I was in the Peace Corps as a high school math teacher at Ikizu Secondary School from 1993- 1995. So, yes it is most definitely still there. In fact, when I first arrived, I told some small children I was looking for Ikizu school and they said, "Mission?" I said, "I'm not sure."

They brought me to 'Mission" and it was the right place! And it wasn't long before I was given a tour of the place and they did show me some graves under a tree behind the chapel and told me it was a family of missionaries that died from some disease. I never looked closely, but there are stones there. I now have a non-profit org that I started in that area (www.projectzawadi.org) and travel there twice a year. I will most definitely take some photos of the gravesite for you and read it as carefully as possible (if there is anything to read) to let you know exactly what is written there.

There are actually two gravesites there of 'founders'. It seems that two different missionary families had deaths due to disease. I know that one family is buried at a very visible part of the school and is specially marked to explain who it is that is buried there. You should be so proud of your grandparents because what they started is still there and going strong. I saw the 1948 photo and instantly recognized the building. It is still there and being used! I used it, in fact, to teach.

I printed the photo and will bring it with me (I'll be there in July!) to see if anyone recognizes people in the photo. Isn't this exciting? I'm assuming that you will find it exciting since you took the time to write the wonderful history. I love history also.

In fact, let me tell you a story about an old man - Mzee Ayubu. If you can find the name Ayubu in anything you have, let me know. He was a very old man and loved to tell me stories. He was a devout Adventist (I'm raised Catholic, but not practicing) and would visit me most Saturdays to tell me stories. He clearly was close to the missionaries when he was younger and knew some English and treated me with such care. Anyway, I always wondered how close he was to the missionaries. I asked him about religion before the missionaries and he in fact did give me the year of their arrival. I can't remember exactly what he told me but it did seem to coincide with your essay of it! He said before the missionaries they worshipped other things: turtles because they walk like a boss, millipedes because they have so many legs, a certain piece of land because the corn grew so tall on it, a certain mountain because it was so tall, the chameleon because it could change colors...

Then I asked him what they thought when the missionaries came. He said the missionaries flew in on planes and they had never seen planes so they were amazed. They said that their skin color had changed like the chameleons and that the missionaries said they were sent by God. Therefore, he said, "We believed them!"

Well, I don't know how interested you are in this, but that little area of the world is on my mind a lot all the time, so any more information you can share with me would be great. Also, I'm very interested to do some more research on this upcoming trip to see if I can find anyone who remembers and can tell me stories about Irene and Frederick. Unfortunately, Ayubu passed away, and also another old man who could have helped, but I'm guessing I should be able to find someone.