Sunday, October 25, 2009
Today Mwankenja took us to Agape Lutheran Church, which is off the old road from Dar es Salaam to Tunduma, a little way out of Uyole. Agape was formerly a subcongregation of the Uyole church, but it become autonomous. Agape has a partnership relation with Shiloh Lutheran in York County. Shiloh had sent Agape a guitar several months ago. The pastor made a point of showing it to us in case we encounter someone from Shiloh when we get back home. They are in the midst of constructing a large new building surrounding the smaller original building where worship is currently held. Once again when Mwankenja was recognized we were invited to move up to the front and today we actually sitting in the chancel. Everywhere we go the clergy seem to have some connection with Mwnakenja. Today the pastor of the congregation was a former student of Mwankenja’s, and the guest speaker was a seminary colleague of Mwankenja’s father. As usual we were introduced to the congregation and asked to say a few words. At the auction after the service we bought a hand of bananas, and then someone in the congregation bought us another hand, seeing that we like bananas. Later when we were at “tea” in the parsonage the electricity went out, and it seemed that some of those present were expressing unkind thoughts about the president of Tanzania. The air was warm today but throughout the afternoon the wind howled so much that it sounded cold.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
There is noticeable humidity this morning, but no mud. The dry ground soaked up all the rain without becoming muddy. This morning before sunrise there was a farmer out with a hoe working on a hillside across from our house that had been burned off just before yesterday’s rain. This morning we had the first oral presentations in the Communication Skills class—for first attempts they weren’t bad. No electricity again most of the day and evening.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Today Peter Chaula, one of the history tutors, invited us to speak to his diploma class about the Great Depression, since he had learned that our parents and grandparents had both lived through that time. Karen was no able to go, because she had become ill, so the class did not have the benefit of our families’ differing points of view. Chaula has also invited me to sit in and possibly speak to the class for the rest of the time we are here. The next unit is on precolonial society in Africa. I am not sure how much I can contribute, but it may be a learning experience for me. This afternoon and evening we had our first real rain—two separate bouts of hard cold rain, each lasting a little over an hour.
Tuesday October 20, 2009
This morning there was a cloud sitting atop the mountain to our north, but I do not know if it dropped any rain. If it did, any runoff would most likely have gone toward Lake Rukwa, instead of to the Great Ruaha River, which feeds the reservoir that is used to generate electric power. Electricity was on and off all day today, and it is starting to get old. Our friends here say that the problem is more pronounced this year than in the past. I have now finished typing a list of books in the library that do not have accession numbers—30 pages. Some, but not many in comparison, are books that we have donated. Accession numbers are supposedly very important, but obviously many books have found their way in without having been logged in. Perhaps I should say that I may have finished, because this afternoon we found another 3 to 4 feet of books hidden away in a cabinet, that have yet to be cataloged. I have no idea if they all have accession numbers. We still do not know if we have found all the books that have been squirreled away in various places.