God Did.

Today we came to Bible lesson 37 of 40, exploring the mystery of Christ. At the beginning of the year I posed the question of who was responsible for Jesus' death. Today I posed it again and Anen raised his hand. "God was... because in Isaiah it says that 'it was the Lord's will to crush Him.'" (Isaiah 53:10). Then other students added that it was for our sins and possible because He is the Son of God, quoting other verses we've studied and memorized this year. The curriculum brought us through the Old Testament, from Genesis to Micah, looking at all the foreshadowing and prophesies, the "clues to the mystery of Christ." It was beautiful to hear that the kids have heard God's Word and that it has not returned void. They didn't even need today's lesson, because they already knew!

He's Pretty Cute Too

I met these two goats on the way to church this morning, along the side of a busy road. I stopped to buy some water at a duka (shop) after that. A fellow customer asked me where I was from, then how is America different from Tanzania. I told him it is cooler and there are less goats on the side of the road. I didn't think to mention that American goats aren't usually graced with quite as groovy hair styles as this particular goat.

Then I went to church. It was good to worship and see fellow members of the body. My favorite thought was from Ephesians 2:10, that we are created for specific good works. Here so many missionaries are doing so many good works, that I compare myself and feel like I should be doing more more more. It made me smile to think that maybe I'm here just to teach kids by day and listen to my Greek neighbor, sipping Greek coffee, occasionally by night.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus 

for good works, 

which God prepared beforehand 

that we should walk in them. 

Geckos are Cute Too

Here's another cheery thought... Joah gathered gecko eggs from the playground weeks ago. We share a love of natural curiousities. He kept them in this cup on our window sill. The gecklets/gittens/guppies... what do you call a baby gecko?!!... subsequently hatched and graced our room with gecko joy.

Coming Glory

It's two months and a week until my parents come to visit! It's the same amount of time until my one year anniversary in Dar. As you can see here, they've been training for our climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro. I'm very excited to hug them and share Tanzania and our climb.
I'm a bit run down these days... I've been sick one way or another for two weeks. It makes it easier to be homesick and feel discouraged by my shortcomings teaching. (I'm TRYING to remember what grace is all about, but it's hard to do sometimes.) So, it's nice to look ahead to some rest, familiar faces, and immersion in God's restorative and soothing creation.

Robohut

I love Tanzanian fruits and vegetables and chili sauce... but I wouldn't say there is a Tanzanian dish that I'm enchanted with. However, here you see a photo of the night Emily and I went out with a family from school for Ethiopian food... which is DELICIOUS! We have a few Ethiopian restaurants in town, and I very much enjoy eating lentils, tomato salad, injeera (sourdough "tortillas"), and pumpkin wat... all with my FINGERS!

Sunrise on Easter

Easter morning I gathered with friends to watch God's glory in creation and contemplate His glory in the new covenant...

     "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-     not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them," says the Lord.     "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days," says the Lord; "I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hears; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.     No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying 'know the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," says the Lord. "For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more."      

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Happy Green Grocer

I've been excited to tell about the Happy Green Grocer for some time now. It's such a happy place, full of mangoes and greens and butternut squash! It's nearby too, and the shop keepers are happy! Ali and I went one evening last month and I finally remembered to take a picture.

:)