As usual, with all things World Race, change is to be expected. The unexpected is to be anticipated. As I said when I released our list of ‘projected’ countries, things are subject to change. Here is the change: I’m in Tanzania!! (Tahn-zahn-ya, not Tan-za-nia) I am actually in the second largest city in the country, a place called Mwanza, on the shore of… Lake Victoria!! I know… me… by a lake… again… how cool!!
Team Banah is working with a local guy named Pastor Celsius. He is awesome. He arranged for us to stay in the homes of several members of his church. Three of us are staying with Mama Joyce, and her home has become our ‘base.’ We have all of our team meetings at her house, and all of our meals are served there as well. I live with Mama Joyce, and we have electricity (most of the time) and running water (most of the time). We still have the pleasure of taking bucket baths though! The boys live right next door in a brand new home (complete with a real shower), with a young man, and one of our guards. Sharon and Vicki live two houses away with another couple from church and their four-year old son. I am writing this from their house, which has an amazingly fast internet connection that the family is generously allowing us to use.
Our ministry this month is perhaps my favorite so far in Africa. Pastor Celsius has an incredibly active church, with services every day from 4-6pm, and then a longer service on Sundays. This past week was ‘Youth Week’ which meant that the youth ran the church all last week and this Sunday’s service (youth in Africa means anyone under 40 who is unmarried and without children). It was amazing to see such an active group of people! They ran the whole show! There were preachers and teachers and skits and songs and dances… they were fantastic! Our role in all of this is really to just come alongside Pastor Celsius and help out wherever we can. Last week, we accompanied the youth in going to door to door in the community and really just getting to know some of the people in the area.
