Transformation!

These Little guys now have a chance at a proper education and to a life filled with options and opportunities. Thanks to the "Women to Work" project that Shining a Light started in Arusha, Tanzania. Their mother, Anna, is being trained in the skill of beading. She is helping us to make our beautiful hand beaded sandals that we sell at www.shiningalight.org. We are also teaching her to read and write in English, Health Care, Basic Business Skills and Money Management. Anna has struggled most of her life. From an early age when she had to go to work because her father couldn't afford to educate her, to loosing her first husband in a car accident and struggling on her own to provide for her and her son and then to excepting another man into her life just because she thought he would provide for her and give her security. She now has 3 little boys and can provide for her family of four all by herself without suffering at the hand of an abusive husband or begging from family members. She says this is the first time in her life where she doesn't have to worry about where the rent will come from, how to pay school fees or what she will have to put herself through to get either one. She is living in safety and security now and finally feels Hope.

HONGERA!!!!

The word "pole" is heard often over here in Tanzania. If you live here you will hear it several times a day. It means sorry, not "excuse me, I'm sorry I did that" but "I'm sorry for you". I sorry for your loss, I'm sorry that you are sick, I'm sorry that you're late, tired, or upset and most importantly, I'm sorry that you have to work. As I walk up the hill towards our workshop I will hear it several times. They are sorry for me because I am walking, yep, just walking! If you are moving in this country, if you are not sitting idle relaxing with friends and family then you will receive a "Pole" for your troubles. Pole is often affiliated with work so our women expect to hear it from me when I greet them in the morning. I am expected to say "Pole" upon entering each morning. This is telling them that I am sorry they must work, that I am sorry they have a job. This seemed quite ridiculous to me since I have been working so hard to create jobs for them. Since I wake up each morning and go to bed each night thinking of ways to sell our sandals and keep them employed. Since I plan day after day the best way to empower them and transform their lives into responsible business women and to help them change their future and the future of their children. No! Pole will just not do. So instead I greet them each morning with Hongera!!! Hongera is Congratulations!!!! Congratulations that you are working, that you have a job and that you are receiving a steady income. It makes them laugh since it goes against their traditions. They understand what I am trying to say but to them I should still feel very sorry for them. I just can't bring myself to very bad for a person who is finally pulling themselves out of poverty. In a country where most people live off of less then $2 a day shouldn't we be congratulating them more for their efforts rather then feeling sorry for them?

LOVE

My new desire is Love. All over the Bible it talks about love. Love for God, Love for His Son and Love for others. So many days I am bogged down with too many things to do. Busyness can get us confused about what our work as Christians really is. We struggle to be good, do what's right and accomplish the work that has been laid on our heart and all of this is just too much if we don't have Love! My goal over the next few months is to express love to others. This will take a lot of work as I am always moving in high gear to get things done. Our accomplishments mean nothing without love. As a missionary living in Tanzania I find it hard to love, I find that I don't have time for it with all the things that are required of me. But who do I work for? Shining a Light? No, I work for God and His requirement is that I love Him and others. Showing love to another person is often too much for us to get involved in but I challenge you to attempt the unconditional love that our Lord has for us. Not just the people we find easy to love but those who test us, hurt us and deceive us. Those that are hard to love! While you work at this difficult task know that I am doing the same. The women I work with are not always easy to love. They test my patience and don't always appreciate my views BUT it's the real work that has been given to me and I will do my best to make my Father proud. And just look at these faces, what's not to LOVE!

A Tanzanian Wedding

I had the pleasure of attending a wedding of one of our women from Shining a Light. Tumaini has been with us since the beginning. She has a five year old daughter from a previous man who ran out on her after he discovered she was pregnant. This is the story of many of our women so when I heard that she had this new chance at happiness I didn't want to miss the blessed event. We all met at our workshop, the other ladies and I, to go together. Being an American I was pressuring the other girls to hurry up as they changed their clothes, applied makeup and did each others hair. As the time got closer and closer I began to panic about being late and missing the whole thing all together. We arrived at the church late to find no one there. We were the first ones!! You see the others knew what I have not yet learned after being here for 4 years, NOTHING in Tanzania EVER starts on time. We settled in the pews and waited for the ceremony to begin having our choice at any seat since the church was empty. After about an hour the bride and groom arrived, met with the pastor and entered the church, then and only then did the church begin to fill up. How did they know? How did the guests know that the service would begin an hour late? I guess they are all on the same time table. The service was all in Swahili so I understood very few words. The pastor brought the couple to the front as they rededicated their lives to Christ, then gave a wonderful message that most found charming and funny because there were many laughs throughout. Then the wedding ceremony began, the exchanging of rings, the signing of a document and then the introduction of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Phillip (No Kiss!) Now this next event really took me off guard, a couple, not apart of the wedding stood up and had their baby baptized! I have no idea how that came about or who they were but I didn't question it and either did anyone else. Ahhhhhhhh Karibu Tanzania! After the service we congratulated the couple and rushed off to their house for food and festivities. As we approached the house there were decorations in the brides color of blue and white tablecloth covered tables that littered the yard. There were about 6 tables and a steady flow of people out numbering the amount of tables. I watched in amazement as the crowed kept growing and wondered how everyone would fit and have a seat. But as only Tanzanians can
do, they managed. I looked around 30 minutes later and to my great surprise everyone was seated and waiting for the happy couple to enter. We ate delicious Tanzania dishes, we watched as the families got up and danced around the couple as they offered gifts for their new lives and then we laughed and danced to the sounds of a local D.J. I missed a lot of what was said but the meaning was not lost. Tumaini and Robert shared a special moment in their lives with family and friends which translates into any language.

Mountain Gorillas

Wazungu in the Mist

Any one who knows me knows that I'm not up for big adventures when I travel. I like a safe beach with a nice hotel and maybe some room service if possible. Yes, I live in Tanzania but I don't live in the bush and most of the time I have electricity and running water, Oh, and a toilet that I can sit on. Roughing it for me is the fact that we don't have fast food, our plumbing is not the best and my internet is way too slow. That is why when I began to plan my trip to Rwanda to see the mountain Gorillas I was very nervous to say the least. Planning a trip here in Africa is not like America. There are no numbers to call for reservations, no travel agents booking your flights and getting visas and permits are quite a challenge. Our big trip was set for the end of April. We had to decide what day we would see the Gorillas. You only get one hour with them and must obtain a permit to do so. The day you pick has to stick since your permit must indicate that day so travel plans need to be set to make sure you arrive for that day. First problem, reliable transportation. See thats not so easy here in Africa. We had no flights to Rwanda so we were depending on buses. Now I have lived her long enough to know buses are not dependable. You just show up on the day you want to travel, hope there is a seat and hope the bus is going where you are headed. No phoning ahead and no reservations. Next problem, safe and secure accomodations. I tried to get reservations but no one answered the phone and no one replied to our emails. I had a good idea of where I wanted to stay but I had to once again depend on getting there and praying there was a room available. So once we left Tanzania and bused into Rwanda (well we actually walked across the boarder because buses do not cross), found another bus willing to take us to Kigali, we did find our Hotel and there was a room for us. I say Hotel but it was actually a youth hostel with a shared bathroom. Now I didn't stay in one of these even when i was a youth so when i tell you it was WAY out of my box i am not joking. I felt like Ann Frank up in this little room in the attic and forget about finding the bathroom if you have to go in the middle of the night. WE eventually made it to the mountain where we climbed for an hour up the steepest hill i have ever done (I now have confirmation that i do not need to climb Kilimanjaro). We approached the jungle where we could hear the snapping of twigs and knew we were close to them. I was out of breath, wet from the rain and slept poorly in another room that I would have rather not. As we climbed the rough terian of the mountain we came upon a clearing and there they were, 2 amazingly large silver backs lounging around. I just stood there with awe and wonder at what I was seeing. They looked at me as if they were board and knew we would be coming. As if to say "ok, get your hour over with so we can get back to our own lives". They were so huge and so scary and yet i wanted to reach out and touch them. I wanted to interact and play with these hairy, cuddly looking creatures. W

e moved along through the jungle and came upon many more of them. They never seemed bothered by our apperence, they just continued on with their daily routine of eating, sleeping and playing and allowed us for the briefest moment to share in their existence. I have never done anything so incredible in my life. I have never backed packed, traveled without plans or seen something that so many will never experience. Our trip went unbelevable well. We caught all our buses, saw historical memories of the rwanda genocide and had a chance to view these precious animals all in record time. We did two countires, 8 cities, 4 modes of transportation, the mountain gorillas, serengeti all within 6 days. My ideas of traveling have changed. Although i will always enjoy a sunny beach and 5 star accomidations I now know what my abilities are to see this beautiful continent and experience more of its history, sights and outstanding secenery.

As a missionary, living over here seems to have its dangers as a single girl but to add to this life of risk and intrigue we also must learn to drive on the wrong side of the road, on the other side of the car and to acknowledge that two lanes on a road may become four if you are driving too slow (the speed limit). You must learn to drive with a certain quality, say that of a NASCAR Formula 1 Driver. You need to watch both the left and the right side of the car for vehicles that are passing and if you have your blinker on that doesn't always mean you want to turn. I tend to look on both sides before I turn but then also up in the air because you never know here. Our biggest danger on the roads are these piki piki drivers (that's Swahili for motorcycles). Arusha is now using them as taxis. You see these guys have a way of creeping up on you. They will hold no less then two passengers at a time, getting the biggest bang for their buck and they have a certain death wish that i am unable to understand. Yes! Life here in Tanzania has many dangers and risks as a female in a third world country but do I have to be afraid of the roads too?

Good Mornings!

Here in Tanzania the best part of my days are the mornings actually no matter where i am I am always better in the morning. I say i don't like to make any decisions after 2:00pm and although I seem to be joking there is a lot of truth to it. This life as a missionary is WAY outside my box and being patient, kind and loving in a culture that tries my very last bit of patience on a daily bases mostly before 11:00am is a consent challenge. I am assured that others are experiencing the same trials over here but as I look around I mostly see quiet , meek and mild spirits roaming around loving on the very people that ride their nerves and I wonder how can anyone be that sweet. I do know how of course! God is working within us to give us the strength to Love one another when we are not so lovable. But yet I do often ponder why some people get this more then others (Me!).

Yes, mornings are my best times. I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day and whatever challenges it will bring me and I KNOW there will be challenges. I try and think about how i got here, how i was chosen for this work and then i try my very hardest to live up to that choice often failing before i even eat lunch. Why am I sharing all these things with you? Who knows. Maybe someone will read this and not feel like they are the only ones dealing with these feelings, maybe its to remind you of the wonderful Grace of God and maybe its to let you know that no matter what you do, God doesn't love you any more or less!

The picture I posted is of the crew that waits outside my gate each morning. Usually by now i am in my car feeling a little anxious about what might be lying ahead for me during the day but then I see these little faces and I realize how very blessed I am to be here, living in Tanzania, working with these beautiful women and surrounded by these adorable kids. I will tell you it makes for GOOD MORNINGS!

Jennifer
www.shiningalight.org