Service Work

We learned many new skills today. First and foremost, we now all know how to mix and lay cement. In a Tanzanian neighborhood, you can't bring the Redi-Mix truck in. We really got our hands dirty mixing everything up and laying it down. Our group returned to the spot we were the first day - the home of the couple who has HIV. The hole we had previously dug for the latrine was filled up and a new hole had been dug beside it. We figured it was about 10 feet deep. We laid the foundation of the septic tank, as well as the foundation of the outhouse. The second group was back at Luka's house, laying the foundation for the cattle barn. Monica and Shannon worked in the kitchen with Luka's wife, and we expect that they will now be fully able to cook for us a traditional African meal.

After lunch, we returned to the seminary, where we started to assemble the soccer nets for the students. Half of the battle was untangling the rope, but soon everyone was lined up along the net tying knots. Thankfully Christina's crafting skills came in handy and she was able to teach us how. We came inside for a small dinner, and afterwards Pastor Hafermann talked to us about those with AIDS in the church. He shared with us his personal accounts of close friends and evangelists he has known that have died due to complications of the virus. He then asked us how many of our friends, family members, and acquaintances have HIV/AIDS. No one said anything. While we are barely scraping the surface of this crisis in our three weeks here, it is certainly helping me realize how much I have that I have taken for granted up until now. Our visit here has gone quickly, but it has been rich with culture, hospitality, and eye-opening encounters that we're so lucky to have the opportunity to experience. Tomorrow we will be visiting another village and hopefully the orphanage one last time before we leave for Zanzibar in 3 days.