Miwani for Mwanza

Laundry Fundraising Update

2009-12-31T14:35:00.000-08:00

Another Big Thank You for all who donated to support the International Health Partners during this past Advent.

A grand total of $9634.65 was given towards the temporary laundry facility for the Nyakato Health Clinic in Mwanza!

2009-12-02T13:05:00.001-08:00

An albino girl smiles in Mitindo Primary School in Nyawilimilwa, Mwanza.

Eye Clinic Update

2009-11-26T07:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a recent photo of the eye clinic. The roof is on and half of the outside walls are browned, along with a good start on the inside ones. The door frames are about 80% complete, as is the electrical conduit. The roughed in plumbing has now started.

Here is a shot of the clinic at the stage when the Atonement group departed Nyakato. At this time all the exterior walls, some interior walls and three roof trusses were up.

Here is a shot from after the group first got started at the construction site.

Here is a shot of the empty slab. It is amazing to see the building and it's progress.

Shout out to our Newton Partners

2009-10-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of our M4M partners from Newton, Iowa - the picture was taken while they were working at the Nyakato Clinic.

My mom and I drove through Newton today on our way to Chicago.

Thank You to Paula and Denny!

2009-10-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Loren, Paula, Denny and Ruth at Atonement on Sunday morning. It was truly a blessing to have Paula and Denny with us over the weekend.

A big THANK YOU!

2009-10-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Thank You to all who attended the dinner and evening of sharing last night. It was a wonderful night with the Lofstroms and we appreciate all the continued support for Atonement's mission work for Tanzania.

Stay tuned as we see how God works though us to be a part of the future in Tanzania and the work being done there through the Lofstroms and International Health Partners..

Dinner and Sharing Tonight

2009-10-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Join us TONIGHT for an evening of sharing and dinner with Gabe, Paula and Denny.

Faces of Tanzania

2009-10-02T06:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Elsie for sharing some of her pics of the faces of Tanzania.

Giraffe Story from Jim P

2009-09-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

While working in the lab at the clinic, Jim heard this little girl crying so he gave her his giraffe.

"She was waiting with her mother and a friend to see a doctor. I am not sure what her problem was other than she was not feeling well. She did stop crying after I gave her the giraffe however."

Tanzania Presentation Planning Meeting

2009-09-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Don't forget...

We will be meeting tonight, Tuesday, 9/22 at 6:00pm in Room 104. Please be on time as we will end promptly at 7pm-if not before. Thanks!

Lions in the Crater

2009-09-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

This lion couple was sunning along one of the roads in the Ngorongoro Crater.

There were at least six lions all lounging in the field together.

This guy seemed to be the king of the pride, as the others were all lionesses.

This gal looks just like my cat sleeping in the warm sun.

Sitting up from her nap...

A big yawn before laying back down.

More Pix from Maasai Village

2009-09-14T14:25:00.001-07:00

When we first got to the village the Maasai women invited some of the gals from our group to join them in a traditional dance while others chanted.

Here they are all in a line, some hand in hand.

The women from our group were given the traditional beaded necklaces to wear during the dance.

The men were on the other side of the common area and they were getting ready for the Adumu (Jumping Dance). Each young man will take turns to jump as high as he can while the others stand in a circle and sing. The voices of the men get higher as the jumping increases. The belief is that the higher you jump the greater man you show yourself to be.

Freddie and Jerod joined in the jumping dance.

The huts of the village are built from sticks and dung

This young man showed us the interior of the traditional hut and how he and his family live.

Don and Tom truly enjoy the Maasai experience.

What a majestic people and an experience most of us will never forget.

Maasai School

2009-09-12T21:46:00.001-07:00

At the Maasai village there was a simple building made from sticks and dung just outside the fence around the huts.

The building was a one room school house for the village children.

Cindy led the kids in singing the "Alphabet Song".

The building is partly open, maybe to allow for ventilation and light.

Here is the teacher, who was very patient as our group disrupted her class.

Visit to Maasai Village

2009-09-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

We stopped at a Maasai Village near the entrance to the Ngorongoro Crater. The bright colors of their attire, their beautiful beadwork and their distinct features make the Maasai so interesting. Click here for more information about the Maasai.

More pix from our visit to the Maasai Village to come in future posts.

Jim's Giraffes

2009-09-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

This wonderful shot of a giraffe, and the others in this post are pix that Jim took at Arusha National Park.

A nice close up.

Not everyday you can have your picture taken with a giraffe standing in the background.

Thanks Jim for sharing your pix.

Happy Anniversary to Bruce!

2009-09-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Bruce on his 30th work anniversary. Bruce was the hero of our "Walking to Tanzania" fundraiser as he used the walk to gain his own strength back after surgery and chemo, and the monies from his sponsors to benefit the projects done in Tanzania.

In an devotion from earlier in the week, Bruce stated

"Labor Day will be a holiday for celebration and thanksgiving. I am back on the job after almost six months of short term disability and Friday marks the 30th year that I have worked for Hallmark. I have been blessed with a job that I enjoy and that has supported our family - truly a gift from God."

September and Rainy Season

2009-09-02T11:35:00.001-07:00

It is now the beginning of September and the start of the rainy season in Tanzania. We hope to have another update from Paula about the progress of the roof of the eye clinic soon.

Benedict's Safari Car

2009-09-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

Benedict and the gang from his safari car - Kari, Cindy, Brooke, Kurt, Don and Sherlyn.

Brooke shares,

"Benedict was our remarkable safari driver...quiet, gentle-spirited, kind, and always chuckling at Cindy "Doolittle" talking to the animals - or laughing at our staple Swahili phrase, "Twende, tafadahli - Asante!" (Let's go, please -Thank you!). We each had a particular word we would say and poor Benedict heard that phrase over and over and over again!

Benedict has worked for JM Tours for over 14 years and loves what he does. He says that he never gets tired of taking people on safari since you never know what you may see. His personal favorite is the cheetah.

He has a wife, 3 boys, and a daughter and he strives to be able to pay for his children's education. He grew up in Moshi close to Mt. Kilimanjaro and his mom still lives there and is a coffee farmer. He is Catholic and drove with the Virgin Mary right on his windshield.

Tanzania - Are You a Part of the Future?

2009-08-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 3rd, 6pm in Charter Hall
Share a meal, hear stories, see pictures, and learn what the future holds for Atonement and International Health Partners (IHP)-Tanzania. Paula & Denny Lofstrom (IHP missionaries) will be with us to share their vision and to celebrate. Gabe Bargen, Audiologist and Atonement member, will also speak to her experience of the mission she took part of in June, to Guatemala.

Tickets will be sold $5/person or $15/family. Proceeds will benefit IHP-Tanzania and are available for purchase three ways:
1.) Before and after worship weekend of 9/12-9/13 & 9/26-9/27
2.) Call or email Brooke Hodnefield, Dir Service Ministries, at the church.
3.) Find a member of the Tanzania travel team.

Beautiful jewelry, crafts, and baskets from Africa will be available for purchase on Saturday & Sunday, October 4th-3rd, before and after services in the Narthex. Proceeds will benefit International Health Partners Tanzania and African Team Ministries.

“Jesus expected His disciples to fulfill their mission because they had been fully equipped to do so. The same holds true for us. When God sends us out on a mission, He gives us the ability to do the mission, the power that will accomplish the mission. He gives us everything we need.”
-Life Principles Study Series: Talking with God, By Dr. Charles F. Stanley

No Hurry

2009-08-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

A slow Monday morning in KC, wishing that things were as laid back as in Africa.

Trip Highlight from Jim and Cindy

2009-08-28T04:57:00.000-07:00

One of the true highlights of our trip was getting to know our safari driver, Greyson Mndeme.

Greyson was very good at locating animals – maybe because he has made over 600 trips through the Serengeti!

He also told us many wonderful facts about the animals. Perhaps the most interesting was that every animal has a natural enemy. He said that an elephant has no predators, but can be brought down by an ant. There are ants that can get into the elephant’s ears. The elephant is driven so crazy that they hit their heads against a tree or rock until they die.

We learned that Greyson is Lutheran. His father is a retired Pastor who is now teaching. Greyson sings in the forty member choir at his church. He shared with us that he donated money for the choir at a mission church that we passed as we drive to Arusha. His home is about 15 km outside Arusha. He rides a daladala to and from work at J&M Tours. He saves his money for his children’s education. When they are educated, he will save for a car.

Each morning as we started out on safari we sang “Asante Sana Yesu” which means “Thank you, thank you Jesus”. Greyson taught us the second verse “Nakupenda Jesu”. I’m not sure of the spelling, but it means “I love you Jesus”.

We have mailed Greyson our two Atonement choir's CDs. We are so grateful to know him and to know that even though he lives almost 9000 miles away, we share a common faith.

Cindy and Jim Peine

2009-08-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

The Fall Kickoff Celebration is at Atonement this Sunday, August 30th
9:30 -10:30am & Noon -1:30pm in the Front Parking Lot

There will be a BBQ Lunch and Fun Activities - plus the Atonement Ministry Teams will be showing what is coming up in the fall and sharing opportunities for you to Learn, Grow and Serve!

Cost for a meal of hamburgers, hotdogs and more is $5 per person or $15 per family. Sheridan’s will be serving cool, refreshing frozen custard with assorted toppings in a 12 oz cup for only $3.50

The Service Ministries display will feature our recent M4M Mission Trip and also promoting the upcoming dinner on October 3, "Tanzania-Are you a part of the future?" Tickets for the dinner will be available on Sunday.

More Giraffe Pix

2009-08-26T05:40:00.000-07:00

Close up of a giraffe as he stared at us in our safari car.

An even closer shot of his face - he was as still as a statue as we watched him and he watched us back.

He was all by himself out on the plains as we approached the Ngorongoro Crater Area.

Giraffe Pix

2009-08-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

Every time I see this shot it makes me smile, I am not sure
what happened that I only ended up with the giraffe's snout.

She was standing so calm, almost as if she was posing for us out in the Serengeti.

A better shot of her, with her whole head.

Market Road

2009-08-24T03:19:00.001-07:00

These pix were all taken on July 7 from the window of a moving car - on very bumpy, dusty dirt roads between Moshi and Marangu.

Contruction Update from Denny

2009-08-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Denny writes on August 20-

"The past 2 months have been extremely busy with two major construction teams on site. In June the One Community Spiritual Center team came from Kansas City and worked on the suspended ceilings in the Bogumil Birthing Center, and made remarkable progress, and in July the Atonement group came and completed all the exterior walls of the eye center – raised the massive main girder into place so the trusses could be hoisted into place. We wish each team could have spent another week, but the work on both units has continued with our Tanzanian workers applying the skills they have acquired working with the teams from the U.S.

The local construction team has the trusses for the eye clinic are almost all up. A roast goat for lunch was the reward for getting them all done that day.

Sele isn’t able to be everyplace at once, so Pastor Francis Gunda and I set up a temporary desk in the middle of the birthing center to supervise the crews. Francis is invaluable when it comes to translating a new concept for which Swahili doesn’t even have a word to describe it, i.e., “Build the wall out so it is flush with this wall.” They got it done and it’s impressive!

At the birthing center the elevated wall is complete around the central area where the central nurses station will be and ready for the suspended ceiling to be put in place. Then, we will be ready for artists to paint the murals. The building looks great, and the roof will be finished before the rains start again.

Sele has another crew at work on the eye center. They have finished all the inside walls and are fabricating the seven extra trusses needed. All of the 21 trusses are up and in place, and the roof will be on before the rains begin. Last year the first rain was on Sept. 1st. The truss manufacturers in the U.S. don’t understand torrential tropical rain. Channel lock roofing seams will leak unless placed over a truss and fastened at nor more than 12” spaces. Purlins at 2 foot intervals just don’t do the job. So, that is why Sele’s crew fabricated 7 more trusses to conform to the 36” intervals of the propane metal roofing (not for added strength as we have no snow load to contend with.)

We have purchased 638 bags of cement at a very reasonable price from the Diocese’s supplier and mixing sand from which has eliminated the usual high transportation costs. Magola has utilized our Lego Blue Lorry to good advantage. (Now though, the engine needs an overhaul. It’s way, way past due and will cost $1200.) We are ready to start the concreting of the walls on both units next week. We will keep you up-to-date on the progress with pictures at intervals.

Our method of construction has generated a fair amount of local interest with two parties asking us to design buildings for them, and to build them for them! They are impressed by our Tanzanian work crews, made up of both men and women doing construction work, and they were amazed at the rapid construction by the teams from the U.S.

One local observer came by the eye center daily, looked at the building, ran his hand over the metal lath, then shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it. When he noticed me watching him he smiled and gave me a thumnbs up.

We thank you for all your continued support which makes all of this possible"

A Story from Brooke

2009-08-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

"My Tanzanian Friend, Thomas Ratism-
This statement sounds so cheesy, but friendship transcends age, language, and culture. I found this to be evident through my interactions with Thomas, our dear Tour Coordinator through JM Tours; who I began working with over a year and ½ ago! No question was too quirky and our group had some quirky questions!

Benedict and Brooke along with Thomas.

My first impression of him via email was that he was absolutely passionate about Ernest Hemingway…seems odd, but he educated me on the fact that Ernest Hemingway began his writing career at the Kansas City Star. Thomas even inquired as to whether the KC Star was still in print and he was thrilled when I brought him a copy. I have a treasured copy of The Green Hills of Africa that Thomas gave me as a parting gift. Funny how something as simple as a book could have such a nostalgic aura!

Once we finally met in person in Tanzania, he and I emailed extensively back and forth, to the point where I was hiking the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro and I received an email asking, “How is the hike?” He shared several meals with our group and nothing about it was awkward or unassuming. Our nightly meetings about the next day’s agenda were nothing like I had experienced…anything I asked or any alteration to our previous agenda was met with very little concern and certainly not a single bit of urgency. And I LOVED that. I operate so much on my own sense of urgency that it was absolutely delightful to not have that feeling present, or the pressure!

We have so much to learn from others and certainly above all else, we have so much to respect about each other. Thomas is a dear man that I will never forget.

Brooke

Little Scouts

2009-08-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

On the last Saturday morning in Mwanza these children stopped for some pictures as they were passing by the eye clinic construction site.

What a cutie in her bright and colorful scouting garb.

They were all dressed in their different uniforms and on their way to their scout meetings.

African Sunflowers and Cheerful Smiles

2009-08-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

It is a rainy Monday morning here in Kansas City and with the dreary weather at the beginning of this week it seems fitting to post some pix of bright and cheerful African sunflowers.

These pix were taken while visiting Janet's batik studio outside of Moshi.

Sunflowers were seen everywhere as we drove along the roads of Tanzania. They were usually seen at the perimeters of corn fields as they create a natural barrier around the crops.

This family was working along a sunflower border around a corn field, collecting bean plants from in between the rows of corn and then beating them to release and collect the beans

Their smiles are cheerful along with the sunflowers.

More smiles as they waved to send us on our way.

Christian Community and Service in Jesus Name

2009-08-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Pastor Janice, one of the members of our M4M team, preached at Atonement last Sunday and she referred to our recent trip to Tanzania as she spoke about Christian Community.

"...you put 34 people together for two weeks, 24 hours a day, in a land where water is scarce, where toilets sometimes flush, and where if you get a shower it may be refreshingly cold and invigorating - and it is in that kind of setting you really see the truth about each other.

And here's some of the truth of what we discovered...
When you mix the Holy Spirit in with a group of people who are offering themselves and all that they have for service for Jesus' sake - something remarkable happens.

...all of the talents we put on the table and mixed up and everything got put to use for the good of community, for the good of our smaller community (there during that time), but really for the community - all of those who are going to be coming to that clinic for expanded medical care.

We received blessings as well, many blessings from getting to know people who see the world through very different eyes, and getting just a glimpse of the importance of faith in their lives. The blessings were bountiful in the time and it was a remarkable experience of living in community, and it worked for us because we had a common goal, a purpose - and that was service in Jesus' name..."

To hear all of Janice's sermon click here for the link on Atonement's website.

Phyllis Shares a Story from the Trip

2009-08-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

"This week everywhere I went I saw kids getting ready for school which, for most, starts next week. Most were excited with the thoughts of buying new backpacks and school clothes. The selection of notebooks, markers and pencils to put in those backpacks was unlimited.

As I watched this, and participated in the rush, I thought about our experience in Tanzania. Jim, Cindy, John and I took a break one day from the building site and walked across the road to the school. We were surrounded by maybe 15-20 excited children. We politely said "Jambo" (our Swahili is limited) and were greeted back. We greeted their teacher and gave her our giraffes so she could share them with the children.

The children were having a break outside. There were no toys or playground equipment except for a teeter totter on the dusty ground surrounded by a few trees. But the kids were like kids everywhere on recess. They were excited about having their picture taken. We asked their teacher and she gave us permission. They huddled around us and smiled beautifully. Of course, they all wanted to see their picture.

Being a teacher, I wished I could see the inside of their building. It looked so dark and small. I wondered if they had books, art supplies, even electricity. I have watched kids at school for many years. My students each have a computer, all of the special classes such as music, art, technology, p.e... with all of the equipment they need. They have wonderful libraries with huge screen TVs and the latest technology. But when you watch them at recess they are kids just like the kids in Tanzania. They want to be talked to, they want to play with friends, and they want to have fun.

Some of us later took some time at the contruction site of the eye clinic to sand down some of the remnants of the 2X4's into blocks for the Tanzanian kids to play with. I think what I took away from this experience is that we are all God's people, even though our lives are so different. We are so blessed in this country and I am thankful for the opportunity I have been given to see another part of God's world, so different from my own.
Phyllis

Another Exciting Update from Mwanza

2009-08-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Tanzanian work crew in Nyakato.

All the interior walls are up.

Now that the interior walls are in place the rest of the trusses can be put up, too.

Only a few trusses left to go.

Dear Brooke, Loren, and Pr. Joe,

We're so tickled with the progress our crew is making. We wanted to show you today's pictures. Our goal, of course, is to have that roof on before the rains come which could be within a couple of weeks.

We're going to have to make some more trusses. Sele said we need to make 7 more trusses. We found a source of good wood, dried cypress and cut "true" from a woman in Morogoro.

We're looking forward to seeing you in just a few weeks.

Blessings and prayers,
Den and Paula

Eye Clinic Update from Mwanza

2009-08-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

An update and pictures from Paula, Denny and Sele on the construction progress of the Eye Clinic at Nyakato.

Hello Atonement Angels!

Attached are a few pictures taken today (Aug 10). Our goal is to have the roof on by Sept. 1st because that's when the first rain was last year. It's dry, dry, dry and dusty now, but once it rains, it really pours.

Sele set a goal of 7 trusses in one day and the team only took a 10 minute break in order to make that goal. As a reward, we gave them some of the clothes you left for donation, and we gave each of them (19) a bar of Coast Soap - now they'll all smell like Denny!

We're looking forward to showing you even more progress when we come in October.

Blessings and gratitude,
Paula and Den and Sele

More Pix from the Serengeti

2009-08-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures from our first afternoon of safari in the Serengeti - these have a bit more life to them.

The monkeys near the entrance gate were watching us.

The gazelles seemed to be watching us, too.

We only saw a couple giraffes that afternoon, this young female seemed all tangled up in the trees and bushes.

The giraffes' long tongues allow them to get the leaves from this type of Acacia tree without being pricked by the sharp thorns all along the branches.

This wildebeest looks so serious...

...while this group seems to be having a little bit of fun.

I think we all got a shot or two of this group of elephants crossing the creek. It was our first elephants of the safari and to see so many all together was awesome (the smell was "awesome", too).

This little guy is splashing along as he is bringing up the rear.

Jim looks like he's driving the safari car.

At our lunch break we crossed a foot bridge to a nice clearing where we could sit and eat.

Hippos keeping cool in the water below.

The bridge was beautiful, but a little scary to cross.

Brooke and her aluminum giraffe, Reynold.

More wildlife was hanging out at another part of the creek.

That bird looks like it could be an afternoon snack if it isn't too careful.

"Crazy Jim" and his camera.

"Not more of those crazy humans and all their cameras!"

The design in the ears are wonderful.

"Tag, you're it!"

There is really nothing special about this zebra, except that he was in the clearing right outside the window of my hotel room - not a bad ending to a great safari day.

Pix from the Serengeti

2009-08-11T04:50:00.000-07:00

Most of the pix shared so far from our safaris have featured the wildlife - this collection of shots is from our first afternoon in the Serengeti and it highlights more of the park and will hopefully show a glimpse of the diversity, the scale and the beauty of the terrain.

Topi, all lined up in an open field.

A solitary wildebeest under a lone tree - a common sight.

A creek bed, mostly dry from the winter drought.

Another low creek bed - watch out for the crocks sunning on the shores.

A watering spot and a refreshing place to cool off from the hot sun.

Most of the fields are spanning with grasses for the herds of animals to graze...

...while others have taller grasses, perfect for cheetahs and lions to hide in as they await their prey...

...and then some are lonely because they have been recently burned.

An oasis with lush growth will pop up every now and then...

...but for the most part the Serengeti was very dusty and dry.

This tree silhouette and the dust kicked up from our car makes for a nice shot as the sun is setting behind us.

The sunset over the open skies and Acacia trees ends our first day on the Serengeti.

Meeting Reminder

2009-08-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Don't Forget...
We will be meeting this Sunday, August 16th, at noon in Charter Hall for a Tanzania team de-briefing - lunch will be provided.

Please reply to Brooke if you will be attending this meeting so she can make proper food arrangements.

Giraffe Story from Lori

2009-08-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

"I was working in the clinic and this cutie pie was crying after having her blood drawn. She smiled so big when I offerred her "KC", the giraffe that Kass (my daughter) had supported."
Lori

Giraffe Story from Nancy

2009-08-10T14:21:00.001-07:00

"I met this little girl at a Masai village we visited. She was with her grandma I would assume and she was just watching me and just had a look of an open sponge, just needing information and love to absorb. She obviously had no toys or anything special, so I felt the need to give her my giraffe for her to keep and take care of.

She just held onto it as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing, I am sure she had never seen a stuffed animal before. Anyway I told her to keep track of "Mac" and that God was with her and watching over her. Not sure she understood but I did."
Nancy

A Beautiful Serengeti Sunday Morning

2009-08-09T07:17:00.001-07:00

Arising before the sunrise on our Sunday morning in the Serengeti, I set up one of my cameras to capture the morning light coming through the gnarly branches of the Acacia trees outside my room.

Then I took my other camera to the lookout above the Serengeti - Tom ended up being a wonderful addition to the photos of the sunrise from the rocks.

Back at the room as I started to put away the photo gear a hot air balloon floated into view.

I grabbed my camera and quickly ran back to the rocky perch (and the multitude of rock hyrax) to capture the balloon as it started it's airborn safari across the Tanzanian terrain.

It turns out it was a pair of balloons on safari together.

The Serengeti Wildlife Lodge at Seronera is beautiful as it is built around large rock formations. The shadow from a "candelabra tree" is cast on the large rock at the center of the lodge.

With all the rocks, there were Rock Hyrax everywhere around the lodge. (For more information about the Rock Hyrax see the previous post.)

Our devotions for that beautiful morning took place in an open area of the lodge.

We all gathered around as Doug and Elsie led the group.

As we concluded, we gathered and prayed - a beautiful Serengeti Sunday Morning and a wonderful start to our day and the week of traveling ahead.

Rock Hyrax

2009-08-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Rock Hyrax is so unlike other animals that it is placed in a separate order (Hyracoidea) by itself. It is said to be the elephant's nearest living relative. This is true to a certain extent, but misleading since the relationship stems from a remote ancestor common to hyraxes, sea cows (dugongs and manatees) and elephants. These three are unlike other mammals, but they share various if disproportionate physiological similarities in teeth, leg and foot bones, testes, and other more obscure details.

The rock hyrax has three resting patterns consisting of heaping, huddling, and solitary resting. Heaping occurs when hyraxes sleep on top of one another in their hole. Huddling is like heaping but takes place out of the hole. These behaviors probably serve to help regulate body temperature as hyraxes' body temperature fluctuates with ambient temperature.

I Missed this Photo OP!

2009-08-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

This shot was in a group of pictures that Jim recently downloaded to his Shutterfly album - Hey Jim, did a specter get in your camera?

Safari Pix from Elsie

2009-08-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

Jim and Erika, Efriam, Jan, Elsie and Douglas.

Efriam, our driver is a wonderful young man with an eagle's eye for spotting many elusive animals as we bumped along on unbelievable roads while on safari! We lost count, but feel we saw everything except the elusive rhinoceros - perhaps on our next trip!

Jan was especially delighted to see the flamingos since she missed seeing them when she and Kari were at Arusha National Park several weeks ago.

The beautiful black feathers are a striking feature that is only visible when the Lesser Flamingo is in flight or spreading its wings.

One animal or bird in the wild is exciting, but seeing flocks and herds is even more than one can take.

Surely God has given us all an amazing gift of these wondrous creatures - how sad that so many of them are disappearing from the earth!!!

Giraffe Stories

2009-08-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

Bette is shown here giving her giraffe, Tootsie, to a little girl who had been brought to the clinic by her father. The girl had a severe burn on her scalp as result of an IV treatment (she is mentioned in Dr. Powell's post below).

The little girl seems delighted to have the giraffe, a small token of love, care and prayer for this little patient who is very ill.

We each brought a plush giraffe with us to Tanzania to give to someone we would meet during the trip. These are the prayer giraffes that we had friends and family sponsor and pray for. Some of the giraffes have wonderful stories like Tootsie's, and we have been able to share here on the blog. Others have been showing up in pictures in the arms of their recipients - the one above is being held by a little girl along side of the dance venue at the Sukuma Museum.

This giraffe is comforting a small child back at the clinic during an exam.

Do you have a giraffe story to share? We would love to hear it and see how giving a plush giraffe can not only brighten the recipient's life but also connect people from the US to Tanzania through prayer.

Excerpts from Dr. Powell's Journal

2009-08-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Dr. Powell working with Isabella, a visiting med student from Austria.

July 13th:
The real work starts today. The clinic is seeing between 60 & 100 per day. There will likely be more since they announced in church that there are doctors visiting. I may learn how to do circumcisions this week. There is a big push here with government money due to AIDS. Circs reduce the transmission rate.

Paula is giving the M4M Team a tour of the birthing center.

The overall plan here is amazing. They have a comprehensive layout for a complete hospital and all the land is purchased. The birthing center is framed and roofed but not open as yet. They have plans to open the first neonatal intensive care unit in the country here. The state of neonatal care is horrible at the government hospitals. If a baby is depressed or apneic at delivery, the just do nothing. The simplest measures are not done.

Busy in clinic. The diagnosis is malaria and... After that, complications of malaria, bad teeth - pulled right away, and even some H. pylori.

Bette helping MaryEllen organize one of the equipment rooms at the clinic.

Erika looking after supplies in another one of the clinic's equipment rooms.

July 14th:
Weather here is HOT, but not quite so bad as it could be. The altitude makes a big difference. It does cool off at night.

Bette and Erika are really whipping the OR equipment into shape.

Today's clinic was malaria AND typhoid day. We also had a 3 day old with worried parents. The baby was absolutely beautiful and as well as he could be. Mom had malaria though.

I also watched an African style circ today. I still don't want to do them. The conjecture here is that circs help prevent AIDS. The patient was 18.

Did I tell you that the birthing center has an NICU? I knew that experience was going to be handy in Africa one day. It's just not this trip...

July 15th:
We were greeted this morning with no electricity in the clinic. Lynne and I jumped and we saw patients on our own, with the help of a translator. The Tanzanian doctor had to go pay the electric bill!

Saw more malaria today (most everyone) but also saw a couple of minor injuries and another tooth extraction.

Father with daughter patiently waiting for treatment for her scalp.

We had a little girl with sickle cell disease today who had had a scalp IV that became infected and she developed necrtizing fasciitis. About half of the scalp was raw. I would have liked to treat with IV Rocephin but there were no IV sites and they lived too far away to come back every day. We treated with a single IM dose of Rocephin and sent her out on Cefpodoxime. The nurses that came with us did a good job of debriding and dressing the area.

Looks likely that I won't be sending this tonight because all the power in the region is out. First prolonged outage we have had. It is apparently due to the lack of water to run the turbines at the power plant.

The construction crew is more than 2 days ahead of schedule. They say that this by far the best crew that has ever been here. We have the outside walls framed, upright & nailed together. The internal walls are going up and about 1/3 of the roof trusses are assembled. I'm pretty impressed.

July 16th:
We are coming up on the last day of the trip's work portion. We saw much more normal kids today. A few cases of malaria but a couple of well kids too. I can see a lot of kids when you can document "normal exam" instead of the three page exam that is expected in the US. We also saw a fetal alcohol syndrome today. Some things never change.

Dr. Powell and Dr. Bon.

I had a chance to do some teaching with the local docs as well. They have considerable expertise in tropical medicine but we deal with many things they rarely see. Go figure.

The building and the interior walls are complete. Tomorrow the roof trusses will start going up. We ended well ahead of any expectations.

July 17th:
Aside from many cases of malaria, we saw several dental extractions. I would not be able to do that at gunpoint. The last fellow today was a most unfortunate guy. He had terrible decay of the back teeth with impaction from the overgrowth of gums. He had 3 teeth pulled. Needless to say, he was most uncomfortable.

We saw a real nursemaid's elbow today. It apparently is quite rare here and the local doc had no idea that it could be reduced with some simple manipulation. The boy also had malaria, so back to the original premise that it's either malaria, or malaria AND...

Carrie, med student from Colorado, and Dr. Bon.

Well, perhaps not always. We had a one month old baby that came in with a temp of 39C and fever since last night. She arrived just as we were picking up our things to leave. Now SHE was malaria negative with a high white count and 62% segs. We treated with antibiotics but there is no inpatient facility that would be suitable. Taking her to the local hospital would have been a death sentence. We have them coming back for daily antibiotic injection on ceftriaxone. Not exactly standard of care in the USA but the alternative is not pretty. We also were able to teach the local doc, (Dr. Bonaventura) something about neonatal sepsis and that all fever, however rare, is NOT malaria.

The Powell Family ready to head out to the Serengeti.

So that's how we ended our clinical work in Tanzania. Tomorrow we leave for our safari first thing in the morning. In some ways it will be a letdown. Nonetheless, it will be fun taking pictures of the animals. Enough for now. We just finished dinner. I need to wrap things up and get packed for tomorrow.

July 26th:
One final update on our 1 month old sepsis patient from the Nyakato clinic: I received an e-mail today that our patient, Happiness, completed her course of antibiotics and she remains fever free. Parents and grandparents are grateful.
CWP

Travel Pix from July 4th

2009-08-04T14:54:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that exactly one month ago Jan and I (along with Muller and Wally) were traveling from KC to Tanzania.
Here the boys are looking out the window as the plane is taking off from Amsterdam.

The flight was during the daytime and the weather was cloudy over most of Europe but started to clear to show the Alps as we got closer to the Mediterranean.

The Croatian coast was visible from our side of the plane.

Looking down at mainland Greece.

A view of the Kissamos Gulf and the Gramvousa and Rodopos Peninsulas on the Island of Crete.

Another view of Crete.

The Sahara Desert in Egypt is our first view of the African continent.

The Nile in Egypt just north of the border of Sudan (near the city of Abu Simbel).

This part of the Nile is the southern part of Lake Nasser, the world's third largest reservoir that is created by the Aswan High Dam (located farther north on the Nile and not visible from the plane).

Safari Pix from Jim

2009-08-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

Safari Pix from Marlene

2009-08-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Marlene shares about the group in her safari car,

"Our driver was Freddy. The most memorable event was Bob Schroeder cracking his head on the roof of the van when we hit a major rut! It was interesting to watch Jared stand on the floor of the van to see out over the front luggage while Erica stood on her seat to see out."

"Another memorable moment was when Freddy and Jared jumped together at the Maasai village."

"The first sighting of any new animal was always a thrill. We finally learned we should trust Freddy to get us to a good photo op spot."

Marabou Storks

2009-08-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

While staying at the Uruhu Lutheran Hostel in Moshi, Pastor Joe, Jan and I saw strange large birds in a tree on the Hostel grounds.

It turns out that they were Marubou Storks and we would see more of them during our trip. These storks were seen on the rock formations above the Mwanza road as we were driving to dinner from the Sukuma Museum.

More storks in line to take off from the rocks of Mwanza. The Marubou can reach a height of 60 in, a weight of over 20 lbs and have a wingspan of at least 10.5 ft. - it shares the distinction of having the largest wingspan of any landbird with the Andean Condor.

This stork was spotted while on safari in the Serengeti. The Marabou is unmistakable due to its size, bare head and neck, black back, and white underparts. It has a huge bill, a pink gular sack at its throat, a neck ruff, and black legs and wings. The massive bird is often claimed to be one of the ugliest creatures in the world.

Safari Pix from Jim and Cindy

2009-08-02T04:54:00.000-07:00

The group from this car shares some pictures below from their safari adventure plus a couple other misc pix from Nyakato. Their driver's name was Grayson, he is a Lutheran and sings in the choir and his father is a retired Pastor who teaches at the University.

My Favorite Souvenirs

2009-08-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

My favorite souvenirs from the trip would have to be my hats, my bracelets - and of course my pictures.

Throughout the past week I have been wearing my bracelets and people have asked about them. Certainly, people at work have been inquiring, but one evening this past week at a retail shop, a clerk asked if I had made my bracelets, I had to respond that the Masai tribe in northern Tanzania had made them and that opened a whole new opportunity to share about our trip and our mission.

Yesterday as I was leaving work a colleague asked about my bracelets and I told him about them being from the Masai, and I even had a print out of our group at the eye clinic construction site. He was intrigued and said he wanted me to come by next week and tell him more about our mission and the trip.

This morning I was in a creative workshop and I wore my knitted Tanzania cap - of course everyone wanted to know about the trip - and I had the opportunity to use some of my African experience in my pieces.

Later this morning on my way home I stopped at a garage sale - again the questions about the hat and bracelets. What simple things like bracelets and hats can ignite conversations that otherwise would never happen.

Kili Time

2009-07-31T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's Friday afternoon, the work week is coming to an end and "I'ts Kili time!"

It is hard to believe that we have been back a week already from our trip.

Misc Pix from Nyakato

2009-07-30T18:16:00.001-07:00

Laundry Facility Needed at Nyakato Clinic

2009-07-29T05:27:00.001-07:00

The laundry is currently done by hand for the hostel and clinic at Nyakato. Some of the laundry is done at the clinic and some done outside Lucy's home - and then everything is hung on lines outside to dry.

This is the way they have always washed clothes on the Nyakato campus but it will not do for a hospital.

The Patricia Ward is basically completed, the Birthing Center will be completed soon and then the Eye Clinic, too - however, they cannot open any of these buildings to provide care until a laundry facility is completed. The pad is poured - they just need donations to complete it.

I feel it is important we get this message out! I have a new understanding of the people associated with the Nyakato Health Center. Every day they do so much with so little and they have such a positive attitude. It was a blessing to be able to work with them!

Bette

Rev. Dr. Kamudzandu at Atonement

2009-07-29T04:42:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Rev. Dr. Israel K. Kamudzandu, from Zimbabwe preached at Atonement, and during the sermon he briefly spoke about our M4M team and our recent trip to Tanzania.

I am sure those who have gone to Africa, if they are given time to share their stories, I am sure we will be transformed by their stories.

When you went to Africa you met this stranger who you thought you'd never meet in your life, but because of the blood of Jesus Christ you were able to connect to that person because we are children of God.

We are a blessed people. We are children of God. God has made us an extraordinary people. God has transformed your life. God has made you that special angel. God has called you to live in unity with your brothers and sisters, therefore the life we live is not our life but it is a sacramental life.

Click here for the link to Rev. Dr. Kamudzandu's complete sermon on Atonement's website.

God's Spirit is Alive and Well

2009-07-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

In the East of Lake Victoria Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, pastors serve anywhere from two to fifteen congregations. Rather than depending on the pastor for daily support, each congregation has an evangelist, someone from within the congregation who is trained to preach and teach each week. Michael is the evangelist in one of the congregations served by Pastor Frances Gunda.

It's a rapidly growing congregation, where the building that is being constructed is already too small for the worshipping community.

Because of the lack of space, meetings often take place under the mango tree outside the new worship space.

Michael faces challenges in life because he is albino. In certain areas of Tanzania there are people who believe that it is okay to kill those who are albino, and that their body parts will bring wealth. Pastor Gunda and the congregation are careful to protect Michael when he visits homes in the local neighborhood. It is a remarkable witness that this man of faith has been called to proclaim the gospel of God's love each week.

Another challenge that comes from being albino is that Michael's vision is greatly compromised. Michael had to read with a book inches in front of his eyes. Pastor Gunda brought him to the construction site and then to the eye clinic on the first morning it was set up in the Patricia Ward, and Doc Erica found a pair of eyeglasses that would improve his vision, but they weren't quite strong enough. Michael wore them faithfully though, and was thankful for the help he was given. We promised to keep working on the problem so that Michael would be able to see even better.

This morning Jim visited America's Best Eyeglasses, where he presented the prescription for Michael's glasses and told the story to the manager. What a delight when the manager not only helped find the strongest frames and most durable lenses, but also was very generous in the final cost. The best part though, was when the manager asked if he could first take the glasses to his own church so that the people there could pray for Michael and his vision, and then he'd get the glasses to us to send to Tanzania.

It's so exciting when people "catch the vision" of God's goodness and desire for healing in this world.

Janice Kibler and Jim Williams

A Capella version of "Africa"

2009-07-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

In case you miss Tom's singing, here is an a capella version of the Toto song "Africa" which opens with an astonishing human-made storm.

Walls of Blessings

2009-07-27T02:45:00.000-07:00

Below are most of the blessings that were written on the walls of the eye clinic structure by the M4M team.

Mama Lucy and the Maua Hostel

2009-07-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

Mama Lucy working in the dining room kitchen at the Maua Hostel.

The kitchen and the cooking is just part of Lucy's responsibilities as she runs the Hostel, where most of us stayed during our stay in Nyakato.

Most of the cooking for each meal takes place in a separate building behind a row of rooms at the Hostel. Pots of vegies, meat, rice and other foods are cooked over charcoal fires.

Mama Lucy has a staff of girls that help her with the prep and cooking for each meal.

A pan of meat cooking - even though it had tasty seasoning the meat was often "skinny" (very chewy and stringy). There were a couple afternoons when we could hear a chicken or two squawking from the cooking building - and sure enough we had a chicken dish that night for dinner.

One of Lucy's girls peeling potatoes for dinner.

This young gal wanted me to come inside the cooking building to take her picture.

And as soon as I had taken the shot she ran out and took off her apron and posed in front of the beautiful bouganvilla bush.

Back in the kitchen this gal was working on making something using a large and very interesting machine.

It turns out she was making communion wafers for Sunday's church services.

The machine is a heat press that makes large sheets of wafers at a time.

The smaller wafers are perforated and are easily separated out of the big sheet.

Mama Lucy and her girls also provide laundry service to the patrons of the Hostel, which includes line drying and pressing.

Sherlyn already has mentioned that she watched Lucy prepare food to feed 40, three times a day, without convenience foods or much refrigeration; no hot water unless heated on the stove. It’s like indoor camping! And yet, this is normal for here.

No matter what the task, everyone who works with Mama Lucy always seems to be smiling.

On our last night at the Hostel, Mama Lucy was given a laptop by one of our team members - I know he wanted to remain anonymous, but it is a huge gift for Lucy, who was doing all her paperwork for the Hostel by hand. Thanks CWP for your generosity to such a deserving woman.

Crash Cart Cases

2009-07-26T03:44:00.000-07:00

No, Doug is not walking back to Kansas City. He is actually doing something very important - he is delivering several empty small suit cases to the clinic where they will be filled with medical supplies and transformed into "Crash Cart Cases". These cases will be placed around the Nyakato campus to be available in case any emergency situations arise that need immediate medical attention.

During one of the first nights after we arrived there was a medical emergency and Maria, JJ's mother was needing immediate care. JJ and his family live right next door to the Lofstrom's and both Doctor Powells were staying at the Lofstrom house and were there to care for Maria. Because of that immediate care from the doctors and other medical professionals on our team, she is healthy and doing much better.

The situation with Maria emphasized the need to have several "Crash Cart Cases" fully stocked and positioned strategically around the campus. Lori, an EMT on our team took charge of this project and was immediately taking inventory and emailing back to her EMT colleagues back in KC for lists and information to include in the cases. Lori shares a personal comment below...

On Monday Marie became very sick in the evening and Paula was very worried. She ask for some assistance with her care from our team.

After that night, Paula knew what she needed from me. Citizens come to her door for help knowing that Denny is a doctor when they find the clinic closed. She asked me to put together 2 emergency response crash carts. I worked for the next several days to find the supplies she would need to be prepared for any urgent need after hours or the weekends. Maryellen and Paula received a kit each able to care for several types of emergency situation (OB, Trauma, Medical, and airway emergencies).

I am so proud and blessed that I was able to help her help others.

This is another example of how the diverse talents within our group were able to help with specific needs at the Nyakato Clinic.

Many Little People

2009-07-26T01:04:00.000-07:00

Erika, Bette, Lori and Nancy are several of the gals from our group that spent most of their time in Mwanza working at the Health Clinic.

Bette and Erika at the clinic. Erika also spent some time helping Doc Erica with eye patients, too - She shares a personal comment below...

I am reminded of the African Proverb on our t-shirts: Many little people in many small places undertaking many modest actions can transform the world.

I felt like that little person who undertook modest actions. God knows the seeds each of us planted can develop and grow by His grace. God is amazing, to allow our hands to answer the prayers of others and thereby be part of His plan of action.

Thanks be to God, Erika

Jet Lag

2009-07-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

I love to travel and to fly but I hate the jet lag it causes. I have jet lag and it will take two full weeks to kick it completely.

Jet lag, or desynchronosis, is a temporary condition that some people experience following air travel across several time zones in a short period of time. This causes the traveler's internal clock to be out of sync with the external environment. People experiencing jet lag have a difficult time maintaining their internal, routine sleep-wake pattern in their new location, because external stimuli, like sunshine and local timetables, dictate a different pattern.

July Update from IHPTZ

2009-07-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Check out the July Update on the IHPTZ website.

Before we left Nyakato, Paula asked each of us to write a paragraph or page telling of their experiences. She has included a few of the comments and a couple pictures from our Atonement group in the update.

A Comment from the IHPTZ July Update

2009-07-24T07:41:00.004-07:00

One of the comments from the IHPTZ July Update is from Sherlyn.

I’m a widow with grown children and 12 grandchildren. Since I no longer have the responsibility for family, I am doing other things that are important to me. This is certainly one. Our team had great respect for each other. I worked on the eye team sorting glasses. I have been so impressed with the patients and soft-spoken ways of the people. Many of them have little but do not seem disgruntled and make the most of what they have. Many sacrifice to send their children to school, even private schools.

I watched Lucy prepare food to feed 40, three times a day, without convenience foods or much refrigeration; no hot water unless heated on the stove. It’s like indoor camping! And yet, this is normal for here. Mothers have babies strapped to their backs and carry heavy loads on their heads!

Wonderful people. Wonderful experience.

M4M Team is Back in KC Safe and Sound

2009-07-23T17:18:00.001-07:00

We have arrived back in KC and every thing went smoothly on the way home. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for our team and our safe travels.

No pictures as we all looked very worn out after the day and a half of traveling.

The Blog Will Continue

2009-07-22T23:31:00.001-07:00

People have asked about the blog and if there will be updates after the team returns - YES!

There are so many pictures and stories of how God has worked through this mission project and we will continue to post, so please keep viewing. Comments are greatly appreciated, too.

The past couple days have been very busy and we have had very limited internet access and time to post, so I apologize to our faithful viewers for the delay in posting.

M4M Team on Their Way Home

2009-07-22T23:21:00.001-07:00

On our way to the airport we stopped at the beautiful KIA lodge for dinner and our last devotions in Tanzania.

Chair Fail!

Our last Tanzanian sunset.

The sunrise over the wing of the plane as we are arriving in Amsterdam. We have another 8 hour flight to Detroit and then on to KC with an estimated arrival time of 4:30pm. Cheers!

Miwani for Lucy

2009-07-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago when Jan and I were in Arusha we met Lucy, a guard at the German Boma Museum. She asked about our trip and why we were in Tanzania and when she heard we were going to work on an eye clinic in Mwanza she told us that she was having trouble seeing. I let her try on my glasses and she thought they were wonderful as they helped her vision tremendously. Since I could not leave my glasses with her I promised her that we would come back and bring her a pair of glasses (miwani is glasses in Swahili).

She was so thrilled to see us again and when I said we had glasses for her she was so overjoyed - she was hugging us even before she tried on the glasses.

Doc Erica was able to figure out an appropriate prescription for Lucy and we picked out a nice pair for her from all the glasses that had been donated by the folks at Atonement.

Lucy looks wonderful in her new miwani and her smile and tears are a great testimony of how something as simple as donating an old pair of glasses can truly change someone's life.

Tribute to Grandpa Wally

2009-07-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

Wally, my giraffe is named after my grandpa Wally. He was the son of a Swedish Missionary and lived the first ten years of his life in South Africa.

When Jan and I went on our walking safari a couple weeks ago, we stopped at the Tululusia Falls, which is at the base of Mt. Meru.

The falls and creek were a beautiful sight and it was there that I decided to pay tribute to my grandpa Wally and his time in Africa.

I scattered some of my grandfather's ashes at the base of the falls - to bring a little bit of him back to the continent where he lived as a small boy.

After scattering the ashes I was able to pick up a handful of rocks from the falls area to bring back to my dad, brothers and cousins.

Jan, David (our tour driver) and I in front of the falls which is 28 meters tall.

Off to the Serengeti

2009-07-19T21:24:00.001-07:00

The big group at the slab before heading off to the next part of our trip. Click on the image to see a larger view.

At the gate to the Serengeti we were greeted by a group of friendly, but shy monkeys.

A Serengeti sunset.

Action Shots from Friday

2009-07-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Our day started with devotions at the construction site. We then all took pens and wrote messages and or scripture on the frame of the building.

Psalm 121 is written around the front door.

Pastor Gunda and Denny watch as the first truss is ready to pull up into place.

Pastor Gunda even helped push up that first truss.

The Bishop and his assistant with Mary Ellen and Denny.

I gave my giraffe, Wally to Cesilia, one of the local girls who was working with us. I told her about my cat, Teddy and every time we would see each other she would say, "Teddy, cat, meow" and smile at me.

The feet of some of the local workers and children around the M4M eye that was drawn in the middle of the slab.

Action Shots from Thursday

2009-07-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

Each morning before breakfast Dennis leads us in some stretching exercises.

And after we stretch our bodies, Janice leads us in morning devotions to stretch our spirits.

The slab has all perimeter walls up and some of the interior walls are up at the far side.

Don, Jim and Bryan are discussing what needs to be done during the morning.

Bethany and Jerod are working on top plates for interior walls.

Gwen and Mike working on interior walls, too.

Denny and Doug looking over the site from what will be the back doors of the building.

Elsie working on cutting fruit for the day's lunch

Who made the salad? Gwen made the salad!

The ice cream vendor has been coming by the construction site every afternoon just around our break time - what perfect timing.

Cindy and one of the local girls who has been working with the team this week.

Jim and Kari at the cutting station.

Getting ready to raise another interior wall.

A metal beam is part of the structure of the front end of the building to add support for the roof trusses over the large open reception area.

The beam is up and in place as Don makes sure it is securely in place.

Another interior wall encloses a couple rooms at the front of the building.

Bob was in charge of the assembly of the studs and jacks for this wall - "Bob's Wall."

Bob nailing his wall to one of the other adjacent walls in a corner area.

Denny looks to be pleased with the progress of the day.

This is Leonard, he is the son of Jeremiah, one of the local construction workers. Tom befriended the little guy and gave Leonard his giraffe.

Jim, the Microscope Technician

2009-07-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

We all bring a unique talent to the group, and have been able to contribute by using our areas of expertise. Jim is a Microscope technician and gave the equipment in the clinic a tune-up one afternoon this week.

This is the main building of the clinic with the eye clinic (under construction) in the background. When the eye clinic is finished there will be a enclosed walkway connecting the two buildings.

Here is Jim with two of the clinic staff who regularly use the microscopes, and who are greatful for Jim's service in this area.

Doc Erica and Eye Patients

2009-07-16T22:07:00.001-07:00

The entrance to the Patricia Ward has been set up as a make shift eye clinc and Doc Erica has been seeing about 30 local patients a day this week.

People are being taken care of on a "first come, first serve" basis. Here is a shot of patients in the "waiting room".

Pastor Emmanuel, on the right, has been Doc Erica's translator at the clinic.

Elsie has been a wonderful help as receptionist and doing other misc jobs to help Doc Erica with the patients.

They have given out over 100 pairs of glasses, here this gentleman is sporting his new glasses.

Elsie, with boxes of glasses behind her. A HUGE THANK YOU to Sherlyn for sorting, organizing and labeling all the glasses according to prescription, style and type.

Part of the exam is to look at the patient's eyes with a microscope.

Rose received this pair of white glasses - this picture doesn't show at all how cute she actually looked wearing them. (She agreed to allow us to take pictures during her exam, but even so she was very hesitant to smile.)

Fresh Mango Pie a la Mode

2009-07-16T21:57:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday night Paula surprised the group with a special dessert - fresh mango pie and ice cream.

Paula is such a wonderful hostess, in addition to all she does around the clinic, she takes such wonderful care of the workers and her visitors.

The kitchen crew had to work a little later that evening to wait for the extra plates from the dessert - but I don't think they minded.

Thank You to Our Blog Viewers!

2009-07-15T22:32:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all of you who are following our eyes4mwanza blog. We are so encouraged by your comments - every time we are connected to the internet, the people in our group ask if we got any new comments - these messages are so uplifting to us.

We are trying to keep the blog updated with our current progress on the construction and what some of the others are doing, but with all the great things that the group is doing it is hard to keep up.

Doc Erica is seeing many eye patients each day and we are hoping to have a post or two highlighting the great job she and Elsie are doing on that front.

The Powells and the other med folks are at the clinic each day doing wonderful things there, too.

We had our first power outage for several hours last night so that hindered any updates via the satellite. (Rick, we are having trouble keeping the bgan unit powered by its battery. I believe that Charles has sent you an email update about this problem.)

Again, thanks for your support for the team, your comments and prayers are greatly appreciated!

Construction Site Pix from Wednesday

2009-07-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

We have a camera set up at the one end of the slab to document the progress of the construction. Here are shots from Wednesday. We got the remaining exterior walls up and have started on the interior walls. Thursday will be a big day as we will be working on the trusses for the roof.

Action Shots from Tuesday

2009-07-15T20:47:00.001-07:00

Below are several action shots from the construction site on Tuesday.

The first walls went up and it was awesome to see so many working side by side and standing shoulder to shoulder to build and lift the walls of the clinic.

Ryan and Adam, two young men from Colorado have been here working with the IHP group since the beginning of July and will depart on Friday, They have been a great help and have been a wonderful inspiration as they just came here to Mwanza on their own to help in any way they could.

Tom with machete is helping to trim branches of a tree that was overhanging the construction site.

Denny and JJ looking over the site - it is awesome to see such a big smile on Denny's face - he is quite impressed with the progress we have made in such a short time.

Action Shots from Monday

2009-07-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

Denny and some of the locals are outside of the birthing center (still under construction) and are getting ready to work on the eye clinic with the group from Atonement.

The first thing to do was to get into the container of supplies and determine what is needed for the group to get started.

Don, one of our construction leaders checking out the stuff in the container.

Most of the morning was spent moving lumber from the container and doing other prep work.

Kari, the saw master, sawing down 2x4s for the wall studs.

Bette over at the eye clinic was helping the staff go through equipment.

Dr. Powell with Dr. Bon.

Each day several people are asked to help work in the kitchen. Pat is helping cut vegies for lunch.

Janice with instructions from Mama Lucy, stirring part of lunch

Jerod, tossing the salad.

The gang at the lunch buffet - every meal including this one, has been delicious.

Lori, stretching and attaching the metal lathe, that will eventually be covered with concrete.

At the end of Monday, the two far walls were layed out and assembled, ready for raising first thing on Tuesday morning.

The security guard taking inventory of every board and plank as we are getting ready to leave the construction site for the night.

A Message from Kurt

2009-07-14T12:45:00.001-07:00

Today (Monday) was the first day of work on the Nyakato Eye Clinic and things went great! We were able to install all of the perimeter base plate put up for the walls, get a ton of stuff cut for the remaining walls, and we finished the main entrance wall (50 feet wide with a big door and lots of windows).

We will stand the wall up the first thing in the morning on Tuesday. We were also able to dig the trusses out of the shipping container, and we will start putting those together on Tuesday too.

The Atonement Lutheran Church volunteers on this trip are amazing. They happily take on the jobs assigned to them, and if they don't have enough to do, they'll go look for something else that needs to be done. They work with such enthusiasm that is is hard to make plans that ensure they have enough to do.

It's also nice to see a 16 year old working side by side with someone who is retired and 45 years their senior.

Kurt is one of our construction leaders and he and the others have been doing a magnificent job in working with Denny and all of us to make sure we all understand what we are doing and why. Their organization and leadership has made this a very fun and fruitful project. We are all so blessed to be here.

Kurt also wishes a big "Happy Birthday to Sammy!"

The Construction on the Eye Clinic Has Begun

2009-07-14T11:51:00.002-07:00

Monday morning there was just a slab of concrete waiting for the eye clinic to be built on it.

Most of Monday was prep work for getting the exterior walls put together and then raised. We got the far walls ready and will raise them first thing on Tuesday.

The slab on Tuesday morning waiting for everyone to get back to work.

The far wall went up in two pieces and was quite amazing.

Another section of wall up right before lunch.

Two more sections went up after lunch.

At the end of the day Tuesday we had raised five sections of exterior wall. We are on schedule to have the rest of the exterior walls up by end of day tomorrow and then start on interior walls and the trusses for the roof.

Happy Birthday!

2009-07-13T22:08:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Kassidy from Mom!

Giraffe for JJ

2009-07-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Cindy met JJ during the worship service on Sunday morning and she gave her giraffe, Howie, to JJ.

JJ and his family live near Paula and Denny and his parents work for the Nyakato Clinic.

Marie, JJ's mother has had some serious health problems since we have arrived, so it has been a blessing that the Powells are staying at the Lofstrom house and have been caring for Marie, who is doing much better.

Sunday Morning

2009-07-13T21:02:00.003-07:00

Pastor Francis Gunda and his wife Sarah joined us for Sunday breakfast and worship on Sunday morning. Pastor Gunda visited Atonement this past fall with Paula and Denny. He pastors the Kiloleli Lutheran Church here in Mwanza, and has also served as the Bishop's Assistant here in the Lake Victoria Diocese.

As we entered the church the pastor greeted us coming up the steps.

The service was in Swahili so while the pastor preached Pastor Gunda interpreted in English for us.

Our team was invited to come to the front and introduce ourselves, after that we sang a couple of hymns, Beautiful Savior and Holy, Holy, Holy. Good thing we have a few members of the Atonement choir with us.

The service was interspersed with several songs where a group was in the front lead the singing and also danced along to the songs.

A group of kids outside the church after the service.

Sukuma Museum Visit

2009-07-13T11:47:00.002-07:00

We drove along the busy roads of Mwanza after lunch to the Sukuma Museum.

The colorful lizards are everywhere here in Tanzania, this guy at the museum ground was quite colorful

Pat and Bob are standing in front of a map of Tanzania that shows where the different tribes are located. The Sukuma tribe is the native group in the Mwanza area.

Brooke, playing the drums.

The beautiful Bouganvilla bushes are everywhere we go, and there were many around the museum complex.

The Sukuma drummers and dancers put on quite a show after the tour of the artifact and architecture of the museum.

This was just one of the dances and costumes the dancers preformed for us.

The finale for the afternoon at the museum was the Snake Dance and they had two Boa Constrictors included as part of their dance.

At the end of the Snake Dance the main guy picked up the snakes and showed his dominance over them. It was quite an exhibition of Sukuma culture.

Dinner at the Tunza

2009-07-13T11:20:00.001-07:00

After the tour and dancing exhibition at the Sakuma Museum we drove along the busy roads of Mwanza to the Tunza, a restaurant on the shores of Lake Victoria.

In addition to seeing so many people walking along the side of the road, we could see the rock formations in the hills above the city. Mwanza is called the Rock City.

Sunset at Lake Victoria.

We had bbq chicken, beef and snapper for dinner.

We had a nice relaxing candle light dinner on the beach at Tunza. Because Mwanza is right along the equator, so after the sun sets here it immediately becomes very dark.

Happy Birthday!

2009-07-11T21:21:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday to Jim, Kurt and Bethany!

bgan Satellite Hookup is Working

2009-07-11T21:06:00.001-07:00

While we are here at Nyakato we will be accessing the internet by using the bgan Satellite uplink. We were able to set up a makeshift internet cafe in the gazebo near our rooms at the hostel.

Thanks to Rick for letting us borrow the unit during our trip.

Team Arrives at Nyakato

2009-07-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

Here the team is on the concrete slab for the eye clinic. Click on the photo to see the photo at a larger view.

Paula and Denny at our team meeting this afternoon sharing the plans for building.

Team off to Mwanza

2009-07-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

The team is getting on their plane and heading to Mwanza this morning. (Hey Kaitlan, Kendall and Keegan, "Hamjambo from Africa!"

Sammy, Kurt's giraffe is looking out the window of the plane at Mwanza and the southern shores of Lake Victoria

KIA Lodge

2009-07-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

We have all arrived in Tanzania and we spent the night at the KIA lodge near the Kilimanjaro airport. We will be departing shortly for Mwanza.

Walking Safari at Arusha National Park

2009-07-10T01:24:00.000-07:00

Thursday afternoon we had David (our favorite driver) take us to Arusha National Park for a safari and walking tour at the base of Mt. Meru. David, Jan and Tino (our park ranger) are shown here with Meru in the distance.

We saw other things on the tour but as we were walking around a corner I saw the first giraffe of the trip.

Here we are approaching the group of twigas.

They were quite a few of them and some were sitting and resting while others were back in the trees.

There were some water buffalo in the area, too. This group was resting near the foot bridge we needed to cross, so while we hopped over a shallow area of the stream, Tino guarded us from the animals.

The giraffes can be seen feeding among the trees in the distance.

Hello Twiga!

We stopped at the crater in this park and Kili showed his head in the distance.

A beautiful Meru sunset.

More New Friends

2009-07-10T01:14:00.001-07:00

I stayed at the Uhuru while Jan went to visit a family of woodcarvers. I met a group of women that were in Tanzania from Florida. They had come to visit churches in the Dar es Salaam area and one of the pastors, Jehosaphat, from Dar was with them.

The girls, Daphne, Patricia and Yvette were getting ready to depart to go back to the states and wanted to see Mt. Kilimanjaro before they left - but the mountain did not show itself from behind the clouds.

I ended up joining them for lunch and had a wonderful time sharing, fellowshipping and praying together before they left to go back to Dar es Salaam and then the states.

Visit to Wood Carvers in Marangu Area

2009-07-10T00:41:00.001-07:00

This is the Minjas family and Simon, a local representative from 10,000 Villages. On Wednedsay morning Jan and Simon (in the dark blazer) went to the Marangu area to visit a family of three generation of wood carvers. The grandparents, Roderick and Ajenta, along with their five sons carve items for their company called Minjas Products. They are a Fair Trade company and one of the blessings to the family company from being Fair Trade is that they are paid up front and are able to pay for supplies.

This is the grandfather of the family, Roderick. He has been carving for over 40 years in the family homestead at the trail head for the Marangu trail up Kilimanjaro.

This is one of the sons working on a piece, that is carved from the Muhaha wood and then embellished by burning the design into the wood.

Here is a small sampling of the pieces produced by the Minja family. The car actually has wheels that turn.

The grandsons are being taught the carving skills by their grandfather so they can carry on the family tradition and business.

Asante Sana!

2009-07-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Asante sana to Janet who has been a wonderful hostess for us the last two days. She even took time from a prior engagement to spend time with us today around Marangu and to introduce us to some of the women that have been supported and blessed by the Asante Network's micro-loans.

Janet took us places and had us seeing things we would have never seen otherwise. We thank you also for your beautiful spirit and desire to help so many to better their lives - you have touched our lives and we treasure your friendship. See you again soon!

Muller Has a New Owner and Home in Tanzania

2009-07-07T11:41:00.001-07:00

This is Edgar, he is the youngest son of Glory, a seamstress from the Marangu area in North East Tanzania.

After spending the morning with Glory and her family at her home and sewing studio, Jan felt that this would be a wonderful home for Muller, her giraffe. She gave the little twiga to little Edgar along with a big hug and a lot of God's love.

(Muller is sponsored by the Muller family).

A Visit to a Seamstress' Home

2009-07-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

This morning after we picked up Janet, she took us to the home and workshop of a woman named Glory. Glory is a seamstress that works for Janet to sew her batik fabrics into beautiful skirts, bags and other items to be sold in Janet's store in Moshi.

Glory at one time had her sewing room set up in main room of her home, but after receiving a "micro-loan" from the Asante Network she was able to use the loan money to build a separate sewing studio next to her home. She has room in the studio for several sewing machines and she teaches four students to sew and eventually be able to support themselves with this skill.

Glory's family grows several banana trees and coffee plants, plus they own a small group of farm animals to help them produce food for the family and have items to sell at the market. Her superior sewing skills along with the micro-loan from Asante have helped this family, especially Glory to be productive in many ways while earning a fare wage for her work.

While we were at Glory's studio this morning she took measurements to make Jan an outfit from the traditional Tanzania Katenge cloth (similar to the outfit Janet is wearing). Later we had to go to the market (that we had passed earlier) so Jan could pick out fabric and give to Glory to cut and sew - she is supposed to have the outfit done for Jan tomorrow afternoon.

On the Road to Marangu

2009-07-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

This morning Janet's brother, Immanuel picked us up at the hotel and he drove Jan and I to the Marangu area. Along the road there were all kinds of people walking along the road - most balancing something on their heads. These four are balancing water buckets

We started out on a good paved highway but then got on dirt side roads which were very bumpy and dusty.

This part of the road is under construction to even it out and to make it smoother - and eventually to be paved.

As we got closer to the market area there were more and more people bringing things to be sold - mostly bananas and big bundles of straw.

Chagga Live Museum

2009-07-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

One of the stops on our adventure today with Janet and Immanuel was to the Chagga Live Museum in Marangu. Here we are with our Chagga guide next to an authentic Chagga hut.

The guide was very interesting and pretty funny, too.

Our guide told us all about the Chagga Banana Beer and the correct way to drink it is from a cup made from a gourd - he did everything but give us a sample.

Mount Kilimanjaro

2009-07-06T13:39:00.001-07:00

A view of Mount Kilimanjaro from our hotel. Wish you were here.

A Day for Tanzanian Batik

2009-07-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

Janet, a friend of Jan's from the Asante Network invited us to her home and batik studio today.

This is one of the batik artists working on a Twiga design.

This is Pozo another batik artist with a table cloth during the batik process.

Here we are with the finished table cloth.

This is Skippy, the little baby goat, one of the goats at Janet's property.