Brother Nathan Dunlap(MSJ) and family arrived in Tanzania on May 15 for a six-month mission in Nyakato, on the outskirts of Mwanza. Here is their first report:
Jamba (Hello):
We
are now on our third full day and staying briefly in Dodoma, the capital city.
There have been so many experiences in these few days it feel as though we have
been here weeks:
Our projected six hour drive
from Dar to Dodoma turned into ten hours but was incredibly interesting. We
were able to see just about every Tanzanian landscape and lifestyle - from city
to far out country to mountains and valleys to deserts. It is difficult to describe this wonderful place.
Everyone is working. Hands are busy.
People are living. There are no TV’s, no video games. A boy is welding gates,
and another building beds. There are others selling food and drinks on the
highways. There are the little girls and boys returning from school. There are
the young people learning trades from elders. There are the ladies cooking, men
working hard, and little boys herding cattle. Everyone is busy. Everyone is
unique and different, but all still similar. There's vegetation everywhere; Big
trees, pretty flowers, food, bushes, etc.... This land is beautiful!
We have been busy: our first
day here we attended the consecration of a Bishop. The Archbishop of Canterbury
and the president of Tanzania were present. The service was five hours long,
almost completely in Swahili, and half way through I decided I'd never complain
about an hour and a half church service in English again!
Sunday we worshipped in a
small village Anglican church in the town of Kongwa. Since we had Bishop Kwangu
with us, the worship was over four hours. (they
usually get a visit from the Bishop maybe every couple years). Later,
we visited St. Phillip's Theological School where Bp. Kwangu was a
student and staff for many years.
We love Tanzania and ask your
prayers as our work begins………..
