Vocabulary Lessons

Even though we only had about a week of “official” language school, we are slowly learning some basics to help us communicate in Tanzania.

In Kiswahili, knowing how to greet someone is essential.  And greetings extend beyond simply, “Hi, how are you?”  Most people are familiar with the greeting, “Jambo” but we have learned that will often mark you as being a tourist.  Officially, you would say “Hujambo” and the reply would be, “Sijambo”.  There are many variations on this, but more commonly you would greet someone with “Habari za….”  This means, literally, what is the news of…  So it can be what is the news of the day, work, the family, the school, the possibilities are endless!  And you never ask just one, they can keep going!

Some other basic phrases that we use often are “asante” which means thank you, “karibu” which can mean you’re welcome or just welcome, and “pole sana” which means I’m sorry.

Although many Tanzanians in the city speak English, there are many basic words like these that make interactions easier.  One of our favorite dukas (store) has some great guys that work there who are always trying to teach us new words.  Not only are they the nicest guys around, they make shopping there so much more fun. 

Then there are the traffic words.  Dar es Salaam is never short on modes of transportation.  There are dala dalas (buses), piki pikis (motorcycle taxis), bicycle taxis, and bajajis (like a motorized rickshaw).

Certainly, Tanesco (the electric company) and Dawasco (the water company) are important words to know, since you are often dealing with issues with one or the other. 

The part of my new vocabulary that I haven’t been thrilled with, actually has nothing to do with learning Kiswahili.  It’s all happening in English and at times is troubling.  Living in a third world country means that talk of hospitals and clinics is commonplace.  Malaria, amoeba, worms and deworming (not just for your pets, but your family too!) and unknown diagnosis are also pretty typical.  And just recently, I’ve gotten to add the term “flesh eating bacteria” to my list of discussions (thankfully not for our family, but you can certainly keep another family in your prayers).

Living in Dar es Salaam has made me realize, in many, many ways, how much I have taken for granted while living my life in the United States.  And, despite the difficulties we often face here, I know that we are blessed beyond measure.  God is working mightily in Tanzania.  You can see it in the number of translations of His Word that are being completed, you can hear it in the praises, and you can feel it the joy that manifests itself in the His people.  And the best news is, He’s not done yet!

Traveling to Arusha

Mt. Meru, from just outside of Arusha

One of our recent visits took us to the city of Arusha, in northern Tanzania.  Arusha is located near Mt. Meru, one of the highest mountains in Africa. (On our drive to the city, we also got an incredible view of Mt. Kilimanjaro—THE highest mountain in Africa.)   Arusha is also a stopping point for many on safari.  Within just a few hours of the city are many of the best game parks in the country.  And, being that it is at a much higher elevation than Dar, the weather was so much cooler…what a refreshing break from the summer heat!

One of our highlights was visiting the Cultural Heritage Center.  The main part of the center is shops that sell many African crafts and different types of art work.  There is also a bookstore, a glass store, a clothing store and a restaurant.  However, the bulk of the business is in the sale of tanzanite.  The owner gave us an interesting education on the gem and showed us many different sizes and colorations of the stones.  I have never seen so many tanzanite stones!

Next to the center is a museum/gallery that showcases African artists.  Just as impressive as the artwork was the building itself.  It reminded me of the Guggeheim museum in that you followed a spiral path around the building, gradually moving higher (or lower) throughout the displays. 

While we were there, we were able to visit with Gary and Diane Eberts who pastor one of the local churches in town.  They were so gracious to take their time to show us around the city and we were blessed to be able to worship their church on Sunday. 

Mt. Kilimanjaro, in the morning.  It was a beautiful drive with the mountain on one side and the sun rise on the other.

A Little Bit of History

We have done some traveling over the last few weeks and have been blessed to visit some interesting parts of Tanzania. 

About an hour north of Dar es Salaam, is a small city—Bagamoyo.  It sits right on the coast and offers an amazing glimpse at some of the history of this area.

On our first day there, we visited this spot.  Obviously, they are doing some work here at the moment.  But this cross sits on the coast and commemorates the missionaries that “redeemed” the slaves from the slave markets in Zanzibar in 1868.  From Zanzibar, the slaves were brought back here to a settlement.

 

From there, we visited a museum that displayed through old photographs, maps, articles and artifacts, the history of slave trade in the area. 

Also on the grounds of the museum is a Catholic church and a large cemetery.

There is also this tower, where David Livingstone’s body brought before it was returned to England.  Livingstone played a huge role in attempting to abolish the slave trade that was happening throughout eastern Africa.  Over 500 slaves that he had “redeemed” carried him here as a tribute.

The next day, we visited an old fort that at one time served as the place to house the slaves before they were chained and put on ships and sent to other countries to be sold.  The conditions there were unbelievable as our tour guide described that 25 people were put into one small room for days at a time.  There was only a small window for light and air.  This was after they had been captured and walked for miles and months carrying heavy loads.  It is amazing to me that anyone survived long enough to even make it on the ships to be sold. 

At one point the building also served as a prison and you could almost feel the sadness of the place. 

We stayed at a small inn, the Traveller’s Lodge, which was also right on the beach.  The grounds were green and lush and so peaceful!  It was a wonderful retreat.  It also had a great play structure for the kids.



We definitely had a great trip!  Wish you were here!

In the Time of Crisis, Choose Grace

Many of you read our last blog on decisions and have been standing in the gap for us and praying. Thank you!! We hope to be able to let you know our next steps soon.

In a previous blog, Carolyn shared the overwhelming feeling of driving in Dar. Our friends experienced a crisis a few days ago as they were driving at night here in Dar es Salaam. This incredible story is not just about what happened to them, but more importantly, how they chose to respond to the crisis  We appreciate them (thank you, Dan!) for allowing us to share this guest post with you.  Please read--and let us know, what would you have done?

Tonight we were in a car accident. First let me say everyone is fine, our whole family was in the car and we're all ok, no harm done. We went to a couple's house on the peninsula for dinner and left to drive home at about 8:30. That means it had been dark for about an hour and a half or so. I dislike driving in the dark. I really have no problems with it during the day, but night is a whole different experience and one that I don't generally enjoy.

We were driving home and I came to a red light. This doesn't always mean what you think it would. In Dar (and Tanzania in general from what I've seen of it) a red light is a suggestion that you should stop if there is no traffic crossing or the car in front of you has stopped. In tonight's case I stopped at the red light because there were cars turning directly in front of me and to run through it was to invite destruction. So I was being careful and I stopped. ( For those who know the area it was the light before Mwenge market going north.) I came to a full and complete stop and about five seconds later a taxi slammed into the back of our car. There was a loud boom and we were all pressed firmly back into our seats. It was startling and unexpected.

Stacy called for Adah and she made a babbling noise that didn't sound particularly injurious so then she yelled for Micah to see if he was ok. He didn't respond and I was immediately terrified and yelled a bit louder and more forcefully for him to respond and he said he was ok. I think he was just scared and startled at first. Bernadette was also with us and she was fine too. Once this was all determined I put on my hazard lights and we looked around out the windows. It is not always good to get out of your vehicle at an accident scene as there is often a mob. It was similar in this case as a group of men were walking around the cars. Within half a minute we saw a police officer (Mr. Mensa) walk over and I went to talk to him. He was speaking to the driver of the taxi and I told him that was my car and pointed at the one with the big dent in the back of it. He nodded and said, “Please move it over there,” pointing to the corner out of the center of the road.

I moved the car and he got in the taxi and they parked nearby. As all of this was going on there was a steady and heavy stream of traffic driving around us. The police officer got out of the car and was physically holding a young guy and moving him around towards another car. Apparently there had been another accident at the same time where this young guy hat hit another car behind me somewhere. I didn't know the details and the driver who was hit was pretty mad and yelling in Swahili, none of which I understood. After a few minutes they settled something and the cop looked at me. I said that's my car over there and that I was stopped at the red light and the taxi ran into me. I said we should go look at the damage.

We stood there looking at the large dent in the back of my car as he talked to the taxi driver. The man was obviously poor and had three children standing next to him. I doubt they were his, I think they were just borrowed from the crowd, but who's to know? The police officer made his report, I wish I had taken a picture of it but I was too hyped up on adrenaline to think to do it. Basically he had a clipboard with a blank sheet of white paper, upon which he drew the road with arrows for the direction of traffic and a rectangle for my car and one for the guy behind me with an x at the back of mine where the damage was. He then asked me what happened and I told him I had stopped at the light, which was red and there was traffic crossing in front of me so I couldn't go forward and I was hit from behind. He nodded and noted some things down in swahili on his paper. He then took some of my information including my name, phone number, job ( missionary), religion (he guessed Christian correctly) and a few other things that escape my memory.

The police officer said, “This man is obviously poor, he has no money, what do you want me to do?”

I said, “I have no idea, what can I do?”

He said, “You can take him to court and I can take him to jail or not.”

I said, “One moment please,” and I went and got the keys and unlocked the back of the van to try to open it. It of course was caved in over the locking mechanism and did not open. This made it so that it really does have to be repaired. Just a dent I could live with but I need to be able to get into the back of the van. I then went and told Stacy what he had said and she wisely said I should call Dwight. Dwight is awesome, he knows a lot has lived here for a long time and has a lot of experience on how things work here, so I took her advice and gave him a call. He told me my options and I thanked him and went back to the cop. I told the cop I thought it would cost almost 200,000 shillings to fix the car and if the driver could do that then I'd be fine with it and we could let it go. He told me that the man didn't have the money that he couldn't pay but that I could take him to court if I wanted to. I considered my options and went and talked to Stacy again.

I said, “This guy is poor and the hassle of going to court and trying to get money out of him doesn't seem like a good idea. I say we just eat the cost of repairs and go home.”

She agreed and I went back tot he police officer. I told him, “Here's what I would like to do. I would like for you to tell the man to drive more carefully. Then please tell him I will be praying for him and that I wish him well. We are done here as far as I'm concerned.”

The police man was very kind and offered his phone number and name so that if I have any other problems I can call him and he would do his best to help. I thanked him and we drove the way home. As we were pulling back into traffic Micah asked, ”Did the policeman ask you for supper?” I grinned and said, “No man, not this time,” and we drove the rest of the way home uneventfully.

I hate to say it but I think this was inevitable. Driving in Dar is inherently dangerous and driving at night is more so. In this case there was nothing I could have done to have been more careful beyond not being on the road at all. Hopefully I will be able to get the car fixed this week. We have insurance but there is a deductible we'll have to meet first which it would have been nice to have gotten from the other driver but wasn't really realistic given that I wanted to get home before tomorrow. Hopefully this won't ever happen again, but if it does I can only pray that it is as minor as this.

Decisions

Decisions, decisions, decisions.  Sometimes, I find it really hard to make a decision.  Like right now.  Since we are about half way through our time of commitment in Tanzania, we are at the point where we need to decide if we will extend our commitment—or move back to the states.  We have been praying for wisdom, for guidance, for unity in our decision and most of all, that we will be in the center of God’s will.  Does that mean we will stay here?  Or, will that move us somewhere all together different?  We wish we knew for sure!

Often, I would prefer that the answer would come like this:

This is what we came across the other day on the way to church. (I wish the picture was a little clearer, but essentially the truck was heading up our hill, lost its clutch and brakes, slid back down the hill, and completely blocked the road!) There was no wondering or debating—we could not go this way!  The decision was easy.

But what I find more often, is this:

I think I have a plan.  I think I have it figured out and that we are traveling along just fine.  Then, we begin to feel that God is leading us on a different path.  The path isn’t always clear.  We often don’t know what the road we travel is going to look like or exactly where it is headed.  Those times, like now, are tougher.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Proverbs 16:2-4

Am I really supposed to change directions now?  Is it that I want a diversion or that God wants to grow us and take us somewhere different?  Although not as clear as the truck blocking the road, often I find that a change of course is clear, just not the direction. 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:10-12

So, I continue to pray and to seek and to know that God is good.  Will you pray with us?

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.”