Mungu Aku Barisi! ("God Bless You"--In Swahili),
Sunday morning we went to the service here at the Lutheran church at the Nyakata compound. What a blessing. The minister asked for translators to sit with us to translate the service. I was asked to speak and shared blessings from our congregation to theirs. Our group stood before them and sang the Peace Song to them. Our children handed out Complaint Free bracelets to everyone--they loved them and now wear them proudly.
We then went to the Sukuma museum (Sukuma is the largest tribe here) and watched native African dance and we watched as the men danced with 16 foot pythons.
Yesterday we began work. The women in our group sifted through thousands of pounds of donated medicines and linens in the anti-natal ward. There are thousands of spontaneous abortions here because of malaria and this ward will help prevent this tragedy. The men in our group designed a process for hanging the ceiling in the birthing center and built a wall there.
Today we are finishing the wall, building a second wall and then we will begin installing the ceiling. Some of our volunteers are organizing the tools we sent. Organization is not a Tanzanian gift so we're helping out.
We are washing our hands constantly in bleach-water, taking cold showers, taking anti-malaria pills and doing without electricity for long stretches of time and yet, we are loving it. At night we gather beneath the vadana to share our experiences of the day. There is much tears and much joy. We wish you could be with us but feel you here in our hearts. We pray for you each morning.
Hope you're getting these updates and Asante Sana (thank you) for all you've done to make this possible.
Kweheri ("bye for now")
Rev. Will
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Sending everyone love from One Community Spiritual Center!!! We are all buzzing about you every day and anxious to read more blog entries about your daily activities.
ReplyDeleteMuch love...
Julie
DAVE ROCKS!
ReplyDeleteFROM ERIC AND MORGAN!!
ReplyDeleteIt was great to hear some news! Glad you are doing such wonderful work. You are missed! Be safe every day. You are all in our prayers and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteLove, Claudia, Grace, Faith, mom and dad
HI Will and everyone!
ReplyDeleteWe're holding you all in awe and in prayers back here at home. I can't really imagine what it's like being there, although the sharing via emails have been helpful for us here.
I'm grateful for all the love and care that you and everyone pour out on a daily basis. We hold you all in our hearts and in our prayers, and talk of all of you often. The great service- the loving channels of God's good that you all are truly humbles us.
In case you're wondering, all is going well here. James was wonderful last weekend, and Greg Tamblyn was very well received which was great!
The church is still standing and everything's good! There's one thing though. I hope you don't mind the pinkish trim on the outside that a bunch of us painted on spontaneously. We were Spirit-led and felt inspired by the pretty flowers that the Garden Posse put together. Just kidding. Really.
Just a little extra info---
I've been having fun with the horses -they're cool to be around. I'm not ready to buy cowboy boots quite yet, but they've grown on me.
Also-- I sent - well, I tried to send a blog the other day without success. Julie helped me today so I'm sure this one's a go...
Much love to all of you--Again, I'm so truly grateful for all of you. Each of you is truly helping to save lives and to bring God's grace into action.
in love and joy, Myra