I just finished an amazing 11 days with the
other two American teachers from the Rukwa region in Tanzania. Alex, Lindsey
and I started together in September and during Christmas break when we were
reunited we had the idea that sometime during April it would be really great if
we could see each other again. They both were very interested in coming to
Kazovu because I could not stop talking about it during Christmas! It truly is
an ideal spot for “Spring Break” so to speak. White sandy beaches and crystal
clear blue waters in the summer season of Tanzania… fabulous! We were so
thankful to have permission from Steve and the leaders of VST for this trip (a
trip for Alex and Lindsey). All VST schools had the week off after exams so it was
the perfect time for them to come. They left from their villages on Friday the
28th and set off for Sumbawanga. Once there they hopped on a bus to Kirando
(the biggest village near Kazovu). They found a guesthouse there and I left
Kazovu on the boat the next morning in order to meet them and escort them to
Kazovu.
Our days together were filled with amazing food
(spaghetti, popcorn, banana bread, soup, and the best beans ever that I taught
them how to make), incredible weather for the beach, laughter, and unbelievably
wonderful fellowship. We enjoyed cooking together every day and found it was
much easier to cook when three people were working together rather than just
one. We all would agree it was a nice switch from the ugali and beans we eat on
a daily basis.
We went to the lake every single day! We brought
my deck of 5 Crowns and books to the beach and enjoyed long hours of relaxation
in the sun (only minor sunburns ☺). A couple times we
went at night and brought a thermos full of tea and enjoyed the beautiful
sunsets and cooler temperatures. One of those nights we took supplies for a
fire and had a bonfire on the beach. Lounging on the sand around a fire with a
cup of tea and watching the stars…it was incredible! The whole concept of
resting on the beach and having fires with no intention of cooking is a totally
foreign concept here so it was nice to be the three crazy white girls instead
of just one! I don’t think anyone saw us except for a few fishermen because the
section of the beach we went to is always unoccupied.
We spent several afternoons in the village too!
We went to visit my Form Four girls, Mariam and Jelina and ended up attracting
a dozen village children who came and played with us at the girls’ ghetto. It was
so much fun to see them smile and play random but hilarious games. A little
girl named Pepe was afraid of us at first. She would stand at the gate and
refused to come in but I got down on her level and asked her to sit with me.
She agreed and I put her on my lap. I started to sing the song that my dad used
to sing when I would sit on his lap. “All
the way to Boston all the way to Lynn, watch out Pepe or you’ll fall IN!” I held her and made it seem like she fell between
my legs when in reality I just caught her and brought her back to my lap. I
have never heard a more beautiful laugh or seen a more beautiful smile than I
did with this little girl. She stayed with me for a couple hours before we had
to go back home and start cooking. The next few times we came to the village
Pepe was not afraid anymore. In fact, she came running towards me yelling,
“MAMA! MAMA!”
One day we had about 40 kids following us around
Kazovu’s tiny market. Holding our hands and dancing around. It is hard to
explain what I feel in these moments. It’s as if nothing else matters in the world.
The only thing I want to do is make the moments last forever. My heart is so
full of joy. I see these children as my own. They are my family and I love them
with all my heart.
Every night we had a Bible study together. This
was extremely wonderful and a valuable time for us. In a country where it is
difficult to communicate and at church we get a sore bum from the benches, the
fellowship we had with each other during this time was amazing. We were able to
dive into The Word and encourage each other. We read through the book of James,
a few chapters from Galatians and 1 Timothy. Alex and I have been independently
reading Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest every day, so we
continued reading together during our daily Bible study. We were able to share so
much with each other and pray specifically for what each of us need as we jump
into these last few months in Tanzania. One moment in our Bible studies I was
so blessed by was when we opened up and shared what we truly are struggling
with in our villages. We laid hands on each other and prayed. I could feel the
Holy Spirit moving as we prayed and He gave us the words to pray for each
other.
There was a theme to our week together and it
revolved around the book The Circle Maker. I had finished reading it a
while ago and gave it to Lindsey. She read it while together and now Alex has it.
One of the major things I took from this book was how God honors bold prayers -
bold prayers - asking God to do the impossible while lacking no faith that He
will come through. I like the last verses in James that show what a prayer of
faith should be; “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful?
Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of
the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of
the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord
will raise him up.” – James 5:13-15. This is a prayer of faith. There is no
room for doubt. So many times we pray for God to do incredible things but in
our hearts we doubt that God will actually answer. God wants us to have full
faith and trust in Him to the point where we can pray to Him and be confident
that He will answer us. If He chooses to answer today, tomorrow, in ten years
or in one hundred years, He will always answer. Alex, Lindsey and I are praying
bold prayers for our villages. We are down on our knees praying our schools
will have so many students we can’t see the floor. We are praying every single student
that comes into each one of the classrooms would feel God’s Presence with them
and experience Jesus personally. We are praying these students would be the
ones who transform their schools, families, villages and country. We are praying
for these things every day and we are confident that God is faithful. We may
not be around or living to see this happen but we know without a doubt God is moving
right here and now and He will win. God will win.
It is quite hilarious how our travel plans
change so much here in Tanzania. Steve told us this would happen when we were
getting ready to leave the USA, but I didn’t understand how it was possible to have
plans change so much. It is now just a way of life. The original plan (Plan A)
was for Alex and Lindsey to leave on Saturday the 5th from Kirando.
We found out the bus doesn’t run on Saturday. So we went to Plan B, which was
to leave on Sunday the 6th. So we packed up and went to the boat station only
to find out that the boat wasn’t coming. Then we went to Plan C, which was to leave
the next day (7th). We woke up to rain and lots of wind. I was not about to get
on the boat with the waves cresting, so we went to Plan D, which was to leave
on Tuesday (8th). This plan actually worked. We were able to get on
the boat and arrive in Kirando where Alex and Lindsey did some market shopping
and we went to a guest house together. I stayed with them so they could find
the bus office and make it to the bus stop the next morning. We enjoyed one
final night together and some food at a local restaurant. For some reason
everything was funny during our conversation at dinner. We have all enjoyed
talking about some of the things here that were so foreign to us when we first
arrived but now have become a part of life. Our friends and family back home
might see these in us when we return - pronunciations and word order in
sentences that are normal here for Tanzanians speaking English - we have
adopted these since we are surrounded by it so much. We had a good laugh
reflecting on the phrases.
Alex and Lindsey left by bus the morning of the
9th and I spent the day in Kirando. I had tea with a friend and we visited a bunch
of people in Kirando. It was a good way to pass the time since I had 7 hours to
kill before the boat left. The boat started loading up at 3:30pm. On the boat,
a man wanted me to move over a little so he could pass and I totally missed the
piece of wood that goes across the boat to sit on and fell backwards into the
boat. I managed to hang on by my legs but that just made the situation with my
skirt even worse…so embarrassing. A very nice Baba came to help me up but it
was too late. It was entertainment for those on the boat, which was thankfully
very few. I can laugh about it though - accidents happen! The boat ended up
being full. My guess is about 60 people in a boat made for 30 comfortably. We
were riding low and slow! But we made it.
I remembered I had been invited to a celebration
in my village so I stopped in to greet them and ended up staying for a couple
hours. They kept bringing me more soda and amazing food! We ate chicken, beef
and rice! WOW, MEAT! They sat me down at a table with the important leaders of
the village and enjoyed each other’s company. Many people were dancing and there
was an auctioning of cakes. It was a celebration I honestly don’t really know
what it was for, but I had a great time!
School is open again and I’m getting back into
the swing of things. I am still teaching Form 1 and 2 English and soon will be starting
a new Bible verse program with interested students. If the students memorize 25
verses they will receive a Bible. I would appreciate your prayers for this
program. I am praying that many students would want to participate and learn
about Christ through the memorization. I also am beginning to teach a boy named
Joseph whom I met on the boat. He finished Form 4 at a different school but the
academics were so low and he desires to know more English. He will hopefully be
coming a couple days a week after school.
It is crazy to think I only have 10 more weeks.
I honestly don’t like thinking about it, so I am choosing to see it as 2 1/2
months… makes it sound longer. God is doing amazing things. I can see Him
moving and transforming this village, even though it may seem small in human
eyes. I know that in God’s eyes it is HUGE!
May God receive all the glory and praise!
Happy Easter everyone!
Emily
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