Jicky Carp

As we prepare for our departure today for our final village, we leave with one less. It was a planned one less- no need to worry! As most people know, Pastor Jim will not be returning home with us because he will continue his journey to South Africa where he will meet his family.

If all goes according to plan, and in Africa you just never know, a car will arrive at the seminary around 1 (more likely 2) and drive him to Dar es Saalam. Once in Dar he will stay at the Catholic Guest House where we spend our first night. And again, if all goes according to plan, he will then catch a car EARLY in the morning for his flight to South Africa.

So prayers be with you Jicky Carp as you venture out on your own toward the next leg of your adventure. We're really going to miss the crazy accents that accompany your even crazier jokes!

Kathy- I've got a hug waiting for you from him!

Moo

Things I’ve learned the hard way today:

1. Cute High School girls at a Masaai cattle market = several marriage proposals = giddy girls = Emily in Mom mode = disappointed Masaai men.

2. The sheaths for Masaai knifes smell like Cat Food and if placed in your closed up room will then make your room smell like a playground for our feline friends.

3. Don’t wear a white tank top to a place where you will be eating with you hands and surrounded by cow poo.

Today we ventured to what I like to call, "Look at all the white people following behind the old guy as they weave in and out of cows VILLE" or better known as The Masaai Cattle Market. This was a great experience for all.

The Cattle Market happens twice a month here in good ol' Morogoro. Essentially it is a flee market for the Masaai. This is where they come to sell and trade cattle and goats. They also can get the beads that they use for jewelry, cloth, shoes, knives, spears, and all the other goods that make Masaai totally cool and authentic. For most Masaai this is more or less a day of banking for them. Unlike the bank accounts that we have, Masaai wealth is measured in cattle and goats. So to buy and sell at the market is to actually complete your banking. VISA- It's everywhere you want to be- well not here!

When we arrived, we toured the whole market, following closely behind The Haff. As we were stared at as if an attraction at the zoo, all we could do was smile and laugh. After making our rounds we stopped for lunch. Under the shade of a thatched roof, we enjoyed what many described as the best meal of our adventure. Carved before our eyes by a Masaai man by the name of Ridjua (with an extra hand to help hold courtesy of Scott Durscher) was the meat of a freshly butchered cow. I will say that we were all a bit relieved when we learned that the goats we had planned on eating were not yet done. The Haff was hungry- so beef it was!

Along with our slab of cow, we enjoyed what the locals called "Chips Mayai." It is potato wedges (fries) with egg. A strange combination I assure you. But delicious! The fries are cooked first and then the egg is broken over the top of them and then fried. So what you get is a big patty of fries and fried egg. Um can you say delicious and artery clogging? Because I sure can! But I'm okay with it. I really am. Just ask my thighs!

After we were sufficiently stuffed, we rolled ourselves out from under the thatched roof and did some shopping. We spent way too much money on things we didn't necessarily need, but really REALLY wanted. Parents- I will neither confirm nor deny that your kids may or may not come home with a schlew of weapons.... Customs might be interesting me thinks!

Everyday is so unique here. We learn daily from the people around us. We learn what hospitality is. We are shown kindness as strangers. We are welcomed to a community drastically different than our own without questions. Life is good here in Tanzania.

Oh and I seriously thought abut purchasing cow bells to place on some of my wandering children. I thought this might come in handy at the airport if they get antsy. Would bells make it though the security checkpoint? A chance I'm willing to take!

When I In Awesome Wonder

(Sometimes when I try to find the words to write what I want to share- they just plain escape me. Now is one of those times. That being said, my deepest apologies if this post seems disjointed and confusing.)

Pastor Jim was moved to tears. I stood in awe. The kids stopped talking long enough to actually listen.

As the choir in the village began their songs of praise today, we were all moved and touched in a special way. Though we could not understand the words that were being sung, the music that was coming from this united group of young men and women was nothing short of spectacular. They were a Masaai choir no less than 40 strong. They were beautiful.

We could hear the singing coming in the distance. As the choir walked from the village nearly 4 miles away from the church, they sang. Louder and louder the music got as they approached the church. Once in view, we could see the march of a faithful people. All dressed in the same way, matching necklaces, bracelets, shoes, belts- they were united as a symbol of the entire body of Christ. They all danced with gladness and thanksgiving- nothing like following the example of King David dancing through the streets. (They did keep their clothes on though!)

As they processed into the church, we followed behind- dumbfounded at the beauty before us. All we could do was stand there and watch in wonder. God was most definitely standing before us in that moment.

Honestly- when I think about the music that I heard today- it is what I imagine heaven to sound like; full of rich harmony and sincerity.

Gosh. I get goosebumps still just thinking about it.

For a few moments, I put down my video camera. I set aside my camera. I tuned out the chatter of children around me. And I just listened. I closed my eyes and listened. As I did, I prayed that this would be a sound and a moment that I would never forget.

Today we were blessed.

... and then The Haff has us sing. Not nearly as impressive. We tired to forfeit but The Haff wouldn't take "No" for an answer. We just hope we didn't cause any permanent damage...

Things I Know To Be True

We have returned from the wild. Despite my greatest attempts, I was unable to call the lions. I tried. I really really did. But I was not successful. I was however able to connect with both my inner monkey and elephant and work my magic that way. So I haven't completely lost it.

Here's what I know to be true:

1. We arrived at Mikumi around 3:00. It was the first time in nearly two weeks that our time frame operated on something other than African Time. It was a strange sensation.

2. The rooms that we stayed in were awesome. They have thatched roofs, patios that look out to the watering hole, and mosquito nets that look like princess canopies. They obviously knew The Lion Queen was coming.

3. Giraffes are both the most awkward and majestic creatures. They have gangly legs but move with such grace. We saw many of them. They were quite the posers. This morning we saw a unique grouping of them. They were all different shades. They were described as: Albino, Masaai, and Indian. This of course was coming from The Haff- no real surprise there.

4. Elephants are fun. I couldn't resist the urge to yell, "show me your tusks!" when they had their bums to me. Surprisingly this actually worked a few times. Take that picture and frame it, folks!

5. To clean up the brush, the park staff sets controlled fires several times a year. Apparently we just happened to come at the right time. Or the wrong time. Because this caused many of the animals to retreat to different parts of the park. Hence our "no-go" with Simba. Apparently they didn't get the memo we would be there this week.

6. God's creation leaves me in awe. The sun. The clouds. The green land. The friendly and not so friendly animals. What an inventive and clever fella that God is. Good work. Good, good work my friend.

7. We're a split group with it comes to deciding whether zebras are black with white stripes or white with black stripes. There will be a wrestling match later between Pastor Jim and Chris Davis to decide the outcome. Stay tuned for more details. Ninakutania! (I'm just kidding)

8. Baboons are mean and have weird rear ends. They look at you with beady eyes and I really just don't appreciate it. Their only redeeming quality is that their babies are cute. Other than that, we're not exactly friends.

9. Warthogs have to be without a doubt the ugliest creatures. The Haff described them as the only creature that was put together by committee. All your church committee members out there- I'll let you laugh about that one!

10. We saw snakes and crocodiles. They were in closed containers though. Thanks be to God. Apparently this group finds it extremely entertaining to hear me scream. I would have to disagree... So here I am- minding my own business- trying to get an Egyptian Cobra to attack the glass panel by waving my foot in front of it (I saw an African do it first. I thought while on a Safari 'monkey see, monkey do' would be okay...) when all of a sudden Kelsie Durscher yells out to me, "Em! Come here! Hurry up! This is so neat. You have to see it!" Being the curious young doe that I am, I quickly made my way over to where they were all standing, looking at something quite intently. As I stepped up onto the ledge of what I soon learned to be the Crocodile Pit, the man in charge stuck a huge stick in the Crocs mouth and made him growl and snap shut. My friendly group had plotted against me. Big jerks. I screamed like I have never done before. The people on the bus in the parking lot even heard me. Thanks a lot, friends!

11. The missing luggage finally came TODAY. Today this is but one of the reasons I know there is a God.

12. Pastor Jim, who is now lovingly referred to as: Jicky Carp, had YELLOW hair today. It was from a nice combination of white hair and redish dirt that was kicked up as we drove around the park. We're glad he showered. I think he is, too.

13. We miss our families. Even the kids that have made good on their threats not to e-mail their parents while they are here- have made comments. Know that you all are being prayed for daily and are loved greatly.

14. I'm going to go play Cardi Moja. Otherwise known as Uno. Isn't Africa, fun?!

(It took an hour and a half to upload one picture on the last post. I'll try to get some Safari pictures up tomorrow. The internet works on African time too, apparently!)

Raise the Roof

So this is the rafter we built. As I said before, we were only able to complete one because of some... complications. But the one we built was mighty and strong. When we left this church, we left the wood, nails, and example rafter. When we returned a few days later on our way to another village, all of the rafters had been completed and were up. It's amazing what can happen when people work together for the good of God.

Redeemer sure does know how to raise the roof... literally.

Papa Smirff Goes Wild... or at least to the Game Park

(Once again the internet is slow and we are limited to only one computer. This makes me sad. I know it does you, too)

Yesterday was one of those days where you just feel good. We worked hard. We played hard. We ate rice hard. It was good. All in a days work, really!

We traveled by rickety old b/v/t to a "urban" village to paint a church. By Urban I mean that we didn't have to run over trees to get to our location and there was a DUKA (store) with a fridge that had cold pop available for purchase. I'm not even going to lie to you- that was a little bit of heaven right there. I have never longed for ice cubes so much in my life.

We arrived and immediately had tea. The Haff likes to joke that in Tanzania CHAI is actually the third sacrament. Baptism, Communion, and Chai- though not necessarily in that order, as Chai seems to be a pretty big priority in these parts of the world. Some of our girls are becoming masters at "accidentally" hiding their cups when the tea comes around... I don't know if we'll continue this ritual when we return home.

Soon after we went to work painting the church. The building itself was erected by a German Missionary. It was a very well built church and we actually pretty large compared to most churches we've seen. A normal church costs around $6,000 US dollars. I was told that this one was nearly $10,000- and trust me when I tell you that an extra $4,000 here will go A LONG way. The building was made almost entirely of cement, with the exception of the iron on the windows and the tin roof. When the missionary built the church, he wanted it to double as a school. However, not long after the church was completed, a school was built nearby so that necessity is no more. However, the front of the church was still complete with an ugly makeshift chalkboard. I can tell you right now that after this Redeemer crew got done leaving their mark, there is no longer an ugly chalkboard!

Under the direction of: The Man, The Legend, THE DAVE WYLAM, we got our butts in gear and started to work...

Walls were first painted white.
Then the pillars were painted blue.
Cream was added around the bottom.
Brown was painted as an accent.

It. Looked. Fantastic.

Somewhere along the lines someone thought it would be a good idea to enlist my "artistic" abilities to create a mural on the front alter where the chalkboard had been. Because of my lack of Swahili, I was unable to inform them that this probably wasn't a good idea. But alas the handiwork of yours truly now rests on the wall of a church in the middle of nowhere in Africa. My mother would be proud. Or deny our relation. I'm not sure which. Though I'm hoping it's the first. She did used to hang my artwork on the fridge...

Someone asked the Haff why the Masaai didn't paint their own church. His reply: Have you ever seen a Masaai with a paintbrush? I am happy to report that I can now say that yes, yes I have. Much to our surprise, as soon as we started to paint, the Masaai wanted to join us. They actually took brushes and rollers out of our hands! Though it was a bit more "artistic" than our crews methods, it was great to see them taking ownership in their building. Men, women, and children were all hard at work. And those that didn't have a brush in their hands were supervising intently. And by supervising, I mean that they were watching us with wonder. I have to admit, a dark skinned Masaai man covered in white paint is a sight to see!

We learned a few things while painting today.
1. Pastor Jim has quite the German accent. Especially when he's been exposed to too many paint fumes. Ask Amber Freesemann about this. She'll be happy to share her experience.
2. Sharpened sticks make nice roller brush extenders and touch up tools and a hair tie is a very versatile tool.
3. Pastor Jim with blue paint on him- really does look like Papa Smirff.

It took us nearly 8 hours to complete the whole project. But complete it we did! The Haff said later that he didn't think we would get as much done as we did. We reminded him that we're from Iowa. Hard workers are bred and raised where we come from. Enough said.

As I have mentioned in other posts, in Africa you can only expect to expect the unexpected. This has been VERY true with our trip so far. Our church building days have been interrupted by circumstances beyond our control (supplies that weren't delivered by other people, generators with issues, broken tools, etc.) but it was AMAZING to have a day where we started and finished a project COMPLETELY. It was good for our hearts and souls, as well as our group morale. We totally left our Midwestern mark. Woot woot.

Today we travel to Mikumi National Park for 24 hours of wilderness/animal awesomeness! We leave the seminary after lunch and will begin our trek into the wild. I plan on fully expressing myself by means of my lion call. You will be updated on the outcome of this when we return. I hope to have several lion friends, and even a water buffalo or two, by the time we leave the park. It will be good.

Until then-
Keep practicing your lion calls. I know I will be.

Love,
Emily "The Lion Queen" Harkins

I'm Happy To Report That We're Alive

Habari Gani!

I am happy to report that we are in fact alive. We have just been without internet for several days. On Saturday there was a power surge that took out the wireless internet. Today someone came and was able to get the one and only desktop computer working but sadly, the wireless is still a "no-go." Because of this, I will have to keep it short and sweet, as there is a line of anxious teenagers waiting behind me. Apparently being disconnected from your friends when you're 16 is a hard thing? Who knew!

The last few days have been great. Very eye opening experiences. We spent Saturday, Sunday, and today at different villages worshiping. All of these services have been no less than 2 hours. Yesterday's service was nearly 4 from when the choirs started to the end of the auction. I am happy to report that Pastor Jim has been affirmed several times about the length of our services and promises have been made to never complain again! Hallelujah!

On Saturday we almost had Teal married off. I belive if the Masaai man would have thrown in another 20 goats, we could have really made a deal. However, we just couldn't make it happen. But boy was it tempting! The village we were at on Saturday was a unique place. Along with a church building, there was a school. It was amazing to see what a school building looks like here. No longer will our kids complain about the lack of air conditioning as WSR. There weren't even desks at the place and nearly 70 kids shove into the classroom each and every day!

On Sunday we worshiped under the trees. This service was unlike anything I have ever seen. Honestly there was nearly 300 Masaai men, women, and children at the service and 5 different choirs (including the Obama Choir... if you really want to call us a choir). If you were to count the goats, chickes, and cows in the attendance numbers, I'd say we were close to 500. The Haff thought it would be a good idea for us to sit toward the back of the service as to be less of a distraction. This was probably a good idea as just about every time the goat would make a noise, I would laugh. And then don't even get me started on when the cows came. Tears were rolling down my face. Pastor Jim once commented abuot worship being a zoo- and boy almighty- this was it!

At this village we also go to tour the Masaai homes. Wow. What an eye opener. A house smaller than the size of our youth room hosts anywhere from 7-10 people on average. Kelsie Durscher and I were invited to sit on the bed with one of the Masaai women. It was made of straw. A huge difference from our pillowtop matresses back home!

Today was a beautiful day. It was very relaxed and peaceful. The church we went to was set in a very serene location. If I had a picture available, I would post it. But sadly, I'm lucky just to have internet at this point! So hopefully that will come soon. The children at the village were amazing. The Haff informed us that they have had guests before when their church building was built. So we were not the first "wazungu" they had seen. They were very eager to play with us and get close to us. At other villages, it seems to take a little bit for the children to warm up to us. But here, there was as instant connection. God is so good.

There are many stories to share, and I hope that the internet will be up again soon so I can post some of the stories I have complined on my computer. But until then- this update will have to do!

I do want to say though- that above anything that has happened here, the most amazing thing has been the change in our youth. Their eyes have been opened. They are experiencing what it means to actually live their faith. The have come to appreciate the things that they have. And through all of our adventures so far, they have been very present. I'm learning that this is a lot to ask from 16ish year olds. I have very impressed. I am so blessed to be surrounded with such amazing people. Praise Jesus.

And Happy Birthday to Miss Teal Erhardt. She's 16 today. They slaughtered a goat in her honor. I did get pictures of that. It's slightly disgusting. But Happy Birthday Teal!

Hopefully the internet will be here tomorrow and I'll have more to say.
Until then- I love you.
Seriously.
I do.