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.