The following post comes to Christ the King from Roger and Trish Blomquist. The Blomquists are serving for three months in Tanzania. Please check back often for more updates from the Blomquists and continue to offer your prayers for them, Tanzania, and the Nduli Parish.

Greetings from the Blomquists! 

We had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends, quickly put everything away and headed for our “home” for the winter, leaving Dec. 28 and arriving here in Iringa on Friday night, Jan. 30.  The flights were non-eventful but the car ride from Dar to Iringa took 10.5 hours due to truck accidents.  At one time we sat for more than 2 hours and then crept about 4 kilometers. Driving up the escarpment, many trucks were broken down and the traffic both directions would have to take turns going around.  All in all, this added about 3 hours to our travel time and instead of arriving before 4 pm, we arrived about 7:30 p.m. in the dark!  We lugged our bags up the 3 flights of stairs, found some microwave popcorn and a beverage which we enjoyed profusely and then we began the task of unpacking before deciding it really was time for bed.

As we were driving out of Dar, we noticed that it seemed cleaner along the roads and especially after we got further out.  We understand that there is now an effort for recycling water bottles so someone is obviously picking them up as we would see large piles and someone bagging them.  It had always been sad to see the lack of pride in keeping the roadways clean so this was a wonderful surprise.  There was lots of traffic headed for Dar and once we arrived in Iringa, we understood why. Many people were on holiday and home in their villages or in Dar.  It was very quiet here in Iringa!  We commented on the lack of noise on the streets around us when we woke up – such a stark contrast from when the children are going by to school and older people to work every day. 

We went over to the Lutheran Center for breakfast and greeted all the staff.  We were excited to see them but it seemed that they were even more excited to see us with lots of hugs and handshakes.  Now it really was time to get organized, make a list for food stuffs, unpack all that we had put in storage, etc.  Petro, the head chef, at the Lutheran Center told me he would go to market for me if I had a list so without any hesitation, I quickly put one together!  There would be fruit and vegetables for sure, said he would get eggs as well and then he suggested I take some mincemeat (hamburger), a small chicken and some beef steak from the freezer.  They had also made bread for us so by dinner time, we were in business and it was a good thing as it was New Years Eve.  Roger and I walked up the hill to Sae Villa to have dinner, only to find out that they were having a party and weren’t serving food so back down the hill, into the kitchen and I started preparing food.  The meat was a little chewy since I didn’t really have several hours to cook it but we were happy to have food to cook! New Year’s morning we walked down to Hasty Tasty to have their special French toast for breakfast only to find out they were closed.  Stopped at the small grocery store on way back to get a few staples and made our own breakfast. 

On Saturday, we were unable to connect to the internet and realized after talking to Gabriel that we would have to wait until Monday to purchase time.  I also discovered that my phone was not working – it said I had to register the sim card!  Monday when I tried to do that downtown (time to get out of the comfort zone), I was told that because my phone had not been used for 3 months, the phone number was cancelled and I would have to purchase a new sim card – this involves registration as well and a picture i.d.  After a few attempts at understanding each other, we finally resolved the situation, I paid for a new sim card and they copied my phone numbers for me as well – Now, I’m off with a new phone number and everyone I knew from last year will have to change the number!  It’s the Tanzanian way! I wasn’t alone as the same thing happened to Eunice, Gary and Carol when they arrived as well but now being the expert, I could explain what needed to be done!  Many of the stores were still closed on Monday but I picked up a few things along the way.

Dan and Sue McIntyre and Richard and Joan Dornfeld joined us for dinner on New Years up at Sae Villa and we quietly celebrated my birthday. 

It has been a very busy week – Roger seems to be losing sleep over trying to figure out how to accomplish what needs to be done by end of month.  Part of the complications is a new employee and only one vehicle.  The one that was in the accident this summer has not been repaired yet and hopefully tomorrow, they will hear that they have a new/used truck as they have been waiting for the check to clear the bank.  Trish is very busy at the Lutheran Center, finalizing all the financials for the year, and then working to prepare the budget projections for 2012 due at the Diocese on Tuesday.  Sometimes we both feel like we are back at work, supervising activities.  Trish has her Excel challenges each day trying to teach someone on a PC when she has only ever used a Mac.  Trish, additionally, spent part of her time in the BegaKwaBega office with Dennis and Pastor Msigwa.  She also had a good meeting with Pastor Laiton catching up on activities at Nduli since we left last spring and then talking about preparations for the Christ the King group which is coming in less than 2 weeks.  We also caught up on our hearing impaired student we are sponsoring, also that it is time to pay for his schooling.  He is now registered at a vocational school in carpentry and loves being there.  We are very excited for him as it is very difficult in this country to make a living if you have a handicap. 

It has been a week of seeing many people/friends – just like “old home” week and the sense that there is a purpose for our being here is heartwarming.

Today we were at Nduli for worship – if you were checking your watches at 59 minutes you should have been here with us – 2 hours and 45 minutes – included communion and 2 offerings.  There were lots of young people there today and we were excited to see 18 of the 20 students that Christ the King sponsors.  We had a meeting with them after the service and took their pictures.  Two of the students that I have seen each year when visiting the schools had smiles from ear to ear when they saw me.

We walked around the foundation for the new parsonage, saw the blueprints, saw the corn storage units and talked about when to sell the corn, talked about the women and their peanut butter and honey projects.   We were excited to see Owiny Request, the intern 3 years ago and to meet the new intern.  We sort of adopted Owiny 3 years ago as he is an adult orphan.  He finished his Diploma in Theology program and was to be ordained last year but the diocese where he is from in Uganda and the Iringa Diocese have not resolved where he should be ordained.  He registered for a Masters program at Tumaini last year while waiting but the scholarship he was promised fell through so he is teaching at one of the local schools.  Such a waste to see this brilliant young man with so much energy in the pulpit waiting and having to find other ways to make a living.

Time to adjust to cows and goats along the road as well as donkeys and donkeys pulling carts – one donkey trying to go one way and the other one, the other way – no super highway in sight!  People pulling or pushing carts as well and lots of bikes with goods on the back on the way to market.

There has been lots of rain here this year and it is green everywhere – even where there has been drought the last couple of years.  The dams are filling up so there are no power outages as well – we’ll hope that continues even though we now have a large supply of battery operated candles, etc. 

This is getting long but there is so much to tell – we promise future reflections will be shorter!

Mungu Akubariki (God Bless You),

Roger and Trish Blomquist