Listening Ears....

I wanted to send a VERY SPECIAL Thank you to Kevin and Maryanne and their 25 confirmands!! I went to share the story of Mwika and Maring'a Juu with this wonderful group. There were 25 students who are getting ready to receive their confirmation and I was IMPRESSED with how wonderful they listened and the great questions they asked. I am happy you enjoyed the African food that I brought to give you a taste of the country. It was a pleasure for me to see their eyes watching the photographs and videos and listening to how God places special calls in each of our hearts. I remember when I was that age, I didn't really know what a "call" was and even if there was a call I would have expected it to come on the old black telephone that was hanging on the kitchen wall. I wish I would have had someone tell me "their own story" so that the seed would have been planted early in my lifetime. I guess one never knows who you touch with your story, but hopefully, I was able to share the struggles of what the people in Mwika deal with on a daily basis and that these wonderful young confirmands are blessed in a great way.

Thank you for letting me join your group, to partner with you and help you understand how God works in even just the simplest of ways!!

PS. For the young man who asked what the poorest country in the world was.....the answer to that is Zimbabwe!!

Until next time ~

Cheers!

Reflections...

The past month has been one of reflection for me. So much to remember about my time in the village of Mwika and Maring'a Juu Primary School. One of my goals for my journey to Mwika was to see observe and take part of funds that were raised to feed the many orphaned children at Maring'a Juu. My friend Roland Maanga had been doing this for several months before my visit. Orphaned children are those without any parents. Many are orphaned at birth. My original goal was to take the needs of these orphaned children at Maring'a Juu and give them that much needed meal at lunch time. What I observed when I was there is that ALL the students at this school are hungry. The children that are not orphaned face the same problem. If they have both parents they are lucky, but that does not mean that their parents work or have access to work, so they go without food just like the orphans. I had been suggesting that we take only the orphans and feed them. Roland knew better and he had been preparing food for everyone. I just couldn't understand why, but being from the USA, we look at things differently. We don't see that hunger as the same here.

So, the day we prepared the meal for the school I actively participated in stirring the meat, the vegetables and the rice. I stood in the small outdoor kitchen at the school and couldn't believe how difficult it was to dodge the smoke from the fires for all the food pots...WOW!!! So we began to serve the orphaned children first. They received their rice, vegetables and meat. As they were seated in the cafeteria, I watched how all the other kids were looking in the window. I could see that they were just as hungry and that their bellies were feeling the same. So how could I just feed the orphans???? Weren't the other children just as important??? They all were in the same school, they were all friends and yet, I could only take the orphans?

The reality struck my heart in a deep way. I now knew why Roland would continue to feed the school and not segregate. It became deeply apparent that we could "stretch" our rice to feed everyone. I saw with my own eyes, that hunger doesn' t take on a different look on any human beings face. It is simple, hunger is hunger. Whether or not you have no parents or one or two parents, everyone needs their tummies fed.

My thoughts and ideas surely have changed in how a meal program must work for this school and village. I am working with a International Food Program that will get what we need to the school for a full year. I am excited that I have the cooperation of Roland to receive this food and distribute this on a very easy level to the school. We can be sure that the mission to feed the village will be accomplished. The school has had many great opportunities already to enjoy the food that has been provided. Your kind help has gone a long way and for that they are thankful.

Until next time ~

Cheers!

Progress...

Thank you for reading my blog. I appreciate your kindness, thoughts and communication. I have had an opportunity to meet a very bright business person who has expressed interest in joining me on my return to Tanzania. He is very interested in helping the people of Mwika develop business skills that will help them to help themselves. We are joining forces to implement some small business opportunities for those that have not had education and that lack skills to do this on their own. This is a very exciting time for all of us.

I wanted to Thank my friends from Maring'a Juu for the material. I promised you before I left that I would make a dress for myself. I promised my friend Ruth Shao that I would make one to match the one she wore I am happy to show them, that my promise was kept and the dress is made and being worn. I have received so many compliments on this dress and I can't wait until all of the teachers see this. I am sending copies of this picture to all the teachers at Maring'a Juu.

The outpouring of help for those in Mwika has been heartwarming. We have a lot of great things in the works for Maring'a Juu. More textbooks, more school supplies and more aids to help the teachers. The teachers of Maring'a Juu Primary School have so many difficulties in just getting to school as most walk 8 or more kilometers one way to arrive to school. Then to teach in conditions that are poor make things even more difficult. They loved my Ecco brand walking shoes that I had on when I was there, in fact they all tried to get them on their feet. We are making a "run" for decent shoes for the teachers. Lots of easy things for us here but difficult for them to obtain on their meager salaries. We are in discussion with the teachers about perhaps getting a small loan to purchase bicycles for themselves then pay back the loan as they can...a way for them to take ownership of their material goods. This is one area I will work on with the 17 teachers when I go back, to teach them about helping themselves and working hard for the things that are important to them.

Until next time ~

Cheers!

Faith ~ if you believe all things are possible...

I have been blessed with so many friends in our community that have been watching my blog. I have a great support network out there and I want you to know I appreciate you!!! I want to send a Special THANK YOU to Girl Scout Troop #238. I received a very nice card from them and a wonderful donation to help those in Mwika. What a blessing you are and I want you to know that you will help many with your kindness!! I also want to Thank a young girl whom I met at a science fair last evening. She has been following my blog and also studying Africa and Tanzania in her Social Studies class. She told me what touched her heart about my blog; Roland's Grandmother who was 100+ yrs old, the prayer shawl ministry that I have begun for Mwika and Maringa' juu and the eyeglass donation and the building of a food program. She actually told me she had a pair of eyeglasses she wanted to donate but thought it might be too late. She is a girl who understands faith and what simple things we can do to make a huge difference. I have had so many wonderful people share their thoughts and ideas about what we can do to help this village. Remembering that the basic needs are not being met is a great place to start. I welcome your ideas, hopes and dreams in building Mwika and Maring'a Juu to be a strong viable community. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your goodness. Together we are making a huge loving difference.

Until next time ~

Cheers!