Giving Thanks in November

November is a wonderful time to pause and give thanks to God for all His abundant blessings.  This year Next Life Foundation has once again experienced His generosity in ways beyond what we could have imagined.  We serve a God who delights in giving abundantly!

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Our Tanzanian leadership continues to be strong in faith.  They live out their relationship with Jesus daily modeling for the students what it means to walk closely with Christ.

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We’re thankful that the health of our students is currently stable.  Some have faced serous medical challenges – even surgeries where we prayed for their very lives – and God faithfully heard our prayers. 

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The attitude among our young people is full of joy and gratitude.  Most have come from harsh environments at previous schools or from difficult home situations.  But on the Next Life campus, they experience the love of Christ in tangible ways—no caning, nourishing meals and personal care from our director, Mary, who knows each student’s story and has visited their homes.

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Jesus gave us a new commandment: to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.  What a gift it is to be able to look beyond ourselves—because we love God, His Word and his Spirit working within us.  It’s a blessing to share our prayers, times and resources so that others may come to know our great God!

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The knowledge of Christ is spreading throughout northern Tanzania because of Next Life, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership in this mission.

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We serve a faithful God who hears our prayers and cares about every detail of our lives.  Life can be hard, but how could we possibly endure without knowing that God is with us and for us?

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Our God provides unlimited resources – always the right amount, at just the right time.  His plans are perfect, even when they differ from ours.  If everything were left to us, we would surely make a mess of it!

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The love of Christ is a powerful force that inspires our students to learn new skills with enthusiasm and hope.  We pray that, as they graduate and go out into the world, they will continue to share this Good News and shine His light wherever they go.

Looking Ahead to a Joyful January

January will be a very busy and exciting month at Next Life Foundation.  Please keep us in your prayers.

From January 9-19, we’ll be partnering with MOST (Mission Opportunities Short Term) Ministries to host an Eyeglass Clinic.  The team will be doing outreach in some Maasai villages before spending a couple of days serving on our campus.  We’re so grateful for this opportunity to meet both physical and spiritual needs in this region.

Board member, Lyn C. and I will be traveling to Tanzania on January 15 to take part in a number of special celebrations.  One of the highlights will be welcoming our new students!  This first week is filled with games, team-building, and time to get to know one another.  It’s always a joy to watch new students relax and experience the love of Christ—something many have never felt in a school environment before.  For some, it will even be the first time they’ve ever met a Mzungu (white person).

We’ll also take part in a special ceremony to present sewing machines to our graduating tailoring students.  We’re still in need of three more machines so that every graduate can receive one.  Each machine costs $600, and owning one allows a graduate to start their own business – whether under a tree at home or in a rented workspace – enabling them to support their families and build a better future.

In addition, we’ll celebrate the graduation of our tailoring students and eight carpentry students, marking the completion of their training and the start of a new chapter in their lives.

Finally, we’ll rejoice together as we celbrate 10 years of God’s faithfulness since Next Life foundation began!  Each day of celebration will be filled with gratitude and praise, giving flory to the One who has made all of this possible. 

What a remarkable time it will be.  God will truly be glorified in every moment!

Introducing the Beauty Class!

After 10 incredible years, it’s time to launch a new trade at Next Life Foundation!  We’re excited to begin a Beauty Class—and we’d love for you to be part of making this happen!

To transform the second classroom (in the same building as our tailoring class), purchase equipment, hire a teacher, and complete the required government inspection, we’ll need $20,000.

This program will open doors for young women and mothers to build sustainable livelihoods, whether working from home or joining a group salon equipped with modern tools like hair dryers, styling chairs, and more.  Students will receive hands-on training in hair care, hair care and skin care – everything “beauty”!

This gives more young people and their families in the Mbuguni, Tanzania area a chance to hear about the saving grace of Jesus Christ also!  Hallelujah!

Would you help us share this vision?  You can print the attached flyer below and take it to your favorite stylist or salon to help us spread the word and promote this exciting new opportunity.          

Read more: November Newsletter

                     God bless you and keep you,

Patti

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Moving Forward at Next Life Foundation

We praise God for all that has happened over the past ten years at Next Life in Tanzania and pray for his wisdom, guidance and provision going forward.  We started with a dream in 2013, received our government approval both in TZ and the US in 2015, had our first tailoring students in February 2016.  The village leaders asked us to offer something for the young men in the area so we began a carpentry class after moving to a larger site in October 2016. We bought a 3 acre property in 2020 & moved to new property in July 2021! 

Now we have a campus that has two calssroom buildings, restrooms, an office/guardhouse/kitchen building and a perimeter wall that is over halfway completed

God is providing when His timing is right and we feel very blessed.  We have about 120 meters (131 yards) to complete the concrete block part of the wall.  When this is completed a smooth stucco finish will be applied and lights will be installed to illuminate the wall for further security.  The total to completely finish the wall is approximately $60,000.  

Questions come up about the necessity for a perimeter security wall.  There are a number of reasons this wall is imperative.  Theft was a problem when everyone was walking across the property and there seemed to be no boundaries.

Primarily though,  it will keep our students safe.  Alcoholism is a big problem in Mbuguni and with it comes bad decision making which could affect our young people if someone came onto our property that was inebriated.  Also, Tanzania is a significant source for human trafficking and rural areas are often targeted.

This leads to our next building project, a girls dormitory.  Once we complete the wall, we’d like to have a place for the young ladies to stay during the week.  Many are walking two to four hours to get to class and then home again.  Being three degrees south of the equator,  the sun basically rises at 6am and sets at 6pm.  This means many are walking in the dark since classes start at 8am and end at 4pm.  We want to keep our students safe.

Another item we’re ready to begin when funds are available is to teach a third trade.  After prayer and discussion, offering Salon training will give young mothers a chance to stay home with their little ones and still make a living.  They’ll learn everything “beauty”; hair, nails, skin care.  We’ll have salon type hair dryers and sinks plus different extentions for the hair so the students will have exposure to the in-house salon but could practice their skills in their yard, if need be.  The start up costs to transform the current office area into a classroom and buy equipment needed is approximately $17,000.   

Graduation will be in January and once again we’d love to have a ceremony to give each tailoring graduate a sewing machine so they can start their own business under a tree at their home or rent a space.

. So many of our students will be supporting their parents,  grandparents and their siblings.  Some will finally be able to move out of a very dysfuncional home if they can support themselves.  Christ’s love will shine through a gift of a $600 sewing machine.  How can you collaborate with others to give such a life sustaining gift?  There will be 30 tailoring graduates January 2026.

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10 Year Anniversary Celebration

We’re so excited to have Laurence Laban, Tanzanian co-founder of Next Life Foundation, join us at our Annual Banquet to celebrate this great milestone! 

We’ll hear how he was inspired to begin this organization and how he sees the students and community being transformed due to God’s divine touch through our organization.

The celebration will be at Maser Monarch Lodge, 22785 Nature Center Road, Spirit Lake, IA   Saturday, Sept 20, 11:30am – 2:00pm

 It’s time to RSVP if you can attend to NextLifeFound@gmail.com.

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Make a Trip to TZ to Greet the Students

In January a team will be traveling to Tanzania again to serve the students and the region with  eyeglass clinics.  We’ll be traveling to some Maasai villages and also spending a couple days at our campus providing eyesight testing, eyeglass fitting, lunch and the truth of the Gospel.  We will be partnering with MOST Ministries (Mission Opportunites Short Term) in Ann Arbor, MI.  Is God nudging you to join us on this mission trip?  Many of these people have gone for years without seeing properly because they can’t afford to go to a doctor.  Some are older and need major correction, others are young and need to see the board the teacher is writing on or the book they’re supposed to read.  It is such a joy to witness the thrill on their face when their sight is “restored”.

In May we’ll go to teach first aid again.  When an ambulance is not available, these skills are life saving competencies.  This is another opportunity to tell the story of Jesus and serve the folks.  We do these trips to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to make Him known.  Is He calling you to join us?  Contact me at NextLifeFound@gmail.com with questions.

In His Service, Patti

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Next Life Foundation is 10 Years Old

It’s our 10-year anniversary!  In 2015 Next Life Foundation received 501(c)3 status in the U.S. and NGO recognition in Tanzania.  February of 2016, we welcomed our first students.  It’s time to celebrate all that God has done through NLF!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 20^th, 2025.  We’ll have a lunch at the Maser Monarch Lodge with special guest, co-founder, Laurence Laban, all the way from Tanzania!  If you haven’t met Laurence before, you want to be sure to attend.  If you know him, it’s a perfect time to come and get reacquainted.  We’ll have many items from Tanzania, some made by our students that you can take home for a donation.  Praise God for all the lives He’s touched and transformed through Next Life Foundation.

You can RSVP for the banquet at NextLifeFound@gmail.com

Come to Okoboji for the day or the weekend.  There is something to do for everyone’s interest; lakes with boating, fishing & swimming, biking & walking trails, amusement park, museums, parks, shopping, and more.  Check it all out at https://vacationokoboji.com/

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Student Home Visits

Each year Mary, our director, visits each student at their home.  She has found it is important to know the young person’s family challenges to help keep them in school.  Since Mary has started these visits, our retention rate has increase tremendously.  She sends reports about her visits to me.  If the student has sponsor(s) I pass the information onto the individual(s) so they can be praying specifically for their student.  So many of our young people’s lives are made more difficult because their caregiver is dependent on the local alcohol.  Mary is not one to watch “her” kids be

harmed without doing something about it.  She invited the parents, grandparents and guardians to the Next Life campus for a “parent seminar”.  Of course, she offered a meal to them because food scarcity is an issue for all these folks.  She explained to them how their behaviors were negatively affecting their children’s lives.  She told them how Jesus can give them strength to change if they allow Him.  After the meeting she told me that they were grateful for the meeting and they understood what she was trying to tell them.  Now we pray that the Holy Spirit will work in their lives along with their children’s.

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First Aid Training

In May, a small Mission Team, Carolyn & myself, spent a few days teaching some basic first aid to members of the community.  You may recall that last May our students received training.  It was exciting to realize the enthusiasm the community has to learn these skills. 

I was able to get a CPR manakin through immigration customs without a hitch!  (Only with the help of God!) 

The folks were eager to learn and it was interesting to hear what their traditions are in cases of emergency.  Unfortunately, their ambulance is habitually out of gas, thus the need to teach these lifesaving skills.

Wound care, burn care, choking and CPR were taught.  The Gospel was preached to each class also through witness bracelets and with the aid of Pastor Elia and Obed, our assistant Tailoring Teacher.  Lunch was served to each guest that came for training.  Unfortunately, there were over 40 people that were turned away due to time constraints.  Please pray about joining this First Aid Training Team next Spring. We could have never guessed there would be so much interest in the community for this training.

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Alumni Visits

I was thrilled that I was able to visit with a number of Next Life alumni last month.

Lea, tailoring class of 2024, was in Mbuguni visiting her family, the staff and to take the first aid training.  She has set up her tailoring business in Dar Es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania and located on the Indian ocean.  She had never been to the “big city” before


she graduated from Next Life Foundation but she felt like she had the skills and confidence to move there.  It was a game-changer for her that she could start her career with her own sewing machine.  She is in a shop with one other tailor but hopes to have her own establishment soon.

Kelvin is a successful entrepreneur that graduated in 2022.  He and two other graduates have the “Next Life Furniture Company in Mbuguni.  Every time I visit, they have made improvements to their shop.  As you can tell from his smile, he loves what he is doing and appreciates the blessings God has given him.

Enock, is now in a village just north of Mbuguni.  He was a 2024 tailoring graduate that began his career in Mbuguni.  When the landlord wouldn’t fix the leaking roof, he moved to his current location.  He says business is even better now.  He has a number of miscellaneous items in his store such as gum, candy, soda and coconut oil.

Sophia is another 2024 tailoring graduate.  She is in Mbuguni in a shop with another lady.  She is enjoying her trade and so happy she had a tailoring machine to start her career off with.  She has some beautiful dresses of different sizes hanging with her fabrics.

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Can We Do It Again?

We were able to provide each of our 2024 tailoring class graduates a sewing machine due to the generosity of the Next Life Foundation donors.  What a blessing that was to each of them.  We will have 30 tailoring graduates in January 2026.  Will we be able to do the same for these young people?  The machines are $600 each.  Can your Bible Study group, card group, siblings come together to raise the money for a machine?  What an amazing gift it would be for a Next Life graduate!

Obediently His, Patti

If you’re interested in Donating to Next Life Foundation, Click Here

Lord, you have sent Carolyn and Patti to Tanzania to be a witness to the people of Mbuguni.  Let your light shine through them as they teach first aid to the people in the village.  Help those in attendance of these classes understand the importance of these lessons since there usually is no ambulance service and most can’t afford medical care.  Soften their hearts as they hear the Gospel.  You put each of us in our sphere of influence for a reason.  Open my eyes to Your will and give me courage to act on Your calling on my life.  Help me to be bold in speaking Truth in Jesus’ name!  Thank you for all You have done to pull me our of the pit of sin.  I praise You that I can pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Thank you, Lord, for Next Life Foundation, The staff has hearts that love You and the students are doing so well.   Continue to show them your ways Lord, and teach them your paths (Psalm 25:4).  Please do the same for me.  As the students worship you during devotion times, soften their hearts so they can know you and love you more, despite the challenges that loving you may bring into their lives.  Give them courage and boldness in Your name.  Help them learn their tailoring skills and carpentry skills well so they can support their family in the near future.  You are a God that provides.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

O God, your gift of friendship is such a good gift.  As Carolyn and Patti reunite with their friends in Tanzania help them serve each other with the gifts you’ve given them as faithful stewards of God’s grace (1 Peter 4:10).  Help them to build up their Tanzanian friends and encourage them in Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  Let me also be a good friend and be your hands and feet to those around me.  I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Heavenly Father, please continue to instruct Patti and teach her in the way she should go in regards to her leadership in Next Life Foundation.  Counsel her with your eye upon her. (Psalm 32:8)  Give her and the Next Life board members a keen sense of your will and a heart that wants to know You more.  As Carolyn and Patti begin their travel to Tanzania today, I pray that you will go before them and will level the mountains and break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron that try to stifle Your plans.  (Isaiah 45:2)  May I also look to you and know you more to pursue Your purpose in my life.  I pray this in the precious name of Jesus, amen

Love is in the Air

The month of February seems to have an extra emphasis on Love.   Patti’s recent trip to Tanzania also had a prominent theme of Love.  The eyeglass ministry team that served the Mbuguni area through MOST Ministries (Mission Opportunities Short Term) was filled with Christ’s love that flowed to the Next Life students and staff, the translators, the clients that came looking for better eyesight and even those in public spaces that were there to serve them. Reports from NLF staff and board members are that the students are thriving because they are feeling God’s love on campus and they are being fed.  (If we’ll admit it, we take our abundant supply of food for granted!)  The safety, celebrations, reunion with friends and worship times were all wonderful gifts of love from our loving Father above.                                              

Please be in prayer if you think you would like to join us on a mission trip next year.  Contact Patti @ nextlifefound@gmail.com with any questions

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God’s Goodness

It’s overwhelming to think how God has blessed Next Life Foundation over the years.  In 2013 Laurence and Patti started with an idea of teaching young people a skill in a Christian atmosphere, so they could support themselves.  Today there are almost 100 tailoring graduates and around 20 carpentry alumni.  We now have our own campus with running water in the bathroom!  We just completed a three-room building to house the guard’s sleeping quarters, a temporary office, and a kitchen. The perimeter wall is about one-third completed and our dreams for expansion continue. 

God is faithful to incline the hearts of the young people towards Him. Morning Glory and Evening Glory are the morning and afternoon devotional times to thank the Lord for provisions, safety and His Son who sacrificed His life for our sins.  Students volunteer to lead these worshipful times in prayer, singing and scripture reading.  When Pastor Elia has a conflict on Fridays and can’t lead the hour-long devotion time, Obed, our former student who is now our assistant tailoring teacher, prepares the lesson, songs and prayers and does a great job teaching and leading the students and staff.   May God continue to lead them in the Holy Spirit on their faith journeys.

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Next Life Mission Statement

Over the past number of months, the board of directors has struggled with revising our mission statement.  As I’ve said so many times, “life is so hard in Tanzania”.  As an American, it takes some time to wrap our heads around all the layers of difficulty.  We help our students, their families & our staff in their lives outside the classroom, which we didn’t anticipate at our inception.  We have taken a number of “our kids” for medical care and paid for staff healthcare, financial support when their homes were unlivable, small “loans” to start a small business for the single mom, and the list goes on and on.  Sharing more information with you is our board secretary, Dave Butterworth.

                                Blessings, Patti

Over the years I have served on numerous non-profit Board of Directors.  I have seen first-hand how important the mission statement of an organization is guiding the ministry toward the shared goal.  A good mission statement, kept in mind on each board decision, keeps the organization on track even when there are changing administrators or board members.  When board action no longer follows the mission statement, the choices are to return our actions to the existing mission or rewrite the statement. 

Next Life has not experienced major board or leadership changes and we have always been in full agreement in how we follow the direction of the ministry.  However, our mission has expanded to include the physical needs of some of the Tanzania board, staff, students and at times the families of students.  Therefore, it was time for a review of how we were serving and then adjusting the statement to match.

The initial NLF Mission Statement was:

“To provide Christian and vocational skills to the community, focusing on the under privileged mamas and young people in Tanzania.”

The on-site director vets all the personal requests and presents those which they deem genuine to the American board for consideration.  We use available funds to fulfill these requests knowing that we can only grant what God has provided through our generous supporters.  The school needs are our priority and only twice have we not had enough funding to provide for the school’s monthly operating requests, and then only a small part of their request was not available.  God has faithfully provided for the needs of the school and for most of the special need requests.

To reflect this expansion of our mission to Tanzania we have approved the following revised Mission Statement:

“To share Christ with the people of Mbuguni, Tanzania through vocational education, while also demonstrating God’s love by providing funding, when available, for students and staff in life crisis situations.”

As the ministry has grown, our American supporters have grown also.  We continue to be amazed and thankful for the blessings for His people in Tanzania who are touched by your generous donations.  We also want to be perfectly clear about how your gifts are being spent and again to express our sincere gratitude to you for making Next Life Foundation ministry possible.