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!