August updates

Kekwete taking medicine

Hello friends of Angel House!
It is an exciting time to be in Tanzania. The students are on their third week of census break, and while the secondary school kids are still taking classes in the morning to prepare for their upcoming exams, the younger kids are done with theirs and are now able to rest at the house, to play and to do chores and build relationships and to dream. It is a beautiful thing to see them enjoying their lives to the fullest.

Angel House recently opened their doors to a couple of new girls, Rachel and Paskalia. Rachel is seven and is settling in well. It is clear that a lot of responsibility has been placed on her shoulders, and she handles it well. She is already helpful to the younger kids and is studious and hardworking. One of the neatest things to see is how she is learning to have fun. She was a little reluctant to warm up to the staff and the missionaries at first, but she and I share a bond, a name bond. She now comes running when we walk through the gate and gives us a hug. She is a wonderful addition to Angel House.

Paskalia is five, and has so much personality. She decided almost immediately that she likes attention and play. She loves to play the copy game, and likes to be tickled and chased and to learn English. She has big, wide eyes that are alive with wonder at every new thing she sees. She bats her adoring eyelashes in our direction all of the time and can't leave us alone. She didn't know what to think of her first hug or first sheet of stickers or the way we take our time out to play with the kids. She is still learning her role among all of her new brothers and sisters, but she is coming into her own.

Savannah caring for Wambura while he had malaria

Nossi, Rachel and Bonge taking a moment to pose while walking to the river for swimming

New girl Rachel

Swim time!

New girl Paskalia

Savannah washing Paskalia's head.

We, the missionaries are teaching a computer class to the secondary school students. Right now, we are just focusing on the Angel House kids. We kind of have our work cut out for us, but we are seeing progress. We have taken the time out to de-virus all of the computers and now are teaching a typing class, using the home-row keys, along with some computer task orientation. Our next project is to write an internet safety course so that students must take and pass it before using the internet. We are also requiring them to type a certain number of words per minute with accuracy before they are allowed to use the internet. We want them to truly learn to be computer savvy before leaving school, so that they might have another option when it comes to employment.

Preparations are being made for graduation every day. The students are all chatting and talking about what they will wear to the ceremony. Anna has new clothes for all of the Angel House kids. They are going to look sharp. We have made a brochure and certificates for all of the outstanding students. They are going to wear caps and gowns that have been purchased. It is an exciting and blessed time to be at Angel House Secondary School.

Savannah is learning lots about nursing everyday, from first hand experience. She has taken care of more cases of malaria that I care to count. She has made a white board for the dispensary so that it is easy to keep track of medicines that the kids are taking, and a medical records book too. She has de-fungused all of the younger kids and has de-wormed everyone as well. I am even learning about medicine and nursing, all useful skills.  We dewormed the dogs too, something I am familiar with.

Neema and Kekwete having fun at the Mission House

As for me, I am finding out all that I can about the kids, and turning it into useful information for child sponsors. I was able to help teach a few English courses at the primary school tuition time, and I enjoyed that. I am making the certificates for the graduation ceremony and am on the commication committee in the organizational meetings. My favorite ministry though, is on Sundays after church, where we bring a couple of the younger kids home with us to spend the day as individuals. They get to eat with us and color and watch a movie and play and practice their English. The more I get to know them, the more I love everyone of them. God is good. All of the time. All of the time. God is good.

Moving Forward

It is an exciting time to be around Angel House Orphanage and Angel Secondary School. Things are happening all of the time, and both Volunteers in Mission are honored to be here for this time. School is about to be dismissed for a long break  of one month because of census in Tanzania. This is a  break the school has never encountered before because it only happens every ten years. All of the students who have asked, as well as teachers and staff are all looking forward to this  break.
However, they will still be kept busy. Savannah and Rchel are going to teach keyboarding classes and computer literacy. The hope is to teach all of the students to type well enough that they can add this to their education. There will also be opportunities for students to meet and study their subjects and to study for exams.
One exciting idea hatched by the missionaries was to host a girl's Bible study group at the Mission House on Friday nights. All of the Secondary girls were invited for dinner and a sleepover and a study on the book of Ruth. They taught one of their worship songs and were taught an American song in return. They all had a wonderful time. There will only be a sleepover every other week, but Bible study weekly.
Construction began on the Boy's hostel this week. It took fifteen loads of rock  before the foundation could even be constructed, and now the foundation is halfway finished, rooms are divided up and bricks are being made. The decision was made to make the bricks at the site, to cut down costs of damaged bricks. It also gives school administration quality control. Plus, in the future when they do construction, the furnace and materials will already be there.

The second plowing of the school shamba took place this week, and now are waiting on a third. Once the third plowing happens, they will be able to start to work and to plant it. They are going to grow corn and green vegetables that they eat for breakfast and lunch, cutting down on the cost of food. The project could have been completed before this if the tractor hadn't broken down continulously and needed repairs. You know what they say, This is Africa.

Busy Week

Good news abounds at Angel Secondary School. Students came back to school after their winter break, to exam results, which were good for many students. All of the Angel House students passed their exams! They are doing so well.
Work has begun tilling up land for the school shamba. On Monday, Joseph and Mwita measured and surveyed the land to be used for the shamba and on Tuesday, a tractor was out there. When asked what they are growing in it, Joseph so sweetly replied, "vegetables." It will probably have corn and cabbage and peppers and spinach. The hope eventually is that the school can be totally sustainable and that good farming practices are taught to all students, as a practical class. Benson says he is a great farmer and is good at teaching too, so maybe that could be his role. Of course, that could have just been Benson messing with us too.

Many thanks to the Woodlawn United Methodist Church for the fantastic lab equipment donated to the school. The students got to use it yesterday, doing an experiment to discover the presence of starches, sugars, proteins and fats in foods. They were so into it, and answered questions well in class. Seeing a visual of the science lecture made it all real. They are all looking forward to more hands on with the microscopes and other materials.
The kids welcomed the new visitors with open arms. Nurse Savannah Swanner has had her hands full already, washing kids' heads to treat infections, treating sores and infections and dealing with malaria first hand. If that isn't enough, this week a run of chicken pox has made it's way into Angel House, making several of the kids quite itchy and miserable. She tried to get them to drink Gatorade, but Paulo made it clear how he felt about it. Instead of drinking his bottle, he put corn in it and carried it around for the rest of the day.
Rachel, me, also feels very welcomed. My project to start with is to make a file for each kid, so that Anna can put birth certificates, letters and report cards in it. The kids are learning my name well and I am also teaching them their colors. I have a feeling a year won't be enough time with these wonderful kids.

A great future

Friday was a great day in the life of Grass Roots Ministries, Tanzania. Our former Second Master Joseph Nyiraha was announced as Director of operations of both Angel House Orphanage and Angel Secondary School.

Joseph is a different kind of leader. But the Kingdom of God is a different kind of Kingdom. He leads from the heart, and listens more than he talks, and we believe God has chosen him for this leadership position within the project because he will lead us like Jesus would.

Congratulations to Joseph, and praise to God for the upcoming vision and leadership we have received through him.

Grass Roots Tanzania Director, Joseph Nyiraha

Rainy season, part 2, commences

The other night, Liz and I decided to try and beat the rain (though it had already started falling) and found ourselves on a dirt road that was slipperier than we could have even thought possible. She was a great sport as we slipped and slid our way along the 4 kilometer dirt road until we reached pavement. Drenched, but happy to be home, we agreed that it had been a learning experience that taught us to rely on the truck a bit more during these coming months of rain.

An interesting past couple of weeks...

In the last 10 days, three of the five of us were brought down with malaria. Mark and Pam and Liz must be sweet meat. Eric and I were the lucky ones this go round. While they were in bed, Eric was managing construction and I was with the soloists for the final recording before the Angel House Choir CD was mixed and mastered. If there's one thing to be said about living and working here, it's that it is NEVER boring.
Holly

Mark laid up in the hospital being treated for malaria.

The Angel House choir's recordings being mixed in the studio.