Saturday 8/8/2009

Saturday was a bit of a low key day for us. We started out the day by going to a choir competition in the nearby city of Soni. It was a morning full of singing and was really fun to watch all the different choirs come out. The performers were really good, and they were so proud. It was fun to watch them and listen and to their different songs and see the dances. It was obvious that much work, time, effort and passion went into all of the performances. Alfred and Pastor Joyce sat with us to translate the songs for us so we could better understand the meaning.

These are children watching the competition from outside the hall we were seated in.

At some point during the competition, 3 of us got up because we were going to explode had to go to the bathroom. We had to walk into a neighboring area that had dorm rooms for a school to find a bathroom. We followed Pastor Joyce into one of these dorm rooms and she pointed us to the closest squatty potty. There were students who were there and while we took turns using the facilities, the other two of us went and were talking to the girls. Pastor Joyce told us that they were saying they were so happy we were there. All we were doing was using the bathroom. We began to talk to them some, asking their names and using what little Swahili we had to communicate and ask how old they were, what their names were and ask how they were. They asked the same of us. After we were done using their bathroom, we were showing them some of the pictures we had with us, introducing them to our loved ones back in the US. By the end of the bathroom excursion we had made some new friends. Pastor Joyce told us on the way back to the competition that they were just so happy that we had asked to stop there, in a way just proud that we were interested in their lives in the few minutes we spent with them. It is not always the big moments that matter most. Sometimes it is just those quick moments that you think nothing of that can mean so much. Who would have thought that a quick trip to the squatty potty would bring meaning to some teenage girls in Tanzania as well as us.

After this we went and met with two more subparishes. At one of them when we prayed they read Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. It meant alot to all of us to sit around a table with people from Irente and have this scripture read. It was another reminder that we are all one in Christ.

At the 2nd subparish we went to there was a gorgeous view from this person's home.

Seriously. Can you imagine walking out your door every morning and getting to see this?!

Seriously, where do I sign to live here.

After this we walked to the Irente view point. It is certainly a view. I don't do so well with heights so the pictures I have are no where near the edge. On the left you can see three men sitting on the edge. Below their feet is nothing. It is a cliff. The drop off is hundreds of feet below them. Hence the reason I am standing way back. Lisa, Donna, Sandy and the Spencer's were very brave to get closer to the edge. It is actually a little funny to think back on, as they all walked to get a better view, and Pastor Sharon and Pastor Joyce stood way back yelling at all of them to get away from the edge. Alfred walked nearer to the edge with them, just to make sure no one got too close. It was beautiful though! Certainly a once in a life time to witness such beauty. We serve an awesome God.

After that it was time to head back to our hostel. I think it was somewhere around 6, but we were going back so we could rest for the next day's worship. Some of us went to the internet cafe and that was the first time I was able to post to the blog. Stephano and Alfred stayed with us to make sure we would then get back to the hotel safely. Such good shepherds they are :) After that we just went back to the hostel and rested for the next day.

Next post will be our Sunday worship. It was an amazing day!