Wednesday, January 27, 2010

our very own Superman


Mwita, affectionately called Superman around here by us missionaries, is our day guard on our 100-hectare (a little over 200 acre) property here at Gamasara. In addition to guarding, he oversees all work on our farm. In fact, he has sectioned off garden sized plots, and assigned 7 plots to each of the older children. On Saturdays, they wake up early and head out to the shamba to work. He has alternated what is being planted and who is working in each section so that as one is harvesting, another is planting, so there is a continuous cycle of vegetables providing the kids with food. His recent requests included funds for seeds, new hoes, and the 6-day hiring of a team of cows with a plow so that we might be ready to plant corn on February 1st. His work is stellar, and is exactly along the lines of what we are trying to do – empowering those around us to take tasks on by themselves. The kids are so proud of their plots; they have carefully painted signs sticking out of the ground in front of their work, and truly take pride in it all. As soon as they harvest, they are right back with the hoe to turn the earth and get ready for the next planting.

In addition to being our day guard and farm manager, he does even more. He and our night guard have recently agreed to build us a chicken coop when we find the funds for the construction materials. Each time something in the house needs done, he comes right in to take care of it, whether it be the hanging of a mosquito net or the clearing of broken window glass. We’ve had a couple of difficult days this week with discipline problems in a few of the older boys and he stepped in as the father figure.

Far and away, my favorite part of the day is when the little kids come home from school. They are dropped off by the school van, and they run as fast as they can all the way down the dirt path towards Mwita who picks each one up, high into the air, with a huge smile on his face. And you know, in that moment, that God has placed Mwita here at Angel House to fill a deep void in the lives of these precious little ones. He calls them his children, and works his job truly as if he is working for the Lord and not for men. I have the utmost respect for this super man, and am so thankful for him being in the exact space that he needs to be. May we all strive to work so hard and find that place for ourselves as well.
Holly



ChaCha Migera







William @ work





Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Welcome into Tanzania!

For those of you who can't be here with us physically, we are going to try and bring your mind along with us on the journey of a lifetime. Thanks for being a part of our world as we work each day to see and hear God, and to understand how He is working in our hearts and our lives. May you be blessed today, Holly