iAfrica

Love them or hate them, the idea of iPhones being used journalistically is not a new idea.  I have actually been able to capture some photos, that I may not have been otherwise able to however, since they are so small and sometimes unnoticeable.  Using the new 4S, this whole gallery is made of images from my phone.

thanks for looking

Rhys

Africa

We visited the church of the Bishop Joshua, a Maasai man, who has become one of the most well known pastoral figures in East Africa.  Born with Polio in the Bomas of the Maasai people, he was miraculously healed and has planted over 80 churches in the area. Refusing to take a position in a mega church, he stays in his home church in Olesambo until it grows large enough to send some out to begin a new one.  He has escaped multiple assassination attempts by the leaders of local Maasai who are opposed to his evangelism. The level of persecution he has been subjected to is astounding.  The the late 1990's, BBC investigated a story in which he was taken out and beaten to death by the Maasai in the area, but was seen after completely healed. After spending the weekend on the base in Arusha, we returned to Engikaret.

CORRECTION; The baby and mother in my previous blog names are Sikata, the mother, whose baptismal name is Resiki.  The Baby's name had been decided later and is now Sarah.

Tithing is not restricted to money here in Africa. Families give what and how they can. Chickens goats and food can be common gifts to churches.

This is Joyful, Joyful is the son of a YWAM staff member, Staff members live with their families full time on the base.

This is Jackson. Jackson is a huge personality and is somewhat of a base celebrity. Jackson stays in the Tumaini House, built by CTK Church in Bellingham, the Tumaini House is a four story building intended to house children without families. More than an orphanage, the Tumaini House seeks to provide the love and support of a family environment.

A small store at the YWAM base in Engikaret allows local Maasai women to buy basic provisions like drinking water, soap, oil, sugar and even flashlights. The store is also equipped with a corngrinder, for women to haul their dry corn to be sorted and ground into flour, or ground to make a type of porridge.

Maasai Bomas

This is Resiki and her baby Sarah. This portrai was made inside their boma. We visited them to ensure that baby Sarah was able to feed since she had contracted an STD from her mother and was severely dehydrated. We ended up taking them both to the hospital. Both are recovering and have returned to their boma.

Driving from Arusha to Engikaret is always an adventure. The roads are full of people, motorcycles, carts, and animals.  Honking your horn is actually a sort of polite thing to do, since it announces you are coming, and coming very quickly.  Driving on the left side of the road has been comically stressful enough, but with no lines and most of the roads being washed out dirt paths, I have practically worn a hole in my shoe pressing my imaginary brake pedal.  There are potholes here, that I don't really think can be considered potholes.  When you have to drive down into the pothole, and up and out the other side, its more like a crater. 

Pure sugar cane. You can buy these as a treat, I watched as a man wth a machete took a 10 foot long cane stack, skinned it in about 8 seconds. The scary part is that you hold the end of it and chops you off a piece, whizzing his machete nice and close to your fingers for effect. It was actually really good, almost more like a drink that you chew. You don't swallow it, but rather suck all the sugar water out and then spit it out. Sort of like chewing on a soft stick.

Driving here is always an adeventure.  The 'roads' are full of people, carts, motorcycles, dala dalas and herds of animals.  With no lines and only one main paved road, most the roads are washed out dirt paths with potholes you have to drive to the bottom of and up and out the other side.  More like craters.  Honking the horn here is actually a sort of polite thing to do.  It announces that you are coming, and coming very quickly.  Driving on the left side has been comically stressful enough, but when motorcycles pass you on both sides and animals get startled...Needless to say I have worn a hole in my shoe stomping on my imaginary brake pedal.

But driving through this landscape is fascinating.  It is sometimes as barren as it is beautiful, and harsh as it lush.  With the rainy season approaching, much of the area is parched and dust ridden.  Leaving herds vulnerable to dehydration and disease, meaning shepherds, and families must travel greater distances to buy and sell their livelihood crops, or find good water.  Everything here, revolves around water, absolutely everything.  If there is not enough, you work to find it. If you find it you work to get it, or store it.  If you store it, you work to filter it or keep it clean.  It is an invaluable resource and I am learning its luxury.

Sometimes this place is a trip

 

Arusha

We got to go on a mini adventure today, riding with YWAM staff member Jeff in the YWAM van, taking kids back to their homes on Mt Meru. Every Saturday he drives and picks them up to bring them to the YWAM base in Arusha for games, fellowship with other kids, and lunch, then its back up the mountain to take them home.  Safety is a whole new concept here, and I am learning everyday to trust in the Lord more and more.....Flying up and down a single lane dirt road with craters and creek beds in it from the last rain floods, filled with motorcyclists and people is one thing. Doing it with 9 kids in the back seat bouncing off the walls is another.  I've never had more fun on a car ride though, as the kids jokingly prayed very loud and animatedly for our packed van to make it up a couple very questionable and very steep hills.  I may have even joined them in doing so.  Going through Arusha was fascinating as well.  So many people, so many new things.  I like seeing new cities, especially when they are as busy and foreign as Arusha is to me.  We finished off the trip with a coke treat courtesy of Jeff, and Fanta Passion is my new favorite pop.

thanks for looking

-Rhys

Tanzania Day one

There are no things of my familiar life here.

Not the food, not the people, not the culture, the driving, the landscape, the heat.
The first day of this experience has meant more to me than many of the 25 years I've spent in the different spaces of my life.  Here i am Mzungu, it means 'someone who walks in circles,' and slightly durogatory for 'white person.' All the children who smile, wave, and yell, don't let me forget that there is no such thing as blending in for me here, and its great.  I have never been stared at so much, i have never been the minority.  I have never been in the presence of someone who may have never seen a white person in the their life before me.  I feel priveleged and honored, to be receiving the love of these people who would not know what to do with the amount of resources i have had my entire life, and still their furrowed brows and harsh gazes evaporate instantly with a smile and a wave, returned as quickly as they can before we pass out of sight.  With my three words of terrible mispronounced Swahili and a smile, I have never been so welcomed. 

I was priveleged enough to be invited to and witness a rural marriage ceremony as a community welcomed a couple to their new life by expressing their love through dancing with their gifts as they presented them.  The ceremonial 'cake' being a roticery cooked goat, with a mouthful of leaves, which they feed to their closest friends and relatives first.  

I can only hope that the first 12 hours my time here are an indiator of continued safety in insane traffic, warmth in the equatorial sun, and surrounded by the huge personalities and smiles that make up the Tanzanian people I have so far encountered.

Thanks for looking,

-Rhys

 

yes, there are goats tied to the top of that tanker truck..