This was a first - I was on my own this week without Joelle. Our fellow mentor Sarah has been in Magugu (a couple of hours' bus ride southwest from Arusha), mostly on her own as we've been mentoring, as her co-mentor doesn't arrive till December. In the meantime Allan Dow has been helping out, but he is so busy with the school that his time for mentoring hasn't been regular or predictable. The other 4 of us felt so badly for Sarah that a plan was devised: either Joelle or Corinne (who is with Janet at St. Dorcas) will go to Magugu with Sarah every other week, leaving either Janet or me on our own. Janet and I were fine with that plan, so this past week Joelle went, and I was in Karanse with the student-teachers. It really went so well - I know there were lots of prayers that went up on my behalf! The students were co-operative, congenial (as they always are), and just so involved in our lessons. The Karanse teachers were all soliticious about my being there, but they knew I was "home," so they weren't worried about me!
Of course, there had to be an adventure at Angaza! I arrived there first thing Monday morning, around 7:30, as I usually do. They "escorted" me to the larger, 3 bedroom guest house and banged on the door till a young lady came and unlocked it. We had obviously awakened her, as she came to the door wrapped in a kanga! She said, "Hello, Miriam." I thought she must be one of the Angaza workers, but I couldn't figure out why she was staying in the guest house. After she let me in to drop off my stuff, I heard her go in her bedroom and I heard a man's voice in there, too! All of the workers at Anagaza that are young girls are single, so this was a little alarming. I worried all day about what to do about this situation. However, when I got back, she came out, all dressed, with make-up on, and I realized she was the Joshua preschool teacher, Miriam, no less, who had just gotten married last Saturday! She and her husband were sharing the guesthouse with me on their honeymoon! We were the only peopple there, one bathroom; can you picture the awkwardness?! However, she was far more gracious than I would have been, telling me how glad she was to see me again!
On Thursday, Lynda, Vicky, and Nico all came out for a visit so Vicky could take pictures. She took some really nice ones of both me and the students and me and Aneri and Debora John. When I get those from her I'll post them on here.
Last night, back at Joshua we had a fun outdoor movie night. Barbequing, then a showing of Avatar, which I hadn't seen, as we all curled up in our Maasai blankets under the African stars! My friend Jenny had come, as we also had a showing of Vicky's favorites of all the 1000's of photos she's taken, and she and Jenny had hit it off on a number of occasions. Jenny spent the night, and the three of us stayed up late laughing and talking. Vicky leaves this week for Zanzibar, then leaves next week for home. I will miss her, but she's already planning her return trip here with her daughters!
This morning, as part of my parents' birthday present to me, I went and had a pedicure! Long overdue, but just wonderful! It was at a lovely upscale complex for safari-goers and wealthy residents, and Vicky and Sarah came along. Vicky had her pre-Zanzibar pedicure, and Sarah found a quiet place to read, then we all had lunch together. A lovely way to ease back into "normal" life.
Big doings tomorrow: my church moves out of the restaurant (Pepe's) that we've been meeting in into our own property for the first time! We're all so excited, and it should be a wonderful worship time. After that, several of us are going to the Impala Hotel pool for the afternoon, which I am really looking forward to! Sorry, but this doesn't sound much like suffering for the Lord in Africa, does it?! Actually, we don't usually feel like we're doing that, as we feel so called to this place and what we do here. It is great to also live somewhat normal lives in the midst of this, so we can keep doing what we love. (Of course the road to the new church is unpaved and shocking, and the pool is COLD, so maybe there are a few drawbacks!)
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