Craft Sale

A few pictures from the craft sale we had this morning. There was lots of really beautiful stuff for sale. It would be great to export and sell in a craft/coffee shop in the UK, but I am not sure how to go about it. Anyway, it's another project to think about. The sale was held in the new Banda we have built on compound B.

Anyone who would like to order beautiful products handmade by Tanzanian women send their orders to me!!!!

I tried really hard to post more pictures, but it won't work. This is a picture of Bethany on sports day last Thursday.

We seem to be always busy at the moment. The day starts early and proceeds at full pelt until the evening when one of us always seems to be out at pray meeting, ladies meetings, music rehearsals, visiting etc..

Having been in Uganda, Daniel is now away again on a stag weekend. One of the MAF engineers is getting married in April in New Zealand and then having a Tanzanian wedding in May. So all the guys have gone away together to go hiking in the hills behind Kongwa. (see previous blog)

Other things that have happened:

I have started Swahili lessons again with another MAF lady.

We had a lightning strike in the compound preceded by the biggest clap of thunder I have ever heard. I was sure that a tree had been struck, but nothing seemed to be damaged. This was followed later on in the week by two earthquakes. I heard a rumbling and a slight shaking and immediately thought it was an earthquake and then dismissed it as imaginings from my neurotic mind. However it turned out it was an earthquake. Not huge 4 or 5 on the Richter scale , but big enough.


I saw a bus with 'Liverpool Football Club, You’ll never walk alone' emblazoned on the back. Football clubs definitely have world domination. Bolton, Manchester United and Liverpool seem to be popular here. You also see David Beckham's face on many buses.

I had a chat and shared a joke with two Maasai warriors.

You can now buy muesli if you are willing to pay £8 a bag. I’ve tried to find a way to justify a way to pay that much for it but I can’t. I think I may import my own for that price.

I have started working with a Tanzanian lady to help her with her business giving her design and colour ideas. She is making things from fabric, but mostly selling to westerners, so I have a better idea of what will work and what pricing to use. I feel at last that I have a normal friendship with a Tanzanian. She is the wife of Frank who works in the office with Daniel. In two weeks time we will have a coffee and craft day to try and sell stuff.

Think that's all for now.

(More) Milestones

My turn again! Several things have happened today, that made me think it was time for another 'milestones' blog:

* Bethany learned to ride her bike without stabilisers: without anything in the way of prompting, very little help and in about 5 minutes!

* I measured Joshua for his 'six and a half' mark on the height chart (he was six and a half yesterday): and for those of you need the details, he was 117.5cm

* Caleb swam with only one armband: he could probably do it with one, but lacks the confidence at the moment

* Libby was 'elected' (or has been 'approved by the Bishop') to the School Board: she asks "Does this mean I'm an adult now?"!

Other milestones:

- Caleb is almost potty trained - at least in the daytime
- this week, for the first time, Caleb got out of his bed for a drink, and then got back into his own bed, instead of coming into our bed. That really is progress
- they started selling real coffee in Dodoma (Libby's contribution)
- I have started playing the piano for a MAF-based choir which has just started up. Quite daunting - I actually have to practice!
- Joshua can read (or at least has grasped the necessary concepts). From here on in it's just practice
- I survived a week long trip to Uganda. Actually, it was quote enjoyable. I had a week of 'Introduction to leadership' training, and now have the new challenge of putting into practice [My task now is to make the transition from 'doing' to 'managing', or so I understand]
- My brother and his wife just had their second baby - Rebecca Junia. Hop over to Ben's Bilingual Baby Blog for all the gory details [not literally!]

At this point inspiration departs, and sleep arrives. So I shall leave you for the time being.