It is 6:30 pm Tuesday, July 27. I am catching a few minutes in the internet cafe on the campus of ELCT headquarters before it closes for the evening. We have had an exciting, eventful and blessed visit to the Southern Diocese so far. Today, the group is just getting back to Njombe from our visit to Lupembe and the area where the Center for Agricultural Development is located. The people in the area are as anxious as we are for it to be going in full force, but much planning and development is yet to do. Carl Bergstrom, Mike Vaughn and Bruce Towne stayed on at Lupembe to talk with the men who are working on the plans. On our way back to Njombe we dropped Dawn Peterson off at Metwembe for her visit with her congregation's (Grace Lutheran in Fort Dodge) companion congregation. They have set her up in a guest house and the entire village is anxiously awaiting visiting with her. The rest of the group, Collen Last, Cayla, Gail and Bruce and Gail Henderson are at the girl's secondary school in Igumbilo. I will be leaving to Songea Parish in the morning with Pastor Neamiah and will be there until Sunday. Pastor Seth asked if I would preach, so I hope they are ready!!! Alice and Jan will be staying in Njombe and working at the school for the deaf that is sponsored by the ELCT.

Not much time to say much about it now, but certainly the highlight of the trip has been the wedding that we "crashed" at the church located in Ilembula near the hospital. It was an amazing ceremony which also included a baptism of the little girl that the newlyweds adopted from the orphanage in the hospital complex. Also, we will be forever a part of their wedding video as of course we had to go to the front of the church and introduce ourselves in the middle of the ceremony! Like I told Mama Atua, that is likely the last Tanzanian wedding that I will be crashing. I say that, but we were made to feel so welcome. Like we have been everywhere we turn. There is always a handshake, a smile, and at the least chai (tea).

That is all for now, hopefully we will get to write more soon.

Asante sana!
Michelle

Arrived in Dar es Salaam

We are safe in Dar....and everyone's luggage, too! Those of us that left from Omaha were in transit 25 hours. Flights from Mpls and Amsterdam were each an hour late. Pr Seth and Pr. Gabriel and others were there to greet us and make us feel welcome. They had a bus from the church in Makombako and the cruiser with trailer! The bus had a boot jack applied for not parking in the right space....so some heated negotiations took place and it came off. We arrived at TEC to a full meal at midnight....so again we were well-treated. Rooms are assigned and we were up for breakfast between 7:00 and 7:30. Today we're off for the bank and then the Coastal (?) Lutheran Church - although the presiding bishop is in Germany. Then to the seacliff for lunch. I think some of us would like another date with the bed sometime today.

On behalf of the travelers!
Colleen

Some thoughts from Colleen Last as we get ready to begin our journey:

Tuesday, July 6, 2010: 11 days until our flight to Tanzania. On our first trip to Tz (2004) I wrote in my journal “It is midnight, we’re under a mosquito net and we can’t sleep. Our body clocks are in the western hemisphere. Dar es Salaam has continuous sounds of birds, sprinklers, bells, traffic and people.”

July 7, 2010: I also commented in my journal at the end of the trip, “are we help or hindrance?” And again I lamented that when we were with other Americans we talked louder, laughed louder and took up more space!

And so as I prepare for this trip I want to keep the aforementioned in mind and remember that the sounds became quite routine. I want to gracefully travel with our hosts and remember I am a guest in the Tanzanian culture.

I hope to find the smiling caring friends and meet new friends. I can’t wait to see ILGSS (Igumbilo Lutheran Girls Secondary School) and see the additions they’ve made to the campus. AND I imagine shopping in Iringa will be just as fun!