Mike works the crowd. A Tribute to Women. Saturday in Tanzania.
Please let me clear up a few things - my spelling of the village names is getting better but I am sure that I've misspelled and misquoted some items. For this please forgive me as I am just learning.
Today's early start had us loading some small seedling trees into the vehicle. These were from seed by Solomon. He would teach about how to cultivate different trees during the afternoon sessions with the kids. Although the young ones became interested in other items several older kids worked with him to create new "pots" and plant some orange and tangerine seeds from the foods we have been eating.
Pastor Kirway (sp) joined Solomon, Mike and I as Grant drove us to Mkuyuni. The ride out was as comfortable as an old stagecoach being chased by bandits. The bumps and turns had us grasping for handrails and bouncing along. We were absent the dust but the excitement was there.
About a mile from the village the road is really deep with ruts and mud. There was a man and child on their way to Mkuyuni so we stopped and picked them up. Then three other children gladly jumped in the back as well. They were very pleased to get the ride in the automobile and were giggling as they bumped along. A lone man was working on the rutted road and chopping rock to lay in the deep ruts, we thanked him and later saw that he had completed about 20 feet of roadway. We may think this useless or insignificant but if you could see (or feel) the before and after of the efforts you would appreciate his deeds as much as we did.
Pastor Raymond (I called him Jacob in the last post - Raymond just graduated from seminary - Jacob is the evangelist at this village) and Pastor Leonard stayed the night at Mkuyuni, as did four teachers, a few helpers, and many children. This assisted as it would have been too difficult for any of them to return home after dark - and far away. The kids watched part of a religious movie thanks to the TV items Grant provided and some local ingenuity with the troubled generator.
Spirits were high as we unloaded and we received greetings and hugs. We shared tea and spoke of the previous night and the excitement of both the children and adults. Everyone was ready for a full day of lessons and laughter. Wisely, the teachers separated the children into three different groups. By age, the teachers rotated between the groups to provide Arts, Science, and Religious lessons. At the beginning there were about 40 children with a few from the villages trickling in.
Art was led by Ezekiel who taught songs and foot movements. He has a great tenor voice and maintained his patience throughout the day. He also kept his presentations upbeat even though he sang the same verses over and over and over again until the children knew each word.
Mike and I were impressed with his continued efforts as his group sat in three pew benches that were moved under one of the trees. What makes it impressive is that Mike was working the crowd of "nonbelievers" or at least non-participants. These children stood behind the church or came partially into the area of activity but the would not engage and would shy away quickly when approached. Mike quietly would walk to them and motion them over and welcome them with karibu. One by one Mike was able to gently grab a hand, provide a pencil, take a picture or engage them in some other manner. This allowed him to bring the child into one of the groups and then the teachers would invite them in. The most disruptive of these activities was when Mike and I used cameras to take pictures and the kids would get very animated and excited. Even during these outbreaks, Ezekiel kept his cool and got the kids attention again so he could continue the lessons.
Through Mike's efforts, some additional parents bringing in children, the low noise of the VBS kids attracting other locals swelled the ranks. By lunchtime there were 75 children participating.
The kids all had full plates, really full plates, of food and every one of them was wiped clean before they were turned back to the women. After the adults communed together we went back outside to restart the events. Solomon began his demonstration on cultivating trees, Mike sat on the steps of the church and was quickly overwhelmed by a crowd of kids, and I got to engage a few kids one-on-one. Mike was funny as he learned to count to 10 in Swahili and helped the children count to 10 in English. He was trying to learn their names and get them to write on their papers which were provided to them but they just wanted Mike's signature! The teachers were laughing at his interaction with the children. Several of the younger ones in my group were getting anxious so we engaged in some advanced hand clapping routines. It was slow going at first but then several of them caught on. I tried to get them to play with each other and a few did but most of them wanted individual attention from me, which they easily received.
Between all of us there were belly laughs, wide eyes, and thanksgiving. It was a fun experience. Then we pulled out the parachutes and ratcheted up the play. The kids went wild over the bouncing of balls on the round, colorful nylon circles. Most of them figured out how to play the different games - popcorn, breeze, catch - and after a while all of them were tugging and pulling a bit too hard. One of the kids in the group was very quick to learn and figured out my hand gestures. He helped on crowd control and got the other kids to handle things more gently although they continued to bump the balls high into the air and giggle and jump up and down.
During this time, Mike was able to work with another group and show them how to make a beaded necklace, which also had a cross. The kids were eager to use their little brown fingers to thread the beads and tie the ends together. While this doesn't seem like a very large task, please picture small children, full of energy sitting on a 10" wide board that is about 8' long. Now imagine that there are 14 of them on this one bench! There are no tables or workspaces other than their laps so little fingers, working with little rolling beads, with elbows bumping is quite a feat. We hope the kids wear their necklaces to church tomorrow and hope those who were playing parachute get to create their necklaces tomorrow so we can take pictures of them.
The day went by quickly and we had to leave. The pastors said a prayer for us and let us say good-bye to the kids. We were sad to leave but had a great time in recalling different events of the day as we set off on the 1-hour "Baja road race" back to the seminary.
A Tribute to Women
Being selfish I'll talk of ours first.... Mike and I are grateful to our wives (one each) who have not only allowed us to go on this trip (Mike's 4th - my 1st) but have also supported us in it. To you we provide our thanks and our love. Thank you to Mary Ann and Marilene at the church for all of your help and guidance and to Donna Miller for posting our notes and keeping the communications flowing.
Now for the Tanzanians - Men I know we cook and clean a little and help with the chores but the women here never stop working. They dress in colorful clothes, carry more weight on their head than we can lift, and cook all day long. On each journey out of the seminary and even watching locals cross through the grounds, the women are the ones carrying firewood, water (5 gallon buckets), pots, pans, food - you name it - and they do it all on foot. Now, we do see several hard working men who do these things, but by far those along the sides of the road are women - walking. Most men are riding or pushing bicycles. There are many men who are pushing heavy loads of charcoal, grain, fruit, or even tripling up on bicycles which they rent out. But it is the women who you see the most.
The women are wrapped in colorful sheets of fabric called congas. You can see them at a great distance because of these colors. They may only have a few clothes and change only when required but they always look neatly attired. The young girls smile a lot and have long curling eyelashes. The ladies are beautiful with high cheekbones and flawless skin. Their eyes are bright and in the village they chatter and laugh during their many chores. The elder women have wrinkles that tell stories of long lives, hard work, and motherhood. Their eyes are dim and their mouths frown more than smile. They have been over worked but continue to carry the heavy loads and care for others. They have beauty in their grace and their service.
Watching as we drive along we cannot discern their thoughts but are consistently shown their faces of many ages and experiences. The young are spirited, the middle aged, hopeful, and the elderly concerned and tired. They are all wonderful.
So, to you who are reading this, our wives, friends, and sisters in Christ, Thank you. Thank you for being our mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and wives. To you we owe much.
We have another day with the kids and we'll pass out as many hugs for you as we can.
Mike and I wish you all to be well.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday in Tanzania, May 30, 2008
Friday was a day of preparation and travel. Grant took Mike and I into Morogoro to find a spark plug for the generator and an RCA cable to connect the small TV and VCR. The purpose is to show some Christian movies to the kids during VBS which starts today (Friday).
Entering Morogoro for the second time, there is direct relation on the comings and goings of people as compared to any large city. Many of the shops are storefronts of 3 story buildings. The buildings are either a single structure or a row of structures that are immediately adjacent to each other. The bottom floor is subdivided into shops and the grocery store we entered is approximately 12' x 20'. Many of the brands are familiar to us and packaged in the same way we would see them. Pepsi, Coke, Kellogs, Gillette, toiletries - all common to us. The eggs are brown shelled and sold individually. Meat is packaged in a plastic bag and wrapped closed at the top. It is labeled Pork or Beef and sold in 1-kilo packages. The merchant rang up the products and did not ask whether Grant wanted paper or plastic. It is assumed that you will bring your own packaging - which Grant does.
It is interesting to remember the first day we arrived as I saw men on bicycles carrying tens of dozens of eggs in small containers. They were obviously the transportation system from producer to merchant.
Back on the street, people were walking briskly, some carrying goods, some walking to work, and some just hanging out. After a few moments of thought Grant decided to walk a few blocks in one direction hoping to fine the items we needed for VBS. As we started our short journey, Mike and I were able to take in some of the sights. The buildings are the typical, historical; three story structures with the shops on the ground floor, the private business section on the second and the family dwellings on the third. Almost all buildings we saw were of this type which may be due to history, inability to raise them larger due to lack of steel underpinnings, or because there is a lack of high rise equipment like cranes. As I stated earlier it is typical of a bustling city where there are a multitude of different types of shops right next to each other.
As we walked it was interesting to note that the marketing is similar to ours with signage out front, large open windows (no glass just open spaces) with signs and goods for sale. You may expect that seeing a sewing machine on the front of the store may mean that the vendor sales the equipment but in reality he or she is advertising sewing services including making material, hemming, making pants, suits or repairing an item as you wait.
Cafes have several styles of food which you can smell as you walk by. The difference between here and home is the lack of rotting food behind the building. There is extremely low waste as it comes to food - for obvious reasons.
As we entered a shop with Grant we saw washing machines, refrigerators, cooking supplies, watches, generators and a variety of other items. Grant was "making business" with one man and another of eastern heritage started talking to Mike and I. After going through a few languages he says "English" and we say yes, then he begins his conversation in English and welcomes us to the shop and to the town.
One of the two items is purchased and we set off to another store. We get to view a bit more of town and inspect the "flood water drainage system" which are two to three feed deep tunnels on each side of the street. They have concrete block covers, which have iterations of cross section and open slot for water to drain into. While you can see directly into the bottom of the pit (even though neither one of us has a good nose), there is no discernable odor. Grant walks quickly and Mike and I trail behind, I gander a bit much and almost walk in front of two men on a single bicycle. The driver simply smiles, waves me across, and states that I am welcome to go first. This is typical of the people's hospitality as they expect to serve guests. If nothing else, it would be good for us to bring this quality back and have it a lasting part of our lifestyle.
We quickly find the other store and Grant is able to get the remaining item. Again the storekeepers are friendly and helpful. As we start the return to the Lutheran seminary, we realize that we've missed morning tea so to make up for our loss Mike buys us some ice cream.
Later in the day we travel to Mkyuni where we painted on Tuesday and where the VBS will be held today through Sunday. Grant's vehicle is the typical / required 4-wheel drive jeep style with bucket seats in the front, a small back seat, and two folding seats in the rear compartment. We have two suitcases of toys and crafts for the kids, the small TV, a VCR, the three of us and our backpacks. We pick up Luka's brother Solomon, Pastors Leonard and Jacob, Ezekial and Anna who are teachers, and another suitcase and backpacks. As is typical in Tanzania, we are given the most comfortable seats while the others "stretch the vehicle to fit" and pack the items around them. Again, a great tradition of service.
I don't have time to relate the trip out but would like to do so. The road is long, narrow, and has more ruts and holes that it does flat ground. Many times we fly off the seats yet no one complains and we are happy to be riding instead of bicycling or walking as we see so many people along side the road doing. This again is another story I wish to relate as there are groups, dozens, of people walking, carrying, vending items along the roadside. This is truly amazing and a sight that I cannot quite figure out.
We arrive at Mkyuni and about 50 children greet us as well as several adults. The pastors formally begin the VBS with scripture and prayer then Jacob tells a wonderful story about the power of God. Although we can't understand the language, we are captivated by his style, excitement, and entertaining hand movements. On the way home Grant recalls the story for us and it is one we can easily pass on.
The children are typical with the girls being more obedient and the boys a bit more antsy. Mike and I sit in the second row interspersed with boys who want to hold our hands and smile at us. I am sure it is handholding and attention they are seeking and not just looking at my watch. We visit a while and are introduced to the group then asked to join the family for afternoon meal, which we enjoy with several people. Before it got too late we had to start the return journey while the pastors and teachers stayed the night with Jacob.
There is much more to relate but those stories will have to come later. Thank you for your prayers and support. Mike and I feel deeply blessed to be here and receive much more than we deserve.
Brett
Entering Morogoro for the second time, there is direct relation on the comings and goings of people as compared to any large city. Many of the shops are storefronts of 3 story buildings. The buildings are either a single structure or a row of structures that are immediately adjacent to each other. The bottom floor is subdivided into shops and the grocery store we entered is approximately 12' x 20'. Many of the brands are familiar to us and packaged in the same way we would see them. Pepsi, Coke, Kellogs, Gillette, toiletries - all common to us. The eggs are brown shelled and sold individually. Meat is packaged in a plastic bag and wrapped closed at the top. It is labeled Pork or Beef and sold in 1-kilo packages. The merchant rang up the products and did not ask whether Grant wanted paper or plastic. It is assumed that you will bring your own packaging - which Grant does.
It is interesting to remember the first day we arrived as I saw men on bicycles carrying tens of dozens of eggs in small containers. They were obviously the transportation system from producer to merchant.
Back on the street, people were walking briskly, some carrying goods, some walking to work, and some just hanging out. After a few moments of thought Grant decided to walk a few blocks in one direction hoping to fine the items we needed for VBS. As we started our short journey, Mike and I were able to take in some of the sights. The buildings are the typical, historical; three story structures with the shops on the ground floor, the private business section on the second and the family dwellings on the third. Almost all buildings we saw were of this type which may be due to history, inability to raise them larger due to lack of steel underpinnings, or because there is a lack of high rise equipment like cranes. As I stated earlier it is typical of a bustling city where there are a multitude of different types of shops right next to each other.
As we walked it was interesting to note that the marketing is similar to ours with signage out front, large open windows (no glass just open spaces) with signs and goods for sale. You may expect that seeing a sewing machine on the front of the store may mean that the vendor sales the equipment but in reality he or she is advertising sewing services including making material, hemming, making pants, suits or repairing an item as you wait.
Cafes have several styles of food which you can smell as you walk by. The difference between here and home is the lack of rotting food behind the building. There is extremely low waste as it comes to food - for obvious reasons.
As we entered a shop with Grant we saw washing machines, refrigerators, cooking supplies, watches, generators and a variety of other items. Grant was "making business" with one man and another of eastern heritage started talking to Mike and I. After going through a few languages he says "English" and we say yes, then he begins his conversation in English and welcomes us to the shop and to the town.
One of the two items is purchased and we set off to another store. We get to view a bit more of town and inspect the "flood water drainage system" which are two to three feed deep tunnels on each side of the street. They have concrete block covers, which have iterations of cross section and open slot for water to drain into. While you can see directly into the bottom of the pit (even though neither one of us has a good nose), there is no discernable odor. Grant walks quickly and Mike and I trail behind, I gander a bit much and almost walk in front of two men on a single bicycle. The driver simply smiles, waves me across, and states that I am welcome to go first. This is typical of the people's hospitality as they expect to serve guests. If nothing else, it would be good for us to bring this quality back and have it a lasting part of our lifestyle.
We quickly find the other store and Grant is able to get the remaining item. Again the storekeepers are friendly and helpful. As we start the return to the Lutheran seminary, we realize that we've missed morning tea so to make up for our loss Mike buys us some ice cream.
Later in the day we travel to Mkyuni where we painted on Tuesday and where the VBS will be held today through Sunday. Grant's vehicle is the typical / required 4-wheel drive jeep style with bucket seats in the front, a small back seat, and two folding seats in the rear compartment. We have two suitcases of toys and crafts for the kids, the small TV, a VCR, the three of us and our backpacks. We pick up Luka's brother Solomon, Pastors Leonard and Jacob, Ezekial and Anna who are teachers, and another suitcase and backpacks. As is typical in Tanzania, we are given the most comfortable seats while the others "stretch the vehicle to fit" and pack the items around them. Again, a great tradition of service.
I don't have time to relate the trip out but would like to do so. The road is long, narrow, and has more ruts and holes that it does flat ground. Many times we fly off the seats yet no one complains and we are happy to be riding instead of bicycling or walking as we see so many people along side the road doing. This again is another story I wish to relate as there are groups, dozens, of people walking, carrying, vending items along the roadside. This is truly amazing and a sight that I cannot quite figure out.
We arrive at Mkyuni and about 50 children greet us as well as several adults. The pastors formally begin the VBS with scripture and prayer then Jacob tells a wonderful story about the power of God. Although we can't understand the language, we are captivated by his style, excitement, and entertaining hand movements. On the way home Grant recalls the story for us and it is one we can easily pass on.
The children are typical with the girls being more obedient and the boys a bit more antsy. Mike and I sit in the second row interspersed with boys who want to hold our hands and smile at us. I am sure it is handholding and attention they are seeking and not just looking at my watch. We visit a while and are introduced to the group then asked to join the family for afternoon meal, which we enjoy with several people. Before it got too late we had to start the return journey while the pastors and teachers stayed the night with Jacob.
There is much more to relate but those stories will have to come later. Thank you for your prayers and support. Mike and I feel deeply blessed to be here and receive much more than we deserve.
Brett
Friday, May 30, 2008
THURSDAY NIGHT
Today was an "Adult VBS" as Mike and I were able to travel to the Mikumi wildlife area under Grant's guidance. Of course the day started with tea, coffee, yogurt, breads and fruit. Since we would not begin our travel until after lunch, Mike took me on an extended walk around the Lutheran Seminary. The grounds have a church, graveyard, school, dormitories, and housing for teachers, missionaries and guests. There is a large football (soccer) field and a basketball area as well as maintenance buildings and water towers.
Green lush vegetation is all around—including a variety of shrub and tree. Throughout the seminary there are private gardens growing different leafy vegetables, bananas, papaya, corn and other items. There are a very few dogs and cats and several goats and some mules.
We barely had time to finish our walk before morning tea time. (Tanzania was formerly a British colony). This is the first time we were on the grounds to do so and we were able to greet several of the teachers,
After some devotional time and discussion Mike and I were back at the dining hall for lunch. Since we were served the wheat "tortilla", I created a Tanzania buritto with rice, beans, and sauce. I received a few strange looks but it was enjoyable and easy to eat. Grant, Herb Hafermann and Luka talked to us about Mikumi and even provided some booklets. This conversation turned into several wild, yet true, tales of lions in the park. Herb made several jokes about not knowing whether Oklahomans were good for lion's dinners or not. All was good fun and after a few errands we were off.
The drive was easy and we had an extra special day as we were able to stay overnight at the park lodge—a first for Grant. During the evening we saw all the popular animals except the wild cats. We say quite a variety of birds but didn't know the names for most of them. Not only were the animals beautiful but the plains of high grass with the mountainous borders were extraordinary. As dusk rolled in Grant hurried us back to the bungalo which we would share for the night.
We had a wonderful dinner in the open restaurant and ate by some small lights and candles. Dinner was tasty and we followed it with fresh sweet fruit and coffee. Afterwards we enjoyed community together in the bungalo and finally slept.
This morning, Thursday, we woke early to trek through the park again. We saw small herds this time instead of a few individual animals. Zebra seem to be the most social with other animals as you can see them mixed within any grouping. They can be seen grazing with antelope, water buffalo, wildebeest and others. Elephant and giraffe are seen in small groups with elephants mostly in family units. Our journey did have to come to an end but we did have to enjoy one more meal - a delightful breakfast on the porch - before leaving.
Wouldn't you know it, we arrived back at the seminary just at lunch time. Although we didn't eat much we enjoyed extended conversation with those we had briefly engaged previously. Hearing different stories about people's faith journey only confirms our reason for being here - and maybe as importantly - provides more comfort in knowing that the Christian outreach by Asbury is similar in many churches across the globe. We spoke with Kristiana who is here with three small boys and her husband. She has a wonderful story I will relate later, but in short it is a typical God story where their faith was rewarded with the right position, the right time, and with the right resources. She related that her church of 180 people supports her family, another family and a few other individuals who work in western Tanzania. We hope to later share how we are seeing the Great Commission unfold through her and other people.
Mike and I will spend the rest of the day preparing for the upcoming three days of Kids' Camp (VBS) with local villagers. This evening should permit time to meet with some of the pastors or evangelists from those villages who meet and study with Grant on a weekly basis.
While the last day has been more vacation than work it is easily related to Romans 1:20 where Paul states that God's creations alone should be evidence of his existence. What a great thrill it is to be here and acknowledge this truth with strangers who are actually our relatives in Christ.
Green lush vegetation is all around—including a variety of shrub and tree. Throughout the seminary there are private gardens growing different leafy vegetables, bananas, papaya, corn and other items. There are a very few dogs and cats and several goats and some mules.
We barely had time to finish our walk before morning tea time. (Tanzania was formerly a British colony). This is the first time we were on the grounds to do so and we were able to greet several of the teachers,
After some devotional time and discussion Mike and I were back at the dining hall for lunch. Since we were served the wheat "tortilla", I created a Tanzania buritto with rice, beans, and sauce. I received a few strange looks but it was enjoyable and easy to eat. Grant, Herb Hafermann and Luka talked to us about Mikumi and even provided some booklets. This conversation turned into several wild, yet true, tales of lions in the park. Herb made several jokes about not knowing whether Oklahomans were good for lion's dinners or not. All was good fun and after a few errands we were off.
The drive was easy and we had an extra special day as we were able to stay overnight at the park lodge—a first for Grant. During the evening we saw all the popular animals except the wild cats. We say quite a variety of birds but didn't know the names for most of them. Not only were the animals beautiful but the plains of high grass with the mountainous borders were extraordinary. As dusk rolled in Grant hurried us back to the bungalo which we would share for the night.
We had a wonderful dinner in the open restaurant and ate by some small lights and candles. Dinner was tasty and we followed it with fresh sweet fruit and coffee. Afterwards we enjoyed community together in the bungalo and finally slept.
This morning, Thursday, we woke early to trek through the park again. We saw small herds this time instead of a few individual animals. Zebra seem to be the most social with other animals as you can see them mixed within any grouping. They can be seen grazing with antelope, water buffalo, wildebeest and others. Elephant and giraffe are seen in small groups with elephants mostly in family units. Our journey did have to come to an end but we did have to enjoy one more meal - a delightful breakfast on the porch - before leaving.
Wouldn't you know it, we arrived back at the seminary just at lunch time. Although we didn't eat much we enjoyed extended conversation with those we had briefly engaged previously. Hearing different stories about people's faith journey only confirms our reason for being here - and maybe as importantly - provides more comfort in knowing that the Christian outreach by Asbury is similar in many churches across the globe. We spoke with Kristiana who is here with three small boys and her husband. She has a wonderful story I will relate later, but in short it is a typical God story where their faith was rewarded with the right position, the right time, and with the right resources. She related that her church of 180 people supports her family, another family and a few other individuals who work in western Tanzania. We hope to later share how we are seeing the Great Commission unfold through her and other people.
Mike and I will spend the rest of the day preparing for the upcoming three days of Kids' Camp (VBS) with local villagers. This evening should permit time to meet with some of the pastors or evangelists from those villages who meet and study with Grant on a weekly basis.
While the last day has been more vacation than work it is easily related to Romans 1:20 where Paul states that God's creations alone should be evidence of his existence. What a great thrill it is to be here and acknowledge this truth with strangers who are actually our relatives in Christ.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tanzania Update May 29, 2008
Today was an adult VBS as Mike and I were able to travel to the Mikumi wildlife area under Grant's guidance. Of course the day started with tea, coffee, yogurt, breads, and fruit. Since we would not begin our travel until after lunch Mike took me on an extended walk around the Lutheran Seminary. The grounds have a church, graveyard, school, dormitories, and housing for teachers, missionaries, and guests. There is a large football (soccer) field and a basketball area as well as maintenance buildings and water towers.
Green lush vegetation is all around including a variety of shrub and tree. Throughout the seminary there are private gardens growing different leafy vegetables, bananas, papaya, corn and other items. There are a very few dogs and cats and several goats and some mules.
We barely had time to finish our walk before morning tea time. This is the first time we were on the grounds to do so and we were able to greet several of the teachers,
After some devotional time and discussion Mike and I were back at the dining hall for lunch. Since we were served the wheat "tortilla", I created a Tanzania buritto with rice, beans, and sauce. I received a few strange looks but it was enjoyable and easy to eat. Grant, Herb Hofferman, and Luka talked to us about Mikumi and even provided some booklets. This conversation turned into several wild, yet true, tales of lions in the park. Herb made several jokes about not knowing whether Oklahomans were good for lion's dinners or not. All was good fun and after a few errands we were off.
The drive was easy and we had an extra special day as we were able to stay overnight - a first for Grant. During the evening we saw all the popular animals except the wild cats. We saw quite a variety of birds but didn't know the names for most of them. Not only were the animals beautiful the plains of high grass with the mountainous borders wes extraordinary. As dusk rolled in Grant, hurried us back to the bungalo which we would share for the night.
We had a wonderful dinner in the open restaurant and ate by some small lights and candles. Dinner was tasty and we followed it with fresh sweet fruit and coffee. Afterwards we enjoyed community together in the bungalo and finally slept.
This morning, Thursday, we woke early to trek through the park again. We saw small herds this time instead of a few individual animals. Zebra seem to be the most social with other animals as you can see them mixed within any grouping. They can be seen grazing with antelope, water buffalo, wildebeest and others. Elephant and giraffe are seen in small groups with elephants mostly in family units. Our journey did have to come to an end but we did have to enjoy one more meal - a delightful breakfast on the porch - before leaving.
Wouldn't you know it, we arrived back at the seminary just at lunch time. Although we didn't eat much, we enjoyed extended conversation with those we had briefly engaged previously. Hearing different stories about people's faith journey only confirms our reason for being here - and maybe as importantly - provides more comfort in knowing that the Christian outreach by Asbury is similar in many churches across the globe. We spoke with Kristiana who is here with three small boys and her husband. She has a wonderful story I will relate later but in short it is a typical God story where their faith was rewarded with the right position, the right time, and with the right resources. She related that her church of 180 people support her family another family and a few other individuals who work in western Tanzania. We hope to later share how we are seeing the Great Commission unfold through her and other people.
Mike and I will spend the rest of the day preparing for the three days of VBS with local villagers. This evening should permit time to meet with some of the pastors or evangelists from those villages who meet and study with Grant on a weekly basis.
While the last day has been more vacation than work it is easily related to Romans 1:20 where Paul states that God's creations alone should be evidence of his existance. What a great thrill it is to be here and acknowledge this truth with strangers who are actually our relatives in Christ.
Brett
Green lush vegetation is all around including a variety of shrub and tree. Throughout the seminary there are private gardens growing different leafy vegetables, bananas, papaya, corn and other items. There are a very few dogs and cats and several goats and some mules.
We barely had time to finish our walk before morning tea time. This is the first time we were on the grounds to do so and we were able to greet several of the teachers,
After some devotional time and discussion Mike and I were back at the dining hall for lunch. Since we were served the wheat "tortilla", I created a Tanzania buritto with rice, beans, and sauce. I received a few strange looks but it was enjoyable and easy to eat. Grant, Herb Hofferman, and Luka talked to us about Mikumi and even provided some booklets. This conversation turned into several wild, yet true, tales of lions in the park. Herb made several jokes about not knowing whether Oklahomans were good for lion's dinners or not. All was good fun and after a few errands we were off.
The drive was easy and we had an extra special day as we were able to stay overnight - a first for Grant. During the evening we saw all the popular animals except the wild cats. We saw quite a variety of birds but didn't know the names for most of them. Not only were the animals beautiful the plains of high grass with the mountainous borders wes extraordinary. As dusk rolled in Grant, hurried us back to the bungalo which we would share for the night.
We had a wonderful dinner in the open restaurant and ate by some small lights and candles. Dinner was tasty and we followed it with fresh sweet fruit and coffee. Afterwards we enjoyed community together in the bungalo and finally slept.
This morning, Thursday, we woke early to trek through the park again. We saw small herds this time instead of a few individual animals. Zebra seem to be the most social with other animals as you can see them mixed within any grouping. They can be seen grazing with antelope, water buffalo, wildebeest and others. Elephant and giraffe are seen in small groups with elephants mostly in family units. Our journey did have to come to an end but we did have to enjoy one more meal - a delightful breakfast on the porch - before leaving.
Wouldn't you know it, we arrived back at the seminary just at lunch time. Although we didn't eat much, we enjoyed extended conversation with those we had briefly engaged previously. Hearing different stories about people's faith journey only confirms our reason for being here - and maybe as importantly - provides more comfort in knowing that the Christian outreach by Asbury is similar in many churches across the globe. We spoke with Kristiana who is here with three small boys and her husband. She has a wonderful story I will relate later but in short it is a typical God story where their faith was rewarded with the right position, the right time, and with the right resources. She related that her church of 180 people support her family another family and a few other individuals who work in western Tanzania. We hope to later share how we are seeing the Great Commission unfold through her and other people.
Mike and I will spend the rest of the day preparing for the three days of VBS with local villagers. This evening should permit time to meet with some of the pastors or evangelists from those villages who meet and study with Grant on a weekly basis.
While the last day has been more vacation than work it is easily related to Romans 1:20 where Paul states that God's creations alone should be evidence of his existance. What a great thrill it is to be here and acknowledge this truth with strangers who are actually our relatives in Christ.
Brett
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tanzania VIM Journal/Construction Team and Kids' Camp
Well we got out of Dar just fine, Brett did not have a signal for his phone in Dar but when we got to the seminary he did, so he may also be able to get messages out. I am currently using the seminary's computer and it seems fine, but you never know.
We got to the seminary and this was a day of catch up for us. We unpacked had lunch and then rested. Grant then took us to the orphanage. We walked there (about a 30 minute walk at most) and then we played with the kids for over an hour. The kids were really receptive and most of them came to us right away. We had pork pockets for supper. They are kinda like a hot pocket with pork in them. They were good. We also had pineapple which is always real good here. After supper Shadreck found us and told us the "mall" was open, Brett and I decided that shopping may be the hardest part of the trip—it is for me anyway. We are just catching up. Both of us are tired. I am trying to delay going to bed too early so perhaps I'll sleep later.
SUNDAY NIGHT
The email was set up in another language so I’m typing in Word, hoping that I can send you something.
We went to Maseyu today. Leonard is the pastor there. He was ordained last January, and I had previously met him at Gezaulole. We met his wife and three kids over tea. The tea was served with chipati and corn on the cob. This was between nine and ten in the morning. There youngest child is Rebecca and they let us hold her all during the church service. Then they held an auction after the service which included a live pig, ram and some produce—oranges—and fabric. It was again quite an interesting experience, If someone was bidding they would come over and fan them—helping them to get air so they could continue to bid. We came back to the seminary mid afternoon and went to tea here.
We took a walk around the seminary to Grant’s place, I was a little confused getting there but made it eventually. We are both doing well. Brett has good service on his phone and has received text messages from home.
MONDAY NIGHT
We went to a village to paint today. It is where the Kids' Camp will be. I never can remember the name of the village but Leonard used to serve there and now his older brother is the evangelist there. We had a good team of painters: Brett, myself, Grant, Leonard and Luka. It went well. (We even think that some of the paint got on the walls.) They have two colors on the walls.The top (this time) will be white and the bottom blue. The bottom is a glossy paint to help with little hand prints etc. We only painted white, The home was in need of paint due to major repairs that had been done recently. Luka had repaired some walls that were in danger of falling, therefore portions of the walls had no previous paint. It was a good glimpse into the village as well and the ride there convinced me that Jeff did not need to make the trip as this was a "good" road and some of the bumps would still rattle you.
When we arrived at the village we watched the kids in the kindergarten take some lessons. They were learning their numbers. It appears that we will have a good number of kids for Kids Camp.
We will work back at Maseyu Tuesday repairing a floor in the front room and the porch.
Tell Mark Dalton the internet has been great this time around. You never know!!!!!!
Hope everyone's holiday was great!
TUESDAY NIGHT:
Maseyu was our place of adventure for the day. We started the day in the typical way with breakfast and a relaxing tea—although Mike continues with the coffee.
Luka joined us for the work detail and actually led us during the day. Grant had classes to teach at the seminary during the day but was able to stay long enough to connect us with the children.
The kindergarten class is a group of about 22 kids. They sang for us and read words from the board. Their songs are about learning being good and those that don't know how to read have to walk all through the village to find someone to read a letter for them.
Pastor Leonard told the kids the story of the woman who made the pew babies (see story below) and how they were blessed by her pastor and prayed over by children in her church. The kids understood and sang a song for their new Grandma Anna! Mike allowed me to pass out the dolls as each girl came forward and said thank you. Then Mike passed out balls to the boys. They all seemed to like their gifts and sang a final song for us.
Pastor Leonard's family then prepared us tea and sweat bread which Grant, Luka, Mike and I enjoyed.
The rest of the day was spent mixing concrete, repairing the floor in the front room and front porch, making a small step across a ditch at the front of the house, and using the old concrete to make gravel for containing the erosion in the ditch. While it may seem like a lot of work in the 95 degree day, it really wasn't. Luka, Leonard, and another man - Fabian - did the heavy lifting.
As is typical here, they provided lunch of rice, beans, sauce, oranges, and bananas - truly extravagant giving. This quickly became an even more memorable time as Mike, Luka and I told stories and laughed a lot. Pastor Leonard joined us later which only made things better.
The work was completed around five thirty - just in time to get back for dinner. No wonder we all come home a bit heavier than we left!
Thought for the day: the kindergarten kids may live up to an hour away and walk to school each day. Many of these young kids do so alone. But what a great thing the pastor(s) do here in not only spreading the Word of God, but also in spreading education and other gifts.
Blessings to all and thank you for supporting this ministry.
*THE STORY OF THE PEW DOLLS... There is an elderly widow named Anne (her husband was a pastor) living in South Carolina who has a big heart for missions and a desire to use her time and her gifts for children in other lands. She was given information about Grant's work in Tanzania by the Mission Society and set out to make several "pew dolls" for the children in the mission district there. Anne makes these small cloth dolls using scraps of fabric - some donated to her by friends in her church. When the dolls are ready and she has identified a missionary to distribute them, she takes them to her small Methodist church for a consecration service. The pastor blesses the dolls during the worship service. She also takes them to one of the children's classes at her church and lets the children hold them and pray for them, as well as pray for the child who will receive the doll. She tells the children a bit about where the dolls are going. In this case, she had a video of one of Asbury's Kids Camps in Tanzania to show to the South Carolina Sunday School class so that they could learn more about mission work in East Africa. She wrote, "I pray that the little girls who get them will like them too. Since I don't make them look like the children I'm sending them to, you can tell Grant to tell the little girls that the dolls are the USA girls coming to see them with love. You see our Sunday School children have a part in sending them." It is a win-win situation where Miss Anne uses these pew babies to teach the children (and adults) in her church about mission work going on halfway around the world and then blesses children in other lands with a small token of love from the USA. Her latest project is making pew dolls for Tajikistan and sending them with an Atlanta Church VIM team going there in June. Miss Anne says "They ask for our prayers. As you see, no one person gets God's work done - it takes us all working together." Please say a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing for Miss Anne in South Carolina, and for her ministry of pew dolls!
We got to the seminary and this was a day of catch up for us. We unpacked had lunch and then rested. Grant then took us to the orphanage. We walked there (about a 30 minute walk at most) and then we played with the kids for over an hour. The kids were really receptive and most of them came to us right away. We had pork pockets for supper. They are kinda like a hot pocket with pork in them. They were good. We also had pineapple which is always real good here. After supper Shadreck found us and told us the "mall" was open, Brett and I decided that shopping may be the hardest part of the trip—it is for me anyway. We are just catching up. Both of us are tired. I am trying to delay going to bed too early so perhaps I'll sleep later.
SUNDAY NIGHT
The email was set up in another language so I’m typing in Word, hoping that I can send you something.
We went to Maseyu today. Leonard is the pastor there. He was ordained last January, and I had previously met him at Gezaulole. We met his wife and three kids over tea. The tea was served with chipati and corn on the cob. This was between nine and ten in the morning. There youngest child is Rebecca and they let us hold her all during the church service. Then they held an auction after the service which included a live pig, ram and some produce—oranges—and fabric. It was again quite an interesting experience, If someone was bidding they would come over and fan them—helping them to get air so they could continue to bid. We came back to the seminary mid afternoon and went to tea here.
We took a walk around the seminary to Grant’s place, I was a little confused getting there but made it eventually. We are both doing well. Brett has good service on his phone and has received text messages from home.
MONDAY NIGHT
We went to a village to paint today. It is where the Kids' Camp will be. I never can remember the name of the village but Leonard used to serve there and now his older brother is the evangelist there. We had a good team of painters: Brett, myself, Grant, Leonard and Luka. It went well. (We even think that some of the paint got on the walls.) They have two colors on the walls.The top (this time) will be white and the bottom blue. The bottom is a glossy paint to help with little hand prints etc. We only painted white, The home was in need of paint due to major repairs that had been done recently. Luka had repaired some walls that were in danger of falling, therefore portions of the walls had no previous paint. It was a good glimpse into the village as well and the ride there convinced me that Jeff did not need to make the trip as this was a "good" road and some of the bumps would still rattle you.
When we arrived at the village we watched the kids in the kindergarten take some lessons. They were learning their numbers. It appears that we will have a good number of kids for Kids Camp.
We will work back at Maseyu Tuesday repairing a floor in the front room and the porch.
Tell Mark Dalton the internet has been great this time around. You never know!!!!!!
Hope everyone's holiday was great!
TUESDAY NIGHT:
Maseyu was our place of adventure for the day. We started the day in the typical way with breakfast and a relaxing tea—although Mike continues with the coffee.
Luka joined us for the work detail and actually led us during the day. Grant had classes to teach at the seminary during the day but was able to stay long enough to connect us with the children.
The kindergarten class is a group of about 22 kids. They sang for us and read words from the board. Their songs are about learning being good and those that don't know how to read have to walk all through the village to find someone to read a letter for them.
Pastor Leonard told the kids the story of the woman who made the pew babies (see story below) and how they were blessed by her pastor and prayed over by children in her church. The kids understood and sang a song for their new Grandma Anna! Mike allowed me to pass out the dolls as each girl came forward and said thank you. Then Mike passed out balls to the boys. They all seemed to like their gifts and sang a final song for us.
Pastor Leonard's family then prepared us tea and sweat bread which Grant, Luka, Mike and I enjoyed.
The rest of the day was spent mixing concrete, repairing the floor in the front room and front porch, making a small step across a ditch at the front of the house, and using the old concrete to make gravel for containing the erosion in the ditch. While it may seem like a lot of work in the 95 degree day, it really wasn't. Luka, Leonard, and another man - Fabian - did the heavy lifting.
As is typical here, they provided lunch of rice, beans, sauce, oranges, and bananas - truly extravagant giving. This quickly became an even more memorable time as Mike, Luka and I told stories and laughed a lot. Pastor Leonard joined us later which only made things better.
The work was completed around five thirty - just in time to get back for dinner. No wonder we all come home a bit heavier than we left!
Thought for the day: the kindergarten kids may live up to an hour away and walk to school each day. Many of these young kids do so alone. But what a great thing the pastor(s) do here in not only spreading the Word of God, but also in spreading education and other gifts.
Blessings to all and thank you for supporting this ministry.
*THE STORY OF THE PEW DOLLS... There is an elderly widow named Anne (her husband was a pastor) living in South Carolina who has a big heart for missions and a desire to use her time and her gifts for children in other lands. She was given information about Grant's work in Tanzania by the Mission Society and set out to make several "pew dolls" for the children in the mission district there. Anne makes these small cloth dolls using scraps of fabric - some donated to her by friends in her church. When the dolls are ready and she has identified a missionary to distribute them, she takes them to her small Methodist church for a consecration service. The pastor blesses the dolls during the worship service. She also takes them to one of the children's classes at her church and lets the children hold them and pray for them, as well as pray for the child who will receive the doll. She tells the children a bit about where the dolls are going. In this case, she had a video of one of Asbury's Kids Camps in Tanzania to show to the South Carolina Sunday School class so that they could learn more about mission work in East Africa. She wrote, "I pray that the little girls who get them will like them too. Since I don't make them look like the children I'm sending them to, you can tell Grant to tell the little girls that the dolls are the USA girls coming to see them with love. You see our Sunday School children have a part in sending them." It is a win-win situation where Miss Anne uses these pew babies to teach the children (and adults) in her church about mission work going on halfway around the world and then blesses children in other lands with a small token of love from the USA. Her latest project is making pew dolls for Tajikistan and sending them with an Atlanta Church VIM team going there in June. Miss Anne says "They ask for our prayers. As you see, no one person gets God's work done - it takes us all working together." Please say a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing for Miss Anne in South Carolina, and for her ministry of pew dolls!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tanzania Update May 27, 2008
Fri., May 23: We made it to Dar. The flights were uneventful and our luggage made it fine. The visa process went well for Brett and my visa from last time worked this time as well. Grant and Raymond picked us up.
Sat., May 24: We got out of Dar just fine. Brett did not have a signal for his phone in Dar, but when we got to the seminary he did. He may also be able to get messages out. He did receive a text message from his daughter. I am currently using the seminary's computer and it seems fine, you never know.
We got to the seminary and this was a day of catch up for us. We unpacked, had lunch and then rested. Grant then took us to the orphanage. We walked there (about 30 min walk at most) and then played with the kids for over an hour. The kids were really receptive and most of them came to us right away. We had pork pockets for supper. They are kinda like a hot pocket with pork in them. They were good. We also had pineapple which is always really good here. After supper, Shadreck found us and told us the mall was open. Brett and I decided that shopping may be the hardest part of the trip, it is for me anyway. We are just catching up. Both of us are tired. I am trying to delay going to bed too early so perhaps I'll sleep later.
While Raymond was in Dar he went to see his nephew in the hospital. He had some kind of stomach surgery, so put him in your prayers.
Tomorrow we go to Masayeu for worship. That is right along the highway, so it is relatively easy to travel.
Sun., May 25: We went to Masayu on Sunday. Leonard is the pastor there. He was ordained last January, and I had previously met him at Gazeolile. We met his wife and three kids over tea. The tea was served with chipati and corn on the cob. This was between nine and ten in the morning. There youngest child is Rebecca and they let us hold her all during the church service which drew a few strange looks. Anyway they held an auction after the service which included a live pig, ram and some produce, oranges and fabric. It was again quite an interesting experience. If someone was bidding, they would come over and fan them (helping to get air) so they could continue to bid. We came back to the seminary mid afternoon and went to tea here.
We took a walk around the seminary to Grant’s place. I was a little confused getting there but got there eventually. We are both doing well. Brett has good service on his phone and has received text messages from home.
Mike
Sat., May 24: We got out of Dar just fine. Brett did not have a signal for his phone in Dar, but when we got to the seminary he did. He may also be able to get messages out. He did receive a text message from his daughter. I am currently using the seminary's computer and it seems fine, you never know.
We got to the seminary and this was a day of catch up for us. We unpacked, had lunch and then rested. Grant then took us to the orphanage. We walked there (about 30 min walk at most) and then played with the kids for over an hour. The kids were really receptive and most of them came to us right away. We had pork pockets for supper. They are kinda like a hot pocket with pork in them. They were good. We also had pineapple which is always really good here. After supper, Shadreck found us and told us the mall was open. Brett and I decided that shopping may be the hardest part of the trip, it is for me anyway. We are just catching up. Both of us are tired. I am trying to delay going to bed too early so perhaps I'll sleep later.
While Raymond was in Dar he went to see his nephew in the hospital. He had some kind of stomach surgery, so put him in your prayers.
Tomorrow we go to Masayeu for worship. That is right along the highway, so it is relatively easy to travel.
Sun., May 25: We went to Masayu on Sunday. Leonard is the pastor there. He was ordained last January, and I had previously met him at Gazeolile. We met his wife and three kids over tea. The tea was served with chipati and corn on the cob. This was between nine and ten in the morning. There youngest child is Rebecca and they let us hold her all during the church service which drew a few strange looks. Anyway they held an auction after the service which included a live pig, ram and some produce, oranges and fabric. It was again quite an interesting experience. If someone was bidding, they would come over and fan them (helping to get air) so they could continue to bid. We came back to the seminary mid afternoon and went to tea here.
We took a walk around the seminary to Grant’s place. I was a little confused getting there but got there eventually. We are both doing well. Brett has good service on his phone and has received text messages from home.
Mike
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