Rich's letter

Hi Folks,
I is amazing that a week from Tuesday, I will once again be sitting on a flight back to the US. Progress is very noticable now that we have concrete floors being poured and the Green metal roofs on two of the buildings. My 24 wardrobes are in storage so that leaves me very little space to live. Our two bedrooms are pack now with beds and projects up to the ceilings. I will be glad to finally get a truck and move to the site and unload everything.

We stayed in Mbuguni last weekend and visited the Lutheran Sunday School class near the construction site. I had many little items from First Lutheran Sunday School children in Milford plus my sisters elementary class in Michigan made items as gifts to present to them. I planned on 30 to 40 watotos as there were 30 or so last time. I think they heard I was coming as the group had adults present along with about 50 children. I didn't count but I asked the teacher if maybe one gift per family might make it all stretch so every one got something. I have memories of smiling kids and singing along with some very happy parents. I had my interpreter handle the camera and he managed a small video clip minus the sound. It was his First attempt at that function on the STEMM camera. I have one picture of a little girl alone afterwards, so focused on what was in her little envelope, she had never had such treasures in her hand.

Two Nuns (Sister Lucy and Sister Monica) from STAR school guided us to a small village on the south slope of Mt Kilimanjaro. They asked if I could bring a few shirts for some kids they know. I picked up 30 shirts and pants and on Sunday afternoon we took the 10 minute drive to their little abode. After driving for 90 minutes we arrived only to find that we were to have lunch at a relatives home of one of the sisters. Having eaten rice and what I think was greens, we headed out for our 10 minute drive to the little village. (communicating is still a bit of a challenge for me) Erick placed the vehicle in 4 wheel drive to manage the slopes up and down and the boulders. I doubt the road had ever seen a Grader. When the Sister guiding said turn left here - I said no way! There was no road, just a walking path about 12" wide with banana trees tight to the path. She said "Akuna Matata" which means "no worries". I said "have you ever gone this way before?" and she said "You are soon to see where I grew Up. Normally however, we only walk in." With our car moving the branches out of the way in a dead crawl, we headed on and upward. Turn here, no, wait turn at the next foot path on your right, After about five turns I was so lost in a mountain sloped banana forest that it was a good thing I had two Sisters along who could pray to get us back out. Eventually we came to a small old woman who was working with a hoe in the banana trees. Sister Lucy said to me "That's my MaMa!!!! I met the entire clan, the sisters wanted to show me everything and everyone. We hiked down a deep canyon where she would get water at every day. By the time we came in from our hike, her Mama had Samaki (fish) and baked bananas. Now the nearest lake is 300 miles away so without refrigeration you can imagine - or maybe you don't want to - know what we ate. It was a requirement to have a taste as is custom so I gave my GI digestive track a quick prayer and tackled my second meal of unknowns in as many hours. It was delicious and I had seconds. I stood and told the Mama that "Samaki na ndizi ni nzuri"! - She smiled, nodded and replied profusely in her native swahili so I pulled out my photos of my family to show to her. I have the swahili words for son, daughter, wife, grandson, granddaughter, etc and she immediately took the pictures and explained to the clan who I had as family in America. They wanted to know when they were coming for Samaki and ndizi too!!

Sister Lucy then said we should visit the needy family. Walking about 30 yards thru the banana forest, a hut appeared and all were outside. There seemed about 12 children (no adults) and more kept coming as we handed out items. The sisters said that the family is mostly children with the young girls at age 12 to 13 becoming mothers. I was handed a photo of a little girl who was 13 and not pregnant who wanted to be sent to school so she could get a chance at a better life. One does not have to look too many degrees in any direction to find a desperately needy child wanting an education. By the time I left, I had acquired 3 photos of teenaged children wanting an education. As no school is available to them, they would have to go to a boarding school at great expense. I am handing the photos to STEMM to see if one or more can be added to our School House scholarship program.

Oh, I will never forget, I had 12 pure white 5" teddy bears with a fabric cross donated by someone back home. I was not pleased by the white color as the dirt here soils everything so fast and it is so difficult to carry water for washing. It seems my concerns were not valid. Had I had 100 of them, they would have disappeared within a kilometer. I picked 12 little girls only who where walking with a Mama - maybe 3 to 6 years old. Their little eyes lit up and immediatley hugged it so tight - the Mama's saying Asanti Asanti as we moved on. The high pitch voice of the child thrilled and telling mama something but unknown to me. I can imagine that those little bears have a special home for a long time. The memory of those moments are so etched in my mind no photos are needed to remind me of the joy those small gifts brought.

I had a long week of sanding and varnishing so I took the three men off of the fencing crew and placed them on an assembly finishing line for bunk beds. The vibration of the sanders for 9 hours caused all three to have a terrible night. Their hands buzzed to bad they couldn't sleep. They all tried laying on their hands, putting their hands under their heads, placing heavy objects on their hands and all sorts of things to stop their hands from buzzing. They even said their head vibrated when their head was laying on their hands. I was laughing so hard at their predicament my side hurt. On day two of sanding they chose the brush instead and I was stuck with the sanders. They eventually picked up a sander and tried again, once they understood what had happened and it was only temporary.

Erick seems to have gotten bit by a big bug so got him to a hospital on Saturday for drugs. He was also down with some virus and I had to make meals and allow him to rest last week. I think even the heat and dust gets to him too.

Well, we seem to be having a Financial problem in getting funds wired from the states. I have gone thru all my reserve cash and have borrowed now from the Ahadi Lodge to get me thru next week. Pray for FUNDS to arrive. I have workers to pay!!!

Have a great start to December - Think SNOW! I am.

Blessings,
Richard