it's a celebration

After several months of classes teaching 5 families about literacy, Farming God's Way, marriage and family, leadership, Community Health Evangelism, and Bible- we had a big party to celebrate their graduation.

African parties are full of singing and dancing and music. They

grow up dancing, each in their own tribal way. It is fun to see how they express themselves so freely, I envy that.

Then there is the food! We had roast kuku (yes chicken), pilau (rice and spices and beef), mince (hamburger like patties) , roasted bananas, deep fried potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, oranges and watermellon, and of course keki (cake) and we even had ice cream (they rarely get that). And always there is warm soda in bottles- coke, orange fanta, and sprite.

We had the students and kids, their guests some of who arrived on pikipiki's (motorcycles), most of the teachers from the past 4 months, a short term team here from Pikes Peak Christian Church in Colorado Springs, the center staff, and us the CMF missionaries.

It was with lots of joy and also saddness that we honored them, their hard work, their desire to transform their villages back in the far reaches of Tanzania, their serving hearts. You see in this short time together we have become friends. And as they leave to begin their work out in the porini (bush), we are never sure when we will get to see them again.

We are grateful for their friendship. And we send them out with our love and encouragement and prayers. Maybe we will see them again and can laugh, and eat, and sing & dance together once more.