Friday morning at 7 am I walked over to the makeshift barn where they milk the cows to get some fresh milk for the day. A short while later Richard, who cares for the animals, came back with warm milk. He quietly knocked on our door and told Ron I think there is a problem. Passing our truck out front he noticed something wrong with one of our wheels. We discovered one of our 'hubs' for the 4 wheel drive was missing. Quickly the news spread and most of the people employed at the training center were at our front drive inspecting the problem. The discussion about when and where this may have happened continued for some time. Then Abraham, a new Tanzanian friend and the one in charge of the center said to us this is your welcome to Tanzania. Abraham headed to town to look for a new hub to replace the one that was what they called 'taken away'. He felt he could get a better price being a local.
Now it is already 9:30 and Janet from Warrior security is here to give a quote for an alarm system to be installed. This is one of the things I was not sure about until a part from our truck was 'taken away'. OK, lets go ahead with a warning system that is much like the ones people use in the states and is common with nationals and foreigners here. After planning for installation next week she left to proceed with her day. In the midst of this unplanned morning we discover we cannot find the set of keys to the other mission house on the center that we are watching while the rest of the team is at a wedding this week. Only to discover they were on the table and Janet had accidently swept them into her purse with the contract we signed. And she is an hour away and wants us to meet someone from her company in town to pick them up.
It is almost 11:00 and we are in the midst of planning our trip to town to meet someone for the keys and also get some plumbing supplies since Freddy the plumber is working at our house today to get us running water to our outdoor shower and does not have a car. Well, Ron is talking on his phone when it goes dead and we discover he is out of prepaid minutes and mine is about out. So we can only receive calls, not make them till we go to the phone company in town and pay for more.
We both look at each other and amazingly can smile as we remember we don't speak the language, we don't know town very well yet, we don't have a phone to make calls, we can't use our car, and our entire team is in Zanzabar for a wedding.
OK, it is now after 1:00 and we are heading to Arusha with one of the other missionaries trucks. We manage to meet to get the keys back and are headed to the phone company when we get a flat tire in the middle of Arusha. Well, an old man outside our window trying to sell us a paper directs us to a gas station about a block away. They put a new tube in the tire and Ron buys 2 papers from the man who helped us. After stopping at the phone company to get more cell minutes we end up back at home around 4:30. The hub for the truck is waiting for us.
This morning at the garage when Adam, the mechanic, was putting on our new hub he said this is your welcome to Tanzania.
JOURNEY INTO AFRICA- This is our story of living and serving in Africa.
2 comments:
What a day! That is one to remember and laugh about LATER. I just finished reading your newsletter. Jane Ann, you are a gifted writer. Just one more gift God has given you to use in His work in Tanzania. I do pray your coming days are a bit easier and you have to tackle only one problem at a time!
I'm so glad that you're telling us your stories. I love thinking about what you're doing and how you're reacting to everything around you. I know that you are right where God wants you. Welcome to Tanzania. Love to you both.
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