Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday in Kalinzi

Yesterday I was invited to preach in a village an hour and a half away, in the hills. We were delighted to find that there was to be a Palm Sunday procession. About 400 people, all dressed in wonderful bright African clothes left the church with assorted palms and decorated branches, and processed over a mile through the village and along the main road. They sang in harmony all the way. It was a moving occasion, full of energy and celebration, and once again a privilege to be part of this vibrant church community. It is now Holy Week, and there will be services in church every day. I'm keeping my head low as preaching on Easter Sunday is enough work for me, but think that I must also prepare an 'emergency' sermon for Good Friday as I am likely to be asked with little or no notice! Today I received my first invitation to preach and lead worship at home - June 15th in Cranham church. It will be quite a contrast!

Food

A special supper in College

Market day

I have been concerned that, owing to the tight budget of the college,  the students diet has been very limited and less than adequate of late.  So today I dipped into our Discretionary Fund (many thanks again to those who pay into it) and are treating the students to a 'slap-up' supper tonight. Stella, the college cook  pictured here, came with me to the local market where we bought vast quantities of fresh veg and 'slaughtered-this-morning' meat. I decided, for the sake of the squeamish or the vegetarians, against putting a picture of the butcher's shop on the blog! As I write Stella and Winifrida are cooking all this on the log fires of the college kitchen. Meanwhile at home we are having macaroni cheese in the company of our German friends from Shunga hospital. (Alastair bought the cheese in Mwanza on his dentist trip) - so we're having a treat tonight too!  I thought you'd like this great picture of the woman selling bananas this morning - she enjoyed posing for the picture, though I was obliged to buy a bunch.

Teeth and essays

The electricity came back on, so no more scrabble for a while! Thank you for many sympathetic emails.
Teeth and essays have dominated this week. Alastair has had various tooth-y problems, including a bridge falling out while eating a particularly hard bit of local maize. The nearest dentist who can do such work is in Mwanza, an exhausting 13 hour bus journey away. (Don't imagine National Express!) So it is a 3 day trip for him - he'll get the bus back again tomorrow.
In the mean time I've been struggling with some rather erudite essays about the small print of theological education - the final assignments for an on-line Postgraduate certificate course I've been doing for the past year. By tomorrow evening teeth should be back in, Alastair home and essays submitted - we'll celebrate with a bottle of Fanta!

Villagers making local beer

Alcohol is prohibited  here in church circles, and thought of as a great sin. It's understandable as there is a big problem of alcoholism. As people have become more urbanised, the population grown and young people can't find work the alcohol problem has increased. Traditionally people drink a potent local beer made of sugar cane. The cane is crushed, so that the juice is extracted, and left to ferment for 3 days. I've declined offers to try it!

Power wipe out

Nothing else to do!

Scrabble a deux by paraffin lamp may appear to be the epitome of the relaxed, quiet life, but actually was the result of complete boredom owing to having no electricity for many days.  (I hate Scrabble, so this is definitely last resort).

Bath time

Electricity first came to Kasulu about two and a half years ago - just before we arrived. Until then most institutions had a generator which they would use for a few hours each evening. The mains electricity, which has been remarkably reliable, has changed the nature of the town, with people now relying on it for education, banking, business etc. The story we hear is that the electricity providers haven't paid their fuel bills, so fuel supply is now cut off. There's no news of when it might start again. One of Alastair's hospitals has its own electricity supply, so they are receiving all surgical patients from the Government hospital in town. Today the Bible college unearthed their old generator and started it up - hence my lap top is now charged for a few hours.
Although it's very frustrating for us, of course most of African life doesn't rely on electricity. None of the villages have power, and even in town it is a luxury for a few people. Here, Rehema, the daughter of one of my teaching colleagues, is having her daily bath without the need for modern technology!

Plans

Many people are asking about our plans for when we leave........... We have our flights home booked for 7th June. This gives me the opportunity to see my senior students through their final exams and attend their ordination. We will return to our house, 'Windycot' in Cranham. We're very excited about this as it will be over 7 years since we lived there, and we will enjoy being in the village community again. I've decided not to apply for a full time parish post again, but rather to have opportunity for teaching and other work around the Diocese, which will give us some flexibility and time for the family. Alastair is very ready to retire (again), and is looking forward to his music, woodwork and other interests.

A typical Saturday!

'Ha' tribal dancing

So we just have 3 months left. We have lots to do, and still feel very settled here. Our colleagues, friends and students are all asking us to stay longer, but although we will be sad to leave all the  people we have got to know so well, we're really looking forward to coming back.
College life, although constant hard work for me has its wonderful rewards - here a picture of the students doing a traditional tribal dance. They are all from the 'Ha' tribe - and their traditional dancing involves a lot of jumping, with bells around their ankles. It's fascinatingly similar to Morris Dancing! 

Becky's stay

Dress fitting at the local tailor

The finished kitenge

 We are delighted to have Becky to stay with us for a fortnight. As it is her second time here she knows lots of people and instantly fitted back into the culture and life.  She has been with Alastair to the various hospitals, who finds it special to have his daughter as his scrub nurse. She has helped me with some English classes in college, and we have had fun teaching adjectives (happy, sad, surprised, afraid....etc) through silly dramas together.
Becky loves the local fabrics as I do, and we have been busy making bags, scrunchies, and even bunting out of my huge baskets of fabric scraps.
She chose some material for a traditional African outfit  - here she is being measured for it by the local tailor on Saturday, and in the beautiful finished dress just 2 days later. 
Becky finished her nursing degree in Oxford last year, and is now a staff nurse in A and E. As a fully trained volunteer with the Oxford Emergency Rescue service she was recently called out in the flood emergencies in Surrey. She is enjoying a restful couple of weeks with Mum and Dad!

Every little helps

A new church roof for Kabanga

 We are well back into the routines and busyness of life and work. Alastair has had a heavy week with long days and some difficult surgery, and continues to be aware of the very basic facilities in which he works. College term has begun for me, with 51 residential students, and I am struggling to keep on top of teaching a full tiimetable.
On our first Sunday back we had a very special church visit, to Kabanga which is 10 km from town.

Proud grandparents.

The village people, who currently worship in a tiny old chapel, with 2/3 of the congregation needing to be outside,  have been slowly building a new church for many years, progressing as they have a little money or materials. We were able to bring them the message that Christian friends in UK - a gift from St Mary's Painswick -  are able to help them complete the roof. This led to wonderful celebration, dancing and singing (and an extra impromptu hour or so of service!)
Another day we visited the family of Cosmas, one of my final year students, in a very rural village. Their house, which had walls made of home made bricks, an earth floor and some basic wooden furniture was spotlessly clean and prepared for us. It was very moving to sit and drink tea with them and receive their generous hospitality. Cosmas' father in the picture is a church elder, and loves to sing hymns and read in church, but he needs glasses. Thanks to friends who have brought supplies of Poundland reading specs we are able to help him. Also, they were thrilled to receive jerseys for their twin grandchildren, thanks to the dedicated knitting project of our daughter in law's Granny and her friends in her sheltered housing in Norfolk.