Life goes on…

10/25/2007 9:24:17 PM

            The power went off about forty-five minutes ago and has not come back on.  I will be going to sleep shortly, but I wanted to share something with y’all.  I went outside a few minutes after the power went off so that I could lend one of my two flashlights to a medical missionary staying at Msalato who I knew did not have one.  I noticed quickly once I was outside that it was quite bright given that sunset was around 6:30, which it always is… (because I am so close to the equator).  In fact it was bright enough that I didn’t need my flashlight to walk to the missionary’s house.  One might assume that the brightness was coming from candles or fires, but nope it came from the moon.  It is a full moon out and so much light is coming from it that you don’t need a flashlight outside.  I noticed this last night as well, but tonight it just seemed even more powerful given the lack of any other forms of illumination.  Well, I am off to sleep now. 

10/30/2007 11:37:03 AM

            On Sunday, I was able to attend a Eucharist service for the first and only time in October.  I went with a few missionaries and four Msalato students to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, which is the cathedral for the Diocese of Central Tanganyika (aka DCT, which is headquartered in Dodoma).  The cathedral was quite beautiful.  We arrived as the early service was winding down.  The early service is in Swahili and is very well attended.  In fact, there were people in the doorways of the cathedral trying to hear what was going on…. The first time I have ever seen that at an Anglican church.  The service that we attended was in English and led by the students from Msalato.  While the early service had at least 400 people there were only about 50 at the English service.  Most of those present were wazungu (Swahili for white people).  I enjoyed the service and found it quite familiar.  In fact, following the fraction we said the Prayer of Humble Access, which was exactly the same as the version found in Rite I of the 1979 BCP.  After the service there was another Swahili service that seemed to be just as large as the first one.  I quickly began to understand how this diocese can claim to have a membership of 500,000.

            On Monday, I had my first touch of sickness.  It came on fast and stayed with me for about twelve hours.  Thankfully, I think it has past.  Monday I also went to MAF (Missionary Air Fellowship) which is based in Dodoma in hopes of securing internet access for Msalato.  The college had previously used MAF for internet service before switching to the Aden Center (which is part of DCT).   I should learn if we can get access from MAF today or tomorrow.  If not through them, I am uncertain what we will do.  The only other option I know of is getting our own satellite dish, which a few years ago was estimated to cost at least $4,500.  That is a LOT of money.

            Internet access is not a luxury here.  It is essential to a theological school with limited print resources and is a key way to connect these students in rural East Africa with the rest of the world.  The internet is also essential to missionaries as a way to communicate with the faithful back home and to share their experiences.  Also, for some reason the terminal server, which is the brain for 90% of the computers here, runs at about 10% of its normal speed whenever there is no internet access.  That is a very serious problem. 

            I would appreciate your prayers.

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