Our family drove to Iringa ahead of the team. We went out to the boarding school to get things in place before everyone came. We had a good trip and the kids did really well. They got to watch 3 movies and had time for looking for animals while driving through Mikumi park.
We met a lot of the team that night. From three different churches, Longview, Springtown and Real church. Very happy to see some old friends and meet some new ones. This is the team praying over our vehicle that STL bought for us. So many of them gave towards it!
On the work site... starting our week off. :)
The project that Nick has been working on. He introduced the briquette project to the students to make their own coal from old paper and leaves. They helped build a wooden machine and Nick taught them how to use it. They were so happy!
The ladies were such a blessing to me. I loved having them here. Some helped painted the main offices and some helped teach English. They all did a great job!
Teaching English.
Ethan was the Nail man... He liked to take water breaks and apple breaks. :) They were both a help.
Starting on the chicken coops and cow pens. Also putting live roofs on the top so that the food is grown up and not eaten by the animals.
They also started building water cisterns for water harvesting.
Filling the chicken pens was quiet amazing. Susan Love raised money to buy some on the bus one day over to the work site!!... she wanted to finish the project and so the other bus also had a chance to give and the money that came in was just amazing. They were able to buy 50 chickens and feed that would last for six months. Soon the eggs will be eaten for food and some sold for money for the school. Self sustaining projects are important for our schools.
bricking the water cisterns.
ALSO... this was there old basketball hoop. An MK wanted to give his old hoop up for the school so they had it bused over night to Iringa. Now the school has a nice basketball hoop.
On the last day we went out a little into a village soccer lot. We took the parachutte with us and loads of candy. The kids were really sweet playing but got a little out of hand during candy time. :) One kid was given a soccer ball in place of his old plastic bag ball. As soon as he got it he was told to run home and show his family so no one else could take it from him!
During this time, one of the team guys, Aaron came up to me and told me that an old lady had been going to a dala dala that she was shaking really badly and that she had just gone to see a witch doctor and that there was nothing he could do for her... So Pastor Adam, Aaron and Myself went to see if we could pray for her. We went to the dala dala and asked if it was ok to pray for the muslim lady. They said yes. After we were finished I looked up and saw that one of the muslim men was crying. It touched my heart so much that they were so desperate for help that they would allow strangers to cry out to their God to help this old mama. She was not healed, she was still shaking and they were on their way to the hospital. If nothing else we were someone who showed love to this family and God knows how much that can speak to a person. Personally it was an amazing experience.
Most of the guys stayed behind and played soccer with the school boys then they each got a soccer ball too.
This was the two buses that the team used. One had a play boy bunny on it?! What a great symbol for a missions trip hey?!
SUNDAY
pastor Gary Veezi Preached at pastor Mkane's church. It was a good service and it was a lot of people. After we went tot their house for some great food.
The kids loved their cow and chased their chickens all over the place.
That afternoon we went to riverside campsite. Many of them went on a hike. We got to see our friends, Steve and Joy who are managers of the camp right now. We had dinner there and then drove back to the university dorms where we were all lodging. It was nice to have a change of food since we were eating the same food everyday.
MONDAY
Monday morning we took the never ending road to the Ruwaha. We split up and went to different camps since there was almost 40 of us all together. We took our half that was from longview to Megusi.
The team at the bridge.
We got into our rooms and then went for a game drive that afternoon.
In our bus we had Hailey, Ashlynn, Susan, Kenni and Tyler, Andrew with Lexxi and I.
A few of what we saw. The sunset was so beautiful!
The monkey in the tree.
That night, we had dinner in the riverbed. The moon was gorgeous.
Those who came to our camp. Kenni, Susan, Ashlyn and her mom, hailey, Cappy, Jason, Greg, Andrew, Ashley, Aaron, and Lanette.
The next day, tuesday we drove back to dar from the ruwaha. The team went to an orphanage for a little while in Morogoro. We met up with them Wenesday night at Mexican food and hung out with them on Thursday during beach day. I had such a great time with them all. Cannot wait to see you state side 2012! Oh and thank you Pastor jimmy for all the goodies you brought for the kids, Pastor Adam, the motor we needed for our machine and for all the stuff you left here for us! Thank you for being a great team and working together even though you were all from three different churches, you were a blessing. :)
