I've been adopted!

With only two week's notice of my impending arrival, Theo (MTCEA Principal) secured a place for me with a wonderful family that lives on campus. Everything seemed to be on track until several days before my arrival in Nyabange. Theo emailed to say the family could no longer take me in as they had no adequate room for me. The father had returned from Uganda three weeks before after completing his degree in Business Management and was in the midst of resuming his duties as manager of the Musoma Press. This left no time for him to adequately prepare a room for me.

The alternative: to stay with an elderly widow who lives in the next village. For various reasons, Mike (CR, MCC TZ) felt that this would not be a suitable arrangement and perhaps the original family could be persuaded to take me in. After discussing the situation with Juma, the father, he agreed that I could stay with them with the condition that he would first build an additional room for me. As we speak, the back building of their home is being extended to accommodate two large rooms and a storage area. Baba Juma has assured me that he planned on doing the renovations in the near future but with his absence (he was in Uganda studying for three years) he could not afford to do the work. Once my time here is complete, his two boys will have a beautiful room to sleep in while the second bedroom will be reserved for his elderly parents and other guests that pass through their home. Until the construction work is done, I am staying at the Guest House on campus with my 'two' sisters – in the African way, they have moved in with me so I won't be alone.

Juma, my 'father', works as the manager of the Musoma Press while Rebecca, my 'mother', is a full-time housewife. They have two boys and two girls: Makeme, 17, is away at secondary boarding school and Pasko, 15, and Neema, 14, will be joining him in January. Clara, 11, attends the local primary school and will keep me company once the other two leave. Baba Juma introduces me as his 'dada mkubwa' (oldest daughter). I have all my meals at their house with them and am trying to spend as much time at their home so I can get to know them better. I am truly grateful for the way they have accepted me into their family.

Prayer Request: Please pray that our resident permits will be granted within the next week. The Musoma immigration officials assured us they would be ready this past Monday. Turns out we were misinformed and the paperwork must now be processed in Dar es Salaam, located on the other side of the country!