Hello! This is Kara again scrambling to type with my remaining internet time. irst, thanks so much for all of the e-mails you have sent to my yahoo account. I read them at breakfast or on the car ride up to Irente. We love to hear from you.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I didn't even think about sending cell phone pictures until today. Pictures don't even do it justice, but it is a start.
Tomorrow is our last day at Irente and that is about all that I can type about that without getting tears in my eyes. We will all be so sad to say goodbye Tomorrow we are spending the day at the orphanage. Lisa Rook and I are ready to live here. I am not sure the orphanage will be the best way to end this trip. The orphanage might just keep us here.
Today we visited the Rainbow school for special needs children and we also visited the school for the blind. It is important to realize the stigma that is facerd by the blind and special needs children in this country. Also, at the blind school there are 7 albino children. In this country, some believe being albino is associated with witch craft, and often these children are killed. Sometimes, when someone kills an albino person, they are praised, because of the beliefs that are directed at albino people. When a child is blind or has a special need they usually go unwanted and hidden. It is a disgrace to the family.
The Rainbow School and the school for the blind are both transforming lives and beliefs. Parents can now send their children here. They realize their child can live a full life. They realize they have a child worth educating, worth loving and worth something to this society. This parish, Irente, is so much more than a church. It is by no means to say that those two schools go beyond providing education to saving lives. The children are angels. They are loving and spirited and full of joy and life. It has been incredibly eye opening to see the contrast in how special needs children are regarded in the US and how they are regarded here. There are no inhome services for these children and there is nothing once they are adults either. But, Rainbow tries to teach them a skill to learn a trade. In addition to the 26 students, Irente also has 350 children in an outreach program. This mean volunteers go into the villages to children who cannot get to school to educate the children and the families. These schools and the people who work tirelessly there are truly God's work.
I am not sure how much more I will get to update before we are home. Please keep us in your prayers especially on Thursday as we travel 7 hours by car to Arusha. Thank you again so much for your love and prayers.
And Just for fun...
You know you are in Tanzania when...
1.) You wake up in the morning and there is a moth in your bed and rather than screaming you say "oh at least it is not a mosquito."
2.) You fit as many people as you can in a car. A lap is a seat. You discover that the more people the better because the more you are squeezed in the less you bounce around on the roads. FYI--our record is 16
3.) You don't care if your clothes match anymore
4.)When you say you're "doing laundry" what you really mean is you are wiping your clothes with a shout wipe, and you actually feel clean after this.
5.) you hoard toilet paper because you never know when you won't have access to a western toilet.
6.) You count Deet as perfume.
7.) What are clean sheets?
8.)You are way more excited than you ever were before about a clean bath towel.
9.) You marvel at the thought of just being able to turn on the faucet and have clean water run out.
10.) In the morning the first thing you ask is " Do we have electricity?"
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Picture cards from Africa
Here are some pictures from Tanzania.
Hey how did this one get in there?
Children at the Rainbow School
Sleeping quarters
Their driver and his bus
Kids on a bus
Life is changing for them all, and they are learning and growing and loving God.
Hey how did this one get in there?
Children at the Rainbow School
Sleeping quarters
Their driver and his bus
Kids on a bus
Life is changing for them all, and they are learning and growing and loving God.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Worship
These two pictures are from the TEAM.
One is a view towards one of the sub parishes, the other is of the Indian Ocean
One is a view towards one of the sub parishes, the other is of the Indian Ocean
Sunday’s worship was GREAT!
The TEAM participated in worship at Irente on Sunday Morning. The worship was three hours long, and it included our team as worship/communion assistants, and P. Shar as the preacher and baptizer. Even though the worship was longer than LCR folks are used to, they said that it went fast, and that there was lively singing, and spirit filled, with a great preacher. Since there was 1 child baptized by P. Shar,, there is a new member of the Body of Christ with an African connection to LCR.
The TEAM was welcomed to worship with open arms and they each got the chance to stand and say a word of Thanx and welcome. Some of the TEAM wore African outfits that were made for them. Worship was a true celebration!
Each morning Kara reads the e-mails that she receives from LCR members to the TEAM and it is a great connection to home, and a welcome morning ritual, so keep them coming.
Monday they will have the chance to go to Tanga and see the Indian Ocean with some members from the Irente congregation.
More Later
Peace Tim
The TEAM participated in worship at Irente on Sunday Morning. The worship was three hours long, and it included our team as worship/communion assistants, and P. Shar as the preacher and baptizer. Even though the worship was longer than LCR folks are used to, they said that it went fast, and that there was lively singing, and spirit filled, with a great preacher. Since there was 1 child baptized by P. Shar,, there is a new member of the Body of Christ with an African connection to LCR.
The TEAM was welcomed to worship with open arms and they each got the chance to stand and say a word of Thanx and welcome. Some of the TEAM wore African outfits that were made for them. Worship was a true celebration!
Each morning Kara reads the e-mails that she receives from LCR members to the TEAM and it is a great connection to home, and a welcome morning ritual, so keep them coming.
Monday they will have the chance to go to Tanga and see the Indian Ocean with some members from the Irente congregation.
More Later
Peace Tim
Saturday, August 8, 2009
An Update From the Team
Hello All! This is Kara. I am in a little tiny internet cafe in Lushoto, Tanzania. I am SO sorry that I have not been able to update before this. The internet cafe next to our hotel closes at 6pm and we are never back by 6pm. It opens at 8am. well, the sign on the dorr says it opens at 8am. I have been down there several times at 8am and it is not open. So the sign really means that it will open whenever the person who works there decides to come and it will be after 8am.
Welcome to Africa :)
I have so much that I want to tell you all. But I am sitting here at a loss for words because it is so overwhelming and because there just are not words. We have fallen in love with the people of Irente. They have met us with such a warm welcome and we have all been brought to tears many, many times.
I guess the best place to start is the begining. We arrived on Monday about 4pm Tanzania time, after a long flight. Long. Really long. We went from DC to Rome and in Rome they did not let us off the plane. It was just to change crews. They did however lift up one side of the plane to bring on a new crew and Lisa jumped in front to breathe in Roman air :) We also took pictures of the runway, because, come on, we were in Rome and had to take pictures. We then flew to Ethopia and had about two hours to wait or the next flight. We also took picture, because we were in Ethopia. We boarded the plane and pretty much all fell asleep. We had been up nearly 24 hours by this point. Some of us apparantly feel so soundly asleep that we slept through the stop in Kenya. So, I have technically been to Kenya, but don't remember :)
We drove to Irente on Tuesday. It was a beautiful drive. It was a post card the entire way. Beautiful and words won't do it any justice. I will post pictures when I get home. I am not even going to attempt it here. We drove up the high mountains to Irente and before we got to the church, we were met with a band in the back of a pick up truck that played music for us to whole way to Irente. It was a parade for us. We were followed and chased by children with flowers and all kinds of things. It was just amazing. We have been met that way every place we go. I can't even explain it, but Pastor Sharon put it perfectly. We don't deserve this love, we didn't do anything to earn it but it is here for us with no strings attached. These people are a picture of God's Grace. We are visiting the homes of many people from our church. I can't even start to explain the poverty. But these people are just soooooo happy to see us and feel soooo honored that we came to see them. Many of the people we have visited have never, ever seen a person with white skin before. The spirit of these people....I can't even explain it. They are a joy.
This past week has changed each of us and we still have a week to go. We can't even think about saying goodbye on Wednesday when we leave for safari. It will be a mess of tears. These people loved us from the second they saw us. We always said we were brothers and sisters in Christ and now we are living and feel that. We felt their love and that we were brothers and sisters from the moment we were in their presence. Pastor Joyce always says that we are joined by the cross and by the blood of Jesus. We are all constantly saying to each other that we are one. And we are.
Be honored that we are partnered with Irente.
We are.
You can send an email to karaLBeardsell@yahoo.com and I can get that on my phone and read it with the team. That might be better than commenting here since it is very difficult to get to the internet.
Thank you so much for your love and prayers. We feel them!
Peace,
Kara and team
Welcome to Africa :)
I have so much that I want to tell you all. But I am sitting here at a loss for words because it is so overwhelming and because there just are not words. We have fallen in love with the people of Irente. They have met us with such a warm welcome and we have all been brought to tears many, many times.
I guess the best place to start is the begining. We arrived on Monday about 4pm Tanzania time, after a long flight. Long. Really long. We went from DC to Rome and in Rome they did not let us off the plane. It was just to change crews. They did however lift up one side of the plane to bring on a new crew and Lisa jumped in front to breathe in Roman air :) We also took pictures of the runway, because, come on, we were in Rome and had to take pictures. We then flew to Ethopia and had about two hours to wait or the next flight. We also took picture, because we were in Ethopia. We boarded the plane and pretty much all fell asleep. We had been up nearly 24 hours by this point. Some of us apparantly feel so soundly asleep that we slept through the stop in Kenya. So, I have technically been to Kenya, but don't remember :)
We drove to Irente on Tuesday. It was a beautiful drive. It was a post card the entire way. Beautiful and words won't do it any justice. I will post pictures when I get home. I am not even going to attempt it here. We drove up the high mountains to Irente and before we got to the church, we were met with a band in the back of a pick up truck that played music for us to whole way to Irente. It was a parade for us. We were followed and chased by children with flowers and all kinds of things. It was just amazing. We have been met that way every place we go. I can't even explain it, but Pastor Sharon put it perfectly. We don't deserve this love, we didn't do anything to earn it but it is here for us with no strings attached. These people are a picture of God's Grace. We are visiting the homes of many people from our church. I can't even start to explain the poverty. But these people are just soooooo happy to see us and feel soooo honored that we came to see them. Many of the people we have visited have never, ever seen a person with white skin before. The spirit of these people....I can't even explain it. They are a joy.
This past week has changed each of us and we still have a week to go. We can't even think about saying goodbye on Wednesday when we leave for safari. It will be a mess of tears. These people loved us from the second they saw us. We always said we were brothers and sisters in Christ and now we are living and feel that. We felt their love and that we were brothers and sisters from the moment we were in their presence. Pastor Joyce always says that we are joined by the cross and by the blood of Jesus. We are all constantly saying to each other that we are one. And we are.
Be honored that we are partnered with Irente.
We are.
You can send an email to karaLBeardsell@yahoo.com and I can get that on my phone and read it with the team. That might be better than commenting here since it is very difficult to get to the internet.
Thank you so much for your love and prayers. We feel them!
Peace,
Kara and team
Aug 8
Greeting all
The Tanzania crew continues to have struggles getting to a computer lab in time to send an update, so I will try to bring you up to speed.
They have been to several sub parishes in the mountain regions of Irente. The Sub Parishes are places that are a bit too far for the villagers to get into town for worship, so the pastor and church volunteers try to get out to them. Sort of like your CARE TEAMS on a village scale. Many of the villages that they are visiting are not accessible by car, so they get as close as they can and then hike in the rest of the way. At least one village was down a path that was only as wide as a triple d shoe. While the lives of the sub parish people are difficult, they certainly are receiving our team with open arms and with joy and dancing and song. The TEAM continues to be greeted with open arms wherever they go, and they are getting a new take on hospitality.
They have been to the university (it’s on break), and the farm and the children’s home, as well as several of the villages in and around Irente. Today they are going to the NED offices, and to several more villages. Then in early so that P. Shar can finish preparing her sermon and practice her Swahili for the baptisms that she has on Sunday.
They will continue to try to get to the computer café for an update in their own words, and maybe some pictures, and we will continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers
Peace
Tim
The Tanzania crew continues to have struggles getting to a computer lab in time to send an update, so I will try to bring you up to speed.
They have been to several sub parishes in the mountain regions of Irente. The Sub Parishes are places that are a bit too far for the villagers to get into town for worship, so the pastor and church volunteers try to get out to them. Sort of like your CARE TEAMS on a village scale. Many of the villages that they are visiting are not accessible by car, so they get as close as they can and then hike in the rest of the way. At least one village was down a path that was only as wide as a triple d shoe. While the lives of the sub parish people are difficult, they certainly are receiving our team with open arms and with joy and dancing and song. The TEAM continues to be greeted with open arms wherever they go, and they are getting a new take on hospitality.
They have been to the university (it’s on break), and the farm and the children’s home, as well as several of the villages in and around Irente. Today they are going to the NED offices, and to several more villages. Then in early so that P. Shar can finish preparing her sermon and practice her Swahili for the baptisms that she has on Sunday.
They will continue to try to get to the computer café for an update in their own words, and maybe some pictures, and we will continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers
Peace
Tim
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Update August 5
Greetings
I have received more information from our TEAM in Irente. The power was out this morning when they went to blog us, and the internet café was closed when they returned this evening so I am your blog go-between. Their trip was long but a good one. They arrived in Tanzania and were met by Pastor Joyce and several drivers, and they went to a hotel in Moshi. The next morning, they drove 4 hours to Lushoto where they met Bishop Stephen Munga and his wife Pastor Anneth Munga, and brought greetings in Swahili from LCR. They also met with a women’s group from your sister congregation in Irente. And tomorrow they are planning to meet the youth of the parish.
They have been met with much love and care and have been overwhelmed by the hospitality of those whom they encounter. They will be able to write a more in-depth update when they can coordinate their schedules to be near the internet café when the electric is on.
Peace
Tim Taylor
I have received more information from our TEAM in Irente. The power was out this morning when they went to blog us, and the internet café was closed when they returned this evening so I am your blog go-between. Their trip was long but a good one. They arrived in Tanzania and were met by Pastor Joyce and several drivers, and they went to a hotel in Moshi. The next morning, they drove 4 hours to Lushoto where they met Bishop Stephen Munga and his wife Pastor Anneth Munga, and brought greetings in Swahili from LCR. They also met with a women’s group from your sister congregation in Irente. And tomorrow they are planning to meet the youth of the parish.
They have been met with much love and care and have been overwhelmed by the hospitality of those whom they encounter. They will be able to write a more in-depth update when they can coordinate their schedules to be near the internet café when the electric is on.
Peace
Tim Taylor
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The TEAM has arrived
Greetings all.
I have just heard from the group and they are in Lushoto, and settling in for the evening. It has been a long few days of travel, but they are safely there. They will try to get to the computers tomorrow and bring us up to date. Thanx for the prayers and the well wishes.
Peace
Tim Taylor
I have just heard from the group and they are in Lushoto, and settling in for the evening. It has been a long few days of travel, but they are safely there. They will try to get to the computers tomorrow and bring us up to date. Thanx for the prayers and the well wishes.
Peace
Tim Taylor
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