What's cookin' in Tanzania... and Uganda?: A Hand on my Shoulder

So Tim has left the country! And Amisadai is leaving tomorrow. And Louisa and I are holding the fort here ... barely!

Tim has been in Nairobi, Kenya for the past week and has been enjoying croissants and coffee to while away the time! But I believe he did do some work in the coffee shops! And today he has presented for his second year at the Africa Society of Evangelical Theology Conference! His paper from last year is being published and we are looking forward to getting the book!

Tomorrow Amisadai is flying by herself on crutches to join him in Nairobi! She's more worried about getting the visa than managing on the crutches … but I'm sure it will all be fine! That line has been my motto for years, but I'm using it noticeably less these days! Amisadai will see an orthopedic surgeon about her torn ligament on Monday. We hope we will see things have healed well over the past month on crutches and she can simply go for an appointment with a physiotherapist and be back on her way home next week with Tim. We also hope they will successfully arrive in this country. I say no more!

Meanwhile Louisa and I are sort of holding the fort. Louisa has been brilliant and very patient (most of the time!), picking up the slack where Amisadai can't do things, and helping Amisadai every day with jobs and carrying and fetching. I had never realised how much Amisadai did until she couldn't do it! But things are collapsing a little bit and to be quite honest, this has been one of the most exhausting and stressful months in a long time! Visa issues, injuries, power cuts and downstairs flooding aside, we have had a lot going on and more than the usual number of challenges! Without going into all the problems, I can tell you most of them are connected with trying to get Upendo wa Mama registered and licensed to run The Hive, a new shop and honey centre. In summary, … weeks and weeks of forms, different forms, new forms, more copies, constitutions, amendments, trips to offices, come back tomorrow, come back tomorrow, try again next week, network is down. Then the previous tenants refuse to leave … And then add in our builder getting attacked, a woman coming at me with a large saw and me bursting into tears in a parking lot and an art classroom (those were all separate events). This isn't even half of it! And being unwell for a week with Tim away hasn't helped! Needless to say it now counts as major success if we have some kind of food to eat or clean clothes to wear! And I wouldn't dare show you a photo of our bathroom which is completely over-run by dirty beesuits which are in the slow process of "being washed"!

But as things collapse around me, my own strength completely runs out, and uncertainty about most things hovers, it has been a good time to remember with Ezekiel, that in those times in the valley, the hand of the Lord is on my shoulder. I know others who have been walking through bigger valleys than mine recently, but whatever the valley or the wilderness, the truth is the same. His presence is always with us. We don't have to carry everything. We can give it all to Him. And I have asked myself the question, "Am I willing to trust Him with what I can't control? And repeated to myself the truth that "He alone is able." Yes, it is all about what He has done, is doing and He will do. Not me!

But problems aside, we have also had some good things happening! A few weeks ago we had a whole EITZ team retreat, which although a lot of work, was wonderful! Our colleagues from Iringa came up and Andy and Angela from the UK came over! There are about twenty of us now and then all the kids as well. I love this team!

The Fabulous EITZ Team!

So very good to be back with this special couple!

We all went for a couple of days by the Serengeti for a short retreat. The Tanzanian teammates enjoyed a game drive which was a first for all of them! And then we had time to reflect together on what it means to be one body. And it was a precious time of getting to know one another better, listening to God's leading for us as a team and enjoying food and fun as well! We had some rather riotous rounds of Pit!

Meeting in the shade of the trees

We then all came back to Mwanza and had a more practical meeting day here and then field visits on the last day. It was great to visit Kayenze to see what is happening in the entrepreneurship, beekeeping and agriculture groups and then go to Igombe and Nyakato to meet many of the girls in the girls health project. It is always so encouraging for everyone when the group members are given the opportunity to talk to visitors about the project and what it means to them as a community or individuals!

Last week we had Phil Grant staying with us from Bees Abroad UK. We had never met before, and it was great opportunity to talk about what we are doing here in the Mwanza region in beekeeping and to see how we can link better with Bees Abroad and those they are working with in Tanzania. We visited the Mamas group one day ... and I'll write more about the Mamas in another post! On Friday we took him to see the beekeeping project in Ngudu. After their amazing start of hive colonization, it was disappointing to see that they had lost a number of colonies because of wasps and ants. But we are praying for the hives to be filled with honey over these next few months before the harvest. After checking the hives, Pastor Emmanuel invited us to his home where Mama Deborah had prepared a delicious lunch for us and the beekeepers!

Phil with the Ngudu Beekeepers

We are also now realising that with all the churches we work with in this area, it is going to take many weeks to see them all before we leave. While we are not saying goodbye yet, we realise we may well be having our last Sunday services with some dear people.

Louisa has always been Pastor Tito's special friend!

Here they are with Pastor Tito's lovely new wife!

Last Sunday we went with Bhatendi to the Igumumoyo church. After the service and before a huge lovely lunch at Pastor Emmanuel's house, we went to see how the demonstration shamba was doing. And it's time for another agricultural "comparison photo!" I am still always amazed at the great difference a few changes can make!