Mairowa completed

Reflecting on Tuesday:

Morning started out with Laveena, Anna, Elisha and I having breakfast in the morning.

I have never found a tea that I like. No hot or cold tea was something I went out of my way to drink. No more!!!

At every meal Laveena and Anna make a wonderful black tea that is out of this world. I’m not sure why I like this so much, but I do. Perhaps it is because when they make the tea, they add a special spice to it. I’m not sure what it is, but boy, it add a special something.

Tea and left over pancakes from the previous evening’s meal and fresh fruit. It was a very simple meal, but enough. I think the friendship made up the majority of the meal.

Yesterday, Wednesday, was a time for more bonding between Laveena, Anna, Elisha and myself. The morning started out with Laveena, Anna, Elisha and I having breakfast.

I have never found a tea that I like. No hot or cold tea was something I went out of my way to drink. No more!!!

At every meal Laveena and Anna make a wonderful black tea that is out of this world. I’m not sure why I like this so much, but I do. Perhaps it is because when they make the tea, they add a special spice to it. I’m not sure what it is, but boy, it add a special something to it.

Tea and left over pancakes from the previous evening’s meal and fresh fruit. It was a very simple meal, but enough. I think the friendship made up the majority of the meal.

At the end of every day, Laveena and Anna water and tend to the projects garden. I joined them to grab some shots.

They are trying to water a one-acre plot of land from one facet and three hoses connected to household sprinklers. One of the sprinklers refused to move over the area it was supposed to. Something was already broken in it and it sprayed the water up in the air in on spot as it made a clicking noise.

I had grabbed all the shots I needed and went over and picked up the sprinkler and proceeded to water the rest of the cabbage.

By the time I was finished the entire front of my skirt was soaked, as were my shoes and socks. The latter was not only soaked, but also caked in mud.

When we made our way up to the vehicle to go back home, Laveena and Anne insisted that I remove my shoes and allow them to wash them for me.

They must have taken 1/2 hour to clean my shoes. They removed the laced, took a scrub brush and made them sparkle.

The next concern was the fact that those were the only pair of shoes I had with me. So, over the embers that remained from cooking the evening meal, Anna faithfully held my shoes up to dry.

This was yet another demonstration of a servant’s heart. And yes, my shoes were completely dry by morning.




It’s Thursday already and Jamie arrived this morning. I find it a bit odd that I was so excited to see him here in Africa. I was waiting for him to arrive with Mike, Godsave and Fred and when I saw their vehicle approach I was out there to capture his first reaction to Mairowa.

Perhaps I was so excited that he was here because Africa is so near and dear to my heart that I want him to have the same passion. Or perhaps it is just because I know the people here in Mairowa and Kondoa will learn just how special the pastor of SBC is.

Jamie’s visit was short. It seemed like the time passed too quickly. He was able to meet the two classes at the school, talk with Laveena as they walked through the garden she and Anna and grown, was sung to by the students in the CHE (Community Health Evangelism) class, walked up to the holding tank for the well water and most importantly pray with about 12 local pastors from various denominations.

Meeting with the pastors I think had the most impact. It was at the end when Jamie was about to pray for them that pastor Joseph spoke his heart. After he finished, Jamie started to pray and Joseph broke down in tears. He wept during the entire prayer.

You must understand the significance this holds. It is almost unheard of for an African man to show emotion like that, ESPECIALLY a Maasai man. Emotion is not something they show.

Jamie’s visit encouraged these men in a very powerful way.

We went to pastor Daniel’s house for a brief visit and then…Jamie was gone. It was a short visit, but powerful. I enjoyed being able to spend a bit of time with him when he didn’t have all the stress of SBC pressing down upon him.

Earlier in the morning, before Jamie arrived, Elisha, Laveena, Anna, Onesemo and I went out to a natural spring that was one of the few year-around water sources for Mairowa. It is about an eight-mile journey out there.

When we arrived the last cow from a herd who had been getting water was just finishing up. I was not able to capture that on film, but was able to spend some more time with my friends.

We laughed and joked. Laveena was really worried about Simba (lions) coming around while we were there. I took some photos of all my friends in various positions and we just enjoyed each others company.

In the late afternoon, Elisha, Dr. Mvunta and I went back out to the spring. This time we wanted to go on a mini safari and hoped to see some of the wild animals as they came to get a life giving drink.

We sat out there, in the quiet of the evening and waited for them to show. None did.

We did see some zebra in the far distance, some dic-dic’s, a tribe of black-faced monkeys and two maasai men take a shower.

Yes, you heard me. They did not care that I was there. They stripped down, washed and off they went.

Once again, I truly enjoyed the quietness of the three of us sitting there. No words having to be exchanged. Just enjoying the same experience together.

When the light began to fade, we headed back to town.

Anna cooked pancakes for us, we enjoyed the company of Laveena’s pastor and his wife and they worshiped after dinner. Elisha pulled out his trusty guitar and they, once again, began to worship the Lord in Swahili.

I had to leave the room for a bit as I started to tear up. I was going to miss my friends. I was going to miss the simplicity of life here.

When I say simplicity of life, I am not talking about the daily struggle to survive. It is just that, a struggle. The simplicity of life I am speaking about is the love shared between friends.

They asked me to close the evening in prayer and I could not contain the tears. Afterwards, Laveena, Anna and I began to cry. This was the last evening I would share with them before returning to America.

My heart is truly here in Tanzania with dear, dear friends. This is truly been a time I will treasure in my heart.

I do have photos to go with this entry, but the internet has slowed way down. I will do a big upload when I am back in Scottsdale.