Yesterday we went to the compound of the brothers of charity. We brought them some clothing and five 100pound sacks of rice. The Brothers of Charity care for mentally and physically disabled men and boys. These people have been abandoned due to their disabilities. The brothers care for them as best as is possible. I was reminded of Faith and Light back home. When we arrived our group was a little shy but one man, his name is Joseph grabbed and held my hand as we toured the compound. When we arrived at their dormitories we saw many disabled people. After handing out some candy we were treated to many songs including Frere Jaques. It was incredibly sad to see so many suffering, and knowing that there are others without the comfort of the brothers of charity.
Today we returned to the village to paint the cisterns. After we finished Jamie and I played soccer with the kids. I suspect that a few of the children were playing hooky. I taught a group to play hop-scotch and to count to ten in English. Playing with the kids is one of the most rewarding parts of the trip. Found a scorpion today. And I carried a hedgehog, he was much friendlier and gregarious than Hobbes. Bishop arrives in Dar tomorrow and will arrive at the compound Saturday. We pray for his safe travels.
I am starting to hear the odd longing for ice cream from the group; but the food I miss the most is hot wings. Call me crazy!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Roxanne's thoughts
Our daily drive out to the village of Chihoni, Nala has been one of my highlights. We sit in the back of what looks like an army truck, so we have a clear view of our surroundings. The African life is SO different than ours in many many ways. In the capital city of Dodoma, people set up small spaces where they sell anything they can; bananas, nuts, sandals, sweet potatoes, clothes, sugar cane, lentils, etc. We also see several motorcycle repair shops. (I have never seen so many bikes in my life!)
Sometimes we feel like we are in a parade, as many people wave at us, especially the crowds of small children.
It is truly amazing how the children will find anything to use as a toy; a plastic bottle, a tire tube, a cap from a spray can, etc. When you see this, you realize how spoiled and materialistic many of us have become at home. When I look in their eyes though, I see something I do not often see at home. These kids spend the majority of their time together, and they are really happy. They play together, and create games together, and I wonder sometimes whose children really have it better!??!!
As we leave the city and head out to the country, I notice things are a bit different. The busyness decreases. I see some families who can afford it, with concrete brick houses and metal roof tops. Most in our village have traditional mud houses. From what I can see, most of their time is spent hauling water, laundry, cooking, tending to children, and the few cows or goats they may have.
It is insanely dry here, so there is a cloud of dust wherever you go. Tanzania gets 4 months of rain and 8 months where it is completely dry. Not much grows here right now, but the rains will come in December.
When we get to the village, many of the women are very willing to help us mix and carry cement. Father Tim says when they work alongside us they take much more ownership of the well project, and take pride in it. So we have been encouraged to let them work as much as they want so it is seen as more their project than ours. Today we finished up the holding tanks and cleaned up the worksite for the Bishop's visit on Sunday. More about this later! Until next time, Roxanne
Sometimes we feel like we are in a parade, as many people wave at us, especially the crowds of small children.
It is truly amazing how the children will find anything to use as a toy; a plastic bottle, a tire tube, a cap from a spray can, etc. When you see this, you realize how spoiled and materialistic many of us have become at home. When I look in their eyes though, I see something I do not often see at home. These kids spend the majority of their time together, and they are really happy. They play together, and create games together, and I wonder sometimes whose children really have it better!??!!
As we leave the city and head out to the country, I notice things are a bit different. The busyness decreases. I see some families who can afford it, with concrete brick houses and metal roof tops. Most in our village have traditional mud houses. From what I can see, most of their time is spent hauling water, laundry, cooking, tending to children, and the few cows or goats they may have.
It is insanely dry here, so there is a cloud of dust wherever you go. Tanzania gets 4 months of rain and 8 months where it is completely dry. Not much grows here right now, but the rains will come in December.
When we get to the village, many of the women are very willing to help us mix and carry cement. Father Tim says when they work alongside us they take much more ownership of the well project, and take pride in it. So we have been encouraged to let them work as much as they want so it is seen as more their project than ours. Today we finished up the holding tanks and cleaned up the worksite for the Bishop's visit on Sunday. More about this later! Until next time, Roxanne