My week

It's getting more difficult to write blogs with all the power cuts, so I thought I'd better write one whilst there's power. You sure do appreciate your electricity here.

People sometimes ask me what I do in my week, so here are a few details:Monday. Went to my house lady’s (Sarah) cousin’s house to pray for her cousin Sabina. She has AIDS, although nobody really likes to admit it. However, we found out she'd gone to the hospital that night. We then went to the hospital where we found her, very emaciated and unable to talk. I prayed for her and gave her some money. You have to pay for all the medical treatment upfront which is a big problem for lots of people. The drip she was on costs 1,000 shillings a time (a days wage is 3,000Tsh) and they'd had to pay for a taxi to take her to hospital. Not many people own cars and there aren't really any ambulances.Tuesday. One of Sarah’s nephews (who have been living on the street) returned last week; the other one is still on the streets. I drove him out to Msalato to enrol him in a private school. (Dad you would have loved the road, no tarmac all the way there). The government schools here aren’t great, so we have decided to sponser him and the other children through school. However, because he’s been on the street for so long he’s only at standard 2 level (2nd year primary) even though he’s 14. We have agreed that he’ll have a personal teaching assistant (if we pay for it) to help him get up to the right standard. I thought for £15 a month, it was worth it! Please pray that he’ll be happy in the school and make the most of this opportunity. Also, that his brother will come home soon. I think, if I do nothing else in Tanzania I want to help educate the families of those we are close to. On the one hand there are so many people and we can’t help everybody, but we can help some and make a difference in their lives.

Wednesday. Bought five freshly slaughtered chickens. At least the meat he is fresh (maybe a little too fresh!) It is now all in the freezer divided into breast, drumsticks, thighs etc.., definitely my preferred way of dealing with chicken.

Thursday. Finally went to buy more beef. I’ve been putting this off because I hate the smell and the flies. Bought 10kg of fresh best quality beef (only £1.50 per kg) and spent the afternoon mincing it. It was quite nice when made into spaghetti Bolognese.

Friday. Sara rang me to say Sabina was dead. This is about the 5th relative of Sara’s that has died since we arrived, that’s one a month. I found myself sitting in the car crying, not really for Sabina, because I didn’t really know her, but just for all the death and poverty and the seemingly hopelessness of it all. All I know is that, if I feel it, God feels it more.

As I finished this blog it’s just started to rain. We both rushed outside shrieking with glee and saw our neighbours were doing the same thing. Rain is so different here, so precious. I can’t believe it, I’m so excited it’s raining I could almost cry.