Germany Reprised

Clif and I arrived in Frankfurt yesterday after making our way from Kilimanjaro airport via two stops - Dar Es Salaam and Amsterdam. We were pleasantly surprised that we were able to sleep for 4-5 hours on the longest flight.

We checked into our hotel, took a quick nap and shower and then met Rob and Niko in the lobby. They met us with lunch, a doner. This is a German street food that had become the primary food source for the boys as they traveled around. It's sort of like a gyro - rotisserie meat that is shaved off and put on flat bread. But the meat isn't seasoned like a gyro, and the sandwich includes a slaw salad and garlic sauce. It was very tasty, huge, and cheap. We think it would be a hit in the U.S., so we're looking for investors in our doner business :-)

Then we drove to the main square in Frankfurt and spent several hours walking around. It was very hot - the hottest day we've had on this whole trip. We ducked into every church we saw mostly because they were cool. We met up with Ingrid and Hans for dinner, and enjoyed our last German meal before we said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel.

It was very strange being back in Germany. We had a brief moment of culture shock when we had to pay $4.50 US for a Coke from the hotel vending machine. We paid $.33 US for a cold Coke in Tanzania. But other than that, it seemed like we were still on the European part of our trip - almost like the past two weeks in Africa was a dream. We're so glad we got to see the Kremsers again, and having a good night's sleep before we fly home was great, but it was kind of surreal to be back here.

So assuming our travels home are uneventful, this likely ends the travelogue part of my sabbatical blog. But my plan is to revisit some events of the past three weeks and include some more photos as I continue to process this trip in upcoming weeks. If you've enjoyed reading this blog, I hope you will continue to read and see if I can begin to make some sense of all God has shown me.

The Miracle

I don't know what constitutes a miracle. I feel as though this entire trip has been one long miracle. I can't even go back and trace the steps that led me to this place. How did I become friends with a pastor in Tanzania? How did we end up with a German son and his parents who have become good friends? How did a group of people who've never met me think that it would be a good idea to send me to see these German and Tanzanian friends, and go on a safari just for kicks? I know that there were little decisions I made along the way - to answer the first email from Tanzania, to agree to host an exchange student, to fill out the grant application - but the sum total of those little decisions should not add up to what I've seen and done in the past three and a half weeks.

So in the middle of this giant miracle filled with other big miracles, a little miracle happened that surprised even me. You see, when we found out about the grant, when this fantasy trip became a reality trip, we began to figure out what we would see and do while in Tanzania. My husband Clif realized that we would be very near to Mt Kilimanjaro, but our safari tour wouldn't actually take us close enough to see it. He LOVES mountains, and has climbed many of them in Colorado, so he really wanted to see Kilimanjaro - the tallest mountain in Africa. We called the safari company, and they said, "Well, I guess the guide could take you to Moshi on your last day. If you had any chance of seeing the mountain, it would be from that area. Of course, it's very difficult to see it because it's usually covered with clouds." But we went ahead with the itinerary change so that we would have the possibility of seeing the mountain.

When we met our guide Alex, he asked us about the trip to Moshi because it wasn't a usual request. Clif explained how much he loved mountains and how much he really wanted to see Kilimanjaro because he didn't know if he'd ever get back to Tanzania. Clif acknowledged, however, that the likelihood of seeing it was low. Alex laughed and said, "I am thinking you will see it." But we all knew it wasn't likely.

Throughout the week, we laughed about it - offering to buy Clif a postcard with Kili so he could say he saw it; telling him to take a photo of where the mountain should be if the clouds weren't there and then Photoshopping in someone else's photo of the mountain. Alex laughed along with us, telling Clif he really hoped he could see it.

Anyway, we drove all the way to Moshi yesterday only to discover that the mountain was completely covered in clouds. Clif was disappointed, and Alex was disappointed, and I felt bad for both of them. We'd had a lot of fun teasing Clif, but we all knew how much he wanted to see that mountain. Clif said, "That's ok. We'll do a little shopping in Moshi and see the mountain on the way back to the airport." We found one little shop in Moshi, bought some last-minute souvenirs, and climbed back into the jeep. As we drove, we scanned the clouds for any encouraging sign. And then I saw some hope - a little patch of blue sky. "Look! I see blue sky! If there's blue sky then the clouds are parting a little bit." With each mile we drove, Clif and I would say, "maybe.." "I think I see...oh no, it's just another cloud." Finally I said, "Wait, I think I see something."

Alex said, "Should I pull over?" We said, "Yes!" Clif jumped out of the jeep and started shouting, "I see it! I see it!" Alex ran over to him, and Clif hugged him. Clif was shouting, Alex was laughing, all of us were celebrating and marveling at this gorgeous mountain. We saw the very top of it - the snow-covered peaks - but the middle remained covered in clouds. Still, when you're talking about mountains, it is the peak that matters :-)

Of all the moments I've had on this trip - too many to even mention - it may be that moment that I'll remember most. It was a small thing, seeing a mountain peak. But it mattered to Clif, so it mattered to me, and it even mattered to our guide who wanted us to see everything we wanted to see in Tanzania. When Clif and Alex jumped out of the jeep and realized they could see the mountain, they hugged each other. And Alex laughed with joy because Clif's joy was contagious. And I laughed at both of them. Maybe it doesn't strike anyone else as a miracle, but it was unexpected and unearned and a gracious and beautiful gift - just the kind of thing God loves to do. If we hadn't found that little shop in Moshi and spent 15 minutes there, we wouldn't have been in the right place to see the mountain top for the few brief minutes it was visible. As I explained the idiom to Alex, it was "the icing on the cake." All month long we've had the cake, a sweet, lovely cake. But seeing that mountain, seeing my husband hug our Tanzanian guide as they both laughed with delight, that was the icing.

Last Day of Safari

We woke up to an absolutely incredible view of Ngorongoro Crater outside our lodge this morning. After breakfast, we drove down into the crater for our last day of safari. Tomorrow we will drive around Arusha and Moshi (Clif is hoping for a glimpse of Kilimanjaro through the clouds), then to the airport to fly to Germany.

While in the crater, we saw the last animal of the Big Five - a rhino! Apparently, they are very difficult to see. There are only 25-30 of them in the crater, and less than 5,000 of them on the planet. We didn't get very close to him, but we definitely saw him.

The most exciting thing we saw today, other than the gorgeous scenery, was a group of lions who decided to wander in and out of all the parked safari vehicles who were there to watch them. One lion came right up next to our jeep and decided to lay down under the left front tire. Everyone else was taking photos of her, but we were a little concerned since we couldn't move until she decided to leave. Fortunately, she didn't stay too long.

We are back at Ngorongoro Farmhouse tonight. We're doing all the mundane, night-before-you-go-home kinds of things like re-packing our suitcases so they're ready for the airport. In many ways, I am sad to see this journey end, but I have seen and experienced so much that I don't think I could take many more new and wonderful experiences. I had my own time of prayer this morning - worshipping the Creator at the crater - and I couldn't even find the words to thank God for all the beauty I've seen, all the things I've done these past few weeks. My heart is so full that I'll need some time to sort through all of this. I think the processing will come in future weeks and months as these experiences begin to connect with my "real" life. For now, I am just living in the moment, so incredibly grateful.

Animal Planet

I've never really been much of a zoo person. I don't have anything against zoos; it's just that most trips to the zoo (in any city) are disappointing. The animals are tired and resting or hiding in a corner. So I wasn't sure that I was going to enjoy a safari - long drives to see animals. But these animals are roaming around in one of the largest national parks on the planet. You can drive for hours before you happen to come upon them in their natural habitat. And then you find them doing the things they do in the wild! Today felt like we were living a television special on the Animal Planet.

We encountered a huge group of water buffalo crossing the road, so we just stopped the jeep and watched them for a while. They seemed somewhat interested in our presence, but they didn't bother us. Then we saw a large group of banded mongoose. They ran across the road and in and out of the grass for quite a while. But the big excitement came when we saw a group of elephants make their way to the watering hole. They walked in a single file line to the water, and when they got there, they spent a long time drinking and splashing water on themselves. I've seen elephants do that before in zoos, but these were real Serengeti elephants, and it was so cool to watch them splash around in the water. As we were getting ready to go to the picnic area for lunch, we saw the most exctiing thing we've seen on the safari. Two cheetas were sunning themselves on a rock. In the distance, some Thompson gazelles were munching on grass. A bunch of jeeps stopped to see if anything would happen. Sure enough, the cheetas got down from the rock and began moving through the tall grass. they moved so quietly that the gazelles had no idea that cheetas were coming up right behind them. All at once, the cheetas pounced, and the gazelle took off running. The two cheetas tried to corner him, but he got away. It was very thrilling to see it happen in front of us. I'm glad for the gazelle's sake that he got away, but we read a statistic at the information center that said that a baby cheeta only has a one in twenty chance of survival, so I actually felt kind of bad for the cheetas. They may be the fastest animal on earth, but they don't always get lunch.

As I was watching all of this, I couldn't help but think of Dave Ramsey and his illustration of cheetas and gazelles :-) (I thought of you especially, Jen and Cliff)

We left Serengeti and drove back over the bumpy road to the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. The lodge we area staying in is a huge change from our tent lodge of the past two nights. First of all, there's running water - even hot water - and a flushable toilet! This is really a fancy lodge that has an incredible view of the crater. We'll be going down into the crater tomorrow for our last big game drive. The main animal we want to see is the rhino, but we also hope to see flamingoes.

This whole experience is so much greater than I expected it to be. It's really difficult to express how much we're enjoying each day. I'm trying to take it all in, but it feels overwhelming. I find I'm spending a lot of time telling God "thank You!" I'm even more amazed at what an amazing Creator we have. Tomorrow we'll worship on the Ngorongoro Crater.

What's Gnu

I remember a book I read as a child that talked about an animal called a gnu. I just found out that gnu is another name for wildebeest, but it's much more fun to say and use in puns :-) So I will tell you what's gnu today.

The tented camp where we are staying is the coolest thing. Our tent has a queen size bed with a mattress and comforter, and we also have end tables and a wardrobe to hang our clothes. There is a zippered flap that separates the bedroom from the bathroom part of the tent. In the bathroom area, there is a sink with a small mirror. The staff supplies you with a thermos of hot water (which is so well-insulated that it stayed hot all night) and a pitcher of cold water. You put the stopper in the sink and add hot and cold water until you get the temperature you like, then you can wash your hands and face. If you want a shower, you tell the staff when you would like it, and they bring a bucket of hot water and pour it into a bladder that is hanging outside the tent. You step into the shower area, which has flaps to make it separate from the sink area, and take a very quick shower. When Clif took his last night, I asked him if he had enough hot water. He said, "yes," Then a voice from outside the tent said, "Would you like more hot water?" It was a little disconcerting to hear that someone was waiting outside our tent to see if we needed more hot water for our shower, but they just want their guests to be comfortable. Then there is another area separated by flaps that is the toilet area. There is an actual toilet seat that you can sit on, but first you must reach down and pull out some kind of lever that "opens" the seat. Without giving you more details than you want, let's just say it's basically a waterless toilet. There is a kind of "flushing" mechanism that will make the toilet paper go down if you pump it several times. I really shouldn't complain. On this trip, I have had to use a squat pot at some rest areas and pour water from a bucket to make it "flush", so this is pretty luxurious. And it's light years better than the outhouses at Clear Creek Camp. But still, on this trip of a lifetime, it's a little "primitive."

However, the staff has a reception tent set up with couches, chairs, lamps, a re-charging station for electronics and a bar! They use solar energy to keep things refrigerated, so I had a cold drink after the dusty day on the road. Then we went to dinner in the mess tent. There were linen tablecloths, china and silverware and a lovely meal of pumpkin soup, fried fish, mashed potatoes, carrots and peas and fresh-baked bread. They also served lemon cheesecake for dessert.

I've never had an experience quite like this. On the one hand, I'm sleeping in a tent without running water and with only a few small solar powered lights. On the other hand, I'm in the middle of the Serengeti eating on fine china! So, I really have no complaints. It's just very interesting.

We went out in the park today and finally saw a leopard. We actually saw three - a mama and two cubs. Then we saw a pride of lions taking a nap. We also saw some jackals for the first time, and lots of other animals we have seen before - but they are still cool. When we stopped for lunch at the Visitor's Center, we saw some very large rodent-like creatures which we learned are called hyrax. We referred to them as ROUS (Princess Bride reference). We passed a couple of safari jeeps with families, and the kids were sitting in the back reading magazines. Clif and I looked at each other and shook our heads. If we ever brought kids all the way to Africa to see the Serengeti, we'd make sure they actually saw it :-)

We really like our guide Alex. He knows a lot about the animals in the park, and he's very good at spotting them from a distance. Clif asked him today why he wanted to be a safari guide. He answered, "When I was growing up, I thought, 'I want to work with white people.' So the only jobs where I can do that is in a hotel or on tours." This answer really threw us. As I posted earlier, I was uncomfortable with seeing all the white tourists being waited on by all the African workers. I have been careful all week to refer to the clients of the safari companies as "tourists" and not "white people". But the term Alex used was "white people", and he used it in a way that had a positive meaning (for him). The Swahili word to describe us is mzungu - one who goes in circles, an aimless wanderer. I think that probably describes us best. People with a lot of money who come to Africa and wander aimlessly. But for some Tanzanians like Alex, that's a good thing..

Serengeti

First of all,I need to do some corrections. The place we visited today was Oldupai Gorge - not Olduvai as I wrote earlier on Facebook. We found out that some European wrote the name incorrectly about 100 years ago in some scientific journal, and we Europeans have been saying it wrong ever since. Oldupai is the Massai name for a plant that grows in the area, so it is Oldupai Gorge. Got it? Next, I also said we'd be seeing the oldest human footprint. After looking around the little museum there, I learned that the footprint was the oldest humanoid footprint (not from homo sapien), was made about 3,000,000 years ago, wasn't even found in Oldupai Gorge (but a short distance away), and you can't even see the actual footprint because they re-covered it so it wouldn't erode! But we did read all about it, and we saw a plaster cast of the prints. There was lots of information and photos of Louis and Mary Leakey. As I walked through the museum, I kept remembering the National Geographic films I used to watch about the Leakeys in my fifth grade science class. The theme music kept running through my head.

Next correction - I got one of the Big Five wrong. They are lion, rhino, water buffalo, leopard, elephant. We have now seen three of them because we saw the water buffalo today.

Oh, and I forgot to tell some things about the place we stayed two nights ago - the permanent tents. Our tent was quite a way from the dining hall/reception area and the walkway was sand so our luggage wheels wouldn't work. The porters picked up our bags and carried them on their heads! It was amazing (I took a photo that I'll post later). Also, since there were wild animals around, the lodge hired Massai "warriors" to walk us to and from the dining tent, carrying a bow and arrow for our protection.

The hotels and lodges here have a wonderful way of dealing with tips for all the staff people. There is a tip box when you check out, and you are welcome to put as much money in it as you like. The tips are then divided up among all the staff. It is so much nicer than rummaging around for small bills to give to everyone. I wish we would adopt this in American hotels!

Last night was our favorite place we've stayed while on this trip. The Ngorongoro Farmhouse has a working vegetable garden, lush tropical plants, a coffee plantation, comfortable guest cottages and excellent food. We will get to stay there again, on our last night in Africa.

Today we drove through Ngorongoro Conservation Area (a lush, tropical rain forest) to get to Serengeti National Park (a semi-arid savannah). We could almost have been on two different planets today as much as the scenery changed! We drove for a few hours on the bumpiest road I've ever been on, saw a few animals, and then we settled in to our accommodations for the next two nights - a tent in the middle of the park. This temporary tented lodge moves every 3 months so it doesn't leave any permanent mark on the landscape. There is no running water, but they will get you a bucket of hot water when you want to take a shower. There is a toilet in the tent, but it's basically outhouse-style. Still, it's pretty luxurious for being miles from civilization.

Which brings me to my last point - how I'm able to blog. My husband got an international data plan for the iPad (owned by Church of the Resurrection) to see if they could use it on future mission trips to Malawi. Turns out, even out here in the middle of the wilderness, we are connected :-) I'm feeling a little guilty about it, but only a little. We're still able to sit here in our bed and hear all the wildlife around us. And I'll "rough it" enough later with my lukewarm bucket shower...

Safari - Lake Manyara

This whole safari thing is a fluke. When I wrote the grant application, I mainly was looking to come to Tanzania to meet Erasto. But, since I didn't think I would get the grant anyway, I figured I might as well include a Tanzanian safari. But the thing is, I didn't know anything about safaris. I just researched enough to find a reputable company and get a price quote. And now, here we are, on a safari that we're learning about as we go.

And I have to say, if I had known how awesome it is, I would have been even more excited when I found out I got the grant! We thought the whole point was seeing wildlife - which we've certainly seen, and it's been great - but the real treat is the scenery. We've seen mountains, plains, a huge salt lake and a jungle, just in the first two days. And the lodges have been an experience all by themselves. Last night was in a tented lodge, and tonight is our own private cottage on a coffee plantation.

I must say, however, that I am more than a little uncomfortable with the fact that all the clients in the safari vehicles and the lodges are Americans and Europeans and all the guides and lodge workers are Africans. It feels very...colonial. But I keep reminding myself that tourism is an important part of the economy here, and at some level the Tanzanians who serve us are glad we're here. I just can't help but wonder, "how many of the people who work at a lodge have actually been on a safari?" My guess is, not too many.

But everyone is very gracious and welcoming, and we feel so grateful to see this amazing country. We're heading to Serengeti tomorrow, so we'll probably be out of internet range for a few days. I'll blog more about what we see when we're connected again.

Safari - Tarangire

Today we woke up in Arusha, at the Ahadi Lodge, and had breakfast there before our guide Alex picked us up. We drove in our safari vehicle - a Land Rover with a pop-up roof - and went to Tarangire National Park. This park is not as well known as Serengeti, but we saw all kinds of animals there, and the scenery was pretty fantastic, too.

We saw wildebeests and zebras right away - they are plentiful in the park - but we soon saw giraffes, water bucks, and elephants. We saw a LOT of elephants. I thought they might be kind of rare, but they were everywhere. At times they were only a few feet from our vehicle, and it was great to see them so close. When on safari, people are generally concerned with seeing "The Big Five" - elephants, rhinos, cheetas, lions, and leopards. Of these, the leopards are the most difficult to see because they hang out in treetops and are very well camouflaged. Our first day, we saw three of the big five - elephants, cheetas, and lions! I've seen all these animals in zoos, but there is something so exciting about seeing them in their natural environment. We also saw all kinds of interesting birds, including some big eagles. Clif took almost 200 photos today. We'll try to weed them down to the very best ones before we make you look at all of them :-)

Our lodge tonight is a permanent tented lodge. We have our own tent on stilts as our room. There is running water (or course, we can't drink it, but we do get a hot shower) and enough electricity to have some bedside lamps. We do have internet here, but we have to pay extra for it. We were greeted on arrival with a wet towel to wipe our face and hands (it's very dusty on safari) and a glass of cold tea. We are now sitting under a big thatched canopy, next to the dining area. Dinner is served at 7:30, so we'll see what they are serving then. Until then, I'm just sitting here and watching some zebras and wildebeests wander by as the sun sets ...

Sabbatical Trip - Phase Three

We woke up early this morning to pack up and load our bags on the plane. Because we were staying at the MAF Guest House and flying out on a MAF plane, they told us we could just bring our luggage over to the plane in the hanger at 7 am. As we rolled our luggage over to the hanger, we met Erasto and Nessie. They had come to help us and say goodbye. Erasto was wearing the US Soccer Team polo shirt I gave him. It was the only time all week we had seen him wear anything other than a suit and tie :-)

Since the plane we were flying out on was a little 4-seater, everything had to be weighed carefully so the pilot would know exactly how much fuel he would need for the trip. I think before I complain again about how intrusive the security measures are on commercial airlines, I will remember that at least they don't make you stand on a scale in front of the pilot (yet!). After we loaded our luggage on the plane, we walked over to the airport so we could go through "security" - a woman with a metal detector wand. We were a little concerned about the flight because Clif lost his Dramamine pills yesterday, and he usually needs them every time he flies. We didn't know how he would handle this little, bumpy plane. But he took some Tylenol PM as an emergency back-up medication, and he managed to arrive in Arusha with all of his stomach contents intact.

We had to hang out at the Arusha airport for a while before our driver appeared, but then he took us over to eat lunch at The Blue Heron. This restaurant was recommended by Ed and Debra, and the food was delicious! Clif had a chicken slaw salad, and I had a pizza with olives, ham, mushrooms and artichokes. We ate outside, but it is actually cold here in Arusha. I never expected to have to bundle up in Africa in June, but both Clif and I have layers of clothes on to stay warm.

I looked on Trip Advisor last night to read about the lodge where we would be staying. People mentioned that the road to the lodge looked a little "rough", but once inside the gate, it was a lovely place. I didn't think any road could seem rough after the roads we had experienced in Dodoma, but I have to say, this road was actually a little rough. True enough, however, once we were inside the gates of The Ahadi Lodge, we were greeted with a glass of cold, fresh juice and great hospitality. The only complaint is that the electricity is off, and the generator is not strong enough to run the hot water heater - so no hot showers for now. We laid down to take a nap and didn't stir until 2 hours later. The last two weeks have been some of the greatest of my entire life, but we have been experiencing new things every single day, and I think all the mental stimulation just wore us out. People who have been on safaris have told us that it can be as relaxing or exciting as you want it to be, so we'll just play each day by ear. I don't know that I'll ever get another chance to go on safari, so I don't want to miss anything that I really should see. But we are looking forward to seeing the breath-taking scenery as much as the animals, so whatever we see will be spectacular.

I'm missing my kids (and my dog), and I'm sad that this trip is 2/3 over, but I am so very GRATEFUL to God and the Lilly Foundation for this amazing trip.

Sunday Worship

We arrived at the church this morning to find it all decorated with branches, ribbons and balloons. There was definitely a party atmosphere in the room. Not only was it our last day with Beroya Revival Temple, it was also a day to celebrate four graduations from the University of Dodoma. The worship service itself was very similar to the evening services we've had all week, but they added the element of communion - specifically to honor our presence with them. They used the little glasses and wafers and had ushers pass them among the people. But there were so many people that they had to pour more glasses of juice. That's a great problem for a church to have! There were moments when the room was standing-room-only, even with all the kids sitting on the floor, so my brother-in-law Clifford wasn't too far off with his vision of running out of places for people to sit :-)

After worship there was a brief break to set the room up for the celebration, then the next event began. It seemed a lot like the church service - music and prayers - but there were also snacks and gifts. The funniest part for me was when they told me that since I was a guest of honor, I would get to feed cake to the graduates, I couldn't imagine how I would feed cake to these distinguished men and woman. It turns out that they put a little piece of cake on a toothpick, and then I put it in their mouth. Everyone cheered and took photos. They did the same a few moments later when they fed cake to me and Clif.

They gave us some lovely gifts, and we gave them two banners for the church. We also gave Pastor Erasto an African Bible Commentary - written entirely by African biblical scholars - and a copy of the Disciple Bible Study workbook. We gave Nessie a Living Water mug and some Kansas City rub to make her Tanzanian food taste even better.

After that we took lots of photos in front of the new building. It was a very long day, but our hearts are full of warm memories of our time with Beroya.

The rest of the day was filled with packing and wrapping up details. We said goodbye to Julianne and Ed and Debra back at the Guest House. They were all such a blessing to us!

I'm really fighting exhaustion right now, but I know that this week has affected me greatly. I'm looking forward to beginning the safari so my mind can rest and my spirit can reflect on all God showed me this week. I don't know how much internet access we'll have on the safari, but I may still try to write down my thoughts throughout the week and just post everything when get back to civilization. Thank you again to everyone who has been praying for me/us. I can't tell you how much your prayers have helped!

Celebration Saturday

Today we spent a quiet morning at the Guest House and got caught up on some email and Facebook posts. At noon, we piled in the car with MAF missionaries Julianne, Glenn and their three kids to go to the preschool for a celebration. The school kids were wearing their best clothes, and the room was all set up for a program. Julianne has been teaching the kids Bible songs and stories in English, so this was also a going-away party for her before she moves to Uganda. We were all the honored guests. There were welcome speeches, some songs from the kids, photos, and then a lunch. The children gave us gifts - an African dress for me and an African shirt for Clif - and we presented gifts we had brought for the school (books and art supplies) and for the kids (candy and toothbrushes). We took photos and ate rice and beans together. The most surprising thing was that the kids all ate with their hands. I wouldn't have thought that using your hands to eat rice and beans would be very efficient, but they didn't seem to have any problem. It is the custom here to have the host pour water over your hands before the meal so they are clean for eating.

After the celebration, we went with Erasto and Nessie to see the plot of land on which they hope to build a church and a school in the future. The location is a little remote at the moment, but it looks like families are beginning to move into the area. We had a prayer of blessing on that spot, asking God to open doors to make this vision a reality that will bless the community there.

Then we came back to the Guest House for a quiet afternoon and evening. I've had some time to think and pray about what I will preach tomorrow, and Clif has been able to rest a bit. This has also given us time to realize that our time here is coming to an end. So much has happened in the past five days that it seems as though Tanzania has always been a part of us. But there are other things we are still figuring out about living here.

For dinner tonight, we were invited to join the MAF families for a potluck barbeque. We had a chance to talk with some of the missionaries who are here. Virtually all of them are from Europe, and it is inspiring to see how they have followed God's call to come here and serve. MAF provides invaluable assistance to missionaries and other non-profits throughout Africa. These dedicated people make sure the planes are always ready for whatever mission needs may arise. It is also great to see how these families form a big extended family for each other. The children play with all their "brothers and sisters" and the parents watch everyone's kids to make sure they are safe. It reminded me that my sabbatical theme is "redefining family."

Tomorrow is our last day with Beroya Revival Temple. It has been such a blessing to worship with them, and I hope that God's name is praised as we gather together one last time.

New Experiences

Since Clif went back to the Assemblies of God Bible College again today, I had another relatively quiet morning at the Guest House. Ed and Debra brought over our bus tickets they had purchased with the money we gave them. "Great!" I thought. "Now we're all ready to leave on Monday and head off to the next part of our adventure." (ominous music here)

I was invited to eat lunch with a missionary family who lives here on the MAF compound. Julianne and Glenn are from Ireland, and they are preparing to move with the their three kids to Uganda next month. We had a lovely lunch of pumpkin soup and homemade bread. It has been so interesting to see all the missionary families at the compound and see how they form a big, extended family to each other.

Then I went over the MAF office to meet Pierre for a tour. He is an engineer from France who repairs and maintains planes. While I was in the office, I asked the office assistant if I could pick up our refund for the flight we booked out of Dodoma - the one they told us back in February was cancelled (after we had already paid for it and received a confirmation number). The office manager went to go check on it while I had my tour.

Pierre was very nice, and he showed me all the planes and tools and things in the hangar. I admit that I'm not particularly interested in plane stuff, but Clif wasn't able to be with us, and he would have loved it. I did enjoy meeting all the people who work here, however. It seemed as though the MAF staff was from all over the world.

Clif came back in time to meet up with the MAF IT people, so I went back to the office to check on our refund. That's when I found out that the flight they told us back in February was cancelled was actually flying on Monday. "You can still get on that flight, if you want, " I was told. Now, we had begged and pleaded with them to get us on a flight to Arusha for weeks back in Feb/Mar, and they told us there was no possible way because all their pilots would be in training on June 20th. Now, apparently, the training was not happening. So, I stood there and debated with myself. We already have our bus tickets. We can't get a refund for them. We were counting on getting the refund for the plane tickets. But the bus ride would be at least 10-12 hours, requiring us to get to the station at 4:30 am. The plane ride is an hour and half and leaves at 8:00 am. And I had to decide right that minute because the office was closing for the weekend. So, I went with the plane. I hated to waste the money for the bus tickets (and the Lonely Planet guide said taking a bus in Tanzania is a cultural experience you shouldn't miss!), but the thought of 12 hours on a bus with limited bathroom stops did not sound like a fun way to spend a day. So there was lots of scrambling to change our plans for Monday.

Today was also the last evening service - my last "seminar." I decide to end with the story of Pentecost. The people really responded to the message, and when it was over, the pastor called them all forward and asked me to say a prayer of blessing over their church. I was caught up in the Pentecostal spirit (Pastor Erasto says I preach like an African), so I PRAYED for them. When I was done, no one moved or spoke. They all just stood there. Then someone began crying, and another began praying aloud and then others joined, weeping, wailing, calling out to God. I'm not sure if they were speaking in Swahili or speaking in tongues, but it was intense. Eventually everything got quiet again and we had a closing prayer and left the service. I'm not sure what happened tonight, but it seemed as though the people gathered felt the Spirit move. I know I was blessed.

After worship, we went to visit the village well (that Erasto was instrumental in getting built), which is powered by a windmill. It is a great thing for this community, 10,000 families, to have access to safe drinking water, but many of them must still walk a long way to the well. As we walked along to the windmill, little kids came running out of their homes to join us, making a parade. We walked past people cooking their evening meals over an open fire. Their mud homes have no electricity, and most of them have 1 or 2 rooms at most. I didn't know when I came here if I would actually get to experience a "real" African village, but walking to the windmill and well felt very real.

(Note from Clif: You will notice white buildings in the background right and cranes in the background left. That is the University of Dodoma under construction within sight of the village.)

Lastly, we had our first taste of Tanzanian ugali - the national dish - tonight! Nessie made it for us, and she showed us how to roll it into a ball, make an indentation and scoop up other foods. It was fun - kind of like edible Play Doh. The other foods she prepared were tasty and interesting, too.

(Note from Clif: Top right-pasta similar to spaghetti; top left-fried chicken; top middle-oranges pealed and cut in half crosswise; left of oranges-ketchup and chili sauce; below right of oranges-eggs scrambled very finely with spices; below center of oranges-chicken stewed with potatoes and curry; bottom right-cabbage slaw; bottom left-ugali.)

I cannot believe that I have preached four nights in a row. I should be exhausted and drained, but instead I am lifted up. I know that my prayer network has carried me through this week, and I'm counting on them to "bring it home" for my last sermon on Sunday morning. We'll celebrate communion here, just as Living Water will be celebrating it in Parkville.

A Day to Rest in Tanzania

If you read yesterday's post, then you know that it was a draining day. I'm not complaining. Every experience here is teaching me A LOT, but I was just wiped out. Since Clif made plans to go back to the Bible College today to work on their computer lab, I stayed close to the Guest House and let myself rest. It was just what I needed.

In the morning I did a lot of little things - arranged for our laundry to be washed, got more eggs and coffee for breakfast, and read through my sermon for the evening. I read a book and looked over Facebook posts. When Debra, the missionary with Omega Missions, came by to check on me later, I told her about my day yesterday and how I felt drained. She nodded knowingly and said, "Ed and I have discovered that when teams come in to work in Tanzania, the third day is the toughest." She had different theories about why that might be, but she said that they had seen it over and over again. Maybe it's just that everything catches up with you. For me, I'm trying to be a tourist and pastor at the same time, and it's hard to know what is expected at times.

So Debra took me out to try to buy our bus tickets for next Monday, and then we went to the store to get a few Tanzanian snacks to try (since we always like to sample local cuisine!). The meals we have been served here have been basic things like beans, rice, plantains, potatoes, carrots, etc., but they have all been very tasty. She also took me to an Indian restaurant that she explained was Tanzanian/Indian. The food was different from the Indian food I get at home, but it was quite delicious!

The day of rest refreshed my spirit so that I was ready to worship God this evening! Ed and Debra drove us to the service and stayed for worship. It was great to get to worship with them as well as Pastor Erasto, Nessie, and the rest of Beroya Revival Temple. There was great music again tonight, but my favorite music was the song the choir sang. The choir consists of three women and one man. They do movements while they sing. Tonight, three small children followed them up (I'm guessing they were the children of the choir members), and the children followed all the motions of the adults. One of the women played the drum and sang with them as she nursed her baby (something the Tanzanians - a very modest people in many ways - have no problem with). Another woman, one who was singing and dancing, had a baby strapped to her back the whole time. Just taking in the scene - adults, children, babies, drums, singing and dancing and praising God together makes me smile every time I think about it.

I'm getting the rhythm of preaching with an interpreter, and the people are responding. Three people came forward for a blessing and a prayer tonight. I continue to pray that God is speaking through me to the people of Beroya. I am so very thankful for all your prayers!

Tanzania Day Three

I thought today would be relatively uneventful after our exciting trip home from church last night. But today proved to be a string of experiences and conversations and events that have stretched me in many ways.

This morning we went to the Assemblies of God Bible College - the school where Erasto studied to be a pastor. We met several students, administrators, and staff people from the school. I couldn't help but compare it to my theological education at Saint Paul. In terms of what they had to work with, there was no comparison (in fact, Clif is going back tomorrow to see if he can help them with their outdated computer lab.) The library had maybe six or seven rows of books, many of them faded and old. The cafeteria food is cooked over an open fire, and they raise their own chickens and pigs for the food! But the man who spoke in chapel today has been studying for his DMin at Asbury Seminary in Kentucky. He shared his doctoral work with the gathered students.

At the end of the chapel time, the academic dean called up Erasto, who introduced me and Clif. Now, I have worked with many Pentecostal pastors and scholars through my work with the Wesleyan/Pentecostal Consultation, and I know that some Pentecostal pastors are not comfortable with women as pastors. I also know that churches in Africa tend to be more conservative. So I wasn't sure how my presence was going to be received. But when Erasto asked me to introduce myself and my husband, I said in a loud, clear voice, "I am Laura Guy, and this is my husband Clif, and in our family, I am the pastor." This was met with some enthusiastic clapping (perhaps mostly from the woman students). But I also explained that Clif was not called by God to be a pastor, but he has gifts and skills with computers and he has a passion to spread the Good News through information technology. "So," I said, "he supports me, and he supports the pastors at the church where he works. That is his ministry." That got a big round of applause by everyone.

Then we had an interesting shopping trip downtown to get Jennifer Hall an African dress (by special request).

Erasto told us that we were expected at the home of a friend for lunch. We arrived at the home and were warmly greeted by the father of the family. The women and children soon appeared to set out food for us.

As we became acquainted, Erasto asked the husband how many children he had. He said something in Swahili, holding up four fingers, then only three. Erasto explained that the man used to have four children, but one of them died. I asked how recently the child died. "One week ago." My heart sank. I felt awful. In my culture, I would never bring a guest to the home of a grieving family.

The mother spoke very good English, and she asked me if I wanted to see photos of the child, a sweet 9-month-old girl named Vashti. The first photo album was filled with photos from Vashti's baby blessing at church. She was dressed in a frilly blue dress and her parents held her and smiled. Such a happy day! The next photo album was from her funeral, one week ago. There were photos of her wearing another frilly dress, but laid out in a tiny coffin. There were photos of her family weeping - photos we would never take because we would consider them intrusive. Lunch was served before we finished looking at the photos, but I made a point to ask to see them again after lunch. It seemed important to remember this child, to acknowledge that there was an absence in the room. Erasto asked me to pray for the family before we left their home.

Walking out to the cab, I asked Nessie how the child died. She said the child had malaria with a high fever. They took her to the hospital, and she was given too much medicine - an overdose. My heart broke all over again for this family. I will continue to keep them all - but especially the mother Julianna - in my prayers.

Then there was the church service tonight. My spirit was drained after the day. I did not feel good about the sermon. My eyes are burning because of all the dust here. But there were more people in the service tonight than last night, and as they began to sing praises to God (and as my prayer network back home started praying), my spirit lifted. I was especially blessed when a young man rose to sing a song he had written, one he said was inspired after the service the previous night.

When I rose to preach, I just began talking without looking at my manuscript (something I never do). The words tumbled out, with conviction and passion, and I never did find out where I was in my manuscript. But the people shouted "Amen!" many times. At the end of the service, Erasto asked a woman to pray for us. She shared how my message tonight was an affirmation of what she needed to hear from God. So God is pulling me beyond the point of comfort. God is reminding me to empty myself so that I can be filled with the Spirit. Such a difficult lesson in a faraway land.

Tanzania Day Two

So much happened yesterday that I'm afraid I'll leave out something important. In the morning, we went to visit the nursery school that Pastor Erasto has started. We would call it a preschool. There were about 25 children there, and of course, each one was adorable. We took a tour of the classrooms and also saw Erasto's office. There on his wall were the two photos we took of Living Water people smiling and waving. It was another moment of awe when I thought about how God brought us together. And it made me miss all those wonderful faces back home!

We also saw where Erasto lives with his wife and son. It is in one small room. Then the children gathered so I could read them a story. Clif took video of this, and we're trying to get it posted if you want to watch it. The children sang songs they had learned, including a few in English. I think my favorite was "Head, shoulders, knees and toes." I clapped for them and handed out lollipops. Then Erasto's wife Nessie brought out food she had prepared for us. It was delicious! Rice and a stew made with plantains, potatoes, carrots and coconut milk; also some Chinese cabbage, beans and a hard boiled egg. They also served us Coke to drink. It was a wonderful meal.

We went back to our room for a bit in the afternoon, then it was over to the church for the service. The drive to the church is about 30 minutes from where we are staying, even though Dodoma is not very large. We saw the University that is being built. It is very expansive. Erasto said it will educated 40,000 students, and it is (will be) the largest university in East Africa. Ed and Debra said that it was built with some money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

When we arrived at the church, Erasto took us on a tour of the new church which is under construction. Living Water sent money for this church to be built, and all the walls are up and the windows are in. They are still waiting until they have enough money to put a roof on the building.

Then it was time for church! We started with singing. The only instrument was a drum, but the people sang and danced and joy filled the room. There were many children who came in and out throughout the service, but they were all there for the singing. There were only about 20 adults in attendance, plus as many children, but Erasto said that there will be students from the university in future services.

When it was time to preach, I placed myself in God's hands, and started reading from my manuscript. It took a few minutes to work out the pace of waiting for Erasto to translate, but eventually we found a rhythm. I wasn't sure if I was connecting with people or not, but I saw some heads nod in agreement and heard a few Amens. Erasto seemed very appreciative of my message, so I think it went ok. I'm glad the first night is over so that I don't have to worry about what to expect now. It was a great time of worship, and I look forward to the rest of my time with Beroya Revival Temple.

The drive home was a little...interesting. We encountered some students who had blocked the road with boulders. Apparently, they were protesting that the government promised them loans, but didn't pay. Some of them had big pieces of wood in their hands. Erasto tried to get them to let us pass, but they refused. So our driver took all five of us in his weighed down sedan onto a dirt road that would have tested most 4-wheel drive vehicles. There were moments when I wasn't sure we were going to get back to our room that evening, but we finally made it back to a paved road.

All this reminded me that I am definitely in Africa. And God is always in control.

Tanzania Day One

It was a very surreal moment yesterday to step off the little 12-seater plane at the Dodoma airstrip, and see a Tanzanian family, dressed in their Sunday best, waiting to greet us. Pastor Erasto, his wife Nessie and their son Brilliant gave us big hugs and told us how happy they were to see us. A friend who came with them took photos as we hugged and unloaded our luggage. We piled into a taxi and made our way over to the guest house where we will be staying.

We handed out some gifts we had brought for their family - USA Soccer shirts for Erasto and Brilliant, and a scarf for Nessie. They were very grateful. But we got the biggest reaction when Clif pulled out a new Netbook computer he brought from the Church of the Resurrection and gave it to Erasto. It is the first computer he has ever had. He has been writing and sending all of his emails from an internet cafe. Later, we met Ed and Debra Lloyd who are missionaries here with Omega Missions. Erasto put me in touch with them several months ago, and they have been a huge help in our preparations. They had us over for dinner last night, and it was a delicious meal and great conversation.

We've been here in Dodoma less than 24 hours, but we're settling in very well. The place we're staying - the Mission Aviation Fellowship Guest House - is not luxurious by American hotel standards, but we have a little bungalow-style apartment with a kitchen and sitting area. I'll try to post some photos to show you where we're staying.

Tonight is the my first preaching gig. Erasto has informed me that it will actually be a "seminar" and not a "crusade." I think the difference is whether you have a PA system or not. Since it is too expensive to rent a PA system, I will be preaching without one. The services will be like church services, with music and an offering taken before the sermon. They will start at 4 pm and be over by 6:30 pm so people can get home before dark. I asked Debra if people will have a difficult time getting there by 4, but she said many people are done working by then or they don't have jobs, so it's not a problem. I will be preaching in the old church building since the new one is not yet completed.

I'm not sure what else we might be doing today, but this whole trip was God's idea, so I'm going to let God direct our plans. Thank you to everyone for your prayers. I'm feeling lifted up!

Africa Before Me

I have never entered into something as unknown as this experience. I have only traveled internationally with well-organized groups. There has always been contact information, daily schedules, experts who know what Americans need when they travel abroad so that we won't get sick or be uncomfortable.

Even traveling to Haiti earlier this year wasn't too stressful because my daughter happened to be the expert who tells all the American groups what they need to know, and she makes all the arrangements. But this is different. Going to Dodoma to meet Erasto and preach is not something well-organized. There are no daily schedules printed out for me. I'm not sure if there will be experts who will know the ways to prepare food for us so we don't get sick. It's not that we're the first western visitors to Dodoma. Far from it! We have had good email conversations with missionaries from Texas who are there with Omega Missions. They have been very helpful, and they have spoken with Erasto about my visit. But I'm not staying with them. They did not make my travel arrangements. It's been up to me and Clif to figure out how to get there (fly to Kilimanjaro, hire a driver to take us to Arusha, fly on a prop plane with Mission Aviation Fellowship, stay at the MAF Guest House in Dodoma, take a bus back to Arusha because MAF doesn't fly on the day we need to get back). It's not brain surgery, but it is a little un-nerving for this "detail" person.

There is so much I don't know right now. I don't know that all our arrangements will actually work out. I don't know what I'll be doing during the days I am there. I don't know what time the preaching crusades will start or end or even where they'll be. I don't know where we'll eat our meals or how we'll get around. But those are just details.

What I really don't know is why God had led us here and what God has in store. I'm trying to focus on that - the wonderful surprises - more than the surprises that appear to be problems. Because if I focus too much on the details, I'm going to miss the big picture. And I'm pretty sure God brought me here for the big picture.

Germany Behind Me

I've posted lots of photos and written lots of words about the things we saw and did in Germany. It was truly a trip-of-a-lifetime. But I guess when I think about what impacted me most, what I'll take away besides photos, I think it was all the moments when we were spending time with Niko's family, and I thought to myself, "How did this happen? How did I find myself sitting in the home of a Germany family, eating dinner with them and talking about our lives?"

We didn't just travel Germany as tourists. We were escorted around Germany by Niko and his parents. They helped us negotiate every stop, every interaction. They researched and planned what would be most fun to see. We traveled with a German family through Germany. How did this happen?

I confess that I've never had a burning desire to see Germany - at least not until Niko came into our family and began showing us photos of his home. And even then, my thoughts were, "Someday it would be nice to go visit Niko, and see some of Germany, too." Instead, I found myself thrilled at each new city, every new culinary experience. The gardens, the buildings, the history, the churches - all of it was unlike anything I have ever seen. But what made it most fun was seeing it with Niko, Ingrid and Hans. We struggled through conversations each day - Niko's excellent English, Ingrid's very good English, Hans' pretty good English, Rob's so-so German, and my (and Clif's) complete ignorance of German. Every conversation had to be thought out. Cultural sensitivities had to be screened through language. But it worked. It really did. We laughed together and smiled in all the photos. Not because it was expected but because that's how we really felt.

The theme of my sabbatical grant is "Redefining Family." I knew that seeing Niko's home and meeting all his family would, in some way, extend my own family. And it did. But I didn't expect to be so welcomed by all his extended family. As we entered the home of Hans' mother and sister, we saw framed photos of our family Christmas card from 2 1/2 years ago - the one with Niko and our family - in a prominent place in their homes. It seems that they had adopted us as family a long time ago. It just took me a while to realize it.

Churches

I really shouldn't say that the churches in Germany have surprised me. I mean I took a class on Christian history. I know how the theology and architecture of Christianity have been closely connected. But still, it's a shock to see the ornate embellishments all around the sanctuary. The original idea was the lift the soul to worship God. The thought was that seeing all this beauty would give glory to God and edify the human soul. But honestly, it's a bit much.

Things have changed so much that it's almost laughable to see the gold-encrusted pulpit, towering over the people. There, the preacher would ascend and speak down to the gathered faithful from on high. In case anyone missed it, there was an angel over the pulpit blowing a horn. "This is a proclamation from God, people!"

I smiled and thought, "OK, just once, I'd like to preach from a pulpit like that. I mean, how could anyone fall asleep when I'm raining down a holy proclamation from a shiny golden pulpit?" And then I looked across from the pulpit. Directly across, also lifted up above the heads of the people, are statues of Christ on the cross, a crown on his head. Beneath him is Mary, a sword piercing her heart as Simeon said it would (Luke 2:34-35). How would it change my preaching to speak my words into the lifeless form of Christ, into the broken heart of his mother?

There is much we have gained in having our clergy speak from the congregation. "We are just human, one of you." But there may be something we've lost, too. "These words I speak are not just my own. I must speak them before Christ because they are his words."

Munich

I have had some heavy subjects on my mind in recent posts, so "now for something completely different." The food here in Germany is hearty fare. This photo shows what I had for dinner last night - an assortment of bread, cheese and cold cuts served on a butcher block. There were, of course, beer and pretzels for everyone, too. This particular meal in Munich is typical Bavarian food, slightly different from German food in general, I'm told. It was delicious and very filling.

Our breakfasts here in Germany have been amazing, too. I knew that our hotels would include a breakfast, but since I've never been to Europe before, I didn't know that breakfast here includes Brie, smoked salmon and even caviar! So yes, we are eating like Bavarian kings and queens. But we're walking a lot, too. Not nearly enough to walk off all this rich food, but a lot.

Dresden

I guess if there is a theme to these last two days, it is the devastation of war. We are now in the city of Dresden, the scene of the most controversial bombing the Allies did during WWII. The initial death toll was thought to be in the hundreds of thousands. It has been revised to somewhere around 50,000 - but those were civilians, mainly women and children. It is still a great loss of life. The city lost some of its most important and historic buildings, too. Since it is in eastern Germany, it was not rebuilt as cities were in western Germany. It has only been since reunification in the past 15-20 years that some of these buildings have been restored and rebuilt.

We toured two amazing churches. The first, Frauenkirche, was completely destroyed and has only recently been rebuilt. The second was the Catholic Church in Dresden. It had a special chapel with a contemporary Pieta (weeping Mary holding the body of the crucified Christ). The sculpture has become a memorial for all who were killed in the Dresden bombing and fires. The plaques on the walls are written in German, but Niko translated them for me. They say something to the effect of, "We can all be like Mary and weep for those who have died. We can all be like Christ and give our lives for others."

What's been so extraordinary about this day and yesterday at Buchenwald is that we are experiencing this history with our Germany "family." Niko has been our exchange student/son for almost three years now, and his parents are becoming our very good friends. We see what our countries have done to one another, but it does not diminish the bond we have now. It seems as though this is the way forward, the way to peace. I want a world where Mary does not weep anymore.

Buchenwald

This was one of the things I was anticipating the most. I guess that sounds strange, to say I was looking forward to touring a concentration camp. I knew that it would be emotional. And it was. But so were other places I have seen - former slaves' quarters in the U.S.; Robben Island in Cape Town where Nelson Mandela was held. But this was Buchenwald. Just the name alone creates a heaviness in one's soul. This is the place where thousands died, thousands were tortured, thousands were treated as if they were less than human. If evil had an address, it might have been Buchenwald.

The first thing that struck me was the scale. When the person at the information desk said it would take at least 3 hours to see only the most important things, I knew that it was a big place. Most people can't see everything even in one day. So we saw what was most important. But those places were the places of greatest suffering. When you enter the crematorium, a sign asks you to enter in silence out of respect for those who lost their lives. I didn't need a sign. There were not words for the sight of four furnaces, meant to reduce the dead to ashes after they had already been reduced to skeletons. The were no words for the cellar were the corpses were stored. The air is heavy with sorrow.

We saw photos and objects taken from the prisoners. We saw their faces and their shoes, worn threadbare. Maybe what struck me most was the photos taken after the Allies liberated the camp. It was the first camp that was liberated, so it was the first time the Allied soldiers had seen the true horrors of the Nazi regime. They wanted to make sure that there were witnesses so that no one could come back later and accuse them of making up unbelievable stories. (I thought of the disciples of Jesus fighting the same accusations.) So the Allies documented everything on film and had journalists write it all down. Most important, they had 1,000 people from the nearby town of Weimar tour the camp, see the dead bodies stacked like cordwood, see the emaciated men who were imprisoned there. The look of shock and disbelief on those faces is maybe what will stay with me the longest. "We didn't know," they said. How could they not have known? They didn't want to know. They probably suspected, but the questions were too difficult and dangerous too ask.

What is it that I don't want to know? What suffering is taking place in my neighborhood, city, country, world? What would shock and horrify me if I was forced to face it? The most unsettling thing about Buchenwald is that it refuses to stay back in history ...

Honoring God

Today we went to the Cathedral in Cologne. It is magnificent. The spires and stained glass and flying buttresses and marble pillars are all breath-taking. Our tour guide pointed out many of the rare and beautiful works of art throughout the cathedral. For an American Protestant, it was beyond anything I had ever seen in any house of worship. At first I was just impressed with it all. And then I was jealous of all the beauty, all the ways these artisans and nobles had chosen to honor God. And then the nagging questions started whispering in my head, "I wonder who paid for all of this?"

The quick answer is the nobles or the church (Catholic church, in this case). But the real answer probably has more to do with how much the average citizens were taxed or "encouraged" to give to the building of the cathedral. So is a building that was created from the meager wealth of the citizens really a way to honor God?

I'm not trying to impose my 21st century American values on the people of a different time and place. I'm asking a real question. There is an unmistakable sense of awe when you see a building that is so incredible you can't even see it all in one visit. The art and architecture truly drew this soul into worship. It would be a shame if this cathedral and others like it did not exist. Today, even the average citizen in Cologne is proud of "their" cathedral. It belongs to the people of that city, and to all of Germany. But in the end, does it honor God? Did it honor God when it was built? There is no doubt in my mind that the craftsmen and artists were expressing love and awe of the Creator in their masterpieces. Does it honor God now? Surely whenever anyone who enters lifts their eyes to the heavens and thinks about their Creator, God is greatly pleased. But what was the real cost? What are the real benefits? I'm not sure that I nor anyone else is qualified to answer, but it doesn't stop me from thinking about the questions.

Meeting Family

I won't go into all the details about the flights and airports. There were typical delays and bumps along the way, but the important thing is that we landed in Frankfurt and were met by Niko and his mother Ingrid. It was so good to see them! Niko lived with our family during the 2008-2009 school year and he instantly became a part of our family. He came back to visit last summer and went on vacation with us to Colorado. His mother and aunt came to visit him in Kansas City at the end of his year with us, so we got to know Ingrid at that time.

But when we got to his home in Braunfels, we met his other family members - father, brother, grandmother, aunts and an uncle. We were able to see in person all the things we had only seen in photos - his home, his room, and the view of the castle outside his window! His father and grandmother had prepared a wonderful meal for us - roast beef and roast pork, potato dumplings with gravy and a salad. They even made a special effort to have ice for our drinks :-)

We were really fighting the time change and lack of sleep, but we managed to gather the strength to go tour Braunfels Castle in the afternoon. Seeing the marketplace (where our hotel is located) and the castle looming over it made me know I wasn't in Kansas anymore. Our tour guide was part crumudgeon/part comedian. He spoke good English and as he pointed out the subjects in various paintings, he kept quizzing us on our knowledge of history (which we didn't know so well) and our Bible knowledge (which fortunately, I did know well). For this American girl, it was the perfect first day in Germany! We finished off with more food back at Niko's - hearty German bread and cheese and a homemade Black Forest Cake for dessert - and then we SLEPT.

I will try to have more insightful reflections in later posts, but all you get now is a travelogue. Photos will follow at some point, too.

What I Thought I Wanted

Sara Groves has a song called "What I Thought I Wanted". The lyrics are about people who have experienced real heartbreak, but what they end up with is better than what they would have had if the heartbreak hadn't happened. Those lyrics really don't apply to my current situation, but a part of the chorus does keep running through my mind:

What it was I wanted, what I got instead
Leaves me broken and grateful

I'm still kind of in a daze about the whole Tanzania part of my sabbatical trip. How did I end up going to Tanzania? I mean, I know how. I wrote the grant application, but as I keep pointing out, I didn't think I'd get the grant. And even if I did, going to Tanzania was simply to meet the pastor who had been an email friend for several years. He contacted me through the church website when Living Water was just starting out. I answered his email, and we have been sending prayers, well-wishes and gifts to each other and our churches ever since. But the idea of visiting Erasto in Tanzania seemed like an idyllic way to connect with a simpler way of life - watching an African pastor minister to his congregation for a week. That's what I thought I wanted. A rest-full sabbatical. What I got instead was an excited email from him saying he is so glad I am coming to preach a 5-night "crusade" and a Sunday morning sermon. Six sermons in six days. Preaching to people who live around the world, in conditions I know nothing about. Oh, and with an interpreter. This isn't what I wanted. I didn't want real Africa and real people and real work. I didn't want to get a Yellow Fever shot and malaria pills and the stress of preparing for the biggest preaching gig of my entire life. Apparently God didn't get the memo about what a sabbatical rest is supposed to be.

What it was I wanted, what I got instead
Leaves me broken and grateful

Those words keep echoing in my heart and head, and I think the Holy Spirit is trying to sing them to me, trying to let me know that's what's waiting for me on the other side. What I thought I wanted was a vacation to observe, be an outsider. What I will get instead will likely leave me broken and so very, very grateful.

I told my congregation last Sunday that I will not make it through this marathon week of preaching unless I am literally help up in prayer. I implore you to join your prayers with the prayers of Living Water Christian Church as I humbly bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of Dodoma, Tanzania on June 14 - 19. May God give me words, strength, power and passion, and may those who have ears to hear, hear the voice of God speaking through me.