A Visit to Tanzania's "White House"

We serve an awesome God! He is able to open any door he wants and close any door he wants. He is the God of relationships. Starting with the Trinity he uses these relationships to advance his kingdom and glorify himself. Over the course of our six years serving in DC, Tanzania and around the world, we have seen relationships orchestrated by the hand of God.

 It was about two and a half months ago when I (Craig) was reading The Citizen, an English newspaper in Tanzania, when the hand of God moved again. With surprise, I came upon a name I recalled from my time in Washington, D.C.

The article quoted the Chief Secretary from the Office of the President of the Republic of Tanzania. The Chief Secretary is responsible for every Permanent Secretary of every Ministry of Government in Tanzania. (The Permanent Secretary at each Government Ministry runs the entire Ministry.) The name I read was Ambassador Ombeni Sefue.  I met Ambassador Sefue nearly four years ago when I attended a program in Washington, D.C. about China’s expanding role in Africa.

At the time I first met him, he had just been appointed as Ambassador of Tanzania to the United States. We enjoyed several visits over the next year and a half in DC until he was appointed as Ambassador to the United Nations for Tanzania and moved to New York. We lost touch so I was surprised to read in the paper that he had been appointed to one of the highest positions in the Country of Tanzania- The Chief Secretary.

I have learned from my mentors Dave Farah and Ron Gluck it is the little things in relationships that count. So our leadership here in Tanzania decided it would be fitting to congratulate Ambassador Sefue in person and present him a language map of Tanzania produced by SIL. Our leaders (including Director Liz Thomson, Louise Nagler and Allen Mchake) had a great visit at Tanzania’s “White House” (the State House) and spending time with Ambassador Sefue.  At the end of our time we were able to pray for Ambassador Sefue.

Ambassador Sefue with UTB Director Liz Thomson

It was great for me to see Ambassador Sefue again and be reminded God is truly an amazing God.

Congratulations Ambassador and best wishes on your new position serving your country!

The task for reaching those without God’s written word in Tanzania and around the World is immense but with our God nothing is impossible!

Selous

During our time of packing to return to the states, we were blessed to be able to explore one more area in Tanzania, called Selous.  Selous is one of the world's largest protected wildlife areas, and is larger than the country of Belgium!

We stayed in tents along the Rufiji River which runs through the park.  I think what struck me most about this place was the quiet.  Maybe it was just because we have been living in a crazy, big city for the last year and this park was very remote.  No matter the reason, it was wonderfully peaceful!

(photo taken from Jimbiza Lodge web site)

The park itself is a little difficult to get to, and we were able to fly.  It was amazing to see how the terrain changed so significantly in the different areas of the park.  Some parts were green--around the lakes and the river, other areas very dry and dusty, some areas very rough and rocky.  All were amazingly beautiful in their own way.


Of course, our favorite parts were when we spotted animals.  We really hoped to see cheetah on this trip, as it seems the cheetah have been elusive on all our travels.  We still didn't see any, but we did score with the hyena!

We also enjoyed a boat ride along the river where we saw lots of hippo!

So, does it get any more relaxing than this?!?!  I told you this place was peaceful....

Heading Home, but the Work is Expanding

Several months ago we wrote about our decision to return home to live, but continue to work with our Africa team remotely. Since that time, Craig’s assignment has expanded to include some exciting new opportunities.  Our dear friend, Alemayehu, has become the director of the newly formed Eastern and Southern Africa Area of SIL.  He has asked Craig to serve as his consultant for external relations and legal affairs.

This assignment will allow Craig to work directly with Alemayehu on issues impacting many different countries in East and Southern Africa.  This new position will allow him to pull from his past experiences working at both the international and in-country levels and it will also allow him to continue work that was initiated while serving in Dar. 

Just to give you an idea, in just over one year, Craig has had over 60 meetings with Government  Ministries of Tanzania and Regional/District  government officials , Non-Governmental organizations, Donor nations to Tanzania, National Networks, Church leaders and Universities to serve language communities seeking to bring spiritual transformation to their communities.  All of these opportunities were from the hand of God and we praise him for his faithfulness.

Our journey while here in Dar has allowed us to explore many different areas of this beautiful country in our short time here. Here is a list of places we have traveled: Iringa, Mbeya, Malindi (Kenya), Entebbe (Uganda), Arusha, Zanzibar, Nairobi  (Kenya), Bagamoyo , Musoma, Mwanza, Selous,  and Ruaha.  It’s been a busy but amazingly rewarding time. 

 The new assignment will begin on January 1, 2013. In the meantime, we are starting to pack and say our good byes.  It’s hard to believe we leave in less than 2 weeks.  (Craig will stay until September).  So, after our return (and catching up with much-missed family and friends!) we plan to take part in the Bell Shoals Missions Conference and then do some traveling to visit other friends and churches, and hopefully determine where we will ultimately call “home” for this next stage in our journey.   In early November, we will take part in a program Wycliffe has for missionaries returning from overseas assignments.

It seems like so much before the end of the year!  We are looking forward to our return and hope that we will be able to see everyone soon!  We know many of you have stood in the gap for us over many years and we are truly grateful and humbled by the support and partnership in the work.  Thanks for going on the journey with us!

Small Blessings

As much as we know that our lives are full of blessings, sometimes it's the little things that you don't expect that can bring joy to your day.

Like finding real berries at the store when you haven't had any type of berry since you left the states 10 months earlier....

Like having Snuggles unexpectedly join your family....

And rainy season starting when you have nothing better to do than truly enjoy the experience!

Easter Sunrise Service

This year, we joined some good friends for a time of Easter celebration.  We met early in the morning and walked to the beach to worship together.  Although we missed meeting with our church family back in the states, we shared a memorable time here on the beautiful Indian Ocean.  :)

The morning started off a cloudy, but eventually the sun broke through!

   

So What are You Doing Over There?!?

                                                                                    Iringa, Tanzania

That was the question a family member recently asked us about our work in Tanzania. So we thought the best way to answer that question was with another question. So what are we and our partners in ministry doing over here?  You see, we are only here because our partners have lovingly and obediently supported the work.  Here is the year end  summary--thanks to our director-- of what has happened in our branch (Tanzania-Uganda). As we come to the end of 2011 and anticipate 2012, it’s good to look back and thank God for  His continued faithfulness to us.  Much has been accomplished in the past year and we want to thank each one of you for your part in the work!

 ~This year we celebrated with the Sangu and Ndali language communities of Mbeya Region as they dedicated the Gospel of Mark, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and the books of Ruth and Jonah. We also celebrated with the Ikoma-Nata-Isenye, Kabwa and Zanaki language communities of Mara Region as they received and dedicated the Gospel of Luke.

~2011 saw the publication of Genesis in Rangi and Burunge; the Gospel of Mark in Temi; and the Gospel of Luke in Ikizu. These are just the published portions of Scripture, there has been a lot more Scripture drafted, checked and ready for publication. A number of the teams in Uganda are getting very close to finishing the New Testament. Bwisi has completed 71% of the New Testament and has just the gospels of John and Matthew to complete. In total our translation consultants checked 17,276 verses in fiscal year 2011.

~Our literacy and Scripture Use teams continue to produce new local language publications, including locally authored story books, Bible-based reading materials, and basic health and development booklets. 108 new publications were produced in fiscal year 2011 and the number of sales, which we use as an indicator of use of local language materials, has increased by over a third (15,700 to 25,000), which is very encouraging. There was a dedication event for 12 devotional booklets in Sukuma, one for each month of the year. The whole service was in Sukuma, and a little bell was rung if anyone strayed into Swahili!

~Many local language literacy classes have been held throughout the year. As a result close to 20,000 community members have learnt how to read and write their own language. Scripture Use events have also taken place, with around15,000 people attending various local language Scripture use events.

~This year saw the start of the Luke Partnership project with The Seed Company. The project includes 7 Ugandan languages. Some of these languages have existing Scriptures, but are dealing with issues of access particularly associated with difficult to read orthographies.

~Foundational linguistics and orthography development work is proceeding in a number of our projects, including Mbugwe and Ik. This year linguistic work will be started in 3 new languages to the south east of Mbeya: Pangwa, Manda and Kisi, as well as in the new Katavi Cluster.

  ~Strengthened partnership with the churches in Katavi Region and the commitment of the Katavi Cluster Advisory Committee to the project. The cluster team is starting to grow in Mpanda, but has had to deal with a number of challenging situations including a medevac and ongoing health issues

 ~This year we’ve started more intentional advocacy for use of local languages in education and development in Tanzania and have continued to participate in a Multi-lingual Education Network in Uganda. The advocacy work in Tanzania has been significantly aided by the recent publication by Uwezo which indicates that many children in Tanzania speak a language other than Swahili at home and those children are disadvantaged when they go to school, being less able to understand the teacher’s instructions in Swahili. As a result they perform poorly. There is substantial evidence from other places that this situation can be rectified by teaching the child to read and write first in their mother tongue. The child would  then be much more able to learn to read and write in Swahili, providing a stronger foundation for their continuing education through primary school and beyond. Looking ahead we would like to be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach through well researched and documented basic literacy programs so that we can back up what we are saying with tangible evidence.

And that’s just a few of the highlights!  Thank you to all of our friends and family who faithfully support our work here in Tanzania.  We wish you many blessings!

“Rebecca, Translate the Bible”

“Rebecca, translate the Bible.” Those were the words Tanzanian Member of Parliament Rebecca Michael Mngodo heard 30 years ago when she was studying languages at the University of Moscow. Who spoke those words to her?  It was Cameron Townsend, founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL International.

Cameron and Elaine Townsend were in Moscow at the invitation of the University faculty in the language studies department. (This was at a time when Russia was still a communist country!)  At the same time, Mngodo and her future husband had received scholarships from the government of Tanzania to attend school in Moscow.  Through a divine appointment, the two families met.   Mngodo was moved by Uncle Cam’s passion for getting the word to everyone in their heart language and they became friends. Ultimately, Uncle Cam (through a series of anonymous donors) raised money for her to go to England for an extensive 6 weeks course in Bible Translation taught at Wycliffe UK.

Mngodo later returned to Tanzania and had a successful career in TV production, was active in her church, and continued her friendship with the Townsends.  And, just last year, she became a member of the Parliament of Tanzania. Throughout this time, she continued to have the words burn in her heart, “Rebecca, translate the Bible.”

In June, she was in Dodoma for the session of parliament.  While at a gas station, she saw a vehicle with the name SIL on it. She met one of our colleagues and learned that SIL was working in Tanzania. The words of Uncle Cam hit her with such power when she saw SIL was in Tanzania! The colleague recently related this story of the meeting to Craig.  Then, Craig, along with another SIL colleague in Dar es Salaam, invited her to the office in Dar.

Last week she was able to visit and learn about the acceleration of Bible Translation in Tanzania and also tell the members of our office about her time with the Townsends. More importantly, she wanted to know how she could help. It turns out she is on the committee that relates with the key government ministry SIL is trying to work with! At the end of the meeting, the entire staff of the Dar office came and prayed for MP Mngodo and her work in Parliament. We praise God for this incredible divine appointment that happened at a humble gas station, and we ask you to pray about how MP Mngodo might be used by God to advance the cause of translation and fulfill the words of Uncle Cam, “Rebecca, translate the Bible.”

Giving Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving in America and I find myself sitting in our SIL office in Tanzania, reflecting on how blessed our family is.  Even though Thanksgiving in Dar es Salaam is quite different, I know that God has brought us here for this time. 

Here, it is summer, not the traditional autumn season when we celebrate Thanksgiving.  But I am thankful for the green lushness that is appearing as a rainy season has begun.  New life is sprouting around us, and it is a gift.

Here, Thanksgiving is not celebrated, as it is an American holiday.  Today is business as usual.  Everyone is at work and school and there is no 4-day holiday.  But I am thankful for the people from the many different countries that I am blessed to be surrounded by.  I work with people from around the globe who all have a heart for Bible translation, how amazing is that?!?

Here, we have no family to celebrate with and we miss them so much!  But God has blessed us with close friends, even though our time here has been short.  I am so thankful that God has provided friends for each person in our family that we can enjoy spending time with and that we are able to celebrate Thanksgiving with today.  (And yes, we can get turkey here, though it is not common!)  J

Here, almost everything is different from what I am used to for Thanksgiving.  But I am thankful that God is my constant, never-changing rock.  So although I am surrounded by the unfamiliar, I know I can count on Him, leading me step by step down this unknown path, with the promise that although His ways are not my ways, and I may not always understand them, His plans are for always for good—not just for me, but for all of us who know Him.  And I find that the biggest reason to give thanks on this day.

Sunday Drive...Tanzania Style

Last weekend we were blessed to be able to travel with some friends to Mikumi National Park.  The park is about 4-5 hours from where we live in Dar.  The main road actually runs through the park, and often you can see animals just off the side of the road.  Driving through the park itself, we had an excellant guide who really had an eye for spotting animals off the path.  If it hadn't been for him, we would have missed the lions, leopard, and lizard.

The Clendinens and the Stamps traveling through Mikumi National Park

The giraffes really seemed to like to pose.

We saw this guy before we even entered the park.

I love these baobab trees that are all over Tanzania!

There were many elephants throughout the park, we even saw some babies.

One of the highlights for me...you can't even see the smallest cub hiding behind the mother in the center!

Desperate Cries

Craig recently returned from Mbeyatown, Tanzania, which is where a large part of SIL’s work is taking place. While there he was able to help with some of the training for our Tanzanian staff.

On Sunday, as Craig walked about a half mile from the guest house up a dirt road, he could hear music. He veered off the road to a rustic building and the music grew louder. He walked inside a very humble building and there were about 30 people worshipping and praising God.  Craig was touched by the fact that not only was the praise so intense and heartfelt, but the women were on their knees, on the hard concrete floor, crying out to the Lord. Their cry was desperate and passionate.

After the services, Craig had a chance to talk with Pastor Joey, who has pastored this little church in Mbeyatown since 2002, and, his story was similar to Craig’s.  Joey, a Tanzanian, was a trained engineer who received his degree in engineering in Dar es Salaam.  As a successful engineer, he had his own consulting firm in Mbeya.  Then God interrupted his comfortable world. The Lord told him to serve full time in ministry. You can imagine what his family thought when he told them he was going to leave his well-paying job to serve SIL as a volunteer and then start a church…they thought he was crazy. (We know several of our friends thought we were crazy when Craig walked away from the practice of law to serve in ministry!)   

Pastor Joey’s little church started out in a small rental house right next to the mosque in town.  However, God had also provided Joey another piece of property across the street from the mosque.   Joey decided to use this property to build the church. Well, the folks at the mosque were not too happy, and complained to the local government about the church being built, and Joey was forced to take down everything that had been constructed. Since then, they have been working with leaders in the town, and now after 8 years, they expect to receive a permit to begin construction!  The pictures you see are the present location of the church.  Joey and this little church trusted God and persevered through the tough process of obtaining the permit! Pastor Joey took Craig over to the property and he was blessed by being able to pray over it. 

We can all learn from Pastor Joey and this humble church that desperate prayer can bring perseverance for the joy of the cross.  We thank Pastor Joey for sharing this story and for his work in helping advance Bible translation in Tanzania. We are sure Pastor Joey would appreciate your prayers as the construction process begins. (Already, a theft has occurred of a portion of the building materials.  Fortunately, however, the police investigated and were able to recover all of the materials for the church.)

What obstacles do you face in your life? Are you on your knees crying out to God? We know that our perseverance does not come from the strength of our own hands, but in our desperate cries of dependence…while on our knees, often from the hard concrete floor.

A Protecting Hand

I have to admit that this was a tough post to write.  Craig actually wrote most of it last week and I have been avoiding even looking at it. 

There are many things in Tanzania that people could say make life stressful and it seems that it is different for each person.   Not knowing when and if you are going to have power and water is hard for some.  Other people have trouble adjusting to cooking here or shopping in the markets when you aren’t used to that.  The language and the culture are very different from what we are accustomed to in the states and that can be tricky.  But, I think the one thing that I personally have struggled with the most is the traffic.  It overwhelms me, and Craig is the one driving! 

In Tanzania, the roads are for everyone.  So, combine the heavy trucks and personal cars on the road with all of the public transportation (which includes buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and bajajis) and then a large amount of people walking and an abundance of livestock with few or no traffic lights/signs/street lights and no real specific traffic rules….you get the idea.   I had been both amazed and thankful that despite the chaos of daily traffic, I had not seen any accidents. 

Then it happened.

We were on our way to the office, and had just turned into the entry way.  Suddenly, brakes screeched  near us on the road.  I looked back to see people reaching into ditches to help others out.  I wasn’t sure what had really occurred at first.  But then we saw the dala dala (public bus) tipped over into the ditch.  It was filled with local children on their way to school.  People were helping them out of the windows.  It tore at my heart.  Normally, that is something where we would have rushed  to assist.   However, unfortunately, it is not safe to do that here.  We just had to continue into the office compound, behind the gates to safety, and wait.  We learned later that not only had the bus tipped over, but a piki piki (motorcycle) had slid underneath the bus and its driver had been killed. 

The whole event really shook me up.  Emotionally, I was struggling anyway, feeling a bit homesick—but that tragedy was difficult to come to grips with for me.

However, a family shared an amazing story a few days later.

Their son was on his way to school, and normally travels in a bajaji (a covered cycle).  On the morning of the accident, he was having trouble catching a ride.   Then, a motorcycle taxi stopped to pick him up. Just before he got on the cycle, a bajaji pulled up.  It was brand new, no stickers (you need to understand that vehicles here are required to have insurance and safety stickers…and with all the dust and rough roads, nothing ever looks brand new!)   He later learned the cycle he almost rode on was the cycle that went under the bus.

 As we heard this story, we thought about how many times in our lives that God had protected us. And, I am sure that there are so many we don’t even know about!  It is so important to be able to look back at those times, especially when we struggle in our circumstances or don’t understand, so that we can be reminded of His faithful protecting hand.

Orientation Time

                                                      Mbudya Island, off the coast of Dar es Salaam
    

We have just started our last week of orientation, here in Dar es Salaam. During the three weeks, we have had all sorts of interesting classes on African culture, Tanzanian history and government, managing transition, and child safety (among many others). We have visited bustling market places, beautiful and secluded beaches, and simple, inviting homes in local villages. We have traveled in a dala dala (the local city bus) and bajaji (kind of like a scooter rickshaw, for lack of better description). But honestly, one of the most amazing things has been getting to know the 20 other people that have come to serve in Tanzania. 

Each morning we have two people share their stories and tell about how they arrived here in Dar. And each time, I am more and more amazed at how God has orchestrated each life to end up here, now, and serving the mission of Bible translation. Our group consists of families with children, newly married couples, and singles. We come from all around the United States, Canada, Australia, England, and Ireland. Some were missionary kids, some are from Christian homes and some are not. Some are new to the field and others have served all over the world. No one’s journey was easy or necessarily clear, but God’s hand at work was undeniable. Truthfully, each story is nothing short of a miracle.  

Not long ago, I remember hearing someone compare God’s plan to a quilt. Where, in our lives, we may only see the knots and the threads, He sees the entire, completed, beautiful quilt. With each story I hear, I can imagine the great Father, stitching away at our individual lives, ultimately bringing each of us together in this place… completing just a small part of the pattern that is to serve in His ultimate plan, His completed quilt. Each day I am reminded of His faithfulness in bringing our family here…guiding each of here to bring the love story of God to all the people of Tanzania.

HE GOES BEFORE US

The fishermen heading out in the evening...

Greetings and welcome to our first blog from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, the new home of the Clendinen Family Adventure!

The trip to Tanzania was great and we enjoyed our 12 hour lay-over in London.  We ran through the city and visited as many of the sites as we could in the short time we were there.  Then, we were off again! Thankfully, all 16 pieces of  luggage arrived in Tanzania, and we had no problems with customs

Dar Es Salaam is a city of nearly four million people and is the largest city in Tanzania.  Soon after arriving in Dar, we quickly learned that a major part of our transition experience would include rolling power blackouts that last anywhere from 10 to 12 hours a day! Just imagine how you would run your life in a major city when nearly half the time the power is out!  Cooking and eating dinners, hanging laundry, and other normal tasks become quite an experience when being done by candlelight.  

We spent four days in Dar before we headed to Kenya for the organization's annual conference. It was at a beautiful hotel on the beach.  We were so thankful that we were able to attend, as it allowed us to meet many of the people working throughout Tanzania and Uganda.  It was exciting to hear about all of the language projects that are being initiated and the translations that are being completed.

After 8 days in Keyna, we headed back to Dar, where we have been learning a bit about what life will look like living here.  Everything is so new and different.  We are learning that you don't buy a contract or minutes for your cell phone, you buy megabytes.   For electricity, you have a Luku meter that you purchase a code for, which allows you to use a certain amount of power.  Also, at one of the larger shopping markets in the area, you must closely check prices.  Imported items (especially from the US) will be significantly much more expensive, such as the $4 can of refried beans, or the $8 bottle of shampoo.

For a much more intensive learning experience, we will begin three weeks of orientation on the 25th of July and after that head to another part of Tanzania for two weeks of language school . We'll cover topics like driving, health issues, and a bit of beginning Swahilli.

     What have we learned so far:  Life may not always be easy, but God is always good. Your prayers have already had an impact and we see His hand in everything. God always goes before us!