June 11, 2007

I experienced something new this evening which is actually quite a natural part of Tanzanian culture.

When someone dies here in Tanzania, they have a msiba which is quite different from our funerals at home.  However, as well, co-workers often go after the funeral to the home of the related person they know to say “Pole” which is an extension of sympathy.

This evening all of the workers of ACT went to say “Pole” to Dr. Akiri on the death of his father, who actually died in February.  Because of Dr. Akiri’s schedule and travel, it was difficult to coordinate a time.

There were about 35 of us in total.  There was prayer and Bible study and hymn singing for about a hour, after which Dr. Akiri spoke about his father and the funeral.  We also had the opportunity to see the pictures and video that was taken during the church service.

We shared soda and bites (chicken and chapatti) together.  Our time together was about three hours.  It is a nice way to recognize the life of a loved one and for friends to share in a time of sorrow.

Dr. Akiri’s family is very large.  His father had four wives and 28 children.  I ask you to keep them in your prayers.
 

June 10, 2007

The church service this morning was led by the students from the Pre-diploma course at Msalato Bible College.  It was a good service.  The students sang some songs in Swahili and led everything in the service.

One thing I am going to miss is the music.  The students (who are all studying to be priests or evangelists in their church) sang.  It’s just amazing how they just sing in harmony without sometimes even realizing they are doing it.  They also dance while they are singing.

Things are going well here but it’s amazing to think that my time is almost finished and I am preparing to return to Canada.

I ask your prayers for the students at Msalato that they will continue to be blessed and learn a lot to help them in their ministry.  I also ask your prayers for ACT and Dr. Akiri as I prepare to leave my post here and for Jacob and myself as we prepare to make the long journey to Canada.
 

May 31, 2007

Today is the last day of May.  It’s hard to believe how fast my time here is coming to an end.  It’s an exciting time thinking about what God may have in store for me next, but it is also a sad time.

I have really begun the training aspect of Dr. Akiri’s secretary to be more skilled to assist him more fully when I leave which reminds me everyday that my time here is coming to an end.

I have made many new friends here and it is a little sad to think about leaving them.  There are also many things I will miss about Tanzanian life and working in Dodoma.  The people on the street know me and greet me everyday.  The sun shines everyday which is different from Newfoundland.  That is going to be the biggest change weather wise.

Please pray for me and Jacob and we finish up our time here and I prepare to come home and Jacob prepares for the transition into a new culture.

Please also pray for the Anglican Church of Tanzania.  There are some problems and disputes in some of the Dioceses and some of the Dioceses are without Bishops for one reason or another so there will be some elections later in the year.  Also please pray for ACT as they prepare to elect a new Archbishop early next year.
 

May 17, 2007

Today I had the opportunity to visit St. Philip’s Theological College in Kongwa with Dr. Akiri.  He was going for a visit just to meet and speak with the staff and students and took myself and one of the other workers in the office, Mary Kitundu, along with him.

Kongwa is a small town about a 45 minute drive from Dodoma.

We arrived at St. Philip’s at approximately 1 p.m.  We were met by the principal, Rev. John Madinda and the other staff of the college.  There are currently three missionaries working there, a lady from the UK who is the administrator and teaches, and a married couple from Holland who had just started that week.  The man, who is an engineer, will be helping around the school and the woman will be teaching the pastor’s wives.

We had lunch with the staff and an opportunity to speak to them.  Dr. Akiri spoke a lot about the university project and the ways which St. Philip’s will be able to be involved.  At about 4 p.m. we met with the students.  There are currently 51 students from various Dioceses around Tanzania who are studying to become priests or who are already priests and are furthering their studies.

Dr. Akiri spoke to them and encouraged them in the work.  He had been a student at St. Philip’s in the past and told them that among them could be the next Bishops or General Secretary.

They had questions about some of the problems in the Dioceses as well as the university which Dr. Akiri answered.

We left Kongwa at about 7 p.m., arriving back in Dodoma by 8 p.m.  It was a full day but a great opportunity to see one of the theological colleges and have an opportunity to speak to the staff and students.

Please keep the staff and students of St. Philip’s in your prayers.  Pray that the college will continue to be successful and as they decide in what role they will join the new University that God’s Will will be carried out.
 

May 6, 2007

Today the service at church was led by children from Buigiri School for the Blind.  This is a school for blind children run by the Diocese of Central Tanganyika.  The head master himself is blind.  At the beginning of the service he gave a brief overview of the school.  Last year, the school scored six in the country and third in the region.  The children also participated in a special Olympics in Dar es Salaam earlier this year where they won a number of medals (first and second place) and all eight children that participated will be members of the Provincial team which will compete with other countries in Africa.

The head master himself is a great man.  We learned from Brian, an ex-pat who works with the Diocese in connection with the school, that the head master actually goes into the villages to look for children who are blind to attend the school.  As you can appreciate, life in the villages is very difficult and children are relied upon to help the family.  If parents have a child who is disabled in any way they are considered a burden and are often left on their own or locked away as they are unable to assist in the family income.  It is these children that the head master seeks out and brings to attend the school.

The school does not charge any fees, as the parents would be unable and in most cases unwilling if they were able to pay them.  The school is very successful, being run by the Diocese with assistance from different donors.

The children sang several songs, some in Swahili and some in English.  Their school song is about how they feel about the school and how it has changed their life and how they will never forget Buigiri.  It was a blessing to see these children looking healthy and happy and hearing how successful they have been in their studies.

Please keep the school and these children in your prayers.
 

March 30, 2007

It’s hard to believe it’s the end of March!  Time is going so fast.  Easter is just around the corner and then it will be summer and before you know it time for my return to Canada.

It’s been a good rainy season this year in Dodoma which has been wonderful for the crops but which has also brought its own set of problems.

I don’t know if news has gotten that far about Rift Valley Fever.  Rift Valley Fever is a fever-causing viral disease that affects livestock and humans in Africa.  It is most common during years of heavy rainfall.  Unfortunately, Rift Valley Fever has infected Kenya and Tanzania this year.  Rift Valley Fever can cause serious eye infection, inflammation of the brain, severe bleeding and death.

Currently, here in Dodoma most people have stopped eating meat as many of the cattle and livestock are infected and many herds have died.  There are currently about 100 patients at the Dodoma Regional Hospital.  About 30 people have already passed away because of the disease with the number rising daily.  While other areas of Tanzania have been affected, it is worse here in Dodoma.

The government is providing vaccinations for livestock but has advised people to avoid eating meat and drinking unboiled milk until the disease is under control.

There is a shortage of nurses and hospital staff as the number of patients has continued to rise, and the hospital is therefore understaffed and overfull.

I ask your continued prayer for those suffering from Rift Valley Fever and those who are caring for them, and for the families of those who have died from the disease.
 

March 12, 2007

Malaria – not as bad as it sounds!

I’ve been feeling unwell for the past couple of weeks.  I was diagnosed with malaria.  I was feeling weak and nauseated as well as a feeling of everything aching.  I took medication for the whole of last week, finishing on Friday.  I felt pretty good on Thursday and Friday and was able to go to work.  On Saturday I woke up again feeling unwell.  I went to the hospital again for another malaria test and found out I still had four parasites showing in my blood.  I was prescribed stronger medication this time which I finish today and thankfully I feel back to my old self today.

Malaria can be very dangerous, especially for those in the villages without access to proper medical care and treatment.  For those of us with the access to the proper care and treatment and the money to pay for the care and treatment, it is not as bad.

We have been blessed to have much rain in Dodoma this year which is excellent for the crops, however, with it comes many mosquitoes and many more cases of malaria.  I ask your continued prayers for the people of Tanzania, especially children in the villages suffering from malaria.
 

March 1, 2007

Who would have thought traveling half way across the world to work in Tanzania I would get the opportunity to meet the Archbishop of Canada as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury.  Well that’s exactly what happened!

For most of February I was in Dar es Salaam staying at the White Sands Hotel because the Primates of the Worldwide Anglican Communion were meeting in Tanzania and I was helping with the planning/preparations for the meeting.

The meeting took place from February 14th – 19th in Dar es Salaam.  As Archbishop Mtetemela was hosting the meeting, we at the Provincial Office were very busy with assisting the Anglican Communion team with the preparations for the meeting.  The Provincial Office was also very busy because the meeting was directly following the second fundraising event for the new University at the same time, unfortunately, Dr. Akiri’s father passed away.

The fundraiser for the new university took place on February 10th at the site of the new university.  The current president, His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, was the guest of honour.  The event was successful and well attended.  I was not at the fundraiser myself as I had traveled to Dar es Salaam to assist with the Primates Meeting preparations.

The Primates Meeting itself kept me very busy doing things like helping compile the conference bags, helping with airport pickups and room assignments and helping in the secretariat while the meetings were taking place.

The airport pickups were spread over a couple of days.  Several times I accompanied the travel manager to the airport to meet the Primates as they arrived just in case they would encounter any troubles with immigration on their arrival.

There was very high security during the meeting.  No one was allowed to enter the hotel area where the primates were staying or where the conference centre was without a red pass.  This was to provide the primates with the opportunity of not being approached by press and lobby groups if they chose not to be.

It was very interesting to be able to meet all the primates from all the different countries.  Although the meetings were tense, we were able to enjoy meals together with the primates and some fellowship at the closing BBQ on the last night.

On February 18th, the entire group traveled to Zanzibar for a service at the cathedral there, followed by lunch and a very brief tour of Zanzibar town before returning to White Sands in the evening.  This day was enjoyed by all.

I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to meet all the primates.  It was especially an honour to me to meet the Primate of Canada, Archbishop Andrew Hutchinson, who was very approachable and with whom I had the opportunity to chat several times.

It was also a great honour to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The meeting as a whole was a great opportunity to be involved in and I truly feel blessed that I was able to meet all the primates from around the world.
 

January 22, 2007

What I feared most about leaving home and coming to Tanzania was that while I was gone someone near and dear to me would pass away.  I hoped and prayed this would not be the case but unfortunately it was another part of God’s plan for me.

Last week my boss from Newfoundland, a very dear friend, a true supporter of my work here, a member of my support group and an overall great man, Reginald H. Brown, Q.C., passed away suddenly.  It was a big shock to me and being so far away made it much worse.

I was fortunate to have such support from family and friends at home to help me deal with the loss and to represent me at the funeral home and funeral.

Reg was one of the first people who I told about my wanting to do mission work overseas.  His response was “I think this is an awesome opportunity for you and I will support you in whatever way I can”.  He was there to help me and support me throughout the application process and once I was accepted and had to create a support group I asked him to be a member which he accepted.  I was very grateful for that as I have found that he was one of the group who kept the others focused on the task at hand.

Reg was a great man and lawyer.  He was well known and well respected.  I am honored to be able to say that I had a chance to meet him and work with him.  I miss him terribly but know that he is in a better place.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.  I ask you to keep them in your prayers as well.
 

January 5, 2007

I’m back in Dodoma now and back to work.

The rains have been good so far and it looks as though there will be good crops this year.  I ask your prayers that the rains will continue.

It promises to be a busy year for me at work as well as personally.  The meeting of World Primates will be taking place here in Tanzania in February.  We are in the midst of finalizing plans for this historic meeting.  I am pleased to be able to be a part of this meeting and feel truly blessed to get the opportunity to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury as well as the Archbishop of Canada.  It seems so strange to many that I have never met the Archbishop of Canada when here in Tanzania I am very familiar with Archbishop Donald (Mtetemela, Archbishop of Tanzania and Bishop of Ruaha).

I will also now be working closely with Dr. Akiri’s secretary who has just returned from a one year secretarial course.  I will be training her to take over my work upon my departure.

There is also much to be done in connection with the University which we hope will become operational this year.

All of this is in addition to the normal activities and work of the Provincial Office.

Personally I find myself in another stage of transition.  There is some transition in being newly married.  I also find myself beginning the transition process of leaving to go home this year.  It comes as a result of the immigration process required for Jacob to accompany me to Canada.  We ask your prayers that everything will go smoothly.

It is the beginning of another new and exciting year and I ask you to continue to pray for my work here.  I thank you for your continued support.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.
 

January 1, 2007

Heri ya mwaka mpya!  Happy New Year!

Jacob and I wish all of you a very blessed and prosperous 2007.  We thank you for all your prayers and support this past year and pray that as we continue to pray for you, you will continue to remember us, especially as we prepare to leave Tanzania for Canada in August.

We ask your continued prayers for the people of Tanzania.  We ask you to remember the Anglican Church of Tanzania and their work and the preparations for the proposed St. John’s University of Tanzania which we hope will open its doors to students in September of 2007.

As we reflect on the past year and move into this new year may the Lord precede all our activities.  We ask God’s blessing on you and all whom you hold dear.
 

December 25, 2006

It’s been another “simple” Christmas where the true meaning of Christmas really shone through.

Jacob and I went to Church at St. Alban’s this morning.  It was Christmas Eucharist like is celebrated at home on Christmas Eve.

Following the service we went to the Botanical Garden and walked around a little but it had rained and began to rain again so we went home.

We had pilau and chicken with soda and ice cream for our meal.  We shared gifts around the simple Christmas tree and spent time together as a family.

In the evening Jacob and I went to a local place where we had mishkaki (pieces of meat barbequed on skewers) and chips and talked for a while.

It was a very relaxing and simple Christmas which makes you appreciate the true meaning of Christmas.

We are however looking forward to being in Newfoundland for Christmas next year with all our friends and family there.
 

December 17, 2006

It’s a little easier to believe its close to Christmas now.  We had a carol service at church tonight.

The service consisted of the same lessons and carols we have in Newfoundland.  The Sunday School also participated.  They told the story from Mary being visited by the angel through to the birth of Jesus in song.  They was also some acting.  They all wore costumes and there were some props as well.  It was very fitting as it took place right after the opening hymn and set the tone for the rest of the service.

The Bishop of the Diocese (the Diocese of Central Tanganyika), Bishop Mdimi Mhogolo, did the sermon.  He spoke about gifts and Jesus being God’s gift to us.  There was heavy rain in the middle of his talk and the roof leaked causing people to have to move.  He was even able to tie this disruption into his sermon jokingly.  He commented that the cathedral had been built by a gift of money from overseas a number of years ago and perhaps now it was time for another gift to repair the roof.

There was a thunder and lightening storm which caused the final reader to have to compete with the thunder to be heard.  It was a fitting end as the reader read from John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  There was a loud crash of thunder and a spectacular display of lightening.  It was as if God was reinforcing his Word and I have to admit I got goose bumps.

Despite the weather I came away from the service feeling much more like Christmas and ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.
 

December 16, 2006

We had our end of the year/Christmas party for the office today.  It was definitely different than an office Christmas party in Newfoundland.

The party was held at Elizabeth’s house.  It was a barbeque and everyone sat around outdoors for a while before moving inside.  We had barbequed goat, chicken and banana.  There were sodas, juice and cake as well.

I said to Dr. Akiri “You wouldn’t be able to have a party outdoors in Canada in December”.  People find it hard to believe just how different the weather is.  I felt like I was in a totally different world.  It’s not much like Christmas when there’s no snow and not much in the way of Christmas music.

Everyone had a good time although it was a little sad because several of my co-workers’ contracts were finished this year and due to shortage of funds they won’t be renewed so we said our goodbyes at the party too.

Dr. Akiri gave everyone Christmas cards and also gave awards to four of us.  Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Kitundu and myself received Certificates of Appreciation and 50,000/= for consistently reporting to work on time in 2006.  Margareth Chittema received a Certificate of Appreciation and 50,000/= for always being present at prayers and often leading because the person scheduled did not come.

It’s nice to be recognized in this way but certainly a cultural difference.  In Canada it is expected you will consistently report to work on time and if you don’t there will be consequences, often leading to termination.  Here we were rewarded for being on time because it is very difficult to get people to report to work on time.  It is however an attempt to motivate the staff to try to be on time consistently next year.

It was a nice way to close the year at work by sharing some food and fellowship together.
 

November 23, 2006

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the passage in the Bible where Jesus washes the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-20).  Living in Dodoma, which is so hot, dry and dusty, Jesus’ words in John 13:10 always seem to be going through my head:  “…Those who have had a bath and are completely clean do not have to wash themselves, expect for their feet…”

Coming from Newfoundland, and not having much exposure to lots of sand and being able to wear sandals all the time, I never really understood the significance of this verse.  I know the point of the verse is that Jesus humbled himself and became a servant rather than one who was served but the analogy of needing only to wash your feet and the necessity of washing your feet upon entering the house never really meant much to me.  Living here in the dry, dusty town of Dodoma, the first thing we do when we go in the house is wash our feet.

All of my experiences so far in Tanzania have really strengthened my faith and I can honestly say I am thinking about the Bible and praying all the time.

Although I’ve not been involved in some specific projects or great contributions like building houses or teaching or preaching, I’m beginning to see that in many ways, while those things are very important, being here as an administrative assistant to the General Secretary is equally important.

I may not have stories of great deeds or projects I’ve personally been involved in but I have been told by the people around me that my presence here is encouraging to them and they feel blessed by my being here with them.

My job here is very clerical – Administrative Assistant to the General Secretary – Partnerships.  I know to many that doesn’t sound much like missionary work.  Day to day my time is spent on the phone with or e-mailing our overseas partners about different issues, organizing Dr. Akiri’s calendar and keeping the partnerships desk running while he’s away.  It’s certainly not that exciting to be writing about day to day.

However, it is the interaction with my co-workers and the general public where I’m able to help with a word of encouragement, or sometimes a little money or sometimes just to listen.  I feel very blessed by these times and I’m sure that is one of the reasons God called me here to this service.

Many people also like to hear about Canada and how things are done there and what the climate, culture and people are like.  For some, this is the only link they will ever have to another part of the world.

My time here continues to be a blessing to me and continues to strengthen my faith.  Just seeing how, despite sometimes the worst of living conditions, people are happy and go to Church and help each other.  This is a true picture of God’s love working in the world and how God wants us to live in communion with other people.

My life is so much richer for having been called to Tanzania and I have been richly rewarded.  I have a new family now here in Tanzania – not just Jacob and his family, but also my co-workers in Dodoma who have been a family to me this past year when my own family was so far away.  I’ve also been blessed with many new friends and have learned a whole new way of doing things.

I’ve been fortunate in that my father, mother, brother, my cousin, Jennifer and my Uncle Bill were able to come to Tanzania for the wedding and to experience in some small way the way I have been living for the past year.  Their presence was a blessing to me and to others as well.

I continue to be very grateful for all your support and prayers.  I pray that this will continue as I continue my work in Tanzania this coming year.

We are approaching the rainy season again and I ask you to remember Tanzania in your prayers and pray that we will be blessed with good rains so that the crops will be abundant and there may be some change to the power rationing situation.
 

October 3, 2006

The girls at the office had a Kitchen Party for me last night at my house.  A Kitchen Party is another Tanzanian custom.  The purpose is to teach the Bride some things about cooking and how to treat visitors and other things before being married.  It is attended by women.  We sang and prayed.  The girls then taught me to cook chapatti and rice.  They also talked about the Word of God and shared some of their experiences of married life.  They also taught me some cultural things about how to treat visitors in my home and information about what might be expected.

We had soda and snacks and listened to some choir music.  I wore traditional Kanga and Masai jewelry.  I hope you’ll check out the photos in my photo album.
 

September 24, 2006

The office staff had a “Send Off” for me last night.  A “Send Off” is an African tradition where the Bride’s family hosted a party to “send off” their daughter before the wedding.  Usually it is held on the Thursday night before the wedding.  Because I am not Tanzanian and I also don’t have my own family here in Tanzania right now, my “Send Off” wasn’t quite the same as a traditional Tanzanian one.  Jacob had come to visit in Dodoma so he was in attendance.  The office acted as my family and held the party for me.

We had a nice time and used some of the Tanzanian customs, like the cutting of the cake and the sending off of the bride with the giving of the gifts.  I received some money and some lovely Vitenge (cloth which can be sewn into clothes) and Kanga (printed cloth with a border).

It was very nice to have the office act as my family as that is how I feel about them.  Some of Jacob’s family who live in Dodoma were able to attend and a great time was had by all.
 

August 21, 2006

We had some visitors to the office from the United States today.  I had been involved in coordinating the visit.  There were three separate itineraries to tend to.  I ended up accompanying the teenagers for the afternoon which gave me the opportunity to go around Dodoma a little.

We visited the International School first where we met four native Tanzanians who were to accompany us for the day.  It was interesting to see Dodoma from a teenager’s point of view.

We had a good day and it was fun to see the reaction of the visitors which was remarkably similar to my reaction to things when I first arrived in Tanzania.

We visited the market, Nyerere Square and a few other places.  The highlight for the visitors was visiting the Youth Choir at Ipagala.  Music here is so different than at home.

A good day was had by all.
 

July 28, 2006

I can hardly believe it’s the end of July.  Lately, I’ve been asking myself “where does the time go?”  I’ve been in Tanzania for ten months now.  In some ways it seems like I just got here but mostly I feel like I’ve been here forever.

It’s funny how quickly you adapt to a new way of life.  I remember when I first got here I was very aware of the fact that I was the obvious minority just because I am white.  Now, mostly I don’t even notice it.  There are three of us Mzungu in the office now but I don’t think about that.  I’ve made real friendships with my coworkers and don’t even notice that they are black.  Just reinforces to me that what’s important is the person, not how they look or what race they are.  It has been an eye-opening experience though to be in the obvious minority, having lived my whole life in the obvious majority.

Today is Friday.  Fridays are most definitely days to stay indoors as much as possible.  Friday is the main prayer day for the Muslim faith.  Friday is also the day that the Muslims give to the poor.  Because of that there are many more people begging on the streets on Fridays.  Even though there are some in downtown St. John’s where I used to work, I never experienced anything like I have since I came to Tanzania.

It can be very difficult because I know the need is so great and because of the drought and famine there are many hungry people here in Tanzania.  The problem is that if you give to one everyone expects you to give and if you don’t be careful you can find yourself with no money of your own for food.  People see Mzungu and automatically think they are rich.  In many ways we are but here I am trying to live on a budget similar in most ways to that of my colleagues.  The problem is also that just giving money on Fridays isn’t doing much to solve the problem because what is needed is a change of mindset and help provided to help people come up with ways to generate income to feed their families.  It’s a huge problem that I pray one day will be resolved.  In the meantime I just have to continue playing my small part to help the situation.

I pray that you will keep the people of Tanzania in your prayers.  I thank you once again for all of your messages and support.  Without your support my ministry here wouldn’t be possible.
 

July 3, 2006

I’m back in Dodoma now.  The bus ride home was quite an adventure.  We left Itigi at 5 a.m. when it was still dark.  There were quite a lot of people on the bus.  The bus ride took 6 hours to get to Dodoma.  What amazed me most was how many people were on the bus.  It started out with a normal load with everyone having a seat.  Along the journey the bus stopped many times and each time more people boarded the bus.  I was sitting there wondering how many people the bus would hold.

The bus continued to stop all along the way with people getting off and more getting on.  It seemed like for every one person that got off the bus at a particular stop, four or five more got on.  There were more than twice as many people on the bus than there were seats and people were stood crowded in the aisle.

It was certainly an eye opening experience as this is the means of travel for many people in Africa.

I’m safely back in Dodoma now and working again.  The trip to Itigi was a good learning experience for me and a chance to meet many more kind people from Tanzania.
 

Sermon – Sunday July 2nd, 2006 – Itigi, Diocese of the Rift Valley

Bwana Asifiwe!

First I would like to thank Rev. Mbago for the invitation to come to speak to you today.  My name is Joanne Chaytor.  I came from Canada to Tanzania in October of last year to work as an administrative assistant for the General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Tanzania in the area of overseas partnership.  I’m very happy to be here with you today and am truly blessed to have this opportunity to share with you.

Today I’d like to speak a little about gifts from God and using those gifts for furthering God’s Kingdom and building up the Church.  The Bible passage I’d like to look at is 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.  There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served.  There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service.  The Spirit’s presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all.  The Spirit gives one person a message full of wisdom, while to another person the same Spirit gives a message full of knowledge.  One and the same Spirit gives faith to one person, while to another person he gives the power to heal.  The Spirit gives one person the power to work miracles; to another, the gift of speaking God’s message; and to yet another, the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit and those that do not.  To one person he gives the ability to speak in strange tongues, and to another he gives the ability to explain what is said.  But it is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person.”

Through this passage of scripture we learn that everyone has gifts from God.  It doesn’t matter if we are young or old, male or female, black or white, educated or uneducated, rich or poor.  These gifts are given to us by God as He desires and in the way that He sees fit.  We are not all given the same gifts.  We are given gifts according to our ability.  These gifts are given to us not just to benefit ourselves, but to benefit each other and to further God’s Kingdom and to help the Church to grow. We read this in many different places in the Bible.

In 1 Peter 4:10 we read “Everyone should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

As well in 1 Corinthians 12:7 we hear “Now to each one the manifestation of the spirit has been given for the common good.”

Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize our gifts.  Automatically when one is talking about gifts from God or service in the Church, one thinks about teaching, preaching and singing in the choir.  These, however, are not the only gifts.  Maybe you have the ability to fix something, or you are blessed with relating well to children, or maybe you can cook and sew.  These types of gifts can be used to help your neighbour who may not have that ability.  Maybe you are blessed with kindness and grace.  Sometimes the best thing we can do is to say a kind word to someone.  This often leads to people finding God and beginning to come to Church with the community and using their gifts to help further the growth of the Church.

Any skill or talent we use to make the world a better place or to help others is a gift.  We are all given some gift but God decides who gets what gifts.  We need to be faithful with what we have.  It’s very tempting to wish you had gifts like others.  Many people say “I don’t have anything to offer”.  I know myself I was guilty of this.  I had always believed that overseas work was for doctors, nurses, teachers and clergy.  I had often wished that I had those gifts.  I didn’t think my secretarial skills could be of any use overseas.  The truth is there is no such thing as a better or more important skill or gift.  God can use all gifts for the growth and benefit of his Church if we are faithful to him and listen to his calling.

Everyone has different gifts for a reason.  No one can do it all and no one has all the gifts.  Jesus was the only one who had all gifts.  Therefore, we can’t expect the pastor to do it all.  We all need to be involved and do our part according to our talents and abilities so that the Church can grow and be strong.

If we all had the same gifts there would be no way to develop many different ministries.  We need to remember that everyone is important and everyone’s skills are needed.  Nobody is a nobody in the Body of Christ.  All of us are workers together with the Lord.  Everyone is important because we need each other.  For that reason we need to learn to work together and stop comparing ourselves to others.

God doesn’t expect us to be perfect.  All he asks is that we use the gifts that we have faithfully for the building up of the Church.  It’s as we heard in the reading this morning: 2 Corinthians 8:12 “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”

As long as we do our best, that is all that God requires.  If we do our best and leave the rest to God great things will be accomplished.  God can take a bunch of people who aren’t perfect, who have flaws and may seem that no one wants but when he puts them together he comes up with something beautiful and that something beautiful is the Church.

However, some people are afraid to use their gifts because they are afraid of failure or of what people will say about them.  The real question is what really is a failure – The person who uses their gift and is unsuccessful or the person who never really tries.  We can’t succeed if we don’t try.

Everyone can do something and we really don’t know what we can do until we’ve tried.  Sometimes we just need to go for it, knowing that God will help us.  We need to remember as we read in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Other people haven’t been using their gifts because they don’t really know what they are.  Maybe you are thinking “How do I find out what my gifts are?”  The answer is quite clear: “Ask God.”  Through prayer we can discern what our gifts are and how God wants us to use them.  A way to help with this is to ask yourself “If you could do any ministry in the Church that you would like, what would it be?  What is it that when you think about it makes you so eager to get involved.”  Often these strong desires to get involved are messages from God to say “This is what I want you to do for me.”

It’s very important that we all discern what our gifts are because God has given each one of us a specific purpose that is needed here.  If one person doesn’t use their gifts the whole congregation suffers.

You have strengths that others don’t have.  You were given the gifts you have for a reason.  No one can do the job you have been specially designed to do.  No one can be you but you.

God has something for all of us to do.  There are gifts for everyone.  We are God’s masterpiece – we’re not junk or dumb.  We are all capable and have something to offer and need to use it in ministry together for the benefit of God’s church and of each other.

Sometimes this seems like a very big task and sometimes we may think it is not worth the effort but, when we serve God we are rewarded.  If we are faithful, God will bless us and take us places we’ve never dreamed.  When we do this others are blessed as well.

When I left Canada to follow God’s call, I was leaving behind my family and friends and everything that was familiar to me to go to the great unknown.  I had never been to Africa and had never imagined I would ever have the opportunity to go to Africa.  However, I knew it was something I had to do.  I felt God’s call and I just couldn’t ignore it.

Now, I’m very thankful that I’ve answered this calling because it has changed my life forever.  I’ve met lots of incredible people and now have many new friends.  I’ve also met Jacob, whom I will be marrying in October of this year here in Tanzania.  Although I left behind all that was familiar to me to serve God, He has rewarded me with a new family and many new friends here in Tanzania.  There have also been blessing for many other people as many of my family members will be coming to the wedding in October, giving them a chance to experience another culture and meet many wonderful people.

What we need to remember is that we must be committed to doing something in life for others and we must use whatever God gives us to bless others anytime, anywhere.  We need to quit comparing ourselves to others and trying to be someone who we are not.  We need to be the person that God created us to be and work as a member of the team to help further the Church.

My challenge to you is that you will seek God’s guidance to discover your gifts and calling for service and that you will use that gift for the benefit of others and to build up this congregation.

Let us pray,

Almighty God, we thank you for all the gifts that you have given to us.  We thank you for every person here.  We place the gifts that you have given us into your hands and ask that you bless us and help us to use our gifts to your glory and for the benefit of each other today and in the days ahead.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.
 

July 2, 2006

I woke up this morning and it was so dark.  Dodoma has lights on the outside of the houses in the area and with the International School across the street there is a lot of light.  This morning was so black I couldn’t make out anything.

It was also very cold.  Reading this in Newfoundland I’m sure you’ll say I’m absolutely crazy because cold here is sometimes warmer than summertime in Newfoundland but I’m well and truly climatized.  I even slept with my sweater on because I found it so cold.  It was the coldest I’ve been since being in Tanzania.

Benjamin came to Mama and Baba Mkumbo’s for tea.  After tea we went to the Church for the first service which started at 8 a.m.

The name of the Church is St. Peter’s.  The building itself is barn like with wooden benches as the pews.  The choirs sit facing the middle towards the front and then there is the altar rail and altar and the area where the clergy sit.

They have three choirs so there is lots of singing.

I sat up front with the clergy.

The service was a regular morning prayer service with the exception that during the announcements they told of the cost of finishing the tiling on the floor down the centre aisle.  At that point Benjamin gave 5,000/= which would buy 5 tiles and then started almost like an auction but with people coming forward with their donations.  It was definitely different than anything I’ve seen anywhere else.

I delivered my sermon in English and Benjamin translated.  Strangely enough, I wasn’t a bit nervous.  I felt incredibly calm.  The only strange thing was getting the pauses right for Benjamin to translate.  My sermon was on 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 about using your gifts for the growth of the Church.  It was the first time I had ever written and presented a sermon and I do have to say I enjoyed it.  It was well received by everyone.

After the service I shook everyone’s hand as they were leaving the Church.  Everyone gathers outside as the choir is singing and someone says a prayer in closing.

The second service was at 10 a.m. and was basically a repeat of the first service expect that there were more people at the second service.  Outside the Church after the service there was an auction.  There was only one item so it didn’t take very long.

After Church I went to the house of Mama and Baba Mika for lunch, where I was welcomed and thanked as they said my coming to their house has brought blessings on their house.

After lunch I met the Sunday School.  They meet at 2 p.m. every Sunday.  There are 60 children and they have only one teacher.  They don’t have any equipment or teaching supplies.

They told me their names and they sang a song for me.  Some of the older children recited Bible verses for me.

They were happy and very welcoming.  They told me they would like to have a ball and some books to help them.  I find it so sad that at home we have all the resources in the world but many children don’t attend Sunday School and here the children come despite the fact that there are no resources.  How much richer would their Sunday School learning be with just a few things like crayons and colouring sheets and a ball to play with.

After meeting with the Sunday school I met with the Mother’s Union who shared some of their work with me.  They are trying very hard to assist the women of the Parish but resources are few.  They are interested in partnering with another women’s group, maybe from Canada, to share ideas and to assist them with their many projects.

After meeting with the Mother’s Union I met with the Paradise Choir.  They are a great singing group and are hoping to make a video which could be an income generating project for the choir.  It will cost some money to make the video so they are setting a goal of June of next year to produce the video.  I ask your prayers and support for the choir so that their dream may become a reality.

After meeting with the Choir I met with the Wazee wa Kanisa (Church elders).  They showed me all around the Church grounds and told me of the many different projects they are working on.

It was a very full day and the groups were all well organized for my coming and laid out for me all the different things they hope to accomplish and all the help they will need.  I ask your prayers for the Parish of Itigi as they continue with God’s work.

In the evening I had supper at Mama and Baba Kavumu’s house.  They were also very welcoming and we had great fellowship.

I’m back at Mama and Baba Mkumbo’s now to sleep.  We have an early rise in the morning as the bus departs Itigi for Dodoma at 5 a.m.
 

July 1, 2006

Happy Canada Day!  At times like these, holidays that are unique to Canada, I realize just how far away from home I really am.

It’s been a very busy day.  I met Rev. Benjamin Mbago at the office this morning at 8:00 a.m.  Benjamin is the Rector of the Parish of Itigi in the Diocese of the Rift Valley and just recently finished three years of study at Wycliffe College in Toronto.  He has invited me to his Parish for the weekend.

We took a bus at 8:30 a.m. to Manyoni where the Diocesan Headquarters for the Diocese of the Rift Valley are located.  There I got to see the cathedral – Kanisa Kuu ya Roho Zote (All Soul’s Cathedral).  I also got to meet some teachers from a group called Compassion which is sponsored by Canadians and supports 231 orphans.  They invited us to join them for ugi (porridge) and mayai (eggs).  They drink the porridge from mugs and it is a mixture of karanga (ground nuts or peanuts), mahindi (corn) and millet.

We then hired a car to take us to Itigi.  Along the way we stopped and met the Rector and saw the Church in the Parish of Aghondi.  They are building a new Church but have had to stop because they have run out of cement and times are tough right now so everything is a struggle.  Please keep these people and their situation in your prayers.  God willing the cement will be provided and the Church construction will continue.

When we arrived in Itigi we went to visit the Parish of Mlowa which used to be part of the Parish of Itigi but has now split.  They had just finished their Parish Council meeting and invited us to share lunch with them.  We enjoyed maharage (beans), mboga (vegetables) and wali (rice).

After lunch Benjamin brought me to the house where I would be staying to rest.  One of the Parish families graciously offered to host me.  They have made me to feel at home.  Mama and Baba Mkumbo are like another mother and father here in Tanzania.

After I rested for a while, at 6 p.m. we went to the Church where I signed their guest book and then was treated to entertainment by the three choirs.  I had a chance to speak to them as well to say hello.

After that I was invited to Benjamin’s house where I met his wife, Sophia, and two of their children, Beatrice and Jessica.  The other two children, Samuel and Salome, are away at school.

We had dinner at Baba and Mama Chilali’s house.  They were very welcoming.

Everyone has been very kind and welcoming.  They call me “mgeni wetu” which means “our guest”.  They treat me very much like an honoured guest.  They have even drawn up a “ratiba” (schedule) for my visit which they gave me a copy of this evening.

I’m back at Mama and Baba Mkumbo’s house now to sleep.  Today has been very interesting.  Tomorrow is going to be a full day but I’m very much looking forward to it.
 

June 26, 2006

It’s been almost two months since my last entry.  In that entry I wrote about my health problems.  Unfortunately, the health problems lasted longer which made my keeping in contact difficult.  I did return to Dodoma in the middle of May but after two days at work had a flare up again and had to return to Dar es Salaam for more appointments with the specialist and physiotherapy.  I returned to Dodoma on June 8th and started working again on June 12th.  I’m happy to report that all is well again now and I’m getting back into some sort of routine.

Work is very busy.  Dr. Akiri is traveling quite a lot for meetings especially connected with the St. John’s University of Tanzania project.  I’m very happy to be involved in the project and it is exciting to see it beginning to take shape.  The date for starting has been moved to January 2007 now and hopefully the university will open then.

Jacob’s youngest sister, Sarah, has been visiting with me for the past two weeks and I took her shopping today.  I experienced another thing which made me realize just how much people here go without.  I’d like to describe it for you.

Just imagine being 17 years old and never having had a stuffed toy of your own.  I can’t imagine it, having come from a “land of plenty”.  Growing up we were by no means “rich” but in comparison to life here in Africa, we were extremely rich.

I went to Saba Saba today to do some shopping.  Saba Saba is a big market that sells clothes, toys, etc., everything you could imagine except food, which is sold in another huge market.  Sarah came along with me to do my shopping.  It was such fun and the first time I’d really been shopping since arriving in Tanzania.  We wandered around and looked at all the things as we were deciding what we needed to buy.  On the way out, Sarah told me she had seen something when we were coming in that she would like to look at.  I told her okay and when we got there, it was a stuffed rabbit with big floppy ears.  I could see how much she would like to have it by looking at her expression but she wouldn’t ask.  That’s the way the culture is here for a lot of people.  I asked the salesperson how much and it turned out to be 5,000/= (an equivalent of $5.00).  I bought the rabbit for her.  If I had given her a million dollars she wouldn’t be any happier.  It was a very humbling experience.

The whole experience just made me that much more appreciative of all that I have and how sometimes we have lost sight of how important it is to share what we have.

I’ve been invited to a Canada Day reception by the Canadian High Commissioner on June 29th at the Parliament here in Dodoma.  I’m looking forward to that and to meeting other Canadians working and living here in Tanzania.  I’ll write a little about my experience after Thursday.

Thank you again for all your prayers and support.  Without your support from home I wouldn’t be where I am today and I truly believe that God has called me to this ministry.  The most amazing thing is that when you answer God’s call, you are richly rewarded beyond your wildest dreams.  I left family and friends to come here on my own, not knowing what the world was holding and found Jacob and now have a family here as well.  Without having given up something I would never have found my destiny!  I pray that if you feel God’s call in your life you will not be afraid to answer it.
 

May 1, 2006

It’s the first of May and here in Tanzania it is sikukuu (which means holiday).  It is May Day so Government offices, schools and many businesses are closed.

I’ve been in Dar es Salaam now for four weeks and it’s looking like I’ll have medical treatment for two more.  This is the longest I’ve been in Dar at one time.  Although I’m happy to be here and experiencing real Tanzanian life, I’ll be happy to return to Dodoma and my work there.

I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason.  Although being ill is unpleasant, having had this happen has provided me with more experiences.  It has also made me realize how fortunate we are in Canada to have complete freedom to go where we want, when we want and to be able to do what we want.  You really can’t appreciate the value of freedom until you lose it.  Being here in Dar for such and extended period has made me see how different it really is.

I’m staying in Sinza, which is a residential are about 20 minutes drive from the city centre.  Here in Tanzania all the houses have locked gates.  It’s unsafe for me to even go outside the gate unless I’m going somewhere.  That means the taxi is right outside the gate and Jacob is with me.  In Dar I’m unable to go anywhere by myself and just going for a short walk is impossible.  It’s not entirely that this is such a dangerous place but Mama Simfukwe and Jacob are very protective of me.  Having said that, you do have to be careful as lots of Africans think all Wazungu (white people) are rich and sometimes even though the are nice to you it is only to see what they can get from you or to hurt you later.

We, as Canadians, should thank God everyday that we live in a country where absolute freedom is enjoyed and everyone is relatively safe to move about as they please.
 

April 23, 2006

Mvua inanyesha sana leo! (it is raining heavily today).

This morning when I woke up, it was a beautiful sunny day.  Jacob and I attended church at St. Alban’s, following which we walked on the beach a little.  The sun was warm and the view very beautiful.

As quick as a blink of an eye the rain started.  It rained very heavily and in a matter of minutes there were huge puddles everywhere.

We were sitting at a restaurant, which although it was open, had a roof covering so we didn’t get wet.  It is amazing to watch everyone running with their buckets to collect the rain water.  At home the rain is considered a nuisance but here the water is needed for washing and sometimes even cooking.

As quickly as it started the rain has stopped, the sun is out and already the puddles are shrinking.
 

April 22, 2006 (continued)

Easter Sunday has now passed and I’m sure many of you are interested to hear about a Tanzanian Easter.

Lent wasn’t really all that recognized as any different in Dodoma.  There was a service on Ash Wednesday but weekly Lenten services were not added as at home.  However, here in Tanzania there are daily services at the cathedrals all year.

There was a remarkable difference in Good Friday.  Due to my inability to sit for extended periods, I was unable to attend church on Good Friday.  Here in Tanzania people fast for the whole day on Good Friday.  Church takes place, as at home, centring around the seven last words from the cross, but people go to church early in the morning and are there for the whole day.  I wasn’t totally surprised by this as a regular Sunday service here is much longer than at home, so I expected Good Friday would be more than the three hours we have at home.

The value of the experiences and views of the general congregation here is held very high.  Mama Simfukwe, although not a trained preacher, actually spoke on two of the words from the cross at her church.

Easter Sunday, Jacob and I attend the service at St. Alban’s (the cathedral in Dar es Salaam).  The service wasn’t terribly different from home.  We sang the same Easter hymns and it was a standard Eucharist service.  I thoroughly enjoyed the service and it felt as thought it was a new beginning of everything.

The rest of the day was spent together with family, sharing a nice meal and time together to talk and laugh.

As I’m writing this now the rain has just started to fall.  The rain here still amazes me even though I’ve been here for 7 months.  It rains so heavy and just falls down perfectly straight.  It’s not at all cold and sometimes just a little ways away the sun could be shining.  It can rain heavily for quite awhile but as soon as it stops the sun comes out and things dry up impossibly quick.

It’s very peaceful to listen to the rain falling and gives me a great respect for God and creation.

At home we sometimes lose sight of how important the rain is, probably because it seems like we get so much of it.  After coming to Tanzania and experiencing the effect of drought and seeing how important the rains are to the crops and to electricity, I thank God every time the rain falls.

I can’t close this entry without again saying thank you for all your prayers and support.  I’m very blessed to have such support from home.  Without all of you I wouldn’t be able to do this.  I ask you to continue to pray for the people of Tanzania, that it will continue to be a peaceful country and that the rains will continue to fall and people will be happy and healthy.

Hopefully with some resolution to the electricity situation I’ll be better able to keep in more regular contact.
 

April 22, 2006

It's been quite a while since I've written to update you on life in Tanzania.  There have been a number of reasons for this - power difficulites, e-mail troubles, travel and illness.  I have had many experiences over this past while, which I'll try to describe for you.

The electricity problems seem to be much better now, but it's amazing how much your life can change and how something that you've always taken for granted and couldn't imagine life without can become so unimportant.  The biggest problem caused by the lack of electricity was the inconvenience of work.  My work involves a great deal of communication by e-mail, fax and telephone with our overseas partners and when the electricity was unreliable, work was very difficult.  I have come to realize though that life without electricity is not all that difficult.  I think that is partly due to the fact that here in Africa people are very well prepared to cope with the situation and are quite used to it.

I've been staying in Dar es Salaam for quite some time now with Mama Simfukwe and Jacob.  I had come to Dar to assist a lady from Dodoma in obtaining a Visa to visit her husband in Canada.  Her husband is a priest in Dodoma and is studying in Toronto.  The whole situation has given me respect for how difficult it is sometimes for Africans.  When I was leaving Canada to come to Tanzania, I had to apply for a Visa.  I just filled out the forms and had no trouble obtaining the Visa.  Even though this lady had all the forms, required information and invitation letter, she still experienced troubles.  The attitide from Canada, which I pick up from the Embassy, is that they think everyone is trying to go to Canada and stay and will end up living off the government.  I understand the necessity of preventing that from happening, but Canada would be so much richer (in more ways than just financially) and could benefit so much from African visitors.

Canada is a great country and I'm proud to say I'm a Canadian but I believe that Tanzania is a great country too and I'm sure that Tanzanians are glad to be able to return to Tanzania after visits abroad.  It's too bad that obtaining a Visa to visit Canada isn't as easy as obtaining a Visa to visit Tanzania.

Unfortunately, after I finished helping the lady illness struck.  It has prevented my return to Dodoma as of yet.  The illness is not serious and now that it has been diagnosed, will hopefully be better very soon.  It has however given me first hand experience with the medical situation in Tanzania.  I've also been very much living a typical Afrian life these past three weeks.

We're very fortunate in Newfoundland to have the Medical Care Plan that we have despite the complaints we sometimes have about health care.  Here in Tanzania health care is very expensive and if you don't have the money you simply don't have the access to the doctors and medicine which you need to get well.  Although my problem turned out to be a non-serious inflammation in the muscles, it did take a number of x-rays, tests and doctor's visits to diagnose and now medications and physiotherapy to cure it.  This has cost me to date 350,000 TZS, an equivalent of $350 CAD, a sum of money which the average Tanzanian just would not have access to.

The trips to the hospital were quite an experience and unlike care you would receive in Newfoundland.  This may be partly due to the fact that Jacob knows a lot of people and has friends in many different professions.  At the hospital, the doctor accompanied us to have x-rays taken and then took us to have them read immediately.  I also had blood tests and received the results immediately and attended a session physiotherapy all in one day.  I couldn't help but think at home I never would have had two lots of x-rays, blood tests, received the results, attended a session of physiotheapy and gotten an appointment for two days time with a specialist all in one day.

I've been fortunate to have a home with family to recuperate in.  Jacob and Mama have been taking very good care of me.  I have also been living very much a typical Taznanian life since being here, which I will try to describe for you.  My life in Dodoma, although very different from at home, is still much more "Western" than staying here at Mama's.  In Dodoma, I get up each day and go to the office, not returning until evening.  Although I help as much as possible, in Dodoma Neema does most of the day-to-day chores and I don't even see half of what she does.

Even though I haven't been able to help out here, I've been in the middle of what has been happening and have great appreciation for how hard Africans work.  Our lives at home have been spoiled by things like vacuum cleaners and washers & dryers.

Every morning when Mama wakes, there is sweeping to be done (inside and out); water has to be prepared for bathing (there is no running water in the house - although it is kept in a storage tank in the house so at least she doesn't have to go fetch the water); the chickens have to be fed and let out of their cages; tea has to be prepared and thought has to be given as to what is needed from the market for the meals for the day.  This work is sometimes interrupted several times by visitors who come to say hello, or to seek advice.  Mama Simfukwe is very wise and highly respected.  She is also very kind and helpful and understanding which I'm sure is why so many people come to seek her assistance and advice.

The work continues throughout the day as there is always washing and cooking to attend to.  The washing is done by hand in buckets which first have to be filled with water.  The washing, once wrung out, is then hung to dry.  Things dry remarkably quick here because of the sun and the intensity of its heat.

The highlight of everyday for me is tea in the morning.  We all sit down to take tea together.  At home, mornings were always such a rush that sometimes we didn't even see each other.  To have that time together over breakfast just to talk about different things while we eat is very special to me.

Another highlight for me is how people visit here - not for any special reason sometimes but just to say hello.  At home we seem to get so caught up in our own lives and being busy that we forget how important friends and family really are.

I've had quite a lot of opportunity to practice my Swahili.  I'm finding it easier and easier to understand now when people speak to me and I"m finding I'm starting to "think" in Swahili.


 

February 20, 2006

I experienced a little of what I’d call the “real Africa” yesterday.

Neema and I went to visit Mama Mkubwa (one of Mama Simfukwe’s older sisters) who lives here in Dodoma.  I’ve found everywhere you go to visit you are treated very well.  I have previously been told that Tanzanians view visitors as a blessing from God on their house.  Quite a difference from our world where sometimes visitors are viewed as an inconvenience.

We spent about three hours there.  We drank soda and sat around on straw mats on the ground outside talking.  Tanzanians spend a great deal of time outside.  We sat and talked for quite awhile.  As people were walking by they would call out greetings.  While we were chatting one of the children came to have Mama Mkubwa braid her hair, which she did while we sat and continued talking.

We had tea before leaving.  I felt very much like I was a part of the day to day life of the ordinary Tanzanian.  Working at ACT is exciting and challenging but I am not often subjected to the day to day lives of the ordinary Tanzanians.
 

February 16, 2006

Because of the lack of rains, the water levels are very low and power rationing has now begun.  According to the news, for the next month, power will be cut from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday and, so as not to interrupt worship for any religion, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

It began here in Dodoma yesterday.  The office doesn’t have a generator so work was virtually impossible.

The power wasn’t restored until late in the evening (around 9:00 p.m.) last night.  Although it is an inconvenience, I find now I am not at all phased by it.  It is a fact of life and we are prepared for the fact that we may not have power.  We have a paraffin and charcoal cooker to cook on and candles and lanterns for light.  One good thing about the climate is that it isn’t cold so you haven’t got to worry about a source of heat.

The power was still on this morning when I got up, which made getting ready for work easier, but had been cut again by the time I arrived at the office at 7:10 a.m.

We did have some rain yesterday and it rained quite heavily throughout the night but much more rain is needed to remedy the situation.

Although the lack of electricity is inconvenient, the real problem is the effect the lack of rains is having on the crops and the concern that people will go hungry if the crops fail again this year.

I ask you to keep the people of Tanzania in your prayers.  We are continuing to pray for rain and, God willing, the situation will improve.
 

January 31, 2006

Hunger, Drought, Malaria, HIV/AIDS – not things someone coming from Newfoundland is used to dealing with.

How often do we say “I’m hungry.”  I know I’ve said it myself but after all I have experienced, I don’t think I’ll be able to say it again.  I’ve really no idea what its like to really be hungry.  I’ve now seen children and adults as well who are truly hungry.

Praise the Lord it rained last night.  However, we still need rain so that the crops don’t fail again this year.  It’s hard to imagine coming from Newfoundland where we get lots of rain and sometimes complain about it that I’d be praying for rain but the drought here in Dodoma and all over Tanzania is severely affecting not only the food situation, but the electricity as well.  Because there hasn’t been much rain, the water levels in the dams are low and therefore electricity is going to be in short supply which has resulted in unstable electricity all over the Country and may result in power rationing if the situation does not improve.

If crops fail again this year as has been the case in the past two years, many people will go hungry which increases the risk of Malaria and HIV/Aids infection.  There are already a huge number of orphans due to HIV/Aids, many of whom are infected themselves, and there are a lot of people living with HIV/Aids.  Malaria is one of the leading causes of death of children in Africa.

I ask your prayers for the people of Tanzania and the drought situation.  Through God all things are possible!
 

January 20, 2006

I’ve now experienced my first African engagement party and it was an event which is a little difficult to describe.

Jacob and I got engaged on January 14th.  Mama Simfukwe had the engagement party so I traveled to Dar es Salaam on Friday.

The party was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.  I was truly the “guest of honour” and was not allowed to help prepare for the party in any way.

Neema and I went to the salon at around lunch time where I had my hair, makeup and nails done.  After we were done there, I went back to the hotel to get dressed.  Jacob arranged for a car to come get me to bring me to the party.

When I arrived at Mama Simfukwe’s, Neema came out to meet me and I was whisked inside and into Jacob’s room before anyone could see me.  I had to wait there until everything was ready.  It was a little nerve wrecking, considering I had no idea what to expect and I could tell that there were quite a number of people there.  The only people allowed to see me before hand were Mama Simfukwe, Esther, Mama Benja, Neema, Sarah and, of course, Jacob.

When everything was ready outside, Esther came and escorted me outside.  There were quite a number of people sitting around.  Mama had everything decorated and there was a special place for Jacob and me to sit together at the head of the gathering.

The MC introduced the various members of the family – Mama, Jacob’s sisters, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins – as well as Jacob’s many friends that were there.

One of Jacob’s uncles had a short speech and then one of his aunts said a prayer.  It was all in Swahili but I did manage to understand most of what was being said.

The highlight and main event of the party was Jacob putting the ring on my finger.  The ring was brought to him and he put it on my finger.  There was then some dancing and singing.  Everyone was very excited and happy.

The next thing that happened was “the toast”.  After the toast was said, Jacob and I then went around to everyone to greet them.  In English we would say “Cheers” but here in Tanzania we say “Maisha Marefu” which means “Long Life”.

After the toast we had a nice meal and fellowship together.  There was music and a good time was had by all.

It was very interesting to see and experience the differences between the way things happen here as opposed to Canada.  Dr. Akiri asked me what was different and I could only reply “everything”.

I’m back in Dodoma at work now.  Things are beginning to pick up for the New Year.  I am very much enjoying being involved with the Anglican Church of Tanzania and corresponding with our partners.  Although there are many challenges to the work of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, it is a pleasure to be here.  Everyone is very positive and firmly believes that through faith all things are possible no matter what the challenge.  It promises to be a very busy but interesting year ahead.

Jacob and I are very happy and would like to express our sincere thanks for all the congratulations and good wishes we have received.  We’ve set a wedding date of October 28th, 2006.  The wedding will take place in Dar es Salaam.
 

January 9, 2006

I hope everyone had a very blessed Christmas and wish you all a very prosperous 2006.

I’m sure everyone is eager to hear about how Christmas was celebrated in Tanzania.  Well first off, we did have a Christmas tree.  It was an artificial tree like those at home.  It was much smaller and simpler than most of the ones at home but was nice and made me feel a little more at home.:nbsp; It was strange to have Christmas and not have any snow.

I spent Christmas Day with Jacob and his family.  Jacob and I attended the English service at the St. Alban’s Cathedral in Dar es Salaam.  The service was a Eucharist service very similar to the services we have at home and we sang the same hymns and carols that would be sung at home.

After Church we went to his family home.  There is not a huge emphasis put on commercialism which I have to say I found to be a refreshing change.  The big emphasis on Christmas for Tanzanians is a nice meal and being together with family and friends.  After we arrived at the Simfukwe home the meal preparations began.  We had pilau, chicken, rice, sweet banana, beans, various vegetables made in sauces with meat and salads.  There was soda and ice cream too.  After the preparations were made, we sat down to eat together.  It was nice to be included in the family and spend time with them.

Jacob’s sister, Irene, was visiting from Australia with her two little boys, Benjamin, who is 9, and Jacob, who is 6.  Of course we did have some presents and enjoyed playing with the boys.  After the meal we sat and talked and just enjoyed the time together.  It was very hot which made it very different for me.

I spoke to a lot of my family members on the phone which really completed the day for me.  It may have been one of the quietest Christmases I’ve ever had, but I truly enjoyed being here in Tanzania.  It is so nice to have such an emphasis put on the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of the Christ child.

On Boxing Day, Jacob and I went to Zanzibar for a few days.  Zanzibar is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and not at all what you expect when you think of Africa.  I hope you’ll take the time to check out some of the pictures in the photo album.

The Anglican Cathedral in Zanzibar is situated at the site of the former slave market and we visited one of the holding rooms where the slaves used to be kept.  It is amazing the things that the slaves were put through.  We also visited the site where the slaves that had been bought were kept until they were shipped to the different countries.  It was fascinating to hear the stories and gave me new respect for the Africans who had to endure the slave trading.

On the 27th we went to Nungwi, Zanzibar where we spent a few days at the beach.  The beach was absolutely beautiful.  The sand is so white and the water is so blue.  We spent our days relaxing and swimming in the Indian Ocean.  It was definitely a different experience for Christmas holidays for me but quite enjoyable.

On New Years Eve we had returned to Dar es Salaam and took Benjamin and Jacob to Mikumi National Park.  We traveled on New Years Eve and went to the National Park on New Year’s Day early in the morning.  I had previously been to Mikumi but it was nice to go with the boys because I saw the same things I had previously seen through the eyes of children which was very exciting.  The boys had a great time and we returned later that afternoon to Dar es Salaam.

It was quite an active vacation but I thoroughly enjoyed being here in Tanzania for the holidays.

I’m back in Dodoma now at work but will be traveling to Dar es Salaam on Friday.  Jacob and I are getting engaged and the custom here is for it to happen at a party which is attended by family and friends.  The party is taking place on Saturday and preparations are well underway, although I have no idea what to expect.  I’ll be sure to write all about it upon my return to the office.

I thank you again for all your support and I hope you continue to read about my experiences throughout this New Year.
 

December 22, 2005

We had our end of the year staff meeting today.  It was quite long but Dr. Akiri provided an opportunity for everyone to comment on the past year, their observations and concerns and there was discussion about ways to improve things in the coming year.  It was quite interesting and a good idea I think as far as improving the office is concerned.

There was a problem with the electricity today.  It went out around lunchtime which made working difficult.

We had our staff end of the year get together at the Archbishop’s Lodge.  The electricity hadn’t come back so it got very dark.  Dr. Akiri asked all Heads of Department for a report on what they’ve done over the past year and what is planned for next year.  He also thanked everyone for their work during the past year and distributed Christmas cards.  We had some refreshments and a chance to say goodbye to everyone until next year.

I’m off to Dar es Salaam for Christmas with Jacob and his family and then a vacation in Zanzibar for a few days.

I wish everyone a very Blessed and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I’d like to say thank you to everyone for your continued support.  Be sure to check back in the New Year to read all about how I celebrated Christmas.
 

December 21, 2005

I’m back in the office today after being in Dar es Salaam for a week and a half.

The launch of the university fundraising campaign took place on December 17th and in preparation for that we traveled to Dar to set up an office for the week.

Unfortunately, I became ill on Sunday, December 11th.  I had two malaria tests which were both negative but the doctors suspected I had malaria and gave me medication.  I’m happy to report that the medication worked and I am fine now.

I can’t believe how tired I was.  Dr. Akiri insisted I rest for the entire week.  Although he was very busy he was very considerate and wouldn’t allow me to do any work at all.

On Saturday I did attend the fundraising launch which was a huge success.  President Mkapa was the guest of honour and a significant amount of money was raised for the new university.  There are some pictures of the event in my photo album.

Having come back to the office today we are now preparing to close for Christmas and everyone is looking forward to a well deserved break.
 

December 7, 2005

As there have been some concerns expressed for my safety and some questions have been posed to me about whether or not we have been affected by the earthquake this past week, I just wanted to relieve everyone’s fears and let you know that I am fine and that here in Dodoma we have not been directly affected by any affects from the earthquake.  When it happened the other day, however, I was sitting here in my office and I could feel the whole building shaking gently.  At the time, I did not know what was happening as there have been no problems or ill effects suffered here in Dodoma.  But since, I have been advised that the shaking was more than likely due to the earthquake.  It was a strange kind of feeling and I can only imagine what it must have been like for those in the immediate area of the earthquake.

It rained today.  I mean really rained.  I’ve never experienced such heavy rain.  It was just pouring down strait with absolutely no let up.  It sounded like someone hammering on the roof with jackhammers.  I was sitting in my office at about 4 p.m. just thinking about going home when the rain started.  There was no way I could leave while it was raining so heavily.  So I stayed and did a little more work.

The amazing thing was how dry everything was before the rain started and immediately after it started everything was soaking wet.  I guess it's no wonder with how much rain fell.  It is a very good thing though because Dodoma was sorely in need of some good rains.

The rain kept up at an extremely heavy pace with no let up for about 45 minutes and there was thunder and lightning.  As soon as it stopped people went about their business again as if nothing had happened (things basically came to a standstill outside during the rain).  Although there were large puddles around, things dried up very quickly.  It was just amazing.  It was really my first experience of heavy rain in Dodoma.
 

December 6, 2005

First of all, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has been supporting me in prayer and keeping in contact through e-mail and letters and cards.  All your good wishes and thoughtful support is greatly appreciated especially as we approach the holiday season.

It’s just amazing how drastically your life can change in such a short period of time.  Just a few short months ago I was at home preparing to pack up and move to Tanzania.  At that time I really didn’t know what I was in for.  I have had so many amazing experiences already and although I am far away from home with Christmas fast approaching, I am looking forward to experiencing the celebrations here in Tanzania.

My first reaction of Tanzania was how friendly and welcoming everyone was despite their living conditions.  I was, however, very aware of the fact that, being a white person, I was the obvious minority.  I felt uncomfortable in my surroundings because of that.  I can only imagine how those that have been persecuted because of being a minority must feel.  I am the obvious minority here in Tanzania but everyone is welcoming and supportive.

I’ve noticed this past few days that I no longer notice the fact that I’m the obvious minority.  The people around me are just people and have become good friends.  I think no differently of them as I do of my friends, colleagues and family back home.

Having settled into a routine here in Dodoma these past few weeks I find that I’ve settled into life in Tanzania.  I truly enjoy being here.  I’ve made some great friends and have developed a good relationship with all of my colleagues.  I find that even walking to work in the morning people know me and call me by name.

Despite the fact that my housing situation is still not sorted out, I feel as though I have settled in here and I now can truly call Dodoma “home”.
 

December 5, 2005

Today I went back to the same little shop I went to the other day to buy a few items.  People here are so helpful it was amazing.  The storekeeper was very eager to tell me that he had Nido if I needed it.  We did actually need Nido but even if I didn’t I think I would have had to buy it because he went to the trouble of bringing it in to sell because I had asked for it the other day.  I have been constantly amazed since arriving in Tanzania at the way people go out of their way to help you and to make you feel welcome.
 

November 29, 2005

People here are so desperate to make a sale it's amazing.  I went to a little shop today to buy a few items – juice, Nido (which is a powered milk), tea bags and biscuits.  The store keeper was very friendly and welcoming.  The little shops here are like old-fashioned stores at home.  The counter is at the front of the store and everything is behind the counter.  I asked for the tea bags, juice and biscuits which I had seen.  I didn’t see Nido but I asked the gentleman if he had it.  He said ndiyo (yes).  Then he said “Subiri kidogo” (wait a little).  He didn’t actually have the Nido he had his assistant go and buy it somewhere else so he could sell it to me.  It didn’t take very long and I was very grateful that I didn’t have to go elsewhere looking for it but it just amazed me that people are so helpful.  At home if a store doesn’t have something they don’t have it and that’s that.  You have to go elsewhere.  Here people go out of their way to help you and although it is because they are so desperate for your business, it is also very helpful to the customer.
 

November 24, 2005

I had another interesting experience today which I thought merited writing about.  I’ve had my first clothing shopping experience since arriving in Tanzania.

As I’ve said before the pace at work here is very different from at home.  I was sitting in my office today working when one of the girls from the accounting department came in with a dress to show me.  She asked me if I wanted to see more and when I said “yes” she left and returned with a lady who makes clothing to sell.  She had come to the office to show off her merchandise.  I could just imagine what would happen at home if street vendors were coming into the office buildings making sales, but apparently here it is the norm.

It was actually quite nice.  She showed me all the things she had with her and I actually bought a Tanzanian style skirt and blouse.  It only cost 16,000 TZS which is equivalent to about $15.66 CAD.  No where at home would you get anything nearly as nice for that little price.  It was also delivered right to my office door.  I didn’t even have to go looking for it.

It actually worked out quite well because I had intended to go to the fundi to bring the Kanga (a long piece of cloth with a printed border which has many uses in Tanzania) which Mama Simfukwe gave me to be hemmed.  She also took the Kanga with her and will return it later.  The cost for hemming the Kanga is 200 TZS (or $0.20 CAD).

As you can see things here are very inexpensive and nothing really operates like it does in the Western world.
 

November 22, 2005

It has been a while since I’ve had a chance to write but I’ve been on the move again.

The one place I hoped I didn’t have to see while in Tanzania was the hospital, however last week I was introduced to the Tanzanian health system.  Elizabeth had a bicycle accident on November 11th.  I walked to work early and she was coming later on her bicycle.  I was sitting at my desk when Savio came into my office carrying her computer bag and her glasses.  As that was happening Dr. Akiri was running past my office saying “Joanne come with me”.  When I got downstairs Elizabeth was sitting in the back of a police car bleeding and obviously in a great deal of pain.  I had no idea what had happened and it was quite a shock to get at 7:30 in the morning.

Although I had no idea what had happened, Dr. Akiri told me I was to go to the hospital with Elizabeth and Dr. Kalolella (He works with us at the office in the Health Department).  Savio drove to us to Dodoma General.  On the way I found out that Elizabeth’s skirt had gotten tangled in the chain on her bicycle and she toppled over.  Dr. Kalolella believed that she had dislocated her shoulder.

The hospital here is not exactly like any other hospital I’ve ever seen.  It is a number of different buildings spread out over quite a distance.  Savio drove up to the X-ray department and we sat in the car and waited while Dr. Kalolella went and registered her.  Getting in and out of the vehicle was extremely difficult for Elizabeth so it took a lot of effort on our parts to assist her.  After she had the x-ray we had to put her back in the car and wait for the doctor to arrive.  Once he arrived Savio drove to another building where she was seen by the doctor who advised she needed to go into the operating room to have her shoulder put back in place.  We then had to put her back in the car and drive to the room where she would be staying.  It wasn’t a huge distance but were it not for Dr. Akiri providing his car and driver it would have been very difficult for her to walk.  Once she had been admitted we then had to wait for the Theatre to be free.  We were waiting for about three hours.  Elizabeth was in a great deal of pain and I never felt so helpless before in my life.

At home the hospitals tend to deal with situations on a priority basis.  They do here too although the priority is if you’re in danger of dying you’re seen first, if not, you wait.

Everyone from the office was great during the whole thing.  Dr. Kalolella stayed with us the entire time.  Savio and Johnson took turns staying with us too so that there was always a car and driver available.

When the Theatre was free we had to put Elizabeth in the car again and drive her there.  The surgery took about 45 minutes.

Our co-worker, Mama Mgonja came to visit Elizabeth as did Ben and Sam, also co-workers.  I couldn’t help but think that at home people would just go about their work and wait for news.  Here visiting to say “Pole” (Condolences or Sympathies) is very important.

After Elizabeth had undergone surgery, Dr. Akiri decided that she should go to the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam for treatment because it is the best hospital in Tanzania.  He made arrangements for me to accompany Elizabeth to look after her while she was in Dar and to help make arrangements for her to return to the UK.

On Saturday morning Dr. Kalolella, Elizabeth and I went to the airport.  Dr. Akiri had chartered one of the MAF flights to take us to Dar because it was the quickest way to get there.  Johnson, Savio, Sam and Mama Chibago all came to see us off at the airport.  That also showed me the differences in culture.  At home you’d just go and the people you work with would go about their own business.  Everyone here is very concerned and it is nice to know that if something happens you’ll be very well looked after.

The flight to Dar was about an hour and half long.  It was another new experience for me.  It was a pleasant flight.  The plane was very small, it would seat only twelve people, plus two pilots.  Besides us on board were only three pilots.  The scenery was spectacular and it was amazing to see the same road which I had traveled on before by car from the air.

Upon reaching Dar, Jacob Simfukwe (Neema's brother) met us at the airport with a taxi and we went straight to the Aga Khan Hospital.  The Aga Khan Hospital is more like you would picture a hospital to be with different floors and departments and a number of waiting areas.

At the Aga Khan we spent most of the day sitting around waiting.  Elizabeth had another x-ray and then had to wait to see an orthopaedic surgeon which was approximately a five hour wait.  Dr. Akiri had thought that she would be admitted, however this was not the case.  The doctor advised that the surgery was a good job and that she needed to rest her arm completely for six weeks.

After leaving the Aga Khan we went to Mama Simfukwe’s where we would be staying until arrangements could be made for Elizabeth to return to the UK for physiotherapy.  We had no idea how long that would take but it turns out that it took the entire week for us to be able to contact the necessary people and get her ticket changed.

The week was very pleasant and restful.  Elizabeth had a chance to rest and being in a home environment was so it was much more pleasant than a hotel would have been.  Mama Simfukwe treated us to great hospitality and made us feel right at home.  I now feel as though I have a home away from home.

Although it was unfortunate circumstances which brought me to Dar, I was very glad to be there.  I got to see a lot more of Dar and spend some time with Jacob.  Jacob’s sister, Sarah, came home from school for Christmas break.  She is 16 and a real sweetheart.  I got to spend some time with her and buy little treats for her that they don’t usually have because their financial situation does not allow it.  I also met a lot of Neema and Jacob’s friends and got a great chance to practice my Swahili which has come along in leaps and bounds.

Elizabeth returned to the UK on Friday morning.  Neema and I traveled to Dodoma on Saturday.  It was nice to have Friday to just relax before traveling and then Sunday to relax and change gears in preparation for going back to work.

Ever since arriving in Tanzania it is almost as though I’ve been on vacation.  The pace here is entirely different from at home which I knew was the case before I came, however I never expected to have so many different experiences in such a short while.  I was told before I came to “expect the unexpected” and that has certainly been true.  I don’t make very many plans now because they are always bound to change.

I’m back at work now and hopefully things will settle down again for a little while and I’ll have more opportunity to keep in touch.  This entire journey so far has been one adventure after another and new experiences at every turn.
 

November 2, 2005

We had a staff meeting at work today.  Although Dr. Akiri spoke mainly in Swahili, he did speak English sometimes and I was therefore able to get the jist of what he was saying.  I did really notice the cultural differences today during the meeting.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the running of the office.  Things that we take for granted at home, like rules and regulations regarding visitors to an office are just not present here.  We spent almost two hours talking about ways to improve the running of the office.  At home the types of things we were discussing are governed by rules and procedures that have been put in place and that most people just take for granted.  I found it very interesting that this country is just now trying to develop these types of procedures.
 

October 29, 2005

I had my first real day of work yesterday.  My office has now been set up and Dr. Akiri is beginning to give me some work to do.  Yesterday we wrote a letter to the overseas partners introducing me so that I can now begin to correspond with them.  We have quite a lot of overseas partners and I’m sure I’m going to be very busy.

I actually had a short meeting yesterday with one of our UK partners who was visiting Tanzania.  Dr. Akiri took us out for lunch together with a couple of his other closest associates here in the office.  I have a feeling this is going to be a very social job.  Next week we are going to be sitting down and going over my job description.

I now feel I have started the work I came here to do and am looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
 

October 27, 2005

I’ve had another chance to explore more of Tanzania this past week.  Dr. Akiri sent me and Elizabeth to Mikumi with Jill to visit the National Park.  I’ve only been in Tanzania for a month and I’ve already been to two of the National Parks – not a bad average!

Johnson drove us in Dr. Akiri’s car on Thursday.  We stayed overnight at the Genesis Motel and went to the park on Friday.  What amazes me about how things work here is the fact that at the office Johnson is in charge of investments, housing and some accounts.  Can you imagine a supervisor in the Western world asking an investment advisor to act as driver for visitors for three days?  I don’t think there would be many who would do it and certainly wouldn’t be many who would do it without complaining.  Having said that, Johnson did drive for us and was pleasant and friendly the whole time and never once complained.

The park was amazing.  I finally got to see giraffes, and lots of them.  Most of the other animals I had seen at Ngorongoro but it was still nice to be able to watch the wild animals in their natural environment.  We actually spent a nice bit of time watching the elephants at the watering hole.  There were a whole lot of them and they were drinking and taking baths.  It was fun to watch the little ones.

We spent the whole day in the park and went back to the Genesis for the night.  We left for Dar on Saturday morning because Jill was leaving for home early on Sunday morning.

We got in Dar at around lunchtime and had lunch with Jill at Steers, which is Africa’s version of a fast food joint.  There are areas to sit inside and outside and a number of different types of food – Chinese, Indian, burgers & fries, pizza and a coffee shop.  After lunch we said our goodbyes to Jill and brought her back to her hotel.  Johnson brought Elizabeth and me to Mama Simfukwe’s where we were staying for a few days.  Mama Simfukwe is Neema’s mom.  They live in Kijitonyama which is one of residential areas in Dar.  I experienced true Tanzanian hospitality for the time I was there.  The whole family is nice and I really felt at home.

On Sunday I got to experience worship in a smaller community church in Swahili.  I even had to introduce myself in Swahili, which I did manage to do.  The service followed along the lines of our Eucharist service at home so I had a vague idea of what was happening.  The music was very lively.  The choir dances while they are singing.  The sermon was about 45 minutes long and as it was in Swahili I really had no idea what it was about.  The service lasted about two and a half hours in total but it certainly didn’t feel that long.  At the end of the service everyone greets each other outside the church and there is usually an auction.  There was only one item auctioned this time but Elizabeth told me sometimes there can be several items so it can go on for quite awhile.

In the afternoon we visited the Village Museum.  The museum is actually a number of traditional houses of the various tribes in Tanzania.  It was fascinating to be able to walk through the different houses and see how the different tribes lived.  None of the huts in the museum were underground like the Chagga hut I visited but all the same they were fascinating.

In the evening we went to fellowship with Mama Simfukwe, which is a gathering of about two thousand people from various denominations in the form of a prayer service.  The preacher spoke for about an hour and I really didn’t know what was going on because it was all in Swahili.  It was a good experience though and I managed to join in with singing in Swahili even if I don’t know what the words mean.  I plan to go back again when I know more Swahili and can really understand what is happening.

On Monday we were waiting on Dr. Akiri the whole day so we couldn’t really do much.  It was nice to relax.  I had a chance to hang out with Neema’s brother, Jacob, who is about the same age as me.  We listened to African music and had a great time.  The next time I come to Dar he’s taking me partying.  I really like African music.

Dr. Akiri called for us at about 3 p.m.  We went to the Belinda Resort outside of Dar for an African Anglican Women’s Conference.  At the opening service Dr. Akiri introduced me to Bishop Baji.  He is the Bishop of Tanga and the Dean of the Province.  He was very welcoming and friendly.  He even hugged me.  It wasn’t a Rev’d Jim hug but it was as close as I’m going to get for a while.  The plan had been for us to attend the opening of the conference and travel back to Dodoma on Tuesday but, as has been usual since I’ve arrived, plans changed.  Savio had a minor accident and needed to get the car fixed, however the power has been unstable in Dar and the car couldn’t be repaired until the following day so we were now going to return to Dodoma on Wednesday.

Everything always ends up working out for the best though.  We got to spend Tuesday at the conference and it was nice to get to meet and talk with ladies from all over Africa.

Of course our plans changed again.  Dr. Akiri called to say he had arranged an important meeting on Wednesday so we wouldn’t be leaving until Thursday.  Elizabeth decided to make use of the day by arranging some IT meetings in town so we moved to a hotel in the town centre.

While she was at her meetings, Jacob came to meet me and showed me around Dar.  We had great fun.  We visited the fish market and tried some of the local fish they were selling.  He bought coconuts for us to drink out of the shell.  The coconuts were not like the ones we get at home.

We visited the National Museum which contained a number of different exhibits like evidence in Africa of early man, slave trading, tribal history and the history of Tanzania.  I found the museum very interesting.  There were some school children at the museum.  They are not very used to seeing Mzungu and like to practice their English every chance they get.  We had great fun talking and joking with the children.  The funniest thing that happened all day though was when Jacob said “Shikamoo” (a respectful greeting to older people) to an older man that was touring the museum and the man replied in French.  The look on Jacob’s face was priceless and I then had to translate for him.

After the museum we went shopping and I met a lot of the local people.  It was fun to practice my Swahili with them.  People are so appreciative when they see that you are making an effort to learn Swahili.  A lot of Jacob’s friends are street vendors so we spent a lot of time looking at their things and talking with them.

After we went shopping, we sat for a while on the dock where you catch the ferry to Zanzibar.  I felt almost like I was back home sitting by the ocean and watching the boats.  We met some girls from Zanzibar who were waiting for the ferry and had a nice chat with them.  They invited us to come visit them if we go to Zanzibar.

I’m really starting to settle in and feel right at home in Tanzania.  Having spent some time at Mama Simfukwe’s and having made some friends my own age has really helped me to feel at home and I see a big difference in the way I feel about being here.  I told Jacob that I love it here.  I didn’t have to think about it before I said it.  I really do love it here.
 

October 19, 2005

It's been a while since I’ve had internet access and could settle down enough to write.  I do appreciate all the messages from home in my guest book in the meantime.  I have had quite a few adventures during the past week and a half.

On Monday, October 10th I finally left the language school and traveled to Arusha where I met Elizabeth Taylor.  After having so much correspondence with her and help from her, it was nice to finally get to meet her.  It was also good to have a traveling companion who spoke English.

We traveled from Arusha to Moshi by bus.  We stayed in Moshi for the week.  Elizabeth was having a break after all the work that was put into Synod.

We stayed at the Umoja Lutheran Hostel, which is a hostel run by the Lutheran Church.  It was very nice.  We spent time throughout the week exploring Moshi.  I got quite comfortable with the area and home is beginning to feel a million miles away.  This is definitely a totally different lifestyle from anything in the Western world.

On Wednesday we did a day tour of the Marangu area.  We visited the first Roman Catholic mission in the area.  The children from the nearby primary school were so excited to see “Wazungu Wengi”.  They followed us giggling and saying “Piga picha”.  They were so excited to have their picture taken.  I hope you’ll take a moment to check out the picture in the photo album.

We visited waterfalls in the area on the tour as well.  The walk was quite adventurous.  Most of the time the path was non-existent and we were jumping rocks and everything.  The scenery was quite spectacular though.

The highlight of the tour for me was visiting a traditional Chagga tribe hut.  It was very small looking from the outside.  When the door was opened, all you could see was a ladder going down.  The entire hut was underground.  You basically had to crawl on your hands and knees all the way.  It did widen out as you reached the various rooms.  I couldn’t imagine living underground but that was a fact of life for this tribe.

As you can imagine, when I got back to the surface, I was completely rotten dirty, and wondered if I’d ever get clean again, but it was entirely worth it to have had the opportunity to visit the hut and see how these people lived.

We didn’t get back to Moshi until 6 p.m.  We decided after we got cleaned up that we’d go into town for supper.  As we were leaving the hostel, the lady who runs the hostel was very concerned about us leaving the compound after dark.  I thought it a little strange that with these warnings I didn’t feel at all uneasy and we decided to go anyway.

As we were walking along I felt totally safe and protected.  I did have a strange experience though.  I looked at the shadows as we were walking along and although we were the only two people in sight, there were three shadows.  I can’t explain why, but I believe that an angel was walking with us that night and protecting us.

The original plan when we arrived in Moshi was that Dr. Akiri’s car would come and get us on Saturday and take us back to Dodoma.  However, as has been true of this entire journey, things never go according to plan.  Dr. Akiri had to be in Dar es Salaam so his car wasn’t available.  With that it was decided that we would take a bus from Moshi to Dar on Friday and meet Dr. Akiri there.

The bus trip was seven and half hours long so I got to see a great deal more of Tanzania.  The scenery is just spectacular and the people work very hard but still seem to always have a smile.

We arrived in Dar and I finally got to meet Dr. Akiri.  He met us at the bus station with his driver, Savio.  Savio is great.  The whole driver thing is a little like something out of the movies.

Dr. Akiri said having me here was a good chance for Savio to practice his English so we now have these English-Swahili conversations every time we see each other.  He speaks to me in English and I speak to him in Swahili.  It is good practice for both of us.

I can honestly say that after meeting Dr. Akiri this whole journey began to feel real.  Dr. Akiri is a very nice person.  My first impression of him was that he is a kind and caring person who was very welcoming to me.  I’m certain I’m going to enjoy working with him.  It's funny but he reminds me so much of Reg (my boss at home) in a lot of ways.

We spent the weekend in Dar.  On Saturday, Dr. Akiri’s car took us to visit Esther’s mom.  (Esther is Elizabeth's housekeeper.)  I got to meet Neema (my housekeeper, Esther's sister).  I think we are going to get along very well.

Jill arrived from her trip to Southern Tanzania in the afternoon and we spent some time with her.  Dr. Akiri picked us up in the evening and took us out for supper.

On Sunday I attended the English service at the cathedral in Dar.  The service wasn’t that much different from ours back home.  One thing that was very different though was that during the offertory hymn, everyone goes to the front and places their own offering in the box.  The minister made me come up front during the service and introduce myself.  That was a little strange to me but apparently all visitors in the churches here do that.

After church we set off for Dodoma which was a five hour drive.  It was nice to be able to see even more of Tanzania.  I felt at that point that I had seen a lot of Tanzania, even though I still hadn’t reached my destination.  I guess if things had gone according to the original plan I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see any of these places yet.  Dr. Akiri pointed things out and gave me a little of the history along the way.

We arrived in Dodoma at about 5:30 p.m.  Of course, in keeping with the journey, things weren’t exactly as had been planned.  My housing situation has yet to be worked out so I’m basically homeless (at least I’m not hopeless!).  I’m staying with Elizabeth until the situation is worked out which could take two months.  I am a little disappointed that I won’t be able to get settled.

Monday was my first day at the office.  We start at 7:30 a.m. with prayers.  After prayers Dr. Akiri introduced me and Sam, who is going to be working in IT with Elizabeth.  I’ve got my work cut out for me to try and remember everyone’s names.

After that, Elizabeth took me on a tour of the office which was a little bit futile as Dr. Akiri began moving people around.  The office is still in a bit of an uproar with a lot of people moving offices.

I haven’t done anything really at work.  I think it's partly due to the fact that Dr. Akiri is trying to get caught up after all the meetings he’s recently had.  He used a helicopter analogy of how we will begin – start slowly, get a big burst of energy and then take off.  Honestly, I’m ready to “take off” now.  The pace here is certainly different from home though and it is definitely teaching me patience.  Everyone is much more relaxed about work.

I was fortunate that Jill could be here when I arrived and stayed these past few days because it has given me a chance to talk to her and work everything out.

That’s about it for now.  I’ll try to write more regularly so that the entries aren’t quite as long.  I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences.
 

October 8, 2005

It hardly seems possible that it has been three weeks since I left home.  I've already experienced so many amazing things that in some ways it seems as though I've been here for quite some time.  On the other hand, it seems like only yesterday I was at home and preparing for my Commissioning Service.

The language course officially finished yesterday at 12:30 p.m.  I'm going to miss the friends that I have made here but I do feel ready and am excited about my next adventure and then finally getting settled in Dodoma and beginning my work there.  I have two days of rest and relaxation before meeting Elizabeth in Arusha on Monday.  At least that will give me time to switch gears and mentally prepare for beginning my ministry.

The language course has provided a good introduction to Tanzanian culture as well as equiping us with enough of the basics of Kiswahili to begin to communicate with the natives.

We were treated to a performance of traditional Tanzanian dancing yesterday evening.  The group that performed were very good and it was fascinating to watch and listen to the singing and music.  It certainly brought you back into the past and I could picture the native tribes dancing around the fire as they sang.  It was alsmot like watching a program on television about native African tribes.  It was kind of surreal to be there in person!  The performance lasted almost two hours and showed us dances from many of the different Tanzanian tribes, complete with the different types of dress each tribe would wear.  It was absolutely amazing and unlike anything I have ever seen before.

I feel truly blessed to have been called to this service.  I am especially thankful for all of your prayers and support.  I pray that through this journal you may have a window into what day to day life is like in Tanzania.
 

October 2, 2005

Thank you to everyone who has signed my guestbook.  All your thoughts and prayers are really appreciated.

I'm learning that everywhere you go in Africa is a big adventure.  This weekend I had the opportunity to visit the Marangu Hotel near Moshi.  The owner of the hotel has ties to Newfoundland and invited me to be their guest at the hotel.  I was offered great hospitality and enjoyed my time there.

To get there I left TCDC on Saturday morning and traveled on the TCDC bus to the bus station in Arusha.  What you think of when you hear "bus station" is not what a bus station is here.  Here it was a bunch of buses on a parking lot.  It was very chaotic with people trying to get you to take their bus.  It was basically just mass confusion.  Leonard, the TCDC driver, suggested we take one of the bigger buses because they are safer.  I'm not sure if he meant we'd be physically safer or if the vehicle itself was safer.  In any event, they certainly pack a lot of people onto one bus.  All the seats were filled and there were a number of people standing near the front of the bus.

The trip to Moshi was a little over an hour in length but only cost 1500 TSH, which is about $2.70.  It was a little disconcertating to be the only white person on the bus.  I felt like everyone was staring at me.  It is a strange feeling indeed to be the obvious minority, a feeling I've never had before.  Here at the college it hasn't really been like the "real world" and even the market trip we all went together so I wasn't the only white person there.  I was fortunate enough to be accompanied to Moshi by another student from the college who is a native Tanzanian living in Moshi.

Upon arrival in Moshi I had to board another bus to Marangu.  The smaller buses are called "daladala".  They pack even more people onto these buses which are really only mini-vans which seat probably about ten or twelve people but there are probably twenty people in each one.  This bus traveled very fast and I'm not altogether sure how safe the vehicle was but I arrived safe and sound and it did drop me right in front of the Marangu Hotel.

The hotel is very beautiful.  It is situated on the slope of Mount Kilimanjaro.  The rooms are actually situated in small cottages that are scattered about the grounds.  There are a variety of trees, birds and flowers and it is very much like being on a country estate.

Everyone at the hotel was very welcoming and friendly.  The owner arranged for me to have a guide who took me on a walking tour of the surrounding Banana and Coffee plantations and the town.  There are actually three types of bananas on the planation: one for cooking, one which is used in the local beer and one which is used as fruit.

It was the first real opportunity I've had to walk around the areas where people actually live.  Most of the houses on the plantation are constructed of mud and there are chickens and other livestock wandering around near the houses.  The people work very hard and have to draw their water from a source on the plantation.  They are however very friendly.

The children were very curious about me and most all of them spoke to me as we passed by.  They were typical children however laughing and giggling, especially if you said hello to them.  It was the first interaction that I've had with the children.  There was one little girl who took a hold of my hand and walked with us for a little while.  Because of the long journey that I had to get here, there have sometimes been little doubts in my mind as to whether or not I made the right decision in coming here, however when that little girl took hold of my hand today I felt that I was exactly where God wants me to be and doing what He wants me to do.

It was a good opportunity to practice my Swahili a little and to get a chance to really see the living and working conditions of the people.

I also visited the Marangu Waterfalls.  They are really quite spectacular and not like anything you expect when you think of Africa.  I hope you take a chance to look at some of the pictures.
 

September 28, 2005

This morning we went on a trip to the market.  The market was very busy and not like anything that we have at home.  There were many sellers, most of whom were women, who had their produce all lined off in front of them.

Fruits and vegetables are sold at the market by mafungu (heaps/piles).  It is amazing to watch as the sellers stack carrots, tomatoes, peppers, etc. in neat piles which amazingly don't fall over.

There is a lot of bargaining that goes on at the market.  I found it a little strange and difficult.  I guess that was due to the fact that I'm not used to it.  In the Western world we are not at all used to bargaining for our goods.  We go to the supermarket and pay the price requested.  I guess because the people here are so poor, they need to bargain to be sure that they are getting the best price and so that they can afford everything that they need for survival.  The sellers are also only local people who are trying to get by so they have to bargain in order to make sales.  Things here are very cheap in comparison to anywhere else in the world. This morning I bought a bunch of bananas (approximately 15 bananas) and paid 300 TSH, which is about $0.54 Cdn.

The market trip was very good for practicing our Swahili.  I was amazed at how much I actually remembered.  I was even able to understand and to make myself understood.  It was a very good feeling and made coming back to class much easier as before this trip I felt I had all the words jumbled up in my head but couldn't make any use of them.

It was good to experience a little of local life as well.  This is the norm here for people and it was nice to be in the middle of it.

I had been told repeatedly before coming to Tanzania about the crime which occurs at the market.  As you can imagine, this makes going there a little uneasy.  However, having now experienced a market trip, I can say that I felt quite safe and I think if you are sensible and a little cautious you will not have any problems.

Tanzanians are very hardworking people but they are also very friendly.  They call out to you "Karibu Mzungu"  which means "Welcome White Person".  They are helpful when you try to speak to them in Swahili and speak a little more slowly so you can understand what they are saying.  They are also very forgiving of poor grammar as you respond to them. It is nice to be in a place where although you are an outsider, you are made to feel very welcome and at home.

I look forward to many more market trips over the next two years!
 

September 25, 2005

Well the first week of language school is over.  We are beginning to make sentences now and I feel the language is starting to come together a little bit. This weekend some of us went on a safari to Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Making this trip I feel like I actually got to see a little of the "real" Africa. Here at the language school it is very beautiful and the people are nice, however we haven't seen much of the native Tanzanians.

Ngorongoro is about three hours away by car so we drove through many villages in Tanzania.  I think what struck me the most was how hard the children work.  You see the little boys along the road herding their young cows and the girls carry things around on their head.

It has been said that Newfoundlanders are friendly.  Well, I can now say from personal experience that Tanzanians are even more friendly.  As we drive through the villages people are smiling and the children love to wave to you as you drive by.

We stopped at a Maasai village where we were introduced to their marketing techniques.  Boy are they persistent.  They crowd around you showing you their products and saying prices.  They hardly take no for an answer.  It seemed like all we were saying was "Hapana, Asante"- "No Thank You".  If you did happen to buy from one all the rest would come over to you thinking you'd buy from them too.  It was very interesting.

We arrived at Ngorongoro on Saturday afternoon.  It is actually a very old volcano.  The crater is where the animals are and you drive up the mountain and there is a camping area along the way.  We set up camp for the night and entered the crater early Sunday morning.

Breathtaking and beautiful don't seem words enough to describe the scenery. It is amazing.  The crater is quite large and there are a lot of animals there.  We saw zebras, gnu, lions, elephants, chetahs, rinnocerous, just to name a few.  It is amazing to be able to see these animals naturally as they are.

As you can see from some of the pictures the animals get quite close to the vehicles.  We actually had to stop for a awhile by the lions because they laid down so close to the car that we were afraid that we might run them over.

That's about it for now.  I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures of the safari. This is really an opportunity of a lifetime and one that everybody should have the opportunity to experience.

 

September 20, 2005

Well, it has been quite a journey so far to get here.  After a 30 hour flight delay in Toronto which meant that I missed my connection in Amsterdam and had to be re-routed via Nairobi, I have finally arrived only two days late for the language school.  It has been an exhausting journey but upon arrival the first thing I noticed was how kind and friendly everyone was.  I never had any trouble coming through Immigration or Customs and the driver for the language school was waiting for me outside of Customs.

The scenery is quite spectacular.  Most everything is very flat and dry and there are few trees but we are at the base of Mount Kilimenjaro which is the highest mountain in Africa.  Nothing will prepare you for the poverty you will see, even the animals are skinny.  Despite the fact that the people have very little (some of their houses only have part walls and no roofs) they are always smiling and are very friendly.

The weather is warm and sunny, however by Tanzanian standards it is considered to be a cold time.

The sounds are different from anything you hear at home.  It is like being in the country times ten.  The crickets sing all night long and the birds chirp all the time.  The smell is hard to describe.  Fresh doesn't seem the right word and I haven't quite figured out if it is a woodsy smell or a flowery smell.  Whatever, it is great to be here.

I'll write again and send pictures as soon as I'm able.