The Team

We are a full-time mission team of eleven adults and eleven children from the Vineyard Church of Columbus and two adults and two children from Central Vineyard in Clintonville, Ohio.

	Lyatuu Family arrived April '07 The Lyatuu family (Edmond, Dorothy, Albert, David, and Rachel) are settling in to life in Dar Es Salaam after their first year returning to their homeland from the USA. Edmond, the team leader, spends most of his time caring for the other team members as they experience life in Africa for the first time. Edmond is "masterful" at negotiating all of the unique infrastructures within the African culture. Edmond has been meeting regularly with a few Tanzanian men for prayer and is hoping to start a leadership seminar series with them with a focus on corruption and social injustice. He is developing a leadership training curriculum to present as a class to leaders from the Dar Vineyard and from a local church. He and Dorothy have begun a new ministry of doing some pre-marital counseling of Tanzanian couples, as well. Albert has now joined the family in Dar Es Salaam. After spending the first year in Columbus - living on his own, working, and trying to get into college - he has decided to rejoin his family and pursue college in Africa. David and Rachel really love school and their friends in Dar. Their Kiswahili is improving daily as they interact with their Kiswahili speaking friends. Please continue to pray for their marriage ministry, for the leading of the "team" and for protection over their family. Also, pray for Albert's schooling and for David and Rachel's language learning. Website: www.Edmondanddorothy.blogspot.com Email: Edmond@tanzaniamissionteam.org Email: Dorothy@tanzaniamissionteam.org
	Miller Family arrived September '07 After landing in Tanzania in September of 2007, the Miller family (Ben, Melissa, Noa, Nyungnee, Jonah, Felecia and Judah) are excited to officially call Dar Es Salaam their "home". They have finished several sessions of intensive language study, as well as regular tutoring while living in the city of "Dar". There is much to learn but they are happy with the firm foundation they have received in the Kiswahili language. The fall of 2008 has brought new changes to their family life, for the first time all five children will be attending school (HOPAC - an international English language school). So this year will provide more available time for Ben and Melissa each to invest in church planting and outreach projects. They and the Buckley's will be starting a small group bible study with local Tanzanians and begin to implement some outreaches in the community. It is also their desire to assist and encourage the establishment of ministries in Vineyard churches. It is their hope to truly love their neighbors in the city of Dar, reaching out and affecting the lives of those who are forgotten and ignored. They are very excited and anticipate great things for the coming months and years in Tanzania. Ben's mother was able to spend 7 weeks with the family and Melissa's parents are hoping to come for a visit at Christmas time. Check out their family adventures and pictures by logging onto their website: web.mac.com/benmelmiller. The Millers say, "Our lives have been transplanted into the soil of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. And although this year has had its share of challenges and unforeseen adventures, God has been gracious and allowed us to soak in His peace. Not to mention His humor!" Please pray for the Millers as they return to a "routine" at home, as the children all start school, and as the parents create a sense of "normal" for everyone. Also pray for Melissa and Ben as they seek out what the Lord would have them do for the next step, to be an active participant in what the Lord is doing in Dar Es Salaam in 2009. Website: web.mac.com/benmelmiller Email: benmelmiller@mac.com
	Nathan Family arrived September '07 The Nathan family (Daniel, Melissa, Jude, Asher, and ?) have been busy with adjusting to living life in Africa. They've been in Dar for almost one year. Their time has been mostly spent learning language and culture, as well as in helping their boys adjust to life outside of the USA. Both Daniel and Melissa have made great gains in their Kiswahili language and feel comfortable communicating with the neighbors, shop keepers, and new Tanzanian friends in their native language. The boys both have weathered various illnesses during their time in Africa, while the parents have been surprisingly healthy. Jude loves his animals (two dogs and two cats) and Asher loves to ride his bike and play in the yard. Both boys attended a Tanzanian preschool and Jude will start kindergarten in September at a private school. Along with language learning, Dan has been engaged with a water filter project in Dar Es Salaam while Melissa has invested time working with an HIV project this past year. They are currently hosting and leading an international weekly small group with Grace Mendola. The BIG news is that the family is going to grow by another boy in October. Melissa has returned to Columbus to have her baby (and to attend her brother's wedding). Dan and the boys will be coming to the USA on September 2nd. Dan and the boys will remain in Columbus until the first of November, with Melissa staying with the baby until the end of November. Please pray for their trip (especially for Dan as he travels with two boys by himself) and for their time in the USA. Also, pray for the health of the baby and for the boy's adjustments to being back in Columbus. Website: www.tanzaniajournal.blogspot.com Email: dandmnathan@tanzaniamissionteam.org
	Grace Mendola arrived September '07 Grace is excited to have the first year of "transitioning" from life in the fast paced USA to the very different slow and sometimes frustrating pace of Africa behind her. She has worked hard at embracing and learning language and culture and finds lots of time to connect with the local Tanzanians at the shops, markets, and neighborhood. She evens ventured out on her own all around the city and up into the neighborhoods taking Dar's version of public transportation (a "dalla-dalla" bus). Grace is looking forward to using her newly acquired Kiswahili skills to not only communicate with friends and neighbors, but to also discuss politics and spiritual issues. She loves the fact that the Lord has surrounded her with American friends that keep her "grounded" in who she truly is in the Lord. God has also provided a special Tanzanian friend (actually William is South African, but he's lived for many years in Dar) with whom to spend time and experience life as a "couple". Grace feels like her life in Africa has been wonderful, but hard. She finds herself depending on Jesus daily to help her navigate her new life in Dar Es Salaam. Grace has been very involved with the water filter project and also co-leads the small group bible study with the Nathans. Please pray for Grace as she continues with her language study, as she deals with the ambiguity of the ministry, and as she pursues a relationship with William. Website: www.graceintanzania.blogspot.com Email: grace@tanzaniamissionteam.org
	Buckley Family arrived July '08 The Buckley family (Doug, Lyndi, Aiden, Elliott) arrived in Dar the end of July. The have been living with the Millers (seven kids and four adults!) for the first several weeks until they traveled to Arusha to attend language school for three weeks. They have no returned and are moving into their own house, which is within walking distance of all the other team members. Doug and Lyndi enjoyed the structure of the language school and feel as if they've learned some valuable "beginner" language skills with which they can communicate with the locals. They will work hard at using this language with their "house help" and with local shop keepers for a few months and then begin working with a language tutor three times a week to help them move forward with higher levels of skills. Aiden begins school at HOPAC while Elliott will attend a local preschool. The family is starting to settle in to life in Africa - after having already experienced severe dog bites, bean extraction from Elliott's nose, head lice for the whole family, and various other maladies associated with living in a developing country. They are looking forward to finally unpacking the 14 suitcases they arrived in Dar with and creating their own African home. Please pray for the Buckleys as they settle in to their new house, for the kids starting school, and for Doug and Lyndi as they try to maintain a sense of unity and strength in their marriage. Also, continue to pray for good health and "finely tuned" brains as they struggle with learning a new language. Website: www.dougandlyndi.com Email: doug@dougandlyndi.com
	Niemie Family will arrive November '08 The Niemie family (Judy and Phil) are the newest team members to arrive in Africa (they will be traveling with Dan and the boys on November 1st). Phil retired from 31 years in education and Judy has ended her career of a coordinator in the Marriage and Family Life ministry at Vineyard Columbus. They have been spending the summer months preparing for their son's wedding in September, preparing for the arrival of their family from Dar (the Nathans), preparing for a new grandson, and getting their life in "order" so that they can move to Dar Es Salaam. They have been studying Kiswahili each day, hoping to get a head start on language learning. They plan to spend the months of November and December in Dar and then make a temporary move to Iringa to attend language school for 6 weeks starting the first week of January. Please pray for their transition from life in the USA to life in Africa. Also, pray for the whole process of leaving their other children behind in Columbus as they move to Dar. Website: http://web.mac.com/philandjudyniemie/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html Email: pandjniemie@yahoo.com