One Fine Week

Sitting here in the dark during a power cut, Tim and I are sort of laughing. Trying to figure how things went so drastically from bad to worse. Tim is lying out flat with an elevated ice-packed ankle, unable to walk after getting bees in his boots. I am ringed with stings on my arms, but not as puffed up as Tim. It's been quite a day. It's actually been quite a week or two.

Today was the day that I hoped things would finally "work out." Tim and I were going to Kisesa, hoping to harvest some honey. We were up high on the roof of the container when it all started to go pear-shaped. There was some honey for the taking, but we got just a little overwhelmed by the situation. Bees were agitated. Bees were everywhere. We were seriously outnumbered. And way out of our comfort zone on the roof with them all trying to sting us. We escaped down the ladder without getting things closed up. We walked through bushes and trees, smoking ourselves, desperately trying to lose the bees. Finally things calmed down and we came back and climbed back on the container to get things sorted out up there.

Wham! Attack of the Bees! It was insane. Bees stinging us through our suits, going down Tim's boots. We did the best we could in the circumstances and escaped again down the ladder, but half the colony chased us out. We ran. We walked. We ploughed through trees and bushes. We went round in circles. And more circles. It was so very hot. Tripping in circles over steep cassava mounds of hard dirt. Sweat pouring off me. I lost my hair elastic and wet hair was clinging to my face, and my nose was streaming from the smoke. But with the bee veil over my face, I couldn't do anything but stagger onwards! It's a times like this I wonder what on earth I am doing. WHY? I even started singing in a rather desperate kind of gentle way to the bees in hopes that I could calm them all down. But I didn't lose them. I lost Tim. I lost the hive tool. Tim lost the car keys. That could have been serious. We had been walking for over an hour through every tree and bush in the vicinity trying to lose the bees. But amazingly, Tim found the car keys!

Finally, with me way up the road, Tim hopped in the drivers seat and with windows open drove to pick me up. I climbed in and tried to lose more bees. It wasn't working with lots of bees in the back of the land cruiser. So I sat on the back with my legs holding both doors wide open as we bounced along the dirt road trying again to lose the bees. Finally we had the car to ourselves and were able to strip off our sweaty bee suits and gulp some much needed water.

This is the only photo from this bee adventure. It was that stressful.
This is me holding the two doors open with my feet as we try to lose the bees out the back.

Epic bee adventure yet again. And we didn't even get the honey. Someone reminded me of Winnie the Pooh devoting his life to getting honey... and getting stung. And I feel much sympathy for that honey-lovin' bear. And rather like that Bear of very little brain, I will keep on trying for that honey!

We arrived home, hot, tired and gutted. Only to find Louisa's rabbit dead from her injuries after a dog attack. And after burying her, we are now all out to try and save her 10-day old bunnies.


Amisadai feeding the little kits.

Bees and bunnies aside, it's been a busy full-on time for the Mamas. Wednesday's and Saturday's have been a hive of activity in our new "workspace" as we have worked on finishing products to sell in Canada at an UTSS Albinism fundraising Gala next month. It's been a challenge. Our last job was to make candles and we set aside a whole day on our last Saturday to get them all done. To make it through the day, we would all bring food to cook for lunch. I brought a gas burner to cook it on and to melt the candle wax. Unfortunately halfway through our candle-making, the gas ran out. With the torrential rainstorm, we couldn't even light a fire outside. None of the candles worked. And none of us got any lunch.

Working on the candles

We did manage to finish lots of cards

On Thursday, I left early at 6:30am to pick up Peter and head off to Malya for the Bee Group meetings. We were sorting out getting catcher boxes made to catch any swarming bees for our hives. And sorting out who would make them and for how much. Always a little complicated. I was meeting with the mamas and that was a bit of another classic mamas muddle. Mixed up times, mixed up recipes, one mama coming without any of the supplies and heading off on a borrowed bike for an hour to fetch things while the fire went out and the wax went cold.

We were trying to do in one day what we normally do in two days and it didn't altogether work. Never try be over-ambitious with time in Tanzania. I actually really know this. But I thought this time it would be fine. It wasn't fine. I wasn't fine. I recalled Julie and Julia's definition of FINE that day. "Freaked-out, insecure, neurotic and emotional." It seemed rather apt! As the time approached for us to leave at 3pm, I tried to quickly wrap things up and clean things up with the mamas. Then the bee group was so keen that we ate some lunch they so kindly provided for us, and then there were kind gifts of aubergine and spinach to be picked straight from the fields for us. ... And then we hit the bumpy road for the long 3 hour journey back, arriving exhausted and "fine", but to my relief, just before it got dark!

I'll leave it there, but as I try to sum up a week of  "failures" (I have a lot to learn) and tired frustrations, I know I am looking forward to a time of quiet reflection in the midst of the storm tomorrow! Soaps that have over-reacted. Me who has over-reacted. Candles that have holes in. Milk boiled over. Food run out. A rather dirty, messy house (We are missing Angel who helps in our house and is currently at her sisters wedding for two weeks ...which is seeming like an eternity!) Difficulties and problems. Questions and doubts.

How to best serve? How to learn from our failures? How to persevere and when to wisely let go? 

Warm Bread Dripping with Honey

Prior to our wandering through the Malya wilderness with bubbly Baba Tanda, the girls and I spent Saturday afternoon with Elizabeti, Tabitha and Agnus (from the Mamas Group). I love these ladies! 

Sharing chai together

These three (and four others who were at a funeral on Saturday) are serious about the group. Others less committed have now left and these remaining women are keen to work and keen to learn! It is a slow process which does involve dedication and effort, but the rewards will be all the sweeter for it!

So on Saturday, we embarked on lessons in honey soap-making and bread-making. All the while making sure that we kept the two most separate, we coordinated the time to keep sodium hydroxide cooling and yeasty dough warmly rising. All this intermingled with Bible study as we waited for soap setting and bread baking. In the short space of an afternoon while Credo was waiting to take us to his hives, it all required rather Western-style logistical and consequential planning! And needed a good fire consistently kept the "right" temperature in the fuel-efficient stove! This still makes me rather nervous...

We are READY for Some Serious Soap-making

It was lovely to present the ladies with their very own WONDER-POT! This gift from our friends in Canada, makes it easy ("easy") to cook bread or cakes using firewood or charcoal on a single burner or as we used, the fuel-efficient clay stove! They learned to make basic bread rolls, and delighted with the results, they are now keen to make and sell "sconsi" from their own homes. I was also able to give one of these wonder-pots to the women in the Upendo wa Mama group in Mwanza, who will take turns to do the same. Huge thanks to Clifford and Kathy!



Tabitha vigourously kneads the bread dough

Agnus takes the risen dough to cook on the fuel efficient stove

The Wonderpot

It was also wonderful to present the women with their own Bibles, thanks to the generosity of Tadley Community Church! With Bibles in hand, we were able to read together.



Thrilled with their new Bibles

As these women wander from their own wildernesses, they are holding on to the promises. Tabitha read aloud from Deuteronomy 8:6-10.

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land – a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills;  a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig-trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

It was a wonderful passage to reflect on while the bread baked outside and as we sat together with wheat flour, olive oil and honey on the table in front of us. Truly God is bringing blessing. When we walk in obedience, out of the wilderness comes promise. The promise is good, and we are tasting it now! And so we fed from the sweet honey which is God's Word. And after a few dashes outside to pull out a stick or blow on the fire, the bread was baked. We broke it up, remembering, and ate it fresh and warm and dripping with honey. Satisfied. Thankful.


Fresh bread and honey

Tabitha with her honey roll and chai

To the Boatyard and the Hospital

One week down and two and half to go! We are missing Tim very much ... but I have to say that I appreciate all he does even more after this week! Doing some of Tim's side of the work has given me a far greater appreciation of him and what he does! And this current multiplication of labour has reinforced my appreciation of the division of labour! 

Tim and his Dad and the rest of the family are especially in our thoughts and prayers today as we await news of how the surgery went to removed the brain tumour.

It has admittedly been rather a struggle this week. Trying to get everything done has been an uphill battle.  Realising on Tanzanian time I was never going to get through everything, I scheduled simultaneous appointments in confidence that one or more would be cancelled or delayed. In my time-conscious and orderly mind, this was very risky. But it worked! I was supposed to be meeting two people at 11am and I was shopping in town at the time. Even getting stopped by the police twice, I still got the shopping done (except for the toilet seat ... which is again, another rather unfortunate, on-going story), made both appointments (which were predictably late) and was back in time for school pick-up!

Of all the things I have been doing (which includes a lot of chasing compost, 4 days worth of chasing purple T-shirts, going to get a new post box, but being told to come back later when the lady with the form has come back from visiting her friend in hospital)  probably one of the most interesting was a trip to the boatyard.

To the Boatyard

The girls and I went with Dr Makori to look at some fibreglass boats which have potential to be ambulance boats. It would be a huge asset to the health work on the islands on the Lake, helping the many people in remote areas without easy access to medical help. It is a very big dream, but such a good one! It was fascinating to see the boats in progress and it stimulated some architectural thinking, as I designed in my head a floating mobile clinic, this emergency service boat with a solar-charged drugs cupboard! I, along with Dr Makori, do hope this dream will come true!

Checking out the boats with Dr Makori and Dixon

A 12m hull



A very big boat!



A small boat!

Amisadai checks out the workroom

Hospital Visit

Saturday was an interesting and good day. Mamas group was planned for the morning. But on Friday evening, I heard that Mama Penina had given birth that afternoon and with another mama away, the group was postponed. I made plans to visit Penina in hospital. But then as we were enjoying a bonus lie-in and leisurely breakfast on Saturday, I had a call from Mama Faith at the school wondering where I and others were! The girls and I ran out the door and drove down to meet her and started making bead necklaces. Mama Wilson also turned up along with little Dora.

Making necklaces with Dora

At the end of the morning, we all went to the hospital together. I was so thankful they were with me as I'm sure on my own I would never have found Penina in the confusing scrum of people and babies! Delighted to see us all, she suggested as we had a car, we all go to her house ... and so with the three girls, three mamas, a new heavily wrapped baby, thermos' of uji (porridge), washing bowls and bags, our entourage made its way out to the car. Another lady, I have no idea who she was, came with us! We squeezed in amongst all the freshly varnished beads which were hanging to dry from every available place in the ceiling of the car.

You may remember from a previous blog, I have been to Penina's house before! It is up a bad and bumpy road, one which almost defeated me when I got stuck on it. I drove as far I could before getting to the very dodgy bit. Then we all, baby, bowls, bags and all, traipsed up the mountainside. I most certainly would never have dreamt of such a hike the day after giving birth! Penina took it slowly, it must have been torture! But then, she does this every day. It was a steep and rocky walk! Amisadai has written more about our visit on their blog.

 

At the house, having a cuddle with this precious baby, we gave thanks. A beautiful baby girl! A healthy baby and safe delivery is never taken for granted here. The lives of children of these mamas are not taken for granted. You may have seen there has been yet another attack this week. 6-year old Baraka's hand was chopped off and his mama injured as she tried to protect him.

So many things are not taken for granted here and it is so good to be learning to do the same.