Bumpy roads, a chicken, and more great people

And so it continues. Yesterday we visited a Swahili village called Mikizi, whose church was built by Luka. It was about an hour-and-a-half drive; 45 minutes on paved roads and 45 minutes on unpaved roads. It was a bumpy ride, but Robert and Luka handled the off-roading like pros. There was only one flat tire, which happened before we got off the good road. Flat tires are a regular occurrence here by the way. On the way there we got to hear about Robert's work. He is from the U.S. and has been here for three years working through his church. He helps different villages with economic development and does whatever other work he can. His wife has also spent a lot of time here working as a nurse. Before their time here they lived and did similar work in Pakistan. It's pretty amazing how they have devoted so much of their lives to serving others in such a big way. 

We got to the village around 10:30 and were received with a warm welcome. We had about 2 1/2 hours before the church service started, so we passed the time playing hackysack and card games. We were also served tea and Tanzanian doughnuts, which are similar to American doughnuts without the hole in the middle. A little after one we moved into the church, which was made of brick and had nice big windows so there was a lot of air flowing, making it cooler inside than the last church was. The children's choir sang for awhile, then we gave another stellar performance of our own songs. The service was pretty much the same as the last one, but it seemed to move a little faster. Pastor Hafermann baptized nine of the villagers, ranging in age from newborn baby to elderly man. It was also interesting to see the difference in the gender roles between the two villages. The women in this village seemed to be much more vocal and active than they were at the last village. The whole service lasted about 2 1/2 hours again. Afterward they auctioned off the items given in the offering. Since I now know how to say numbers in Swahili I was able to get in on the bidding action. I bought a chicken and a bag of corn for 10,000 shillings (a little less than $8). I thought the chicken would make a good pet, but I think Lindsey would have killed it at some point. I ended up giving it to the Evangelist for the church, whose wife is studying to be a teacher at the Seminary where we're staying. 

Soon after the auction we were served a meal of rice, beans, and chicken (not the one bought). We got to eat in a house, so the fly situation was much better than at the last village. We were again invited to eat with the men, while the rest of the women and children remained outside. The kids were staying busy with all the coloring books, stickers, and bubbles we brought. We left shortly after the meal. The kids gave us a nice sendoff, and a few of them almost ended up coming with us, but I'm not sure we could have gotten them on the plane back to the U.S. Guess we'll just have to come back some other time to get one, and probably one that doesn't already have a good family like most of those children did. The hospitality here continues to amaze me.

Today we are going to the youth prison and the cattle market. Both should be interesting experiences. Tomorrow will be another village visit, and Monday and Tuesday we are visiting Faraja, an AIDS relief organization. The days continue to fly by but we still have so much to do and see. Mpaka mara ijayo (until next time)!

Peace. 

Emily