Graduation picture (at last)!

What a relief... I copied most of the photos from my old laptop onto a cd and then did a virus check on it and it was clear! So now I can start again, and here is the photo I wanted to share from the school's graduation of form four students. Lilian and Maida asked for this shot to be taken, and now they've left the school. Form two have also taken their national exams and gone home, so we are left with a small group of forms one and three students.

It is nice because now the Bible Knowledge class can be on a better day, (Wednesday) and we can catch up a little, because on Mondays one or other of them were often not there. Even so they are still struggling a bit with keeping up to date with homework.

Elizabeth has come through her operation well, and is staying in hospital to get her confidence back walking - the first operation left her unable to walk without a frame or crutches, so now everything is a new experience again.

I am looking forward to coming to UK in December after the next set of exams are over - pray that I can get the marking finished before leaving.

Viruses

Apparently my old laptop which has all my pictures on it is riddled with viruses, so I'm going to have to get a new camera which agrees with this (new) laptop - maybe when I come to UK in December... I'll be around for a few weeks visiting my Dad and other family and friends. Meanwhile I need to somehow get the photos off the old one, free of infection.

Here in Kilolo we may get electricity soon, and it will make a big difference to life. At the moment I have to go to town or the farm to charge batteries and do a longer time on the internet. Keep up those prayers!

Pray too for Elizabeth Phillips (84yrs) who is going to have another hip replacement next week in Dar es Salaam, because the first one wasn't a success.

Antibiotics!

No, I haven't been feeling that great all week - just because of a scratch on my shoulder which became infected, and wouldn't heal! The scratch itself was very minor, so I ignored it at the time, but perhaps because of swimming in a dam or the river, it became infected and more painful as time went on, so ten days later I decided 'something must be done'. I started a course of antibiotics on Monday and was very glad to finish it yesterday, because of being kept awake at night as well as a bit of stomach upset. However, it has healed and I am feeling much better now, so am very thankful for that.

During the week I was finishing off marking exam papers, and the kids have done well this time round, answering with well thought out essays. That did make it take longer to mark though, and I am glad to have finished that too!

Still having problems with my laptop, and downloading photos, so please continue to pray for my camera! Thanks!

Synod

It does sound boring, but I'm really enjoying this Synod of the Diocese of Ruaha! It meets once every three years, and this is going to be the last one chaired by Bishop Donald Mtetemela. We're going to miss him, but are praying that God will make it clear who the next Bishop is to be, for next year. Meanwhile as we talk about what's been going on since the last one in 2005 it's quite exciting to hear. There are some discouragements as well, such as: The question was raised why evangelists sometimes leave their churches and return home. They are 'missionaries' though, and need support and training for the cross-cultural move, when they are sent to open a new church. Hopefully, as a result of this discussion, in the future this will be included in their courses at the Bible schools - one of them is where I teach, St Michael's Kilolo.

I was hoping to include a picture, but have been having trouble again with my laptop, so will try to get round the problem... Keep up those prayers!

New Dining Hall

In the Secondary school the graduation ceremony planned for next week is to be held in the new dining hall pictured before (and after) the roof was put on. It will involve all the form four leavers (74 students). They haven't yet done their exams, but when they do, it will be difficult to gather them together again, so it's done before the 'O' levels.

I have had a lot of difficulty connecting to the internet recently, so only now am able to update my blogsite. Actually I'm in Bagamoyo, 70km North of Dar es Salaam, camping while I get a root canal done on a back tooth. It will take a week, and is giving me a break, for which I am very grateful.

Bible School Graduation

This week the Bible School students in the picture graduate after three months' study. Two of them still struggle reading but their skills have improved a lot during their course. They both wrote good answers to some of the questions on the Old Testamant exam paper which I set for them. In fact all of them did well, and I feel quite encouraged by the way they answered the questions, with understanding as well as knowledge.

This weekend Elizabeth's daughter, Sue returns to the UK after a four week visit. It's been fun spending time together having picnics by the river. The water is not quite as cold now for swimming, but it's still a struggle to get in!

Bumps

This looks dangerous, but I can assure you Christina came out smiling! It was her sixteenth birthday and her friends and sister gave her 16 of the best! I managed to get back in time for the party from teaching in Kilolo, and also caught up with Elizabeth who has just arrived back from UK. She's had an amazing time travelling up and down the island; For her, being driven around by friends has also been part of the uplifting experience. Back in Tanzania now unfortunately the hip replacement is giving her trouble, so please pray for a good resolution for that.

Also pray for the Bible school students who will be doing exams in two weeks' time at the end of their three month course. And give thanks to God that I'm feeling happy and healthy, still able to swim in the river at weekends,and teach the whole school (and some) during the week!

Holiday is over...

Rachel has adopted this little lamb and named him Smudge, and I've had fun feeding him too. His mother decided she just couldn't cope with two lambs! You can see how dry the grass is. The rains don't come back until November or December.

It's been a relaxing and fun time just staying at the farm during the holidays. Unfortunately they had to come to an end, so today I go back to Kilolo for the start of the Secondary School term. I'll be back some weekends, and Elizabeth returns from the UK next week, so I'll have to come and visit anyway. The Bible School students are doing well, and their three month course will finish mid August.

My daily bread

This is the bread I made in my wood oven in Kilolo. It tastes good! In fact I take some with me to Kibebe Farm most weekends when I stay there. During the holidays I'm spending a lot more time in Kibebe because it's so relaxing and my friends make me so welcome there. Rachel (9) and I did some painting of pictures, including one of their house.

Elizabeth is still in the UK and seems to be enjoying herself. She went to the wedding of her grandson and saw her great grandson as well. She'll be coming back mid July together with her daughter and granddaughter!

Everybody needs good...

...neighbours... here's Mama Ndokole and her daughter and their vegetable patch, which doubles up with mine. Did you know that chicken wire keeps chickens out? There are loads of chickens around and up until a few weeks ago none of us could plant anything. Then we put up some wire and... it's like magic! Everything's growing. Now my neighbours are a happy bunch.

The bees have kept out of the cooker, and I'm having a holiday!

...and smoke

Here's the smokey kitchen...

Bees

This chimney belonged to me first, I tried to tell the bees, but they decided the cooking smells were so good that while I wasn't looking they set up home there. Poor things when I lit the fire lots of them died and fell into the bend and blocked it. Result; next time I lit the fire all the smoke came back at me. I even had tar running down the cooker, and tears running down my face. So I made a wire bee hat for the chimney, to reassert my ownership. My garden helper, Edward took the thing to pieces, cleaned it out, I put the hat on and since then I've had a smoke-free kitchen.

It's been quite a difficult month because of the bees and also a very full teaching schedule; internet connection that didn't stay connected long enough for updates, and I was taking treatment for Giardia, a little stomach bug which is very pretty under the microscope, but made me feel uncomfortable. The treatment is worse though! Now the Secondary School are starting a month's holiday, so I just have the Bible School one day a week. I'll be able to catch up with friends a little, spend time working on the house, and perhaps get a few days' break away somewhere. I go to the farm most weekends, and that is a good place to relax.

Birthday

I think there was a bit of confusion whether it was a birthday cake or garden. Anyway I've planted lettuces and carrots in Kilolo, and this was a gingerbread that reminded me of that.

The secondary school has just had half term, and the Bible school students are graduating, so I have a few days off here and there. I am nearly finished with the marking of exam papers. Suddenly the students are writing real essays in Kiswahili, not the one-liners I've had until now. Great, that's what I want them to do, but it makes marking a much longer process! Maybe I'll change the format next time...

Today Elizabeth left for her epic three month trip to England at 83 yrs old and just a month after a hip replacement and before that a broken leg. I've heard that the seven hour trip to Dar es Salaam went well, and believe God will take her safely on the plane with Rebecca her granddaughter. Prayers please!

Dolphin-fin

Here he is, enjoying the palm trees of Oyster Bay in Dar es Salaam! I went on 3rd March, and on the way the vehicle I was in overturned completely and rolled back onto its wheels again. We all survivied with minor injuries, but the vehicle looked very sorry for itself and wouldn't drive after that. The rescue vehicle took a while, but thankfully we were able to get to Dar the same day. I collected my ten year old Daihatsu Terrios the next day and am calling him Dolphin-fin because he has extended the scope my life and I had lots of lovely swims in the Indian ocean that week.

Next day Elizabeth had her hip replacement in Dar, so I was able to spend time there in the hospital together with her family while getting a tyre change and service done. She walked the next day and is slowly developing that skill again.

It has taken me this long to get back onto my blogsite, because I had some difficulties with connecting to the internet. They are still not sorted out but I am borrwing a friend's laptop again...

On my cooker...

...I've been making bread and heating water for a hot wash! It also cooks my dinner and heats water for the neighbours. Not a bad addition to the house, methinks. The doors are going on to the outside kitchen next week, and someone is working on the garden, making it look less like a building site. Last week I managed to get a new little laptop set up so it can do internet in Kilolo, and next week I am hoping to collect my new car from Dar es Salaam. What a lot of changes coming together; I won't know myself in a few weeks' time!

On a more challenging note Elizabeth has broken a bone in her hip through a fall, and will have to go to Dar to get it fixed. Meanwhile she is in a lot of pain, so keep praying for her healing. Thanks.

...and thorn trees

I decided to show you a picture of one of my favorite types of trees. This one is near the farm, near where I swim, when the river is down. At the moment the water is too high, and I'm not cycling either, so I do need to work out some other form of exercise. Someone suggested skipping; I will be a skipping phenomenon before long. Watch this space.

At the Bible school we have six students for three months, mostly mature, and it does make teaching easier. We cover more ground, and the questions they ask are very interesting, leading to some good discussions. At the Secondary School I have started to teach 'O' level Bible Knowledge in English as well as Religious Education in Kiswahili. It takes a bit of getting used to. At last we found some past exam papers, but I still don't have a syllabus... I do have some idea of the Bible passages to be covered, and the students are keen. As they say: "With God's help we will succede."

cats

...are more intelligent than bats. Before I'd put the screen up in my window I was awoken at around 2am by a cat jumping off the chair beside my bed! I just caught sight of the shadow running into the sitting room and round the wall by the light of my torch, but quick as lightening it was back in my bedroom and out through the open window again, leaving a muddy footprint or two on my wall. Then I noticed a human footpring just beside the window as well. mmm interesting. Hope it got there when the men were putting up the ceiling boards. (Don't worry, the bars on the window are too close together for anyone to get through, and anyway Kilolo is much safer than Iringa.)

Back at the farm I found Elizabeth had had another fall, and is now dependent on others for almost every need. I am helping her at night when I am here, and her son Richard comes accross from his house when I am in Kilolo. Not an easy situation.

Teaching is a bit stessfull as well, as I have been asked to start teaching 'O' level Bible Knowledge as well as Religious Education... A big vote of confidence but hard work.

Bats

For the last two weeks I've become an amateur carpenter, making a wire netting cupboard for food and putting up fly-screens in the windows. I was pleased with the result, but the local bat population were not so happy. One evening I had a batty visitor flying around, and then again at 1am, because my bedroom windows aren't screened yet, and I like fresh air; one flew in and did close shaves on my face...

When it flew through to the sitting room I got up quickly to open the front door, because it kept batting itself against the wire netting in the open window there. Even when I stood in front of the window and shone a torch in its eyes it didn't seem to take any notice ('blind', I said to myself, 'blind as a bat'). So I tried scraping my shoes on the floor. That did the trick. The bat didn't like the sound, and flew away. Next week I'll do the screens on the bedroom windows.

Back at the farm now for a rest over the weekend, I found Elizabeth had had a fall. It just caused bruising, but was a shock to everyone. She is feeling much better now, but will have to be more careful in future. This is a picture from last November at Victoria's birthday party. From the right; Margaret, mother of Joyce who is a near neighbour, Elizabeth, mother of Richard who runs the farm, and myself on the left.

Here's the famous cooker being carried towards my house. It is now in the outside kitchen covered in cement 'droppings', but will soon be clean and in its place, I hope. The day of the big Move was Saturday, and it went more smoothly than I anticipated. I was afraid things might get stolen or broken on the way, because the road from Iringa to Kilolo is very rough and there was an overnight after loading, before setting off. However in the event it was like the disciples must have felt when they saw Jesus walking towards them on the water; 'Why are you afraid, O you of little faith' and then 'Peace, be still' And so I was, on Sunday, the day after the move. And now I'm in!