Snakes, Bats and Scorpions for Canadians

The Canadian Team is fantastic! They have worked so hard and survived the challenges of heat, cramped quarters, dirty water and being knee deep in poop! Dave, Patti and Tia arrived last Saturday night in Dar after leaving Vancouver on Thursday! And then they were up and at it for the early 7am church service on Sunday at VCC for which Dave was preaching. Dean, a Chinese student, who had visa problems at the last minute and was unable to fly with them managed to get on another flight which arrived on Sunday afternoon. He flew in on the same flight as the Tanzanian government opposition leader, so the airport was in complete chaos with thousands of people rallying. But we all made it back safely on the bus to Iringa on Monday night, completing a very long journey! After a busy day on Tuesday, we whisked them off to Magozi, crammed in the back of the landcruiser with enough water to sink a ship! We arrived in one piece (with a brief stop on the way with Amisadai throwing up) and the team very quickly settled in to a very different life.

After telling them that their chances of meeting a snake were pretty non-existent, what was spotted under our woodpile on the first afternoon? Unfortunately Tim failed at his first and heroic attempt at killing a snake! But he did very well with a spade on the bat flapping about in the house, as did Dean on another occasion. So they have seen it all with frogs hopping about in beds, cockroaches creeping about and even a giant scorpion! They lived on lots of tomatoes and ugali and uji and not one complained!

Dean's Bat-kill!

Mama Patti cooks ugali

All that aside, the time in Magozi was fantastic! It was so wonderful to be there with this wonderful team who did what we could never have done on our own with these kitchen gardens. Although the digging was hot, hard work and carrying bucketfuls of poo rather smelly, the time spent with the families was so lovely and so precious! We spent the first three morning digging gardens and then at the end of our stay we were able to see little shoots sprouting up. How encouraging and how much it speaks to us of a God at work!


Poo on the head (no, I wasn't going to let go!)

Planting seeds



Mama Meriziana's Garden (yes- a little tired now!)

Two afternoons were spent doing children's work in the church building. The third afternoon was a village cooking demonstration, teaching on nutrition and efficient cooking with the jiko. And another afternoon the team taught a class at the secondary school and we helped with planting in their school gardens. Sunday was a big day with the much-anticipated visit from the Bishop and his wife. He came with the Wingfield family and it was an opportunity for the stoves group to show what they have been doing with the project. In showing their work and progress, they were all so encouraged! There really is so much more to say, it was a full week in every way!

Go-Go-Stop (nenda-nenda-simama)

Village Cooking Demonstration

Now Dave is flying back home and the others have gone with Tim to Ruaha Gamepark. And while they relax with the hippos and elephants, the girls and I are up to ears in laundry .... and presents! We finally had a chance today to open the bags filled with goodies and letters from lovely friends in BC! Thank you so much all of you, we are quite overwhelmed and so very grateful!