A Day in the Life

Our morning begins very here, with the first rooster crowing before 5am.  As the daylight increases, more roosters join in the chorus, followed by the cows and one pig.  We are usually out of bed before 7, get dressed and ready to start the day.

Tom begins his day by setting up the gas cooker and straining tap water into a pot to boil for our tea.  He then sets the little coffee table in the living room with cups and utensils.  The sugar is in a tightly sealing tupperware container.  He also gets out juice and usually a container of fruit left from the previous night’s dinner; pineapple, mango or oranges.

I cook breakfast.  Usually it is eggs, french toast or cereal.  Anything that is not in our little refrigerator must be kept in sealed plastic containers.  We use the parmalat type milk, which I actually like.  It tastes like evaporated milk.  

By the time we are finishing our breakfast our housekeeper Veronica arrives.  We head up the road to the home, where we will work until noon.

Veronica starts out by washing up the breakfast dishes.  The washes whatever laundry is in the basket.  This is done at a large outdoor sink area in our back yard.  She sweeps through the whole house, cleans and then cooks our food for the day.  Since she is young and has a five year old, we have her cook enough for lunch that we can eat the leftovers for our dinner.  She usually leaves between two and three in the afternoon.

When Tom and I get to the home, we go our separate ways.  If there are no other jobs needed or classes being held (like now while half of the girls are away on break) we head to different groups of children.  At the home the children are divided into four rooms.  The nursery right now has a three week old baby and one that is about two months old.  They are both boys.  A child care worker is assigned to each baby, so with one on one care, we only stop to visit there.

Room One has the eight babies ranging from two or three months old to about one year old.  Room Two has seven toddlers.  Since we have been here, three of them have started walking.  It has been a fun process to watch.  Room Three has the older children in it, with the oldest being three years old.  He is Husseini, who recently started nursery school at the Rainbow School.  Whatever room we work with, the day consists of playing with the children, feeding them, taking walks with them, and doing a lot of singing.  We work from 9 until noon and then from 2 until 5.  

If English classes are being held, we have a morning and an afternoon class.  Each one lasts about an hour.  Sometimes the driver for the home, a very nice man named Christian, sits in on our class too.  Every day is different.  The girls are always switching their duties and their schedules.  The majority of the girls are on day work, but there is always a night crew as well.  There are 32 girls altogether, but the classes range in size from 8 to 18 (the number of desks in the classroom).  I try to cover the same ground in each class, so that it doesn’t matter if the girls switch from morning to afternoon.  The children are the main concern here, so the classes come second, understandably.

Tom has had a variety of jobs so far.  He has repaired a clothes dryer, a chain saw, some plumbing, and is now working on repairing many broken or missing window panes.  The chain saw has made him the star of the neighborhood.  A couple of years ago, a chain saw was donated to the home, but without directions.  The Dar es Salaam baggage tag was still attached to it, but it was full of old gunky fuel.  Tom was able to get it working.  This is a very big deal since the home uses an amazing amount of fire wood each day for cooking and for heating water for bathing and loads of laundry.  When the kids hear the chain saw they start chanting Ba-bu, Ba-bu, which means “grandfather”.  Previously, the wood was split by axe and then cut to length either by hired men or by the girls using machetes.

We have a two hour break at noon, which sometimes I must admit turns into nap time for us.  At two o’clock we head back and either have our work, or go to a different room for variety of the kids.

At 5 pm, we return home.  I heat up dinner and Tom washes the dishes.  Right now sunset comes between 6:30 and 7:00 pm.  Tom always takes a walk after dinner and I often join him, but not always.  After watching the sun go behind the mountain, we walk past the home and visit the girls who are cooking that day.  Sometimes, we sing with them.  It could be Jingle Bells, Jesus Loves Me, If You’re Happy and You Know It, or just last night it was The Hokey Pokey.  

We return home before dark.  By 7 pm almost everyone is at their home for the night.  We usually check for email, Facebook, or read.  Some nights we play Scrabble or 500 Rummey.  By 9 o’clock we get our showers.  This is done standing in a large plastic pan and pouring water over ourselves from a pitcher. Veronica boils the water for us in the afternoon and it is kept in two ten liter paint buckets with lids to keep it warm.

When it is time to go to bed, we drop the mosquito net over our bed and tuck it all in between the mattress and the bed frame.  We get into bed and thank God for having been blessed with another beautiful day. 

Coming and Going

On Tuesday morning at 6:15, I was picked up by Christian and Mama Maria to accompany them on a “home visit”.  The details of the trip were very vague, my understanding was that we were visiting the home of a girl formerly in the care of ICH.  (Tom was on a separate trip, taking two of the children to the hospital for check-ups, along with Mama Mdemu and two of the child care workers.)

We drove all the way down the mountain and headed east at Mombo.  After another half hour on the highway we turned right onto a dirt road and continued about twenty more minutes.  When we came over the crest of a hill we could see the plain before us.  Ahead was the Morogoro River, which had flooded its banks.  Mama said, “This is very bad”.  The road was impassable by car.  Christian parked the vehicle before the bridge and we all got out.  Mama said, “Pole sana (very sorry).  We will walk from here”.  So we took off our shoes and socks, hitched up our skirts, and two very nice young men (with machetes) took our hands and escorted Mama and I through the water, which was over my knees, and about thirty yards wide.  There were fish swimming in the water.  I thought of my training, which advised never to go swimming here.  Well, one rule broken!  Christian had to wait with the vehicle.

After the water, we started walking up hill on a long winding road.  I asked if it was far, and Mama said, “Yes, very far”.  We climbed for about 25 minutes and came to a small cluster of mud houses, really a “sub-village” with perhaps a dozen or two houses.  Mama walked toward one house and called, “Hodi, hodi” which translates something like a verbal “Knock, knock”.  In front of the house were four young women, eleven children and one older woman.  We were here to visit with her, the grandmother of Zawadi.  Greetings were exchanged and then Zawadi appeared.  Mama gave her a big hug, told her she loved her, and said how glad she was to see her.  

First, we sat on small stools in front of the house, but a large crowd of women and children began to gather.  So we moved our stools inside the small stick and mud house where Zawadi and her grandparents lived.  The house had three very small rooms; a kitchen area, a sitting room and the third was no doubt the bedroom.  The whole house was no more than 10 x 12 feet.  It had a corrugated roof with many holes in it.  

A long conversation in Kiswahili began between Mama and the grandmother.  Many sounds of sympathy were made by Mama as the grandmother spoke.  At first, Zawadi was in the room with us, but then one of the young women came and took her outside.  With my limited Kiswahili, I could not follow, but Mama gave me some details.  Zawadi’s mother had died and her father left.  She was being cared for by her grandparents.  Her grandmother spoke and Mama translated, “We have no money, we have little food”.  I said to her in Kiswahili, “You love Zawadi.  Thank God for grandparents”.  

After more discussion, we left the house and sat out front.  The young woman had finished washing Zawadi, who was standing there in her underpants.  She then got a small bottle of baby oil and tenderly rubbed it all over her head, face and body.  It reminded me of an anointing.  Everyone was silent.  She put a long dark dress over Zawadi’s  head and helped her into her sandals.  Then the women and all of the children said good bye and we left with Zawadi and her grandmother.  Zawadi was coming with us.  She is being adopted by a couple, former missionaries somewhere in the Lushoto area.  

We walked back to the river and Grandmother carried Zawadi on her back through the water.  After a brief good bye, we got into the vehicle and left.  I asked Mama and was told that Zawadi is about 5 or 6 years old.  I thought of our grandaughter Avery, who is about that age and how it would be for her or for us if we were in a position to have to give her away.  I thought of the tragic circumstances, but also of the faith that allows someone to make the decision and sacrifice to give their child a better chance in life.  I also thought of the couple who are adopting Zawadi, the third child they will bring into their family.  In my head I hummed the hymn “God Will Take Care of You”.  It is not one that is sung at our church, but has a wonderful carousel tune and is so upbeat with the promise of God’s love in the midst of sorrow.

When we returned to the Home, I stopped in to see the two newborn babies, and found out that one of the two year olds was leaving that day to go with her grandparents.  Asma (which is pronounced like Ahz-ma) is a very lovely, active and determined girl.  She is smart and also clever.  I looked at her grandparents, who appeared to be about our age and prayed for them.

In Room 2, where Asma has lived for most of her life, the room was filled with joy and excitement.  A one point, five of the child care workers were busy picking out clothes to send with her.  She was washed and dressed, then changed into a different outfit, then back into the first one.  Like Zawadi, she seemed not to understand what was going on.  They packed a bag with clothes, shoes, and even a few things to grow into.  Asma was sent on her way with many kisses and hugs.

Please pray for these two girls and their families, new and old.  Thanks be to God for the opportunities that came their way for a better life.  Pray also for those left behind who struggle day to day to provide food for their families.  We are so blessed.  We should thank God everyday and look for ways to share His blessings.

Amani,

Susan and Tom

You are My Sunday Friends!

     His name was Joseph. He was part of our Sunday school class. Susan and I taught students from age 10 and up. It was not your normal Sunday school class. In our class we not only discussed the Bible but life skills. Many Sundays our Bible lesson would turn into a completely different subject. The kids would ask us how they should deal with a problem they were facing.
      On special occasions we would take the students on an outing. We would go to the movies, the park, to historical sites and even out for dinner. They seemed to appreciate the time we spent together.
      We thought it was just as important to give them lessons in life as lessons in faith. Susan and I thought we were doing the right thing. We thought the time we spent together would have an impact on them and us. We still talk about times we had with them. 
It made us realize how blessed we were in being in their lives at that time.
      Then one Sunday, Joseph said to us “You are my Sunday friends”. He was in a bad mood that day a put up a wall around himself and wouldn’t let us in. Little by little he started talking to us telling we didn’t understand. He repeated the line that is still with me today, “You are my Sunday friends! He told us we had no idea what he was up against everyday. He lived with his grandparents and was on the street most of time. After that things were never the same.
     The question I’ve always had since our time with our class is what impact did we really have on them?
      Here we are years later serving in Tanzania at Irente Children’s Home. We came here to serve and in the beginning I wondered what impact we would have on the children here.
     We have been here for more than a month and have had the pleasure of meeting many people who come to the home and visit with the children. Some were here for three months others just for a day. Would they just be “ My Sunday Friend” to the children? Would their visit have any impact on the child’s life? In that moment when the child is with a visitor their life is changed. We see it everyday, with every visitor.
      All of us can change the moment for someone. We could call them, write them, and do a chore for them. We could pray with them or for them. We could listen to them, or just sit with them.
      When Joseph said we were “His Sunday Friends’ it bothered me tremendously. I thought I failed him. Being here at the home has showed me that every moment spent with someone will have an impact on his or her life. No matter how long or short.

    
         

A Christmas Gift

Our housekeeper Veronica is a very lovely young woman.  She is married to a piki piki (motorcycle) driver and has a five year old son.  Her husband has a boda-boda business, which means he drives people on his motorcycle like a taxi.  Veronica is a wonderful cook and also does our shopping, cleaning and laundry (by hand).  They are both very hard working people.  They live higher up the mountain from us near Irente Farm.

One day last week when Veronica went home her house had been broken into.  The thieves took almost everything...the cushions from her furniture, the sheets and blankets off their beds, her son’s few toys, and their charcoal cooker, pots, dishes...even some of their clothing.  The next day when she came to work she was very upset and had the pastor next door come with her to explain what had happened.  She went to the police station that day in Lushoto to report the theft.  She and her husband also went to see if they could see any of their things for sale at the market.  

Yesterday, when we returned home for our lunch, we had a great surprise.  Veronica had decorated our home with a Christmas tree and also new linens for our furniture and coffee table.  She wanted to share the Christmas spirit with us.  She saw our pine cone Christmas tree and wanted to help make our “spirits bright”.   The tree is a branch of a ferny evergreen decorated with cut flowers.  Even in her loss and sadness, she wanted to help us to enjoy our holidays.

This brought to mind a Christmas season we had back in 1989.  Tom’s wonderful Aunt Betty, closer than any grandmother could be, died shortly before Christmas.  My father was in and our of Cooper Hospital Oncology department.  It was probably the lowest point in our lives.  One night our doorbell rang.  When we answered it no one was there but there was a wrapped present on the doormat.  Inside was a small glass tree filled with candy.  Over the next week or so, every night the same thing would happen.  I can’t remember everything, but there was a bayberry candle and a pointsetta, small things that meant the world to us.  We would wait and take turns watching out the window to see if we could find who our “Secret Santa” was.  We still do not know, but hope that their kindness, like Veronica’s has been repaid to them in some way.  

This is what Christmas should be.  Not the latest electronic gadget or expensive toy.  It should be Christ in our hearts, helping others, caring and praying for others and walking the path Jesus would want us to walk.  Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is born to us today and everyday.

God bless you all and Merry Christmas!

Saturday in Lushoto

As I write this, I am sitting on the porch of Tumaini Restaurant watching Lushoto go by.  The number of people who come here on a Saturday is amazing, but half the number that will be here tomorrow, market day.  Today was our first drive down the mountain on our own.  Well, we were actually accompanied by three Swedish volunteers who are staying at the Irente Hostel over the Christmas holidays.  

This past week saw the start of English classes.  The class size has varied from 8 in one class to a high of 18.  The students’ attendance is dependent on what is happening with the children.  The students include 32 health care workers and the driver, Christian.

The girls range in age from 18 to 22 years old.  They come from all over Tanzania, including one girl from Zanzibar.  They come from all educational backgrounds and have varying knowledge of English.  It is very interesting and rewarding work, but sometimes already challenging.  

Tom has been very busy helping around the Home with projects ranging from childcare, chain saw repair, dryer repair, and splitting fire wood.  Soon, he will start his own class, teaching a young girl named Nema who is about 7 years old.  Nema lives at the home.  Because of some medical problems, they have not found a placement for her.  She attends primary school, but they are on Holiday break until mid-January.  The Assistant Director of the Home asked if perhaps Tom could work with Nema and her friend Anna.

It has been challenging particularly with the holidays approaching so quickly.  We thank God for the invention of the internet, computers, Skype and iPods.  We have talked about how difficult it must have been for those early Lutheran missionaries, buried in Tanga, who probably waited weeks or months at a time to hear from their families.  The seeds of faith that they planted have produced an abundant harvest in the people here.

Irente View Point

Today is Friday, December 9, 2011, a day of celebration for the people of Tanzania.  Fifty years ago they gained their independence from Great Britain.

This week was very busy for us.  We worked at the home everyday with the children.  On Wednesday morning, we traveled to Lushoto for morning devotions at the Diocese office and met Bishop Munga and his staff.  We shared greetings from our synod to theirs.

Our next-door neighbors returned from a trip to Indonesia on Wednesday evening.  Pastor Joyce is the minister of Irente Lutheran Parish (companion to Lutheran Church of the Resurrection).  She and her husband have three children, two boys and a girl.  

Today Susan and I took a walk to Irente View, about 4 kilometers from our home.  This was a place we visited when we were here on our last trip.  Irente View is one of the highest points in this region, which gives one of the most beautiful sights in the entire world.  On a clear day, you can see for almost one hundred miles.  While Susan and I were enjoying the view, we talked about the last time we were here.  How wonderful it was to have our fellow members of St John’s share that experience with us then.  As we sat looking over the Masai Plains, we shared our thoughts about our journey to date.

How blessed we have been from the beginning of this journey.  Yes, we had many challenges to face, but we have had ten times the number of people needed to help us get through them.  Everywhere we go, people have taken us under their wing and walked with us every day.  When people hear that we will be here longer than just a few months, they are excited.  They like having long relationships.

I can only hope that we reflect the true meaning of why we are serving here.  We are here to walk “shoulder to shoulder” bringing God’s message to each other, also to show that we care for each other and that we can learn from each other.  This could only happen because God is leading the way.

Susan and I would like to thank you for allowing us to represent the churches of SEPA and its’ members with this mission of serving at Irente Childrens Home.

Travel to Tanga 11/30-12/2/11

On Wednesday, November 30th Godfrey, the driver who brought us here from Arusha, arrived to take us to Tanga to get our driver’s licenses and do some shopping.  When we arrived at our new home, we found that the kitchen did not have a refrigerator, stove, dishes, pots, pans or utensils.  One of the women from the home named Mayinda

has been helping us our first week here.  She has cooked our meals on a charcoal cooker located in a small building off the kitchen.  Also, since there is no water heater in the house, she has been bringing us water from the Children’s Home for our showers at night and also in the morning for us to wash up.  We are living the Tanzanian lifestyle.  Pastor Joyce said they will need to look into the shower situation.

So, we traveled to Tanga and began a three day process for driver’s licenses.  It involved a lot of waiting, delays due to power outages, the license bureau’s computer being down, and many other steps.  This morning we received our provisional licenses, but there was an eight hour wait before the process for the real license would begin.  Pastor Shemkala kindly offered to pick up our licenses next week.  He also put a good word in for us with a member of his parish who works in the Revenue office.  This probably helped to speed things up quite a bit.

In between steps for the license, we did some shopping.  Godfrey took us to a shop where appliances were sold.  We bought a small dorm sized refrigerator and a “gas cooker” which is a two burner stove that uses a propane tank.  It is similar to what we had in our trailer.  We also went to another shop and bought the things we needed for the kitchen..pots, a pan, some plastic dishes and utensils.  At a stationary store we got supplies for the classroom and some English workbooks.  All in all, we did pretty good.  

Our first night in Tanga, Pastor Shemkala came to the hostel where we were staying to greet us.  We had dinner with him and got caught up on events at Kana and St John’s.  It was a wonderful reunion.  Thursday, we went to his home for dinner and got to see his  whole family.  They have all grown over the last three years.  

When we returned home, our new housekeeper had already started.  She not only cleaned the whole house while we were away, she did laundry and even weeded the garden.  Her name is Veronica.  She could be about 20 years old and does a lot of giggling.  When I was trying to say something in Kiswahili, she took my arm and laughed saying, “You are so funny!”  I think we will do a lot of laughing together.

She made us a very good dinner of beans and rice and a vegetable stew.  We are somewhat vegetarian since we arrived here.  At the language school I had some bacon a few mornings, but since then we have only had a little chicken at one meal.  I believe with all the fruit and vegetables, we are eating healthier that before.  Also no Entemann’s is helpful for the waistline.

This afternoon, we had our first company!  Mr Mrisho Hussein stopped in to introduce himself and to invite us to his son’s graduation party tomorrow.  His son is graduating from Sekuko University.  Shortly after he arrived, the Evangelist from Irente Lutheran Church, Mr. Stephan Kipingu, also stopped by and we had tea with them.  Mr Hussein is a teacher at the Irente School for the Blind.  He was in the first graduating class from Sekuko University last year.  He is also visually challenged, but is able to read with the help of some very thick glasses.  His English is wonderful as is Evangelisti Kipingu’s.  They were here for more than an hour and a half.  Mr. Hussein also enjoyed two cups of the Starbuck’s Coffee Bishop Burkat gave us.  

We are sorry for the delay in getting any emails out over the last few days.  We took the computer with us, but forgot the power converter.  Little by little we are getting settled in and happy to be here.

We thank God for all of the help we have received from the people here, especially Godfrey who spent three days away from his wife and children to take us to Tanga.

We also that God for everyone at home for your love, support and  prayers.  We will be in touch soon.

Amani, (peace)

Susan and Tom

ps.  when we plugged the fridge in, the outlet in the kitchen does not work...so the fridge is in the living room.  

pss.. Have you ever bought a dozen eggs and discovered that one still has a feather attached?

ppss...  There is a small lizzard/chameleon type thing in the potted plant on our mantle!