Our Joshua accountant, Magreth, got married this past Saturday. Invitations were word-of-mouth, and all of the mentors wanted to go (we love weddings and dressing up!). However, up until Saturday morning, we had no idea what time the wedding was! One of her friends sent a text that it was at 12, but her boss on the base sent an email that it was 1! We went with 1, knowing how un-promptly these things happen here. I took the other 4 mentors, and we got to the church (a large "city" church) at 1:15, as the first car there! That told us it wouldn't be any time soon, so we went to a nearby cafe and had cake while we waited! We weren't invited to the sit-down dinner reception, so we thought we'd have our cake BEFORE the wedding! We dilly-dallied till about 2, then tried again. We drove up just as the bride's car pulled up, so we felt good about that. We went into the church, where the singers were warming up, and about 10 people were there! The pastor, a few minutes later, announced that even though the groom wasn't here, yet, we'd go ahead and start! He must have been there, though, because he and the best man came out a few minutes later. Then there was the usual processional, Magreth looked beautiful, and the wedding started. There was a time of praise of worship, then a full sermon by the pastor, then a second sermon by the pastor's wife, then the children's choir sang, then everyone in both families joined the couple on stage and prayed for them, then an offering was taken up! People had drifted in as the service went on and there ended being a nice crowd of 100 or so people there. Altogether, about 2 and 1/2 hours later, it was over! Then, the couple went out front for pictures with families AND the 5 wazungu (white people) - us mentors! We left after that, but managed to be in the bridal convoy for a little while, where we honked our horn and waved!
The funniest anti-climax was that we had to run into the local market for a few groceries, and there we were, in our wedding finery! Not so surprising, really, as weddings are a big weekend entertainment here.
Me with my sponsored children
Me with my sponsored children
Monday, October 24, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Quite an exciting week in Karanse!
Though it wasn't all the good kind of exciting!
The first part was: our student teachers' last teaching week before they go into their "real" schools in January. We were expecting big things from them, and told them so, as this was their 6th teaching week in over a year. Overall, we were very pleased. We saw computers being used in ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology), one of the students cooked pillau with his class (his first time ever, so he had one of the lady teachers help him!), we saw some good (and improving) devotions lessons, civics, geography, English, math, personality and sports with lots more assessments (things to grade, basically), better conclusions to lessons, rules posted of expected student behavior - all things we'd told them we were looking for. So that was all good.
However, on Wednesday, right after lunch, I looked out the window to see a small boy on the ground with teachers around him and lots of blood. When I saw someone arrive with a bike, I knew that was to take him to the clinic, so I volunteered my car and was quickly accepted. Issagya, the pre-one teacher, went with me so he could explain to the nurses at the clinic what had happened. There was so much blood that it was hard to tell at frst, but I suspected a broken nose because that's what appeared to be doing the bleeding. At the clinic, there was a line of people waiting, but bleeding boys must get priority because we walked right into an exam room. After lots of swabbing (and spitting up even more blood) it was determined that he might have broken blood vessels in the inside of his nose. However, about that time, Kellie (Kelvin, but that's what Issagya kept calling him) also started complaining of the back of his head hurting. He and another boy had been playing on the hill, and the other boy's knee had smashed into Kellie's nose, and Kellie fell back on the ground. The sister/nurse gave him a pain pill, put ice on his head, then he fell asleep. I was thinking concussion at this point, and we kept waking him up, asking him who we were, etc. Godfrey arrived, and after a consultation, he took Kellie home. Amazingly, he was back at school the next day!
That was certainly more important than the last of the exciting things to happen, which involves mice in our guest house at Angaza! Wednesday night, I was standing in the kitchen, getting veggies ready for the soup we would cook in our crock pot that night (whle we had power), and a mouse ran into the kitchen! I don't know who was more surprised, but Joelle said I was louder! He ran and hid, and we left the kitchen as soon as we could! When I got in bed, I noticed this odor in my room, so I sprayed something and just went to sleep, knowing I couldn't deal with it at night. My bed is next to a wardrobe/cupboard, and I had a feeling something dead was in there. The next morning I looked , and nothing. So, I pulled my bed away from the wall, and saw a tail! I went and got Joelle and asked her to look and see if it was, indeed, a dead mouse. Since I knew I had slept over it all night, I just couldn't bear to see it! It was, and she disposed of it!
The story doesn't end there! I said, "mice," in our house! Thursday late afternoon, Joelle decided to take a shower, and I heard an, "Eeeek," sound from the shower room! I was so hoping it was just cold water, as the water heater hadn't been on very long, but, no. She came and said, "The mouse ran across my foot! And now he's just sitting there looking at me!" I told her I'd go get James, the young man who does everything at Angaza, but she said, no, she'd take care of it. I gave her a blanket, she wrapped it up and took it outside. We both saw it run off, terrified, I'm sure! I so missed Moses at that point!!!!
The first part was: our student teachers' last teaching week before they go into their "real" schools in January. We were expecting big things from them, and told them so, as this was their 6th teaching week in over a year. Overall, we were very pleased. We saw computers being used in ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology), one of the students cooked pillau with his class (his first time ever, so he had one of the lady teachers help him!), we saw some good (and improving) devotions lessons, civics, geography, English, math, personality and sports with lots more assessments (things to grade, basically), better conclusions to lessons, rules posted of expected student behavior - all things we'd told them we were looking for. So that was all good.
However, on Wednesday, right after lunch, I looked out the window to see a small boy on the ground with teachers around him and lots of blood. When I saw someone arrive with a bike, I knew that was to take him to the clinic, so I volunteered my car and was quickly accepted. Issagya, the pre-one teacher, went with me so he could explain to the nurses at the clinic what had happened. There was so much blood that it was hard to tell at frst, but I suspected a broken nose because that's what appeared to be doing the bleeding. At the clinic, there was a line of people waiting, but bleeding boys must get priority because we walked right into an exam room. After lots of swabbing (and spitting up even more blood) it was determined that he might have broken blood vessels in the inside of his nose. However, about that time, Kellie (Kelvin, but that's what Issagya kept calling him) also started complaining of the back of his head hurting. He and another boy had been playing on the hill, and the other boy's knee had smashed into Kellie's nose, and Kellie fell back on the ground. The sister/nurse gave him a pain pill, put ice on his head, then he fell asleep. I was thinking concussion at this point, and we kept waking him up, asking him who we were, etc. Godfrey arrived, and after a consultation, he took Kellie home. Amazingly, he was back at school the next day!
That was certainly more important than the last of the exciting things to happen, which involves mice in our guest house at Angaza! Wednesday night, I was standing in the kitchen, getting veggies ready for the soup we would cook in our crock pot that night (whle we had power), and a mouse ran into the kitchen! I don't know who was more surprised, but Joelle said I was louder! He ran and hid, and we left the kitchen as soon as we could! When I got in bed, I noticed this odor in my room, so I sprayed something and just went to sleep, knowing I couldn't deal with it at night. My bed is next to a wardrobe/cupboard, and I had a feeling something dead was in there. The next morning I looked , and nothing. So, I pulled my bed away from the wall, and saw a tail! I went and got Joelle and asked her to look and see if it was, indeed, a dead mouse. Since I knew I had slept over it all night, I just couldn't bear to see it! It was, and she disposed of it!
The story doesn't end there! I said, "mice," in our house! Thursday late afternoon, Joelle decided to take a shower, and I heard an, "Eeeek," sound from the shower room! I was so hoping it was just cold water, as the water heater hadn't been on very long, but, no. She came and said, "The mouse ran across my foot! And now he's just sitting there looking at me!" I told her I'd go get James, the young man who does everything at Angaza, but she said, no, she'd take care of it. I gave her a blanket, she wrapped it up and took it outside. We both saw it run off, terrified, I'm sure! I so missed Moses at that point!!!!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Daddy's t-shirts in Tanzania!
When was home, Mama had quite an assortment of Daddy's old track and meet t-shirts. They wouldn't fit n my suitcase, so she sent them with a recent Perimeter team. I gave them to my student teachers, who were beyond thrilled. I told them if they wore them this week, I'd take ther picture, so here are 2 of them, for Mama to see!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Baby Shower!
The day after my birthday was Joanna's baby shower. She and Simon still don't know what they're having, so we had to do a generic-gender party. I spent the entire morning making the cake, and took a picture of it to post here (mostly for my mom), but apparently the memory card wasn't in completely, or it was full, or something, so the picture ended up on my camera's hardware, not the memory card! As soon as I can figue out how to get that on here, I'll post it. It was the cutest giant baby rattle!
The shower was at Arusha Coffee Lodge, which is a lovely place with wonderful outdoor seating under the trees, but it was so cool and overcast I kept wishing we were inside by the fire! We had hot drinks with our cake, and Joanna got some lovely and some practical gifts for her elephant-themed nursery; we are in Afrca, after all! She and Simon leave next Monday for New Zealand, and will come back in mid-January with the newest addition to the Joshua Family!
The shower was at Arusha Coffee Lodge, which is a lovely place with wonderful outdoor seating under the trees, but it was so cool and overcast I kept wishing we were inside by the fire! We had hot drinks with our cake, and Joanna got some lovely and some practical gifts for her elephant-themed nursery; we are in Afrca, after all! She and Simon leave next Monday for New Zealand, and will come back in mid-January with the newest addition to the Joshua Family!
Birthday, Tanzania style
It's been over a week since my birthday, but with power shortage, internet "issues," etc. this is the first time I've had to write. Last year I was in Karanse for my birthday, and this year I was in Arusha. I was having a meeting at Imara the day before my birthday, so I made a cake (!) to take and share with them. On my actual birthday, one of my housemates, Shelley, had me a carrot cake for breakfast, and pancakes! So, with that sugar rush, the day was off to a great start! We had an education department meeting right after breakfast, and Joanna had made a big birthday brownie for morning tea to celebrate!
I had brought back a present and cards from home, so all day, I doled those out to myself. At team lunch, there was another carrot cake (good thing I like carrot cake!) from the Joshua "family." Later, my friend from Imara, Jenny, and Carly (newbie here from Australia that met last summer), and I met for drinks before dinner. Then, several of us met at my favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. (I also took some carrot cake to share for dessert!)
To top off the sugar content of the day, Jenny, Carly, and I went out for dessert and hot tea after dinner! (Something other than carrot cake!)
All during the day, I also got to check emails and facebook, and I heard from so many people that it made it a very special day. Finally, that night I got to talk to family and friends at home, as my birthday was winding down.
Good day.
I had brought back a present and cards from home, so all day, I doled those out to myself. At team lunch, there was another carrot cake (good thing I like carrot cake!) from the Joshua "family." Later, my friend from Imara, Jenny, and Carly (newbie here from Australia that met last summer), and I met for drinks before dinner. Then, several of us met at my favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. (I also took some carrot cake to share for dessert!)
To top off the sugar content of the day, Jenny, Carly, and I went out for dessert and hot tea after dinner! (Something other than carrot cake!)
All during the day, I also got to check emails and facebook, and I heard from so many people that it made it a very special day. Finally, that night I got to talk to family and friends at home, as my birthday was winding down.
Good day.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Almost time to head back to TZ
Boy, that month flew by! But, it was a great month! I sooo enjoyed seeing old friends - thanks for all the breakfasts, lunches, dinners, ice creams, pounds I gained! and, oh, yes, water aerobics so I didn't gain any more! Loved seeing various family, too; thanks so much, Bethany, for driving over from B'ham; several meals and shopping trips with Mama; talking to my sister, not on skype or across 7 hours' time difference! It was good, too, to be back at Perimeter, both for church (love the new chapel): a TZ luncheon where I got to tell my favorite stories from this past year, running into people I love, Tz Wednesday night prayer and school: talking to 2 classes about TZ, wandering the halls hugging people, impromptu meetings, discussing various sponsored children, etc., etc.!
Daddy's still in rehab. Thanks to all of you who have prayed faithfully for him and my mom. Don't stop! Pray for him to continue to gain strength in his legs so he can walk out of there, pray for the chemo to work in shrinking the tumor, pray for him to keep up his spirits as the days get long, and pray for Mama to juggle her 2 patients (my uncle who lives with them is the 2nd one) and still find time to rest and take care of herself.
People kept asking if it felt weird to be here, or if I missed TZ. I guess I am more a person of the moment than I realized. It felt perfectly normal to be here, because this is my other normal. I did miss people in TZ, but not like I would if I weren't going back. That's probably the secret - I knew all the time that this was a "furlough," not forever, so I couldn't get too attached here, or miss TZ too much since I'll be back there so soon.
However, judging by my suitcases, I'm going for a decade this time! I'm praying that I don't have to pay too large a fortune for overweight baggage. Good grief - even my luggage gained weight!
Next blog will be from Tanzania!
Daddy's still in rehab. Thanks to all of you who have prayed faithfully for him and my mom. Don't stop! Pray for him to continue to gain strength in his legs so he can walk out of there, pray for the chemo to work in shrinking the tumor, pray for him to keep up his spirits as the days get long, and pray for Mama to juggle her 2 patients (my uncle who lives with them is the 2nd one) and still find time to rest and take care of herself.
People kept asking if it felt weird to be here, or if I missed TZ. I guess I am more a person of the moment than I realized. It felt perfectly normal to be here, because this is my other normal. I did miss people in TZ, but not like I would if I weren't going back. That's probably the secret - I knew all the time that this was a "furlough," not forever, so I couldn't get too attached here, or miss TZ too much since I'll be back there so soon.
However, judging by my suitcases, I'm going for a decade this time! I'm praying that I don't have to pay too large a fortune for overweight baggage. Good grief - even my luggage gained weight!
Next blog will be from Tanzania!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Where did the rest of July go?
When I checked the last date I wrote, I couldn't believe it has been a month! Well, July was very busy! I was out in schools almost the whole month, with giving and grading exams, an extra week in Magugu, one of our other training schools, and getting ready for the seminar in Arusha that I joined teachers from Scottsdale Bible Church in presenting. In between, I also finally broke down and bought a modem so that I can have more frequent internet access, even on base at En Gedi, but especially out at Karanse. However, this still didn't give me access much of the time, so it's about 50% better!
I enjoyed my week in Magugu, as it gave me a chance to see students that I had taught computer and sports to a year ago when they were on campus here. They were very open, and as I was there to help observe their teaching week, I got to compare my Karanse student teachers with others in their teaching practice. I also got to see how Sarah and Shelley live when they're "in the field," and see how good I have it at my guest house at Angaza! One of the highlights was the student teachers cooking dinner for the 3 mentors at one of their rooms; this was their way of welcoming me to Magugu! Since they spent their own money and time on this, and opened their "home" to us, it was a very special, generous offer.
Another very special and generous offer came from Zilpah, a woman Tz pastor that I have known for years. She is a great prayer warrior, and if she says she will pray for you, you can count on it! She had been praying for Daddy's health, as well as my return to the US (later today!), and she wanted to gather together several of us who are getting ready to leave TZ, for long or short periods: Janet left Tuesday, for maybe 4 months; Don left about a week ago, till the end of November; Neil is leaving in October, indefinitely; and me. She booked an afternoon at a local lodge and retreat center, ordered tea and peanuts ahead of time, and wanted us to spend the afternoon with her a couple of Saturdays ago. It was a lovely setting, so peaceful, and we felt refreshed just being there. But, her main purpose in having us, was so we could spend some time praying for daddy and for all of our journeys. Then, she thanked US for allowing her to use up our time that way!
A side note, yesterday afternoon I heard a knock on my door (no one ever knocks here - you just shout, "Hodi!" and walk on in; this means a version of, "Is anyone here? I'm coming in!"), and when I went to answer it, it was Zilpah. I asked her in, but she said, no, she knew I was busy packing, but she had come to say good-bye, and let me know she was still praying for me and my family. She had walked from her house to say good-bye, and then turned around and walked back! She's not a young woman, and it's a hot, dusty road, but that's the kind of woman she is! She has a daughter in Atlanta, of all places, and she had just spoken to her the night before and asked her to pray for my dad, too. Just too wonderful!
Really good time at the seminar this week.I had gotten to know the SBC people when I was here first in 2006, and we have stayed close since then, with them inviting me out to Arizona a couple of times, getting their church to help support me, investing in me personally, etc. When they heard that I would still be in Arusha this week, they asked me to help be a presenter at their seminar for the Imara teachers. I had taught many of those teachers at Joshua, visited them in their schools and homes, and it was a real treat to see them again. I did a whole day on learning games and activities and a half day on teaching the slow learner, and I think they enjoyed them both. It was also great to be around fellow Americans that I have a little history with and who know me and Tanzania!
And now, tonight, I leave for home! I've cleaned, and packed, and shopped, and I think I'm actually ready! Much to do in the month I'm home, and I may not blog much of that time, but stay tuned!
I enjoyed my week in Magugu, as it gave me a chance to see students that I had taught computer and sports to a year ago when they were on campus here. They were very open, and as I was there to help observe their teaching week, I got to compare my Karanse student teachers with others in their teaching practice. I also got to see how Sarah and Shelley live when they're "in the field," and see how good I have it at my guest house at Angaza! One of the highlights was the student teachers cooking dinner for the 3 mentors at one of their rooms; this was their way of welcoming me to Magugu! Since they spent their own money and time on this, and opened their "home" to us, it was a very special, generous offer.
Another very special and generous offer came from Zilpah, a woman Tz pastor that I have known for years. She is a great prayer warrior, and if she says she will pray for you, you can count on it! She had been praying for Daddy's health, as well as my return to the US (later today!), and she wanted to gather together several of us who are getting ready to leave TZ, for long or short periods: Janet left Tuesday, for maybe 4 months; Don left about a week ago, till the end of November; Neil is leaving in October, indefinitely; and me. She booked an afternoon at a local lodge and retreat center, ordered tea and peanuts ahead of time, and wanted us to spend the afternoon with her a couple of Saturdays ago. It was a lovely setting, so peaceful, and we felt refreshed just being there. But, her main purpose in having us, was so we could spend some time praying for daddy and for all of our journeys. Then, she thanked US for allowing her to use up our time that way!
A side note, yesterday afternoon I heard a knock on my door (no one ever knocks here - you just shout, "Hodi!" and walk on in; this means a version of, "Is anyone here? I'm coming in!"), and when I went to answer it, it was Zilpah. I asked her in, but she said, no, she knew I was busy packing, but she had come to say good-bye, and let me know she was still praying for me and my family. She had walked from her house to say good-bye, and then turned around and walked back! She's not a young woman, and it's a hot, dusty road, but that's the kind of woman she is! She has a daughter in Atlanta, of all places, and she had just spoken to her the night before and asked her to pray for my dad, too. Just too wonderful!
Really good time at the seminar this week.I had gotten to know the SBC people when I was here first in 2006, and we have stayed close since then, with them inviting me out to Arizona a couple of times, getting their church to help support me, investing in me personally, etc. When they heard that I would still be in Arusha this week, they asked me to help be a presenter at their seminar for the Imara teachers. I had taught many of those teachers at Joshua, visited them in their schools and homes, and it was a real treat to see them again. I did a whole day on learning games and activities and a half day on teaching the slow learner, and I think they enjoyed them both. It was also great to be around fellow Americans that I have a little history with and who know me and Tanzania!
And now, tonight, I leave for home! I've cleaned, and packed, and shopped, and I think I'm actually ready! Much to do in the month I'm home, and I may not blog much of that time, but stay tuned!
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