Snakes, travels and waiting

We had a good trip back to Kibidula from Dar es Salaam.  I say that because our bus did not have working speakers or TV so we had a nice quiet trip without being bombarded for 9 hours with loud music or strangeness of various degrees. 

After our return Doug and Joshua were headed down the road doing some work and Doug called to Joshua to stop, as he saw a very large puff adder crossing the road.  Doug had a shovel with him, so he conveniently disarmed the snake.  Here it is pictured.  It was a full three feet long.  It is the largest one I have seen yet.  They are poisonous but not aggressive.  We have been told that they are slow, and pose a treat because they can not leave the area quickly enough, often getting stepped on by animals or people.  Their only defense is a bite to the offending item that steps on them.  They eat rats, though, which scores a point in my book.   

3 Foot Puff Adder

 After our return , we were home for about two weeks doing various tasks (Tamara teaching English to the second year agricultural school students, Doug installing solar lights in some of the workers homes, working on the solar water system - a few bugs have popped up in that process, getting firewood, working in the garden, etc.)  

Then the call came that we needed to go to Iringa to make a deposit at a specific bank to pay the clearing charges for the container.  It is about 220 km to Iringa and back.  Now I had to (begrudgingly) use my drivers license.  Driving is a different world here!  The mission station needed cash from another bank, so it worked out for us to borrow a vehicle (the users are on furlough right now) and drive there and back.  Doug wanted to get his drivers license process started since we would be in Iringa, so we did that also.  We ended up spending the night in the same place I stayed when I went to get my license.  It is mostly clean and a good price for three people (equivalent to $10 US.)  We could have saved money and got one that didn't have a bathroom, but the receptionist didn't offer, and I didn't ask.  I like being able to get up and go to the bathroom without going down the hall and having to share it will everyone else on that floor.  We have done that, but it is not my preference.  And I am pretty sure that this place doesn't not have specific bathrooms separate for women and men.  YIKES.


God blessed and we were able to do our tasks safely (with much prayer.)  We picked up various items for several others here on campus while we were there also.

The container cleared for much more than we had hoped.  We are waiting to find out how much transport will be, which sounds like it will also be more expensive than expected, but God always provides.

Since Doug had his provisional license before we left Iringa, I was able to be the passenger and tried to take a few pictures to share the "flavor" of our trip.  Iringa is the regional seat, so it is the largest nearby city.  Here are some pictures.  We were on the move and I was trying to be discrete while taking them.  They could have been a lot better and clearer under better circumstance.

Downtown Iringa at the Market (sokoni)  I found grapefruit!

 I was told that there was grapefruit in Iringa a couple of weeks ago.  We saw some in Dar es Salaam while we were there, but they wanted like 2,000 TSH or more for them.  I was able to buy 4 in Iringa for only 500 TSH each and he then gave me one free!

Downtown Iringa building in progress.

 The scaffolding is always scary looking.

A congested side street in downtown Iringa.

 Trying to figure out which streets are one way, avoiding bicycles, motorcycles, carts, piles of gravel and dirt, holes, LOTS of pedestrians, sellers with merchandise all the way out in the street, not to mention cars is challenging, especially if you have another impatient vehicle behind you.

Heavy loads being transported by bikes (on our way home.)

 We see all kinds of BIG LOADS being transported in various ways, but usually I can't get a picture.  We see large loads of wood being carried on bikes, large loads of everything on people's heads, etc. 

Young children carrying heavy loads of water.

 Many of the children in Africa work very hard.  Children go to fetch water for long distances, and they start at ages much younger than Joshua.

This is a NEW daladala, loaded with people, and stuff!

This is the newest daladala I have seen!  We have seen them pack up to 40 people inside (including us) and load the back cargo "area" full.  This one is so full that they can't get the door shut, and then there are jugs tied to the outside in the back.  I saw one this trip that I would be hard-pressed to ride on.  It looked like it was falling apart - literally.

Pine forest just before getting to Kibidula

We are almost home.  This area runs through some pine forest that is cultivated for timber.  There are varying stages of trees here.  It is a very pretty site (especially after being gone for a few days!)  It means we are almost home! 

I hope my next post shows a picture of our shipping container being unloaded.  We just got word that it is now out of port, on the truck, but they need to weld it onto the trailer.  That is being held up because of POURING RAIN!  This isn't the right time of year for that.  Just another delay to help us be thankful and patient.  We had hoped it would be here tomorrow morning, but now we will have to see.

Eleven dogs, 500% markup, and natural remedies

The place we have stayed the last 4 nights has ELEVEN (yes I finally counted them while they were eating last night) guard dogs during the night hours that patrol the grounds inside the fenced area around our complex that has our room.  There are at least 3 buildings in here.  Since there is only one tiny piece of glass in all the windows, we hear everything like we are living and sleeping outside.  That can make sleeping VERY challenging, even with earplugs.  Last night it sounded like something was getting killed by some of the dogs.  Then I heard two different people trying to get "whatever" to stop.  This was all through my earplugs as the sounds and yelling continued.  But that said, I slept better last night than I think I have in the last 6 nights. 

The doctor that we are learning from has a book/notebook that we got photocopied today.  The first several places that we tried were closed.  The next place we tried wanted 500 TSH per sheet.  That is 10 times more than what we paid for copies in Musoma last year, and 5 times more than the price that we have paid in Dar es Salaam, Iringa and Mafinga!  We decided to look elsewhere.  The next shop we tried wanted 300 TSH per page. Then finally we found a nice place that also did binding.  We were happy with our final purchase which we even got bound.  It was air conditioned in there, too. :)  The humidity has been a bit high while we have been in Dar, so that was nice.   When we returned the doctor's original, he said they were asking so much more money because they saw that we are white and were hoping to make extra money on us.  The other day when we were getting on a city bus, the conductor said he would have to charge us extra because we had luggage.  We asked how much.  He said 4,000 TSH. the bus fare is only 300 TSH per person.  We said "NO WAY!"  He said "ah, come on.  Help me out."  We didn't.  This was the same day that we got pick-pocketed, too.  We didn't even take his bus.  He was so interested in getting our money, that he wasn't even listening to where we told him that we needed to go.  His bus didn't go to our destination.   

Crushing herbs with the doctor

The natural remedies training with the local doctor has been good (but also exhausting.) 

Hands on learning

We start in the afternoon after a hot day.  Then we walk all over, up and down hills, river banks and such places in the heat and humidity. 

Gathering Mango Tree leaves for another natural remedy.

After it started getting dark tonight, I told Doug I wanted him to send Joshua and I home early.  He did.  That was two and one half hours ago, and Doug still hasn't come back to the room.  We have had two good days of training.  There are so many plants here that we didn't have in the US where we lived.  It has been very interesting to learn what works here locally and how to prepare them.  It is a really good that he decided to show us and have us make some of these remedies.  Our idea of a "handful" and his are two VERY different sizes!  When he says handful - you hand is FULL!



Our container could arrive in the final port as early as tomorrow!  Now is the time for extra prayers regarding the following:  no damage, no theft, that the inspection goes well, it gets to Kibidula quickly, that transport goes safely and all of it comes within our shipping budget funds.  I hope it clears customs quickly and can be transported the final distance to its (and our) new home soon!   

Tanga trip and back in Dar es Salaam.

Our trip to Tanga was very blessed.  If I hadn’t gotten a terrible headache, it might have been perfect!  To our delight the bus that took us to Tanga and the one returning did not play loud music or disturbing videos.  It was a nice quiet ride both coming and going.  That was a nice change.  We were promptly picked up by our receiving agent and ushered through many steps and offices.  Copies of paperwork and passports were made, then to their office, then to the tax office there in Tanga.  The main person was out for lunch, so then to lunch for us also.  Then back to the tax office where we made a new friend.  More details on that situation will come after the container arrives to see how that all works out.   Then back to the receiving agent’s office, then to the shipping lines office where the receiving agent got ‘tough” with them and the container was rescheduled to a faster ship.  Then back to the receiving agent’s office to finish the changes on some paperwork that the tax agent requested.  Our agent then found us a nice clean, cheap room that had A/C!  With the humidity of Tanga, it was a treat!

The next morning we returned to Dar es Salaam.  Since we are already in this area, we have made arrangements to do some training with a local doctor/teacher starting tomorrow.   

The doctor helped us find a room close to his clinic at a reasonable price (about ½ of what we were paying in downtown Dar.  So we have many, many praises.

Now, if all goes as expected, the container is suppose to get to port between Tuesday and Thursday of this week.  If things go REALLY well, it could make it to Kibidula within two weeks of that time.  I am trying not to fantasize too much about getting all my stuff that will make living in Africa easier. 

Now if it were just quiet at night here in our new room, or we could sleep through all the noises – we would be set!  It will make going back to Kibidula that much sweeter, I guess.  There are at least seven “watch dogs” that patrol this area.  Then there are lots of people sounds and the local pub just down the street.  We don’t have glass in any of our windows, so it is almost like we are outside ourselves as far as noises go.  God is answering many, many prayers.

Now I just pray that nothing in the container is broken, damaged or stolen and that we can clear it and get it transported for a very reasonable price safely. 

Travel, Dar es Salaam, Solar Pump Installed

Solar Panels in place!

There has been a lot that has happened since my last blog entry. 

Doug and Jason finished installing the solar panels for the solar water pump for the Primary School and clinic.  We are so thankful that they went up safely.  Thank you everyone for your prayers.   Fortunately I was teaching at the Primary School, so I didn't witness the placing of the panels up above Doug's head precariously.  They had to be put up this day because we had to travel to Dar es Salaam to request an extension of exemption for duty on our container since it did not arrive within 90 days of our arrival.

Our bus ride from Mafinga to Dar was interesting.  We left Kibidula at 7:45 am and arrived in our hotel between 8-9 pm.  It was a long day.  There were not seats on the bus when we climbed on, so they did a bit of rearranging and made a child share a seat with Joshua and another passenger gave her seat up for me.  Doug sat up in the front on the padded area.  I was seated by a man with a very small child.  I don't know exactly what he had been feeding her and letting her drink (soda I think.)  It was not long until her stomach decided it was not something good for her and proceeded to empty the contents back out the way it had came.  The man took the brunt of it.  Then I was wondering what would happen, and nothing did.  We just continued to ride.  Quite a while later I was moved to the very back of the bus.  Joshua was now in the middle and Doug was in the very front.  We did see over 30 elephants, over 20 giraffes, 4 zebras and a couple of impala during the ride.  That is about the opposite of the previous times we have come through Mikumi National Park.  The bus from Dar to Mafinga drives through the park area 20-30 minutes each way.  We saw all the animals during the first 10 minutes of entering that area.  Dad asked if it was a fenced in area.  No it is not.  It is just a designated area of "national park."  I think the animals are more regulated or protected there, but I don't know all the specifics.  We certainly do enjoy looking for the animals during that part of the bus ride. 

We ended up spending an entire week in Dar working to get our exemption letter from the proper government office. While we have been here, though, we have been able to make some new contacts regarding the work that we are doing and will be doing here in Tanzania.  The delays in the exemption letter turned out to be blessings.    

Dar es Salaam view over the harbor - Indian Ocean

While walking from the Revenue Authority office one day when we were told to come back later, one of the businesses that do the Zanzibar trips invited us to come into their office area and enjoy the pretty view of the ocean. They said if we ever decide to take the ferry to Zanzibar to remember them.  It is out of our budget to go, but we enjoyed the free view!  That is where I took the picture of the harbor.

Hand verses Ceiling Fan - Fan wins!

We were getting ready to head out from the hotel on Thursday and Doug was putting on his backpack.  He raised his arm over his head as he put on one of the straps and put his hand directly in the path of the big ceiling fan.  It was on a high setting and the metal blades made quick work of three fingers.  The picture here is the day after.  We were thankful that the bleeding was controllable after a few minutes.  It even cut through his fingernail.  It has been 5 days now and we praise the Lord that he has had no infection.  He neither had any pain except when they were bumped!  He did almost pass out in the pharmacy store where we went to get first aid materials after the adrenaline wore off, though. 

Fruits and Veggies for sale on the sidewalk in Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam has a lot of variety available.  For the "right price" one can get things that we have not seen anywhere else in Tanzania.

We were able to buy some really nice apples, pears and even mango here.  We also found a very nice simple whole wheat bread and simple peanut butter.  We also saw some produce that I don't have a clue what I would do with them!  Some of the vendors want to be paid if I take their pictures so I don't have pictures of some of the things I would like to have shown here.  

So after making many new friends here in Dar es Salaam, getting our paperwork, making good contacts for the health work, it is time to proceed to Tanga to get the next step complete for receiving the container.  Our exemption letter that we received is only good through the end of this month, so we need to pray very much that the container will arrive in Tanga on the boat that comes on May 20th.  We were told that there is a lot of congestion in the ports and that is why our container has not arrived in Dar, yet.  So we are asking for prayers that "berth" will become available for our ship and container VERY SOON.  So after living in a hotel in Dar es Salaam for over a week, tomorrow we travel to a new place.  Hopefully we can do all the necessary paperwork and government office visits quickly and return to Kibidula, quickly.  We will see!

A still small voice & WATER!

Some of the children at our primary school

I started substitute teaching at the primary school here at Kibidula last week on Tuesday.  I started the day with a little bit of a sore throat.  I asked for prayers and was able to teach each day.  Sunday I lost my voice completely on and off!  This is an unusual experience for me.  I prayed and asked God to help me, and I taught anyhow Monday and Tuesday of this week.  The head teacher was afraid that I would lose my voice completely again for a week or more if I keep trying to use it.  God blessed though and I often had more voice by the end of classes than at the beginning, only to loose it again when I got home.

Standard 4 class - 6 girls and 5 boys in the 4th grade

And as I am having to whisper, I have talked to the students about "what kind of voice does God speak to us in?"  It is a still small voice.  just like they must be still and listen very much to hear me when I can not speak much, we must quiet ourselves to hear God's voice.  I am encouraging them and myself to take time to be quiet and listen for His still small voice.  He LOVES to direct us - now if we will only listen!




NOTHING TAKES GOD BY SURPRISE!  So God knew that I would have this issue right now, and He already had a solution in mind.  God brought to the school just in time to take my place a young man that needs work and enjoys teaching.  I will still teach the Bible class each day until the regular teacher returns, but that will take a lot of stress off my voice.  God is WONDERFUL!  So, I taught only two classes today and I am home to rest for a while.

It is amazing how many times in so many subjects I have had an opportunity to share spiritual things with the children.  History and Civics often have opportunities. All the subjects are important, but it is even more important that each child understands how it fits in with the Bible and God's plan for our redemption.  Bible class always gives many opportunities, too!  I hope that we are reaching their hearts and minds for Jesus!

Fletcher, the man that is volunteering from the states to assemble Kibidula's larger airplane, bought a new soccer ball for the school.  They were SO excited to get a new ball that would hold air.  I hope it lasts for a long time.  They all love to play so much during lunch and break times.  One of the children was kicking around a volleyball yesterday or the day before.  I asked him if he knew what kind of ball it was.  He said it was a volley ball, then he bounced it into the air at me.  I returned his bounce, and then soon a large crowd of students came and we were bouncing it to each other through the air.  Then another teacher joined us, and even another teacher.  The children enjoyed it so much, having the teachers out with them, playing, even for just a few minutes.  A couple of times I asked for the ball and would gently throw it to the new Russian student (1st grade) we have at school.  He is just now learning English.  He enjoyed being part of the play.  He is the only Caucasian child at the school.  That along with not knowing English (the school's language) or Swahili (the country's language) can make it seem a bit awkward for him.  All of the teachers are working to help him adjust and make him part of the school.  We are also praying very much for the characters of the children.  They are precious little people that all belong to God.  It is amazing to have 90 new children on my heart.

Many of the students from the primary school.

The school has been without water while the solar pump install continues.  There have been things that have come up that have delayed here and there.  Yesterday the tower was brought up into place and the cement was poured.  So hopefully, if all goes well today and tomorrow morning, we may have water at the school again tomorrow!  It was a lot of hard work for the men that were hauling cement down the hill for the tower base.  Then they would push their wheel barrows back up the steep hill.  Some of them worked barefoot!  Even Beltina was telling me how tired Douglas was in the afternoon.  They all worked very hard.  It was a LOT of cement hauling, and a very steep hill.  It is tricky for me to walk up or down the hill not carrying anything.  When we took the tower pieces down, I often slipped.  The height of the tower doesn't even reach the top of the hill that they had to climb and descend each time.  After the pipe is raised the solar panels will be even higher.

Since I started this blog entry, Doug and Jason hooked up the water pump and did a test with the solar panels on the ground instead of on the tower.  It is a VERY overcast day, and...  WE HAD WATER!  We were all elated!  The lines were hooked up and water was pumped up to the clinic.  The pipe is not hooked to the tank yet because we want to make sure everything is working.  It is.  The primary school students came over to see the new water system working.  They very much enjoyed testing the water. 

Primary students very happy about the new solar pump and water

We hope to have water coming out at the primary school tap by tomorrow if all goes well today.  Doug hopes to run enough water into the tank at the clinic to supply their needs for tomorrow.  Then he will finish the dangerous part of the install tomorrow (putting the panels way up high on the tower to expose them to the most sun, and to reduce the possibility of theft.)  Please pray for safety for him and the equipment.

Joshua gave the sermon this last week at church.  It was about Trusting God even during Troubles.  It was a simple and good message about things we can learn especially from the story of Joseph in Genesis.  The graduation for the Lay Evangelism school went well on Sunday, along with Doug's medical missionary training for them the last week.

The rainy season is almost completely gone.  We have not had rain for several days.  Today it did mist a little bit, and it is very windy and cloudy.  Soon there will be NO MORE RAIN for 6 months!  Yes - really NO RAIN.

I looked in the garden yesterday and I have little lettuce plants coming up.  I am SO EXCITED.  The pea plants, kohlrabi and kale look like they may also grow.

We have NO WORD on our container at the moment.

I am needing to get well, and the head teacher at the school started to have a sore throat today, too.  PLEASE pray for her.  If she gets sick, she looses her voice easily.  I hope to have more good news to report later this week.  God is faithful.

Yesterday at prayer meeting, I  looked around the room at the mix of people that were there.  There were people from Tanzania, Zambia, Switzerland, Canada, South Africa and the United States.  I feel so at-peace with these wonderful people that are in our lives.  It was wonderful.  There is no happier place than to be in the center of God's will.  No matter the struggles, the challenges, missing friends and family - it is the best place to be.  I praise Him for His marvelous grace and love!

Bees, Bugs, Cat, Drivers License, Funeral and Jack Hammers

This has been a rather lengthy week, it seems.  I am certainly tired and ready for Sabbath.  Bees, bugs, cat, drivers license, a funeral and jack hammers - what do these things have in common?  They are part of my life this week!

Our neighbor came over twice today with bee stings.  After the second time, I asked if I could help.  Her house had become infested with honey bees last night.  We were able to get most of them out and down to a workable amount, before I left.  We used baking soda and charcoal for her, and sugar water on a spoon to catch the bees.  There was a LOT of bees.  We should have counted as we got rid of them, but there really were too many.

I was so thankful that I didn't invite anyone over for any meals today.

Breakfast was red millet that is very inexpensive at the market.  I don't know if anyone eats it the way we tried to today.  After being picked through at least twice and sifted it was still very sandy.  It also has a very strange texture when cooked whole.  It really was not pleasant.

And lunch was even more interesting.  Our beans got infested with bugs.  Our helper sorted through them, but didn't do quite the job I had hoped for.  After they were cooked and we had eaten quite a few, I noticed some big issues.  There were bugs "in" some of the beans and then a few floaters, too.  

Quincy, the neighbor's cat.

The same neighbor with the bees has a cat.  His name is Quincy.  Since she had been gone all last week and two days this week, he has become lonely and started to visit us.  He is even becoming friends with the dog!  I hope he might help out with the mice issue.  Today he came over twice and walks right into the house talking the whole time.  Joshua was on the rug finishing his "eye-patch-time" and some home school spelling, and the cat made himself very at home on Joshua's back.  He is a sweet cat.

The owner of the language school that we attended for six weeks died last week.  Some of the Kibidula staff that was acquainted with them wanted to go to the funeral and I did, too.  So we made arrangements to go.  With us going to Iringa and past, some others wanted to start the process of getting our drivers licenses.  When Doug heard that he suggested I try also. 

So we left at 5:20 am on Tuesday and I returned home around 8 pm on Wednesday night.

Getting the drivers license is a multi-step process including the following: getting the Tax Identification Number (which I had;) filling out the application; taking the application to room #6, getting your picture taken, answering questions, and getting a slip to take to a bank to pay the first 10,000 TSH; going to the bank and waiting in long hot lines then paying; waiting three hours for the payment to register at the TRA office (I went to the funeral during the waiting time;) going back to the TRA office with the receipt and getting another bank payment slip for 3,000 TSH to take to the bank to pay; paying at the bank (over an hour in line this time;) going to the police station.  

Here we ran out of time.  We were not told at this time, but the computers were down.  We were just told that we needed to come back at 9 am the next day.  The man that we were dealing with was talking to me and finally he asked me if I was a Seventh-day Adventist.  I said I was and found out he was also.  We talked a bit about various things and I asked him if he could suggest a hotel that was without lice/bed bugs and at a decent price.  He really took my request to heart.  He made us wait.  Many of us were very tired from all the traveling, walking, waiting in lines and such.  He kept getting on his phone going into his office and telling us to wait.  After a while another man came and they walked us to a vehicle.  At our puzzled faces he said it is a free ride to the hotel for us.  It was a friend of his that he had called to get us in a large vehicle (since there were four of us at this time.)  He took us to a very secured (fenced and guarded) government school and hostel.  It was clean enough and at good prices.  The man that brought us made sure that we were very comfortable and pleased before he left us for the night. I could tell of more stories, but will stop at that.  We were very blessed to be taken care of so well.  I even had a private toilet in my room!

The next day we walked across town to the police station to be told that we needed to go to the TRA office first.  We walked back, and were told the opposite.  We walked back to the police station again and this time we talked to our "friend" again.  He told us that the computers were down and they didn't know for how long.  We spent the day waiting, making trips back to check on the computer status (and praying.)  At 3 pm miracles started happening.  We experienced something I haven't seen before in Tanzania.  I saw "rushing around."  There was a LOT of people waiting now at the police station for the computers to come up.  We had made many friends by now and were invited to sit in one of the officer's booths with him.  Another officer came to the door and told us to give him our papers and QUICKLY disappeared.  A while later someone rushed in and gave a big stack to one of us.  The officer behind the desk took them.  I helped him sort them out and match up our names on the sheets.  He stapled them together in order and then another person rushed them somewhere.  A while later we were told to "come, come!"  We went, went!  We got to the door of another booth, and were motioned through to the back office.  The lady there started calling out our names and handing us our papers ready to go to the next step.  We were elated!  That is SO unexpected for Africa!  People usually don't get in a hurry at all.  God was working in our behalf.  We made our exit quickly and one of us went to get in line at the bank.  We knew that we had to go back to the TRA office, then another payment at the bank and one more time to the TRA office.  Time was running out and another one hour wait at the bank would put us out of time.  We went to the office, and were blessed with a short line and got finished there in probably 5-10 minutes.  We hurried to the bank, and our person was almost to the front of the LONG line (another miracle.)  The payments of 10,000 TSH each were made and receipts were in hand.  Our fastest person ran back to the TRA office and we walked quickly that way.  Just as we entered the gate I got a call from our "runner" saying he needed some paperwork that I had.  I told him I was walking in the door.  I walked past a LONG line of people and entered the office where he was standing at the desk.  I handed over the papers and we were told that we were done, and the licenses could be picked up next week.  We had finished before the office had closed!  We were elated and praising God for moving mountains.  I asked our runner how he was able to get in so fast with such a line of people.  He said they were all outside the door, and he walked in the office (inside there is a small waiting room.)  The line then followed him in the office. The man behind the desk motioned him up.  God has a thousand ways to provide for us.  We were praising Him, praising Him as we walked back to the bus station to get a bus back toward Kibidula (another two plus hour trip.)  It was a GREAT ending to two long days of adventure.

Just a few of the MANY people at the funeral.

The funeral was full of both locals and people from all over the world.  It was amazing how many people were there.  It was a sad event, but we were thankful that we could be there for the family.

We had an unexpected ride to and from the funeral also.  We made new friends in both rides (people from the US, England and an Arabic man.)  

Doug using the jack hammer

Doug was busy at home working to get the base of the antenna tower out so it could be used to mount the solar panels for the new solar water pump for the primary school and clinic.  After working with sledge hammers, Jason mentioned something using a jack hammer would be better.  There had been some used here at Kibidula and the phone calls were started to search them out.  The jack hammers were found and after MUCH work to get them started, they were able to make much faster progress.  I was told that they spent more time in trying to start them than in using them.  Each time we had to start them again, it was character building (and tiring!)  We were able to finish with that this morning.  So after four days the base is free.  We hauled the base and tower parts down to the new location. 

More Ag students making a place for the new pipeline.

The agriculture students have been digging up the trench for laying the new pipe, up the valley wall through our orchard, to the up-campus main tank, to the primary school and the clinic.  They expect to be done this weekend. 

They cut through existing water lines at least three times.  Two of which effect our water supplies.  Isn't that exciting?

Some of the Ag students making a place for the new water line and our moved tower for the solar pump.

We also fitted another person with reading glasses this week.  He was very excited about getting them.

To top it off, we were able to dig out the massage table from one of the buildings at the clinic.  We have it mostly cleaned up and now in the living room (thanks to some big help from friends.)

More Pictures

Yellow-headed Dwarf Day Gecko in Dar es Salaam

A big dead bug.  My size 9 shoe as a reference.

Some of our view as we road to Kibidula through on of the parks.

Impala

What we DON'T want to happen when our container comes.

 

Mud houses along the highway

Arriving at the Mafinga market after our ride from Dar

Two of many monkeys looking over our fence at our new house.

Red-headed agama at language school

One of many BIG millipedes.  This one with orange/red stripes.

Giant millipede with green stripes

A hair-brush type flower from a tree at camp.

My cropping disappeared when I emailed this.  There is a really nice bird in this picture.

The children going to fetch water from the river and bring it back to their village.

One of many beautiful flowers in my yard.

The view from tower one of part of our yard at Kibidula.

Doug working on removing one of the two antennas from our house.

My vodacom internet bundle expires tomorrow.  We use the other service because it usually works faster and is cheaper.  So I have some megabytes to use up today, so I am uploading some pictures.  I hope you enjoy them.