Lenten Seder

It started out wishing that there was a time like advent leading up to Easter, where people gather to reflect and anticipate. Then I remembered Lent. I remembered how we gathered for Lenten soup and bread suppers at my church growing up. I thought, "We could to that here in our house."

My lovely housemate, Ronit, agreed and added on something from her background: the messianic Seder... where you go through the Jewish retelling of God redeeming Isreal from Egypt, and look at how that story foreshadowed the redemption Christ brought at Easter.

So we began. Night number one Ronit braided up a slew of Challah (pictured above) and I concocted a couple pots of soup. We took out the couch and threw down the cushions, transforming our living room into a middle eastern haven. Friends came. We reflected on the Cup of Redemption (kadesh=קדש), part one of the Seder. Then we shared soup and bread and good company.

And so we continue, each Friday reflecting on a portion of the Seder and sharing soup, bread, and good company, until the celebration of His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Ticket to Ride

I can now drive legally  in Tanzania. Isn't it pretty? (The psychedelic parts only show up with flash photography.)

Probably I won't be on the road often, but now I can help out on long drives or whenever else it's helpful.

My housemate was my instructor. Here are the rules of the road per Ronit:

• Stay on the left side of the road.
• Actually, stay in the middle of the road unless there's an oncoming car: less chance of hitting pedestrians.
• Honk often.

That's about it. So far they've served me well.

Help Wanted

Please share this with anyone you think might be interested!

Lake Victoria Learning Center in Musoma, Tanzania is in urgent need of an elementary teacher to join their team.

If you are a certified teacher with at least one year of experience, then this is a great opportunity to work in a unique, multi-level, non-traditional setting which enables many missionary families to continue their work in Tanzania. 

If God is calling you to this ministry, we’d love to explore the options with you. We would like to have you in country by January 2016, with a commitment of at least 18 months.

Please contact Toby Mak in the Uganda-Tanzania Branch’s Human Resources Department at recruitment_utb@sil.org.

Please pray that that God would call the right person to this position.

Sandawe News

I just read a neat article written by our branch communications person, telling about effects of the Sandawe translation project. The Sandawe people live in central Tanzania and speak a unique language. It's unique because it is a click language... Which most people have only heard in The Gods Must be Crazy!

Here's the article: The Sandawe people of Tanzania now have Luke's gospel in their language. We partnered with The Jesus Film Project to create a new dialogue track using mother tongue speakers. When our copy of the film was ready, we visited five Sandawe villages to show it.

In one village, a young mother named Amina came to see the film, carrying her 4-year-old disabled daughter on her back. After the film, she asked us to pray for her daughter. We did, and also gave her the name of the nearest evangelical pastor. We later heard that she hiked to his village with her husband (of a different faith), and they had a good conversation about Jesus.

Please, pray with us for Amina, her daughter and husband, and the many others who have seen the Jesus Film in Sandawe. Ask God to speak to them through the several complete books of the Bible they now have in their heart language.

For more informations and stories about the Sandawe translation team visit: http://www.thetask.net/sandawe/

LVLC Tour!!

I've just uploaded a video LVLC Tour!! Many thanks to my lovely housemate Ronit for the technical support on this venture:).

Clay Today!

Today was our first art class. It was really fun to introduce the 9 kids (6 learning center kids and 3 from a homeschooling family) to clay.

It's funny, living here makes me realize more strongly what makes up MY culture... It's America, yes. But it's also the granola-eating-and-hiking-on-green-mountains Pacific Northwest, the simplicity of my no-electricity growing up home, the conversation styles of my closest friends... And today I was thinking of the arts culture from my parents, the potters.

I love to learn about and integrate with the culture of Tanzania. But I also love to share the other cultures that God's given me in my life.

I Live at Planet Smoothie

 My favorite place in Nairobi is Planet Yogurt, Kenya's do-it-yourself frozen yogurt enterprise. We don't have one in Musoma. Alas, nothing like it at all.

However I realize: I LIVE at Planet Smoothie!!! Frozen mango, pineapple, banana, avocado, even dark greens... kiefer in the fridge, spices and nuts on the shelf. What more luxury could anyone ever ask for?! Planet Smoothie in my kitchen every morning. Ahh...