Our First Time Traveling!

Last week we took our first trip while in Tanzania!  Preparing for a trip was an experience in and of itself, we needed to

• double-check that all the toilets were flushed (yes, we conserve water and only flush about once a day, which could be bad if we forgot one and came home after a week away), 
• fill up enough water bottles to last us for 5 days (we try to average 3 Liters a day, and for two of us for 5 days in 1.5 and 1 liter bottles, we filled two bags with water bottles), 
• give the key to our house to one of our workers and ask him to turn on the generator if power is out for more than 12 hours so our food in the freezer doesn't spoil (which he had to do twice while we were gone)
• pack toilet paper, towels, pillows, and blankets (because where we stay may not have any), and
• bring flashlights because there may not be power where we go!

On the road to Katesh

brick houses with tin roofs

On Monday morning we hit the road, Mike driving the four hours to Katesh (the city where him and Joann lived their first nine months in Tanzania to practice language and learn culture).  As we approached the city, it was so interesting how the landscape had changed dramatically from Arusha.  The soil was red clay and because of it, the
houses were made of brick!








We spent our first night in Katesh after eating dinner with our good friend and co-worker, Lulu!  He works with our team leader to recruit church-planter trainees and he continues ministering to our church-planters after they have completed the training course.  His family welcomed us with pilau (rice cooked with meat), and it was delicious!





Tuesday morning we rose early to leave for the bush.  Mike, Joann, Lulu, his wife, Megan and me were headed out to meet the Hesabe tribe where one of our church-planters has been working to establish a church for years!  We drove two hours to a city called Heydom, dropped our luggage at the guest house where we would stay that night, and then drove two hours into the bush.  Let's just say if the shocks and struts on the vehicle weren't shot, they certainly felt like it in the way back where Megan and I sat.  Every minute there were jaw-jarring bumps and neck-snapping jolts...we were more than ready to be there once we arrived!  One good thing - on the way we had some sweet surprises:

We saw pigs for the first time in Tanzania!!! 

And we found this interesting little guy!

Finally we arrived to the village and met with Yacobo, our church-planter.  He introduced us to people and was very welcoming.  His tribe is the Hasabe - they live deep in the bush, their main source of income and main food for consumption is HONEY - they are beekeepers, they are shorter than most Tanzanians, and THEY SPEAK WITH CLICKS!!! Their language is seriously captivating, we had absolutely no idea what they were saying, but they used their tongue with nearly every syllable.

The Hasabe were very excited to show us their bee boxes, which was great because Mike and Joann were beekeepers in the U.S., so they were able to offer some insight and encourage them in their work.

Megan's funny comment - "There's a cheetah in the tree!!"

Mike talking to the Hasabe about bee management

Each tribe carries their babies a little differently

Lulu wearing beads like the Hasabe - every tribe has a
different way of making and wearing their beads

In addition to encouraging Yacobo in his ministry, we also had the opportunity to meet three potential church-planter trainees that will come to our center for training next fall!!  It was fantastic to meet the recruits and their families, which will be great to see some familiar faces next August!  After meeting each of them, they all wanted us to come and see their homes....which were anything but close together!

Hasabe children standing outside a traditional Hasabe home made of sticks and straw - these kids melted our hearts

Where's Megan? - I turned around and snapped this picture on the way to Yacobo's house

All you can see for miles and miles!

Our Hasabe friend cracking open some nuts for us to try - very similar to walnuts

It was an amazing day and completely worth the rough ride to meet the Hasabe.  We were able to bless Yacobo's family with water, rice, and sugar (last time they took rice to the Hasabe, they didn't know what to do with it!).  We were able to encourage Yacobo in his ministry and come alongside him in prayer for the shackles of poverty and drunkeness to be broken in his tribe.  He has seen breakthroughs for the Gospel and we continue to pray for God's work among the Hasabe!


The rest of our week was spent in Katesh meeting friends of Mike and Joann and practicing lots and lots of Swahili!  Overall it was a great time to visit more of the country, meet people from different tribes, and continue to fall more and more in love with the people God has led us to work alongside!