After living in Tanzania for many years, we now live in the UK and enjoy working with Amigos Worldwide and Bees Abroad as we continue to be passionate about seeing local churches transform their communities!

Sunday 24 October 2010

Bridegrooms, Punctures and Balancing Beans

We have just returned from a truly Tanzanian wedding! Today was the wedding of Bernard, our night watchman! It was a great experience, especially the reception with lots of noise, music and dancing! We danced up to the bride and groom in true African style with the giving of the gifts!

We arrived at the wedding an hour late, but still waited for another hour and half until the ceremony began! We really were late for the reception as we had a puncture in our land cruiser. We had a jack … but it didn’t work. So we got one from another vehicle, but that didn’t work either! It could have made a much more interesting story if we were stuck on a bumpy track in the bush in the middle of nowhere, but actually we were at home, having stopped in for a bite to eat! So Miriam came and rescued us; she lent us a jack and took us to the reception! So tomorrow we go and buy a new jack!

First attempt with jack #1

Playing with the dogs while we wait!
Yesterday, Tim and Spedito went to buy materials for the hen house and began work on that! The posts are in and the wooden door is made. We hope it will be finished by next weekend and we will go and find some chickens. We are hoping to get about ten.

TIm and Spedito fixing the posts
After planting all our seeds last weekend, we can already see many little shoots! It is exciting to watch! As with many things here, there is such great satisfaction in seemingly “small” things! And it does so often seem, when you stop to notice, that small things can make a big difference!

Now I am going to do some more Swahili homework! And plan some school lessons for the girls. We are about to start a science unit on electricity. We have just finished a unit on “Looking after our Bodies” which included a food group study which got the girls thinking about how we can balance our beans! Also this week we will start a math unit on measurement, so I think we can start by seeing how much chicken wire we will need for the run!

Finally, here is a clip from the gift giving at the reception!

3 comments:

  1. Great post! I suggest that you scrap the academics for homeschooling and start a unit on car mechanics instead.

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  2. Great to hear how things are going and I was so hoping to see Tim dancing your wedding gift in that line but no. Was it you Rachel safely behind the camera?

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  3. Hi,

    Just be careful that your rainwater harvester is not too large. Due to the great risk of LEGIONNAIRES DISEASE with stagnant warm water, the maximum SAFE size is either 5% of the total annual useage or 5% of the total annual rainfall on the roof collection area in litres - WHICHEVER IS THE LESSER!!!

    This is the BS 8515 2009 and must be followed in the UK which is cooler than where you are, so take care.

    ReplyDelete

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