CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP

dougD/tiest

January, 1988

The events that finished off the year of 1987 will always be easy for usto remember. We wish to share them with you who have always held us upin prayer and remembrances.

On Sunday, December 20, we had our first baptisms in Tanzania.A man named Motosio and his family (perhaps you prayed for them as wewrote about them earlier this year) had been listening to teaching for almost a year. During that time we have come to know the family. He hadheard about Christ on the radio and had asked me questions over the year"Which church (denominations) is the oldest?" W/iy does the Churchsay that Maasai women cannot wear beads?", etc.

One day he asked. "Can you baptize us?" This was a shock to me since Inour teaching we had only progressed to the nature of God, and I had notbroached the subject of the church or baptism. So I speeded up my teaching program. After a few weeks of discussion with his family, he told methey were all ready to be baptized and become a church. He wanted me tobaptize all of the little children and babies of the village, too, since thatis the way other churches do It. I explained to him about faith and belief.

So it was that on December 20, Motosio, his four wives, one of his servants, one of his daughters who Is ready to be married in two months, oneof his aunts, and three other Baraguyu who lived in his village were baptized. All had been taught, all had mutually decided to take this step.

The aunt who believed is blind and crippled. It takes her fifteen minutesto be led up to our house from her village (which Is only 150 yards away)so that she can listen to Maasai Christian songs. Of course, we go to herwith this teaching, but It Is not enough; so she comes to us, too!

Right after the baptisms, we were given a letter written by a governmentofficial which told us and our fellow missionaries-the Relds and theShuarts-that we had to cease our church work in the Morogoro Region.The letter with this directive was completely unexpected. In the nextfew days, I visited a number of government officials to seek clarification.

Because we had not secured permission from one government official(never mind the four who had been informed of our work and told us thatwe had no problems in doing this work), we had to leave the Twatwatwaarea by January 10. I

Since then, we have been hurriedly packing things away once again. Wemust return to the Arusha Region of the country and, once there, attemptby letter to secure the "proper" authorization to enter the Morogoro Regionto do church work. We have been led ito believe the order to leave is onlytemporary, and we have hopes of being able to return for a month or twoprior to our furlough this summer. If niot by then, then surely by the timewe return from furlough. It has been |planned that the Perry Shuart familywill be our furlough replacements at Jwatwatwa, and we still expect thatwill be so.

While the details of packing and movirig are unpleasant, our hearts achethe most for the people who yet want to be baptized and the new believers. We are leaving Maasai tapes and songs and teaching, but would somuch rather be there to help them in their growth.

We know that you will pray about the^^ things with us.For the Kingdom,

Doug^ind Robyn Priest, Jr.

1/88

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIPP.O. BOX 26306, 5674 CAITO DRIVE

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Jiine, 1988

On April 23, we arrived in Seattle tobegin our year of furlough. Afterseveral days with family and friends,we attended the Christian MissionaryFellowship Board meeting inPortland, Oregon. Then it was on toEugene for a week with Doug'ssisters. During that time, we werehappy to visit with former Kenyamissionaries, Tim and Deb Doty, whoare currently teaching missions atNorthwest Christian College.

With our flight into Los Angeles onMay 12, we arrived in SouthernCalifornia, glad to be home. We spentthe night with Rob5Ti's parents, andthe next day moved to our houselocated in Anaheim. The house isbeing provided for us by our homechurch, Eastside Christian ofFullerton. The house isbeautiful—Nicole and Andrea walkedin to their own bedrooms and foundthat they each had a large stuffedrabbit to cuddle with! We found thebeds made, food in the pantry,ever3rthing spic and span, andbeautiful decorations including thebanner, Welcome Home.

As you know, we left Tanzania inearly February and were not able toreturn much to our dismay and thatof our fellow CMF team memberswho also had to leave. The reasonsfor our leaving had to do with ourmission strategy, political realities of

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP

20th Century Africa, and beinglocated in a politically sensitive area.All of these reasons led to suspicionsby government officials about thenature of our work. Despite ourefforts over a three-month period,with assistance from others, we wereunable to dispel these suspicions.

We feel very badly about leaving the 12new Christians at Twatwatwa. Weare hoping to continue contact withthese believers, but will likely beconfined to contacting them by letterand through the efforts of otherTanzanian Christian groups. Yourprayers for these new believers wouldbe sincerely appreciated. So that youmay pray more specifically, we wouldask that you remember the two familyleaders who were baptized, alongwith their family members: Motosioand Keshu.

Leaving the Morogoro Region rapidly,we were not able to take many of ourthings with us. We did take someclothes and our slides andphotographs. It is our hope that ourother things will either be exported toKenya or sold in Tanzania.Missionaries from other groups haveexpressed a willingness to help us inthese tasks.

Concerning the three other familieswho left Tanzania-the Reids,Shuarts, and Gustins—all are

continuing on in mission work. TheGustins have gone to Ethiopia toassist in mission efforts at alleviatinghunger and starvation. Both Reidsand Shuarts are staying in Kenya tojoin our team of missionaries amongthe Maasai.

We look forward to sharing morewith you during this year of furlough,and are anxious for our reimionswith you. Our address:

Doug and Robyn Priest758 N. Resh

6/88

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIPP.O. BOX 26306, 5674 CAITO DRIVE

INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46226

We want to thank you so much foryour prayers and concern for us thisentire term, but especially so for thepast six months of uncertainty.

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October, 1988

Robyn's Rattles

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP

Usually in our newsletters you read about the interesting things we see and do infar-away places with exotic, hard-to-pronounce names. This time you will get toread about people and places whose names you recognize and can pronounce. Wewould like to tell you about two of our sending churches.

Sylvan Oaks Christian Church is in Citrus Heights, California (near Sacramento). In order to have more room and continue to grow, it has recently movedand changed its name from San Juan Chtirch of Christ, The church was one ofthe very first churches to commit to support us. Mike Cook has ministered withthe congregation for about eight years and serves with a staff who has also servedthe church for many years. The beautiful new building is now being finished.Some of our best times with the church are informal dinners followed by "nononsense" questions and answer sessions. We all are looking forward to thefuture and new areas for ministry and growth.

About a three-hour drive south of Sylvan Oaks on Highway 99 is Madera,California, and the First Christian Church located on Sunset Boulevard. Thischurch has served the community for many years, growing with it from a smallagricultural town to an expanding suburban center. Doug's grandfather, DonPriest, preached there in the 1920's, and Doug's father was born just down theroad at Fresno.

When we go to Madera, we are delighted to enjoy home-made and home-grownlocal delicacies like black walnut ice cream, raisins, cantaloupe, and jalapenosalsa (hot chili sauce, for the uninitiated). These people take hospitality seriouslyand have a good example in their ministers, Larry and Glenna Brazier, whoalways have a foster child or two living with them in addition to their own fourchildren.

Doug spent a weekend at Sylvan Oaks, and we all were able to spend a few dayswith Madera First Christian this past August.

How many times did we receive words of encouragement and support? Howmany people told us, "We pray for you and your work every day? How often did wereceive gifts from the VBS, little stuffed bears for the girls, jars of home made

spicy relish and olives? How often did a hostess with a temporary back problemget out ofbed just to have thechance to ^ay hello tous? How can we adequatelythank you and tell you what you mean tc us?

Without all the churches and individuals, including our families, behind us, wecould not do what we believe God has ca^ed and equipped us to do. You are ourpartners and we are all partners together with God in the ministry of reconcilingall people to Him. We praise Him and themk you.

In His service,

Doug, Robyn, Nicole, and Andrea Priest

10/88

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIPP.O. BOX 26306, 5674 CAITO DRIVE

INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46226

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