To Tanzania and Back

Since my last post, I have been to Tanzania and back. I was in country for about three and a half weeks. It was so fun to be back at Hananasif and to reconnect with children, students and staff. More on reconnecting a another post.

Overall I am very encouraged for my upcoming year. I got to spend some time sitting and reading and studying with the younger children, who I will be working with over the year. Many of them really soaked up the time and the chance to read and study. Some would even come back asking to study more and asking to borrow books. They are hungry to learn and I believe they will greatly benefit from focused educational times outside of school hours. Multiple staff were also very supportive of my plans for supplemental educational times for the younger kids. I will get to help meet a felt need.  I am looking forward to filling a whole bookshelf with reading and study materials for them. They will love it! The below pictures are of one of the days that I brought books out and they sat and read and others studied notes form class. Note: this is the porch of the place I will be living. It is a great location to host reading and study times with the kids.

Husseini and Samweli reading.

Peter studying notes from class and little Samweli getting ready to read.

It was also exciting to see all the growth at Hananasif’s school. Many new buildings and lots of new students. God has been good to them. It was wonderful to participate in worship again at the school. This is something that I valued so much my first time and Hananasif. It was great to see the students continuing to worship the Lord. I love it.

The main reason for this initial trip was to bring 11 other people form my church in Gainesville to visit Hananasif. They were in Tanzania for about two weeks. That trip was a huge success. I think we as a group were really able to encourage and bless the children, students and staff of Hananasif. The team spent a lot of time getting to know the students and teachers and participating and even helping lead times of prayer and worship. We also planted about 60 coconut trees. The trees should be bearing coconuts in 2.5 to 3 years. We got to present the students at Hananasif’s school with presents before we left. They each received a backpack, some school supplies, hygiene products and a pair of new shoes and socks. A big thanks to Boca Christian for the backpacks and socks and to Stephanie Sims for coordinating the donations of school supplies.

It was really fun for some of my friends to get to see the place they have been hearing about and meet people I had told them about. I am also happy to have 11 more people who have gotten the chance to see and experience Hananasif and Tanzania. They will be a good support for me as I am in Tanzania and they can carry on the partnership that has been built between First Assembly of God in Gainesville and Hananasif Orphanage in Tanzania.

The team from my church with the kids and a few students in front of the city center.

My time is Tanzania was good in so many ways, but it was also difficult. I feel that some of my own weaknesses were highlighted and at times I had trouble dealing with certain things that were different than I had expected. I think God used these difficulties to remind me that I need to place my hope and trust in Him alone. I was also reminded of the importance of doing everything with love. I reflected and mediated a lot on 1 Corinthians 13.
“1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.”

These reminders and lessons will be important for me to remember over the next year and the rest of my life.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible and a success!

Mungu ni mwema wakati wote. The Lord is good all the time.

More stories and pictures to come over the next few weeks. August 4 is my next departure date!