Thank you so much for your prayers for Jesse and I as we transition from a language school setting to Waama Bible College and teaching. God has been very gracious to us and has taught us a lot, especially about Tanzanian culture. When we were still at language school, we were told that classes started on October 9. We made our plans accordingly and arrived on the 7th. We soon found out that when they said that "classes start on the 9th", they really meant "students are allowed to start arriving on the 9th and when we have enough students, then we'll start class." Students have been trickling in this week, yet it looks as if we will have too few students to start even this coming Monday. So we wait. It's also amusing that none of the teachers (including Jesse and I) know for sure what they are going to teach yet! So Jesse and I have had a very relaxing week with plenty of time to get settled into our new house, study and practice Swahili, and get to know many people including our new boss, other teachers, and many staff on campus. God has been very gracious in "breaking us in easy".Our new house is very nice as you can see in the picture. It is made of concrete, with a concrete floor, and a tin roof. We each have our own bedroom, we have a nice-sized living/dining room, a small kitchen and a small bathroom. 2/3 of the house is ours, the back third is extra rooms for guests. The house is on the Waama campus about a 2 minute walk from the main academic building. None of the campus has electricity from the national grid, though Waama has a generator that they run for two hours every night. This also gives us running water for a couple hours so we can fill up a couple barrels with water to get us through the day. We also have a solar panel (which can be seen on the roof) that charges a battery which gives us light when the electricity is off. There is no Internet access at Waama and have to go to Mbulu, the nearest town about 5 miles away, to send and receive emails. Waama is over 6000 ft above sea level. So the temperature is beautiful, despite being so close to the equator. In fact the house has a fireplace in case it gets really cold! Both Jesse and I are very pleased with our housing situation. In fact, sometimes we think it is too nice! God is truly gracious.
Some things to praise God about...
- we are finally here at Waama!
- the new friends we have made and the many new friends we will make with the incoming students.
- God's grace as He has given us an extra week to study Swahili, get to know people, and settle in.
Please pray for...
- the new school year at Waama. Pray for the incoming students and their safe arrivals; the teachers as we divide up courses, teach in the classroom, and get to know the students outside of the classroom.
- our Swahili language skills. They are improving, though still a long way from being fluent.
- a vehicle. We still do not have any good leads. We need wisdom to know when we should buy and what vehicle to purchase.
We both so appreciate your prayers for us, we couldn't do it without you. Thank you for your partnership with me and Jesse. May the God of Grace richly bless you,
Ben
