Whatever Floats Your Boat

The question this week was, "What is the best design for a foil boat, that will hold the most weight?" It was really fun and relaxing to give the kids time to create their boats. Some went for looks, with boats sporting flowery sails. Others got ideas in books, adding toilet paper roll pontoons and Popsicle stick outriggers. Then, we got to test the boats. Excitement in the room was thick, with cheering, dancing, and really good observations about the features that actually did help boats float with weight. Bottom line: make the boat wide with high sides, or wrap six toilet paper rolls in foil.

Every Day Masai

One of the really cool things about Tanzania is the Masai. The Masai are a people group who have taken modernization in stride, moving with it but keeping their identity. It is very common to see Masai men walking around urban Dar es Salaam, speaking the Masai language on their cell phones and dressed in their traditional red and blue plaid or stripes. Most of the guards who work around my home are Masai; I love to see the group of 8 or so striding up the hill, colors flowing, braids and jewelry shining in the sun . Masai guards are popular, because they're known as a fierce people group.

Visualizing Grace

 I just finished transcribing notes I took in July, from a series of sermons on Grace. I am excited to review passages from Galatians and other books, and be reminded of how God supplies our salvation AND the ability to do works of love. I  feel that Jesus' words in John 15:3,4 apply to me right now: "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you." I feel like His Words of Grace have washed me this summer, because I see the fruits in the joy I feel with the kids and the grace I more readily extend to them via encouragement and patience.

Serious Business

What is the most popular type of transportation around HOPAC? Well, we still don't know... not at all due to a lack of effort. The kids went on their first "almost field trip" today; we went about five steps off campus. The objective was a merge of our Transportation topic with data handling for math. As shown in facial expressions, the kids were very diligent and excited about spotting cars, bajajis, buses, motorbikes, and more. The only thing was, we went out in two groups, with different findings. Consensus is that the first group saw the morning traffic jam, full of cars, and the second group saw the buses come out en force.

A Memorable Day

Yesterday Emily and I went grocery shopping, as usual. On the way home, traffic began to slow about two miles from our house. Soon we were at a standstill, surrounded by five lanes of traffic on a two lane road; drivers get very creative here.

During the next hour we moved about a hundred yards. The road became quite lively, with people vacating buses to walk home, and drivers leaving their vehicles to great friends. One man must have gone too far, because we heard him calling, "Bajaji yangu, uko wapi?" (My bajaji, where are you?) There seemed no hope of a clearing. Even motorcycles couldn't get through.

Emily and I saw that we were near our pastor's house. Somewhat desperate, we paid our driver, gathered our ten grocery bags, and left the gridlock. We were graciously received, with only moderate surprise. They kept our groceries and we made our way home on foot through all the sluggish vehicles, stopping on the way to visit with a friend stuck waiting in her van. Again, the atmosphere was quite festive, with more people than usual, the light of a full moon, and plenty of honking.

Our house mates were a bit surprised to see us back home with no groceries... except the chocolate bars of course. But no worries, we gathered the groceries after church today, came home through smooth flowing traffic, and restocked the mango basket.