So we made it. We are now in Kasulu. It’s been a wonderful couple of days along Lake Tanganyika, but I’m really glad to have arrived at our other home. Kasulu is like that for us. It’s feels like home. There are so many people we know in the community.
The day started out nicely with breakfast at the hotel and a brief wait on the gazebo for our driver Christopher to come and take us to Kasulu. The drive takes a couple of hours and a good portion of the drive is over dirt roads, so it’s a bit bumpy, but we are used to it. As we arrived the staff of DWT were all waiting in the compound entrance singing and waving flowers and branches. It’s a typical greeting we have come to enjoy during our travels about in Tanzania. Because of our ongoing relationship with the diocese staff members it’s always extra special for us.
This year we are staying in the German Missionary house, but we think of it as Andrea’s house. Andrea is the full time German missionary who we have written about in our blog’s from previous years. Andrea is gone for a week, but she should be back while we are still hear. It will be great to see her. I admire her for the work she does here and look forward seeing her again soon.
Tomorrow I will do a little bit of work at the DWT office, installing some new wireless network equipment and then I think we’ll spend some time at Kasulu Bible College. That will be good because I have a lot of photo’s and video’s I’d like to post for you to see, but up in the compound, the cell signal is only good enough upload text and a photo or two.
Thanks again to all who have been praying for us during our journey. It means so much to us to have that coverage.
Blessings and good night to you all.
Canon Bill
I promise to get more of the Chimpanzee pitures and video’s out to you in one of my next posts. I forgot that I had my main computer sent up to Kasulu ahead of us and kind of need it to do the video edits before posting. So let me tell you about today. It started early in the morning for me with a stomach issues and a fever after a restless night. Yup! I came down with some type of stomach bug. Cathy and Daudi were all right and they ate the same food as I did the day before. It was difficult to get out of bed, but I really wanted to go to Kagunga village. They have been preparing for our visit and I did not want to disappoint them. Once we got up and had some breakfast (not me of course), we left for Kagunga on the boat at about 8:30 AM. It took about two hours to get there, which I basically just laid out on the side deck during most of the journey. The only problem with doing that is that I got kind of dehydrated and overheated and was very dizzy and nousious when we arrived. Daudi took me by the hand and lead me up to the pastors house as we were serenaded with a song of welcome by the choir. This greeting really lifted my spirits and within a short time I was feeling better, though still very weak. As it usually the case, they served us breakfast as well. Daudi explained my condition to them so it was no problem for me to just have a hard boiled egg and more tea.
Shortly after we went to the church for a worship service. Their choir sang some songs and then we had a chance to sing a couple of songs with them as well. In the midst of the worship, Cathy and I were asked to give our testimonies. It was a special time for us and it was well received by the congregation. Daudi served as our interpreter of course.
At the end of the service the congregation presented us with two gifts. For Cathy is was a kitenge, which is a large piece of printed cloth. For me….. I got a chicken! No kidding, they gave me a chicken. This was the first one I have ever received. I really felt like a Tanzanian at the moment. I have to say that visiting parishes and villages is one of my favorite things here in Tanzania. The hospitality and the spirit of worship here is quite strong. I’m always blessed and encouraged during these visits.
After the service was over, we moved on to our boat to start the long trip back to Kigoma, which would take about 5 hours. I was fading fast at this point and was also concerned about the sun exposure and heat I would receive during a long trip like this in the condition I was in. But thanks to Cathy and the boat crew, they setup a tarp that I could lay down on and Cathy setup the kitenge between two of the boat cross braces so I could be out of the sun. What made all the difference in the world. I was able to rest (even sleep a little) during the trip back in comfort.
It really was a great day, in spite of my illness. Tonight we are staying in Kigoma at a local hotel near the lake. I’m still feeling the fever a little bit, but I’m definitely doing better. Even so, I’d appreciate your prayers for a quick recovery this weekend so I can get to work on the computer updates on Monday at Kasulu Bible College.