Car repair, Tanzanian style

I had mentioned earlier that I was having electrical problems with my car, and after Sunday's adventure with the gas tank door release issues, I knew something had to be done. Joanna, here at Joshua, reccomended Elisante, who used to be a mechanic here and now works somewhere else, but is still available. I texted him yesterday, and he said he'd come this morning. Sure enough, he arrived around 11:30, and I showed him all that doesn't work in my car. We both hoped it was a fuse or something simple (me probably more than him!). I gave him my keys, thinking he'd have to take it somewhere, but about 15 minutes later he called me down to see my tape and Cd player working, my sun roof opening and closing, and my gas release door springing open! My overhead light still doesn't work, because the bulb is blown out! I'm still not sure what it all was, but it wasn't a fuse. I asked, so gratefully, how much I owed him, and he said, "For you, 10." (That's 10,000 Tanzanian shillings, or about $7.50!) I told him I'd call him any time I needed something done, and he told me to call anytime!
Now I'm not foolish enough to think that will happen so easily every time, but it was a great first time car repair story (not counting the recharging battery as the actual first one here!).
The next home visit will be on Thursday by a man who does sewing for people on the base. He's made dresses, pillows, etc. for Joanna and others, and Janet and I both have fabric we want made up, so I'll write abut that next!

P.S.

I know I referred to a picture of my house and car earlier, but I only thought I could download it! Maybe later!

A Typical (?!) Sunday in TZ

Though there's really no such thing as a typical anything in Tanzania, yesterday was such a great combination of some of the things that make up my life here, that I had to share them. First, on my way to church, I gave a ride to 2 people who either live at or were visiting EnGedi (the base where JTTC is located). One of them is a pastor-in-training, a lovely girl from Dubai, and the other was a Tanzanian pastor who had been at a conference with Lois, one of our ladies here on base who does women's conferences. Anna and I had never talked, but by the time I dropped her off at her church we had discussed what brought us here to TZ, a possible move for her to a church in Georgia (what a small world!), and her struggles with knowing the right thing God was leading her to. We found we had many things in common (including cats we love and have left behind!), so I told her I'd have her to dinner one night and we could continue finding out all about each other. Then Deo and I had a brief talk before I dropped him off; I found out later he was the pastor who got thrown in jail on Thursday due to Lois' conference at his church! I wish I'd known that so I could ask him all about that!
Then I arrived at Pepe's (the Italian/Indian restaurant where the Arusha Vineyard church is meeting). During our tea break between the singing and preaching, I had my morning samosa, talked with a few people, set up lunch plans, etc. My friend Jenny preached, based on the book The Prodigal God, which Mary Beth Stoudenmire had given me, and I gave to her! Good review of things I'd forgotten!
After church, I had to run get gas before meeting people for lunch, and I gave another friend, Mary, a ride. So glad I did because I'm having some electrical difficulties with my car, including opening the gas release door! Mary urged them in Swahili to really work at opening it as I really was low on gas!
Then we met Jenny and 2 younger ladies who are visiting from Australia at an Indian restauarant (very big here), for lunch. Last weekend Jenny and I had run into 2 friends of hers who are getting ready to move back to the States, so we were quizzing them on what they were getting rid of that we needed. One of the things I really want/need is a bedside lamp, as I hate getting out of bed, undoing the mosquito net, turning off the light, rearranging the mosquito net, then getting back in bed! Ross and Ramona had a clip-on gooseneck one, and lots of used clothing for Jenny to distribute, so we made plans to go get those yesterday.
Ross and Ramona had been at a ministry that includes an orphanage, so the 5 of us went there for our stuff and to cuddle babies for awhile! The orphanage is called Cradle of Love - don't you love that? They have children from birth to 3 years old, their youngest being 20 days old! We couldn't go in and hold the really tiny ones due to the new baby's immune system still needing more time to strengthen, so we went to the building with the toddlers - so cute!! They were just waking up from their afternoon naps, so they were still pretty cuddly! A few of them finally roused enough to go outside, so we carried armfuls of little ones outside to join them. Several of them were perfectly content to sit in laps and just watch, and we were perfectly content to let them! Jenny and the volunteer coordinator both warned us that when we got ready to leave, they'd cry like they never got any attention or affection, but that that wasn't at all true! Sure enough, when we started putting them down and waving bye-bye, such tears and wails! At one point Shea, the coordinator asked if we had any questions, and I thought, "My only question is how many can I take with me?!"
After picking up my lamp and Jenny's things, we drove down the road to Mount Meru Game Lodge, a hotel/restaurant/game reserve. We drank coffee (them) and tea (me) and ate cookies and muffins while watching, just feet away, zebras, ostriches, monkeys, eland, peacocks, herons, storks, and several kinds of birds I don't even know the names of! We actually petted the eland (look that up - sort of in the antelope family, but bigger) and stayed till feeding time 'cause we wanted to see that, too. Then we walked over to the pens where they have crested crane, porcupines, a crocodile, all just in little walled or fenced pens.
By that time I had to leave in order to be back for team worship at 7, which was a great way to end the day.
However, it was still pretty early, so I read and watched an episode of NCIS, which I've borrowed on DVD, on my laptop, under my mosquito net, by my new lamp!!
A great Sunday!!

Tanzanian garage sales and movies

Just this past week, I got to go to a garage sale that a local couple were having. There are always people moving in and out of the area, as people go home on furlough, their assignment with the UN ends, etc. This particular couple were selling their son and daughter-in-laws things, so there were lots of children's DVD's, books, puzzles, etc. - a big temptation, but nothing I was looing for. I am, however, looking for a couple more things for my bedroom and patio, so I did some more looing on Saturday at a second-hand furniture store and a new (expensive) show room, just getting an idea of what's available and how much to expect for it all to cost.
There ia great cinema complex here that opened right before I left the last time I lived here. It has a grocery store, several restuarants, shop, and a movie theatre that shows American and Indian movies. I met a friend for lunch and a movie on Saturday. Doesn't that sound "normal" and not like a missionary, at all?! But, today, back to computer and PE classes!
I wanted to attach a picture of my house and car. That's my patio on the upper left, with my bedroom right behind there. When I move out into the village of Karanse, I'll post a completely different view of where I'll be living!
Happy birthday to my dad yesterday! Love to all!

There's a what in the computer?!

Perhaps the most African thing yet happened during one of my computer classes yesterday. I have 3 classes, back to back, and in the second class, one of the computers wouldn't come on. We had just used it in the previous class, but I am making them practice turning it on, so we turned it off at the end of the first class. One of the students was on it, so I sent him to a different computer while Darran, a westerner from Australia and my very capable assistant, worked on it. The CPU (big box attached to it for my less computer-savvy friends!) was warm, and Darran said it shouldn't be. After a few minutes of investigation, he came and whispered, "Do you have a few minutes for a quick teaching lesson?" I told him yes, and we gathered the students around the computer. He explained that it shouldn't be hot because it has a fan, and he turned the CPU around so they could see the fan. Then he asked if they could smell anything and they said yes, but no one could identify the smell. He asked, "Does it smell like fried lizard?" A lizard had crawled into the fan, been killed, then cooked! After he took out the lizard (I didn't watch that part!), we let the computer cool off, then it worked fine for the next class! Ah, Africa! It was actually a very valuable part of the class, as something similar to that is very likely to happen once they go out to the village schools. Good lesson for me, too: if anything's wrong with the computer, check for lizards!

I'm here!

I really am now "Teacher Miriam IN Tanzania!" I arrived Saturday night and met the teacher/students this morning. Today is their orientation day, and I start by assisting in teaching them "Sports" this afternoon and computer tomorrow. How hysterical that those are the 2 courses I'm responsible for! It is like the staff asked, "What can we get Miriam to teach that will really show God's strength through her weakness?!" Then, that's what they picked! If there are 2 things I am less competent in, I can't think what they are!!

Many people have asked where I'll be living, and my answer has been vague, as I didn't really know myself. I knew I'd be living at the college, and I knew the house (yes, a "real" house, for those who can't picture it). They even gave me the master bedroom so I have my own bathroom, large closet, and even a balcony patio of my own. This is where I'll be for the next 6 weeks, then every other week once I start mentoring in the village.

Also, every night this week I am having dinner with a different family here at the college to help me settle in. And since my much anticipated car had a dead battery yesterday and I didn't get to go to church or do a big grocery run, that's a good thing.

No jet lag, 2 good nights' sleep, and I'm ready to begin!