Feb. 23 - A Day Worth Writing About

Well, we continue to defy the laws of Africa by managing to stay extremely busy in such a relaxed and calm culture. We continue to uncover more of the story of the orphans and the deeper we dig the deeper we see how desperate this community is to be loved and supported.

At the front end of the trip we had been mainly focusing on the immediate needs of the school (food, supplies, clothes, furnishings etc). Last Wednesday the new desks arrived, and what a joy to see them in their brand new individual seats! The uniforms are scheduled to be finished by the end of the week and MAN it will be good to get them new clothes. Our only remaining task is to tie up some loose ends with getting the sweaters. We have found a few shops that carry the Tuamken colors and are just negotiating price.

This week has seemingly marked an unofficial transition of focus. We are now very much consumed in working out the future of the orphan’s school. We are excited as we can already sense God is presenting some of the puzzle pieces and showing us how to put them together. However, in the midst of planning for the future, a scary situation began to surface as the calendar continues to approach April 9th. The 9th is the day our rent for the building is finished. This week the owner of the building, Mr. Sonyari, made clear that we would not be able to extend our rent. Now, a little history:

The orphans are currently occupying a small home in the village that has been turned into the school. The rooms are not sufficient size for classrooms, but, it works. Perhaps the biggest drawback is the complete lack of space to run and play. After a history of being bounced around for not being able to afford rent, this is the Orphan’s School’s 4th building. The building is currently up for sale and has been for awhile now. Mr. Sonyari does not like renting the building as he believes it makes it harder to sell. Before meeting him the owner was described to me as a very angry man who will always put up a fight. One of the other volunteers was in a huge argument with this man in the past. Every time they try to negotiate for rent it was an ugly scene. It seemed as though all odds pointed against being able to rent this building any longer past April 9th. This would mean they would have to move AGAIN, which is a much bigger problem than it seems. When the school moves, not all the kids tend to move with it. It’s also very hard on the kids and also VERY difficult to find a place that is even remotely safe. You also run the risk of not finding a new facility and losing the kids entirely.

On Monday , the overseers of the orphanage called a meeting and frantically tried to make a plan for April 9th and beyond. We all agreed the next day Jenna and I would go with the overseers of the orphans to beg for more time. We all went to bed concerned and eager, and asked our church here and others to pray for generosity and compassion in the owner.

Tuesday came, and we called the owner to let him know we were coming. He was very angry on the phone. Mathew, the head overseer of the school, told Jenna and I to prepare for an ugly argument. We got in a taxi and prayed to God. Upon arriving the owner did not look us in the eyes and as Mathew began to translate through us to Swahili, Mr. Sonyari just drew in the sand. As Mathew spoke to him Jenna and I continued to pray. Slowly but steadily you could see goodness enter his face. After only a short time and without the slightest argument we had an agreement to pay rent through July! Not only that but so long as the building remains unsold the kids may continue to occupy for the foreseeable future! The craziest was that by the end we were all laughing together, and high fiving. High fives are probably not culturally correct after signing an agreement but we were excited. After that Mathew turned to Jenna and I and with the straightest most convinced face said “God heard your prayers”.

What a difference this victory was for the school. Everyone’s mood and spirits were brighter for the rest of the school day. When we returned to the school, the other volunteers were astonished at the news. Even the most reserved volunteer was running around singing when he heard. Praise God.

Outside of staying busy with the school we are trying to balance with a share of fun too. This week we saw Invictus. The movie was only OK but we had the pretty unique opportunity of going to a movie theatre in Africa, and seeing the movie with the Tanzanian Rugby Team! Really a cool experience. This weekend is the Kilimanjaro Marathon in Moshi. We are planning to head out there as a last Hurrah for Adam before he leaves for the Congo. He will be doing the half marathon whereas the 5K fun run seems more up my alley.

I’ll make one last promise to get better at posting more consistently. Hopefully this one I can fulfill.

I would love to hear from you, so feel free to contact me at Andrew@lavego.org

-Andrew