May 17th, 2008
We have been busy working on the house. We have loaded and unloaded
bricks and rocks, dug holes, cut grass and cleared a way to make a
road, prepared flooring in the rooms to be ready for concrete, and a
lot of “grunt work” that is needed to help the project move along.
We are getting sunburned and sore, but it feels so very good to see
some progress made on the house.
While we work and travel with people we are trying to learn as much
swahili as we can … it is not an easy language to pick up and they
laugh at us often as we try to pronounce words or to communicate with
them. It is a lot of fun!
Tabora is a very friendly city compared to Dar Es Salaam … people
wave to us and greet us wherever we go. The children are absolutely
beautiful! Their smiles take your heart away … they are so
gorgeous!
Tami had an incident with her tooth yesterday where the tooth split
apart (it was a tooth that had previously had a root canal done on
it). The part that broke off was hanging off. So I went with her
and |Elias to a local dentist (we sent a picture to Andrew for the
blog of this!). What an archaic dentist office … concrete and
simple …. He was very good and put in a temporary filling as she
did not want the piece pulled. However, it had fallen out by supper
time! Today we went back again and he pulled the broken piece off
for her and put some temporary composite on it until she returns
home. We were so very grateful that it was not worse than that.
While we were at the dentist, there were so many people waiting at
the medical clinic. People with all types of illnesses. It was
heart-breaking! Others had their teeth pulled at the dentist …
literal screaming from the chair. — I know we complain often about
our healthcare system, but I am so grateful for how well we are taken
care of!
Tomorrow we are going to church — Stu will be preaching and we will
be singing a few songs for the congregation. We are so very excited
to worship with the African people here … We are sure to have a
wonderful time of singing and worship with them! The people here are
so kind and gracius and have been so good to us! It will be a
blessing to worship God together.
Today we had the pleasure of being taken to the market to choose
material for tailors to make outfits for the women and suits for the
men … All in all with the material and the fittings, the outfits or
suits will cost about 30 – 35 dollars! We are amazed! Their fabrics
are absolutely beautiful and the people dress in such a gorgeous
manner! We are excited to see the outfits when they are finished
next week!
Posted in Save Africa Now Task Force Team, Tabora, construction | No Comments »
May 15th, 2008
joshua, one of our hosts has been sick.
just found out he has malaria.
please pray for him.
- marg!
Posted in Tanzania, malaria | No Comments »
May 15th, 2008
Hi there …
a quick update! We are thankful that we have access to internet again.
Yesterday afternoon we met Juma and Haruna …. it was emotional to
finally meet them and to know that we were here to make a difference
in their lives! We also met their grandmother and children from the
area where they live. We were allowed to see the “house” that they
live in right now … approximately 100sq ft … dark and dreary with
a pile of belongings and one bed that the grandmother and 7 children
share. It was so emotional to know that people are living like this
…. it is unimaginable!
We then saw the site that you see on Africa: Sing Me Your Song …
where they lived when they did not have a home. Again, we were
overcome with emotions that children could “live” under such
conditions. We also visited another home site where they lived for a
while as well. We met MANY children, eager to hold our hands, have
their pictures taken with us, to touch us and to laugh with us. It
was so emotional …. so much need. And yet, for those two little
boys, their grandmother and the other orphans living with them …
there IS hope. Hope that is so much more than brick and mortar …
hope that will deliver them out of the dark situation they are
currently in and that will allow them to begin to live … to learn
… to grow and to dream about the future! That in itself is so very
powerful!
Today we worked for the morning at the building site. At first it
seemed to take a while to get going, but then we were able to
accomplish a great deal. We know that every little bit that we are
able to do allows the workers to accomplish that much more. We we
re
thankful to get as much done as we could today. We will return
tomorrow and work at the building site all day.
In the afternoon we planned a party that we will be holding for a
group of orphaned children … it should be exciting and fun!
We are grateful for your continued prayers, and for all that we are
able to experience here. The people are beautiful …. the children
absolutely fill your heart … their smiles and laughter are
infectious, in the middle of such need and despair. There is much to
learn from them!
Blessings from Tanzania -
Geannette and Nathan
Posted in Juma and Haruna, Save Africa Now Task Force Team, Tabora | No Comments »
May 14th, 2008
we are happy to be here after a treacherous, long, bumpy, smelly, wet bus ride from dar es salaam to tabora. it started at 330 am when we rose to load our bags in two vehicles to take to the bus depot. the actual bus trip then left at 6 am. our first hurdle was trying to have our guide Joshua convince the voice-damaged bus employee to load our luggage, which there was much of. they finally opened the storage compartment and there seemed to be almost no room. they wanted 100,000 shillings (100 usd) to do it. mzungus, foreigners, are magnets for swindling here, and though Dan was hesitant we only gave them 10,000 shillings or almost 10 dollars. the seats were so close together you couldnt even have your legs facing straight ahead. and every bump was bone on metal. it felt it would never end. but it did. and we were pumped to see Elias at the Tabora bus depot. we had a late meal before a good rest in the FPCT center and then rising for breakfast. this morning we went to the site of the home for Juma and Haruna and their ‘family’. it will be a beautiful house. 5 bedrooms. Dining room. Sitting room. Bathroom. Running water. we then visited the largest hospital in Tabora region and had an excellent conversation with the head doctor. He is the only doctor, though the setting requires 6 more. he does all forms of surgery, night calls, etc etc and yet was very hospitable and willing to share with us and thank us for our participation in his country.
after a group internet session we are heading to the location where Juma and Haruna are currently staying. 11 of the 12 of our team will be meeting these amazing children for the first time. As for Dan, it will be a sweet reunion. Then we go to their old home (the broken glass, half wall home from Africa Sing Me Your Song) to remind ourselves of where it all began. it is an exciting transformation that is taking place. Tomorrow we begin actual construction. As we saw today at the site, a healthy portion of work is already done by the locals, and the engineer and his team are excited for what progress we can all make together.
oh by the way, about half way through our very long bus journey, right about the time we needed encouragement in order to carry on, Nathan looked and lo and behold there was Andrew’s lost wallet! it was a blessing to our whole team. we almost had the whole bus cheering with us even though they had no clue what just happened.
love you all, and more soon!
Daniel, on behalf of the entire team in Tanzania!
Tags: FPCT
Posted in Red Deer, Red Deer Advocate, Save Africa Now, Save Africa Now Task Force Team, Tabora | No Comments »
May 12th, 2008
this email is dialup and sent from all of us not just christy thus
short and sweet.
after a long day of travel we arrived safely in dar es salaam. 32
hours of travel. first thing after landing was a flat tire in our van
to our compound.
great day of shopping and visiting the indian ocean. its beautiful
here and people are friendly. very few mosquitos. roads are as bad as
everyone says.
looking forward to a 17 hour bus drive to tabora tomorrow.
pray for andrew c. he lost his wallet this evening.
please pass this on to everybody not on the list. thanks for keeping
us in your prayers. blessings.
Tags: Travel and Transit
Posted in Tanzania | No Comments »
May 12th, 2008
We’re FINALLY here! After weeks of planning, praying, and preparing to come, it’s good to finally be in Africa.
It was a long flight, but worth the trip. We got here yesterday. After arriving at the airport, we went directly to the FPCT Center in Dar es Salaam. Today was a day to relax and start to prepare for our time here. It will fly by fast.
This morning we’re on our own, after our orientation with Elias, we get to check out the city. It should be fun.
We’re excited for the things that await us in this land. Soon we will help build that house!
Tags: safe travels
Posted in Dar es Salaam, Save Africa Now Task Force Team | No Comments »
May 10th, 2008
Stu and Corrinne left a day early. We look forward to meeting up with them. And it was great to finally to have Danica with us, who arrived from BC via a long bus ride yesterday. The rest of us got up early (EARLY!) this morning and headed to Calgary, so we can head to the USA, so we can head to Amsterdam, so we can fly to Dar es Salaam, so we can go to Tabora.
It’s really happening!
Posted in Save Africa Now Task Force Team, Travel and Transit | No Comments »
May 10th, 2008
As the article below shows, Gateway Christian School in Red Deer, Alberta made a huge contribution toward Save Africa Now. They raised $16,000 – enough funds for the house we’re going to build. We’re humbled, thankful, and amazed.
Read the article below for more details.
Daniel Kooman had a chance to go to the weekly assembly at the school this week and receive the cheque! Here are a few pics!
Tags: Fundraiser
Posted in Gateway School | 1 Comment »
May 7th, 2008
Students Help Tanzanian AIDS Orphans
By Heather Schultz – Red Deer Advocate – May 06, 2008
Posted in Canadians For Africa, Gateway School, Red Deer, Red Deer Advocate, Save Africa Now, Tanzania | No Comments »
May 5th, 2008
Welcome to the official blog of the 2008 Tanzania Task Force Team from Red Deer.
We’re excited to head to Africa in a few days to build the Gateway House with Save Africa Now
in Tabora, Tanzania.
Posted in Canadians For Africa, Save Africa Now, Tanzania | No Comments »
