Earlier this week, while reading my Bible out on the porch, on of the scriptures really came alive to me.
I was reading Mark 13:32-35. "...Therefore keep watch because you do no know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you I say to everyone: Watch!"
We have guards who watch our home: day and night, everyday. Part of the guards job is to make sure that ErinStacy comes and goes safely. They are to open the gate when I come home at night as well as let me out in the morning. They often have no idea when I will be coming or going, so they need to keep watch and be ready when my car pulls up to open the gates wide and let me in.
Last week, we just got a new set of guards. The old guards were always sleeping when I left in the morning and several times, we not there in the afternoon when I came home (one time, they fell asleep and I had to climb over the wall which is about 8 ft high and wake them up!). Needless to say, they were never ready when I came home. The consequence for not being prepared was the loss of their jobs.
The new guards are great. I even tried to surprise them this morning when I left at 5:45am to go to the gym. I didn't turn the lights on so they didn't know I was coming. I walked out the door and they were awake, ready to open the gates.
This was a real life example of the verses above and really impressed upon me the need to be constantly ready and alert for His return.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
The story of Ludi
As so many of you have asked me in the last two weeks "What happened with Ludi?", I thought that it would be wonderful to share her story with you, or at least, the part that had been unfolding in front of my eyes.
I first met Ludi 8 weeks ago. Pam and Brant, a wonderful couple from The Vineyard here in Arusha, had decided to host a small group. One of the ladies that they asked to join was a Philippino woman who had lived in Tanzania for the last 15 years. Her name was Ludi.
That first night at Small Group, Ludi shared many things with us. She shared about the hardships that she was going through, both emotionally and physically, here and in the Philippines. As far as we knew, Ludi was not a believer.
One of the hardships she was encountering was financial. Most of her family is back in the Philippines and she is their primary support. From what she earns as a seamstress, much of the profit is sent back home. Work had been a bit slow for her and she needed prayer to find more work.
The thought came to me that maybe, somehow, I would be able to tie her into some of the work that I was going to be doing here. I knew that the mission statement for Imara was to "strengthen the body of the church in Tanzania". Here was this woman in my small group that certainly needed strengthening.
To make a long, wonderful story a bit shorter, I'll just give you some highlights.
Ludi now has "almost more business than I can handle" and her monthly income has almost quadrupled. She was able to afford the necessary visa to have her sister come and work with her here in Tanzania.
Three weeks ago at Small Group, Ludi broke down in tears, telling us that she has never known a God like this. She has never known people who would pray for her, love her, encourage her and want to be her friend.
Two weeks ago, Ludi began coming to The Vineyard Church to hear the message. At small group, she is so eager to learn more and more about this God.
Last week, Ludi took her first communion. Throughout this, she is a new person. You can feel a joy in her that was not there before. Her sister, Shaunie, is also coming to small group. She's asking more questions. There is a well of deep hurt there as well.
The Story of Ludi has been a tremendous encouragement to me. Let me explain. I came to Africa to spend some time with God, not to "save lives". I have no ability what-so-ever to save a single persons life. That responsibility falls entirely to the Holy Spirit and God. My desire in coming here was to learn to love God with all my heart. Whatever service I then did for God, however He decided to use me, was a result of that love and that desire to pursue Him earnestly.
Seeing how God uses those who seek Him to bring others to Him, is an amazing sight. Ludi wasn't about thumping a Bible on someones head or preaching or quoting scripture to someone. God used me, God used Pam and Brant, God used the others in our group, to show her a love that she had never seen before in humans. A love that she can only see through the eyes of those who love the Lord because it is a love that we, as mere humans, are completely incapable of having. It's God's love and comes to us through the indwelling of the Spirit (got a bit spiritual there for a minute, so bear with me those of you who follow a different path in life).
It has been such a blessing to watch this process. I love being the conduit through which God works. Sure hope He will use me more.
I first met Ludi 8 weeks ago. Pam and Brant, a wonderful couple from The Vineyard here in Arusha, had decided to host a small group. One of the ladies that they asked to join was a Philippino woman who had lived in Tanzania for the last 15 years. Her name was Ludi.
That first night at Small Group, Ludi shared many things with us. She shared about the hardships that she was going through, both emotionally and physically, here and in the Philippines. As far as we knew, Ludi was not a believer.
One of the hardships she was encountering was financial. Most of her family is back in the Philippines and she is their primary support. From what she earns as a seamstress, much of the profit is sent back home. Work had been a bit slow for her and she needed prayer to find more work.
The thought came to me that maybe, somehow, I would be able to tie her into some of the work that I was going to be doing here. I knew that the mission statement for Imara was to "strengthen the body of the church in Tanzania". Here was this woman in my small group that certainly needed strengthening.
To make a long, wonderful story a bit shorter, I'll just give you some highlights.
Ludi now has "almost more business than I can handle" and her monthly income has almost quadrupled. She was able to afford the necessary visa to have her sister come and work with her here in Tanzania.
Three weeks ago at Small Group, Ludi broke down in tears, telling us that she has never known a God like this. She has never known people who would pray for her, love her, encourage her and want to be her friend.
Two weeks ago, Ludi began coming to The Vineyard Church to hear the message. At small group, she is so eager to learn more and more about this God.
Last week, Ludi took her first communion. Throughout this, she is a new person. You can feel a joy in her that was not there before. Her sister, Shaunie, is also coming to small group. She's asking more questions. There is a well of deep hurt there as well.
The Story of Ludi has been a tremendous encouragement to me. Let me explain. I came to Africa to spend some time with God, not to "save lives". I have no ability what-so-ever to save a single persons life. That responsibility falls entirely to the Holy Spirit and God. My desire in coming here was to learn to love God with all my heart. Whatever service I then did for God, however He decided to use me, was a result of that love and that desire to pursue Him earnestly.
Seeing how God uses those who seek Him to bring others to Him, is an amazing sight. Ludi wasn't about thumping a Bible on someones head or preaching or quoting scripture to someone. God used me, God used Pam and Brant, God used the others in our group, to show her a love that she had never seen before in humans. A love that she can only see through the eyes of those who love the Lord because it is a love that we, as mere humans, are completely incapable of having. It's God's love and comes to us through the indwelling of the Spirit (got a bit spiritual there for a minute, so bear with me those of you who follow a different path in life).
It has been such a blessing to watch this process. I love being the conduit through which God works. Sure hope He will use me more.
The wrist
About 3 months ago, I developed a rash on my left wrist. It started with just a few bumps but over the last three months, has spread to be about 2 inches long and covers the entire backside of my wrist. I've tried anti-histamines, anti-fungals, have been on anti-biotics. Nothing seemed to be working. The rash would change form every couple of days. Sometimes it was angry and red, with elevated bumps, other times it looked like leathery skin, and still other times was almost waxy. The only thing that was consistent about the rash was that it was constantly itchy, continued to grow and was ever-changing.
Last week it reached it's climax. We tried everything to calm it down but nothing was working and it was itching like a dog in a poison ivy patch. Not being the happiest camper that night, I tucked myself into bed. A few moments later, Julia came on in to see how it was (she's a RN). Seeing that it wasn't any better, she suggested we pray for it.
I know what you are thinking: oh duh, that's obvious. Why didn't I do that before? You are a missionary ErinStacy. Yeah, well, I had said some prayers to God about it as a side note. Needless to say, she sat on my bed with me and we PRAYED that it would stop itching and that the redness would go away for good. This was a real prayer.
Well, 1 week later the rash is almost completely gone. It has not itched or been red since.
For those of you who are use to seeing "healings" happen on a regular basis, this is probably nothing for you. But, I can say that I don't know if I have ever prayed for a healing on my body before and seen it happen. Really seen it happen. I didn't put a single medication on it since we prayed and it went away. The next time I opened my eyes, it was gone. The one thing that I can say was different about this prayer was that I was at the end of myself. I knew, after trying to make it better for three months, that nothing that I was going to do was going to make it any bit better. I really believed, thoroughly, that God could and would heal it. Julia told me a couple of days ago that she sort of felt a nudge to go and pray for my wrist, and that she really hadn't done that before either.
I've been learning a lot about healing in this culture. Being surrounded by a culture that very strongly believes in spirits and demons, both good and bad, has opened my eyes to many things and given me a lot to think about, especially from a Biblical perspective. More to come on that, but I wanted to share with you how cool it was to see my wrist be healed.
Last week it reached it's climax. We tried everything to calm it down but nothing was working and it was itching like a dog in a poison ivy patch. Not being the happiest camper that night, I tucked myself into bed. A few moments later, Julia came on in to see how it was (she's a RN). Seeing that it wasn't any better, she suggested we pray for it.
I know what you are thinking: oh duh, that's obvious. Why didn't I do that before? You are a missionary ErinStacy. Yeah, well, I had said some prayers to God about it as a side note. Needless to say, she sat on my bed with me and we PRAYED that it would stop itching and that the redness would go away for good. This was a real prayer.
Well, 1 week later the rash is almost completely gone. It has not itched or been red since.
For those of you who are use to seeing "healings" happen on a regular basis, this is probably nothing for you. But, I can say that I don't know if I have ever prayed for a healing on my body before and seen it happen. Really seen it happen. I didn't put a single medication on it since we prayed and it went away. The next time I opened my eyes, it was gone. The one thing that I can say was different about this prayer was that I was at the end of myself. I knew, after trying to make it better for three months, that nothing that I was going to do was going to make it any bit better. I really believed, thoroughly, that God could and would heal it. Julia told me a couple of days ago that she sort of felt a nudge to go and pray for my wrist, and that she really hadn't done that before either.
I've been learning a lot about healing in this culture. Being surrounded by a culture that very strongly believes in spirits and demons, both good and bad, has opened my eyes to many things and given me a lot to think about, especially from a Biblical perspective. More to come on that, but I wanted to share with you how cool it was to see my wrist be healed.
An interesting Saturday
This past Saturday, a group of gals and myself had set off to climb Mt. Longido. To make a long story short, we had been told the cost to hike the mountain would be TZS 15,000 ($15 USD). Well...we got there and I guess inflation had hit, because the price had risen to TZS 33,000 in just 6 months. Now, most of you know my fairly well and know that I like to hike. BUT, to pay $33 USD to hike a mountain in Africa where the average daily per capita income is just $1 in the urban areas, something is wrong. So, we turned our little car around and decided to make the best of the day and go into the bush.
Of course, I had driven my sturdy, ever-dependable Suzuki (not). We found a good trail and headed on down it. All was going well until we hit some really fine sand and down we sunk. The tired was half buried. Nice. The good part is that we are only about 6km from the main road. The bad part is that this is Africa.
Now, before you read what I am going to write, know that I am not dumb, stupid, or ditzy. This just hadn't occurred to any of us.
Well, while some of the gals were gathering sticks to put under the tires, the rest of us began to dig the tires out. The sand was really light and we were able to dig the tires out really fast. Then, it hit us: if we are 4WDriving, shouldn't we try putting it in 4WD? Yup, solved that problem with just a little push from behind and the next minute were were off.
We spent the next few hours driving across the land, walking around dried up river beads, and just taking in the awesome landscape of Africa. It was a rough day for the Suzuki; lots of bumps, sand, holes. After three hours, we decide to call it quits and head on back to the main road. All was going well until I tried to disengage the 4WD. No go. The stick just really wouldn't move. Crimeney (is that a word?)...we begin to head down the road towards Arusha going 20 kph. It is going to be a long ride. After a km or 2, my favorite light comes on: the check engine light. In my mind, I see visions of my last car trip and think there is no way that this can happen to someone twice.
We continue to drive and somehow, have NO idea how, the 4WD disengages. We can now take the speed up to 50kph. Nice. The check engine light is still on and that is when I decided that I was going to pray. Now, for all you pastors and biblical scholars out there, I don't think that I can really pray like this, but I tried it. I reminded God of my hardships the last time and told Him that it would be really nice if He could bring healing on my car and that one car dilemma per six months should be the max. I know, that might not be the right way to pray, but I figured I've got nothing to lose. Well, by the time we got back to Arusha the light had gone off (I don't know when) and she was running well again. Yes, I did remember to thank God.
Of course, I had driven my sturdy, ever-dependable Suzuki (not). We found a good trail and headed on down it. All was going well until we hit some really fine sand and down we sunk. The tired was half buried. Nice. The good part is that we are only about 6km from the main road. The bad part is that this is Africa.
Now, before you read what I am going to write, know that I am not dumb, stupid, or ditzy. This just hadn't occurred to any of us.
Well, while some of the gals were gathering sticks to put under the tires, the rest of us began to dig the tires out. The sand was really light and we were able to dig the tires out really fast. Then, it hit us: if we are 4WDriving, shouldn't we try putting it in 4WD? Yup, solved that problem with just a little push from behind and the next minute were were off.
We spent the next few hours driving across the land, walking around dried up river beads, and just taking in the awesome landscape of Africa. It was a rough day for the Suzuki; lots of bumps, sand, holes. After three hours, we decide to call it quits and head on back to the main road. All was going well until I tried to disengage the 4WD. No go. The stick just really wouldn't move. Crimeney (is that a word?)...we begin to head down the road towards Arusha going 20 kph. It is going to be a long ride. After a km or 2, my favorite light comes on: the check engine light. In my mind, I see visions of my last car trip and think there is no way that this can happen to someone twice.
We continue to drive and somehow, have NO idea how, the 4WD disengages. We can now take the speed up to 50kph. Nice. The check engine light is still on and that is when I decided that I was going to pray. Now, for all you pastors and biblical scholars out there, I don't think that I can really pray like this, but I tried it. I reminded God of my hardships the last time and told Him that it would be really nice if He could bring healing on my car and that one car dilemma per six months should be the max. I know, that might not be the right way to pray, but I figured I've got nothing to lose. Well, by the time we got back to Arusha the light had gone off (I don't know when) and she was running well again. Yes, I did remember to thank God.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Some random thoughts...in no particular order
I realize that I have not been a good Blogger lately. Is it because I have nothing to say? Or perhaps that I have not done anything exciting? Or maybe because I have been too busy to think? Any of those reasons would be valid, but they would all be untrue. I've got much to say, have done many exciting things and seem to be thinking all the time. I must say that I haven't been good at blogging lately because my thoughts don't seem to fall into one area, one box, where I can easily categorize them and share. So, today I am just going to share some thoughts that I have been pondering while here. Welcome to my mind.
It's been almost three months since I arrived to Tanzania. If you asked me three months ago what I was expecting from my missions trip, the answer is still very close to what I expect now: to explore and really own my spirituality; to develop a closer relationship with my Savior. I can remember sitting with Frank and Fred in Scottsdale in February. They asked me why I wanted to do missions work. The only answer that I could give was because I wanted to have 6 months to spend with my God; six months to focus on Him. Of course I would have responsibilities and roles to do there, but my expectation was to spend time with God.
Since arriving here, my roles and responsibilites have been a bit vague. I like to think that I am existing in the grey. I've learned that it is really hard to become part of an organization, especially if you are not getting paid. Let me explain. When I joined Dial in 2004, I instantly became part of a team. Why? Because they had an open position and it had to be filled. They saw a need and believed that I was able to fill it. Their belief in my abilities was so strong that they were willing to pay me and provide me with benefits. Not so much here.
It was much harder at first existing in this grey area. To be honest, I felt a lot of guilt at first. So many of you have supported me and I wanted to be able to give you tangible results; weekly reports of what was being accomplished over here to show you that your money was being well spent. Even now, you will be waiting quite a long time for weekly reports. I still don't have a work permit to be at Imara and feel more and more strongly that my ministry here is bigger than this organization. What that means fully, I do not know. About a month ago, I felt there was a need to gather single, Christan women missionaries together for fellowship. Hannah, another missionary, felt the same and we have begun, in essence, a womens fellowship group on Saturdays. From speaking with several of the ladies, I have been told that they feel much more connected. That's a part of ministry.
Over the last week, I have felt the leading to begin a women's bible study. I'm still seeking direction on this, but believe this is the next area of ministry that I am being called to. I enjoy investing in women. Whether it is mentoring or discipling, or just leading a small group or agreeing to meet one-on-one for prayer, my heart seems most at peace and for me, it is at those times that I feel that most compassionate (not a character trait that I would call myself strong in). So, we will see where that goes.
What that means for my ministry here, I can only say that I have learned that I need to be very careful not to assume that I know what God is going to do with me in ministry. Breaking it down: I came here thinking that I would work only with Imara and at this point, my ministry seems to be going on outside the very place that I thought that it would happen. Can someone explain that to me? I feel that it is important to state that I am doing stuff with Imara here but that the greater part of what I am doing as a missionary is occuring outside my receiving organization, through no power of my own.
One more thing that I really want to share is that I am learning so much about my faith and the Holy Spirit. I'm realizing that this "grey area" that I am in, I am in for a very specific reason. If I had come here and been super busy with a job and responsiblities, I would not have as much time just to rest in this place. Also, make no mistake: there are things that I am working through that are not very pretty, that are messy and all out of sorts. It's odd to be at rest but at the same time feel like I am being torn apart. Go figure.
I think that is enough of my thoughts for now.
It's been almost three months since I arrived to Tanzania. If you asked me three months ago what I was expecting from my missions trip, the answer is still very close to what I expect now: to explore and really own my spirituality; to develop a closer relationship with my Savior. I can remember sitting with Frank and Fred in Scottsdale in February. They asked me why I wanted to do missions work. The only answer that I could give was because I wanted to have 6 months to spend with my God; six months to focus on Him. Of course I would have responsibilities and roles to do there, but my expectation was to spend time with God.
Since arriving here, my roles and responsibilites have been a bit vague. I like to think that I am existing in the grey. I've learned that it is really hard to become part of an organization, especially if you are not getting paid. Let me explain. When I joined Dial in 2004, I instantly became part of a team. Why? Because they had an open position and it had to be filled. They saw a need and believed that I was able to fill it. Their belief in my abilities was so strong that they were willing to pay me and provide me with benefits. Not so much here.
It was much harder at first existing in this grey area. To be honest, I felt a lot of guilt at first. So many of you have supported me and I wanted to be able to give you tangible results; weekly reports of what was being accomplished over here to show you that your money was being well spent. Even now, you will be waiting quite a long time for weekly reports. I still don't have a work permit to be at Imara and feel more and more strongly that my ministry here is bigger than this organization. What that means fully, I do not know. About a month ago, I felt there was a need to gather single, Christan women missionaries together for fellowship. Hannah, another missionary, felt the same and we have begun, in essence, a womens fellowship group on Saturdays. From speaking with several of the ladies, I have been told that they feel much more connected. That's a part of ministry.
Over the last week, I have felt the leading to begin a women's bible study. I'm still seeking direction on this, but believe this is the next area of ministry that I am being called to. I enjoy investing in women. Whether it is mentoring or discipling, or just leading a small group or agreeing to meet one-on-one for prayer, my heart seems most at peace and for me, it is at those times that I feel that most compassionate (not a character trait that I would call myself strong in). So, we will see where that goes.
What that means for my ministry here, I can only say that I have learned that I need to be very careful not to assume that I know what God is going to do with me in ministry. Breaking it down: I came here thinking that I would work only with Imara and at this point, my ministry seems to be going on outside the very place that I thought that it would happen. Can someone explain that to me? I feel that it is important to state that I am doing stuff with Imara here but that the greater part of what I am doing as a missionary is occuring outside my receiving organization, through no power of my own.
One more thing that I really want to share is that I am learning so much about my faith and the Holy Spirit. I'm realizing that this "grey area" that I am in, I am in for a very specific reason. If I had come here and been super busy with a job and responsiblities, I would not have as much time just to rest in this place. Also, make no mistake: there are things that I am working through that are not very pretty, that are messy and all out of sorts. It's odd to be at rest but at the same time feel like I am being torn apart. Go figure.
I think that is enough of my thoughts for now.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
How to make the perfect cup of coffee...
I had been asked to investigate the possibility of operating a small scale coffee business at one of our projects. Knowing very little about coffee, I realized educating myself on the process would be the first step. Enter Burka Coffee Plantation.
I took the tour on Monday with a friend of mine. For all of you who may have the chance to head on over to Tanzania, this was hands down the best tour I have ever taken, anywhere. Over the course of several hours, I learned all about coffee. From planting and harvesting the beans, to wet and dry processing, to sorting and roasting, we saw it all. It was fascinating.
The good part was that the tour was excellent. The bad part is that I feel there is very low feasibility for this as a project. However, I did learn what it takes to make the perfect cup of joe. My question is this: have you considered the following when making your cuppa?
1. Water temperature. For the best cup of coffee, water should be about 95-97 C (or just a few degrees below boiling). Best bet: boil your water and wait no less but no more than 1 minute before you add your water to you beans.
2. Beans. For that ideal cup that will make your taste buds dance, be sure to use freshly ground beans. Beans are best stored in a cabinet at room temperature. Axe the fridge if you are keeping them there. They should be kept for no more than 1 month after grinding and it is best if you grind them and use them in 1 day.
3. Brewing. Ok, for those of you who do not have a machine like Dave and Sue's that does everything in the world for coffee, invest in a French Press. It's about $20 and makes a world of difference. Once the water hits the beans, let it sit for no more than 4 minutes before you press down the grinds. yum yum.
4. If you are using a paper filter, rinse it in water first. This will get rid of the paper taste in the coffee (didn't ever know you tasted paper did you?).
5. Drink your coffee within an hour after brewing. As good as microwave coffee tastes the next morning, try to break the habit. Re-heating the coffee only serves to make it more bitter tasting. Another thing, don't leave your coffee on a hot plate once it has been brewed...your coffee will take on a burnt flavor. Nice, right?
6. Find the bean you like the best. Sample different types. Bean size, roasting time, grind size, and processing all make a huge difference in the taste. We sampled about 12 cups of coffee and they all tasted different. The factors were all varied on each. I was so surprised to taste the difference.
7. Heads up on when you buy your coffee. Coffee beans take on the flavors of the atmosphere in which they were grown. Want to taste tarmac? Buy beans that were grown near a road. Or how about manure? Perhaps from a coffee farm that uses manure for fertilizer. I know that you are thinking: how the heck will I know? Just try different beans. You might be surprised at what you find.
Ok, those are some tips for now. I've posted a few shots of the beans.
I took the tour on Monday with a friend of mine. For all of you who may have the chance to head on over to Tanzania, this was hands down the best tour I have ever taken, anywhere. Over the course of several hours, I learned all about coffee. From planting and harvesting the beans, to wet and dry processing, to sorting and roasting, we saw it all. It was fascinating.
The good part was that the tour was excellent. The bad part is that I feel there is very low feasibility for this as a project. However, I did learn what it takes to make the perfect cup of joe. My question is this: have you considered the following when making your cuppa?
1. Water temperature. For the best cup of coffee, water should be about 95-97 C (or just a few degrees below boiling). Best bet: boil your water and wait no less but no more than 1 minute before you add your water to you beans.
2. Beans. For that ideal cup that will make your taste buds dance, be sure to use freshly ground beans. Beans are best stored in a cabinet at room temperature. Axe the fridge if you are keeping them there. They should be kept for no more than 1 month after grinding and it is best if you grind them and use them in 1 day.
3. Brewing. Ok, for those of you who do not have a machine like Dave and Sue's that does everything in the world for coffee, invest in a French Press. It's about $20 and makes a world of difference. Once the water hits the beans, let it sit for no more than 4 minutes before you press down the grinds. yum yum.
4. If you are using a paper filter, rinse it in water first. This will get rid of the paper taste in the coffee (didn't ever know you tasted paper did you?).
5. Drink your coffee within an hour after brewing. As good as microwave coffee tastes the next morning, try to break the habit. Re-heating the coffee only serves to make it more bitter tasting. Another thing, don't leave your coffee on a hot plate once it has been brewed...your coffee will take on a burnt flavor. Nice, right?
6. Find the bean you like the best. Sample different types. Bean size, roasting time, grind size, and processing all make a huge difference in the taste. We sampled about 12 cups of coffee and they all tasted different. The factors were all varied on each. I was so surprised to taste the difference.
7. Heads up on when you buy your coffee. Coffee beans take on the flavors of the atmosphere in which they were grown. Want to taste tarmac? Buy beans that were grown near a road. Or how about manure? Perhaps from a coffee farm that uses manure for fertilizer. I know that you are thinking: how the heck will I know? Just try different beans. You might be surprised at what you find.
Ok, those are some tips for now. I've posted a few shots of the beans.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Mwika
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit one of Imara's projects: Mwika.
Mwika is located about 2 hours west of Arusha, in the Kilimanjaro region. Interestingly, I had already been to Mwika in November when I hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro, although I had no idea at the time that I would ever be returning.
The Mwika project is predominately sponsored by a group of Australian churches. The project consists of an orphanage, a primary school and the provision of medical aid to widows and women living with HIV/AIDS.
In all, there are about 250 widows/women living with HIV/AIDS and 260 orphans in the area. While the project does not provide aid to all these individuals, they do try to provide for as many as they are able.
At this point, several small income-generating projects have been introduced to Mwika, although none have been able to successfully take off and produce income. The projects thus far include chickens, pigs, and sewing machines.
Yesterday, I met with Mamma Marina to discuss the projects and to develop a strategy to begin generating income for the project. The goal for each project is to be self-sustaining. There may come a time when we are no longer able to support the project and in order for it to continue on, income-generating activities must be actively and successfully in place to allow for a monetary withdrawal. The meeting went well and I walked away with an understanding of the project and what needs to happen. Of course, making that happen is another story.
It was awesome to finally have the chance to gain a better understanding of the projects and to see where I can possibly help. I was really stoked yesterday. :)
Mwika is located about 2 hours west of Arusha, in the Kilimanjaro region. Interestingly, I had already been to Mwika in November when I hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro, although I had no idea at the time that I would ever be returning.
The Mwika project is predominately sponsored by a group of Australian churches. The project consists of an orphanage, a primary school and the provision of medical aid to widows and women living with HIV/AIDS.
In all, there are about 250 widows/women living with HIV/AIDS and 260 orphans in the area. While the project does not provide aid to all these individuals, they do try to provide for as many as they are able.
At this point, several small income-generating projects have been introduced to Mwika, although none have been able to successfully take off and produce income. The projects thus far include chickens, pigs, and sewing machines.
Yesterday, I met with Mamma Marina to discuss the projects and to develop a strategy to begin generating income for the project. The goal for each project is to be self-sustaining. There may come a time when we are no longer able to support the project and in order for it to continue on, income-generating activities must be actively and successfully in place to allow for a monetary withdrawal. The meeting went well and I walked away with an understanding of the project and what needs to happen. Of course, making that happen is another story.
It was awesome to finally have the chance to gain a better understanding of the projects and to see where I can possibly help. I was really stoked yesterday. :)
A sampling of the products
Well, I've gotten about 15 different e-mails, all from women, asking to see what some of the projects actually look like. So...I have uploaded a few photos to the Blog so that you can see what we are up to.
For the bags, we've got a few different varieties. There is a drawn-string, pool-like bag (on the left with the BEAUTIFUL model...jk). There is also simple carry-all tote (quilted and non-quilted). We are also working on a few more designs with velvet as well as computer bags.
With bead work, we have sandal bags (on the line), change purses, and gift sacks. So many more ideas. Hope you enjoy the photos. By the way, sorry for the crazy formating...Blogger does not allow me to move the photos...
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The first business project
Well, seeing that I have been here almost 2 months with the purpose to work on small business opportunities, I figured that it was about time to update you on what I have been doing.
As many of you know, I have felt strongly that there is untapped potential in the textile market here in Arusha. Africans produce some of the most beautiful pattered kangas and kitenges. These fabrics are offered in an endless array of colors and designs. However, they are just offered as fabric, not as finished goods. I have held the belief that if one would just take these fabrics and make handbags, tunics, totes, aprons, placemats...that the items would sell.
Last week I had the first opportunity to test this theory of mine. I had asked Ludi, a local woman in my small group, if she would like to make some bags for me. Ludi had been praying to be able to expand her small seamstress business but wasn't quite sure where to start. I had seen her work before and the quality was quite good. She agreed. I told her that I had a team coming into town next week and I *thought* the women might be interested in having some handbags made from fabric....would she please come to Imara that day?
Well, she did. Needless to say, it was a hit! Of the 10 ladies on the trip, we had 20 handbags ordered, as well as several aprons, over mitts and dresses. Since then, Ludi and I have secured distribution on several of her products at area restaurants, boutiques, and shops, and have a second appointment to discuss distribution opportunities further at all Sopa Hotels.
Ludi was beyond happy today. This is not only her rent money, but money for family and her pregnant daughter. I could see this new hope in her eyes. Seeing that, I realized that is why I am here. There is an incredible satisfaction in helping others to reach their potential in life. As a Christian, I believe that God gifts us in different ways. This was a task that was incredibly easy for me to do but has already made such an impact in this one woman's life.
As many of you know, I have felt strongly that there is untapped potential in the textile market here in Arusha. Africans produce some of the most beautiful pattered kangas and kitenges. These fabrics are offered in an endless array of colors and designs. However, they are just offered as fabric, not as finished goods. I have held the belief that if one would just take these fabrics and make handbags, tunics, totes, aprons, placemats...that the items would sell.
Last week I had the first opportunity to test this theory of mine. I had asked Ludi, a local woman in my small group, if she would like to make some bags for me. Ludi had been praying to be able to expand her small seamstress business but wasn't quite sure where to start. I had seen her work before and the quality was quite good. She agreed. I told her that I had a team coming into town next week and I *thought* the women might be interested in having some handbags made from fabric....would she please come to Imara that day?
Well, she did. Needless to say, it was a hit! Of the 10 ladies on the trip, we had 20 handbags ordered, as well as several aprons, over mitts and dresses. Since then, Ludi and I have secured distribution on several of her products at area restaurants, boutiques, and shops, and have a second appointment to discuss distribution opportunities further at all Sopa Hotels.
Ludi was beyond happy today. This is not only her rent money, but money for family and her pregnant daughter. I could see this new hope in her eyes. Seeing that, I realized that is why I am here. There is an incredible satisfaction in helping others to reach their potential in life. As a Christian, I believe that God gifts us in different ways. This was a task that was incredibly easy for me to do but has already made such an impact in this one woman's life.
July SBC Team
I had the chance to spend the last weekend with the team from SBC. What a blast! They arrived on into town last Thursday. I met up with the walking zombies on Friday to head on out to Mairowa. Ok, not all of them were like zombies, but there were a few who were lagging quite a bit. We spent Friday, Saturday and Monday in Mairowa building chicken coops, visiting sponsor children, observing the students and teachers, and viewing the general project.
This team is great. Unlike many of the other teams, we have a lot of families on this trip. We've got one full family, two sets of grandmas with grandchildren, one couple with a mom, and one couple. What a great dynamic.
I've got a photo of Fred flexing his muscles in front of the kids. I think, but am not certain, that he was talking about how strong and mighty he was because he climbed Mt. Kili. ;)
(actually, we were singing a song about God's strength...but I thought it sounded better the other way)
This team is great. Unlike many of the other teams, we have a lot of families on this trip. We've got one full family, two sets of grandmas with grandchildren, one couple with a mom, and one couple. What a great dynamic.
I've got a photo of Fred flexing his muscles in front of the kids. I think, but am not certain, that he was talking about how strong and mighty he was because he climbed Mt. Kili. ;)
(actually, we were singing a song about God's strength...but I thought it sounded better the other way)
Monday, July 14, 2008
My Birthday!
So, last week I turned 31. July 10th was the day. I have to share that it was just a wonderful day for me; so sweet. Around 6:45am, Julia knocked on my door and began to sing Happy Birthday to me. Ah! It's my birthday! I had forgotten and just to be reminded in such a sweet way started the day off great. And it got better...
I headed on over to Ilboru Safari Lodge to meet the team from Scottsdale that came in the night before. To my absolute delight, there was quite a few little packages for me. Presents! Cards! Candy! From all over the US. For the next half an hour, I got to open many cards, care packages and birthday wishes from so many of you. I could hardly believe that so many of you remembered.
Then, I headed on over to Imara where Julia, Jenny and Lyndall had all made me separate desserts. I'm in heaven now. I got to have carrot cake and peanut butter brownies at 9am and not feel guilty. If everyday could be a birthday...
Later that day, we headed on over to Small Group where Pam had prepared yet another carrot cake (one of my absolute favorites and one that actually rivaled my mom's). Heaven indeed.
Needless to say, the day was made special by so many of you, both here in Arusha and at home in the States and I would be remiss if I didn't share how your love for me made me feel like a very special princess. Thank you so much!
I headed on over to Ilboru Safari Lodge to meet the team from Scottsdale that came in the night before. To my absolute delight, there was quite a few little packages for me. Presents! Cards! Candy! From all over the US. For the next half an hour, I got to open many cards, care packages and birthday wishes from so many of you. I could hardly believe that so many of you remembered.
Then, I headed on over to Imara where Julia, Jenny and Lyndall had all made me separate desserts. I'm in heaven now. I got to have carrot cake and peanut butter brownies at 9am and not feel guilty. If everyday could be a birthday...
Later that day, we headed on over to Small Group where Pam had prepared yet another carrot cake (one of my absolute favorites and one that actually rivaled my mom's). Heaven indeed.
Needless to say, the day was made special by so many of you, both here in Arusha and at home in the States and I would be remiss if I didn't share how your love for me made me feel like a very special princess. Thank you so much!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Small business progress!
It seems that I am finally able to write to everyone and say that we are making some progress on the small business project.
Before I even begin, it is imperative to understand that things move pole pole in Africa. Pole pole means at a snail-like pace. So, a "normal" task that I would have been able to complete at Henkel in 1 week would take 4-5 months here. Not for lack of trying, but the mindset of the culture here is that things don't seem to need to move that quickly, so why do them fast?
Background info: SBC/Imara is committed to helping to strengthen the church body in Tanzania. I say "strengthen the church body" because the mission statement of the organization is not limited to just evangelism nor does it mean in any sense that we are doing it for them. We are strengthening what is already here. Imara does have an evangelism department; but it also has a Leadership Dept which works with over 2,000 local pastors, a HIV/AIDS department that teaches women and children about HIV/AIDS, and a Mercy Department that ministers to members of the communities where we are active. My role falls under the Mercy Department.
In many of the villages where we work, there are limited opportunities for villagers to generate income. This is for a myriad of reasons...people do not have the proper skill sets, people do not know what products are marketable, people do not have the necessary start up capital, and people do not know where to even begin. These are just some of the reasons. The entire concept of "income generating activities" is very vague in their minds. I think it is fair to say that they understand that they need money to buy food and to pay for school supplies but HOW to earn that money is very fuzzy.
Enter small business project. We've got lots of ideas of ways to help generate income in these villages. Knowing which path to take it the hard one.
One area that I have been working on for the last few weeks is to develop a curriculum to teach basic business concepts to the villagers. The concepts are very simple and almost intuitive to us. The hope is that we by teaching them HOW to run a business, they will become self-sufficient.
As well as working on this, we have actually began making samples of some of our ideas. Please understand that there are two distinct markets in Tanzania: tourists and Tanzanians. The tourists have the money. Many of our ideas (for the women) will focus on products that will appeal to the tourism trade.
I've posted a photo of an apron that Ludi, a woman from my church, has made. I have no idea why my head was turned in the other direction, but alas, it's not about my lovely, smiling face but the purple, kanga inspired apron. I'm hoping to secure many of the samples today and will post some photos so you can see what we are up to.
This week we are hoping to have some good meetings to discuss the overall strategy and vision for the small business project. Keep you posted.
Before I even begin, it is imperative to understand that things move pole pole in Africa. Pole pole means at a snail-like pace. So, a "normal" task that I would have been able to complete at Henkel in 1 week would take 4-5 months here. Not for lack of trying, but the mindset of the culture here is that things don't seem to need to move that quickly, so why do them fast?
Background info: SBC/Imara is committed to helping to strengthen the church body in Tanzania. I say "strengthen the church body" because the mission statement of the organization is not limited to just evangelism nor does it mean in any sense that we are doing it for them. We are strengthening what is already here. Imara does have an evangelism department; but it also has a Leadership Dept which works with over 2,000 local pastors, a HIV/AIDS department that teaches women and children about HIV/AIDS, and a Mercy Department that ministers to members of the communities where we are active. My role falls under the Mercy Department.
In many of the villages where we work, there are limited opportunities for villagers to generate income. This is for a myriad of reasons...people do not have the proper skill sets, people do not know what products are marketable, people do not have the necessary start up capital, and people do not know where to even begin. These are just some of the reasons. The entire concept of "income generating activities" is very vague in their minds. I think it is fair to say that they understand that they need money to buy food and to pay for school supplies but HOW to earn that money is very fuzzy.
Enter small business project. We've got lots of ideas of ways to help generate income in these villages. Knowing which path to take it the hard one.
One area that I have been working on for the last few weeks is to develop a curriculum to teach basic business concepts to the villagers. The concepts are very simple and almost intuitive to us. The hope is that we by teaching them HOW to run a business, they will become self-sufficient.
As well as working on this, we have actually began making samples of some of our ideas. Please understand that there are two distinct markets in Tanzania: tourists and Tanzanians. The tourists have the money. Many of our ideas (for the women) will focus on products that will appeal to the tourism trade.
I've posted a photo of an apron that Ludi, a woman from my church, has made. I have no idea why my head was turned in the other direction, but alas, it's not about my lovely, smiling face but the purple, kanga inspired apron. I'm hoping to secure many of the samples today and will post some photos so you can see what we are up to.
This week we are hoping to have some good meetings to discuss the overall strategy and vision for the small business project. Keep you posted.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
4th of July in Tanzania
So, what is an American to do on the 4th of July in Tanzania? Go to a BBQ of course! Yes, even here in Tanzania there are pockets of Americans who have hoarded their marshmallows, sparklers, chocolate chips and Ranch dressing all year just to pull them out and eat like a true American would. (In case you are wondering, this items are not available here).
Julia and I headed on over to Mary's house at about 4:30. In all, there were about 20 of us, decked out in our best red, white and blue. We had BBQ chicken, guac and chips, potato salad, cole slaw, chocolate cake...it was just like being in the USA. Imagine those white plastic chairs that we all have, arranged in a circle, with the kids running around the yard. Some things just don't change.
Mary had actually come up with some games for us to play. It was a riot, especially the "Name that song from the 70's game". I actually came in second place, losing to Tammy and Todd. I was going to protest seeing that they are 10 years older than me and have a distinct disadvantage, but then I saw the prize bag and it was all coffee and desserts and figured it would not be for my betterment to win and would only cause me to be at the gym more, so I didn't say a word.
The best part of listening to us try to sing every American song that we would think of while the kids played with the sparklers and the fireworks. My favorite was Pattie. She was our lead until we got to the SECOND stanza of the National Anthem and she sang "Oh, say can you see...from the dawn's early light...what so...what so...what the heck did we do that night?" Ah yes, another proud American. This one is from Lousianna.
All in all, I hadn't laughed that hard in quite some time. It feels so good to laugh.
Julia and I headed on over to Mary's house at about 4:30. In all, there were about 20 of us, decked out in our best red, white and blue. We had BBQ chicken, guac and chips, potato salad, cole slaw, chocolate cake...it was just like being in the USA. Imagine those white plastic chairs that we all have, arranged in a circle, with the kids running around the yard. Some things just don't change.
Mary had actually come up with some games for us to play. It was a riot, especially the "Name that song from the 70's game". I actually came in second place, losing to Tammy and Todd. I was going to protest seeing that they are 10 years older than me and have a distinct disadvantage, but then I saw the prize bag and it was all coffee and desserts and figured it would not be for my betterment to win and would only cause me to be at the gym more, so I didn't say a word.
The best part of listening to us try to sing every American song that we would think of while the kids played with the sparklers and the fireworks. My favorite was Pattie. She was our lead until we got to the SECOND stanza of the National Anthem and she sang "Oh, say can you see...from the dawn's early light...what so...what so...what the heck did we do that night?" Ah yes, another proud American. This one is from Lousianna.
All in all, I hadn't laughed that hard in quite some time. It feels so good to laugh.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A normal week
In a way, I wish that I had another adventure to share with you. But, alas, I have not. Last week was, by all descriptors, a normal week. Even in American terms. As so many of you ask "what does your normal week look like?" and I have not yet been able to reply, I thought that I would take this opportunity to address all the normal, everyday questions that I get.
So, what do I eat? Sorry to disappoint you but the food, for me, is fairly similar to what I ate in the States. There is an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables...avocados, mangoes, pineapple, banana, cabbage, tomatoes, corn, green beans... Fruits that are quite expensive for us are very inexpensive here. Take for example my new daily snack: mango. For only $.50 I can have a wonderful, fresh, juicy mango. Or avocado, another $.40 and voila! Guacamole every night. Meat and chicken is really common here as well. Now, regarding the important food like ice cream, chocolate, and cookies, they have them as well! We have a large grocery store here, called Shop Rite, that stocks many of the food that Mzungo's eat.
What is my house like? Ah, I am spoiled. My roommates and I have a very nice house, even by American standards. We have two full bathrooms with running water, 4 bedrooms, a large kitchen, pantry, dining room, common area and utility space. Even more, we have a garage, a roof deck, front porch and back yard. I will take a photo and post soon.
And you have servants? Well, yes. We have a maid that comes in each day and guards who continually watch our home. Let me explain this as it is quite counter to our culture. In many African societies, it is considered selfish if you have the means to afford hired help but do not. Hired help is extremely inexpensive here (I guess about $30 for the guards all week and $15 for the maid) and it is a way to give people who do not have the skills to have a job in the public sector, work. Make any sense? I have to say, I like it. Not having to scrub the shower or wash the dishes everyday is not too bad. As for the guards, yes Mom, it is safe where I live but it is the culturally appropriate thing to do.
What do you wear? In Tanzania, as in much of Africa, the people are much more modest in their dress, especially their skirts. Most women wear ankle length skirts everyday. It is not uncommon to see a woman in trousers in the city, but very uncommon to see a woman wearing pants in a village. Usually, the only women who wear pants in the villages are white.
The women usually wear two types of fabric: kanga or kitenge. They come in all sorts of colors and designs. Kangas are sold in two pieces. One for your top and the other for your bottom. Kitenge are sold in bolts of fabric that are 3, 6 or 10 meters long. These fabrics are then taken to a seamstress who will design a dress, skirt or shirt for you. Seamstresses are very common here and having an outfit made is not expensive at all. In fact, for $16 I can have an entire outfit made (including the fabric). I've got about 6 outfits that were made here. I feel that is makes me fit in much more. Of course, I am still mzungo so I will always be noticed.
What do you do for a social life? While Arusha does not have quite as many social outlets as Scottsdale, there are still many things to do. We have some wonderful, little places to get a coffee or a glass of wine (my favorites being Blue Heron and Coffee Plantation). There is a cinema complex in town that has a bunch of little eateries in it so you can grab a bit before a movie. There are classes that you can take in town to learn how to cook or dance. My gym has salsa lessons on Fridays and broadcasts many of the soccee games to a good crowd. If you don't feel like going out, it is very common to have people over to owns home, much more so than at home. I've met quite a few people and am finally starting to feel like I have a social life.
On a random note, a girlfriend and I are beginning a ladies group that will meet on Saturday mornings. It's more social in nature than anything else. I'm very excited about this. I've met some women from all corners of the globe. At lunch on Sunday, I realized we had at our table a woman from England, Tanzania, New Zealand, Australia and America. A bit diverse, no? Loved it.
Ok, there is so much more that I could share but this post is already quite long. Till next time!
So, what do I eat? Sorry to disappoint you but the food, for me, is fairly similar to what I ate in the States. There is an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables...avocados, mangoes, pineapple, banana, cabbage, tomatoes, corn, green beans... Fruits that are quite expensive for us are very inexpensive here. Take for example my new daily snack: mango. For only $.50 I can have a wonderful, fresh, juicy mango. Or avocado, another $.40 and voila! Guacamole every night. Meat and chicken is really common here as well. Now, regarding the important food like ice cream, chocolate, and cookies, they have them as well! We have a large grocery store here, called Shop Rite, that stocks many of the food that Mzungo's eat.
What is my house like? Ah, I am spoiled. My roommates and I have a very nice house, even by American standards. We have two full bathrooms with running water, 4 bedrooms, a large kitchen, pantry, dining room, common area and utility space. Even more, we have a garage, a roof deck, front porch and back yard. I will take a photo and post soon.
And you have servants? Well, yes. We have a maid that comes in each day and guards who continually watch our home. Let me explain this as it is quite counter to our culture. In many African societies, it is considered selfish if you have the means to afford hired help but do not. Hired help is extremely inexpensive here (I guess about $30 for the guards all week and $15 for the maid) and it is a way to give people who do not have the skills to have a job in the public sector, work. Make any sense? I have to say, I like it. Not having to scrub the shower or wash the dishes everyday is not too bad. As for the guards, yes Mom, it is safe where I live but it is the culturally appropriate thing to do.
What do you wear? In Tanzania, as in much of Africa, the people are much more modest in their dress, especially their skirts. Most women wear ankle length skirts everyday. It is not uncommon to see a woman in trousers in the city, but very uncommon to see a woman wearing pants in a village. Usually, the only women who wear pants in the villages are white.
The women usually wear two types of fabric: kanga or kitenge. They come in all sorts of colors and designs. Kangas are sold in two pieces. One for your top and the other for your bottom. Kitenge are sold in bolts of fabric that are 3, 6 or 10 meters long. These fabrics are then taken to a seamstress who will design a dress, skirt or shirt for you. Seamstresses are very common here and having an outfit made is not expensive at all. In fact, for $16 I can have an entire outfit made (including the fabric). I've got about 6 outfits that were made here. I feel that is makes me fit in much more. Of course, I am still mzungo so I will always be noticed.
What do you do for a social life? While Arusha does not have quite as many social outlets as Scottsdale, there are still many things to do. We have some wonderful, little places to get a coffee or a glass of wine (my favorites being Blue Heron and Coffee Plantation). There is a cinema complex in town that has a bunch of little eateries in it so you can grab a bit before a movie. There are classes that you can take in town to learn how to cook or dance. My gym has salsa lessons on Fridays and broadcasts many of the soccee games to a good crowd. If you don't feel like going out, it is very common to have people over to owns home, much more so than at home. I've met quite a few people and am finally starting to feel like I have a social life.
On a random note, a girlfriend and I are beginning a ladies group that will meet on Saturday mornings. It's more social in nature than anything else. I'm very excited about this. I've met some women from all corners of the globe. At lunch on Sunday, I realized we had at our table a woman from England, Tanzania, New Zealand, Australia and America. A bit diverse, no? Loved it.
Ok, there is so much more that I could share but this post is already quite long. Till next time!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Rat
I found out this week that there are actually 5 of us living in our home: Jenny, Meagan, Julia, ErinStacy and the rat.
It began, I think, on Sunday night. Julia came into the kitchen on Monday morning and noticed that someone had taken a huge chunk out of the fresh, ripe avocado we purchased the day before. Now, Jenny is usually not THAT hungry to just take a chunk out of an avocado, and I would certainly have eaten the entire avocado and destroyed the evidence. So, upon closer examination, we noticed that there were little poops on the table as well. Certainly not ours (I prefer to use the washroom). There was no other conclusion to be drawn except that we had a rat.
That evening we put out lots of rat poison, carefully mixed in with some wonderful tasting chicken bones and rice. We waited.
First thing on Tuesday morning, we rushed into the kitchen. Sure enough, the rat had eaten the chicken bones, rice and avocado, but seemed to have eaten around the red power-packed poison pellets. We also learned that morning that he likes to eat dish clothes. Go figure.
Now, I have to confess. I know that pride is a bad thing but there is just no way in He** that I was going to let an uneducated Tanzanian rat outsmart me. So, Tuesday night I mixed up another batch of rice, avocado and chicken. Only, this time, I carefully crushed each and every little red pellet into a fine powder and mixed it on it. Oh...it looked GOOD!
All I will say is that last night, we were NOT visited by the rat. Perhaps he had a date; perhaps he was tired and went to bed early. Or, just perhaps, he had met his end the night before. (Of course, we hope that he did not meet his end like the previous rat who got the best of us by dying in the lounge. Now that was a smell)
It began, I think, on Sunday night. Julia came into the kitchen on Monday morning and noticed that someone had taken a huge chunk out of the fresh, ripe avocado we purchased the day before. Now, Jenny is usually not THAT hungry to just take a chunk out of an avocado, and I would certainly have eaten the entire avocado and destroyed the evidence. So, upon closer examination, we noticed that there were little poops on the table as well. Certainly not ours (I prefer to use the washroom). There was no other conclusion to be drawn except that we had a rat.
That evening we put out lots of rat poison, carefully mixed in with some wonderful tasting chicken bones and rice. We waited.
First thing on Tuesday morning, we rushed into the kitchen. Sure enough, the rat had eaten the chicken bones, rice and avocado, but seemed to have eaten around the red power-packed poison pellets. We also learned that morning that he likes to eat dish clothes. Go figure.
Now, I have to confess. I know that pride is a bad thing but there is just no way in He** that I was going to let an uneducated Tanzanian rat outsmart me. So, Tuesday night I mixed up another batch of rice, avocado and chicken. Only, this time, I carefully crushed each and every little red pellet into a fine powder and mixed it on it. Oh...it looked GOOD!
All I will say is that last night, we were NOT visited by the rat. Perhaps he had a date; perhaps he was tired and went to bed early. Or, just perhaps, he had met his end the night before. (Of course, we hope that he did not meet his end like the previous rat who got the best of us by dying in the lounge. Now that was a smell)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
I broke.
OK, the last 4 days have been an emotional roller coaster. Where to begin? Oh wait...you already know some of my saga so that makes it easier. With all that in mind...
I came back from Mairowa with the team of teenagers on Thursday. I've really enjoyed it when the teams come in to town because I feel like I am part of something when they are here; I feel as though I have a purpose, a raison d'etre.
Honest moment. When the teams aren't here, I don't feel like part of anything. I feel like one person who is in a foreign country with nothing that is familiar (emotionally). I've been struggling emotionally to feel a part of the ministry organization here in Tanzania. For a myriad of reasons, I haven't felt as though I have been invited to become part of them. This was made very apparent on Friday.
Every day, the ministry team does morning devotions. As there have been many teams in town over the last month, I've only been into the office about 6 days. Friday morning, Julia, Jenny and myself join the team for devotions. At the end of devotions, one of the men from the team went around the room and asked each person, by name, to prayer for a specific area of the ministry. When he came to me, he asked what my name was and thanked me for being a guest.
Already struggling to feel part of a team, having someone ask my name after I have been living here and working here for over a month made it all the more apparent that no, I was not a part of the team. The snippy side of me wanted to respond "Jina langu ni ErinStacy. Ninaishi Arusha na mimi ninafanya kazi Imara" Translation: my name is Erinstacy, I live in Arusha and I work at IMARA idiot. But, realizing that putting this man to shame for not knowing who I was was a cultural no-no, I just replied "Erin" and left it at that. About 2 minutes later, I left and cried.
I am learning so many things about myself and my faith. I learned on Friday that my identity here is not a member of the Imara Ministry Foundation team; it is a follower of Christ and that at no point should I even place more desire, emphasis, or belonging to any group more than Christ. I learned that I may never be a part of anything here and that that really doesn't matter at all. I learned (or was reminded) that God didn't necessarily "call me" to Africa to be part of a team to reach Africans with the Gospel. He called me to come here and focus my relationship and life on Him.
I learned that I am sick of myself. How God manages to listen to my sickly prayers is beyond me. I've learned that I need to be in intercession for others; not make petitions for myself and to help me "get though" this. I am not "suffering" for Christ. There is no "suffering" for Christ. The atonement, Christ's death, the royal priesthood that I am a part of: this is a privilege. I should approach is with joy that is beyond describable. I don't want to count my trials as suffering, I want to count them as joys.
I learned that my attitude can really rot. If I truly believe that God's ways are higher than mine; that His paths and His knowledge is above mine; that He will only do what is best for me, then I had better make an attitudinal adjustment and start praising Him for these gifts that I don't think that I want but that He is trying to give me to bring me to a deeper place with Him.
So many other things too! It is sort of like "A thousand and one Arabian nights"...you have to keep coming back to get the rest of the story.
I came back from Mairowa with the team of teenagers on Thursday. I've really enjoyed it when the teams come in to town because I feel like I am part of something when they are here; I feel as though I have a purpose, a raison d'etre.
Honest moment. When the teams aren't here, I don't feel like part of anything. I feel like one person who is in a foreign country with nothing that is familiar (emotionally). I've been struggling emotionally to feel a part of the ministry organization here in Tanzania. For a myriad of reasons, I haven't felt as though I have been invited to become part of them. This was made very apparent on Friday.
Every day, the ministry team does morning devotions. As there have been many teams in town over the last month, I've only been into the office about 6 days. Friday morning, Julia, Jenny and myself join the team for devotions. At the end of devotions, one of the men from the team went around the room and asked each person, by name, to prayer for a specific area of the ministry. When he came to me, he asked what my name was and thanked me for being a guest.
Already struggling to feel part of a team, having someone ask my name after I have been living here and working here for over a month made it all the more apparent that no, I was not a part of the team. The snippy side of me wanted to respond "Jina langu ni ErinStacy. Ninaishi Arusha na mimi ninafanya kazi Imara" Translation: my name is Erinstacy, I live in Arusha and I work at IMARA idiot. But, realizing that putting this man to shame for not knowing who I was was a cultural no-no, I just replied "Erin" and left it at that. About 2 minutes later, I left and cried.
I am learning so many things about myself and my faith. I learned on Friday that my identity here is not a member of the Imara Ministry Foundation team; it is a follower of Christ and that at no point should I even place more desire, emphasis, or belonging to any group more than Christ. I learned that I may never be a part of anything here and that that really doesn't matter at all. I learned (or was reminded) that God didn't necessarily "call me" to Africa to be part of a team to reach Africans with the Gospel. He called me to come here and focus my relationship and life on Him.
I learned that I am sick of myself. How God manages to listen to my sickly prayers is beyond me. I've learned that I need to be in intercession for others; not make petitions for myself and to help me "get though" this. I am not "suffering" for Christ. There is no "suffering" for Christ. The atonement, Christ's death, the royal priesthood that I am a part of: this is a privilege. I should approach is with joy that is beyond describable. I don't want to count my trials as suffering, I want to count them as joys.
I learned that my attitude can really rot. If I truly believe that God's ways are higher than mine; that His paths and His knowledge is above mine; that He will only do what is best for me, then I had better make an attitudinal adjustment and start praising Him for these gifts that I don't think that I want but that He is trying to give me to bring me to a deeper place with Him.
So many other things too! It is sort of like "A thousand and one Arabian nights"...you have to keep coming back to get the rest of the story.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Building foundations in Mairowa
Another little adventure for me. No- nothing at all as exciting as the last one with the car, but a few new interesting things have happened.
I spent this last week in Mairowa with a team of 16 teenagers from Scottsdale. What a blast! The team came in to work on laying two foundations for homes for two widows that will be completed later in the year.
Now, I must confess the following:
1. I knew that laying foundations would be hard work (just didn't know how hard)
2. I knew that the team consisted of 10 women and 8 men.
3. I knew that teenage girls from Scottsdale love manicures, high fashion, and make-up.
With this in mind, our vans took off for Mairowa. The first day we spent with our pickaxes, hoes and shovels digging two 24' deep x 20' wide ditches that would become our foundations. Man alive, this was hard work. It actually reminded me of the days when my Dad would give my brother and me snow shovels for Christmas, with the expectation that they would be used regularly (in case you were wondering, they were, and thus the reason for a new shovel every year).
The next day I think was my personal favorite: roll the boulder into the ditch. I had never envisioned myself, with a stylish African skirt on, assuming the sumo squat position to roll a boulder into a ditch. I don't think any of the other gals did either because they were a bit dubious at first.
The last day was much easier. It involved mixing cement, sand, water and rocks together to form the footings for the foundation. This was really slow work but it was finished.
I think what surprised me the most about this last week was the resiliency of the gals. I expected the guys to work hard...they are men. But the girls, I have to confess that I really didn't think that they would give it as much as they did. They arrived with make-up bags in hand, fresh mascara perfectly applied, and outfits that, by African standards, were worthy of Vanity Fair. However, they rocked the work site!
Even more impressive was the attitude that they chose to take regarding the lodging in Mairowa. The first night was a rough one: pit latrines, no water to even wash ones face with, and a LOT of insects. But, by the third night, there was hardly a peep from them about the conditions and they slept like babes. They really were troopers throughout the week and I was so proud of these girls.
It was a good time for me to reflect on my own resiliency. Not necessarily involving remote living conditions, but situations that the Lord chooses to put me in to build my endurance. I am still thinking on this, so as soon as I have some interesting thoughts to share, I will. Keep you posted!
ESW
I spent this last week in Mairowa with a team of 16 teenagers from Scottsdale. What a blast! The team came in to work on laying two foundations for homes for two widows that will be completed later in the year.
Now, I must confess the following:
1. I knew that laying foundations would be hard work (just didn't know how hard)
2. I knew that the team consisted of 10 women and 8 men.
3. I knew that teenage girls from Scottsdale love manicures, high fashion, and make-up.
With this in mind, our vans took off for Mairowa. The first day we spent with our pickaxes, hoes and shovels digging two 24' deep x 20' wide ditches that would become our foundations. Man alive, this was hard work. It actually reminded me of the days when my Dad would give my brother and me snow shovels for Christmas, with the expectation that they would be used regularly (in case you were wondering, they were, and thus the reason for a new shovel every year).
The next day I think was my personal favorite: roll the boulder into the ditch. I had never envisioned myself, with a stylish African skirt on, assuming the sumo squat position to roll a boulder into a ditch. I don't think any of the other gals did either because they were a bit dubious at first.
The last day was much easier. It involved mixing cement, sand, water and rocks together to form the footings for the foundation. This was really slow work but it was finished.
I think what surprised me the most about this last week was the resiliency of the gals. I expected the guys to work hard...they are men. But the girls, I have to confess that I really didn't think that they would give it as much as they did. They arrived with make-up bags in hand, fresh mascara perfectly applied, and outfits that, by African standards, were worthy of Vanity Fair. However, they rocked the work site!
Even more impressive was the attitude that they chose to take regarding the lodging in Mairowa. The first night was a rough one: pit latrines, no water to even wash ones face with, and a LOT of insects. But, by the third night, there was hardly a peep from them about the conditions and they slept like babes. They really were troopers throughout the week and I was so proud of these girls.
It was a good time for me to reflect on my own resiliency. Not necessarily involving remote living conditions, but situations that the Lord chooses to put me in to build my endurance. I am still thinking on this, so as soon as I have some interesting thoughts to share, I will. Keep you posted!
ESW
Friday, June 13, 2008
The story continues...
I know that none of you were able to sleep because you have been hanging on the edge of your seats waiting for my next post...
I might as well continue the story. It’s now Wednesday. I receive a call from the mechanic. The repairs to the car are TZS 700,000 at this point. He says there may be more. Should he go ahead and fix it? Well, what choice do I have? I’ve been told by several people that I had not received a good deal on the car. My instincts told me to swing it on over to the Snake Park and have BJ take a look at it. After all, he OWNS a vehicle repair shop. But, I went against my better judgment and let others make the decision for me.
I’ve been told by the mechanic that there was nothing wrong with the car when we purchased it. Is it fair to say that I am doubtful? I’ve owned about 8 cars in my short life, none of which have ever died. He told me that I need to check the car and watch the temp gauge. I said I do, and I did, but when the temp gauge only starts to rise when the smoke does, it seems a bit late. No sense in arguing. He’s a man and as we women know, men are never wrong.
Needless to say, I learned a lot of lessons the hard way this week and I might as well share them. After all, that is why you are reading this blog.
1. Trust your instincts. Had I trusted my instincts and brought the car to BJ, I probably would not have paid as much as I did for the car or I would have been able to have the car fixed prior to the purchase.
2. Learn to speak the language of the country you are living in. I still would have been taken advantage of, but might have been able to negotiate the prices down a bit.
3. It’s only money. I truly believe that this experience of handing out money hand over fist was the only way that God could get me to realize that it is only money. If I need more, He will provide it. Knowing that the money that I have been spending each one of my supporters worked hard to earn, I hate to see it “go down the tubes.” It makes me feel as though I am not being a good steward of the gifts that God has provided to me via them. I easily forget that God provided these funds for THIS EXACT purpose. He knew my car would break down and moved someone’s heart months ago to support me financially to cover this. This experience has very little to do with me not planning properly; it has everything to do with trials. As James says, “Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” One of my favorite verses and yet, I so quickly forgot it.
4. I actually can’t do it all. What do I mean? As an unmarried woman, I have become very adept at doing all that I need to do to get by and succeed. It’s not by choice; it’s by necessity. There is no one else who will be helping to pay rent, to put food on the table, to buy the condo, to fix the leak. Because of this, single women in the world today are much more independent as there is no option for dependence. Or at least, human dependence. I can be, and need to be, dependent on God. I have been limiting the ministry of Christ in my life by only remembering what God has done in my life and not what He has yet to do. I think “Oh, God has yet to do that for me so I will take care of it myself.” There is no elbow room for God to work because I have been the captain of the ErinStacy. Well, this little trip really helped to drive it home that I can’t do everything and I certainly don’t have control over everything, no matter how hard I plan to get it right. Maybe I am captain of the ship, but I am certainly not in control of the ocean where the ship sails. And as we all know, the Ocean will swallow the ship.
So, I know this entry has been long and I will sign off. Till next time….
I might as well continue the story. It’s now Wednesday. I receive a call from the mechanic. The repairs to the car are TZS 700,000 at this point. He says there may be more. Should he go ahead and fix it? Well, what choice do I have? I’ve been told by several people that I had not received a good deal on the car. My instincts told me to swing it on over to the Snake Park and have BJ take a look at it. After all, he OWNS a vehicle repair shop. But, I went against my better judgment and let others make the decision for me.
I’ve been told by the mechanic that there was nothing wrong with the car when we purchased it. Is it fair to say that I am doubtful? I’ve owned about 8 cars in my short life, none of which have ever died. He told me that I need to check the car and watch the temp gauge. I said I do, and I did, but when the temp gauge only starts to rise when the smoke does, it seems a bit late. No sense in arguing. He’s a man and as we women know, men are never wrong.
Needless to say, I learned a lot of lessons the hard way this week and I might as well share them. After all, that is why you are reading this blog.
1. Trust your instincts. Had I trusted my instincts and brought the car to BJ, I probably would not have paid as much as I did for the car or I would have been able to have the car fixed prior to the purchase.
2. Learn to speak the language of the country you are living in. I still would have been taken advantage of, but might have been able to negotiate the prices down a bit.
3. It’s only money. I truly believe that this experience of handing out money hand over fist was the only way that God could get me to realize that it is only money. If I need more, He will provide it. Knowing that the money that I have been spending each one of my supporters worked hard to earn, I hate to see it “go down the tubes.” It makes me feel as though I am not being a good steward of the gifts that God has provided to me via them. I easily forget that God provided these funds for THIS EXACT purpose. He knew my car would break down and moved someone’s heart months ago to support me financially to cover this. This experience has very little to do with me not planning properly; it has everything to do with trials. As James says, “Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” One of my favorite verses and yet, I so quickly forgot it.
4. I actually can’t do it all. What do I mean? As an unmarried woman, I have become very adept at doing all that I need to do to get by and succeed. It’s not by choice; it’s by necessity. There is no one else who will be helping to pay rent, to put food on the table, to buy the condo, to fix the leak. Because of this, single women in the world today are much more independent as there is no option for dependence. Or at least, human dependence. I can be, and need to be, dependent on God. I have been limiting the ministry of Christ in my life by only remembering what God has done in my life and not what He has yet to do. I think “Oh, God has yet to do that for me so I will take care of it myself.” There is no elbow room for God to work because I have been the captain of the ErinStacy. Well, this little trip really helped to drive it home that I can’t do everything and I certainly don’t have control over everything, no matter how hard I plan to get it right. Maybe I am captain of the ship, but I am certainly not in control of the ocean where the ship sails. And as we all know, the Ocean will swallow the ship.
So, I know this entry has been long and I will sign off. Till next time….
What does $9,138 get you?
Well, last week I would have said a wonderful, recycled 1991 Suzuki Escudo. This week? Yet another colorful adventure to add to the blog.
I left Arusha on Sunday headed south for Lushoto, a small, mountain village, for a week of intensive language study. By car, it’s about 250km away from Arusha; an estimated 5-6 hour drive. As this is quite a long and expensive trip for most Tanzanians, I had agreed to give one of the men from Imara, Paulo, a ride to Lushoto.
We set off in my newly purchased Suzuki Escudo. About 2 hours into the drive, I heard an odd knocking. Within 10 seconds, the following happened: the knocking got very loud, the temperature gauge flew into the red zone, smoke engulfed my hood and power was lost. I pulled over. Paulo immediately told me to turn the car off. I distinctly remember hearing the words: Hakuna shida (no problem!).
Fields of maize on one side, a few small buildings on the other, and my EXTENSIVE knowledge of car mechanics and Swahili led me to conclude: Houston, we have a problem. Within two minutes, a crew of locals had appeared (think Field of Dreams, “if you break down, they will come.”) One of them, being a fundi in mechanics (a “supposed” expert in a field), began to pour water into the engine…
Two hours later, the engine still would not start. We decided that the best course of action would be to flag down a passing bus and make our way to Lushoto and leave the car at a local gas station to be picked up. So, with my stylish new skirt on, I got behind the car with my new friends and we pushed while Paulo steered the car the 1/3 mile to the gas station.We are told at the gas station that the next bus is due to arrive in about 20 minutes. Sure enough, the bus pulls in and the next leg of my adventure begins.
Before I get into the rest of the story, let me explain a few things about African culture that I learned that day which are KEY to this story:
1. If you give someone a ride somewhere, anywhere, YOU are expected to pick up the tab for his food on the journey, as well as his return trip transportation fee and the food for that trip as well.
2. Should some mishap occur along the way ( perhaps, say, a car breaks down) you are then further expected to pick up all costs, including lodging, as well as add on transportation for both of you, even if you are doing him a favor and giving him the free ride. After all, you are MZUNGU so you have LOTS of MONEY.
3. If you are white, you WILL be taken advantage of. Expect to pay 2-3 times more than anyone else.
So, we board the bus. The usual fee from Arusha to Lushoto on the bus is TZS 12,000 per person. Since there are two of us, when the driver quoted TZS 22,000 I figured that wasn’t too bad, even though I had already driven for two hours. About 2 hours later, we arrive into a small, but somewhat busy town. I know that it is not Lushoto, but am hopeful that we are at Mombo, the last stop on the main road and the turn off to Lushoto. So far, not too bad. We have now been on the road for 6 hours and I figure I am only an hour or two away.
I am husked off the big bus onto a dala dala, with the surrounding crowd shouting “MZUNGU! MZUNGU!” while pointing at me. You would have thought they had never seen a white person before. For those of you unfamiliar with the term dala dala, a dala dala is a local taxi bus. Usually, there is seating for about 16 people but somehow about 30 are in the vehicle. People use the door to get in and out, as well as the windows. People are also seen hanging out of the dala dala as it drives down the road, weaving in and out of traffic. It is not uncommon to bring your goat, chicken, or other livestock on the dala dala with you. No, I haven’t asked, but I don’t think that the animal has to pay as well. The driver quotes us TZS 6,000 for two people. No worries, the locals pay TZ 300 so I have only paid 10 times as much. In what has become a common trend, I hand over the money.
As we drive along for the next 2 hours, I notice that 1) we are not gaining elevation and 2) we have not turned off the main road. After two hours, my little heart sinks when I see the sign that clearly says Mombo. It is now 9pm. My trip began at noon but fortunately, I am only about an hour away from Lushoto. We get off the dala dala and wait at the gas station for the next bus.
As we wait, a young man comes over and beings speaking with Paulo. He and Paulo talk for a couple of minutes. I notice that Paulo is no longer smiling. In fact, he does not look very encouraged as the conversation progresses. The other man pulls out a cell phone and about 2 minutes later, points to a cattle truck. What I learn is that the bus in not coming and that the cattle truck will transport us up the mountain for only TZ 11,000. What a deal! So, into the cattle truck we go, again, in my beautiful new skirt.
An hour later, we arrive into the village of Lushoto. I am to call Sabine when I arrive and she will give me directions. Whipping out my new cell phone (yes, I had to buy a new one because for some reason, mine does not work in Tanzania), I dial. No ring, no welcome tune, no nothing. Bateri kufa. Yes, gari kufa but now bateri kufa? In case you don’t speak Swahili, it means dead battery. Paulo doesn’t have a phone so now we need to find someone who will let me use his phone to get directions. For once, I did not have to pay for a service and we get directions.
Now, for the taxi. Yup, for just TZS 3,000 I can get a ride to her house. At this point, I don’t care how much, I just want to be there. In about 10 minutes, I am at the entrance to Sabine’s house and am receiving a warm welcome and greatly appreciated hug. I give Paulo TZS 50,000 to head on home and finally, FINALLY, I go to bed.
In all, to get to Lushoto, a local would have paid TZS 12,000. A mzungu will pay TZS 92,000. And don’t forget, I still have a car that is broken down in the middle of no-where and have to take the bus back to Arusha on Saturday.
Till nex time...
I left Arusha on Sunday headed south for Lushoto, a small, mountain village, for a week of intensive language study. By car, it’s about 250km away from Arusha; an estimated 5-6 hour drive. As this is quite a long and expensive trip for most Tanzanians, I had agreed to give one of the men from Imara, Paulo, a ride to Lushoto.
We set off in my newly purchased Suzuki Escudo. About 2 hours into the drive, I heard an odd knocking. Within 10 seconds, the following happened: the knocking got very loud, the temperature gauge flew into the red zone, smoke engulfed my hood and power was lost. I pulled over. Paulo immediately told me to turn the car off. I distinctly remember hearing the words: Hakuna shida (no problem!).
Fields of maize on one side, a few small buildings on the other, and my EXTENSIVE knowledge of car mechanics and Swahili led me to conclude: Houston, we have a problem. Within two minutes, a crew of locals had appeared (think Field of Dreams, “if you break down, they will come.”) One of them, being a fundi in mechanics (a “supposed” expert in a field), began to pour water into the engine…
Two hours later, the engine still would not start. We decided that the best course of action would be to flag down a passing bus and make our way to Lushoto and leave the car at a local gas station to be picked up. So, with my stylish new skirt on, I got behind the car with my new friends and we pushed while Paulo steered the car the 1/3 mile to the gas station.We are told at the gas station that the next bus is due to arrive in about 20 minutes. Sure enough, the bus pulls in and the next leg of my adventure begins.
Before I get into the rest of the story, let me explain a few things about African culture that I learned that day which are KEY to this story:
1. If you give someone a ride somewhere, anywhere, YOU are expected to pick up the tab for his food on the journey, as well as his return trip transportation fee and the food for that trip as well.
2. Should some mishap occur along the way ( perhaps, say, a car breaks down) you are then further expected to pick up all costs, including lodging, as well as add on transportation for both of you, even if you are doing him a favor and giving him the free ride. After all, you are MZUNGU so you have LOTS of MONEY.
3. If you are white, you WILL be taken advantage of. Expect to pay 2-3 times more than anyone else.
So, we board the bus. The usual fee from Arusha to Lushoto on the bus is TZS 12,000 per person. Since there are two of us, when the driver quoted TZS 22,000 I figured that wasn’t too bad, even though I had already driven for two hours. About 2 hours later, we arrive into a small, but somewhat busy town. I know that it is not Lushoto, but am hopeful that we are at Mombo, the last stop on the main road and the turn off to Lushoto. So far, not too bad. We have now been on the road for 6 hours and I figure I am only an hour or two away.
I am husked off the big bus onto a dala dala, with the surrounding crowd shouting “MZUNGU! MZUNGU!” while pointing at me. You would have thought they had never seen a white person before. For those of you unfamiliar with the term dala dala, a dala dala is a local taxi bus. Usually, there is seating for about 16 people but somehow about 30 are in the vehicle. People use the door to get in and out, as well as the windows. People are also seen hanging out of the dala dala as it drives down the road, weaving in and out of traffic. It is not uncommon to bring your goat, chicken, or other livestock on the dala dala with you. No, I haven’t asked, but I don’t think that the animal has to pay as well. The driver quotes us TZS 6,000 for two people. No worries, the locals pay TZ 300 so I have only paid 10 times as much. In what has become a common trend, I hand over the money.
As we drive along for the next 2 hours, I notice that 1) we are not gaining elevation and 2) we have not turned off the main road. After two hours, my little heart sinks when I see the sign that clearly says Mombo. It is now 9pm. My trip began at noon but fortunately, I am only about an hour away from Lushoto. We get off the dala dala and wait at the gas station for the next bus.
As we wait, a young man comes over and beings speaking with Paulo. He and Paulo talk for a couple of minutes. I notice that Paulo is no longer smiling. In fact, he does not look very encouraged as the conversation progresses. The other man pulls out a cell phone and about 2 minutes later, points to a cattle truck. What I learn is that the bus in not coming and that the cattle truck will transport us up the mountain for only TZ 11,000. What a deal! So, into the cattle truck we go, again, in my beautiful new skirt.
An hour later, we arrive into the village of Lushoto. I am to call Sabine when I arrive and she will give me directions. Whipping out my new cell phone (yes, I had to buy a new one because for some reason, mine does not work in Tanzania), I dial. No ring, no welcome tune, no nothing. Bateri kufa. Yes, gari kufa but now bateri kufa? In case you don’t speak Swahili, it means dead battery. Paulo doesn’t have a phone so now we need to find someone who will let me use his phone to get directions. For once, I did not have to pay for a service and we get directions.
Now, for the taxi. Yup, for just TZS 3,000 I can get a ride to her house. At this point, I don’t care how much, I just want to be there. In about 10 minutes, I am at the entrance to Sabine’s house and am receiving a warm welcome and greatly appreciated hug. I give Paulo TZS 50,000 to head on home and finally, FINALLY, I go to bed.
In all, to get to Lushoto, a local would have paid TZS 12,000. A mzungu will pay TZS 92,000. And don’t forget, I still have a car that is broken down in the middle of no-where and have to take the bus back to Arusha on Saturday.
Till nex time...
Friday, June 6, 2008
Settling in...
Today marks the end of my first “official” week here in Arusha. It’s been quite busy. Since I had been out and about with the team from Scottsdale for the first week and a half, I had not really had a chance to get myself settled on in. So, I devoted this week to that specific task.
First thing to do: get a cell phone. Cell phones work very differently here in Tanzania. Instead of having a calling plan (with a specific carrier, say T-Mobile or Verizon), one purchases a SIM card from any vendor on the street. You then go ahead and load money onto the card so that you can make your phone calls. Since there are three main carriers here, all of which have different reception in different areas, most people have at least one phone number, some as many as three. Mission accomplished.
Second thing to do: get a 4 WD vehicle. Lots of prayer had gone into this task and as an answer to prayer, I was able to finalize my purchase of a stylish blue/grey 1991 Suzuki Escudo on Tuesday. I know, you are thinking 1991?! No, by the standards here, that is not old. It’s just getting worn in.
The big adventure in that was learning how to drive on the opposite side of the road, in the opposite side of the car, with crazy dalla-dalla (taxi) drives whipping past me. The first time was a bit nerve racking, but after that, I think I might now almost pass as a Tanzanian driver.
Third thing to do: sign up for language class. I’m set to embark to the eastern side of Tanzania to a town called Lesotho on Sunday for a week long immersion call. This will be the first in a series of classes that will help me learn the language here.
Overall, I think a very productive week. I realized that just getting these few tasks completed has really helped me to feel settled in. Speaking the language, driving on the roads and being able to connect to folks back in the US...all good stuff.
First thing to do: get a cell phone. Cell phones work very differently here in Tanzania. Instead of having a calling plan (with a specific carrier, say T-Mobile or Verizon), one purchases a SIM card from any vendor on the street. You then go ahead and load money onto the card so that you can make your phone calls. Since there are three main carriers here, all of which have different reception in different areas, most people have at least one phone number, some as many as three. Mission accomplished.
Second thing to do: get a 4 WD vehicle. Lots of prayer had gone into this task and as an answer to prayer, I was able to finalize my purchase of a stylish blue/grey 1991 Suzuki Escudo on Tuesday. I know, you are thinking 1991?! No, by the standards here, that is not old. It’s just getting worn in.
The big adventure in that was learning how to drive on the opposite side of the road, in the opposite side of the car, with crazy dalla-dalla (taxi) drives whipping past me. The first time was a bit nerve racking, but after that, I think I might now almost pass as a Tanzanian driver.
Third thing to do: sign up for language class. I’m set to embark to the eastern side of Tanzania to a town called Lesotho on Sunday for a week long immersion call. This will be the first in a series of classes that will help me learn the language here.
Overall, I think a very productive week. I realized that just getting these few tasks completed has really helped me to feel settled in. Speaking the language, driving on the roads and being able to connect to folks back in the US...all good stuff.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Overload
That would be the perfect would to describe what I am feeling right now. My entire body is over-loaded with stimuli that I have yet to process from my first week here in Tanzania.
We returned to Mairowa earlier this week to visit the schools, build several chicken coops, and meet more sponsor child families. Visiting the bomas where the children live is very hard to explain. I can remember growing up and seeing commercials on television to sponsor starving children in Africa. Usually, the commercials would show images of children in rags with flies all over their faces. I had held the misconception that these commercials were hyped up; sort of "Hollywood-ized". I learned earlier this week that that is not the case. After visiting three separate bomas, and witnessing first hand the deplorable living conditions, I can attest that there is a solid reality in Mairowa that mirrows what I had seen on TV. There was quite a bit to take in from that visit and to be honest, I have not even begun to process it. I sort of feel like a sponge--I am continuing to absorb more and more but I know that at some point, I will need to wring myself out.
One thing that was facinating that I loved about Mairowa was the night sky. It too was beyond description. There were millions of stars; so bright that the sky shimmered like I had never seen before. The stars seemed to be dancing. And the Milky Way...we could see it in the evening sky. It formed a band of white across the blanket of stars. I could easily lose myself in the night sky had it not been for the fear that a lion might attack me while I stood and gazed upward.
We returned to Mairowa earlier this week to visit the schools, build several chicken coops, and meet more sponsor child families. Visiting the bomas where the children live is very hard to explain. I can remember growing up and seeing commercials on television to sponsor starving children in Africa. Usually, the commercials would show images of children in rags with flies all over their faces. I had held the misconception that these commercials were hyped up; sort of "Hollywood-ized". I learned earlier this week that that is not the case. After visiting three separate bomas, and witnessing first hand the deplorable living conditions, I can attest that there is a solid reality in Mairowa that mirrows what I had seen on TV. There was quite a bit to take in from that visit and to be honest, I have not even begun to process it. I sort of feel like a sponge--I am continuing to absorb more and more but I know that at some point, I will need to wring myself out.
One thing that was facinating that I loved about Mairowa was the night sky. It too was beyond description. There were millions of stars; so bright that the sky shimmered like I had never seen before. The stars seemed to be dancing. And the Milky Way...we could see it in the evening sky. It formed a band of white across the blanket of stars. I could easily lose myself in the night sky had it not been for the fear that a lion might attack me while I stood and gazed upward.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Watoto wa Mairowa!
These are just a couple of snap shots of the children that we sponsor in Mairowa, the village where I will be doing most of my work. Today, the team spent the day with the children, doing everything from feeding them lunch to playing duck, duck, goose. What an incredible time it was. I could not help but smile the entire day as the kids were just so full of joy and energy.
A special treat for me was to meet MY sponsor child, Raphael. He's the cutie in the above shot with me. He is about 4 years old and super shy. It was funny...I was wondering if I would be able to pick him out from the over 100 kids running around. The moment I say this little toddler walking around and I said "Hmph, that is my kid!".
Just a wonderful day.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Karibu Arusha!
Welcome to Arusha! I arrived into Arusha late last night after a mere 24 hours of travelling. Am I a zombie? Yes. I wanted to take a nap today at 7:15am (I woke at 7:10am), during lunch, during snack, and yes, during dinner. Needless to say, it is almost 10pm and I am getting ready to hit the sack.
So, I know so many of you are bursting at your seams to know what it is like here in Arusha. I live in a lovely 4 bedroom home, complete with dining room, living room, full kitchen, courtyard, porch, guard, 2 full baths, garage and yes, the unheard of, INTERNET! Let me tell you it was quite a shock to see my "rustic" accommodations. I know many of you are thinking "wait, I supported you to go on a missions trip not to live in the lap of luxury". So, let me tell you about the village where I will spend the other 50% of my time. There is no running water, no electricity, no showers, no stores, no nothing. I'm quite positive if I had to live there full time I would come back mighty thin because there doesn't seem to be much food.
I met the staff that I will be working with today. They seem wonderful. I say "seem" because they all spoke Swahili and I had no idea what they were saying. They could have been saying "Welcome Erin, we are so happy to have you" or "Welcome Erin, you look like a mighty plump pig in that new outfit". Needless to say, I was greeted with many smiles. I think it went well.
So, I know so many of you are bursting at your seams to know what it is like here in Arusha. I live in a lovely 4 bedroom home, complete with dining room, living room, full kitchen, courtyard, porch, guard, 2 full baths, garage and yes, the unheard of, INTERNET! Let me tell you it was quite a shock to see my "rustic" accommodations. I know many of you are thinking "wait, I supported you to go on a missions trip not to live in the lap of luxury". So, let me tell you about the village where I will spend the other 50% of my time. There is no running water, no electricity, no showers, no stores, no nothing. I'm quite positive if I had to live there full time I would come back mighty thin because there doesn't seem to be much food.
I met the staff that I will be working with today. They seem wonderful. I say "seem" because they all spoke Swahili and I had no idea what they were saying. They could have been saying "Welcome Erin, we are so happy to have you" or "Welcome Erin, you look like a mighty plump pig in that new outfit". Needless to say, I was greeted with many smiles. I think it went well.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
I'm off
Ok, I am about to take off on the real journey over to Tanzania. I'm sitting at my kitchen table. Mom is crying and telling stories about how people are being executed in South Africa for smuggling diamonds out of the country, hidden in various unmentionable body parts. I had better make sure to steer clear of that, huh? Better home they don't travel the 1,000 miles up to Tanzania. Dad is looking at her like she is crazy. Is this what happens when you are married for 40 years?
Take off is in about 15 minutes. I'm signing off!
ESW
Take off is in about 15 minutes. I'm signing off!
ESW
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Great day
I dropped Wayne off at the airport first thing this morning (he had come out to see me for a week). For those of you who have not met Wayne, he is my biggest cheerleader in everything that I do. He is also the hardest one for me to say goodbye to. So, you can imagine that dropping him off at 6:45am was such a great way to kick off the day.
The day then got even better when the temperature soared to 50 degrees and the rain and wind kicked in. Yup, what a great day. Even the dog is looking rather pathetic and down-hearted.
I've begun the packing process. As I am normally a light packer, I thought that I would wait until that last day to pack up. Well, I think I gained some weight as not a single one of my suitcases would be considered light. The good part? None of it is coming home.
I meet up with the team from SBC Thursday AM in Amsterdam and we arrive into Tanzania late that evening. To my absolute delight, I will be meeting my new roommies that night. I'm pretty sure that they are cool as I have been secretly gathering info on each and they seem like a good lot.
OK, I'm out to try and trim a lb or two off the carry-on.
The day then got even better when the temperature soared to 50 degrees and the rain and wind kicked in. Yup, what a great day. Even the dog is looking rather pathetic and down-hearted.
I've begun the packing process. As I am normally a light packer, I thought that I would wait until that last day to pack up. Well, I think I gained some weight as not a single one of my suitcases would be considered light. The good part? None of it is coming home.
I meet up with the team from SBC Thursday AM in Amsterdam and we arrive into Tanzania late that evening. To my absolute delight, I will be meeting my new roommies that night. I'm pretty sure that they are cool as I have been secretly gathering info on each and they seem like a good lot.
OK, I'm out to try and trim a lb or two off the carry-on.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
From Oregon to Arizona to New York....
OK. Note to all those road trippers: driving from Arizona to New York is actually longer than it appears. I just finished the drive: 2650 miles, 36 hours of driving, 6 tanks of gas, 19 Harry Potter audio CD's and 13 bathroom breaks. Uh, yeah, it's long.
The delight in the entire trip, aside from the thrill of calculating how many miles per gallon I averaged with each gas company (BP was the winner), was getting to stay with Jenny and Andrew. I had planned the first day to the T: leave Scottsdale at 5:30am, drive for 12 1/2 hours, and arrive into Texas at 6:00pm.
Jenny realized the first miscalculation, or better, non-calculation, around lunch. Texas is 2 hours ahead of Arizona. Arrival now pushed back to 8:00pm. Then, somehow, after stopping for only 21 minutes all day, the drive was almost 90 minutes longer than planned. I arrived, albeit a bit grumpy, tired, and stiff, into Wichita Falls at 9:17pm. At least I got a few hours with my friends. Just so good.
I did have one interesting thing happen to me. When I was finally pulling off the last interstate, just 15 miles from home and HUNGRY, I pulled up to a stop light. I was the third car in line. Lord Voldemort was just about to kill Harry Potter (Book 7) when BAM! I was attacked by a bicycle. No joke. Someone just decided to run into the side of my car. At this point, I am slightly bewildered. Am I in trouble? Did I hit someone? How do I report getting hit by a bicycle? I got out of the car and realized that the bike rider appeared to be lit. How many? No clue, but enough to run into a stopped car. He was okay and got on his bike and peddled on off, swaying from one side of the yellow line to the other.
Now, just one more travel adventure to go...
The delight in the entire trip, aside from the thrill of calculating how many miles per gallon I averaged with each gas company (BP was the winner), was getting to stay with Jenny and Andrew. I had planned the first day to the T: leave Scottsdale at 5:30am, drive for 12 1/2 hours, and arrive into Texas at 6:00pm.
Jenny realized the first miscalculation, or better, non-calculation, around lunch. Texas is 2 hours ahead of Arizona. Arrival now pushed back to 8:00pm. Then, somehow, after stopping for only 21 minutes all day, the drive was almost 90 minutes longer than planned. I arrived, albeit a bit grumpy, tired, and stiff, into Wichita Falls at 9:17pm. At least I got a few hours with my friends. Just so good.
I did have one interesting thing happen to me. When I was finally pulling off the last interstate, just 15 miles from home and HUNGRY, I pulled up to a stop light. I was the third car in line. Lord Voldemort was just about to kill Harry Potter (Book 7) when BAM! I was attacked by a bicycle. No joke. Someone just decided to run into the side of my car. At this point, I am slightly bewildered. Am I in trouble? Did I hit someone? How do I report getting hit by a bicycle? I got out of the car and realized that the bike rider appeared to be lit. How many? No clue, but enough to run into a stopped car. He was okay and got on his bike and peddled on off, swaying from one side of the yellow line to the other.
Now, just one more travel adventure to go...
Monday, April 28, 2008
All over the place
Well, the adventure has begun...at least in my mind. I left Oregon on Saturday for Arizona. Well, it is already Monday and tomorrow I leave Arizona for New York. I know it may not sound like the "exciting" part of my journey, but for me, it is the the most exciting. It's the beginning.
There are a lot of feelings that come, and go, with "the beginning". I'm not sure what all of them are. I'm all over the place. I find myself exploding from the inside with joy, then crying for no reason while having coffee at the local cafe. Just speaking about where I am going and what I am doing brings waves of delight to my soul. To be so happy on the inside...it's just amazing.
I've always felt that I had a great life and was happy. As the time approaches for me to leave, I realize that I am becoming, for lack of a better word, happier. Yes, happier than I thought I could be. It's this incredible sense of elation at the thought of being in pursuit of the Creator of the Universe and knowing that my life for the next 6 months will be focused on loving Him wholly.
My emotions are just all over the place.
There are a lot of feelings that come, and go, with "the beginning". I'm not sure what all of them are. I'm all over the place. I find myself exploding from the inside with joy, then crying for no reason while having coffee at the local cafe. Just speaking about where I am going and what I am doing brings waves of delight to my soul. To be so happy on the inside...it's just amazing.
I've always felt that I had a great life and was happy. As the time approaches for me to leave, I realize that I am becoming, for lack of a better word, happier. Yes, happier than I thought I could be. It's this incredible sense of elation at the thought of being in pursuit of the Creator of the Universe and knowing that my life for the next 6 months will be focused on loving Him wholly.
My emotions are just all over the place.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Mwanamke anakimbea...
What does that mean? Well, the woman is running. For the last two weeks, I've been trying to put my nose to the grindstone and learn Swahili. Very interesting, to say that least. Aside from the fact that most of the words all look the same and I keep forgetting if I am a mwanamume or a mwanamke, I'm getting there. I mean, I can accurately pronounce 'the boy is under the plane' (mvulana juu ya ndege) and who doesn't use that expression daily?
All I need to do now is master Swahili, so that I will be able to speak with my translator who will translate my Swahili into Maa. Oh yes, there is another language. I know that some of you must be thinking "well, why not just learn Maa?". Excellent question and if there was even a written dictionary in publication out there, I would. I've yet to find many materials to use in learning this language. So, I think that I am on my own pretty much until I get to Arusha. C'est la vie. Oh wait, that's french. I don't know the Swahili version yet.
All I need to do now is master Swahili, so that I will be able to speak with my translator who will translate my Swahili into Maa. Oh yes, there is another language. I know that some of you must be thinking "well, why not just learn Maa?". Excellent question and if there was even a written dictionary in publication out there, I would. I've yet to find many materials to use in learning this language. So, I think that I am on my own pretty much until I get to Arusha. C'est la vie. Oh wait, that's french. I don't know the Swahili version yet.
Monday, April 14, 2008
The pieces are really falling into place
So, I found out 12 days ago that I was to leave for Tanzania in 50 days. That's 50 days to settle all my accounts here for the next 7 months, find a new home in Arusha, raise a substantial amount of support, put together a prayer team, buy a 4WD rig and learn how to drive on the opposite side of the road on the other side of the 4WD rig driving stick...plus a few other things.
Because of the rapidity of this, many friends and family have asked over the last 2 weeks if I feel this is the right thing to do. Am I sure that I can put all the pieces together that fast? Am I sure that the entire continent of Africa will not just swallow me up when I arrive because I don't have a single one of these items fully accomplished yet and leave in just 5 weeks?
It's made me think an awful lot and each time I am reminded of what believing, what faith, is really about. Faith...believing in what is not known; what I cannot confirm; what I cannot see and what I have a darn hard time explaining at times.
Would it take as much faith for me to leave my job if I knew where I was going? Would it take as much faith to head on over to Tanzania if all the details were worked out? For me, the answer is a pretty firm no. I'm not saying kudos to ErinStacy because she has faith. What I am saying and what I am really learning is that if God is going to be the leader in my life, then I had better learn how to follow, even if I have no idea where I am being led. It's really easy for me to follow if I know all the steps to the dance. It's another thing for me to step out on the dance floor, blindfolded and not knowing what genre of music is about to be played. A bit uncomfortable? Heck yes.
Because of the rapidity of this, many friends and family have asked over the last 2 weeks if I feel this is the right thing to do. Am I sure that I can put all the pieces together that fast? Am I sure that the entire continent of Africa will not just swallow me up when I arrive because I don't have a single one of these items fully accomplished yet and leave in just 5 weeks?
It's made me think an awful lot and each time I am reminded of what believing, what faith, is really about. Faith...believing in what is not known; what I cannot confirm; what I cannot see and what I have a darn hard time explaining at times.
Would it take as much faith for me to leave my job if I knew where I was going? Would it take as much faith to head on over to Tanzania if all the details were worked out? For me, the answer is a pretty firm no. I'm not saying kudos to ErinStacy because she has faith. What I am saying and what I am really learning is that if God is going to be the leader in my life, then I had better learn how to follow, even if I have no idea where I am being led. It's really easy for me to follow if I know all the steps to the dance. It's another thing for me to step out on the dance floor, blindfolded and not knowing what genre of music is about to be played. A bit uncomfortable? Heck yes.
Friday, April 11, 2008
So...what do you do?
For the past 12 years of my life, this has been a pretty darn easy question. I'm in college. I'm in grad school. I work for Maybelline. I work for Dial. I'm in sales. I'm in marketing. Not hard. Occupations that everyone understood and accepted.
On the plane two days ago headed back to Oregon from Scottsdale, a woman asked me what I do. Uh...I'm a missionary? Oh my gosh. Did I just say that? What does that mean? How will people react? What will they say? About 150 thoughts went through my head. Interestingly, almost none seemed to go through her head...just a blank stare. I smiled. She gave me this nervous look, then a weak smile.
How I went from the affable seat mate who was easy to talk to to someone who is the "m" word and therefore must believe in the "G" word, I'm not quite sure. It seems these days that one can wax and wane about the most scandalous and charged topics that would shock and offend 80% of the world and everyone will have an opinion but the mere mention of God or even worse, Jesus Christ, brings people to silence. Go figure.
On the plane two days ago headed back to Oregon from Scottsdale, a woman asked me what I do. Uh...I'm a missionary? Oh my gosh. Did I just say that? What does that mean? How will people react? What will they say? About 150 thoughts went through my head. Interestingly, almost none seemed to go through her head...just a blank stare. I smiled. She gave me this nervous look, then a weak smile.
How I went from the affable seat mate who was easy to talk to to someone who is the "m" word and therefore must believe in the "G" word, I'm not quite sure. It seems these days that one can wax and wane about the most scandalous and charged topics that would shock and offend 80% of the world and everyone will have an opinion but the mere mention of God or even worse, Jesus Christ, brings people to silence. Go figure.
Monday, April 7, 2008
So many details to work out...
Just arrived back into Oregon after being in the lovely Scottsdale area for 10 days. Sitting here telling my friends in Prineville about what I will be doing and where I will be going in the next 6 weeks is just amazing. I feel that my life is moving so fast and in such an amazing way.
I was out to dinner last night at Pita Jungle and a friend came up to me afterwards and said that I was radiating. That is not normal for me...I don't really radiate. She said I just exuded happiness. I told her why.
I thought it was pretty darn rad that this inward joy could be seen across 6 tables at a restaurant at 9pm at night.
I was out to dinner last night at Pita Jungle and a friend came up to me afterwards and said that I was radiating. That is not normal for me...I don't really radiate. She said I just exuded happiness. I told her why.
I thought it was pretty darn rad that this inward joy could be seen across 6 tables at a restaurant at 9pm at night.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
50 Days to go...
That's it. I'm sitting here in Scottsdale and the reality is hitting me that my dream, MY DREAM, what I have always wanted to do, is only 50 days away. Have you ever taken a step in the direction you wanted to go, only to realize that in taking that step, you are moving more than a mere 3 ft? You were moving your entire body, your entire mind, your entire soul, in a new direction? Welcome to my life.
Let's rewind 8 months. I'm living in Scottsdale, have a job that's good and am happier than most everyone I know. BUT (there's always that but...) , the nagging, the persistent tapping on my heart, begins again. It's been building for a few years...ever since I became real active at Park Street in Boston. It's that voice that asks what I truly want for my life. No, not an audible voice. Just...a voice. I know what it's saying with it's asking. It's been the same question for over 10 years. I've done a fabulous job of quieting it over the years, but I don't think that I want to quiet it anymore. I want it to speak. It does.
The result is seen in the selling of my new condo in Fenway, the resignation at my job in Scottsdale and the submitting of my application to become a missionary to Africa.
The process began last August and now, just 50 days away, all the pieces are falling into place. Sort of like a thunderstorm of information, the answers are coming; answers that I had been seeking for quite some time. The thunderstorm ends. I am soaked.
Let's rewind 8 months. I'm living in Scottsdale, have a job that's good and am happier than most everyone I know. BUT (there's always that but...) , the nagging, the persistent tapping on my heart, begins again. It's been building for a few years...ever since I became real active at Park Street in Boston. It's that voice that asks what I truly want for my life. No, not an audible voice. Just...a voice. I know what it's saying with it's asking. It's been the same question for over 10 years. I've done a fabulous job of quieting it over the years, but I don't think that I want to quiet it anymore. I want it to speak. It does.
The result is seen in the selling of my new condo in Fenway, the resignation at my job in Scottsdale and the submitting of my application to become a missionary to Africa.
The process began last August and now, just 50 days away, all the pieces are falling into place. Sort of like a thunderstorm of information, the answers are coming; answers that I had been seeking for quite some time. The thunderstorm ends. I am soaked.
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