The toilet flushes. Drinkable water comes out of multiple faucets in our houses. We can shower or bathe with water the temperature that we choose. There is a working phone nearby, with email access available at will.
Roads are smooth and paved and no one walks on them. Safeway and Thriftway have more food than was available in the whole region where we came from.
Welcome home!
Sweet Home is not heaven, but we won’t be taking some of its privileges for granted for quite a while.
Two weeks in Tanzania, East Africa was a life-changing time for Esther Bennett, Peggy Wirth and myself. Marv and Jean Wahlstrom Kanennan, our hosts at the Maasae Girls Lutheran Secondary School, were wonderful models of humble servant leadership.
Their administrative gifts guided us and our 10 other team members to accomplish quite a lot. Some of the things we were able to witness:
–The joyful reception of the 51 new red sweatshirts, replacing well used faded ones worn daily as school uniforms. Sweet Home folks purchased most of them, and I told the girls that.
–Multiple large bags of clothes and shoes left behind for the students. All students are on full scholarship, with many arriving with only the clothes on their backs.
Imagine keeping 225 teenage girls outfitted! Each student receives a new pen every month for their schoolwork; they began distributing our gift pens while we were still there. We didn’t realize we were only bringing a three-month supply when we brought in over 660 pens. Two hundred of those were from Sweet Home’s Farmer’s Insurance, and 160 from Tim Theodoroff, builder. The toothbrushes donated by all three Sweet Home dentists filled another need.
–Every desk in the school checked for loose screws, and most tightened and fixed. This kept Peggy busy several days.
–Several sheets of postage stamps were given to the girls at the school. They often use couriers for sending letters to their American sponsors, so free U.S. postage was a bonus. Funds for the stamps came from Sweet Home donors.
–The completion of a small store for students to sell their beadwork for a little extra cash (some days three different groups of tourists dropped by) or to buy snacks. They were thrilled and starting “playing store” long before it was finished. Sweet Home Evangelical Men provided the $400 needed for this construction project.
–A new agricultural project was launched. The hydroponics gardening experiment is underway, with a whole class eagerly vying to see who will taste the first radish! Sawdust and sand made up the inorganic matter; Epsom salts and two other simple chemical compounds provide nutrients for the plants. Three teachers and their students are looking for new ways to grow healthy food inexpensively; four of our team worked in offering them this possibility. This was made possible by the women of Fir Lawn Lutheran Church.
–A fresh deposit of medical supplies and vitamins was given to the school infirmary, as well as a gift to the local hospital. Lebanon Hospital and Sweet Home people provided some of these items.
The hospital visit left the team stunned by the horrible conditions in which people were expected to recover. The cost for one day was $1.25, about a fourth of the daily wages of a laborer, but there was a free ward for those unable to pay that much.
Patients were responsible for their own food and laundry, with limited nursing care. One doctor has a zeal to educate the Maasai about AIDS and female genital mutilation. Some of our team left funds toward the purchase of a desperately needed TV and VCR so he can take his message to the villages. One report was that as many as 40% of the local high school boys were HIV positive.
God’s reward to each of us included unforgettable animal sightings. Within 45 minutes of our location, we saw hundreds of wild animals. Most of the team crossed the vast Serengeti Plain, having close encounters with lions, monkeys, giraffes, elephants, everything but cheetahs. A highlight was when 1,500 zebras surrounded their vehicles. To our great relief, the only live snakes we saw were safely encased at the snake farm.
Our trip home included a night in Amsterdam and a day tour. We were deeply moved by a visit to Corrie ten Boom’s house, a hiding place for Jews in World War II, and then the warehouse that was home to Anne Frank for two years. It was a sobering but fitting closure to our time in Africa.
The three of us were aware of the prayers and support we received from this community; thank you very much. We are praying that none of us lose the lessons God had for us in Africa. Several of the team want to return.
If you’re looking for a place you could make a difference for God’s kingdom, we recommend Monduli, Tanzania. It might lower your tolerance toward people who complain about middle-class life in North America, though, and don’t be surprised if the toilets don’t flush.