency is a very real possibility…and will be a certainty without sufficient rain to yield a harvest.
Thank you for your generosity…
Please pray for good rains beginning toward the end of October, and continuing into December.