Friday, January 27, 2012

Today is Friday the 27th of January and we have two more weeks before classes start here on campus.  Yesterday we visited St. John's University and saw a few people we taught with and even a few of our former students who were still working on their degrees.It was a nice visit and later we took our friend, Focas with us to eat at Rose's Cafe downtown.  Earlier that morning we met with the rest of the English Department and discussed our teaching loads.  David and I will be teaching a form of Reading Recovery to students who need the extra attention for reading skills.  Later as time permits we may help with basic computer research skills, grammar activities and even a Pastoral Care session and Bible Study.  We have been very happy with the staff we will be working side by side with and believe that this is a good match for all of us. I have some pictures I will attempt to share today.  Hope you like them.PS: I will post more later..so check back in.
typical small shops

hotel

big big big

road repair in Dodoma

main street

cart for delivery

mattress-cushion shop

waiting to cross

heading north west to Msalato

small beverage shop

I believe older students at a school

small shops
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

January 25, 2012
January 24th Front Yard, Notice the grass!

Doing clothes lines, 1/25/2012

Yard Man 1/25/2012

Swahili Teacher 1/25/2012 Living Room
View from front yard.
Today has been a very hot day but a very busy one.  We had our first lesson in Swahili, our nets were placed over our beds, the workers came and put our clothes lines up and we went shopping and found some items for the house that we needed.  Tomorrow we will meet with some of the seminary faculty to discuss some of our schedules and classes we are teaching.  Later in the week we will do more planning for the start of the new school year.  It is beginning to feel more like home here and we are adjusting to the weather and our surroundings. Above are some more pictures of our house and people who are helping us.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Home In Tanzania 2012

David and I have arrived in Msalato, TZ.  School is out for three for weeks here at the seminary but some faculty from England and New Zealand have already arrived.  We are settling in fine except for the heat.  It is summer here and the rainy season.  Every thing is green and wet and humid!  The faculty we have met are wonderful and of course we have already visited with Moses and Ruth our Georgia friends from Tanzania.  Moses is the Director of Msalato Theological College and Ruth is his wife.
The only obstacle so far has been the road from Dodoma to Msalato.  It is awful, full of pot holes and when it rains the holes become small and large ponds. David is enjoying his car (SUV) and loves to drive it to Dodoma.  It is perfect for these roads.
Our house was remodled for us before we came and it is a great improvement over the small one bedroom apartment we had at St. John's University in 2009-2010. It has three bedrooms, hot water, electric outlets that work, fresh paint and lizards in the back and front yards!  A front porch for viewing Dodoma and the lizards.
All in all we all happy to be in one place and settled into the house.  Praise be to God for that!
Here are some pictures from Dar es Salaam and Msalato. More will follow later.


Focas, a faculty member from St. John's University, Dodoma and David at Pizza place in Dar.

Cefa Hostel in Dar.

Chapel at Msalato.

Our house at Msalato.

The SUV we got in Dar.

Home in Msalato

Today is Sunday, January 22nd, a day of rest and church going for all Christians in Dodoma and Msalato.   We have arrived at Msalato Seminary and are mostly settled into our new home.  The house was remolded for western people which means heated water, an American toilet, stove and fridge,new paint and cleaned through-out.  It looks great! Praise the Lord.
We now have a car, our Trusty Besty, the SUV.  She is 12 years old but works great.  David loves to drive her. The only real difficulty we have had has been the road into Dodoma from Msalato.  It is full of pot holes and when it rains they become lakes and ponds making it difficult to see where the road goes.
Over the past week we have met the instructors here at the seminary for English and some of our past friends we knew from St. John's University. We are slowly connecting but it is more difficult because of the distance and the road conditions.
We did manage to go into town at least once a day and sometimes twice a day this past week for supplies and items we needed for our home.  Today we rode with a neighbor in her car to church at the Anglican Cathedral for the English service.  There were about 20 or so misionaries there along with some brave Tanzanians who wish to hear the service in English.  It was nice to be back.  We met some people from St. John's and others from CAMS ( English Mission School).
This time our trip to Dodoma is different.  It is odd but we both feel a connection here. The Christian Angelo community is very close mainly due to how few of us there are in the area and I believe our common goals.
Tonight we will welcome back another couple who have been on long holiday.  There last name is also Reid but they are from Canada.  In our little community here on campus we have one couple from England, another one from New Zealand, two retired doctors from Georgia, and of course us from Denver, Colorado.  We are a very international group in this part of Tanzania.  But we all have one common thread:  the will to follow a call to teach and serve in this country.  It is very good to be here and to met the challanges of the Tanzanian people. 
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Pictures to follow soon.
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