As God, through the Holy Spirit, moves people toward ministry for the expansion of His Kingdom, often those He calls to accomplish the work seem to be the least probable choices. Also His timing in ministry is usually much more patient than our plans. Both aspects are indeed true of the creation of Next Life Foundation (NLF) as it strives to serve the needs of impoverished mamas and young adults in Mbuguni, Tanzania, through establishment of a vocational training center.

Patti Griffiths, a Christian wife, empty nest mother, and pharmacist from Iowa, became half of the unlikely team that God called to create NLF. The other half of the team was Laurence Laban, a young Tanzanian lawyer/businessman with a heart for improving the lives of his people through education and the shared Gospel of Christ.

It truly is amazing how God works in our lives.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the LORD. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’”

From His first prompting until today, He has orchestrated NLF ministry for His glory. The story of God’s “higher thoughts” has been and is continually revealed as this story has unfolded.

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