Pity the Poor Traveler

I have missed a couple days. Despite the American clock being irrelevant in Tanzania, things can move fast. Or not....

We are now heading to Zanzibar for rest and relaxation. We left Iringa Wednesday morning with our planned 90 minute stop at Ruaha Mbyuni. Pastor David Mapepele, my friend who has just finished at Tumaini, starts at his new congregation this week, will graduate in October and be ordained in January, is the son of Dr. Jairhus Mapepele. We arranged this visit in part to discuss what has become a mutual dream. But you cannot discuss the details of a dream of establishing a hospital in 90 minutes. David had written not only the words of his dad detailing the dream, but a minute-by-minute American agenda, adhering to our timeline. There is a Wazungu phrase here that is a common explanation for the way things are. (Wazungu refers to white people. It isn’t really derogatory, depending on inflection.) The phrase is “TIA.” “This is Africa.” Well, TIA.

We ate breakfast at 7 AM before we left the Lutheran Center. That was punctuated by many heartfelt goodbyes and a very nice send off from our new and dear friend Brian Peterson. I am quite sure our paths will cross again, I just don’t know how or when.

The first agenda item at Ruaha Mbyuni was breakfast. It was acheduled 10 to 10:15 AM. Then we were scheduled for lunch at 11:15, so we could leave at 11:30. The schedule started to fall apart quickly, since breakfast took about 40 minutes itself. Exchange of gifts David had scheduled for three minutes, lasted 20. You get the picture. The whole visit was three and a half hours. Birdie put this in perspective for me. We were worried about missing a sunset in Dar. This was a presentation on helping and changing the lives of some 40,000 Tanzanians in the surrounding area.  I guess we could afford the time!

But I do not know what I can really do. I have never attempted to get funding for some project on a grand scale such as this. I committed to do three things. First, I will touch base with Ilula Task Force. I do not want to dilute the efforts they have made in any way. We have 7 of the 85 dispensaries built in the Kilolo district villages. The government’s goal is to have a dispensary in every village. Since Ruaha Mbyuni has a dispensary, it is down the list in priority for expansion. Dr. Mapepele has political connections and pull. So the community support is already there and land has been designated and donated for the new hospital. There is strong potential for a model for the country. Ilula has built up from a single building to multiple buildings.  So I wonder what is the best building plan.

So second, I will find an architect to discuss this with. (Think Paul Dahlberg.) Lastly, I will investigate fund raising for such a project.

We left full, no, stuffed, with food and ambition.

We arrived in Dar. Peter paid a price driving in the dark but got us to our destinations without incident.  We totally missed David’s brother John who was to dine with us. We had a great evening but a short night.  The food at Sea Cliff was again delicious. Peter got us to FPCT. We got up in time to make our flight and are now enjoying a Caribbean-like atmosphere on Zanzibar.  Sunset was beautiful. The moon is nearly full. Food was great. I napped for three hours and am refreshed. You are in the middle of your Thursday afternoon. It is still the same moon over us all. When we awake, it will be Carly’s birthday and we are thinking of all of you, especially our daughter.

A photo or two tomorrow.

Ken

Sandy and Bob

Thursday, 18 Sep 2008

It is always hard to say goodbye and when you have to say goodbye and may never see that person or persons again it is doubly hard.

Our brothers and sisters in Idunda treated us like long lost family members. Sharing abundantly what little food they have and giving a lot in their warm hearts. We were blessed by many villagers adults and children greeting us in song, dance and huge smiles. They are a people isolated in the mountains with no running water or electricity. They farm small plots for food for themselves and walk great distances for supplies and schooling. It is a very hard and difficult life. They seem so happy and content with so little. It was with a heavy heart that we say goodbye but we can’t go until we travel with a rooster and 4 chickens for our Tanzanian friends that traveled with us. As the days go by we keep thinking and praying for the people of Idunda. They will always be in our hearts and thoughts.

We were honored to be able to meet and visit with the Bishop. More goodbyes were said.

We made dinner at Tom Nielsen’s apt for about 20 people. The food, laughter and conversation was great. Again we had goodbye to many new found friends. We also had to say a tearful goodbye to our wonderful guide and lovable friend (soon to be pastor) John. He truly warms our hearts with his smile, kindness and sense of humor. He will always be in our thoughts, hearts and prayers.

After 9 days at the Lutheran center we need to also say goodbye to the wonderful staff who have been most gracious, friendly and helpful to us during our stay. Tom and Dennis from Bega Kwa Bega office and our friend Brian Peterson were on hand to say goodbye and wish us safe journey on our continued travels. There were huge hugs given and pictures taken as a farewell send off.

Peter, our driver, is our last Iringa friend that we said goodbye to. He always got us to where we needed to be in a timely manner under some difficult conditions. As we remember the African roads we will think fondly of Peter. He and his family who we met will always be in our hearts and prayers.

So many people we have met in a short time and so many hard, tearful goodbyes we have made.

Sandy

Worship at Kihesa, Lunch at Sarah's and Gongilonga

Kihesa

It’s Sunday.  Another opportunity to worship the same God in different languages. The 7 AM service was just letting out when we arrived for the 9 AM service. The choir was out in front singing a beautiful hymn. We enjoyed this as the people passed by. I asked one little girl who looked about 7-8 years old, “Jina lako nani?” in my best Swahili. She responded in impeccable English, “My name is Anna Marie.” “What is your brother’s name?” I asked, “His name is Henry,” The children all learn English in secondary school, but a few, like Anna Marie and Sarah’s children, Nerea, age 9, and Miriam, age 5, learn in primary school.

The service had been full. By 9:15, we went in, but there were sparse attendees. To my surprise, the church was full by about 10. Before the service, one woman from the congregation got up and sang a responsive song. It was beautiful. We joined in as best we could, not understanding most of the words except “Mungu” (God). The ministers came in and the singing switched from spontaneous praise to formal liturgy.

The choir sang again, the congregation, a solo, then the Wazungu choir (us) did our best with “Listen, Listen God is Calling” including the Swahili chorus at the end. The congregation appreciated the Swahili, but listening to the choir was a true treat. They definitely outshine most choirs I have heard!

The evangelist preached. The pastor had preached the first service. The sermon lasted about a half hour, and we were aided by translators, including Peter our driver, John Mhekwa, thankfully our constant companion, and a senior student in Business Administration at Tumaini, Itiweni Samson Luhwago. She was a little shy about it at first, but did a marvelous job.

At the end of the service, the choir recessed from church and sang to the congregation as we did. There were many greetings and handshakes.

Sarah's for Lunch

Immediately after service, we went to Sarah’s home for lunch. She had invited the whole group. We brought an adoptee named Dr. Brian Peterson, from Southern Seminary, who will teach Greek and Gospels at Tumaini when the semester begins next week. Brian graduated from Augustana, Sioux Falls, in 1982. Sarah is the housekeeper at Bega kwa Bega. She does great work managing the apartments and we first became very attached to her when we were here in 2006. She works very hard at her day job and has not had an easy life. She is raising two lovely daughters as I mentioned above. The lunch was delicious, certainly the best outside the Lutheran Centre and Mwagusi and easily equalling them.

Gangilonga

In the afternoon, Bob, Sandy, Judy, Brian Peterson, John and myself left the Bibis and Birdies and walked to, then climbed Gangilonga, a huge boulder that overlooks the entire, long, narrow community of Iringa. It is exhilarating and I did not like looking down the sheer drop. Gail, I don’t think you would like it either. See the photo!  That's a few of us sitting on the edge with Brian Peterson

Brian Peterson

One of the many great things about The Lutheran Center in Iringa is that it is a place where you can meet the most wonderful people – not only the staff at the center, but also those fellow travelers through Tanzania. I had come to Iringa to teach for a term at Tumaini University, but when I arrived I learned that the school’s schedule had been changed, and classes would not begin for 2 weeks. Most of the University was away on vacation, and so I was all alone at the Center, wondering what I would do while I waited in Iringa for two weeks.

Well, in came the group from St. James Lutheran Church. Perhaps it was the sound of that familiar Minnesota accent that caught my attention. And for their part, they probably saw how lonely (and exhausted!) I looked, eating breakfast all by myself. Their invitation to join them was gracious; I mean that not just in the sense that it was polite, but in the deeper sense that it was an embodiment of God’s grace. They took this stranger in, and allowed me to accompany them as they learned about life and the work of the church in Tanzania. Because of their hospitality, and because of the amazing hospitality of the Tanzanians that we have enjoyed, I will hear with new appreciation God’s call to welcome the stranger among us.

Through prayer and song and worship, through listening quietly to one another, through working and caring and laughing together, through sharing our faith in the midst of joy and of struggle, God binds us together in new relationships as the church, and we learn, perhaps more profoundly than ever before, what it means to be the one body of Christ, whether we live in Minnesota, or South Carolina, or Tanzania.

Ed. Note: Brian is a professor at Southern Seminary. He is an Augie grad!  He has been a wonderful addition to our activities.  That's him on the left in the photo.  kpo

Sandy and Bob

We have seen and done so much while in Africa. This is our first time and so many of the things we have seen and done have left a lasting memory. It has been hard to pick a favorite. Somethings like bartering in the market, the African bumpy roads, the beautiful worship services, weddings, safari, the abundant singing and dancing, the choo have all been new experiences.

It is hard not to fall in love with the children and the people. They are so gracious and generous yet have so little. Their smiles warm our hearts. We have met so many people and they all make us feel honored to be with them.

We have been blessed to have been guests in two homes. One was Sara (who works in the Bega Kwa Bega Office) and her two daughters and the other was Peter (our driver) along with his wife, daughter and niece. The meals were very good and the hospitality was overwhelming.

We have taken over 600 pictures already and have only been here two weeks. We will have a wealth of memories to help us remember our African brothers and sisters.

Esther and Nona

Greetings from this far off enchanting land with its beautiful people! Missing all of you, family and friends, but every minute is being filled with precious new acquaintances who quickly become dear friends, but none of you at home are replaced! The safari was unbelievable wonderful but so is all the other events, people and places. Thanks for the emails have had time to retrieve and I apologize for not having replied. Please share this message with my non electronic friends.
With love,
Esther


We have seen and done so many things and we have more new adventures coming up. The African people are so kind and nice to us. Safari was great. If the walking is hard I have my walking stick and many helpful arms and hands to aid me.
God bless!!
Mom Nelsona

PS The photo is Judy, Esther and Nona

Birdie

Greetings from Ken’s first guest blogger! Just wanted to be able to say to someone besides the group here what a marvelous time we are having. The pace started rather fast but we are now are relaxed and taking things in. The Bibis have been great sports and hold their own. Judy is loving the kids and Bob and Sandy are enjoying everything. The trip is completely different from last time but so very wonderful. Can’t wait to tell you all the stories and show you the millions of pictures! Love to you all,
Birdie