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Greetings From Tanzania! The following entries are from Pastor Jeanne Markquart's time serving as Pastor/Teacher in Iringa, Tanzania.
April 8, 2007 - First Week RecapI arrived in Tanzania late on Tuesday night after two long flights with very little sleep. It was so nice to be met by Don and Eunice Fultz, members of Incarnation who represent the Bega Kwa Bega partnership between the Saint Paul Area Synod and the Iringa Diocense in Tanzania. We stayed that night at FPCT, a spare but clean guest house in Dar Es Salaam. After a welcomed night’s sleep, we got up early and were on the road to Iringa about 7:45 a.m. This is my third time in Africa and second time in Tanzania and I found that I quickly became accustomed to the sights and sounds of the Tanzanian roadway — people walking on the roads, lots of buses and cars, small buildings of varying condition and intriguing construction. Mostly, you get the impression of people on the move—busy with work and life, but also taking time to socialize with their neighbor. We took the main road out of Dar toward Iringa and our journey would be about 8 ½ hours including stops for fuel, lunch, and to stretch our legs—it also included a delay when we had to have the stem of one of the tires replaced because it was losing air. The countryside along this route was so lush and green because there has been a lot of rain this year. The road to Iringa takes us through Mikumi National Park where we were greeted by views of elephant, zebra, giraffe, and impala from our car. For lunch we stopped at a Safari lodge just off the Road at Mikumi. As we sat outside under the banda roof enjoying our lunch and a view of the plain and more zebra and giraffe, all of us felt like we could sit there all afternoon. It was so tranquil, and, for me, somewhat surreal after all that time traveling. 
I slept most of the rest of the journey until Don and Eunice woke me as
we were making the turn to Iringa. My surroundings were very familiar
as we drove up the escarpment and made the turn onto the main road that
goes through down. I was here in February 2004 and was surprised at how
much I remembered. It hasn’t taken me long to get my bearings here. I
am living in a spacious apartment upstairs from Don and Eunice and the
Bega Kwa Bega office. Because I am on the top floor, I have a great
view over the rooftops of high, rocky hills on both sides. There is
also a nice balcony, which is a fun place to sit, relax with a
beverage, and watch the people go by.Thursday I walked down to the market to get familiar with my neighborhood and buy a few groceries. Then I slept and slept and slept to get my tired body back on track. Good Friday we worshipped in the morning at the Cathedral—the main Lutheran church in Iringa—and I spent the rest of that day and Saturday preparing my sermon for Easter Sunday, visiting Tumaini, and driving the car—on the left side of the road from the right side of the car. Fortunately, the Prado (a smaller Toyota Landcruiser) is an automatic so that is one less thing for me to think about as I drive. So far so good! I’ve managed to stay on the proper side of the road—except when the road quality forces me to the otherside—and all the people walking near me have been quite safe!  Today, Easter Sunday I preached and worshiped at Kihesa Lutheran
Church. Kihesa could be considered a suburb of Iringa and the Lutheran
church there is quite large. We had two services, each about 2 ½ hours
long. Pastor Msigwa (the pastor at Kihesa) and I arrived about 6:45
a.m. for the 7:00 a.m. service. People were already filling the church,
one of the choirs was outside singing, and there was even a brass
choir. My favorite part of worship was the processional. The main choir
sang the Alleluia Chorus in Swahili. I knew then that it was Easter.
They sang it so purely and so beautifully and I was remembering all the
times the choir at Incarnation has sung it. It was quite emotional for
me. Palm Sunday at Incarnation had seemed a long time ago because so
much had happened during the week. Suddenly it struck me—It is Easter
and I am in Tanzania! It is amazing to consider how this day is spent as the world turns and this new day comes to each place on earth. It is daunting to consider the sun rising in each place and people awaking and gathering to sing praises to our one true God. Phyllis Tickle, in writing about the practice of the Daily Office (keeping a set pattern of specific prayers throughout the day), describes it as “a continuous cascade of prayer” as people in each time zone pick up and continue the prayers and praise of the people in the previous time zone. Then I think about how that is magnified on Easter Sunday when everyone comes out of the woodwork to worship. It reminds us that we are not Christians in isolation—as important as our individual relationship with God is—we are the church as the body of Christ and the scope of that is quite tremendous. Bwana Jesu Asifiwe! (Praise God!) Amen.  April 9, 2007Today was a great day! It is Easter Monday, which is a holiday in Tanzania, and Don and Eunice Fultz (the SPAS Companion Synod Coordinators) went with Benjamin Ngede out to his homeplace of Kivalamo. Benjamin was my guide/translator when I was in here in 2004. He is also a pastor and a professor at Tumaini University. Kivalamo is 85 km or about a 3 hour drive outside of Iringa on bumpy roads that are usually just wide enough for two vehicles to pass, if you go slowly. We left early, about 6:45 a.m., to get there on time for 10:00 a.m. worship. The drive was extraordinarily beautiful. As we came up over a hill early in the drive, a valley was stretched out before us. I said to Benjamin—it is too bad that it is so ugly here. His response was, “Just wait, you will see—I think God must have been well rested when He made Kivalamo to have made it so beautiful.” I believe he is right. At one place there was a truck that was stuck in the deep ruts of the rain ruined roads and on the side where we could pass there was a steep drop off into the valley (see picture)—the passengers got out to walk around and watch as Don drove the truck around. It was tight but for him, no problem! The day as we drove out to Kivalamo was sunny and pleasantly warm, but not hot. We drove up and down the hills as we moved further into the Highlands. We passed through a few villages as we went, including Kidabaga. Kidabaga is the closest bus stop to Kivalamo and it is still about 30 or 35 km from Kivalamo on mountain roads. Imagine walking 20 miles on mountain roads to catch the bus! As we were leaving Kivalamo in the afternoon, we saw many secondary students coming back to the secondary school at Idete (very close to Kivalamo)—the had taken the bus to Kidabaga and were now walking that distance where their small suitcases or baskets with their belongings on their head or on an occasional bicycle. As I said to Eunice, “you really do walk up hill both ways to get to school!” 
The most extraordinary part of the day was when we arrived at Kivalamo.
As we drove up the road we were met by a group of about a few hundred
people. They had erected an arc with a welcome banner and they
people—who filled the road’s width several meters about 50 meters
deep—all were singing and dancing and waving green branches and moving
forward to meet us. The crowd parted and surrounded our vehicle as we
began to move through until we stopped and got out and walked with
them. We were literally on top of the world and the small of the fresh
cut branches brought all our senses alive. I think the welcome was
especially warm because we were with Rev. Ngede who was from that
village. They were welcoming home their native son. It was a gift to be
a part of it.We arrive on time for 10:00 a.m. worship, but of course first we had to have tea, which I was grateful for. Then worship began about 10:35 a.m. and lasted until about 1:30 p.m. Even though the service lasted about three hours it didn’t really seem like a long time. You learn to settle in and be content to be there. There were several choirs representing the different preaching points and the new church building was filled to overflowing as people gathered from all the preaching points for this special worship day. The colors in the worship space were incredible between the clothing and the fabrics they had used to decorate for Easter. Not everyone has money to give during the offering, so some people give produce or other items (like a homemade hoe). These items are sold in an auction at the end of the service and the money is added to the offering. 
After lunch the pastors and guests are served lunch—a meal of rice,
ugali, some sauce to go over it, chicken, beans, and some type of
greens whose name I don’t know. We also have bananas—that are so good,
real flavor. The food there was simple but delicious and the women who
prepared and served it were so gracious to us. We couldn’t stay long
after lunch because we had a long drive back and wanted to be back to
Iringa before dark. After loading a big bunch of bananas that we would
drop at the school and loading the other gifts for Rev. Ngede’s family
(including live chickens) on the roof of the vehicle—we were off. It
was a day I will not soon forget.April 13, 2007 As I write this it is early morning and I can hear the wind blowing outside my apartment windows. The sun is not yet up which means I’ll be able to enjoy the view of the early light on the hills through my west facing windows. I started teaching two days ago. I am teaching two Old Testament classes. The first is “Genesis: Methods and Tools of Old Testament Exegesis” which is for Bachelor of Divinity students in their second year of study. There are 12 students in that class—about half of whom are already ordained pastors but are now continuing their studies. One of my students is Pastor Gideon Muhanga—former pastor of Mkwawa who came to Incarnation in November of 2002. The other class is “Hagiographa: The Hebrew Writings,” which is focused primarily on the book of Psalms and Job. That course is for Diploma students in their final year of study. I have 11 students in that class. One of the main differences between the diploma students and the degree (Bachelor of Divinity or BD) students is their level of education coming into the program. Most have the Diploma students have completed through Form IV (about our 11th grade) where as many of the BD students have gone all the way through Form VI. This does not necessarily reflect a difference in intelligence or ability, but perhaps a difference in opportunity. The difference is seen primarily in their competency in English. Students who completed Form VI have had two more years of English instruction in secondary school. Both of my classes are taught in English and students are supposed to have a certain level of English proficiency to be in the programs, but I find that in both classes there is a large range of ability for understanding English. 
Yesterday I met for the first time with the Diploma Students for my
class on the Hebrew Writings. As we went through introductions to the
course, the syllabus, and the new CEV Learning Bibles that I brought
for them, I would ask them for the Swahili word for different things.
For example, I was explaining who I was and that I am a pastor at
Incarnation Lutheran Church. I asked them what “incarnation” meant and
after they explained it to me properly I asked them to teach me the
Swahili word for incarnation, which is “kufanyika mwili”. So we are all
people of Kufanyika Mwili Lutheran Church! Some of the students and I
decided that when I give them a midterm examination on the Psalms that
it would be appropriate for them to give me a test on the Swahili words
that they have taught me in return.It has been interested adjusting to how things are done in Tanzania and at Tumaini. I knew what courses I would be teaching before I arrived and I knew what my schedule would be, but I didn’t have the detailed course content from their curriculum. Also, because I arrived in the 6th week of their semester we are rearranging the timetable and adding some additional class time to the schedule. Openness and flexibility are helpful characteristics to have in this system—it helps to not get frustrated. Now that I’ve met my students and have a sense of their capabilities, know our actual schedule, and know more precisely what I am to teach, I will be busy this weekend redoing syllabi and preparing teaching materials. It is a good thing I’m not preaching this Sunday! I saw Pastor Koko yesterday—he was here at the Bega Kwa Bega office with Pastor Mang’ulisa (the new pastor at Mkwawa) to clarify details regarding the secondary students. They both send warm greetings to all the people of Incarnation! April 16, 2007 Yesterday was a big day. There are seven district pastors in the Iringa Diocese and the sixth installation, for Rev. Hamidi Saga—who was sponsored by Incarnation while at Tumaini, was yesterday in Pommern. The district pastors work and communicate with all the parish pastors and then are accountable to the Dean Blaston Gavile in the head office of the Iringa Diocese (DIRA). In past years they have installed all the district pastors during one service at the Cathedral here in Iringa, but this year they have chosen to have seven separate installations so that the people of that district could come and participate. It was quite a day.  Don
Fultz was preaching for the service, which was to begin at 10:00. We
left at 7:30. to allow us two hours to get there over bumpy
roads. The first part of our journey was on that same road that we had
taken to Kivalamo. Praise God (literally) that the road grater had gone
through since the previous Monday. What a difference it made for our
ride and our timing. We arrived at 9:00 which gave us plenty of
time to socialize with all the other pastors who were there from around
the district and to have tea. About 9:45 —15 minutes before the
service was supposed to begin—we got word that the Bishop was just
leaving Iringa. Since we couldn’t begin the installation without the
Bishop, people kept socializing and just waited.
I took pictures. Choirs had already gathered and the setting at Pommern
is really pretty. It is an old German Mission spot and the old church
was built some time in the early 1900’s. The little kids love to have
their picture taken, so I would snap group photos and let them see the
image on the screen of my digital camera. There were two young boys who
were particularly persistent. As I walked down the road toward the
church, they ran ahead and as I got close to them they kept saying in
their little boy voices “Picture, picture” (which sounds more like
(“Pik-tcha, Pik-tcha”). I took a close up of just the two of them and
when I showed it to them they just kept giggling. Each in turn would
point to themselves in the photo, laugh, and then point to their
friend, and laugh some more. It is such a simple thing to us and such a
wonder to them—even though they have few resources, I think we may be
the poorer in this situation. How quickly we lose the wonder of life
when get caught up in its busyness and complications. 
 When Eunice and I returned from the school, the Bishop had arrived
(about 10:45, in somewhat record time) and all the pastors were
putting their robes on. The processional from the mission house to the
church began at 11:00—only an hour late. As we approached the
church, suddenly bishop came walking to the front of the procession
from his place of honor at the back. He had realized that there were
way to many people for the size of the church and because it was a fine
day with no chance of rain, he decided that we would move the worship
service outside. I was in the processional line near Koko, who was to
be my translator for the day. I looked up at the bright sun and thought
about the length of this service, which would be about 4 hours, and
said to Koko, “See this white skin? See this red earth—by the end of
the service my skin will be the color of this earth.” Then I realized
that the earth was too beautiful and amended it to “my skin will be the
color of this bright red stole.” Koko laughed and reassured me that the
pastors would be undercover of shade. The Bishop continued the
arrangements until the altar and all the benches and everything that
was needed for worship was organized outside—then, and only then, did
worship begin.  It was 11:30 a.m.—an hour an a half after it was
supposed to start. Once again, I discovered that there are certain
times when you just learn to roll with it. That day was about worship
and once worship got started it was easy to be present with it and all
the different parts from the blessing of Hamidi Saga, to the choirs,
through communion, and to the offering and auction. Pretty soon, you
learn to sit back, relax, and enjoy the elements of the experience
because your other option is to spend the time watching the clock and
it just doesn’t do any good.April 21, 2007 I love early mornings in Tanzania! Today I got up early because Don and Eunice Fultz were leaving for Dar and home. How strange it will be to be here with out them. As the light was just beginning to dawn over the eastern hills, in one moment it went from peaceful silence to the cacophony of songbirds and crows, roosters and dogs all making there presence felt at the same time. Now it is quieter again, but the sky is gorgeous with orange and pink light on the clouds. A new day is beginning in Tanzania at a time when many of you are heading to bed or watching late night television. It is at times a strange thought.  Last night we all went to Lulu’s (a restaurant that is up the street and around the corner) for a dinner in honor of Don and Eunice and their work on behalf of the partnership. It was hosted by the Head Office/DIRA and was a lovely evening. The leadership at the Head Office has gone through some change and the collaboration between DIRA and the Bega Kwa Bega office has grown even stronger. Great appreciation was expressed for Don and Eunice and their commitment to the partnership and the Bishop and Don both talked about big dreams that have become reality (like a training school for pastors—now Tumaini University of Iringa with about 2,100 students after just more than 10 years; companion relationships between all the congregations here in Iringa and congregations in St. Paul) and new dreams (like a three-way partnership between Guatemala, St. Paul, and Iringa, TZ). It is a new time in global missions and global partnerships and there is a deep commitment to developing these partnerships for the sake of how they will bear fruit for all of God’s children and for the Kingdom of God. Tomorrow I will preach at the Cathedral for the installation of the seventh, and last, district pastor, Rev. Agnes. She is the first woman to be district pastor and is being installed for her third term but in a new district. It is a bit daunting to be preaching in that context, on such a big occasion with so many pastors and the Bishop. I am to preach a stewardship sermon as that has been the theme of all the installations because there is a newly intensified focus on stewardship matters among the congregations here. We keep joking that I will preach my sermon and that Benjamin Ngede, as he translates, will preach his own sermon—that he will make up many stories to make my sermon more interesting. I think my only clue will be comparing how long I talk to how long he talks. Either way, the result is up to the Holy Spirit—something for which I am grateful every time I step up to preach! April 26, 2007 Today is a holiday in Tanzania—it is Union Day, the day that celebrates the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar into one country. This means I’m not teaching today, although I have plenty of prep to do for teaching and a sermon to write for Sunday. I’ll be preaching at Mkwawa—our partner congregation and I’m really looking forward to it. 
Before I left for Tanzania, many people asked me questions about what
will I eat, where will I buy groceries, what is Iringa like—a village
or a town. I thought that in this update I would talk a bit more about
daily life here in Iringa.Iringa is a large city of more than 100,000 people. In some ways it reminds me of Eau Claire, where I grew up. There is a university, which has a positive impact on the city, a central market and business district, and it is a hub for the agricultural areas that surround it. It is also really easy to move around and there are places to go and relax—and enjoy a cup of coffee or have a meal out. While Don and Eunice were still here (they’ve now returned to St. Paul), we ate together for most evening meals and some lunches—we would cook like we cook at home. There is also a take out place where you can get lasagna and enchiladas in huge portions. We have had a few special meals, birthday parties, for some Tanzanian and then we eat typical Tanzanian fare—chicken, rice, beans, cabbage, cucumber salad, greens, a special sauce for the rice, samosas, chapatti, and soda/pop or tea; but we finished it off with good old-fashioned American two-layer birthday cake with chocolate frosting (thank you Eunice!). In restaurants there is a huge variety of offerings: typical Tanzanian, American, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, and others—often all on the same menu.   Grocery stopping here is really fun. We go to Wingred’s duka (store) near the market and across from the Lutheran Cathedral for staples and more typical western fare (milk, juice, crackers, meat, canned goods). We buy fresh eggs from Adia, a pastor’s wife who lives near the Ngedes and close to Kihesa Church. For fresh fruits and vegetables, we go to the central market, which is under a large open structure and there are many individual stands. After awhile, you start to go to the same people for the same things. Sarah, who works for Bega Kwa Bega caring for the apartments and doing some cooking, has been helping me learn what fair prices are for various items at this time of year. At first it was easy to think the price I was paying doesn’t matter because everything is so cheap and often the difference in price when you are negotiating is about 100tsh which is less that 10 cents US. But I’ve learned that it is important to operate within the economy and price structure that is here. Frankly, shopping has become more fun since I’ve learned to negotiate for the proper price because there is more interaction with the people who are selling. There are a couple of mamas that I go to for bananas, avocados, tomatoes, and onions who I don’t negotiate with because they give me a fair price up front. Then it is fun to go through the courtesies of exchanging proper greetings, proper thank yous, and easily translated big smiles.   The apartment where I live is simply furnished, but spacious and quite comfortable; and, as I’ve said before, it afford great views of the surrounding areas and of people passing by. In some ways, Iringa is like a small town in that you tend to run into people you know—of course, it helps that the apartments are close to the Head Office of the Iringa Diocese so I see a lot of pastors passing by that I’ve met in other settings. I don’t have an office at Tumaini, so I do most of my work and preparations the office space of the apartment—the up side is that I have quiet time to get my work done, the down side is that I have to make other arrangements to meet one on one with students when they need help or guidance. Please know, though, that this apartment is not typical Tanzanian living arrangements. It comfortable middle class for us, with its western kitchen and bathrooms. Typical Tanzanian homes are much simpler and what we would call basics—refrigerator and stove—are luxury items for most Tanzanians.   My life here is made considerably easier by Sarah, who cleans, does laundry (thankfully, since everything is hand-washed and hung outside to dry), and will properly wash the fruits and vegetables so that they are safe for me to eat raw. Sarah loves to cook—another blessing—and she makes the best rice and beans that I’ve ever tasted, very different from the style of rice and beans that we see at home or in Hispanic communities.  Her not so secret ingredient is
coconut! She is willing to cook anything and so usually once a week I ask her
to make a larger quantity of rice and beans and maybe one other thing that I
can easily reheat for small meals over the next few days. Sarah has also become
my Kiswahili teacher—she gives me a new phrase or word everyday. Now it is time
to start working on sentences. Her company is a blessing to me!I bring you all greetings from Rev. Hamidi Saga—who was installed a week ago in Pommern as district pastor. He was at the cathedral this past Sunday for the installation of Rev. Agnes Kulanga as district pastor of another area. He made a point of coming to talk with me, and expressed tremendous gratitude for the Incarnation’s support of him when he was a theology student at Tumaini University. I hear the weather there has been warm and beautiful. People here keep talking about how it is getting cold here, but by our Minnesota standards it is really pleasant. Be well! Tutoanana! Mchg. Jeanne (Pastor Jeanne) May 3, 2007 Pole sana! I’m sorry for a much delayed and very long update. There has been a lot happening during a time when I haven’t had much internet access because the desktop computer in my apartment died. Now I’m begging for email time in Apt. #3 downstairs at the Bega Kwa Bega office. I’ll try not to wait so long before the next update! Mungu akubariki sana! It’s May already! How quickly this first month has gone by! As I write this my students for my class on the Hebrew Writings (a.k.a. Hagiographa) are working together in small groups and studying individual Psalms to present to each other during our next class period. So, while they are working very diligently in small groups, I am enjoying sitting outside in the warm sunshine. I feel quite blessed by my students. For the most part they are eager to learn and are very affirming of my teaching—I don’t think it is just flattery, they seem quite sincere; but I guess I’ll find out exactly how much they are learning after the exams next week and the presentations the following week. Below are photos of the three students who are sponsored by Incarnation and are also in one of my classes. From left to right they are Paulo Kurupashi (Diploma Year 4), Jenock Mwilafi (Degree Year 2), and Gideon Mhenga (Degree Year 2).    I spent last Saturday at Ilula with Koko (the former pastor of Mkwawa who is now responsible for youth ministry throughout the diocese), Mchg. Mbwanji, and Mdeke (the district pastor for the area around Ilula). They were leading a seminar on leadership for youth ministers and ask me to join them. Actually, Koko first asked if I would like to come and then after I said yes he said, “Good, then you can prepare about 30 minutes or 1 hour to present to the youth workers.” I’m a little slow to catch on but I agreed to it anyway. It was so interesting to hear the other pastors present and also discover from Rev. Mdeke how little many of the people really understand about leadership and even basic goal setting. Most of the people at this conference seem to understand leadership as supervision. I stole most of the material for my presentation from our fearless leaders Mchg. Gary Medin. I did a Bible Study on Ephesians 3.16-21 and emphasized, as he has with the staff and other Incarnation leadership so many times, the part about dreaming big dreams because God can do far more through us than we dare ask or imagine. At the end of my presentation we had them work in small groups first identify how they have seen God working in their ministry and in the lives of the young people where these serve as ministers. Secondly we asked them to write down dreams they had for their ministry or for the people they serve. We told them to be very specific for both—i.e. tell us specific stories, give us a picture of how you want to see their lives changed through their relationship with God. Being specific proved to be a difficult task for most of these leaders. Rev. Mdeke was great in the way he responded to each presenter as they shared their small group’s responses to the two questions—he coached them and guided them until they started to better understand the kind of stories and dreams we were talking about and why they were important. It was pretty cool to see this click for a couple of people. Everything we did in this section was done through translation, so it felt like a good team effort between Koko, Mdeke, and myself. These leadership seminars are a new thing for the diocese here—a project that Koko has initiated with the District Pastors, and it is easy to see the impact that some ongoing training for the youth ministers could have for the lives of young people in the Lutheran churches here in the Iringa Diocese. There are four more of these sessions in the different districts and I’ll be participating in two of them that happen before the group arrives from Incarnation. I was so disappointed that I forgot to take my camera with me to Ilula. It is a very beautiful area. It is Koko’s homeplace so he agrees with me. I got to meet his mother and see where he lived as a child. It was very close to the church were the seminar was held. On the drive back to Iringa, I was stunned by the beauty of the hills, which are so green right now, and the air that is so clean. I had missed this view on the drive from Dar when I arrived because I was so tired after two days of travel and had fallen asleep. I kept saying, “Look how beautiful it is!” and Koko and Mbwanji just looked at me like “Yeah, we’ve seen this our whole lives it’s not a big deal.” For me, though, it is a big deal—sometimes when we are out of our usual place and routine it is easier to marvel at the stunning beauty of God’s creation. In the same way, I continue to be awed by the brightness and beauty of the stars at night. When I look up, it is amazing to see a night sky so familiar and yet so different as familiar constellations have been replaced by those that belong to the Southern Hemisphere. There are a few constellations that can be seen from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and my eyes are always drawn to those as it is a link to home when I am here and a link to Africa when I am at home. 
On
Sunday (April 29) I worshipped and preached at Mkwawa, our partner
congregation. It was quite a day. Benjamin Ngede (see left) was my translator
which was especially fun as he was pastor at Mkwawa at one time. The new
pastor, Pastor Mang’ulisa (below) has been so welcoming to me and the people
are so excited about the group coming from Incarnation. There were three
services at 7:00, 9-ish, and 11:30-ish. In some ways it was very tiring because
there was almost no time to even catch our breath between services—we had about
8 minutes for a quick cup of tea between the first two services but it was
essentially 6 ½ hours of worship without pause. After several weeks, I am
finally getting the rhythm of the worship in the Tanzanian church and am
getting better at following the liturgy as it jumps around the hymnbook. Kneeling
is always part of confession, but at the other churches I have visited so far
there had been kneelers like we have at Incarnation. Well at Mkwawa, the seats
are simple benches so when it comes time for confession the people get down and
actually kneel on the cement floor and many of them bend even lower in
supplication. As pastor, I get a cushioned kneeler at the altar, but it was
remarkable to see how completely people were humbling themselves before God in
that way—how we move and position our bodies during worship can be a powerful
part of the worship experience and that was brought home for me on Sunday.Besides the regular offering, there was a special offering for First Fruits. It is the beginning of the harvest season, so people offer the first fruits of the harvest to God in thanksgiving and as a way of asking blessing on the rest of the harvest. Some people bring money for the first fruits, but it was mostly produce. Some of the larger items were placed at the front of the sanctuary before worship at each service so the person wouldn’t have to contend with them during the offering. About 10 minutes into the second service, all of a sudden I heard this agitated flapping sound. I couldn’t figure out what it was and no one else seemed to notice. A few minutes later I heard the flapping sound again, but it was accompanied by a “cluck, cluck, cluck”. I hadn’t realized it at first, but before the service someone had brought a chicken (actually a rooster) to the front as their offering for first fruits. I was sitting on the other side of the altar so I couldn’t see it, but it was sitting up there with the feet bound so it couldn’t move about. Well, the longer the service went on, the more frustrated that chicken got and the more frustrated it got the more it flapped it’s wings and started talking. No one else seemed phased by this. I was mostly amused, but a little bit concerned about keeping my focus while preaching if the rooster let out a full blown cock-a-doodle-doo as I was speaking. When I said as much to Benjamin, he calmly said, “Well, we will hope that the Holy Spirit can also speak through the chicken.”  The third service seemed to have more people in the
choirs than in the congregation, but considering the choirs were large and
dynamic—including one children’s choir and one youth choir—it didn’t really
matter. It was such an energetic worship experience. When it was time for the
children’s choir (elementary age students) to sing they came to the front so
they could do their dance moves as part of their singing. There was a little
girl, maybe about 3 years old, who had been sitting with her sister in the
choir. While the choir was singing, she came up to Pastor Mang’ulisa and was
standing by him but staring at me. He talked to her gently. Finally, she came
walking over to where I was sitting and reached her hand up to me. I couldn’t
figure out what she wanted, but finally picked her up and put her on my lap. Benjamin
reminded her to say “Shikamoo” which is a greeting of respect to your elders or
people in a higher position. She said it in the cutest 3-year-old voice and so
I responded “Marahaba.” She continued to stare at me with her big brown eyes. Benjamin
asked her, “Have you ever been this close to an Mzungu (white person) before?” She
shook her head. Then she reached up again and touched the skin on my cheek. After
that she seemed satisfied. She hopped down and went and stood in the middle of
the choir that was still singing.   After worship, we had lunch and then I had a tour of the new church building. All I can say is “Wow!” It is going to be huge, and quite impressive. It will seat more than a thousand people and will allow them to have fewer worship services and reach out to more people in the community and young people at the new university that is nearby. They are working on adding the bricks so they can put in a second ring beam to support the roof structure. Once the roof goes on they will begin worshipping in this facility even though it won’t be finished. On the backside of the building there is space for offices for the pastor, the evangelist, the church elders and then meeting space. (Above right is Mang’ulisa “in” his office.) The group from Incarnation will spend some time helping to build this building while they are here. The picture below is Joram Ng’onna, Rev. Ben Ngede, and Rev. Mang’ulisa standing where the front entrance of the new building will be.  My job over my remaining time here is to help build the relationship between Pastor Mang’ulisa as the new leader at Mkwawa. I will be going back to Mkwawa on Saturday to learn more about what is going on and then we will visit one of the preaching points. One of my Diploma IV students, Martin Haule, was an intern here last year and so will come along as my translator. There is so much happening these days. I will write more later and try to include better pictures. Mungu akubariki! (God bless you!) May 10, 2007 On Saturday, May 5 I spent a few hours with Pastor (Mchungaji) Mangu’lisa and a few leaders from Mkwawa. We had tea at the main station of Mkwawa and then drove down to Kigamboni, one of the preaching points. When I was here in 2004, they had just started worshipping in that space, even though it was far from finished. At that point they had the walls and the roof and had put benches on the dirt floor as they continued construction around them. They have done so much in the three years. Now they are finishing the offices and meeting space. Their next major project is to build a home for one of the evangelists (there are two) close to the church. Right now both evangelists live away from the church and it makes it difficult for parishioners to find them in an emergency. They hope to have begun work by the time the group from Incarnation comes so they can see what is happening there. The congregation there is growing and there is a lot of energy and commitment among the people.  Kigamboni, summer of 2005 On Sunday, May 6, I preached at Nduli—a village about 15 or 20 kilometers (around 10 miles) from Iringa that is partnered with Christ the King in New Brighton. I had meet Pastor Leighton before at the installation of Mama Kulanga as District Pastor and so it was nice to be warmly welcomed by a familiar face. I did not go alone. Dean Gavile, who is second in command to the bishop, was to serve as my translator, and with him came his wife, baby, and their house girl (to care for the baby), Rev. Donald Kiwanga (the new District Pastor for this area), and the treasurer for the head office of the Iringa Diocese—so we were seven people, including the baby, in a vehicle the size of my Toyota Highlander. Welcome to Tanzania! We arrived early to tea, chapati (delicious flour pancakes), and hardboiled eggs—a typical morning tea before worship. There was only one service so it felt like a leisurely morning after the marathon at Mkwawa the previous Sunday. The church is also growing at Nduli and the church building there is quite new and very nice by Tanzanian standards. There was a great attention to detail and everything was sparkling clean and beautifully constructed. For festive décor, they had hung colorful blow-up beach balls from the rafters. Amazingly, it was not the least precious or tacky but quite charming, especially when combined with the colorful kanga and vitenge (plural for kitenge—printed fabric) that the people who filled the church to overflowing were wearing. I hadn’t brought my camera because I didn’t think there would be need or opportunity for photos based on my experience of worship in town; but I was wrong and I am sorry not to have photos to show you. Worship began around 10 and lasted until about 1:30 or a little later by the time the auction was finished, but again—it doesn’t seem long, you get used to the rhythm and pace of it. 
In Tanzania, people believe that guests (wageni) are a blessing and that day at
Nduli they felt blessed in abundance. They were glad to have the mzungu
mchungaji (white person pastor) from America, but it was a very big deal for
the Dean (Gavile) as such a high person in the diocese to be there with his
wife and also for the District Pastor to be there. It was a first visit to
Nduli for them since assuming their positions and so people had come not only
from the main station, but from their eight preaching points. At the end of
worship, but before the auction, the people of Nduli congregation presented
gifts to the guests. I was the first to be presented with a gift—a beautiful
larger basket that the pastor’s wife had made. She does lovely work. They
presented it say it was a small thing but that I could look at it and remember
that I was in Nduli. I’m not likely to forget, it was one of those days where
everything came together in such a powerful way and there was a strong sense of
God’s presence and work among the people there. I feel blessed to have spent the
day in Nduli. There is a different feel to worship and gathering when you are
in the villages than when you are in town. It is subtle, but it may be just a
feeling that people are fully present and not thinking about the next thing. They
work hard, but don’t seem to be plagued by busyness the way many people in town
are. It is hard to put my finger on it, but it makes me enjoy my time in the
villages even more.
After I received my
gift, the new District Pastor was next. There were speeches and thank you’s and
then the elders brought in his gift. I heard it before I saw it because it was
making a bit of a fuss, resisting being brought up the center aisle of the
church—it was a goat! I wasn’t totally surprised because at the installation of
the District Pastor at Pommern, he and his wife had received several goats. Of
course as the driver of this expedition with a car full of people, I thought
“Okay, we can probably fit the goat in the back of the truck—the house girl
(whose name I was never told) may have to sit close but that will probably be
okay.” Okay, we are now 7 people, a basket, and a goat.
Then it was the Dean’s turn and again as Gavile and his
lovely wife stood up front there were speeches and thank yous before the gift
was presented by the church elders. Once again, I heard the gift before I saw
it. Another goat! A bigger goat!! And this time, the elder not only marched it
up the aisle, he grabbed it under the front legs and lifted it up so he was making it dance
like a person—all the while people were clapping and singing a certain song
they sing for the presentation of gifts. I was sitting there smiling and
laughing, clapping with everyone else; but in my mind I was thinking, “How are
we going to fit seven people and TWO goats in the car?!” I don’t have a roof
rack and even if I did, I don’t think the goats would be as compliant as
chickens who road back from Kivalamo on the roof of the Landcruiser. Asante sanas filled the air as people shared their thanks and just when I thought it would be time for the auction, there was a rustle at the back and one of the elders came forward to inform the pastor that some people from one of the preaching points had brought gifts for the Dean and the District Pastor. First the District Pastor—I heard the cluck, cluck, cluck as the chicken was carried forward. Then the Dean and his wife—more cluck, cluck, clucks and another chicken (kuku) was brought forward for them. I was suddenly concerned that my little Toyota Prado was turning into Noah’s ark and we would slowly be filling it with animals two by two.  Even though I was a bit perplexed by the logistics,
these gifts to the District Pastor and the Dean were gifts of tremendous
generosity and confidence on the part of the villagers at Nduli. Later, as we
walked to the pastor’s house for lunch after changing out of our robes, Gavile
said to me, “I don’t think we have space for the goats in the car today. It is
not far to Nduli, so I will send my driver for the goats tomorrow.” So, with
great relief on my part, the chickens were settled comfortably in the back of
the Prado with the house girl and my basket and were quiet most of the drive
back to Iringa.May 16, 2007 Habari za asubuhi? Good Morning! It is morning here in Iringa and we are beginning the second day with no city water. I’m not sure why as there is plenty of water in the reservoir, but it may be a conservation measure as the dry season has begun. I keep forgetting to ask Dennis, who is my authority on everything. There is a reserve tank on the roof for each apartment, but I’m not sure what its capacity is so I am trying to be careful. It has been an eventful week. I gave my students their first test, I traveled into the Southern Highlands and tea country for a day trip with Dennis, Esther (who works for Dennis in his safari business), and Paul Harris, I went to the stone age site Isimila with Sarah and her daughters and afterward I went to Sarah’s house for lunch where she taught me how to cook ugali (a staple food for Tanzanians). On the way to tea country, we stopped at Old Kisolanza Farm (below left); it is a farm that was run by Europeans but now supplements the farming by catering to tourists. It is a beautiful setting with nice accommodations. We kept joking that as soon as I meet my husband, we will come here. We made reservations to eat dinner there on our way back to Iringa that evening. The restaurant structure is two old mud houses whose walls had been warn down by the elements. They covered these structures with one large roof structure and installed a stone floor throughout. The result is charming—very wazungu (white or western) friendly and the food was delicious.   Tea country is stunning! (above right) As we drove higher into the hills we could see the climate changing. In the morning there was a good strong rain. There is more rain the year round in Mufindi (our destination) and the higher elevation keep the temperatures cooler—both factors make it ideal for growing tea. The tea plants are like small bushes that are a few feet tall and then tend to be flat across the top because they pick the new growth for processing at the tea factory.  The result is large expanses of tea plants that are a vivid green—think the color of new growth in the spring—and they are on hills and valleys against the backdrop of old growth, natural forest. Tea country is absolutely breathtaking scenery. Rev. Anthony Kipangula is a pastor in the Southern Diocese and friend to Dennis and Paul Harris. Before becoming a pastor, he worked in a tea factory as an accountant for more than five years. He also grew up in Mufindi and so used his connections to help us gain access to the factory for a tour. Before the tour, we were invited to Mr. Nyagawa’s home for tea/lunch. Nyagawa is retired from the tea company, but like many “retired” people at Incarnation, is very busy with work and projects. His wife was so gracious to us. She was a lovely person—and a good cook! 
The skies cleared as we drove to
the factory. It was interesting to see the process by which green tea leaves
(two leaves and a bud makes the best quality tea) becomes black tea. It
involves reducing the moisture content of the leaves by drying them on big mesh
platforms that have warm air moving underneath them; then they are chopped and
ground up before moving in for fermenting where we see the color turn brown and
then grower darker. At the end of the process, the tea is dried and then sorted
with a machine for quality before being packed into 50 or 65 kilo bags (110 lbs
plus) for shipping. While some of this work is mechanized, there is still a lot
of work that requires the hard, hard labor of Tanzanians. Even more amazing was
seeing some of the men in the packing area lifting and moving these heavy bags
while barefoot. Mr. Nyagawa arranged for each of us to buy some tea. It cost
1400 schillings for a 1 kilo bag—so about $1.12 for 2.2 pounds of tea. This is
the best quality tea that is produced in Tanzania and it is not available to
purchase in the stores in Tanzania—it is produced solely for export. It is
also delicious, particularly when taken with milk.  As we left the tea factory, we were just five miles from Fox’s Highland Fishing Lodge—a tourist destination in the Southern Highlands. The Foxes also have “resorts” at Ruaha National Park and Mikumi National Park for safaris and at Lazy Lagoon for a beach experience. The gardens and views at the Highland Lodge were extraordinary. It is a bit of an oasis in a more rugged area.  They have an
exquisitely manicured croquet lawn, badminton court and lawn tennis court,
fishing gear, mountain bikes, and horses for the guests. And they keep
sheep—once might think we were in Scotland. We stopped for a tour and had a cup
of coffee on the balcony of the lodge overlooking the sheep and the valley. The
guest quarter ranged from simple to lovely—we joked that it was another place
for me to bring my husband, when I meet him.It was good to get out of Iringa for the day and see a different part of the country. It was especially relaxing because I had no responsibilities other than enjoying the scenery and the company and both were excellent. The drive back to Iringa after dinner at Kisolanza Farm was a bit perilous and nerve-wracking because it was dark. You need several sets of eyes because there are no lights, the highway is narrow, there is no centerline or lines at the edge of the road to guide you and there are lots and lots of people walking, riding bikes, or using wide wagons to transport things at the edge of the highway. We made it home safely and grateful for an extraordinary day. 
The next day, Saturday May 12, I went with Sarah (who works for Bega
Kwa Bega) and her daughters Neria and Miriam to Isimila, a stone age site about
20 km from Iringa. Sarah had learned about Isimila in school while growing up
in Iringa but had never been there, even though it was so close. It made it
extra special for us all to experience it for the first time together. There
are two parts to Isimila: the first is where they have excavated tools from the
early stone age (a time before they had fire) and the second is an area of
sandstone pillars (see below) that have been created from wind and water
erosion. It is so beautiful. The day was extra special because then I went back
to Sarah’s house with her and enjoyed a good lunch and a good time for
conversation.
On Sunday I returned to Mkwawa for the installation of the
church elders, which in itself was a big deal but, I learned, was even more
special because I was there as a representative from Incarnation and
participation in the installation and blessing of each elder. The elders are
elected and installed every four years. Some of the elders are beginning their
first term and others have been elders for three, four, or five terms. Joram
Ng’onna (brother of Luidiko, aka Philip who came to Incarnation in 2002) has
been an elder since the beginning of the congregation. He is a very impressive
and faithful man.Before worship, Mchg. Mang’ulisa and I had agreed on what my parts would be, but during worship there were three different times when he surprised me that saying “Okay, you do this.” The problem was he wanted me to read things in Kiswahili that I had never read before—and long passages. Or there was a part during communion that I have seen them do, but I have no idea what they say so I couldn’t even do it in English. I can do basic greeting pretty well in Swahili and I am picking up more and more words, but to read Swahili on demand and out loud in front of the congregation is still a bit beyond me. Fortunately, he was fine when I said he had to do those parts. He was good-natured about it, but I felt a bit put on the spot. Later, during the lunch with the elders, I made up for it because I could speak a few phrases of Swahili that I knew and they were thrilled about it—they laughed (with me?) and clapped. This Saturday, I will return to Mkwawa and we will venture out to the preaching point at Itamba. Even these brief visits are good for building the relationship between Incarnation and Mang’ulisa as the new pastor. It is time for me to go and teach—actually to hear presentations from my students. I will leave you with a photo of the view from where I am writing. I had to go into the laundry room to take it, because there are bars on the window in the dining room where I am sitting. The grain silos at the right side of the picture are my landmark for knowing where the apartment is from any place in the city. The view seems farther away in the picture than it is in real life. It is a view I will miss when I return to Minnesota.  May 19, 2007 One month from today I will meet the group from Incarnation at the airport in Dar to welcome them to Tanzania. Very cool!  I
spent the day today at Mkwawa’s preaching point of Itamba. It is the
preaching point the farthest away from Mkwawa’s main station. There
were jokes a plenty on the drive out there with Mang’ulisa, the
Secretary/Treasurer of Mkwawa, and Haule (my student and translator)
because when I preached at Mkwawa on April 29 I described a photograph
of people from Mkwawa and Incarnation walking together on the road to
Itamba (see right). I used it with the story in Luke of the “Road to
Emmaus”. It was actually a pretty good sermon which could only work in
that place. The funniest moment was when I shared that Lynda Thompson
calls the photo I was describing “the ‘Road to Emmaus’ photo”, Benjamin
(who was translating) was confused by my pronunciation of Emmaus. In
Swahili it is spelled “Emau” and is pronounced “Aa-maow”. When I said
“Emmaus” (pronounced Ee-may-us), Benjamin thought I said “a mouse” and
he couldn’t figure out how a mouse fit into the story. Fortunately he
is an experienced translator, and he understood the gist of what I was
saying and so said so described it accurately without translating that
word. Later in the sermon, he figured it out; but the rest of the day
we kept laughing about the mouse on the road to Itamba.
  When we arrived in Itamba we gathered in the modest church for greetings and introductions with the evangelist Chavale (above right with Mang’ulisa), elders, a local teacher and a few other women of the congregation. As they expressed their welcome, they also expressed their gratitude for the partnership with Incarnation and especially for the scholarships for secondary students. The members of this community clearly place a high value on education and were expansive in their thanks for this support from people at Incarnation. Water was the source of more heart-felt expressions of gratitude. The well that Incarnation donated is right by the church; having a clean water source so close to where they live has quite literally transformed their daily lives. As Westerners, we often take for granted the availability of water and especially safe water that so conveniently comes out of the taps in our homes. Try filling a 5 or 10 gallon bucket full of water and then carrying it any distance—even to the end of your driveway or across the room—without spilling its precious contents. Then imagine walking a half-mile or farther with it, knowing this is the water you have for cooking and drinking and washing your dishes. Most Tanzanians have to work so hard to accomplish even some of the most basic tasks for living—they haul water, cook over charcoal (their version of a one burner stove), do the work of growing food without the benefit of machines and irrigation. Having more immediate access to safe water helps them use their time and energy in more productive ways and, as important, makes an enormous difference in their ability to remain healthy. Below left, Pastor Mang’ulisa is pumping water for a villager who has come to the well. Below right, some crazy mzungu pastor is pumping water for another villager. The amazing thing is watching the women carry these heavy buckets—on their heads!   When I asked the people of the Itamba preaching points what their challenges are, they talked about the distance their children need to go to begins school. The nearest kindergarten is several kilometers away. Their next project is to build a kindergarten in Itamba so the children can begin school closer to home. They have been gathering stones for the foundation since January. This work is heavy, difficult work and is done primarily by the women of the congregation. There are few men in this congregation. The Catholic church is very strong in Itamba and some of the women’s husbands belong there; others practice the traditional religions or simply are not people of faith. The result is the work is done by the women.  Itamba
sits at the base of a small mountain and so to gather these large
stones for the foundation, they hike up into the mountain where there
are large boulder type rocks. Sometimes the rocks have to be split, but
regardless the women are moving big chucks of rock by rolling them down
the hill section by section. We hiked up to the place were they have
been gathering the rocks. It was a good little hike and a fair distance
from the church. When we stood at the rock pile, we could look up the
mountain and see where they had rolled the stones from by the paths
through the brush. The evangelist and Mchg. Mang’ulisa demonstrated how
they get the stones moving. They are both strong, hardworking men and
it was quite an impressive effort; so I was especially amazed at the
strength and fortitude of the women doing this work. The coming of the
group from Incarnation has been a powerful incentive for the people of
Itamba. They have been working diligently at gathering rocks so that
when the group arrives from Incarnation, they can work bega kwa bega
(side by side) and begin laying the foundation of the new kindergarten.
    May 20, 2007 Today was a rather uneventful day in worship compared to some of my Sundays here. There was a noticeable absence of chickens and goats in and after worship! I was in Ipogolo with Benjamin as my translator. As you come to Iringa from Dar Es Salaam, you come on the TanZam highway—the tarred main road. About a quarter mile past the turn to go up the escarpment to Iringa, which sits atop a hill, you turn left into the village of Ipogolo. The Lutheran Church at Ipogolo is partnered with Augustana Lutheran Church in West St. Paul.  The
most remarkable part of the day was witnessing and participating in my
first baptism in Tanzania. There was a young girl, maybe 12 years old,
whose name is Witness. Her family brought her from one of the preaching
points for the Ipogolo congregation. Typically people from the
preaching points would wait for baptism until a Sunday when the pastor
came to that place for worship, but this was a special case. Apparently
the girl had been possessed by demons, which had been causing many
problems for her. Demon possession is a very real understanding here in
Africa and is spoken about quite matter of fact. I’m not certain how it
presents itself, perhaps with unexplained behaviors and difficulties;
but most Christians here have witnessed what they call demon possession
and have participated in the casting out of the demons by praying over
the person vehemently and persistently in the name of Jesus Christ.As I understand the situation, this young girl whose name is Witness (I love their use of names like this) was cured of the demon possession, but her family did not want to wait for the time they had planned to have her baptized because they wanted her to be sealed by the protective power of the Holy Spirit. The pastor of the Ipogolo congregation, did most of the liturgy for the baptism; but it was my honor to do the actual baptism and blessing. So, I baptized this sweet girl speaking the familiar words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” in Kiswahili. This is what I said: “Witness, nakubatiza kwa Jina la Baba na Mwana na Roho Mtakatifu. Amen.” Very cool!  Outside
of preaching and teaching, I have really enjoyed just living in Iringa.
Like at home I have discovered my routines and certain places that I
like to go to break up my work and study time in the apartment. My
favorite place to go for a break is Neema Crafts, just a five-minute
walk from the apartments. Neema is a ministry of the Anglican church
here and they train young people with disabilities for practical
employment through specialized crafts like paper-making, weaving,
jewelry making, and building solar panels which are very popular in the
villages where there is no electric power. Several of the people who
work there are deaf and all of the people who are servers in the
restaurant are deaf. They have a great craft shop and all the proceeds
go to providing devices like wheelchairs, special cycles for people who
have had polio (instead of pedals, there are hand cranks), and hearing
aids. They have great products for a great cause—that they have lovely
French press coffee, delicious chocolate cake, and yummy panini
sandwiches is a bonus! It is especially fun for me to go there because
I have gotten to know people by name so there are always warm greetings
to go with my coffee. Check out their website by googling “Neema Crafts
Tanzania”.
For “cappuccino” I like to go to the Hasty Tasty. I put cappuccino in quotes because it is not quite like a cappuccino in other places, but a lovely treat just the same. I was there one night for dinner and the Twins game happened to come on the TV—it was a replay of a game from the night before. That was one of my more surreal moments in Tanzania (actually ever). I think I was more captivated by that game than any other that I’ve watched. I’ve already written about the market and buying groceries, but shopping for other things is fun too—especially since I’ve learned my numbers and can do some of the negotiating in Kiswahili. I love to go into the fabric stores to see the variety of colors and patterns. It is customary to bring a gift for the woman of the house or the family when you are invited to dinner and the gift of a kitenge (6 meters of higher quality fabric with beautiful colored patterns) is especially nice and well appreciated.  When
I walk to the market, I go down a street / alleyway where there are
shops catering to the tourists. You find carvings of all kinds of
shapes and quality, soapstone bowls, Maasai beaded jewelry, baskets and
sewn goods. It is fun to look, but as an mzungu you tend to get
approached a lot by very persistent sales people. They used to call me
“Mama” but now they call me “Mchungaji” (Pastor) because one
super-persistent kid named Joshua kept asking my name so I finally said
“Mchungaji”. Now all the young guys know me as that and call out to me
when I walk by. They keep saying to me, “Mchungaji, you bring your
friends to buy from me, right? Tell them I give them very good price.”
I always ask if that is a very good wazungu (white person/tourist)
price—meaning extra high—or a very good Swahili price. They usually
laugh, “Aaah, Mchungaji!” I’m guessing that means maybe a little
discount from the inflated wazungu price.
  May 27, 2007 I bought my first live chicken today! This weekend I preached at Ilula, a congregation about 45 minutes from Iringa and the location of the Ilula Hospital (formerly Ilula Health Center). Pastor Koko was my translator. He is working for the head office of the Iringa Diocese providing leadership for youth ministries. Dean Gavile was supposed to be my translator but another special guest arrived and so he needed to be with her at the Cathedral. It actually worked out better. It is fun to travel and work with Koko and Ilula is his home place. His daughter Blessing (about 6 years old) came with us for the day and after the first worship service when to see her grandmother (“Bibi” in Kiswahili) who lives near to the church.  The
worship services at Ilula were the shortest that I’ve experienced since
I’ve been in Tanzania—the first lasted about 1 ½ hours plus the
auction; the second about 1 hour 45 minutes plus the auction. For a
minute I thought I was back in Minnesota. As it turns out, the
secretary at the head office had neglected to inform the pastor at
Ilula that we were coming until two days before, so the service was
pretty straightforward with no sacraments or other elements. I found it
refreshing. We were not very far into the first service when I heard
the chicken clucking. One of the elders had placed it in a room just
off the sanctuary so it could be brought out during the offering. When
offering time came, out came the chicken and was presented at the altar
with the monetary gifts and some other produce. The auction after worship was particularly lively, people were bidding extremely generously on the items that were presented. For example, when I buy eggs I buy a flat of eggs (30) from a local woman and it costs 4,000 tsh (Tanzanian Schillings). At this auction people the bidding built up until they sold 5 or 6 eggs for 5,000 tsh or more. That is an exceptional level of giving; especially since the credit for the offering goes to the person who donated the eggs, not the person who pays for them. There were several items where I saw the price escalate far beyond what you would pay for the item in the market. Well, I’ve been practicing my numbers, especially when I go to the market I can now hear the numbers in Kiswahili and understand the cost although sometimes I get 3 (tatu) and 5 (tano) mixed up when I hear them. The auction used to be a blur to me, except when Benjamin would bid on something, but this time I could track what was happening. One of the items that was offered was a bag of sweet potatoes, so I decided that that would be the first thing I bid on. I listened as the price escalated 100, 200, 400, 500 tsh. Then 600 and 800 schilling. As the number crept up I finally opened my mouth and called out “elfu moja” which means 1,000 tsh. When I said that the people all clapped, they were happy that the mzungu guest pastor was participating. Then a mama bid “elfu moja mia moja kwa mzungu mgeni,” which means 1100 tsh for the white guest. Everyone clapped, the bidding stopped, and I received the gift of the sweet potatoes. Yummy! Finally it was time for the chicken (“kuku” in Kiswahili). It was a very good local chicken. I told Koko that one of my goals in Tanzania was to buy a kuku and I thought today was the day. The bidding started low as it always does, but I jumped in earlier than before to help drive the price up. Little by little the price climbed 500, 800, 1000, 1500, 1800, 2000, 3000 and change, 4000. I jumped in again at 5000 and then when no one else was bidding I added another 5000 for good measure and the final price of my fine local chicken was “elfu kumi” or 10,000 tsh which is about $8. Once again, everyone clapped and we took pictures of me, my sweet potatoes, and my local chicken. When we got back to Iringa, I gave the chicken to Koko and Upendo as a thank you for their kindness and for Koko’s helpful translation. I made him promise that if I’m at their house for dinner and we are eating that local chicken for dinner that he not tell me that it is that chicken. I was telling Sarah about it the next day at the apartment and she was making fun of me. “So, you will eat the chicken but you will not kill the chicken?” I said that’s right. I am perfectly happy to have someone else do the dirty work so I can eat the local chicken. I’ll admit that flaw and I’ll admit that I’m so happy that there is a Lund’s in my neighborhood at home where the “local chicken” comes without feathers and the ability to cluck. June 1, 2007 How did it get to be June 1st? Before last weekend, I knew what the date was but I kept thinking, “This weekend is Pentecost” forgetting that it was also Memorial Day weekend. Time is flying by. In one month—on July 1—I will arrive home in Minnesota. One of my best friends since we were 2 years old arrived in Iringa last night with her husband. They had been talking about traveling to Africa and me being here provide just the right motivation. They did safari up north in the Ngorogoro Crater and the Serengeti and I am so pleased they made the trek to Iringa. They are here only two nights and one full day before we go together to Zanzibar. It is kind of fun to be tour guide and show them this place I’ve come to love so much. We welcomed them last night with really good Tanzanian food. Sarah made the cucumber salad and the rice and beans (her amazing beans with the secret ingredient of coconut milk). Then she taught me to make samosas (a dough pocket filled with meat and then deep fried—yummy) and we made some chapati. It was so good—I am going to miss this food when I get home. Sarah has promised we will make samosas again before I leave. Hopefully, I can master it enough to repeat at home. Today I will show them around Iringa and then go to Isimila (the Stone Age site) before dinner at Koko and Upendo’s for more delicious Tanzanian fare. We all hope they serve ugali!  June 8, 2007 I am back from Zanzibar and feel like I am in the land of the living again. Yesterday I was so tired after traveling, the only thing that revived me was a hike up to Gangilonga Rock with Bo Skillman, another mzungu who is here working in the Bega Kwa Bega office for 6 weeks. The view from there is amazing!  Zanzibar
was good. I started to feel a little claustrophobic in Stone Town
because the old part of the city is made of up narrow alleyways with
high buildings and I was unaccustomed to the heat and humidity after
being in Iringa. Also, it seemed that everywhere we went someone was
wanting to sell us a CD, sunglasses, or give a us a ride in a taxi. My
favorite was when they guys selling CDs would start to sing the first
song, but out of tune: “Jambo, jambo, jambo! Hakuna matada!” Any view
of the sea, brought great refreshment with its cooling breezes and the
expansiveness of the ocean water. There is so much in Stown Town that
doesn’t let you forget the centrality of the slave trade in its
history, but even more interesting is seeing how cultures and religions
converge in a unique way. Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim, but there
are some Christians and Hindus as well. From the roof top terrace of
our hotel you could see how close the Hindu temple was to where we were
staying and the volume of the call to prayer throughout the day let us
know that we were also surrounded by mosques.
It was good to have a few days of down time. I enjoyed exploring Stone
Town, but even more I enjoyed our day trip to the beaches at Paje on
the east coast of the island.  It
was the most beautiful beach I’ve ever been on. It helped that there
were few tourists because the season hasn’t begun yet and even so the
east coast is less crowded with tourists than the beaches up north. We
rented a car to get there—Zanzibar’s version of the Suzuki Samari with
“Wild Boar” written on the sides in bold letters—and driving was its
own adventure. I’m used to driving in Tanzania, in and around Iringa;
but driving out of Stone Town in the rain with winding streets and no
street signs proved a bit of a challenge. There was one point were the
road divided like a “Y” and it was difficult to see which was the main
road. We took the wrong road, but our detour was quite scenic and not
as out of the way as we first feared. On the way back it was much easier to follow the route on our inadequate map. The challenge came as we approached Stone Town again and the traffic increased dramatically. At one point it felt like driving through a video game with all the bicycles, mopeds, and daladala buses coming at us. It was a relief to make it back to the main road near our hotel until we were stopped by the police at a random checkpoint. For a few minutes I thought I was going to experience my first shake-down since arriving in Tanzania since I hadn’t done anything wrong. The officer hassled us a little and finally let us go. I drove even more cautiously the last two kilometers back to the hotel. Having a cool beverage as we watched the sunset from the highest roof top in Zanzibar was especially pleasurable that night!  Back in Iringa, I completed my last lecture on Job yesterday and we had a lunch party for my students in my Hebrew Writings class. I had a similar party for my other class and both were a big hit. Kurupashi, one of my students who is sponsored by Incarnation, asked if the party was a welcome party or a farewell party. I told him it was neither—it was a blessings party because I have been so richly blessed by my students. It was a true statement. This has been an incomparable experience and I am so grateful to the people of Incarnation and the people at Tumaini and Bega Kwa Bega for the opportunity. Next week all of my students will do presentations, which means a nice break for me from preparing lectures. The week after that they have study week in preparation for final exams and I will go to Dar to meet the group from Incarnation. I am suspicious that these last three weeks will fly by as I complete my work and try to spend time with all my important people here as well as be with the group from Incarnation. I’m finally to the place where I can think about being at home again. For a long time it seemed too unreal and far away. I’ve heard that trips can be divided into 3 equal parts: the first third you are adapting to your new place, the second third you are fully present, and the last third you are preparing to return home. I think that is true—the parts may not be so equally divided for me, but I have experienced all of those things. The next update I send will include pictures of the group from Incarnation. I can hardly wait to meet them in Dar. Mungu akubariki sana! Mchg. Jeanne June 16, 2007 Yesterday I went to Ikonongo with Mchg. Mang’ulisa and Haule, my student who has been serving as translator on my visits to the preaching point. Ikonogo is, I think, the most modest of the preaching points and they are very challenged by the problem of water. Incarnation donated the money for a well at Ikonongo and the project was begun a long time ago, but the drilling team hit hard rock and didn’t have the right equipment to complete the project. This spring, Keith Olson of St. Paul Partners was out in Ikonongo and they discovered that there was now city water running through Ikonongo. The Muslims had apparently invested in kiosks where people could draw water but they are more than a kilometer from where most of the people live. Keith recommended that as a Lutheran church we build a kiosk nearer to the people.  That seemed to be a good and
reasonably inexpensive solution—we could use credit that we have with St. Paul
Partners to pay for the materials and the people would have water quite soon.
The problem is that people have to pay for city water. I learned yesterday,
though, that because the people at Ikonongo are very poor they can’t afford to
pay for it so for a few months they may be celebrating the closer access to
water after that it would be a hardship. I also learned that the water at the
place where many people go is of poor quality. It was tested recently and is
quite contaminated. Now the challenge will be finding out if they will still
drill a well in a place where there is city water. Please pray for a solution
to this challenge.I was supposed to preach in Image tomorrow, but when calling to verify the timetable we found out the pastor hadn’t been informed of our coming even though the schedule was in place two months ago. So instead, I am going with some friends to the Maasai village near Mbeya that is home to one of my students. Dennis, Bo, Esther, and Keith Olson went a few weeks ago and both wazungu told me it was the most amazing experience they’ve had in Tanzania—and they’ve been here a lot. It is possible that I will come back with a husband. Dennis will have to do the negotiating to see how many cows and how much land he can get for bringing me as a possible wife. This is, of course, a joke—one we’ve been sharing since they returned from their last visit when Dennis and Bo each got 60 cows and 5 acres in exchange for Esther. Now they keep saying, “I wonder how many cows we can get for you?” From seeing photos and video of their last visit, I’m just excited to meet the people and especially to see the dancing and some of their rituals. We’re staying over night there tonight so I will soon see for myself! Mungu akubariki sana! Mchg. Jeanne 
The Maasai village we visited is
called Madungulu and it is the home village of Paulo Kurupashi, one of the
Tumaini students sponsored by Incarnation. We arrived on Saturday night (with
me thinking I had the Sunday off from preaching) and when they found out that I
was a pastor they decided that I needed to preach the next day. I hadn’t even
brought my Bible or my Swahili Hymn book—that will teach me to go anywhere in
Tanzania unprepared for Sunday worship. I did end up preaching on Psalm 8—I
thought it was only fair since I made Kurupash preach on a Psalm in class—and
his sister, Naponuu (below), did the liturgy. Here are some photos from the
weekend. I’ll spare you the ones of the ritual surrounding killing a goat for
food and using almost all of the parts. It was really interesting but not for
everyone—ask me, if you are interested. The following photos are of the
dancing—first of the women and then the Moran (the young men/warriors). I had
the best time dancing, but it is about as white as I’ve ever felt. You can see
the other women laughing “with” me as we danced. The last two photos are of two
“bibis” or grandmothers who were teaching me to dance. These photos also show
the beautiful beaded jewelry that they wear—including through the large holes
in their ears.        June 25, 2007 I am sitting outside of my classroom, enjoying the warm afternoon sun after a cool morning. My students are taking their final exam for my class on the book of Genesis. There is an invigilator for the exam, so I only have to pop in now and then to answer any questions. Several Tanzanians have walked by and commented about me sitting in the sun. Apparently I am some kind of crazy mzungu to sit in the direct sun—they all gravitate to the shade. A few have even expressed concern about my pasty-white skin in the powerful sun. Don’t worry. I’m wearing my sunscreen. The hills around me, which were so green when I arrived, have now turned brown. I’m not sure when that happened; although I guess seasons change in three months in Minnesota so why shouldn’t they here? When the group arrived from Incarnation, they brought with them the rest of the Bibles that I needed so I could give one to each student. We gave each of my 23 students a Learning Bible—the same Bible that we give to 3rd graders and Confirmation students. It is a wonderful study Bible with great resources and sound Lutheran theology. They were so happy to each have their own. We train these pastors, but most of them have few resources for sermon and Bible study preparation once they are in the parish. They all expressed their heart-felt thanks for the gift and asked me to share these thanks with all the people of Incarnation. It was yet another moment when I realized how much we take for granted in our lives as middle and upper-middle class Americans simply because we have each access to so much. My students are beginning to emerge from the examination room. It is time to find out how much they were tortured by my exam. June 28, 2007 I leave in two days! The time with the group here has been amazing and action packed—especially when combined with finishing my work at Tumaini. As I write this we are on our way back from Ruaha National Park where we have been on safari for a few days. I think it has been good for people to have a little down time with our days ordered by meals and game drives. Here is a brief recap of some of the high points (at least the ones that I’ve been a part of) since their arrival:
The people from Mkwawa not only came to the main highway to meet us, but ventured several kilometers down the road to meet us while we were still “on the way”!   
Welcome to Mkwawa!
  
Visiting the preaching points: Kigamboni,
Ikonongo, and Itamba
      Some other highpoints include playing with the kindergarten, serving spaghetti dinner to the leaders of Mkwawa congregation (which they loved!), playing with the kids at the Huruma Center Orphanage, and the work visit to Image Secondary School.
Ruaha National Park
       We’re heading back to Iringa and these next 48 hours before I leave will be a blur. Today I have to finish grading exams and proof reading a couple of research projects for some students. June 30 / July 1, 2007 RE-ENTRY I am sitting in a lounge at the Amsterdam airport. Re-entry has begun. Yesterday, Dennis and I left Iringa about 10 a.m. for the drive to Dar. It was a pleasant surprise to have him drive me; I had planned on taking the bus. The time since the Incarnation group arrived has been a blur. Time with the group at Mkwawa and Ruaha, combined with finishing my teaching responsibilities, meant the end of my time was suddenly upon me. Suddenly it was Friday afternoon and I was rushing off to Mkwawa for the service for dedicating the new church building (which is not yet complete) and I found myself saying goodbye to Sarah, not knowing when I’ll see her again. I knew my time was coming to an end, but it wasn’t until that moment that it seemed really real.  The people of Mkwawa presented me with a new outfit and Mama and Mchg. Mang’ulisa prepared a cake for me to have while I traveled. More difficult good byes! They are delightful people and have taken good care of me while I was there. I was, thankfully, able to sleep for a while on the plane from Dar and I awoke about 4:30 a.m. local time. I had a window seat and an amazing view of clear skies and a full moon shining over the Mediterranean Sea. We flew right over the islands of Malta (at least I think it was Malta) and suddenly it seemed as if our flight was following the line between night and the new day. Out my window facing west, the sky was still dark with night, the moon high in the sky and shining brightly; out the windows on the other side of the plane, facing east, the sky was turning pink and orange as the light of dawn invaded the sky. Once again I was reminded that while the new day was beginning where I was, people at home were enjoying the last sunlight of a long summer evening from the day before. Even though this is a long journey, and mine is extended because I have to flight through Washington D.C., I need this journey for transition—first for transition into the Tanzanian place and culture; and now for transition to my life at home. People have said to me, both before I left and since I’ve been gone, that this will be a life changing experience. Others have noticed things shifting through my writing. I believe that is true, but I think that I will only fully understand how that is true after some time back at home and the opportunity to see what experiences endure. Certainly I have been blessed by some amazing friendships and other relationships with my students, other church leaders, and people of the larger community in Iringa; and I hope (trust?) that my being there has also had a positive impact. At the very least I know all of my students passed my classes, so I’ve had some success there. Three months is a nice chunk of time—it is enough time to get past feeling like a tourist, to learn some Kiswahili if you are inclined, and to deepen friendships. It is funny because all of the Tanzanians say, “You’re here only three months? Why such a short time?” while many people at home have said, “You’re gone so long!” Three months enough time to grow familiar with customs and practices—to be told “You’re Tanzanian now!”—and just enough time to realize how much I don’t know and can’t know about a place and people that I’ve come to love. One thing is clear, the Church in the Iringa Diocese is a place and people filled with hope and dreams for the future. Like here, the church is not a perfect institution—it is a human institution. Like here, in Tanzania people are people with the same desires, challenges, and temptations. There are many things that make us different, language, culture, socio-economic status—and yet, if we are willing to see each other as individuals and not just Americans or Tanzanians, we discover why there is power in this partnership. The power of the Gospel is that it is God’s word of promise for people in all circumstances that make us human. It is our humanity and all of its sin-filled realities that creates our need for God and God’s mercy, forgiveness, justice and love. It is our humanity and compassion that makes it possible for God to use us to preach and be the Gospel for each other in our own neighborhoods or across the wide expanse of an ocean and two continents. People of Incarnation, thank you for your gift of this time to serve in Tanzania. It has been a gift to me, to my students, and, I believe, to the church as a whole—which, after all, was our original intention. Mungu akubariki sana sana! Mchg. Jeanne |
