Money=Food

A couple of months ago, I started getting texts from Apa, Teacher Julius’ wife from Karanse. I didn’t remember ever meeting her, much less gotten texts from her, so that, in itself, was surprising. However, the content of her messages was even more surprising. God had told her to start a school in a nearby village for mostly Maasai children who were not attending school. She said God told her this over several nights in dreams, and she finally did. And she wanted me to come visit her school. I had been to Karanse once in February, but did not go visit her, as I didn’t really know what I could do for her, and I suspected she wanted money, which I certainly didn’t have. (That’s not meant to sound cynical; it’s just the way it is.)

I got an additional text or two over the next month from her telling me the children were hungry and asking me, again, to come and visit. However, I didn’t have another trip to Karanse till this week.

In the meantime, my parents’ tax man, who graciously did my taxes last year and this year, gave Mama some money for me to spend on food for hungry children. I brought it with me to Karanse this week, planning to give it to Pastor or Godfrey, as I know and trust their judgment on issues like this. Yesterday I was talking with Julius about Apa and her school, and he said, “It would be good if you could go.” Because I‘m here on my own this week I really had no excuse to not go, so Moses suggested I take Julius with me and we go together.

This morning I was praying on my way to school about how to handle the visit to Apa’s school, what I should do about money, etc., when I remembered Robert’s money! I may be slow to catch on to some things, but she had hungry children, I had money to spend for hungry children – no brainer! I did, however, pray that God would give me wisdom in dealing with this if I would be setting up expectations, building dependency, etc., and told Him He had till later this morning to change my mind! At lunch I talked with Julius about it, and he was all for it. He finished up teaching shortly after lunch, and off we went. We went back to Sanya Juu, near where I stay at Angaza, and shopped for food to take: 10 kilos of rice and 5 liters of cooking oil, with money left over to give her for beans to come from the market, where they would be cheaper. (She sent me a text later saying she was able to get 10 kilos of beans, 1 kilo of salt, and onions. All of that for around $35; not bad!) Apa has 20 children at her school, and I know this is only a drop in the bucket, but I was trying to be wise in my use of the money and not completely overwhelm her at the same time.

Another 20 or so minutes on not-the-worst road I’ve ever driven on (!), and we were there. Julius had not told her I was coming, and I hadn’t thought to tell her, so it was quite a surprise! Unfortunately, because she didn’t know we were coming, she had already dismissed the children, but that’s probably OK, especially for the first time. She was so excited to see me and cried over the food. Even meeting her, I still don’t feel like I ever met her before, unless it was at church or some school function or something, but she acted like we were long-lost sisters, so I went along with it. I took pictures of the classroom and their family, and then I asked her to tell me the story of the school in person. She told me about God’s voice in the dream, but this time she told me there was a face, too, which she couldn’t see, except to see it was white. She had the same dream a couple of times, and finally the mists cleared from the face, and it was me! That was why she started texting me, because she knew, somehow, I was supposed to be a part of this. She said she kept asking God, “But, how will I get Miriam?” and that’s when the texts started. I told her the story about Robert and the money and about how God was answering her prayers by speaking to someone over in the US, then using me to deliver the money/food. I wanted her to tell her children, who have been praying and asking for food, that God had not abandoned them, but that He heard their prayers.

I also have some school supplies I was given before I came here to use however I thought best, so I told Apa next time I come I will bring those. She asked me to keep praying for their little school because they have dreams to expand! I will say for these people of vision – they don’t let a little thing like having no money stop them! I ended my visit with a prayer for them and a tour of the “property” and the expanded version of all they hope to accomplish there, and then I headed back to Angaza. Pretty amazing afternoon. Thanks, Robert, for your incredible part in this!

She texted me today to tell me the childrenw were eating and praising God for miracles!

And, once again, as soon as I can download pictures of Apa and her school, I'll post them!

What do I miss most?

What do I miss most?

I get asked that periodically by many different people, and after the given of family and friends, the answer varies on the circumstances of the latest week. This week, it’s Choices!

At dinner all this week, for instance, there has been NO choice – we ate whatever the girls running the little café had prepared. This morning, when we were leaving there after breakfast, they asked us what we wanted for dinner. Isack said, “Not there are many choices.” The choices actually are: rice with meat and/or beans, chapatti with meat and/or beans, or ugali with meat or beans. That may sound like 6 choices, but it’s not like choosing between chicken, spaghetti, pizza, steak, salmon, shrimp, crab cakes, or salad! In Arusha there definitely are more choices: Italian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, steak, salads, sandwiches, burgers; but in the villages, it’s quite a different story! More like: dinner or no dinner!

Children who stole my heart (This week:)

 The 1st grade girl who turned and mouthed, “I love you,” during class!
 The 2nd grade girls who wrote things for me to check and passed them to me in class (and the one who took her slip of paper, folded it, and put it in her bag to take home)
 The entire Baby Class (like our pre-kindergarteners) who had no teacher today, but I didn’t know that (and neither did anyone else until morning tea time), but I saw them alone and playing in their classroom, so I went in, and they sang the Alphabet song with me, and “I’m So Happy Today” for me! Then we all walked to morning tea together holding hands.
 All the children who asked me, ”What is your name?” and then used it this week!
 The 3rd grade class showing me what they could do on their laptops!
 The assorted boys I had lunch with, and we talked about our favorite foods. ( I couldn’t really tell them most of mine because they’ve never heard of them!)

Week in Mairowa

March 13, 2012

This should have started yesterday, but…

Saturday our Joshua team had a great team outing at a safari lodge. I’d been there a couple of times, and really love their pool and quiet surroundings. I did loads of water aerobics, swam, we all had lunch, lounged around in the sun or shade, then finally packed up our cars ready to head for home. Even a movie that night, but during the movie I began to get really cold and turned on the heat in my car on the way home.

Sunday morning I began to have violent signs of stomach bug, but still had to get up at 5 to take Corinne and Joelle to the bus station, as it was their week to be in Kondoa. I barely made it home, fell into bed, and only woke up afterwards when my alarm went off for church. Promptly turned that off and slept another couple of hours. That’s how my whole day went: do some little thing like go downstairs for juice, then take a 2 hour nap. Take the sheets off my bed, lie down for an hour. In between were the trips to the bathroom. Sarah and I were supposed to leave for Mairowa yesterday morning, a 2 and ½ hour ride and about a century away! I couldn’t face the idea of the rough road or the bathroom facilities (!), so we called Isack and left this morning (Tuesday)instead. (Really good idea.)

I am 100% better today, and it was a good day – great trip, even saw giraffes and ostriches on the side of the road on the way here. It was so good seeing so many former and present students from JTTC, and seeing all the progress that’s been made in Mairowa. I spent most of my time in Class 3 (3rd grade) and really like them. Hilariously though, their science lesson was on cleaning the toilet and even included them cleaning the school toilets! How appropriate and timely!!

International Festival – and a chili dog!

This past Saturday was the International Festival at the International School of Moshi/Arusha, one of the big private schools here. Don, an Aussie here on base for a while, and I went to it, not really knowing what to expect, but I was secretly hoping food was involved – my favorite part of any “festival!” There were booths manned by parents at the school representing India, Holland, Sweden, Canada, and yes, the USA! I was probably too excited to see that they were serving chili dogs and chocolate cake! But, that didn’t stop me from having one of each! Not the best I’ve ever had, but definitely the best I’ve had in Tanzania! I also had some really good Swedish chocolates, and an éclair, so I was part of the international bit!

Culturally, there were some choirs and dancers, and it made for a fun afternoon. Who would have thought of chili dogs as an international food?!

Observing, observing, and more observing!

Last week was my week to observe at our Joshua school here on base. We have 3 student teachers here for their teaching practice and a fourth that we just brought up from Kondoa (not very pleased with her performance there and thought she needed closer supervision).
Also, as part of our mentor-training of 3 of the teachers at JSA, one of our teachers here, Celina, was doing a seminar with 3 of the current teachers. So, over the course of 3 or 4 days, I logged in about 20 observations – separate classes/seminars! Needless to say, the school children got very used to seeing me in their classes! One Class 1 little girl, Cutie (how much do you love that name?!) said to me on Friday, “Teacher Miriam, I will miss you!” I thought, no, you won’t – I’ll be around next week, too!

I saw some very good understanding on the part of our 3 regular student teachers, but Esther needs much prayer, interaction with the mentors and other student teachers and teachers, and a heart that is open to feedback and willing to make appropriate changes in her methods and attitudes. Hard to be this close to finishing the course and realize one of them just doesn’t “get” it. Then, I remind myself how completely foreign some of this is to them, and what a big shift in their thinking this all requires, and it keeps me hopeful that it will come. (But, we did also ask Lynda and Joanna to observe her as they have seen way more student teachers than we have and have a better picture of how far off she may/may not be. So, we’ll see.)