Pilgrimage to Rwanda

Delivering donated reference books to the Tabora Anglican Bible College on August 18

After another week of classes at the Bible college, I preached (with the help of a translator) at the 2 Swahili services at the Cathedral on Sunday. The second (10:30 am) Swahili service was also a Baptism.


The new (post-2001) national flag of Rwanda

Tomorrow (Tuesday, September 1) I leave for Murambi, Rwanda, to meet the 16-year-old girl whom the Church of Our Father has sponsored for 6 years through Compassion International. I will arrive in Kigali by bus around noon on Wednesday and make contact with representatives of Compassion when I get there.

Fr. Anthony Samaga, my Tanzanian email-pal for about the same length of time and now my frequent companion here in Tabora, will travel with me both ways. We'll return to Tabora on Sunday... probably.

This is where I live

Looking left from the gate, toward the Development Office, some other staff offices, and the Mothers' Union hall (where we have morning prayer every weekday at 7:30).


Looking right, toward the Bishop's, Diocesan Secretary's, and Accountant's offices.


The Guest House

If you supposed I've been roughing it while here in Tabora... well, I'm not. The guest house was the residence of the first Bishop of Tabora. It is much nicer than the homes almost everyone I know here lives in. I've had it to myself for most of the time I've been here.

On the other hand, going out to the rural deaneries is a little more like camping. If carrying a backpack stuffed with sweaty vestments is your idea of camping.


The "long drop" (pit latrine) behind the guest house; chickens, roosters, and guinea fowl in the foreground. The chickens go wherever they want here. They've been known to lay eggs in the offices of diocesan staff.

A Wedding at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Tabora, August 29

Fr. Amos Chidemi preaching Ephesians 5: "Wives, submit to your husbands..." This text might be a hard sell in a lot of Episcopal congregations back home, but it got cheers from the congregation at this wedding-- more from the women than from the men. If you want to start a fight in this country, stand up in front of the Mothers' Union and tell them that wives shouldn't have to submit to their husbands.




"...Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church, and gave his life for her..." This, too, elicited cheers, from everybody, but especially the women.



The vows.



What's a wedding without a marching "trumpet band"?

Health Education for the children living with HIV/AIDS, Kitete Hospital, Tabora-- August 29

The health education topics for the children with AIDS vary from meeting to meeting. On this day, it was about prevention of malaria. It ended with handing out mosquito nets.

Play Group for Children living with HIV/AIDS, Kitete Hospital, Tabora

Musical games with the children

One or two Saturdays a month, they hold what I suppose we would call a Support Group for children with AIDS and their parents. I haven't figured out how often they have it. But August 29 was likely to be the last Saturday I'd be spending in Tabora (the others being weekends when I'll accompany the Bishop to the rural deaneries), so when I heard the 29th was one of the days for the AIDS group, I fished for an invitation. I went with Dr. Jim Payton and other volunteers who happen also to be on the staff of St. Philip's Clinic: Mama Francis ("Mother Teresa") and Mama Muhoge.

The hospital is aware of 5,000 people in Tabora with AIDS-- that's just the number they know about. One hundred fifty children and their parents came to this Saturday's meeting. Naturally, I was asked to get up and greet everyone as if I were some visiting dignitary. Then we had musical games and passed out refreshments-- Joly Jus (similar to Kool Aid, with a lot of artificial sweetener) and maandazi, these wonderful Tanzanian doughnut-like pastries.

We had a pretty good time. I don't know what it's like for these children outside this support group, but they just wanted to play and laugh and be held.

After we settled down from the games and snack, there was health education. (See next post.)

St. Philip's Clinic (Part II)

On Friday, August 28,I spent the morning at St. Philip's Clinic. The day began at 8 a.m. with devotions for the staff followed by what appeared to be a very passionate organizational meeting of some kind. Then the patients were let in.

After a tour of the clinic, I sat in Dr. Jim Payton's consulting room while he saw patients. Dr. Jim is a retired English doctor who now spends more than half of every year here in Tabora volunteering his time at the clinic. He and his wife, Margaret, have been very hospitable to me.

Privacy doesn't seem to be as much of a concern here as it would be in a U.S. doctor's office. They haven't heard of HIPAA. Dr. Jim saw about 15 patients in the first hour and a half, and then saw most of them again when their test results came back. Almost everyone was tested for malaria, and most of them have it. A lot of people were tested for syphilis (which is very widespread here); but this Friday, as far as I know, none came back positive for syphilis. Many were tested for AIDS. There were a few cases of hookworm and kwashiorkor.

The clinic isn't able right now to admit anyone as an inpatient. They can refer patients to the government hospital in Tabora. Mama Francis (pictured below, translating for Dr. Jim) visits the patients in their homes in the evening and makes sure they're taking their medicines, getting fed, etc. It's not part of her job description; she just loves the patients. They call her "Mother Teresa" and "St. Teresa." She really is a saint.

Kwashiorkor is on the rise. Last week one little boy arrived at the clinic near death, and Dr. Jim has taken him into his home at least until he is strong enough to be placed with relatives. (The parents have evidently abandoned the child.) Part of the reason for the high incidence of kwashiorkor is that the harvest was poor, and there have been food shortages. But a lot of children get kwashiorkor when their mothers stop nursing. Breast milk is about the best thing for them, and the mothers don't seem to know which foods to give their children for the protein.

Dr. Jim had me take blood pressures, prod abdomina, and look into throats and ears, mainly (I think) to familiarize me with the symptoms of malaria and other diseases. As far as the patients were concerned, they were getting twice their money's worth: an international team of mzungu doctors. I also got to look at the blood specimens showing the damage malaria does to red blood cells.





Dr. Jim and Mama Francis with a pediatric patient and his mother.



Dr. Jim and Dr. Deyo (spelling?) take a break for soda.

The Diocesan Clinic, St. Philip's, Tabora (Part I)

The entrance to the clinic compound





Patient intake, waiting area, and pharmacy

Ordination of David Binrusha to the Priesthood, August 16 at St. Paul's, Kahama

David is presented to the Bishop and examined.




The new Ordinand and his wife (on the right) with the Bishop and clergy




Tanzanian Christians have beans (maharage) at their church suppers! I was right at home.

St. Andrew's, Mosumbwe-- Sister Congregation to Church of Our Father

St. Andrew's Rector, Fr. Stanley Karibwanmi and a parishioner












Interior views of St. Andrew's

Confirmation at St. Andrew's, Mosumbwe, August 15

It was a small congregation, compared to the other churches I visited. If you look closely, you might notice that men are sitting on one side, women on the other. This seems to be the practice in some, but not all churches, including the "late" (10:30 am) Sunday service at the Cathedral. But at the Cathedral, at least, it's not big deal if some man sits among the women, or some woman sits among the men.



"Receive the Holy Spirit!"

Scenes from St. Andrew's Church, Mosumbwe, August 15

St. Andrew's, exterior view



Breakfast in the rectory



Our sacristy was the rear of the Bishop's Toyota Land Cruiser

Third Week in Tabora Diocese

Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God;
let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143:10

Bwana asifiwe! Aleluya!

In the past 10 days I have become an uncle; gained a sister parish for the Church of Our Father; and begun a regular schedule of teaching liturgics at the Tabora Anglican Training Center (a.k.a. the Bible School).

On the evening of Wednesday, August 12, there was a "send-off" for an Englishwoman who was finishing up her second long stint as a volunteer in the Diocesan Clinic, and returning to England to be married. This "send-off" was a 2-hour version of a celebration that would normally last for a week, when a bride is "sent off" to join the groom's family.

So we were her African family sending her off to be married. The Bishop and his wife (Baba na Mama Askofu) were the parents; I was the uncle; and the rest were extended family. There were prayers, speeches, songs, dancing, gift-giving, and lots of food.

The next morning (Thursday) I accompanied the Bishop and some of his staff on a visit to the Kahama deanery. Pictures and explanation may be found in some of the recent entries (see below).

The Bishop's itinerary included 6 churches in the Kahama deanery. The deanery is pretty far from Tabora, and covers a large area relatively close to the border with Burundi and also with Lake Victoria. The Bishop excused me from the Saturday afternoon visit to Kakola so I could stay in Kahama itself and prepare to preach Sunday morning in St. Paul's, Kahama. I felt like a wimp not savoring the entire experience, but it turned out to be a merciful gesture. The Saturday afternoon service in Kahama was another long one. Even though I hadn't done much other than ride in the vehicle; eat; give a couple "mini-sermons" along with greetings from America and the Bradshaws; and sleep, I was pretty tired from the heat and from trying to follow conversations in a language I didn't understand.

On Saturday morning in Mosumbwe, after my usual greeting to the congregation and words of encouragement to the confirmands, the Bishop asked if anyone there had a question for me. After the service a lady approached the Bishop and asked whether it was still possible to ask a question. Her question was: Is it possible for that congregation, St. Andrew's, Mosumbwe, to have a companion relationship with the Church of Our Father. Think fast, Bradshaw... Hmmmmm... Yes!! So now we have a sister congregation in Mosumbwe, and I have a new brother rector in Fr. Stanley Karibwanmi.

Sunday morning (8/23) I preached in St. Paul's, Kahama, at a service of confirmation for about 50 people and the ordination of David Binrusha (of Kabuhima) to the priesthood, with about 600 people present (spilling out the door and listening at the windows).

On Tuesday I delivered some reference books to the Bible College library and introduced myself to the students. Beginning Wednesday I have had a daily morning appointment to meet with a class of about 20 future evangelists and church-planters. We decided that I would teach liturgics. I have brought my Daily Office book (containing Morning, Noonday, and Evening Prayer and Compline) but when calculating the weight limits on my luggage I decided to leave my 1979 Book of Common Prayer at home. So my text for the first couple of days was the Bible, and beginning today (Friday) I've been using the 1995 Tanzanian Prayer Book.

In these posts, I want to be careful not to present myself as an expert on East African culture. The longer I stay here, the less I know.

One challenge is to figure out who-all is in my African friends' families. Sometimes they will tell you the total of spouse plus natural children. Sometimes the total includes not just natural children, but "orphans," too. At least half of my friends here have orphans, the children of deceased brothers and sisters, plus other dependents, include adults. People die young here and other family members take over the responsibilty of raising the surviving children.

Another challenge is knowing how to address the women. Fr. Anthony Samaga's wife (Winifreda) is not called Mrs. Samaga or Winifreda, she is Mama Vicky. Married women with children have as many names as they have children, but usually they are called by the name of their eldest. But I learned on the first day that the Bishop's wife is known as Mama Askofu (Mama Bishop.)

While travelling around the Kahama diocese, before entering the pastor's home I'd ask one of other clergy what I should call the pastor's wife. Sometimes they would tell me "Mama So-and-so," and I could tell that she was known by the name of one of her children. But in several places I was told to address the lady of the house as "Mama Mchungaji." And while sitting in the room, I heard some of the priests themselves being addressed as Mchungaji. I began to be curious about this prolific family, the Mchungajis, in which everyone was either a priest or the wife of a priest.

Then one day, while studying the Scriptures in the guest house, I realized that Mama Isaya was addressing me as "Mchungaji." It occurred to me that this might not be a proper name, but a word whose meaning I could look up. Mchungaji is Swahili for "shepherd." Technically, a Christian pastor is mchungaji wa roho, shepherd of the Spirit, but most people just say mchungaji.

Travel tips for Western Tanzania: If soap, towels, and toilet paper are important to you, bring your own. Get used to greasy fingers at mealtime. Only wimps use utensils.

Confirmation and installation of new Rural Dean, Ushirombo, August 14

The Ushirombo church meets under this blue tarp on the site of the new church they're building, having outgrown their original building. The rector, Fr. Amos Ndilema, was installed as the Rural Dean of Ushirombo. His badge of office as Rural Dean is an academic bachelor's hood. They rigged up a "throne," for him, a lawn chair covered by a bedsheet with the words "Welcome Home" embroidered on it.

About 30 people were confirmed also.

After the service and multiple speeches, one of the elders-- possibly the chairman of the building fund-- decided to take advantage of the crowd that had gathered for the Bishop. He seized the microphone, and for H O U R S harangued the crowd to donate to the completion of the building. He called them up by groups-- children first, then elders (i.e., vestry), then the Mothers' Union, then others by name, the patient Roman Catholic priest who attended, and the American visitor. Their goal for the roof is 50,000,000 shillings, about $43,400. They raised about $4,000 that night.

I didn't mind being asked, but felt blindsided, and I began to wonder: If I visit five or six churches on each of these confirmation visits, and each church not only has a regular offering, and a building fund plus another appeal for this or that, I had better go and refigure my budget for this mission internship. I'm accustomed to treating my giving behavior as a private matter, and I was more than a little offended by the arm-twisting approach this elder adopted.

But African Christians don't seem to have a problem with this. They lined up at the microphone, and each in turn greeted the congregation: "Bwana asifiwe!" (Praise the Lord!), then gave a little speech or testimony, ending with, "...and I'm giving [so many] shillings to the fund for the new roof."

If you want to get things done in Africa, this seems to be the way. The alternative is to have a committee ten years from now still discussing how they're going to get a new roof.

Confirmation service in Kabuhima, August 14

The batteries in my camera died before I could photograph very much of this visit. Shown here are

(1) the goat presented to the Bishop as part of the offering;

(2) the Kabuhima church seen from the outside; and

(3) the kwaya of the Kabuhima church-- the floor is dirt, covered by tarps near the altar. They are raising funds for a concrete floor.

Some scenes in and around Tabora and Isevya neighborhood

Victoria Samaga's nursing school graduation, Nkinga; August 8

Shown above: Samaga family and C. Bradshaw (trying not to cry); Downtown Nkinga

Second Week in Tabora

I went to Victoria Samaga's graduation last Friday as planned. From Tabora to Nkinga is about 70 miles over dusty, rugged road. We averaged maybe 30 mph. The day began with a chapel service-- lots of singing and dancing; and in the afternoon the graduation ceremony itself.

The afternoon was totally disorganized. Some of the African men I met-- an optometrist at the mission hospital, and another man whose daughter was also graduating that day-- told me: "In Africa, everything is possible... but nothing is certain." The 1 pm graduation began at 3 pm and lasted three and a half hours. Lots of speeches songs, poems, skits, more dancing.

I have taken some pictures, but haven't yet figured out how to post them on this site from here in Tabora. In the pictures of me with the Samaga family, it looks as if I'm the only one not smiling. In some of them there's a thin-lipped New England smile, but in a lot of them I'm trying not to start crying (for joy) in front of everyone. Also I was dying of embarrassment from being thanked so many times for the Church of Our Father's role in sponsoring Vicky during her four years of nursing school

I'm keeping a journal, but I can't write fast enough to record all my impressions. I don't have the journal with me now, so I'll just shoot from the hip while I have an internet connection.

Without my journal, I have trouble remembering what happened on what day, but I believe it was Saturday that I went to St. John's parish in Isevya, a neighborhood of Tabora town. It is the site of a Compassion International project that will eventually be a primary school and nutrition program for 245 children. The priest, Fr. Shadrach, showed me a place on the grounds where he hopes to locate a fish farm. There is a freshwater spring there that would feed it. On that day, the women and children of the area were gathered to do laundry.

Saturday evening I spoke at a retreat for the 4 men who would be ordained priests on Sunday. Bishop Makaya had told me it was scheduled to begin at 4 pm, but that I shouldn't automatically come at 4 because he was worried no one would show up until 4:30. So maybe you can appreciate the Bishop's influence when I say that everyone-- ordinands and their wives and some children-- were all there at 4.

I greeted the gathering with some Swahili that I had carefully rehearsed. The Bishop gave me a grade of 80%, which was probably generous. I wonder what I said with the other 20%.

Mostly I talked about the costly love necessary to be in Christian community, and the importance of the priest's modeling of that love. People who know me know I'm only just learning to crawl in the the practice of that kind of sacrificial love; and I tried not to appear farther advanced in this than I really am. All of these men have been through a testing during their year as deacons working in parishes, and before that as evangelists and catechists.

Last Sunday there was one service at the Cathedral here in Tabora, instead of the usual 3. Four deacons were ordained to the priesthood. The preacher was a priest from the US who is planting a new Anglican congregation in North Carolina.

The Sunday service lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes. Two choirs, one clothed in traditional Maasai garb. Lots more dancing. Announcements lasted 45 minutes, I think. I was asked to stand and be recognized when the Samaga family offered thanks to God for Victoria's graduation. Later I had a longer opportunity to greet the congregation on behalf of the Church of Our Father and my family, and to assure them of the prayers of the Christians in Maine for the mission and ministry of the Diocese of Tabora.

One of the announcements was the treasurer's report. (Treasure dressed as a Maasai warrior.) I think he was reporting on the previous Sunday's offerings, and I think he said that from 3 services, with a total attendance of maybe 260, the total offering was the rough equivalent of $24. There is a lot of emphasis on tithing. If everyone is tithing already, they probably wouldn't be stressing it so much; but I also suspect that a lot of people gave sacrificially to contribute to that $24. Since Sunday, sacks of rice from people's fields have been piling up in the back of the cathedral. That, too, is part of their "pledge"-- pledging in kind. At Kailua (sp?) the previous Sunday, the congregation gave the Bishop a live goat. On his return he had it slaughtered and shared it among his staff.

On Monday we had a seminar for diocesan clergy presented by two visitors from the US, Fr. Jason Patterson (last Sunday's preacher) and Fr. Eddie Rix, speaking on behalf of the Prayer Book Society of the US, on Anglican worship and Prayer Book revision. It was a good day, and with a lot of very stimulating conversation.

Yesterday I tried to visit a building in "old Tabora" that for about 10 months back in around 1857 was the home of David Livingstone. Livingstone is highly thought of just about everywhere in Africa. The caretaker of the historical site couldn't be found. Someone told me he had had visitors the day before, and was spending the money he had received for admission on drink.

Tomorrow (Thursday) I leave with the Bishop for Kahama Deanery. Kahama is one of the fastest-growing towns in western Tanzania. Gold has been discovered there, generating some jobs.

Friday and Saturday we will be visiting various churches in the Deanery, and on Sunday there will be a confirmation-plus-ordination service in Kahama with C. Bradshaw preaching. Please pray for the Holy Spirit's help and my fidelity to God's word.

As part of my daily devotions I have been reading the letters of prayer and encouragement that Wendy put together in a book. Thank you all.

Deacon's Ordination, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Tabora, July 26, 2009

Feast of the Transfiguration

Lord, keep this nation under thy care
and guide us in the ways of justice and truth.

In the last six days I've prayed this prayer in three different nations: Saturday in Maine, USA; Sunday in the Schipol airport, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Monday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Since Tuesday I've been praying it in Tabora.

All of my flights took off and landed right on schedule. Sunday night in Dar es Salaam two of Bishop Makaya's daughters met me at the airport and directed me to a hotel. Monday morning I arrived in Tabora at 10:30 am as scheduled. A contingent from the Diocese met me, including Editha Makaya (Mama Askofu, "Mrs. Bishop"); Mrs. Samaga (the wife of a diocesan priest); and 3 clergy. I am being comfortably lodged in a guest house in the Diocesan compound.

For a couple of nights I was sharing the guest house with Canon Peter Warr, a businessman from Kent, England, who has come here for 2 long stays last year and this, to help get things organized to build a diocesan secondary school and promote rain water retrieval projects. I will have the guest house pretty much to myself from now on, except this coming weekend when 2 priests from the US arrive to take part in the Sunday's ordination service at the Cathedral.

The last rainfall was in April, and the next will probably be in November. The crop hasn't been good, and food shortages are being reported, made worse by a railroad strike that just ended yesterday. Nevertheless, I can hardly turn around without someone feeding me. Yesterday I had lunch in the home of Fr. Anthony Samaga and his wife Winifreda. The Church of Our Father and the Bradshaw family have been sponsoring Anthony to attend St. Paul's Theological College in Limuru, Kenya; and also sponsoring his daughter's nursing school education. Last night I had supper in the Bishop's house.

There is a custom that when an "honored" guest comes to the house, the host takes the guest out to the yard where the chickens are, and hands the guest the chicken and an knife for the "honor" of slaughtering the chicken. So far I have been spared this custom. I explained to Anthony that lobster is the only food I eat that I've previously seen alive with its face on it. Another custom is that the honored guest eats the chicken's gizzard. I did my duty.

Prayer requests from the Tabora diocese:

For the church planting effort. This is a geographically large diocese, in which many villages have no church. The diocese trains church planters at the Bible college, commissions them, issues them a Bible and a bicycle (one each), stations them in selected villages for 3 years at a time, paying them about $40 a month with the expectation that at the end of that time there will be a new congregation there. There is a great need for more church planters.

For the Diocesan youth Conference, September 4-7, here in Tabora.

For the efforts of the Bible College, to train catechists, church planters, and local missionaries. At present enrollment is lower than the Bishop would like.

For the effort to launch a secondary school. Peter Warr has committed himself to raising the funds (mostly from England) needed to build the school, hire teachers, and provide scholarships. It will take several million dollars. They don't just want a school; they want it to be the best possible school in Tanzania.

For women's education, especially for economic self-reliance for women and a greater "voice" for women in this society. Women (and children) till the fields, carry water, and earn income for their families, but men control the income. Carrying water long distances is a time-consuming job. Having to carry water for their families becomes a "job" for children that precludes their getting an education. There is no point drilling new wells; that just results in lowering the surrounding water table. On the other hand, the rains that fall, starting in November, are so plentiful that if that water can be harvested from rooftops into storage tanks, women and children would be set free for more fulfilling activity.

For persons with HIV/AIDS and the widows and orphans of those who have died of AIDS. The government provides retro-viral medicines (ARV), but no other support to those affected. There is such a stigma about AIDS here that it is hardly ever mentioned by name. If it is acknowledged at all, it is simply referred to as "the virus." But many people prefer to die quietly, with their neighbors thinking they drank themselves to death, than to have it known they had "the virus." The Diocese supplies food to those living with AIDS, advice on healthy diet, hygiene, etc. The Diocesan clinic here in Tabora holds a Saturday support group (play; health education) for children with AIDS. I hope to make it to as many of the Saturday groups as I can.

For children's education, especially for orphans of parents who have died of AIDS.

For funds to pay for the education of the children of rural pastors. Education isn't free here. Many families literally have to choose between food and education for their children. The rural pastors are not paid well enough to send their children to school. Overseas donors are contributing to a fund for the children's education.

For myself, I ask these prayers:

For the grace to retain the little Swahili that I am learning. Most of the people I've met so far speak very good English. By the time they've heard my words translated into Swahili, they've already understood me in English. But I want to be quicker on the uptake. People address me in words that I know, but I'm slow to recognize what they're saying and respond appropriately.

For the Holy Spirit to give me the words when I preach and teach. It is humbling to be around such Spirit-filled people-- and I'm talking about the laity just as much as the clergy, or more so. What can I say to encourage them and build them up?

Tomorrow (Friday, August 7) I'm going to Nkinga to attend Victoria Samaga's graduation from nursing school.

On Saturday (August 8), I will address a retreat for candidates who will be ordained as priests at Sunday's service.

On Sunday the 16th I will travel with the Bishop to Kahama deanery and preach at a confirmation service at which one additional person will be ordained a priest, a candidate who can not be at the August 9th service.

On August 31 I will preach at a Eucharist for diocesan and cathedral staff.

Some more notes on the cultural transition.

I've been a gringo in South America, and a haole in Hawaii; here I'm a mzungu ("white person"). The Bishop strongly advises me not to go exploring outside the diocesan compound alone, at least here in Tabora.

At night the compound where I sleep is guarded by a watchman armed with a club and a bow and arrows.

Starting around 10 at night, the feral dogs start howling. Before they're done, at around midnight, the chickens start tuning up. The roosters are going strong by about six am.

A few afternoons ago, while sitting in a room with some people, I heard a sound, from a neighboring house, of a woman screaming. No one else seemed bothered. When I asked if something was wrong, the others stopped talking and listened; then someone said, "It sounds like someone possessed of a demon." Another said, "Yes, that's what it usually sounds like." Then they shared anecdotes about a woman who came to a recent service in the Cathedral who went into a spell and had to be carried out of the church. No big deal; just another person possessed of a demon.

Aside from the feral dogs, there are stork-like birds that compete with the dogs for the local equivalent of roadkill. On the day of my arrival a baby black mambo snake was found inside the door of my guest house, and unceremoniously killed by the Bishop's chaplain. There are also pythons in the area; I haven't seen any live ones, but at the clinic I was shown the skin of one recently killed there. Chickens and guinea fowl graze in the dirt yard of the diocesan compound. There are some lizards with unusual colors, most of them camera-shy and fast-moving. At least one lizard lives in the guest house, and I'm always glad to see him. I assume he's keeping the mosquito population down.

Tabora has a reputation for unusually friendly relations between Christians and Muslims. Religious differences are potentially volatile. The founding President, Julius Nyerere, did his best to make sure that elections would not be based on the religion of the candidate. In the rest of the country, there is a slight Christian majority, and Muslims can become hyper-sensitive when the country is ruled by a Christian president. In Tabora, Muslims are somewhat more numerous than Christians. One reason the Anglican Church is regarded as favorably as it is, is that the services it provides (health, education, etc.) are provided with no questions asked about the religious background of those seeking the services.

Here ends this wordy, rambling entry. I hope it gives you some idea of of the Diocese's holistic mission here and my evolving role here. I have not ceased to pray for the people I left at home and to give thanks for their making it possible for me to be here.