A specific way the Lord has met me (Amy) here in Dar

I wanted to share a specific way the Lord has met me here amidst this transition to living and serving in Dar es Salaam. Back in the US, the Lord led me to Bible Study Fellowship in 2012 during a time of transition for me. In case you're not familiar with BSF, it offers in-depth Bible studies in more than 40 countries around the world. BSF locations cover the same study at the same time, so last year we studied Romans (while I was attending & serving as a Children's Leader in Elburn, IL) and this year we're studying People of the Promised Land (Part 1). So while I'm here in Tanzania studying People of the Promised Land, my previous BSF class in Illinois is also doing the same study, same notes, same questions every week. Amazing.

Now in one of the bigger transitions of my life, the Lord has met me again through BSF. Several months ago when we first started to talk with HOPAC, I just thought I would look up BSF classes in Dar es Salaam, on the off chance that there would be one there. Not only is there a BSF class here, but it's a Day Women's class, with a children's program (so Anna can attend), and in this large city of 5 million people the BSF class is only about 10-15 minutes away. Check, check, check. The Lord is so kind.

The BSF leaders in pre-class prayer

The first week of BSF, my new, dear friend Allison joined me (she attended BSF back in Texas). We walked into such familiarity, seeing the BSF nametags, the BSF leaders in pre-class prayer praying over their women and the morning, the BSF notes, and then the opening hymn was "Standing on the Promises of God". What a morning! Have to admit there were some tears from both Allison and me as the teaching leader began her lecture with the statement "Some of you are in transition..." Why yes, yes we are. And the Lord was so gracious to allow me to have BSF as a bridge from life in Illinois tou life here in Dar. And did I mention the first month of the study we were going through the book of Joshua, studying when Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land and all the transition that came with that? The Lord is so kind.

Anna outside her BSF classroom

Anna's nametag for the Children's Program

BSF has a stellar children's program - and I'm not just saying that since I served in it for a few years, but they really do! BSF headquarters develops lessons for the children where the kids learn along the same lessons as the adults (of course tailored to their age group). The children's leaders genuinely care for the kids, pray over the kids (not only during class but during the week), and teach them about the love of Christ. And I see that in this BSF class here as well! The leaders joyfully welcome Anna each week and she now comes out of class saying "happy class! happy class!". Thank you, Lord for those women who teach the kids each and every week. 

In my BSF class here there are probably 100 women or so, mostly Tanzanian ladies with a few of us expats mixed in there, but the teaching and discussion is all in English. This last week at BSF we sang "What a Friend we have in Jesus" both in English and Swahili. Thankfully the words are up on a screen and Swahili is very phonetically similar to English so I could somewhat follow along :) 

Not sure if this post explains just how meaningful it was for me to begin attending BSF here, but want to give praise and glory to our Lord who sees us where we are, when we sit and when we rise, He knows our thoughts from afar, He hems us in behind and before (Psalm 139).

Opening hymn our first week there: "Standing on the Promises of God"

We meet at a Lutheran church just off of the main road where we live

My dear friend Allison who is attending BSF with me

Interested in finding a BSF class? Here's a link

https://www.bsfinternational.org/map