Our latest update for missions:

Thank you Thank you Thank you for holding us up in your prayers over the last two weeks as Brian travelled to Mtwara, Tanzania.  Thank you for your prayers for his health and safety, along with your warfare prayers.  

Brian's trip was a mixture of intense spiritual warfare and attack while also walking (hobbling) in the favor, wisdom and supernatural grace of God.  Brian's foot ended up being a soft tissue issue which he must have injured during the run he took his first full day in Mtwara. It was not gout. Praise God!  He continued to hobble around most of the trip, but his foot progressively got better and better until the end of the second week the limp was hardly noticeable in his gait. He is doing much better now.  His voice cleared up after about 3 days- Praise God!  But, on the last day of teaching, Friday, he felt incredibly weak in his body and sick. He told the students, "I'm sorry, but I can't go on teaching. I have to sit down. Will you pray for me?" They told him that they've noticed that every time he visits he gets attacked physically.  The pastors/students prayed for him and within the 1/2 hour, he felt completely recovered and strong!  That's when you KNOW that you are dealing with intense warfare and spirits that are trying to sabotage the plans and purposes of our God. If we are discerning, we will fight with our spiritual tools and be victorious!  

During this trip, Brian and I needed a direct word from God/confirmation as to what our future involvement would be in Mtwara and Moshi.  With the Bible college graduating most of its students we were not sure if we should continue or close down shop.  The pastors in Moshi are standing strong, leading with authority and moving forward. We also wondered if there was any need for further partnership in their eyes.  We love them so much and are so proud but never want to suppose anything that they may not be desiring for the future.  God was good!  We had the "word from God" we needed for the future of our involvement in Mtwara, the Bible college, Moshi, and the Education project and Moshi. We had good reports on all and clear words from God to continue to pour into Tanzania. The pastors/board of the Bible College are determined to see the Bible college continue, saying that it was birthed by God and will continue in the power of God. 

The graduation was a breakthrough day for the Bible College. NEVER had there been a bible college graduation of any kind in the whole state of Mtwara! WOW! The Bishop of the Lutheran Church (who is the regional head of the unity of pastors) and the Head of the Pentecostal Church (assitant to the unity movement) attended and endorsed the school. That day, there were 3 people who asked to sign up for the next term of the Bible college! Graduation was such a celebration!  People said, "You have brought something to Mtwara that we have never seen before.  This is wonderful!"  Some of those pastors who graduated had never graduated from anything ever before in their entire lives --not high school, not college, nothing! Imagine being 30, 40, 50, 60 years old and wearing your first cap and gown, holding your own diploma! Awesome! The Bible College was birthed in a word from God in 2008 and will be continued in faith, knowing that there is a passionate group of fiery pastors in Mtwara who are determined to win the south of Tanzania and Northern Mozambique to Christ!  The Pastors in Moshi want us to continue in fellowship and partnership with them.  Our hearts rejoice! We are hoping to have a building team to Moshi in the next 12 months to build the church building and the Bible College board in Mtwara are seeking land to purchase and build a permanent facility for the school. We will be raising funds for this as we secure a good location at a great price.

And finally, we received an amazing report on the impact of the Elimu Education Initiative: The testing scores for the secondary schools in Mtwara came out for the first time ever HIGHER in their science track than their math track! The Regional Education Officer attributed it to the inovative teaching and empowerment of the Elimu Initiative on the teachers! How exciting and wonderful! What a testimony to the power of a short term mission trip and focused ministry to one sector of society I can't wait to tell the teachers who travelled over with us about their fruit!

There are many more stories to tell, but I wanted to keep this letter fairly short.  (well, its not that short. )

Thank you again for praying for us and standing with us.  Abigail and Nathaniel are doing well. We surprised my father John Cava by staying longer at my parent's house to see him return from an overseas mission trip to China and Thailand.  He was happy to play with some grandchildren!  The Weaver parents (Brian's parents) are making plans to reconnect in Tanzania this summer, re-reaching out to the two unreached tribes that they made inroads with for the gospel 7 years ago and teaching in Bible colleges.  Keep them in your prayers too. Both sets of parents are amazing men and women of God going to the nations and discipling people wherever they live! Pray for their health, finances and effective ministries.

We will give you an update on our Germany plans and upcoming itineration soon.  We will keep you informed.  

We appreciate your love and prayers. Thank you for standing with us in this exciting and transitionary time of our lives.  We can't do this without the Body of Christ doing warfare for us.  We know that.

Much love to you.  Giving Him our all for His glory,

Brian, Janine, Abigail and Nathaniel Weaver

Strategic Global Impact

Living in the Paradox

Almost 9 years ago, I blissfully, willfully, and excitedly went to the mission field full time as a 6 weeks bride to a veteran missionary Brian Weaver of Tanzania, East AFrica.  With my 5 trunks and 4 suitcases, I loaded all my important worldly possessions onto one of 4 aircraft that would take me to my new home in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  I hardly noticed I was leaving parents, friends and my whole world behind to follow this wild God-loving man half way across the globe to become an instant pastor's wife, missionary team leader's wife, missions team member, and foreigner Mzungu in Africa.  I was in love. I was head-over-heals in love. I was living my dream.

For three years, we worked in Tanzania together as husband and wife, along side a diverse missions team.  We each had our niche'.  I enjoyed discipling women within our city church and doing women's conferences.  Brian was raising up church planters, worship leaders and leaders.  In 2006, we realized that God was calling us to turn over all the works there to indigenous leaders and return to the states for some retooling, reorientation and retraining. We knew there would be another mission field, but we didn't know where or when. We thought we'd relocate after one year, but God had two degrees, two children and two ministry roles in mind before he'd release us again.

Fast forward...

From December 1st until February 16th, I have lived in the paradox of having made the decision to be full time missionaries again and the wrestling with why the heck we are leaving a great church and ministry here in the States.  I really don't have the words to explain the inner chaos, ambiguity, stress and "are we going crazy?!?" feelings of the last few months.  Ask Brian, I am not one to loose sleep over life's issues.  I love sleep so much that I don't let my daytime life cross over into my nighttime bliss (only my children are allowed to disrupt it, but even then, it is the mercy of God I can respond to them in kindness at night). So for me to be waking up at 2, 3, 4 in the morning and my heart is racing, my mind is overwhelmed and my body is tense shows me how stressed I really was. I was waking up with headaches because I was clenching my jaw at night. This too is not like me.  

I had so many questions. Why us? Why now? Why Germany? What would we do? Where would we go? Why would we go? Why can't we stay? What will Abbie think? How will she respond?  What about my in-laws who live here in Virginia Beach now? Why would we go when we just bought our first house last year? ... all of these questions ran circles in my mind.  There was no rest for my heart until we made our final, and I mean FINAL decision to keep moving forward on Germany.  Since that moment, oh, peace!  Not that all my questions are answered, but I am content to know that we are not straddling two worlds any longer - the what if we stayed and what if we go worlds.  We're going. We're going. We ARE going.  For better or for worse, we are going.  We're excited. We're scared. We're crazy.  But we're going.