Month: March 2026

March 2026 Update

Emma PattersonLeave a comment

From the Field:

This month has been a whirlwind, and I have enjoyed every minute!

I started my teaching career at LVCC’s Musoma campus with 48 eager students ready to learn about the Minor Prophets. Early in the week, a student remarked, “You do things too differently!” I anticipated this, knowing my teaching style would be unfamiliar. I asked them to give it a chance, and by week’s end, only minor adjustments were needed. The students seemed to enjoy the class!

I aimed to give them a survey of the Minor Prophets, focusing on historical books like 1 and 2 Kings, and Ezra/Nehemiah. My goal was for students to understand the context—such as the original audience and the books’ purposes—and then analyze each prophet’s messages, emphasizing interpretation and application today.

I then taught the same course at the Mwanza campus with 40 students. On my first day, I didn’t have a translator, so one student stepped in to help. Although inexperienced, she did an excellent job, but by the afternoon, we were exhausted—translation isn’t easy! Thankfully, a different translator joined on day two, and the rest of the week went smoothly. I’m grateful for translators; my Swahili is improving, but I still have a long way to go before I can teach independently in another language.

Last week, I celebrated my birthday with friends in Mwanza and visited one of the eight Theological Education by Extension (TEE) cohort groups. These groups meet monthly for four years, graduating alongside college students at the end of the program. The cohort I visited had seven students. I taught a session on stewardship, then led an inductive Bible study on Matthew 25:14-20, the Parable of the Talents. This helped teach another method of Bible study and reinforced stewardship principles.

The next few weeks will be for rest and preparing for upcoming classes. This also gives me time to complete a required safety course for my sending organization. So far, I’m off to a good start, and I’m excited to see what’s next!

BIG Prayer Request:

As you know, I am currently applying for my residence and work permit. The initial applications have been submitted, and approval usually takes 4-6 weeks. Currently, there is an issue with the online portal for submitting and approving visas – no one has access to it. Until this issue is resolved, no visas can be submitted or approved. 

Please pray with me that this issue is resolved quickly! I am here on a temporary visa, which expires in April. Lord willing, my residence permit will be approved by then. I am traveling to Texas at the end of March and have a return ticket for Tanzania on April 14th. Please pray with me that God will provide the permit! 

Support Update:

I am now raising funds through CTEN (Commission to Every Nation). CTEN helps people fulfill their God-given mission through administrative support and pastoral care. 

Raising support is a never-ending test of my trust in the Lord – and I’m continually humbled by the generous support of my friends and family. Thank you for partnering with me, praying with me, and choosing to be a part of this wild journey. 

If you haven’t yet set up an account to support me through CTEN, click the link below.

I am currently in need of an additional $625/month. This will help me cover things like: 

  • Visa (think processing fees and a gift for those helping me)
  • Travel (think gas, hotels, food, supplies for trainings)
  • Continued Learning (think Swahili lessons, resources to help prepare for teaching)
  • Tools (think battery-powered projector, screen, hard drives for storage)
  • Health (think medical insurance, doctor visits, etc)

Eventually, I also hope to raise funds for different initiatives I may be able to participate in through LVCC (think camps for orphans, trainings for caregivers, youth camps, women’s conferences, etc)

Will you prayerfully consider joining my support team? 

Click to Give

You Can’t Hurry…

Emma Patterson1 Comment

In an ever-changing world, there is something people from any century would recognize — waiting. Maybe we are waiting for a bus, waiting for a job, waiting for a phone call, or just waiting on the world to change 🎶.

Whatever it is, waiting is never easy.

Seasons of waiting are some of the most uncomfortable places to live. Right now, I am waiting on a visa. A simple document that says I am allowed to remain in the place I consider my (second) home. Without this document, my time here in Tanzania has an expiration date.

Waiting can stir up doubts, fears, and questions.

Growing up, my family took many road trips. But we weren’t the kind of road trip family that planned stops to see the world’s largest ball of yarn. Our goal was to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. The fewer stops, the better the trip. But even on the fastest journeys, stopping was always necessary. Whether to fuel the car or fuel our bodies, we never made the trip from Texas to Indiana or Iowa without stopping. Rest stops were simply part of reaching our destination.

Rest stops serve an important purpose. They offer a little time to refuel, stretch, and gather yourself for the miles ahead. Without these breaks, the trip can start to feel overwhelming and tiring. Similarly, times of waiting are often moments where God gently invites us to pause, rest, and find renewal before moving forward on the path He has laid out for us.

Throughout Scripture, we see that seasons of waiting are common—and never wasted. Abraham waited for God’s promise of a son. David waited through years of danger and attacks on his life before he sat on his promised throne. Israel waited for the promised land and for the promised Messiah. Even Jesus waited for the right time to begin His ministry and for the appointed time when He would give His life for us. These stories show God’s sovereignty and how waiting shapes character and prepares His people.

While we wait, it’s important to remember that God is still moving—refining, preparing, and guiding us, even when we cannot see it. In the same way “You Can’t Hurry Love” 🎶, we can’t hurry God. Waiting then becomes an opportunity for our faith to deepen and strengthen. Like my mother would always sing, “Be patient, be patient, don’t be in such a hurry, for when you’re impatient, it only makes you worry, remember, remember, that God is patient too, and think of all the times that others had to wait on you! 🎶”

So, while I wait for my visa, I choose to say, God, I will wait, I will wait for You 🎶.

If this is where He has called me, I have no reason to fear.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the LORD.”
Psalm 27:14