It’s unbelievable how you blink and the time has passed; you turn around and it’s time to say good bye. Today we closed our time in Tanzania. I’ll have another post shortly on that. However, as I reflect on my time here, I have a few observations about Africa for you.
As a team we were always quick to call out our ‘This is Africa’ moments. TIA…
- If you get on public transport and the words ‘maximum occupancy’ do not apply… then you’re in Africa.
- If you have no concept of margin when a car goes flying past and nearly takes your left arm along with it… then you’re in Africa
- If you have ever begun to ask your friend to pay you back the 250 shillings for their bus fare before remembering that it’s only 19 cents… then you’re in Africa
- If you don’t think twice about asking a complete stranger to give you a ride on their motorcycle… then you’re in Africa
- If you start to name the goats in your back yard based off the different noises they make… then you’re in Africa
- If you still aren’t sure if it’s a actually a goat or maybe a sheep… then you’re in Africa
- If the cost in bargaining starts at $70 and eventually gets settled for $5… then you’re in Africa
- If you have to reply to someone, “No I haven’t met Obama yet”… then you’re in Africa.
- If you didn’t have any idea that the cat was pregnant… then you’re in Africa
- If you’ve gone to bed at 8 PM because the power went out… then you’re in Africa
- If you ask someone where you can watch the Super Bowl and they respond “you want a bowl of soup?”… then you’re in Africa
- When you put duct tape on your feet at night to try to remove the dirt embedded within… then you’re in Africa
- If you’ve sang ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ at Karaoke and nobody else has heard it before… then you’re in Africa
- When you play a five hole mini golf course on poured concrete… then you’re in Africa
- If you’ll gladly buy a newspaper because ‘it’s only a few days old’… then you’re in Africa
- And if Minnesota is ‘about halfway between New York and Los Angeles’… then you’re in Africa
Just a peek at what life is like here, now you know that This is Africa: TIA. expect some deeper thoughts shortly!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Closing Time - March 8 Update
It’s hard to believe there is such a short amount of time left here in Arusha! There is a lot to report, and I am sure to leave things out but I wish to post the big events as of late so you can stay up to speed and if you are willing pray for the last bit of the trip.
We continue to spend a significant amount of time at the school as well as around town meeting with people and visiting other schools. The last week or so will be similar, loving the kids as much as we can but also trying to put as many pieces to the puzzle together as possible before we say our goodbyes.
We have had meetings as of late with an organization called Imara Ministries. Imara is Swahili for ‘strong and firm’, and we have been connected there through the Vineyard church we have been attending here in Arusha. They have 5 school projects around the greater Arusha area, none of which are close to town. Through them we have gotten tremendous insight as to the process for starting a Christ centered school in Tanzania and to talked them a great deal about the situation with the Tuamken children.
We visited one of the Imara projects out near Moshi, about an hour and a half East of Arusha. We plan to make a trip to Peace House Africa this weekend. All of these experiences visiting schools are great for so many reasons. It provides a deeper understanding of what well run schools look like in Tanzania. It gives us the opportunity to ask all kinds of questions and learn. It also helps us get the word out about our orphans and to try to open some doors as God leads.
The kids received their new uniforms last week! It was truly astounding. Most of them had never received anything before that was brand new. They danced around showing off their new clothes all morning. Each uniform was tailored specifically for them, and had their name on it. Everything fit perfectly and it was one of the most heartwarming moments of the trip. Can you imagine having virtually zero possessions, and then receiving something brand new with your name on it? It also made them all equal (many did not have a school uniform altogether), and gave the school a noticeable sense of pride. They were finally unified as the Tuamkeni School.
Last week we took one of our children to the hospital after she was complaining of a stomach ache and had a fever. One of the teachers feared in was Malaria, which it in fact was. After a lot of prayer and some medications, Irene has her energy back and is feeling much better. She has been in school the past few days.
If you read my last post you heard a little bit about Carlous and Bahati’s story. We were so moved by it we decided to take the two of them out for a fun afternoon. We took them mini golfing (a very interesting idea in Africa), and then out for lunch. The whole time they had the biggest two smiles on their faces. At lunch they gazed around the restaurant in awe most of the time they were there. We knew without asking they had never been out to eat before, and a malt from McMoody’s was a giant surprise! We ended the day by taking them to the market to get shoes and backpacks. I think we were as blessed by the day as they were.
We hope to meet with Young Life of Arusha this week to discuss as much as possible about the future of the school. They have had a bit of involvement in the past but it has been difficult to get in touch with them.
Our last day with the kids will be special. We are going to a field nearby for an ‘Olympics Day’ followed by ice cream!
Please continue to pray for the kids, and for some of the last meetings with these organizations and the administration of the school. Please pray for the family we are staying with, the Lima’s. Please pray for safety the rest of the time in Arusha as well as on the journey home!
Thanks for reading!
-Andrew
We continue to spend a significant amount of time at the school as well as around town meeting with people and visiting other schools. The last week or so will be similar, loving the kids as much as we can but also trying to put as many pieces to the puzzle together as possible before we say our goodbyes.
We have had meetings as of late with an organization called Imara Ministries. Imara is Swahili for ‘strong and firm’, and we have been connected there through the Vineyard church we have been attending here in Arusha. They have 5 school projects around the greater Arusha area, none of which are close to town. Through them we have gotten tremendous insight as to the process for starting a Christ centered school in Tanzania and to talked them a great deal about the situation with the Tuamken children.
We visited one of the Imara projects out near Moshi, about an hour and a half East of Arusha. We plan to make a trip to Peace House Africa this weekend. All of these experiences visiting schools are great for so many reasons. It provides a deeper understanding of what well run schools look like in Tanzania. It gives us the opportunity to ask all kinds of questions and learn. It also helps us get the word out about our orphans and to try to open some doors as God leads.
The kids received their new uniforms last week! It was truly astounding. Most of them had never received anything before that was brand new. They danced around showing off their new clothes all morning. Each uniform was tailored specifically for them, and had their name on it. Everything fit perfectly and it was one of the most heartwarming moments of the trip. Can you imagine having virtually zero possessions, and then receiving something brand new with your name on it? It also made them all equal (many did not have a school uniform altogether), and gave the school a noticeable sense of pride. They were finally unified as the Tuamkeni School.
Last week we took one of our children to the hospital after she was complaining of a stomach ache and had a fever. One of the teachers feared in was Malaria, which it in fact was. After a lot of prayer and some medications, Irene has her energy back and is feeling much better. She has been in school the past few days.
If you read my last post you heard a little bit about Carlous and Bahati’s story. We were so moved by it we decided to take the two of them out for a fun afternoon. We took them mini golfing (a very interesting idea in Africa), and then out for lunch. The whole time they had the biggest two smiles on their faces. At lunch they gazed around the restaurant in awe most of the time they were there. We knew without asking they had never been out to eat before, and a malt from McMoody’s was a giant surprise! We ended the day by taking them to the market to get shoes and backpacks. I think we were as blessed by the day as they were.
We hope to meet with Young Life of Arusha this week to discuss as much as possible about the future of the school. They have had a bit of involvement in the past but it has been difficult to get in touch with them.
Our last day with the kids will be special. We are going to a field nearby for an ‘Olympics Day’ followed by ice cream!
Please continue to pray for the kids, and for some of the last meetings with these organizations and the administration of the school. Please pray for the family we are staying with, the Lima’s. Please pray for safety the rest of the time in Arusha as well as on the journey home!
Thanks for reading!
-Andrew
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