Serious Flooding

 Severe flooding has devastated the Mbuguni area, homes of the Next Life campus, destroying homes, washing away belongings, and intensifying the hardships faced by our students and staff. Many families are unable to return to their homes due to unsafe conditions and are currently sheltering outdoors or staying with neighbors as the rains continue.                                                                    

Please continue to keep all of these individuals and families in your prayers.                                

Thanks to the generosity of donors, Next Life Foundation has been able to provide a small quantity of food and some financial assistance to help our students begin rebuilding their lives.  Their needs remain urgent and will continue for quite some time.  If you feel led to support these flood relief efforts, your generosity would be deeply appreciated.  www.nextlifefound.org/donate Please indicate “flood victims”.

Mary, our director, along with Mr. Kaaya, our tailoring instructor, and Dominik, our carpentry teacher, all suffered significant losses in the flooding. Mary and Mr. Kaaya, who both rent homes in Mbuguni, have been displaced and have lost most of their belongings. Dominik lives on a small family compound, and floodwaters rushed through his home as well, damaging much of what little he had.

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Dominik, a success story

Dominik, who now serves as our carpentry instructor, is a 2019 graduate of the Next Life Foundation carpentry program. In May 2023, he and two fellow graduates opened their own shop, Next Life Furniture Center, with the help of an interest-free loan from a generous donor. Their business is now thriving. Several carpentry graduates occasionally return to work alongside them, as well as a former instructor.

For over a year, Dominik has also been teaching our carpentry students and has done an excellent job. After classes, he joins his business partners at the shop, where they often welcome students to visit and learn. It is a joy to see how God continues to bring the Next Life community together—encouraging one another, praying together, and walking through life side by side.

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Another Opportunity

We are excited to launch a beauty training program when funding becomes available. An experienced professional has visited the classroom space to provide guidance on its design and setup. To prepare the space, we will need to add electrical outlets, install plumbing, and complete some cosmetic improvements.                                                                                       

The community is eager for our organization to offer a third vocational track for its young people, and we are thrilled for the opportunity to reach even more individuals with the message of Jesus and His power to transform lives.                                                                          

The beauty program will include training in hair care, lashes, nail care, and skincare. This vocation was intentionally chosen because it allows a young mother to work from home while caring for her child and still contribute to her family’s income. In many cases, once a child is too large to be carried on their mother’s back, they are left at home alone while parents work in the fields. This program offers a safer, more sustainable alternative for families.  The students will also be trained to work in a shop with all the modern tools and conveniences.

God Provides Through His People

Next Life Foundation continually depends on your faithful support, and the most powerful way you can partner with us is through prayer. Please pray for the spiritual growth of our students, staff, and board members. May they grow closer to Jesus as they deal with their struggles of the flooding and everyday life. Pray for safety over those in Tanzania as they travel to and from school each day and go about their daily lives. Ask the Lord to soften the hearts of our Muslim students and their families, that they may come to know Christ as Lord and Savior and become a light within their communities. We also ask for prayer over our leadership, that God would grant wisdom and discernment for both present decisions and future direction.

There are several ways to support Next Life financially, along with a variety of meaningful projects you can be part of.  Donations can be made through our website www.NextLifeFound.org, via Venmo, by check, or even in cash. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we are also able to receive charitable gifts made through Required Minimum Distributions for donors who qualify, as well as through Donor-Advised Funds, which offer additional tax-efficient giving options. For those in the Iowa Great Lakes area, Patti has Kwik Star car wash cards available; 10 washes for $36, with $16 directly supporting Next Life Foundation. She would be glad to meet for coffee and get a card to you.                        

                                                                           

We are ready to move ahead with building a women’s dormitory once the electric company finalizes decisions regarding the transformer currently located on the portion of our property designated for the dorm.

Many exciting opportunities are ahead, all unfolding in God’s perfect timing. As the saying goes, He has all the resources in the world, often placed in the hands of His people. We trust that when the time is right, He will provide.

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The mission statement we follow at Next Life Foundation is: To share Christ with the people of
Mbuguni, TZ through vocational education, while also demonstrating God’s love by providing
funding, when available, for students and staff in life crisis situations.

I often say we are an evangelism and discipleship center that simply looks like a vocational
school. Our goal is to reflect Jesus to those around us. Sometimes this includes medical help for
our students or staff.

This note from Joshua, one of our tailoring students, was written to me as a representative of all
who support the ministry through prayer, financial gifts, and encouragement. He needed
surgery that was far beyond what his family could afford.

Thank you so much
To Patti
I greet you in the name of our living Lord
Christ.
Thank you very much for the medical help
you gave me.
I suffered a lot; I was sick for two years.
I have nothing to pay you. Only God will
repay you.
May the God you serve take care of you
and protect you.
I am obedient,
Joshua.

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Carolyn Hansman and I will travel to Tanzania May 24–June 5. Carolyn first joined in traveling to Tanzania in 2024 for first aid training and quickly grew to love the students—this will be her third trip. Before retiring, she served as Director of Health Information and Compliance Officer at our local hospital.  We’ve both renewed our CPR certification and look forward to sharing these skills. We appreciate your prayers. Updates will be shared in our e-newsletter and on our website.  Please pray that God works through us as we teach students and community members in Mbuguni about Christ and basic first aid.

In Christ’s love,                 

Patti

We Serve a Faithful God

Our God, faithful and true to every promise, continues to prove His faithfulness on the campus of Next Life Foundation in Mbuguni, Tanzania. During my recent visit with Lyn Creswell, an American board member, it was a joy to listen to graduates reflect on their time at the school and to welcome new students who arrived unsure, quiet, and quite anxious as they began their journey with us.

New Students

Lyn and I were blessed to be on campus when new students arrived, an especially meaningful time. In Tanzania, children are often taught to be seen and not heard, so many students struggle to make eye contact with adults or speak confidently. For most, their previous school experiences included corporal punishment, and positive student–teacher relationships were rare. As new members of the Next Life “family,” they arrive not knowing what to expect.

About one-third of our students do not complete the program they begin. There are many factors behind this, but one thing stands out: it is very rare for a sponsored student to leave.  Sponsorship is $60 per month and includes a commitment to pray regularly for your student. Knowing that someone in the United States cares about them and is lifting them up in prayer is incredibly meaningful. Sponsored students write to their sponsor four times a year, and if specific prayer needs arise, we pass those along as well.  Sponsorships can also be shared between two individuals or families, allowing each to contribute half; perfect if you have a friend you’d like to share with.

You can find more information on our website at www.NextLifeFound.org. Click on “Sponsorship” in the top toolbar , then choose between tailoring or carpentry students, or we would be happy to match you with a student.

With the help of an interpreter, we interviewed each student and learned a bit about their stories. Their backgrounds and education levels are wonderfully diverse. Some traveled great distances to be at our school; from Dar es Salaam, nearly 400 miles away, and Singida, over 200 miles away. (This clearly highlights the need for an onsite dormitory.)

Our incoming students range in age from 12 to 20 and in education from Standard 4 (4th grade) to Form 4 (11th grade). As always, we welcome students from both Christian and Muslim backgrounds. While not all students had arrived before Lyn and I returned home, we anticipate nearly fifty new students this year, more than ever before!

Graduates

We also spent time with our graduating tailoring and carpentry students, which was an absolute delight. Each expressed confidence that they are well prepared to start their own businesses. The tailoring students still hope to learn how to make suits once the proper fabric becomes available in the city, and all but two are willing to return to campus for this final lesson. The carpentry students unanimously agreed that their training should extend to three years, so it looks like we’ll be calling it post-graduate carpentry after graduation! What a joy to see their eagerness to continue learning until they are fully equipped with the skills they need to succeed.

Most encouraging of all, every graduate shared that their faith has grown during their time at Next Life. Some credited daily devotions and worship, others pointed to the example set by teachers and staff, and many said it was a combination of both. Praise the Lord! This is our primary goal; vocational training is a bonus.

The graduation celebration was truly unforgettable. One of the most meaningful moments for me was watching a student from a Muslim background lead the graduates’ procession, joyfully shout-singing, “Jesus is Lord!” It was also deeply moving to see community leaders step in to come alongside students whose families were unable to attend. It was a beautiful, grace-filled day.

Sewing Machine

We celebrated a wonderful milestone as each of our tailoring graduates received their very own sewing machine. With this incredible gift, made possible through the generous support of our donors, they now have the tools they need to begin earning an income and even start their own businesses. Our staff is coming alongside them to help identify places where they can set up shop. Some may rent a small space in their village, while others can simply place their machine under a tree at home and open for business.  Thank you for equipping these graduates so generously and for helping turn their training into opportunity.

10-year Anniversary Celebration

Our Tanzania board certainly knows how to celebrate! The ten-year anniversary celebration will be hard to top. There was abundant singing, dancing, gift-giving, and feasting—and in all of it, God was glorified.

Several alumni returned for the celebration, and it was such a joy to see them again. Some are now working in Dar es Salaam, others in Moshi, and several have returned to their home villages to put their skills to work there.

We are so grateful that God allows us to hear the stories of our former students and see the impact continuing long after graduation.

Campus Infrastructure

After much anticipation, the final touches are being added to the perimeter security wall around campus. Looking ahead, the next step is for the Tanzania board to finalize a detailed site plan that includes future buildings. Our focus will then turn to constructing a women’s dormitory. With students traveling such long distances, God is clearly showing us the importance of this next phase.

God has blessed Next Life in countless ways, and we are deeply grateful for every person who prays, encourages, and gives. It is a joy to witness God’s faithfulness to the vision He placed in Laurence’s and my hearts thirteen years ago.

Thank you for being part of the Next Life story and for the role you play in the lives of the students and communities touched by the Holy Spirit through this ministry. What a privilege and what a thrill to be part of God’s story in East Africa.    

Obediently His, 

                                                               Patti

If you would like to donate to Next Life Foundation you can click here. Contact us at NextLifeFound@gmail.com