Mtu ni Watu (A Person is People)

We thank the Lord for helping us through another month of language school! Everyone is doing well and enjoying good health, and we are very thankful for that. :) Overall we are very thankful for the progress in language study. We have made it to the half way point of our language course! This week we will take a test on the previous five lessons and then a midterm exam. After Easter Weekend, we will jump into the 2nd book!

These are some of our favorite Swahili words so far: :)
Shagala bagala= haphazard, crazy
Pili pili ho ho= green pepper
Kufofofo= sleep deeply
Kipilefti= round-about
Uzima Milele= Eternal Life
(a whole, complete, full life FOREVER)

The title of our language course is "Mtu ni Watu" or "A Person is People".  To put it simply, "We need each other!" That seems to be the thread that is woven into the fabric of this culture, "We need each other".

Jennifer talking to Katie and Sam classmates

Elaina and Katie playing with a new friend (Martha)

Greetings are very important to Tanzanians! Here is a sample:


Habari za Leo? (How are things today?)
or za Asubuhi? (How are things this morning?)
or za Jioni? (How are things this evening?)
Habari za famalia? (How is your family?)
Habari za watoto? (How are your children?)
Habari za nyumbani? (How are things at home?)
Habari za kazi? (How is your work going?)
Habari za jifunza? (How is your learning coming?)

And it is possible to get almost all of these questions when you greet someone here!

People are important here, more so than time. Maybe you have heard the saying, "Americans wear watches but never have enough time, while Africans don't wear watches and have all the time in the world!" There is some truth to that! In the U.S. we are a very time and task oriented culture, while here in Tanzania they are people oriented. This is just one of the many cultural differences we have noticed since being here. Another is to never receive a gift with your left hand & never point with a finger (use your entire hand)!

Since arriving here in Tanzania, we learned very quickly that we need the help of others. We arrived here not knowing the language, not having a vehicle or even a drivers license, and not knowing where to get anything! We have been learning first hand what "Mtu ni Watu" means! We would like to introduce to you some of the people the Lord has used in our lives while here in Tanzania.

Ally holding a 3 mo old orphan baby.

First we would like to introduce you to Ally.
Ally is a young lady from our home church who offered to come with us and help us with homeschooling Isaac and Elaina while we are in language school. She has been a huge help in many ways and we would not have been able to do both their school and ours without her help. The Lord knew we would need help and used Ally's willingness to meet a huge need in our life!
Thank You Lord for Ally!

Billy and Sarah

Billy and Sarah are from Alabama and are here taking the language course and will be serving here in Morogoro with their 2 young children at a Christian camp nearby. Billy has a vehicle, and as soon as we met, he took me into to town and showed me where the grocery store was and also showed me where to buy a water dispenser for the family. This has turned out to be a huge blessing, as cold, clean water is essential to have in this hot climate, especially with a family. We also enjoy sweet fellowship together during breaks and occasional visits to the camp. 

 Thank You Lord for Billy and Sarah.

Mama Janet

Mama Janet is one of the preschool teachers here at the school where Sam and Katie attend, and is also a very sweet lady. She was a huge help as the kids, especially Katie, adjusted to their new pre-school. There were some challenging mornings dropping them off, but Mama Janet would always come to our rescue and was just the comfort Katie (and us!) needed. 

Thank You Lord for Mama Janet!

Steven the Bijaji driver

The school is located about 3-5 miles from town. So until we purchase a vehicle, the best way into town is to hire a bijaji, or our little chariot as we sometimes call it. There are hundreds of these little taxis buzzing all over town. We met Steven during one of our first trips into town and noticed on the back of his bijaji were the words "God is Able!" He knew enough english for us to discover that he is a Christian, and later found out he is the choir director at a large church here in Morogoro. It has been amazing how the Lord has connected us with him. There have been several times that we have been in town and needed a driver and out of nowhere Steven drives up! It has been a joy to get to know him and we often sing hymns on the way back to the school. 

Thank You Lord for Steven!

Mwalimu Jeff

Let me introduce to you one of our teachers, Mwalimu Jeff. Jeff was with us for the first month of our course and also became a great friend and the kids just love to sit and talk to him. He shared with us that he had prayed for the Lord to send him friends who would help him grow in his faith. His hunger for the Word has been evident as we talked together each day. Jeff also accompanied me into town and walked me through the process of getting my drivers license!

Watch out! I'll be driving on the wrong side of the road soon :)

Jeff is an accountant, and eventually moved to Dar Es Salaam for work. I connected him to the Emmaus correspondent in Dodoma and he has enrolled into the Emmaus course program. 

He recently texted me and said,

"I really enjoy their lessons... it feeds me inside my heart." 

Thank You Lord for Jeff!

Kishumu

Kishumu is another teacher here at the school. He is from the Maasai tribe here in Tanzania. Kishumu is planing to come to the US this summer to work at a Christian camp in Iowa. He is also a great teacher and has been a big help to us, not only in school, but also has taken me into town and helped me find certain things. God has great plans for Kishumu and we continue to pray for him. We are so thankful for the fellowship we enjoy with him here at the school. 

Thank You Lord for Kishumu! 

Kishumu in his Maasai garb

There are many others the Lord has used that we have not named here.
This thread of people underscores the solemn truth - We need each other!

 "MTU NI WATU!"

Not only do we ALL need each other, but we ALL need the Lord. Every person has one main objective before they die, to get right with God. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore we ALL need to be saved, and it just so happens that the only One who can save us is a Person! His name is the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one will make it to Heaven without Him.

He is Risen

Last but not least, we are thankful for all of you who are praying for us and "Holding the Rope" for us. We cannot express in words how much your prayers and support mean to us!