Those Tanzanian Blessings

Blessing #1: Arusha Community Church. Our church is interdenominational and represents Chrisitian faiths from around the world. It's unusual in that it is lay-lead and has no pastor, the idea being that this format keeps the church more ecumenical, rather than Lutheran or Methodist, etc. There are always a number of pastors attending as well as excellent lay preachers! What makes it a blessing is the way that we have been so warmly welcomed into the church. It has been a source of support, information, and faith-building that has helped us tremendously. Everyone has come here from someplace else for a variety of projects and it creates a diverse dynamic that's really exciting to be a part of. I attend the women's Bible study (last week there were 22 women from 19 countries), Mark attend the men's study, and we also do a study with the people in our neighborhood.

Blessing #2: Isaya. He's the man in charge of planting the trees and orchard at PHA. But he's doing such amazing things everywhere! At the site he has told his workers that since they are working at a school, they are also students. He has a rotating system of work so that all the workers have a chance to learn about how trees are planted, raised, and cared for properly. When they have learned a particular skill, he moves them onto another task and moves another group in. In that way, he's helping to teach these workers techniques they can use with their own farms or on other jobs. He's very interested in all aspects of the PHA project and has offered some good suggestions for future planning in terms of planting. He also works with his village and nearby villages to improve farming techniques and move toward organic farming. He is also building a dam with a turbine that will create its own electricity to run the pumps to carry water to a village and a secondary school. He also has been working with Cameron this term on teaching him about soil conservation and farming for Cameron' big school project. He is a true gift from God, not only for PHA, but for all the people whose lives he touches with his efforts and compassion.

Blessing #3: Our staff. Yasini (our housekeeper) is helpful on all fronts. He works hard, helps with our Swahili, and is a great father to his children and friend to ours. Nda (our gardener) speaks no English and has only spoken Swahili for a few years (he is Maasai and came to Arusha from Ngorongoro a few years ago). Communication is time-consuming but he is always patient with us. He works hard every day all day with almost no direction from us. We have heard many stories of housekeepers and gardeners that have to be monitored constantly in order to get minimal work done. Both Nda and Yasini are above reproach in that respect. Godfrey (our night guard) puts in a 12 hour shift nights a week on our porch. Ava and Happy (Yasini's daughter) run to the gate to greet him every evening and he spends the first couple hours every night playing with the kids. He has become part of our family as well.

Blessings abound here, as they do everywhere, even in the midst of the hardships of life. We are blessed to be here in this beautiful country, surrounded by extraordinary people, doing what they have been called to do. What more could we ask for?