Pasaka

"Kristo amefufuka!"
"Amefufuka kweli Kweli! Alleluia! Amen!!"
This little tongue twister is the familiar words of Easter Sunday—
"Christ is risen!"
"He is risen indeed! Alleluia!" Amen!
-as spoken in the Swahili language here in Tanzania.

On Siku ya Pasaka—the day of Easter—there were two wonderful two–hour worship services with the Bishop of the Diocese delivering the sermon. The Choirs, who had (tried) to tone down their dancing for Good Friday, were back in force. On a bit of a sad note (for someone from the Church in America), there were no horns for Easter Sunday, so I must admit we did miss the brass. The children were back again, impressively calling out there verses from the resurrection story. Both services were well attended. Afterward, Susie went with Barbara (another American missionary) to have a traditional American pancake breakfast, while I stayed and had beef and cooked bananas with the bishop. I'm not sure who got the better deal, but it was a happy Easter!

Jumatatu ya Pasaka

Finally, on Jumatatu ya Pasaka—Easter Monday—there was yet another worship service dedicated especially to baptisms. Again I was asked to help with pastoral duties and wound up baptizing nine children. This was also a joy-filled worship service. It felt like a continuation of the festivity of Sunday. It lasted 2 and a half hours.
So, in summary, after nearly 14 hours of worship, we admittedly were ready for Tuesday’s rest. Yet, we were impressed and touched by the Holy Week experience at Bungo Cathedral in Morogoro. It was good, as it always is, to walk through the story of Christ’s passion and resurrection—to reflect upon the great truths of life and death, sin and forgiveness. It was neat to see how this culture celebrates in unity with the whole church in heaven and on earth.
From here in Tanzania, we wish you the hope of the resurrection: may God bring renewal into your life, today and always. Amemfufuka! Amen!

Youth Camp

Camp has always been a special place for Josh and I. We were both campers and counselors and cherish many memories from those times. While it has been a few years since either of us worked at camp, we were recently able to refresh our skills by helping at a youth camp here.

The three day camp was actually held at a prison not far from Morogoro. It was meant for “youth,” ages 16 – 30. In reality, there were 82 people present, ages 7 – 40. Quite a spread! The four days consisted of guest preachers, lots of music, and breakout sessions on everything from the Holy Spirit to planting trees. Josh led six breakout sessions (in Swahili!) and included the good old camp favorite, the trust fall (see picture), which brought exuberant laughter and excitement. We were also able to lead some music using our newly inherited guitar, we did a skit, and led games – all the typical camp things.

Although there were many similarities to our camps, many differences were also apparent. We didn’t have a beautiful lake to swim in, no quaint cabins, no campfires etc. There was no canteen with frozen Snickers bars and other snacks. Rather, everyone was treated to “Chakula Bora” or the Tanzanian style nutritious food that not all families can afford to serve at home (ugali or rice, beans and a little meat).

In spite of these minor differences, we re-discovered that camps everywhere are a powerful experience for those involved. The energy of the youth was inspiring as they sang spiritual songs, talked, played and prayed together in a loving and safe place. We, in turn, pray that they returned to their villages refreshed and re-energized.

Lions, giraffes and zebras…oh, my!

A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to go on our first safari! (our internet has been down - sorry for the delay) Students from Wartburg College in Iowa are spending the semester in Tanzania. Unfortunately, their supervisor here had to return to the States for family health issues, so we have been able to take them to villages and help them get settled. Part of their experience here is a trip to Mikumi National Park, which is only about 1 ½ hours from Morogoro. We were lucky to be able to experience this with them.

We were excited and were certainly not disappointed! The first sighting of giraffes in the distance was almost magical. I had imagined that we would see a few animals, probably far off in the bushes, but I was wrong! We saw hundreds of animals – wildebeests, giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippos, impalas, buffalo, warthogs, baboons, many types of birds, etc… , and they were close! Many were on the side of the road or on the road, and we got a little closer than planned to some elephants. At one point we counted 22 giraffes surrounding us- wow.

We stayed at a lodge in the park and sat under the stars of the southern sky late into the evening listening to the sounds surrounding us. We heard a lion in the distance, and I was glad it stayed that way. There were animals everywhere – an impala was just outside our door, and many more were on the field area in front of our room. We tried to make out shapes in the distance, but we will never know what was there.
It was a fantastic experience, and hopefully will entice some of you to visit!

Sanga Sanga

When we travel out into villages for Sunday worship, we never know what to expect. This Sunday was no exception. Our day began with a later start than usual because the congregation we were going to is one of the closest to where we live. One problem: there are no roads in an even remotely direct route to our destination. We drove and drove through windy, potholed roads through the bush, unable to distinguish many landmarks of any kind. The roads fork constantly, feeling like a maze where there are a thousand different options, and only one path leads to the destination. What began as a short journey turned into a 3 ½ hour drive to get to church. We joked about it being a lovely Sunday drive but wished we had some snacks to munch on. Finally, after winding through many kilometers of road through the bush, we spotted two people waiting on the side of the road to show us the rest of the way. What a welcomed sight! (This was a much longer commute than our walk across the parking lot to church in Sidney, MT!)

We arrived at Sanga Sanga church, which was yet another beautiful tree. A school had been built by the government and we were given a tour. The teacher in me was of course interested in the classrooms. The only book I saw was entitled, How to de-worm school-age children. Most classrooms didn’t have chalkboards, instead writing with charcoal on the smooth concrete wall. The first grade classroom had basic math facts written on the board and small rocks on the desks to use as manipulatives. Much different than a classroom in the States, but it was fun for me to see.

After the tour, we sat visiting for quite some time. The people in the village were of the Barabiag tribe as opposed to Maasai, who we are usually with. As we were talking, many young men gathered under a tree and began singing a repetitive tune with harmony, accompanied by distinctive whistling and the pounding of their sticks on the ground to create rhythm. Then, some young women came out and stood under another tree wearing beautiful beaded skirts, lots of gold jewelry, and some with bells around their ankles. The men continued singing, and then one or two at a time would jump. I’m not talking just a little hop – they jump incredibly high without using their arms or even bending their legs. It was absolutely beautiful. After a man would begin jumping, a woman on the other side would jump in sync, her bells adding to the music. We aren’t exactly sure what the significance of this is, but apparently it is some type of traditional dating ritual. One man was quite persistent that I should join the women, but I explained, as did many others, that I already have a husband.


By this time, it was late afternoon – finally time to begin church. In a way it was nice not to have church in the hot mid-day sun, but we knew we had a long return trip ahead of us, and driving at night in Tanzania isn’t a great idea. After church we had a quick meal of rice and hit the road. Just as we left, it began to rain. If you read our last post, you know this creates less than ideal road conditions. The way out was just as complex as the way in with winding roads surrounded by indistinguishable trees, and a series of forks in the road. The problem was that darkness was setting in and it was pouring. The road turned into a river, making it impassable. We drove along the edge of a shamba (field) until it was too washed out to continue. Crossing gushing creeks, a road that consisted of mini-waterfalls, and sometimes not on a road at all, it was amazing we made it home. We did, though, and in great time – we shaved 2 ½ hours off our time. What a day. Let me tell you, sometimes a shower and bed feel mighty fine at the end of the day.

Church

Over the river and through the mud...

Last Sunday we were planning on attending church in a village. No problem, right? We’ve done this many times by now. While every village visit is a unique experience, this one proved there is sometimes more adventure in the journey than planned.

Our journey began quite uneventfully as we set out on the highway. The car was filled with pleasant conversation and the mood was light. When we turned off the highway, the roads were no longer smooth sailing. We made it through a few muddy patches when some women tried warning us that there was water ahead. We took note of their warning, glad that we had 4-wheel drive, and continued on for a very short distance. At this point, it was hard to tell where the road was, so Luka (the driver and evangelist) and Heri, a pastor we had picked up along the way, got out to see if there was any way we could get through the mud. There was no way, so we decided to try the other road. Not far into our journey on the other road we encountered the same problem and were soon stuck. Luckily, many villagers came to our rescue and helped us push the car out.

The road was impassable, so if we were going to make it to church, we were going to walk. This is when the true journey began. While the distance wasn’t far (maybe 1-2 miles?) the fellowship was great. What a bonding experience literally walking with these people.

When we arrived at the village, we were welcomed with great enthusiasm (and, of course, tea!) Church was under a tree, and a beautiful one at that.

While we were enjoying tea, we could see rain far in the distance. Knowing that it was going to hit during the service, we switched to a different tree and began. What happens when it rains during a service under a tree, you might ask? Everyone gets wet. Drenched, actually. The spirit of this congregation wasn’t dampened (pun intended) though. The singing was as vibrant at the end of the service as at the beginning. It all continued – even though the offering was sopping wet, it was still given. Communion wafers a bit soggy? No problem. It was a memorable occasion indeed.

If we thought it was muddy on our way to church, it was nothing compared to our walk home! The small stream we crossed on the way seemed like a raging river on the return trip. Our new friends walked us the entire way back to the car – giving a helping hand through the especially slippery or challenging parts, laughing together and enjoying the experience.

At the end of the day, we were drenched, muddy, and left thinking wow, life is great.