Well, we're back in Dar. We had such a good time in Iringa, studying language for one month and being with our family and meeting new friends. It was invaluable for our foundation in our language learning – we hope we can continue with new tutors here in Dar. In the midst of this, and the next part is where I’m at my worst, we get hammered with all the trials of life in Africa (TIA – watch Blood Diamonds). Our second to last day in Irina Melissa got her wallet stolen, along with $50+ in cash, credit cards, ID. Then as we’re driving home, our cars starts shutting off while I’m driving and the engine goes berserk – the same problem I had just spent $1000 and 2 weeks fixing before leaving for Iringa 1 month earlier. To add injury to insult, the guys “helping” us one of the times we broke down had the gall to reach into my car and grab my cell phone from the dashboard – I didn’t realize it was taken for 100 kilometers…I don’t who I was more frustrated at, them or myself. As we return home and unload the car, a beautiful one-of-a-kind hand carved Last Supper scene we bought in Iringa as our “big splurge” tumbles out of the car and cracks in half. As we enter our kitchen, after being gone for 1 month, we can’t help but notice the strong, slightly overwhelming scent of a zoo…literally our kitchen became a playground for mice while we were gone. Every drawer and cabinet was filled with “friendly reminders” that mice had been cohabitating with our plates, and pots and pans, and silverware. We decided to tackle it the next morning. In the morning we found actual evidence of mice, in the form of a bloated mouse that had died after being stuck in this goo that had spilled when trying to capture the mice a month before. Finally, and I want to sensor this next part for the weak-willed stomach (which was me prior to spending 2 months in Tanzania) – okay – one of the mice, and I believe it’s the one stuck in the goo had made a nest in one of the drawers by dragging dishtowels from beneath the sink. Well, that drawer was particularly disgusting, as one might imagine, and needed to be hosed down. In the back, beneath a pile of torn and shredded dishtowels was a rotting carcass from a baby mouse, presumably the mother had been the mouse caught in the goo earlier and was unable to return to the nest. Yuck! After getting over the initial revulsion of the situation, and feeling glad to finally remove the “zoo-smelling” cause from our kitchen, I did feel a little bad for the mice – they’re just trying to survive…and then I noticed the a swarm of crows outside fighting of the remains of the mice by dive-bombing one-another until one particularly large black and white crow (in Tanzania they’re the size of hawks) gathered his or her “breakfast” and flew off…I quickly took a shower and like Mary, treasured these things up in my heart to share later with you.
Okay, now that’s over…
We are so excited to be home and begin work. We have a 5-year old’s understanding of Swahili but it’s there and we can build on it. Also, while we were away Edmond Lyattu, our team leader, started the first Bible Study. We meet on Friday nights and initially it will be joint Swahili and English. Also, there is a rather serious issue to pray for, and that is one of the churches that was started almost 2 years ago in a very poor area called Ukonga is not doing well. The church has between 8-15 couples (18-30 p) but only two of them have a job. The church used to have an outside source of money from another church, and when combined with the weekly tithes, the pastor tried to care for the needs of the church by supporting members with food and met other needs as well. The church now receives $2-$3 each week in tithes, and the other source of money is gone. We feel that it’s not right to close down the church, and instead would like to consider any job-creation strategies or income strategies we can come up with both for the pastor, who needs to survive, and for members of the congregation. We’re meeting with the leaders early next week and we’re really praying God provides a solution. One of the main challenges is seeing sustainable churches be planted – when 50%- 70% are unemployed and the other cultural factors are combined…it’s just very challenging.
Finally, a bit about us, we have had incredible car problems. More than anyone should in a 2 month period. I think the car is disintegrating beneath us. Just driving it around waiting for 2 weeks while a potential buyer gets money has caused over $1000 more in repairs. The only decent car we can afford at the moment is 15 years old and has rattled over Africa for how many years. Our fundi, mechanic, said the car we’re buying needs a new engine at some point - $3000+ - so we won’t keep that one long but at least have a breather to look for a car that can get us through the whole year. Cars are so expensive it’s out of this world. A friend said, the reason everything is so expensive is because nothing works – and when it breaks people don’t have the technical knowledge to fix it. So, they’re always importing and importing and the demand is so high due that glitch in the system that a 12 year old Toyota Rav4 (from japan) costs $15000+. The same car, our current car, that has been in Africa 4-5 years, is worth maybe $6000. The market is completely warped. Enough complaining, we just need a solution that is going to kill us. We just didn’t come to Tanzania to worry about our transport 24/7, or waste $1000’s on repairs.
One more thing, we might get a puppy! Maybe?! There are these little rat-terriers that are breed to kill mice and rats. Someone has free puppies that we’re seeing today and it would be great to have a rat-killer roaming the premises…but that will mean we have two little ones to be responsible for – new puppy, and Asher. Being home with him more, I’ve really learned a lot about the boys. One thing is Asher doesn’t really like playing with “traditional” toys – cars, dinosaurs, swords – what he likes instead is destroying things. Like his diaper, or his lunch, or my Swahili notebook, or our flower bed outside (it’s more like a plant-bed than flowers though). He will slip into another room and you never know what kind of surprise you’ll find around the corner. So we’re just not sure if we’re ready for a “rat-killer” puppy…but we need one…ah, the dilemmas of life in Tanzania – smile.
