weekly bread

This doesn't happen very often - once a week is enough! Here's the amazing wood burner cooker which keeps us sane at the same time as working us hard! When it's alight and burning, everything happens, including bread baking, cooking meals and hot water for tea, bucket showers, filling thermoses and tomorrow's shave! This last is a new development for me, and it's definitely better to get the hot water ready and into a thermos the night before, as life is quite a rush in the mornings.

We start work at 7.30am most days, though on Mondays and Fridays it is 7.15. That seems a lot earlier to me. Getting to school only takes a few minutes, and the students all line up outside before classes start at 8am. I rarely teach at that time, and have been going back to the house for a rest most days, while Kevin works in the computer laboratory on a proposal for the development of the lab. Thanks for your prayers. We are both enjoying the break during school holidays, staying at the campsite while Kevin studies language and I mark exam papers - lots of essays in Kiswahili. It's good to read how much the students understand the Bible - pretty impressive.

Volleyball

I haven't made it to the games in school, but Kevin went and got this photo. It happens around twice a week and there is volleyball, football and netball available. You can see the ground is drying up now after the rains finished in May. We can expect dust and wind now, together with cold temperatures as it is winter here! No snow, and it's a pleasant climate, though the sun's rays are very strong because the atmosphere is so thin at nearly 7,000ft above sea level.

The school holidays started yesterday, so please pray for the students as they go home for a month. Kevin begins his second three week period of language study on Monday; I'll stay there with him and do some lesson preparation among other things. I am feeling better after taking some treatment for stomach upset (amoeba) but there's still some grumbling, so I will take a longer course now, while there are fewer responsibilities to respond to!

Seven students

Next week we have end of term exams, which are important here in Tanzania. They count towards the overall outcome of the course. Over the last weeks we have been struggling to keep up with the Bible Knowledge 'O' level timetable. The school had visitors, so one period was cancelled, the students often have a detention or sickness which prevents them from coming to a lesson, then last week I forgot what time I was meant to teach, so they all waited for me and I didn't turn up!

Later in the morning I started trying to call them together, and they told me what had happened! I felt like crying... However, three of them came together during a period later in the day, and I hope they have passed on the subject matter to the others. Because we started late in the school year we need to catch up on the syllabus. Please pray that we can do this next term. Holidays are during June, and Kevin will be studying Kiswahili again for three weeks while I try to get rid of whatever it is that's causing the problem. :o/

Where are they?

This is what it looks like when you walk in to the new computer laboratory. It's a vast improvement on when we arrived, because the desks are now arranged as the manager wants them - that's Kevin, by the way. He's not teaching (yet) but has been assigned the set-up and running of the lab. Whenever we come to Iringa we visit the offices of Global Outreach with a hopeful feeling. They are providing the computers, maybe one day soon...

Realistically, there are lots of issues to be addressed, like bees and lizards who come in to visit. The security doors need mending, and a battery pack needs to be installed before they come.

I am teaching seven form three students Bible Knowledge, plus all of form one (around 80 students) Religious Education. I'll be starting back at the Bible school as well soon, teaching Old Testament. Your prayers are appreciated!

Send-off for Tula

Last Friday we had an amazing celebration for Bishop Donald and Gladys's daughter, Tula. It was particularly poignant because he spoke at our own wedding last September in Wales. In the church service it was as if the speaker was talking to Kevin and myself personally! Among other things, he mentioned that Rebecca in Genesis was ready to go even though she had no idea what the future held with Isaac.

Kevin is pictured above together with the Diocesan Secretary, Pastor Jackson Mwidowe who is responsible for getting things done when no-one else wants to! He and our new Bishop, Joseph came to visit the teachers at the school in Kilolo just before Easter, and gave us encouragement when quite a number were feeling a bit low after the headmaster left mid-April. Please pray for the staff as we all make this big adjustment.

Sunflower season

Everywhere we go we see beautiful sunflowers! They are grown for the oil, but don't always grow this tall :o) One year, a long time ago I planted a couple of acres of them. It was a fun experience, but I didn't make any money as I'm not very business minded!

It's also the season for weddings - today (the day of The One in UK) we are having a 'send-off' for Tula, the daughter of Bishop Donald and Gladys who spoke at our own in September. Then the family will go to Morogoro for the actual wedding. I went to the hen party last Tuesday as well.

This whole week Kevin has been trying to get his Tanzanian driving licence. the process takes ages, so please pray for patience and perseverance.

morning all :o/

We're in Iringa now for the Easter break, but have spent some time in Kilolo where Kevin has been invigilating for the students as they do their mid-term exams, and I have been resting! In fact I'm still not 100% healthy with a bit of pain in my middle, but thankfully it seems to be getting better, not worse.

The Bible Knowledge students did average to poorly, but that's not surprising, as they hadn't had very long to get into gear. Pray for them as they have a break, and us. We are still amazed at how everything has worked out like this. Not many would have such an honour. Praise God.