Wow! What a fantastic day. The weather was beautiful to start with. We got a early jump on going to the Airport which turned out to be perfect as there was a little confusion with the drivers of the two taxis we took to the airport such that we went to one terminal while the other car which had most of our luggage went to the other. But with a little bit of driving back and forth and clarification as to the terminal we were supposed to go to, we got security right on schedule and got all of the stuff we were bringing checked in and on the plane.
One thing that happened that delighted us was finding out that Mama Rose (Bishop Mpango’s wife) was on the same flight with us to Kigoma. She was leaving Dar a day earlier so she could be with us at her home for a visit before we drove out to Kasulu. We arrived in Kigoma at about 9:15 AM and promptly drove over to the Mpango’s home, which is located along Lake Tanganyika. As I said, the weather was beautiful today, so we had a great view of the lake from the back of their home. We ate (twice!) and did various things together and just enjoyed their company and hospitality.
One of the things that Bishop Mpango is involved in now is a ministry to the very poor of Kigoma. It is something that has always been a part of his ministry as the Diocesan Bishop and now that he is retired, and very much rejuvenated, he is embarking on a local ministry with the help of others to reach out and care for the poor. It’s a growing ministry that involves the setting up of a new foundation along with charitable giving of materials and 
supplies from others outside of Tanzania. We lucked out in that today was the day that many poor people from the area come to his home to enjoy some singing and worship together and have a short word of encouragement from the scriptures and then are given modest gifts that the Bishop procures locally. Eventually containers will come from England with all sorts of supplies to be given to these wonderful souls. It was a smaller group than normal today, but it was great to see Bishop Mpango in action, doing what he does best, sharing the love and joy of Jesus with the people that attended. 
Today they were given some simple bars of soup that were made in a local Kigoma soup factory. Modest for sure by our standards, but you should have seen how the people gratefully received these gifts. You would think we were handing out packets of gold.
Afterward we traveled on to Kasulu. Rev Daudi Ndahana drove us there. It was great to finally arrive in Kasulu with all of our bags and equipment in good shape. Relaxing for a short while, we then had dinner with Bishop Makaya at his home and enjoyed an evening of fellowship together.
Tomorrow we will hit the ground running! Cathy and I will start to work on the computer upgrades while Shaw meets with others to continue discussions regarding the on-line studies he has to offer to KBC and the Diocese.
Items for prayer are that all of our equipment setups and migrations will go smoothly. Also pray for the discussions that Shaw will have with Bishop Makaya, with Daudi (the Bible College Principal) and Canon Helen, the academic dean at KBC. There is much potential for great blessings for KBC and the Diocese through what Shaw has to offer. Meeting the exact needs of the Diocese is the key.
Good night again from Tanzania. The Lord bless you all.
Bill
5:17 PM
Today we had a much more relaxing time than expected. We had a list of things to do that normally would have taken us all over town to complete. But as it turns out, two of the main things we had to do were all but taken care of for us. First was getting our phone SIMM chips setup. Were carrying three “unlocked” phones with us so that we can get SIMM chips to have local phone numbers to use while we are here. In the past we had to go across town to a Airtel office to get the chips and register the phone numbers. This time however, we found out from Karen, the head of hotel guest services that they could take care of that for us. So we did not have make the trip on a hot, steamy day to the phone store. Second was the equipment we are picking up from our computer equipment vendor. Instead, since he was working outside of town today, he is just going to bring the equipment over to us at the hotel. 
So all we had to do is go to the travel agency to get our flights confirmed and then stop by some stores and pick up sundry supplies including books that Shaw wanted to pick up while we were in town. We also stopped by St. Alban’s Cathedral so we could find out where to get an Anglican Prayer Book in Kiswahili. Shaw wanted to get one of those today as well.
Right now we are hanging out in our rooms at the hotel and writing this post and enjoying a cooler spot to be. It was hot out there today! I’m glad we are able to save our energy because we have a very early morning tomorrow where we head to the airport to catch our flight to Kigoma.
One cool thing going on right now as I am writing to you is the choir practice that is going on next door in the parking lot outside the Lutheran Church. It’s great to hear the singing in the background of the otherwise ubiquitous city noises. I think that is one thing I have always loved about Tanzania. It seems to be amongst many things a singing society. People really enjoy and engage in music here; especially singing.
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Come back later. I’ll be adding more to today’s post.
10:25 PM —
Yeah! Our computer equipment arrived. I came late, but it came. So now we have our new server, keyboards, mice, monitors along with an assortment of computer and equipment I brought with me. Now the only real challenge yet is getting it on the flight to Kigoma with no issues. It will cost a bit I’m sure, but hopefully it will all go in one passage.
We really appreciate the prays many of you have offered on our behalf. There is a mounting excitement about all this for sure. And even though I’ve done this so many times before, I never cease to give the Lord praise for watching over us and clearing the pathways before us. It’s time for us to sleep now as we have a 4 AM wake up to get ready.
The Lord’s peace be with you all. Until the next post. Lala Salama