Good Morning Family and Friends-
In just about an hour, the team will be piling into Toyota Land Cruisers and heading off to three of Tanzania's best game parks - Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Parks. We are in great spirits after the past few days. Here's a few stories:
Friday, July 4th
The team was met at the hotel by James (the elder) from the New Life Band and his 16 year-old daughter. Out of all the Tanzanians we have met, the members of the New Life Band have feet in both African and Western cultures. For example, James uses American slang quite regularly and can employ different American accents - how strange to hear a Tanzanian say "Hello" with a Southern twang. They drove us out to the site of their new secondary school. Building this school has been the primary goal of their recent American tours. You'll be happy to know the school is up and running. The headmaster/principal is a Masai man who returned to his home area to work with his people. There is one completed classroom building and 28 Form 1 students in class now. Two years ago there was a foundation in a field. Now lives are being changed. This is a miracle from God's hand. By December the second classroom will be completed and more students will come. Each successive year will add another grade level until Forms 1-6 are all represented.
We are hoping the New Life Band are able to come for their next American tour in the Fall of 2009.
After the tour the group celebrated the 4th of July in Tanzania with a Chinese feast at the Everest Inn. The highlight was the desert - the hot caramel-shelled fritas served with a bowl of water to crystallize the caramel. Nothing scream freedom like...oh never mind. It was a tremendous day.
After some shopping at the so-called Masai market (where hard bargaining is expected), we met an old friend for dinner. Sarah Wallace is an Aussie who was our tour guide at Selian Lutheran Hospital two years ago. On a whim, Lois e-mailed her and invited her to dinner and she showed up. Sarah is trained as an occupational therapist and has been serving in Tanzania off and on since 2002. The scope of her work has pushed beyond her formal training. She helps run an outreach program that identifies children in rural bush communities who have "bendy legs" or club feet or other structural issues and steers them to Selian where they are cared for. This is a subsidized program. A normal procedure costs 300,000 TZS, a sum that most Masai people cannot pay. Sarah told us a story that repeats itself over and over again - a father bringing his child to Arusha with a small amount of shillings in hand and only the feet of the child visible beneath the father's robe, the child too shaken by the noise of the city to emerge. Some families sell their motsprized possessions their cows - in order for their children to receive the procedures they need. Sarah spun story after story of how she is making the world different, one child at a time.
Her current passion project is called the "Plaster House." It's a place for those recovering from orthopedic surgery to live and recover with their families before they return to rural areas. The truth of Tanzanian tribal cultural is that women (mamas) run households. Therefore, if a mama or one of her children needs surgery, the families need a place to recover together, in this case a lower-cost alternative to a prolonged hospital stay. The "Plaster House" has only been open for a five weeks or so and it is a great success. There are currently nine beds and twenty residents.
When we asked Sarah how we can help, she said they are looking to install a washing machine to eliminate the need for house mothers to wash all the sheets, towels and clothes by hand. Our group is going to stop at an appliance store on the way out today and do some pricing. If you would like to give to this cause (or for helping the "Plaster House" obtain other essential, like beds), feel free to send a check to Bethel marked "Plaster House" and I'll get it into the Sarah's hands.
Overall, a brilliant and enlightening evening.
So far we've learned about education and health care here in Tanzania - now we are off to experience the only vantage point most Americans ever glimpse - the tourist/safari industry. We began our "tourism 101" course yesterday when we went to the Indian-owned, very upscale "Cultural Heritage Center" in Arusha. Typical tourist trap - tons of wazungu, vastly inflated prices and even some "authentic" drummer and dancers at the front door to greet shoppers. We were out of there fairly quickly and all agreed we love the Africa we have seen so far - smiling children, teenager dreaming big dreams and long-term missionaries who invest in the lives of those most tourists never see.
After some more shopping we had a relaxing dinner and began preparing for today's new adventures. I look forward to seeing some elephants today.
Until next time,
Pastor Rick, on behalf of the rest of the team
