Dear All,
Thank you for all you prayers, emails and texts over the last week. It’s lovely to know that people are keen to hear our news.
After Paul wondering what to do with himself last week he’s been quite busy this week preparing syllabi for next year and travelling to Dar-es-Salaam to pick up our new car (see picture – safi sana as we say in Tanzania) along with our freight.
The boys have been busy networking with all the other Children of Dodoma, Daniel starting preschool and Isaac starting toddler group and both of them exchanging visits with our neighbours. Christine has been spending time talking to local mums and generally getting to know the neighbours. She also has been looking over a proposal for a university development project which is something she may get involved with in the future.
Lidia has started working for us helping around the house. She is lovely and has been a great help and is sure to be a good friend and part of the household.
It’s been like an early Christmas getting things out of our boxes of freight. Daniel has loved being reunited with his train set, and Isaac feels like he’s back on a Cornish beach and is very happy digging in the dirt with his bucket and spade.
Lots more things are available in Dodoma these days and we have managed to get ourselves some Christmas decorations supplemented by the boys being creative with glitter.
We’re slowly settling into the congregation of the local Swahili service at the University chapel and are occasional visitors to the cathedral in town but are finding it hard to find ways that each of us can meet our needs for teaching, fellowship and accountability that we were so used to back in St Austell.
Please pray for:
n The boys’ continual adjustment to life in Tanzania, especially Daniel
n Preparations for Christmas – that it be a special time for the boys and a festival that we can share in within the local church
n That we find ways of being church in a different context from back home
n The university – that it soon receive the student loan fee payments from the government so that it can ease its financial pressures
n That we all remain anchored to God and dependant on his provision