Happy Birthday

Dear Family & Friends,

We are packing and prepping for our trip home, but joined in the
Mwangaza Family's wishing the newest USA visitor to Mwangaza a Happy
Independence Day Birthday. Erika Dornfeld, in Tanzania for research,
is currently staying here and meeting with some folks before leaving
for visiting others across the country.

After receiving a Mama Sharon cake while hearing all sing Happy
Birthday, John Kavishe is demonstrating the tradition of serving her a
bite of cake on a toothpick.


Peace and love,

Mike and Sharon

Safe journey and now home

Dear Family & Friends,

It's 4:45 PM Thursday in DeKalb, and 12:45 AM Friday in Tanzania.
Our heads and hearts are somewhere between, but our bodies are home.
No, am not including any pictures, as we've been traveling since 5 PM
Wednesday!

Thanks much to Jim Womack for meeting us at O'Hare just as we exited
customs with our luggage. And many thanks to Deb Askelson, who left
our house looking great, even fresh flowers and blooming plants!

Yes, it is true that .25 inches of rain fell at O'Hare just as we
landed -- not claiming we brought it, but was nice to walk outside the
terminal to 85 degrees instead of the 104 they had announced just
before we started the landing approach.

Thanks to all for your thoughts, prayers, comments, and support,

Peace and love,

Mike and Sharon

Re: No one saw him, except those who had nothing to give. Yet those are the ones who gave ...

Dear Family & Friends,

Last weekend, the five USA folks who are at Mwangaza to facilitate seminars decided to build in relaxing times between the very intense seminar week and the very full, but not so intense, week of planning and preparation.  Saturday we did some walking and shopping in the city markets.  Sunday morning plans included a brunch at a nice hotel on the Clock Tower roundabout of central Arusha, then on to church services at the non-denomination Christian church in the city.  

However, taxis here are privately owned mid-sized or smaller sedans, so seating is limited.  When the very rough and rutted Ilboru Road is part of the route, no taxi driver will allow an extra passenger, for fear of losing their oil pan and/or suspension.  "No problem", said Mike, "as I enjoy walking, especially the downhill version of Ilboru.  Will get a head start and meet you there."  

Didn't notice many specifics about folks when traveling down Ilboru Road, as the rocks and ruts demand my constantly looking down to better my chances of avoiding falling down.  Fewer folks out and about  on Sunday than at that time of most days, and several greeted me.  Some Mwangaza staff have told me that neighborhood folks think I might be a "pastor", so dressed up and striding out on Sunday morning probably reinforced that notion.

The bottom of Ilboru Road "T"s with the highway which runs from Moshi, Tanzania, to Nairobi, Kenya.  A quarter mile along this highway brought me to one of three traffic lights in Arusha, all three along this highway.  I crossed with the surge of folks in kangas and shukas, suits, pantsuits and dresses, while daladalas (minivans serving as local busses) and motorcycles honked at us while they basically ignored the lights.

The sidewalks from the highway to the Clock Tower area are rough and pitted, but wide enough for three or four people.  So I could see that some distance ahead, in the shade provided by a lone tree, sat a man holding his hands in front of him.  On the other side of the tree, a woman sat in the dirt just off the sidewalk, next to her a bunch of bananas for sale.  As I continued in their direction, I noticed that almost everyone passed by without breaking stride — except for a couple of people who stopped to buy one/a few bananas.  When still 50 meters away I saw a man on a bicycle, loaded with a stack of 4 cases of empty pop bottles, coast to a stop several meters after passing the tree.  First, I was amazed that he found a position in which the bike would balance with just the kick stand to keep it from falling over.  Slowing to watch, I was even more surprised when he did not approach the woman for bananas, but instead stooped over the old man and dropped some coins in his cup.  

No sooner had he re-mounted his bike and I had resumed walking, than another man, younger but just as poorly dressed & dirty, stopped at the tree.  He was pulling one of the large two-wheeled carts, this one loaded with solid cement blocks plus a large bag of maize or rice — a very heavy load.  Now within a few meters, I could actually hear the "clink" as his coins hit the bottom of the crippled man's cup.  Then this man picked up the front bar of the cart, lowered his head and shoulders to lean into the weight, and moved his load forward just as I reached the tree.

After church we all returned to Mwangaza, changed into more relaxing/working clothes and individually headed toward our places to read, write, and/or work with computers.  As I went through the campus gate, Andrew, Mwangaza's fundi (Mr. Fix-It) was sitting on the front porch, reading his Swahili-English Bible in preparation for the children's Sunday School he leads on Sunday afternoons.  We caught up on the night's sleep, family wellness, "Where is Mama Sharon?", etc.  Then he asked me about the readings we had heard at church — in particular, had our church read from Acts 3: 1-11?  Andrew then read the passage to me, and allowed me to read along so I would better understand his broken English.  The story is of Peter & John, after Pentecost, meeting the lame man at the entrance to the temple.  But they do not have the "alms" the crippled man requests of them, and instead offer him what they have been given -- "In the name of Jesus, rise and walk." 

After finishing, Andrew asked, "How do I tell my Sunday School children about this story?"  So I sat with him, and told him what I had seen on my way to town.  It took lots of gestures & some pantomime from both, even some "pictionary" efforts on scratch paper, but we did communicate — the story was told and understood.   

I received a strong two-handed handshake!  And a big smile!  And a hug!  "My children", Andrew said, "see (people) like lame man. Maybe have shilingi (money), maybe no shilingi.  All (can) give Jesus('s) love."  Then he looked at his watch and headed up the hill to his children.

"No problem", Mike said, "as I enjoy walking..." Thanks for letting me move slow enough to see ...

And thanks for letting us share the story.

Peace and blessings, 
Mike & Sharon

Friendly folks enroute to Marieth's

Good Saturday morning, Family and Friends,

Sharon is very busy this morning, making "refrigerated" bread dough at our house for the week, from which she can make 4 loaves, one or more at any time of the week.  She is then headed to the Mwangaza kitchen, to join Rachel and Helen and guide them through making orange bread for the first time.  Sharon made a couple of loaves at the beginning of this week and shared some at morning chai -- it was a big hit.

Mike is working hard to not be busy this morning.  Stayed in bed a bit later than usual, which felt especially good since this is probably the coldest night/morning of our time here so far, especially since is threatening rain and morning dampness will stay with us a bit longer than usual.  Range of temps has been from mid-50's at night to mid-70's in afternoon, with dampness an influential comfort factor.   Some laundry to do, and since they are jeans and white sox, know it will be at least Tuesday before they will be dry enough to wear.

Tonight we are expecting "company", as Mike joins Allan (driver) to met Rick Orem at Kili Int.  Sue Orem mentored us in 2009-10, volunteering to share her expertise so that we in turn could mentor Mwangaza's program coordinators, John & Salome.   This year Sue was not able to come here, but we are looking forward to her joining us another time.

Monday the focus officially changes to preparing for the June 11-15 seminar for teachers returning to Mwangaza (they were here in 2010 or '11) to learn more about Sheltered Instruction.   Valerie arrives from Minnesota on June 11 (she is still teaching, so will jump on a plane the day after turning in 2nd semester grades) and Carolyn from Ohio joins us for the second seminar, June 25-29.  

Don't worry, there will be no quiz/test regarding names, but it may help sometimes to follow our "stories" if you have a "program" to which you may refer. 

Along the path

Will write more later about the first 2 weeks which have now been completed, but thought a weekend note was a good time to share some photos of folks with whom we exchanged Habari ? (How are you?) or Jambo (Hi ) as we walked to/from Marieth's last Saturday -- crossing the new and improved bridge.

Mike is carrying a small camera in his hand, with flash off, literally "shooting from the hip", so as to be less obtrusive.  Since he sometimes is challenged to take a good picture when the he and the subject are both standing still and prepared, reasonably clear results are 1 in 10 shots at best.  

        

Laundry is part of each day for each family.

              

No, that's not the owner! Cycle transport is big business.

Prepping for Saturday night? or Sunday church?

         

I remember this game, rolling round things in the dirt.

               

Hard to see who is saying "Jambo".

Those eyes !!

Needs no words !

Will things ever change? A new bridge over the Goliondoi River

Dear Family and Friends,

After walking across this bridge on our way to Enaboishu LSS and Marieth Mlay's home in 2001, and also in '05, '06, '07, '08, and picturing it just before descending the hill to cross it in '10, we no longer even contemplated change occurring here.  


In 2010, Sharon is carefully staying between the two 12" water pipes across which the "slag" boards were placed.
We did notice some differences last year ('11), when even this bridge was gone, and we crossed the creek by slip-sliding down the banks, then stepping from rock to rock.

That was then, this is now -- Sharon is standing in almost the same position from which the 2010 photo (top) was taken.  Don't know if those are the same 2 children, now across the bridge ?

And quite easily we walked to the other side (standing next to the children, who are seated on their buckets, enjoying their ndizi (bananas) before carrying water supplies up the next hill).

When ruts become roads, especially in Tanzania, that's a good sign that change can happen  -- even if it means we must exercise and strengthen our patience, and continue walking the road less traveled.

Peace and love,
Mike and Sharon

Baba is happy to be home with his family

Editor's note: Pastor Seth has been staying at the Wadles' house for most of the last two years while at grad school at Northern Illinois University. He just graduated this month and returned home to his wife and children in Arusha.

Dear Family and Friends,

We were very fortunate to have special visitors for some time this evening, as Pastor Seth arrived with Fadhila and Reina Joan, his Sister-in-law Tunu, and a careful driver and friend, Goodluck. They had just visited Joel at his boarding school, so we were not lucky enough to see him this time.

Remembering how we were feeling the effects of jet lag only a week ago, Pastor Seth seemed strong and full of energy, so he is doing well. As is everyone in his family, who with him send you "Many Greetings".

But of course we are writing mostly to send you pictures of the family re-united, and Baba very happy to be holding his daughter Reina Joan.

                       

And, since we have the privilege of sending the email and pictures, thought would be a good time to slip in one of ourselves with baby Reina Joan.  She's beautiful, smiles and giggles a bit, and shows a cute dimple.

Peace and blessings,

Mike and Sharon

Clean Water for the World, Clean water for Moringe Sokoine LSS

Dear Friends and Family,

Many of you are far too young to remember, but stories (even movies) once came to us by installments.  So also will the telling of the Clean Water for the World water filter system continue ...

Today, Ass't Headmaster Simon Panga came to Mwangaza to take the system to its new home, Moringe Sokoine LSS.  As you can easily see, this man of God who cares deeply for his students and staff is very happy to be bringing the gift of clean/pure water to his school community.  He was even perceptive enough to guess we had given up some luggage options (space & weight) for bringing more educational materials to Mwangaza, and thanked us and Mwangaza for that sacrifice.

We prevailed upon him to help us explain the system and its operation to some of the Mwangaza staff who were present and invited Simon to share a morning prayer, hymn, and chai.  He quickly repeated what we had discussed to us in English (good teaching method, to verify your information), then shared the information with the staff in Kiswahili.  

Mr. Panga accepted, for Headmaster Kwayu  and Moringe, the challenge to be a "model community" in the use of this filter/purification system.  He also reinforced that Moringe will certainly honor the contract language which says states that water will be freely given to anyone who asks for it, that there will never be an attempt to profit from selling the water provided by the system.

Simon sharing information with the Mwangaza staff, who by the way, asked excellent questions.  No wonder we love being among our Tanzanian brothers and sisters.

Since it is unlikely that we will have time or opportunity to visit Moringe during our time here this year, Simon promised to send pictures when possible.  He smiled when speaking of wanting to show the system installed and working well when the N. IL. Synod group visits Moringe in July.

Watch for the next installment(s) to come,

Peace and blessings,

Mike & Sharon and our Brother Simon

Coincidence: a concurrence of events without apparent causal connection ... or is it?

Dear Family & Friends,

Normally, we write our blogs about people, events, and perspectives encountered after arriving in Tanzania for the current year's stay.  But this story started long, long ago ... and actually, so did this blog, but hopefully will finally finish and send now.

We'll tell this story assuming that you may like to hear about strange coincidences 

Coincidence: (Webster's definition) a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection

or that perhaps, you may think that some coincidences are really not coincidental at all.

Since we are focused on modeling methodologies in our seminars, please allow us to use a timeline approach to tell this story (asking forgiveness for grammatical abuse of changing tenses):

2003 > 2004 > 2005 > 2006 > 2007 > 2008 > 2009 > 2010 > 2011 > 2012 >>> 1,000s of liters of clean H2O for students and staff

2003: As a member of N IL Synod's representatives meeting with Bishops and other leaders of Tanzania Lutheran Dioceses, Sharon visited Moringe Sokoine Lutheran Secondary School and met a math teacher, Simon Panga.  She encouraged him to apply for Mwangaza's Teacher Exchange Program.  The NIS group also attended a competition of church choirs and met one of the judges, a young Pastor Seth Sululu.  Some of us remember when Sharon returned home and asked our Pastor and our Directors of Music, Randy & Carol Stubbs, if it might be possible for Pastor Seth to come to First, DeKalb in 2004.  

2004: Simon Panga did apply, and was chosen, to be a Mwangaza Exchange Teacher, hosted by Jo Donna Moss (now Mrs. Guatschy).  Jo Donna wished to provide high school math classroom experiences for Simon, called Mike, and Simon spent a few weeks teaching with Mike at DHS, living with Mike & Sharon, and meeting folks at First.

2005: Mike and Simon were teamed to write lesson plans via email and facilitate seminars together at Mwangaza.

2006: Randy & Carol and Family became ELCA volunteers, sharing their skills of music, teaching, and organization with the students and administration of Makumira University in Tanzania. 

2007: Family Stubbs re-upped as ELCA missionaries with a 4-year commitment, continuing to share their time and talents in developing the first University Degree-Level Music Department Program in Tanzania.  One of their students is Pastor Seth.  Mike returns to Mwangaza seminars, also accepting Simon's invitation to come to Monduli for a weekend to visit his family and Moringe Sokoine LSS.  

2008:  Pastor Seth graduates from Makumira's Music Program.  Mike and Sharon return to Tanzania, sharing with Mwangaza and leaders of Women's Work in Arusha Diocese.  Together they visit Moringe Sokoine LSS and the Family Panga.  From Carol Stubbs and administrators of Moringe and other high schools, they hear many stories of drought and resulting food shortages at schools.  Some schools are closing at mid-year.  Others are feeding students very little, even to the point of counting out 8 beans to each for daily protein.  After hearing these stories from the Wadles, many Illinois congregations and individuals contribute to buy enough sacks of rice and beans for Moringe to remain in session, feeding their 600 students and staff healthy meals.

2009:   A potential opportunity for further studies abroad does not work out for Pastor Seth.  First Lutheran schedules an annual "8 Bean Dinner" with proceeds going to support the education of students of Moringe.  Dr. & Mrs. Eric Johnson of Northern Illinois University visit Tanzania, including time at Makumira Univ with Randy & Carol, who introduce them to Pastor Seth.

2010:  Pastor Seth applies and is accepted for an "international student scholarship" in NIU's Graduate Music Department.  Mike and Sharon begin their 3-year "volunteers-in-residence" commitment with Mwangaza.  Randy & Carol introduce Mike, and re-introduce Sharon, to Pastor Seth.  Randy and Pastor Seth provide the Wadle's with a 2-day trip to Ketumbeine, Pastor Seth's home village and First, Dekalb's Companion Congregation.  Randy and Carol mention that Pastor Seth will need a place to live when going to NIU in DeKalb.

Family Stubbs receive a contract extension from ELCA, with plans to overlap with Pastor Seth and another Makumira Univ graduate when they return to teach in the Music Dept.

Pastor Seth arrives and begins graduate school in August, gaining "parents" on Pleasant Street and a "church family" at First.

2011: Mike and Sharon returned to Mwangaza for planning and seminars.  Family Stubbs visited First and many other supporting congregations during their 2 months in the States.  Dr. Johnson sent a proposal to the American Association of Choir Directors, requesting the opportunity for NIU's Chamber Choir to present original compositions of a variety of Tanzanian ethnic groups at the March, 2012 Regional (6 states) Conference.  Pastor Seth successfully finished his first year, returned home during June and July, then came back to DeKalb to start year 2 classes in August.  As in year 1, he continued singing in the Chamber & Concert Choirs, but was also chosen to conduct the University Choir as part of his Masters' Project.  He began composing music and lyrics of 2 songs for the AACD conference, also began adapting and/or arranging 5 other compositions sent to him by colleagues in Tanzania.

{We know most classes don't last as long as Mike's telling this story, but we're almost to this year !}

2012:  While we headed southwest in early March to share with Family, Dr. Johnson and the NIU Chamber Choir, including Pastor Seth of course, headed for the AACD Conference in Indiana.  After their well received presentation and the conclusion of the conference, the Chamber Choir headed to Michigan, where they gave a concert for a congregation.  As with choirs which have come to First, members of the host congregation provided overnight accommodations for Dr. Johnson and members the Chamber Choir.

Pastor Seth's hosts were Jerry & Judy Bohl.  As they got to know each other, Seth learned that Jerry is a retired engineer who continues to use/share his time and talents.  In fact, Jerry and others have designed a water filtration/purification system, with Judy have formed the organization Clean Water for the World and have installed a number of their units in Central and South Americas. 

                                                  

 

Likewise, after Jerry & Judy got to know Pastor Seth, they offered to donate one of their systems to an organization in Tanzania, as long as it met certain criteria:

an organized community of 300-600 people;

have a viable water source;

verify the need;

  submit a written plan for installation, security, and maintenance;

agree in writing to give clean water to all who ask, describe how the water will be distributed, and agree in writing there will be no profit made.

Pastor Seth smiled from ear to ear as he told us of the Bohl's offer when we returned from our trip.  We thought long and hard, knowing that most communities in Tanzania lack clean/purified water, and that many, especially children, die from waterborne diseases.   We added another very important criteria: the first opportunity in Tanzania needed to have an excellent chance of being successful, to become a model and example for other communities, who could then prepare and apply for their own unit.  With that, not because of who we knew, but because of what we knew about a number of communities being able to meet the criteria, we chose and made contact with one community's leaders to assess their interest and commitment.    

They answered quickly and positively.  Jerry & Judy guided us through the application process.  Thanks to modern communication, forms were scanned and sent across the world, quickly completed, scanned and returned.

Of course, you have now run ahead on the timeline and guessed that one of our 4 "suitcases" on this trip was the purification system "boxed" below, sitting on the floor across from where we are writing this story.  Sunday we texted Simon Panga and Headmaster Kwayu of Moringe Sokoine, who plan to come to Mwangaza this week to take the unit to its new "home", literally bringing life to the community of Moringe Sokoine LSS.

Take it from a guy who loves math and understands probability: It would be very difficult to figure how many authors of fiction and how many years it might have taken before this scenario of coincidences was ever imagined and written.

So perhaps we might now suggest a different definition for at least some coincidences:

Coincidence: a remarkable opportunity for relationship, occurring without (most of us) seeing God's not-so-apparent hand as the causal connection of the concurrence of events or circumstances 

Peace and love,  Mike and Sharon

A safe journey and a very warm welcome

Dear Friends and Family,

It is 2 PM Saturday at Mwangaza and 6 AM for you in Central Daylight Savings time.  We are in the office and on internet for the first time since landing.

Mwangaza is busy on this Saturday, with staff present for a special one day seminar for the teachers of Ngteau LSS, including lunch with minced meat (ground beef) and chipatis -- like a deep-fried tortilla .  Ngteau is one of the 5 Pilot schools with whom we have work in 2010 & '11, and we are hearing some good things about the growth of their teachers and students in the last 2 years.

Our trip was smooth and each flight landed earlier than scheduled.  We even had an empty seat next to us on the way to Amsterdam, which helped with relaxing and resting a bit.  Our KLM clear allowed an extra kilogram for 2 suitcases, so it was not necessary to choose what had to stay behind.  The water filter system (more about that on the next blog) arrived safely and customs waved us through without checking to see what was in the box.  Allen and Andrea were there to welcome us warmly, transfer the heavy luggage, and transport us safely to Mwangaza's guest house, our home for the next 7 weeks.

Both of us slept a few hours on the second flight and arrived with enough energy to unpack last night, though this morning Mike had to search for the location of some items he put away then.  We slept from midnight until about 8, which is a good indicator for quick recovery from jet lag.

Sharon said to tell you that "we must have arrived at Chrismas", for this small tree greeted us when we stepped outside this morning:





Nemayan stocked our pantry with necessities for the first week's meals, and Rachel provided fresh flowers (note in the picture below).  No wonder we feel so welcomed and comfortable in our Mwangaza home.

Kellen Msseemmaa, wife of David/Daughter-in-law of Pat, Sister-in-law of Nese, stopped by this morning with a phone for us to use while we are here.  This phone will also be available for use by the other USA folks coming in June.  Since many of you know the Msseemmaas, will include a picture of Kellen and her younger sister, who is living with her at Enaboishu LSS, where Kellen is teaching economics.  Timothy, another Enaboishu teacher, who is also from Uganda, escorted Kellen to our home.





Later today we will purchase a sim card and minutes, enter lots of phone numbers from past years, and let folks know we are in country.  Texting and calling are essential for keeping in contact and coordination while we are here.

For now we will say "Farewell" and continue settling in.  Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for our leaving, traveling and arriving.

Peace and love,

Mike and Sharon