February 15, 2008 by Stephen Day.

February 15, 2008
First, I would like to let all of you know that there are 145 pictures that I took while I was in Iringa available on the internet.  You can check them out at http://www.stephencday.com/Iringa/.

A lot has transpired since I last had the opportunity to post to my blog.  I was blessed last Tuesday, February 5, to receive my new computer, a MacBook Pro.  It was brought to me by the kind and gracious Rev. George Okoth, who spent January at Virginia Theological Seminary working on his Doctor of Ministry degree.  George is a professor at St. John’s University in Dodoma, which is affiliated with the Anglican Church of Tanzania and used to be a professor here at Msalato Theological College.  My father ordered the computer on the internet on Wednesday, January 23 and it shipped a day later from Shanghai, China and arrived in Alexandria, Virginia on Monday, January 28.  Pretty amazing… I have been working hard since I got the computer to acclimatize myself (it has been about a decade since I used the Mac OS).

In other news, I have started teaching.  Yesterday I had my first class of computer skills for the Pre-Diploma students.  It lasted only one hour but was quite enjoyable – I got the students set up with usernames and passwords and showed them how to log onto the network, open a new document, save it, and how to log out.  They seemed to grasp what was going on and were able to log in again on their own.

I also wanted to share some of the things I have been able to do thanks to your support and those of others in the Dioceses of West Virginia and Washington.  As part of the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) of the Episcopal Church I was required to raise $10,000 to help cover the expenses that I would incur traveling here and living here for a year.  I am pleased to say that more than $4,500 has so far been raised that is being used to help the people of Tanzania and my work here.  The money is being held by the Diocese of West Virginia and all withdraws from it are approved by the Bishop personally.  So what has money been used for so far?
- Approximately $200 was spent on textbooks for the courses I will be teaching this semester and for shipping them to Tanzania.  The books will be donated to the school’s library at the end of the semester.
- $400 was used to help purchase tools and other equipment that was needed for my work here – all of which will remain at Msalato for future use.
- $450 was used to purchase an electric stove/oven for the duplex that I am living in.  The stove will reman in the duplex and be used by its future residents – it is the property of Msalato.
- $600 was used to purchase a refrigerator and a surge protector for it.  This will also remain in the duplex and is the property of Msalato now.
- $400 was spent to purchase two hard drives and some RAM so that I could create a storage server for Msalato.  This will be used to backup the data from the terminal server and the web server (which is actually also the storage server).
- $330 was recently used to purchase a new 10,000 volt voltage regulator for the library, which protects the servers and twelve computers.  The old one was half that voltage and was damaged by a recent lightening storm.
- $410 was used to help repair the suspension on a car that I drove for about six weeks that is owned by the Diocese of Central Tanganyika and was purchased by the Episcopal Church.

In the future I hope to make some more purchases to help Msalato.  In particular, there is a desperate need for working keyboards.  The ones here have been malfunctioning at an alarming rate.  At this point I think that maybe half of them work reliably.  Also, I am considering purchasing a new motherboard, processor, and power supply for the storage/web server so that it will operate more quickly and reliably over the next several years (the current processor is an older Celron which is a lower power processor best suited to short-term simple computing – not the work of a server that operates 24/7/365).  I have no doubt that other expenditures might arise as time goes on.  Also, there is a significant need for money to help pay for a satellite dish for Msalato.

I explained on a previous blog entry why  Msalato must resort in the long term to satellite internet.  Basically, the only option for a direct internet connection for the college is satellite – other option require relying on a relatively unstable wireless signal that has to be broadcast over ten kilometers.  The cost of a new satellite dish and installation is $4,000.  There is money already set aside for the monthly bills for the internet service, so all that is needed is the capital.  If you wish to further support these important causes, feel free to send money to the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia at PO Box 5400, Charleston, WV, 25361.  Just remember to mention Tanzania or my name on the memo line.

Thank you again for all of your support and prayers.  General classes resume here on Monday, so I would appreciate your prayers for the students and staff as they travel and prepare for the new semester.

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February 4, 2008 by Stephen Day.

Howdy y’all!!!

I thought I might take this opportunity to share some of my reflections on my first four months in Africa. Tomorrow I will celebrate four months since departing from West Virginia. I have greatly enjoyed my time in Tanzania and Dodoma. In fact, I would very much like to return to Tanzania to serve as a missionary for a longer period of time (a three year term or two).

One of the first things that I noticed here was the preponderance of shirts from the West (particularly America) being worn by Tanzanians. In particular a large number of these shirts are from groups or events – such as a t-shirt that was produced for a particular church group or marathon. So my first reflection is to encourage all of you not to produce t-shirts for church or other kinds of groups and events. I am not seeking to deprive Africans of clothing, it just seems like a waste to have custom shirts printed or otherwise produced that will end up quickly being donated to charity and will end up in the developing world. Instead of spending money and energy on custom shirts, money and time could be donated to helping the developing world in other ways.

I was asked the other day if I was shocked by the standard of living or the poverty of the people of Tanzania. I had to respond that I have not been shocked. My eyes were opened to the poverty of the developing world by my time in West Bank and more so by my three weeks in Burma. However, I do not want to minimize the differences of the standard of living here in Tanzania when compared to the West. There are countless differences in regard to the economic and living conditions here and back home. During my trip to a village in November I was able to get a better grasp on the conditions in which most Tanzanians live, but still I was a bit pleasantly surprised. Homes were relatively well built out of bricks that are locally produced in every village. Interestingly, the roofs are the last things added and little money or effort is put into them – most roofs are simple metal sheets. This is likely the result of the fact that it only rains during maybe three months of the year. In the villages electricity is scarce, if even present. However, a new feature is appearing on the landscapes of villages – cell phone towers. As I think is common in the developing world, Tanzania is skipping a few steps that took the West decades… land lines are not being put into most homes and businesses, instead they adopt cell phones. This also includes the limited number of people who have a home internet connection – most connect through an interesting hybrid of cellular and Wi-Fi technologies that is provided by the phone company in Tanzania – TTCL. Also, most internet café’s in towns and cities connect to the internet via a broadband connection (DSL), which was a pleasant surprise.

Again, I do not want to give the wrong impression. The people of Tanzania are not wealthy. The average income is only a few hundred dollars a year. As I have previously explained that the best compensated Anglican clergy in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika earn the equivalent of about $100 US a year. Despite this, there are plenty of pastors eager to serve God and the Church in this diocese.

I have been amazed by the spirit and faith of the people that I have met here. They are very eager to learn and to hear about my life and my faith. Also, I have really enjoyed being able to use the training I have received during my time in seminary and my many, many other years in school.

Looking toward the future, some students are beginning to arrive back on campus from their time off. The school year will begin for me on February 13, when there is a staff meeting and at 11:30 I will get to leave the staff meeting and begin teaching. I will have my first class on computer skills at that time for pre-diploma students. That class will last two hours a week and run the whole semester. My two church history courses will meet for three hours a week each and then the youth ministry course for degree students will only be one hour a week. I am both eager and anxious about these possibilities.

As for prayer concerns I would appreciate your prayers for the students of Msalato as they travel here and begin their studies once again. Likewise, I would appreciate your prayers for the staff and faculty of Msalato as they begin a new semester with fewer teachers. I would invite your prayers of thanksgiving for those that bought me a computer to aid in my work here and also for the wonderful Rev. George Okoth who has brought the computer with him from the States. Also, I would welcome your prayers for me as I begin teaching, while also tackling the numerous technological maladies (internet access for the campus, a dead proxy/web server, establishing a new backup server, etc.). During the coming days and weeks I will continue to pray for guidance in my work and my spiritual life and also for all those who have enabled me to be here in Africa serving God and his people.

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January 28, 2008 by Stephen Day.

Monday, January 28, 2008 – 9:00 am

I would like to apologize for not posting more frequently during the past few weeks but it has been a busy time and I am without a computer right now. Well, I am back at Msalato 15 km outside of Dodoma. Things are still pretty quiet here, but there are more people around now than before I left. While I was in Iringa there was no rain at Msalato but since I have returned it has rained heavily every day. That is very good because there are a lot of crops in this region that would fail otherwise.

As for my computer issues… I have learned that all of my data from my old laptop is intact and retrievable. As for the future, my parents are helping me out with that… I am getting a MacBook Pro. It was ordered last Tuesday and shipped from a factory in Shanghai, China last Thursday. For those of you confused, Apple ships most, if not all, of its products straight from its factories in China. The MacBook Pro should arrive either today or tomorrow at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia (my alma mater) where the Rev. George Okoth will pick it up and bring it with him to Dodoma. George is a professor at St. John’s University, an Anglican university in Dodoma and was until late October a professor at Msalato. George is leaving the US, where he has spent January working on a D. Min., on Wednesday and hopefully will return to Dodoma by Saturday or Sunday. I am eager to get my new computer and get it setup.

While I was in Iringa I took lots of pictures that I am eager to share, but it will likely be a while before I can get them downloaded to my computer, edited, and then uploaded to the internet. I really enjoyed my time at language school — I learned a lot and enjoyed the change in surroundings. I hope to be able to put my new skills to use once things start back up here. I am looking forward to teaching computer skills, church history, and youth ministry.

As for my newsletter for January, it will likely be delayed until next month when I will issue another double edition. But I will post pictures ASAP and let all of you know where you can find them once they are up. Well, I hope that all of you are doing well.

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January 19, 2008 by Stephen Day.

Saturday, January 19, 2008
Well, it has been an interesting couple of days… On Thursday afternoon I went into town to use the internet and do a few other things. While I was there my computer, which I brought with me so I could plug into the internet café’s insanely fast connection, crashed three times in a row, which is rather rare. When I got back to the campsite I tried a few things to diagnose the problem. Eventually I figured out the pattern… my computer was crashing within three to five minutes of being booted up. I also noticed that the fan was not spinning up and that was a symptom not a cause of the problems because there was no dust blocking the fan and it was able to spin freely when encouraged to do so by a bunch of hot air coming from me. I continued to get very bad error messages and other signals that the problem was a hardware one and one that could not be fixed without spending more than the cost of a new computer (and that is if I were in the US). So I am now a computer fundi (technician/craftsmen/expert) without a computer. Quite an interesting predicament. I am working on remedying this situation.

In other news… I am really enjoying my time at language school. I have learned a great deal and am looking forward to putting it into use once I return to Msalato. It has been a long two weeks – spending an intense five hours a day working on a new language is draining. Who is at the language school? Well, the campsite is run by a pair of British ex-pats who have a staff of about 50 Tanzanians. The language school itself is run by Tanzanians and has a staff of about ten. As for students there is me and the three New Zealanders, an American couple in their early 20s from Kentucky, an American in his early 20s from Michigan, a British couple including an Anglican vicar in their 40s, a Dutch family (grandparents, mother, and three beautiful children), and a wonderful Finish Lutheran pastor in her early 50s.

It is great to be here, but I look forward to returning to Msalato and Dodoma. Thanks for your interest and continued support.

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January 15, 2008 by Stephen Day.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008 1:30 pm

Habari!  I hope that everyone is doing well.  I am really enjoying my time in Iringa at language school.  I figure that many of you might be curious as to what my days are like.  So, I figure it would makes sense to share what a typical day is like here.  I usually get up at 6:30am and have a wonderful shower (first real ones I have had since leaving Dar on October 7 last year).  Then I have breakfast at 7 am – we are offered oatmeal, eggs cooked to our liking, sausage, bacon, beans, tomatoes, toast, and pancakes.  I have really liked having a full breakfast.  After breakfast classes start at 8 am.  Then, there is a break around 10 to 10:30 am and then classes resume for two and a half hours.  Then at 1 pm there is lunch.  After lunch I usually rest for a while and then review my work in class and do homework.  It is during the afternoon that I have been able to occasionally go into town.  Later, I have dinner at 6:30 pm and then do some more work on Swahili.  I usually get to sleep by around 10:00 pm. 

I am staying at a campground which hosts the language school program.  The campground is not really what it sounds like.  I sleep in a “tent” that is permanently installed on a concrete base which has a thatched roof over it and an electrical outlet.  The tent is large and inside there are two traditional beds, a desk, and a dresser-like piece of furniture.  For bathrooms, there is a building right next to my tent that has toilets and showers.  The temperature is about 15 degrees cooler than in Dodoma and it has rained here most of the days that we have been here.  I am drinking about two or three liters of water a day here, where as I drink between six and eight liters of water in Dodoma.  The heat makes a big difference.

I came to Iringa with three other missionaries.  The three of them are all from New Zealand and work in Dodoma.  One of them is Robyn Applebee who works with me at Msalato.  We travelled here in a Toyota SUV that is owned by the New Zealand Church Missionary Society.  On our way to Iringa we drove through a national wildlife preserve.  There we saw numerous animals – namely elephants, a giraffe, and a bunch of baboons.  It was awesome.  I also was surprised to see how well paved the roads were – a lot smoother than the road from Msalato to Dodoma.

Well, I better get back to studying Swahili.  I will share more of my experiences as soon as I get a chance.

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January 12, 2008 by Stephen Day.

Hi everybody!

 I am in Iringa, Tanzania, which is bascially due south of Dodoma.  I will be here for two and a half weeks learning about Kiswhaili and trying to use it.  I am having a great time.  It has been wonderful to see a different part of the country and meet otehr missionaries from around the world.  The climate is much different than in Dodoma.  It is much cooler and wetter here.  It has rained nearly everyday for a number of hours.  In the last two weeks I was in Dodoma it didn’t rain once. 

If you need to reach me here email works well, but you can also get my temporary phone number by emailing my parents.  I look foward to uploading the pictures I am taking once I get back to Msalato.  It is very beautiful here and the people are wonderful.

I have been plesantly surprised at how much Swhaili I am retaining and grasping.  My previous efforts at learing foreign languages have not been all that successful (Spanish in junior and high school and biblical Greek in seminary).  I work one on one with a teacher for about five hours a day and spend a few more hours each day doing homework and reviewing other work. 

I hope to post a more detailed account of what I am doing here soon.  I miss having “easy” access to the internet, like I have at Msalato. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful New Year!!  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful people at St. Timothy’s in the Valley in Hurricane, WV for their very generous Christmas offering. 

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December 31, 2007 by Stephen Day.

12/31/2007 7:34 PM

            It has been a quiet two weeks here at Msalato.  The English program concluded with graduation on December 20 and shortly thereafter Msalato became a ghost-town.  I enjoyed spending time with those students and getting to hear their learning process.  Many of the Tanzanian staff members at Msalato have returned to their villages to work their shambas. 

            Christmas was nice and quiet.  I had invitations from three Tanzanians to join them; however, previously I was invited to have lunch with a fellow missionary and a few others.  Also, I attended the Christmas morning service at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Dodoma.  It was a lovely service and I had a wonderful time at lunch.  My father recently asked me how Christmas was celebrated in Tanzania.  It is important to note that the country is about 1/3 Christian, 1/3 Muslim, and 1/3 indigenous beliefs.  Christmas was quiet, but there were plenty of secular elements of the holiday.  I spotted several plastic Christmas trees for sale in town and even saw an inflatable Santa.  Most businesses appeared to be open on Christmas, but I got the clear impression that all the Christians were in church.  The Kiswahili services at the cathedral were very well attended – in fact there were seats set up outside the main door and speakers for the overflow crowd. 

            Since Christmas I have been working on a few projects here, but otherwise, it has been very quiet.  Most of the other wazungus (those of European ancestry) I know are in Kenya at a conference.  Also, I learned that the car I have been driving has a serious mechanical problem – the lower suspension/control bar is cracked.  That would be somewhat easy to replace if the car was a Toyota or a Range Rover; however, the car is a Ford (the international version of the Explorer), so parts are a bit rare.

            Well, I look forward to going to language school because it means getting to see a different part of the country and, hopefully, I will learn some Kiswahili.  One thing is for sure – I have never been more eager for a semester to start in my life.

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December 20, 2007 by Stephen Day.

I finally got my pictures onto my site. You can see them at http://stephencday.com//Tanzania_First_Six_Weeks/index1.html

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December 14, 2007 by Stephen Day.

12/14/2007 3:56 PM

I am uploading a lot of pictures and they can be viewed at http://stephencday.com/Tanzania_First_Six_Weeks/index.html They might not be up yet, but they will be soon. The first 50 or so have been up on a different page for some time, but there are plenty of new ones.

I am really enjoying my time in Africa. It is definitely rainy season. The past week or so it has rained every day for at least a couple of hours. The drive into town has become a lot more interesting… there are mini-lakes along several parts of the road that have formed in the low points. It is not quite as hot as it was at the end of November or the first few days of December. Things are pretty quiet at Msalato because there are only seven students living here and a many staff members have gone home to their villages to work on their shambas (farms).

The seven students living here now are in a three week English course. They meet every day in the library for lessons and I hear them working as I am in “my office.” I have sat in on a few of their lessons and gotten to know them somewhat. Quite a nice group of men – there are no female students. The purpose of this course is to prepare them for an English examination to determine if they can begin work as pre-diploma students. Their tests will be at the end of next week. The pre-diploma period lasts five months, a full semester, and will focus on improving the students’ knowledge of English, the Bible, theology, and computer skills. This is a necessary step because most, if not all, of the students have been out of school for decades and many do not have a secondary education.

The education system in Tanzania is not very good. I am still learning about all of the terms “Standard 7,” “Form 4,” etc… It appears that the system is based on the British system, which I know nothing about. Basically, the founder of modern Tanzania focused on improving the education system and adopting Kiswahili as the national language. The president chose to pick a national language to unite the different ethnic and cultural groups that populate the country. He also tried to improve education by providing universal free primary education; however, it is not really all that free because there are uniform and other fees that must be paid at nearly every primary school in the country. Secondary education is far from free and is, in fact, very expensive. I have read that around 5 or 10% of primary students continue on to secondary school (that is not say that even those who do continue even get a degree).

At Msalato Theological College there are three different programs for theological students. First, there is Haduma (I am uncertain of the spelling), which is a three year theology program taught in Swahili. Graduates of this program receive a diploma, not a degree. The second program is Diploma, which is identical to Haduma, but the courses are all taught in English. Finally, there is a small Degree program which is also three years and designed for students who intend (or hope) to pursue studies in theology outside of Tanzania. Currently there are 104 students at Msalato – five are degree students and the rest are split between the Haduma and Diploma programs. There is also a secretarial school at Msalato that teaches basic office, typing, and computer skills to students.

One of the hurdles at Msalato is money… The fees for theological students are rather high (around $1,000 US per year) considering that the luckiest parish priest in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika earns about $10 US per month. Not surprisingly, almost all of the student fees get paid for through the generosity of donors in the West (and the East – Australia and New Zealand are big supporters).

Internet access at Msalato for the past two years or so has been provided through the generosity of a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta who gave more than $10,000. That money was used to setup a link between Msalato and McKay House (the diocesan headquarters) in downtown Dodoma. McKay House had an internet connection from the local phone company (DSL, for my fellow geeks) and shared that connection with Msalato via wireless antenna (Wi-Fi) at both ends. Well, the money used for that connection (about $350 a month, I think) ran out at the beginning of November. So why can’t Msalato get its own connection to the phone company? Well, we are about fourteen kilometers outside of downtown Dodoma, which is about nine kilometers past the maximum distance that a DSL connection can be operated.

Why can’t Msalato use the connection that I am using to access the internet? Well, first, let me explain how I am accessing the net. The antenna that used to connect Msalato to McKay House has been turned a degree or two to point at another service provider MAF Tanzania, which connects to the internet via satellite. However, they do not have enough internet service to provide service to the whole campus of Msalato. Also, even if MAF did have enough, it would be too expensive – it costs $50 US a month per computer (additionally – you have to pre-pay in a minimum of three month increments).

How can Msalato get internet access? The only viable connection option left to Msalato is satellite internet. This is a very expensive option. Purchasing a new satellite dish and required equipment costs about $3,000 US and installation costs $750 US. Additionally, service for approximately ten concurrent users is $450 US a month. Also, the speed of that connection is very, very slow by Western standards. The aforementioned $450 package provides a total of 256 KB download speed. Back in the States you can get from the phone or cable company internet access with about twenty times that speed to your house for about $35 a month. This is not an insult on Africa or Tanzania… just the facts about satellite internet access.

Oh well… its not a big deal. The students here are learning more about their faith and how to serve their fellow man. I am honored to play a small part in helping to train the leaders of the Anglican Church of Tanzania. The people here are so loving, faithful, and welcoming. It is a wonderful honor to be here with them.

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December 13, 2007 by Stephen Day.

12/13/2007 10:48 AM

            Finally, I have once again been connected to the information superhighway.  The internet is back at Msalato (well, at least for me and my silent partner).  We paid a hefty fee for get access for the next three months ($50 US a month plus 20% tax) from MAF Tanzania.  I will be using this connection for professional and personal use. 

            It is almost chai time so I can’t write too much, but I wanted to let everyone know I am okay and should be a lot more communicative now.  Also, I will hopefully post within a few hours to let you all know the address where you can view a few hundred pictures I have taken in the past few months.  Well, I am off for now.

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December 13, 2007 by Stephen Day.

11/30/2007 8:34:03 AM

            First, I would like to thank those of you who commented or contacted me after I posted my last blog entry about my little traffic incident.  It has been nearly two weeks and all is well. 

Yesterday was the last day of exams at Msalato, so students have been headed out to the homes to work on their shambas (farms).  Rainy season has yet to settle in, but it is getting hotter here, which is supposedly a sign that rain is imminent. 

As for the future, I will be teaching three courses during the “fall” semester (which begins in mid-February for all you northern hemisphere folk).  For the diploma students I will be teaching two three-hour church history courses – one on the Reformation-era and the other on modern church history.  I will be teaching a one-hour youth ministry course for degree students.  Also, I will be teaching pre-diploma students sixteen weeks about computers for two hours a week.  After Easter, I will also be teaching pre-diploma students about the bible for two hours a week. 

            Starting next week I will be helping the secretarial school at Msalato by helping to lead a computer skills course which will last three weeks.  Those classes will take place from 3:30 to 6:00 pm, the absolute hottest time of the day, during the hottest time of the year.  It could be a long three weeks…

            Today I am going into town for several hours.  First, I will be going to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in Dodoma, to help with a computer problem they are having.  Then I am off to MAF to hopefully pick up the equipment I need to connect to the internet from Msalato.  This will provide me with a connection that I can use for personal and professional use.  I am really looking forward to having access here… it has been a little over a month since there was some reliable internet access at MTC. 

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November 20, 2007 by Stephen Day.

 11/18/2007 4:15:44 PM

I got to drive in

            First we went to what I would guess is either triage or admitting.  The woman there then sent us to the business office, where a 1,000 shilling consultation fee had to be paid before the girl could be seen.  I paid that and then we went into an exam room where the girl was looked at by the doctor.  At that point I gave my name and explained what happened.  He then called the police.  I started to get a bit more nervous at this point.  Then the doctor said the girl needed to get an x-ray, so we went and sat outside the radiology department.  Around this time a police officer arrived and began asking questions of me and the men who were with the girl.  The father of the girl arrived eventually and added to the conversation.  After taking preliminary statements and getting the basics, the police officer informed me that it was time for me to go with him to the police station… at this point I got very nervous. 

I drove the officer to the police station and there some preliminary paperwork was started.  After about 30 minutes there he told me to take him to the scene of the accident.  I did so and sometime during this travel I inadvertently sent a text message to the principal of Msalato who is also currently serving as the Vicar General for the diocese, which means that he is serving as the bishop.  The text message I accidently sent him stated simply “I am now at the police station” and had been intended for another staff member at Msalato who I was trying to keep informed of my whereabouts following the accident.  The principal responded to that text by texting “You are what? Why?”  I then called him and explained the basic details.  He was in

After about fifteen minutes at the scene of the accident the officer and I returned to the police station.  There he filled out more paperwork.  He eventually wrote down what he understood to be my statement, in remarkably good English, and asked me to sign it.  I hesitantly did so.  Shortly after this, George arrived.  He quickly talked to the officer who took my statement and got the gist of what was going on.  At that point he said that we had to wait for the head of the police station to arrive and decide on my fate.  We went to a little café that was located next to the police station and sat and enjoyed, as much as I could, given the situation, some shade and a bottled water.  I explained what I did at Msalato and how I ended up there and George told me a bit about himself.  He has lived in

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the head of the police station was a woman.  She was well acquainted with George, which came in handy.  He explained the situation to her and what I do at Msalato.  She then said that she had a problem she hoped I could help her with.  She pulled out her cell phone, quite a nice one, I must say, and explained in Swahili that she had lent it to a friend who had inadvertently changed the language on the phone from English to Chinese and she could not fix it.  So I looked at it and within about thirty seconds had it switched back to English and then she pointed out that the time and date were wrong, so I fixed that too.  She was very appreciative.  She then talked rapidly with George in Swahili.  George explained that the car needed to be inspected and then I should be able to go free on bail.  I was a bit worried by the use of the word bail… So we got the car inspected… the inspector found that the front right indicator was broken.  I figured it was broken before the accident because there was no glass or plastic on the ground at the scene of the accident.  He also pointed out that I had not come to the police station when I first got my license to have it certified (which, I did not know I had to do).  So George said he had to do some talking with the gentleman and he asked for 10,000 shillings to give to the officer.  I gave it freely and George and the officer came to an understanding and I was levied a simple fine of 10,000 for the damage and for not having come to the station to get my license certified. 

So after all this, George was able to sign me out on bail.  No money exchanged hands, what he did was simply attest to the fact that I would not be fleeing the country anytime soon and that the girl would be looked after.  He explained that it was definitively declared that I was not at fault for the accident, which made me feel a great deal better.  We left the police station and went to the hospital to check on the girl.  We found her and learned that there was a cut on her foot that had required stitches and that there was some small dental problem.  They also said that they still wanted her to get an x ray to determine if there was a fracture in her leg.  The problem was that there was no x-ray technician on duty on Sundays.  So we waited for a time while it was debated whether the girl should be admitted or just come back on Monday.  Eventually, George decided that we should go with the doctor on duty at the hospital to pick up the x-ray technician at home and bring him back to the hospital.  We did so and the x-ray found that there was no fracture.  George and I then took the technician back home and returned to the hospital.  At that point the doctor explained the situation and that the girl would need to return Monday for a tetanus shot and another vaccination.  George, the girl, a family friend, and I loaded up in the car and headed out of town.   We dropped the girl off at her home and returned to Msalato at about 3:45 pm.  I had left that morning at 8:30 am and planned to be out for only about one hour. 

Once back at Msalato, George and I went to Moses’ house (Moses is the acting principal at Msalato) to brief him and explain the day’s events.  We did so and I then left to return home. 

So what was the blessing?  As Moses put it… that the girl had not died and that I was not put into custody.

11/19/2007 12:26:59 PM

            Well it has been a bit over twenty-four hours since the drama began.  It has been quite an experience.  This morning I left Msalato at 9:30 along with the college driver and Moses.  We went and picked up Catherine, the girl I hit/the girl who ran into the car and her uncle and then headed into

            The situation has been resolved, but I am not certain it has been within myself.  I just can’t believe how close I came to actually killing someone.   She did run into the car, but I was still driving that car and if she had died… Well, at least she didn’t.  I would appreciate your prayers for me and for Catherine and her family during the coming days and weeks.

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November 20, 2007 by Stephen Day.

11/5/2007 12:44:57 PM

            It’s been a week since I have been able to post to my blog.  It has been a very busy week and the internet has been unavailable most of that time.  Our connection to DCT and the Aden Centere has not really been working for over two weeks.  This afternoon I am going to MAF to try to get us setup with them for internet access. 

            I spent most of last week working on small problems since the major problem was out of my control.  Things are going pretty well.  On Saturday, I was able to finally get a stove for my home.  It ended up costing 470,000 shillings, which is about $408 (

            Yesterday, I went to a village with two missionaries (Kate and Iri Mato of

            I took a bunch of pictures that helped to document the amazing experience.  I will share them ASAP.

11/16/2007 12:48:34 PM

            Sorry that I haven’t been able to post an update to my blog this month.  The internet situation has gotten direr that the outlook is rather bleak.  I setup an arrangement with MAF for limited internet access for MTC, but I then learned that Msalato does not have any more money for internet. 

            I am going to get personal internet access via MAF within a week or so.  This will allow me to better do my job.  I have been a bit stymied by the lack of internet access because I can’t fix a number of problems here.  For one, the terminal server now runs all the time at about 10% because there is no internet connection.  I hope to fix this during early December, but I can’t get advice on how to do this or download an updated version of Edubuntu Linux until I have an internet connection.

            Life has been good during these past two weeks.  Busy at times, but most of the time I have been unable to fix a number of problems. 

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October 30, 2007 by Stephen Day.

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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October 26, 2007 by Stephen Day.

I wanted to let you all know that internet access at Msalato is not going to be available for the forseeable future.  I will post when I can and how I can, but please be patient and check back often.

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October 25, 2007 by Stephen Day.

10/24/2007 12:37:25 PM

            It has been a while since I have posted.  Part of the reason why is because the internet has been acting strangely since last Saturday.  On Sunday the power went down both in Dodoma and at Msalato, so computers and internet access were both down.  Monday the internet was not up and yesterday and today the internet has been up, but the access has been absurdly slow to non-existent.  I hope to be able to post this soon, but it does not look promising.

            It has been a good week.  I have made a lot of progress on the problems that the people here have been facing (technological issues, at least).  The terminal server is up and running and about 95% of user accounts are useable.  There are a few remaining accounts are having some problems, but I am working with my predecessor to fix those.  One interesting thing is that the terminal server runs extremely slowly whenever the internet is down.  In fact, it operates so slowly that it is practically useless.  A very odd bug in this version of Edubuntu (the Linux distribution used here). 

            I have taken several new photos of the people here and of Msalato itself.  I look forward to uploading them and sharing them with all of you.  I am getting adjusted very well to the pace of life here and have found my hosts and colleagues to be very warm and welcoming. 

            This morning I was asked if I would be willing to teach next term.  I have been asked to teach basic computer skills to new students during their five month pre-term work and also to teach introduction to the Bible to diploma students.  These courses will not take place until after Easter so I have plenty of time to prepare.  In addition, I figure that I will offer informal sessions for current students to help them improve their computer skills. 

            My plans for the upcoming summer break are becoming more firm.  I will likely help out during December with English classes for students who need extra help with language.  This will take the form of having simple conversations with students to help them get a grasp for informal English.  Also, I will likely be traveling with another missionary in January for two weeks of language school where I can gain more familiarity with Swahili. 

            Tomorrow I hope to get a driver’s license and a stove.  I am very excited about both things.  I should be getting a water heater for my shower soon too.  These little things will make life a lot easier.  Well, I am going to get back to work now.  

10/25/2007 12:00:02 PM

            Well, I spent about 90 minutes at the Tanzanian equivalent of the IRS and learned that I didn’t have the right paperwork yet for a driver’s license.  I needed three copies of my West Virginia license, which I could not have done at the government office.  Also, we ran out of time to get to the bank and then to buy a stove.  So those two things will have to wait for another day. 

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October 16, 2007 by Stephen Day.

10/15/2007 9:03:01 PM

            What a great day.  I woke early this morning and was quite tired… I didn’t sleep well last night and I was worried about the situation with the network here at Msalato.  I wasn’t sure I could fix it… but low and behold – I got a lot accomplished today.  First, I learned that one of the hard drives on one of the servers was dead.  So I replaced it, but that didn’t solve any problems I was experiencing.  Then, with the help of my predecessor I was able to fix one of the two servers here (in particular this was the terminal server that drives all of the computers in the two labs).  Later I got advice about how to salvage the user accounts of the students and staff.  It will be a long process, but it will work.  I will have to have all of the students and staff members come see me and then I will create a new user account for them (eventually, I should be able to combine the new account with their old ones).  Anyway, today I was also able to get a fan for my home so that I can cool down on hot afternoons (summer is coming up here).  Well, I am going to get to bed and prepare for another good, productive day.

PS  the best part of the day was when I was surprised to get a phone call this evening from my father, whom I had not spoken to since I left home.  I will get a chance to talk to my mum tomorrow.  Well, back to bed.

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October 15, 2007 by Stephen Day.

10/14/2007 6:31:30 PM

            It has been a few days since I have posted, I still do not have internet access at my house yet, so posting and emailing is a bit less frequent than I would wish.  I am sleeping well now and in line with the time zone.  I am asleep by ten each night, which will certainly shock anyone who knows me.  On weekdays I am up at 6 am, which isn’t necessarily by choice because the girls’ school that is located adjacent to Msalato is loud and very active early in the morning. 

            One thing that I haven’t shared with all of you is one of the nicest things I have experienced since arriving one week ago.  Each night I have had dinner at the home of a professor/staff member whom has welcomed me into their home with a marvelous meal.  It has been amazing.  People have been so welcoming and loving.  In fact, last Wednesday I had dinner with a member of the faculty who was leaving Msalato on Thursday, he had been reassigned by his bishop to teach at another school.  So, on his last night at Msalato he welcomed me into his home.  It has been a great way to get to know my fellow staff members and their families.  Also, it has been a great way to introduce Tanzanian cuisine. 

            As for my work…. It has been one heck of a week.  I have found it very frustrating.  Students here at Msalato have not been able to access their user accounts or the work they have saved on the server for almost a month at this point.  I came very close to solving that problem last week when the main server used on campus started acting up.  Despite all of this the students have been very understanding and supportive.  I have heard no complaints.  Well, I look forward to sharing this experience with you more in the coming weeks and months.

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October 11, 2007 by Stephen Day.

10/11/2007 8:07:59 AM

            So I have been here a few days now and I am getting better acquainted to my new home.  This morning I went to chapel for the first time (Wednesday there is small group worship and Monday and Tuesday I was having jet-lag issues).  It was a wonderful experience.  The students were so filled with spirit and energy.  A bit of a change from typical worship experiences in the US.  I found it rejuvenating.  The principal of Msalato introduced me to the community and I was welcomed very warmly.  One of the neatest elements of the service came at the conclusion when the presiders went outside and stood to shake hands, as people came out of the church and shook their hands, they would in turn join the “reception line” and shake the hands of those who came out afterward.  I love this twist on the peace.  It was a wonderful experience.

            WARNING – Techno-babble — Yesterday I spent several hours trying to figure out what the problem was with the network here at Msalato.  Almost all of the student, faculty, and staff user accounts are invalid and so no one can log onto the network and retrieve their work.  It would appear that all of the user information is saved, it’s just that the network does not recognize the accounts for login purposes.  Yesterday I chatted with my predecessor via Google Talk to figure out how to fix the problem.  At his suggestion, I will be rebuilding the proxy server today, because it has backups of all of the user account information.  Yesterday I found that there was no Ubuntu 7.04 installation disc, which is the operating system that the servers and clients rely use, at Msalato and so I started a download of the image.  This morning after chapel I was informed that the internet went down last night so that download did not finish…. It is a 700MB file and the internet connection is not exactly fast. 

            I figured it might be helpful to share my daily schedule… as least as far as I can tell after about four days:

            6:00 am                       Wake up

            6:30am                        Start heating water for shower

            7:00am                        Shower with shower bag

            7:20am                        Chapel starts (approximate time)

            8:15am                         Chapel over… breakfast

            9:00am                        Work in server room/computer lab/ library

            11:00am                      Chai’ (tea) with the staff

            11:30am                      Work in server room/computer lab/ library

            1:30pm                        Lunch

            3:30pm                        Work on other things

            7:30pm                        Dinner

            9:00pm                        “Missionary Midnight” – prepare for bed

            10:00pm                      Sleep

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October 10, 2007 by Stephen Day.

I have been able to publish my first photos from Tanzania.  You can access them at http://stephencday.com/tan%201/index.html

These are photos out the window of my hotel room in Dar es Salaam looking out at a golf course and a pool and of my new home at Msalato Theological College in Dodoma.  Enjoy!

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