Uganda(& Tanzania) Prayer Update #5 (sent 3/29/08)

Hi everyone!!

Sorry for the long delay and the length of the email, I have been in Tanzania for 3 weeks with very limited internet access and have a lot to update. I am now back in the office in Kampala and getting back into the swing of things.

Project Trip
The first week and a half in Tanzania was on a project trip to Mt. Meru University near Arusha, Tanzanina. This was a great time of getting into the work that I came here to do. We had six people from Kampala fly down, Chad, the project leader and director of eMi East Africa, Zach and Jill, other interns, Liz, a long term volunteer architect, and Lexi, a graphic designer that recently moved here with her husband. The rest of our team was comprised of volunteers from the states, Richal, structural engineer, Glenn, civil engineer, Willie, surveyor, Stew, young petroleum engineer that helped out with the surveying and civil and his wife Jess who is a teacher and taught some classes in English as a second language. We had a great team and one of my favorite times was our team devotions in the evenings. During the day, I was mostly working with Glenn collecting information on the water, wastewater, and electrical systems.

Mt. Meru University started out as a Baptist Seminary in the 1970's and have recently expanded to include a school of business and education. Because of recent efforts of the Tanzanian government to increase university education, they have made loans much more accessible and the student population has grown exceedingly. Our team designed a new academic centre and new dorms for the growth of the university as well as recommendations for all the utility systems. We were heartily welcomed and taken good care of (there is nothing like African hospitality) and quickly got to see some of the vision of not just a good university, but one that emphasizes bringing the Christian life into areas of business and education through a dedication to student discipleship. The leadership of the university has a great vision for the future of their institution and are all dedicated to do all that they can to further that vision.

Visit with Martha
After the trip, I had the opportunity to visit my dear friend Martha from college who is teaching secondary school in Manyoni, Tanzania with the Peace Corps. It was a rather long bus ride to get there, but it was lovely to see her and meet her students and fellow teachers. She teaches chemistry and physics at a catholic girls boarding school and her house is inside the nearby convent. A big highlight of my time there was teaching some of the students how to cha-cha, polka and do the Shim Sham (a swing line dance which is the first swing I learned when I was a Junior in High School), the students certainly laughed at us a lot but I think they had a good time and then they taught us some of their dances too. I also attended 3 catholic masses in Swahili which was a very interesting experience. Even though I couldn't understand what was being said, it was good to be in God's house and hear people praising Him and the music was incredible! Overall it was a very enjoyable visit and I especially loved being able to spend Palm Sunday and Easter with my dear friend.

Back in the Office
I came back to Kampala on Monday evening and it has been good to be "home." There are a few things here that I have been missing, especially our times of singing praise songs together and being able to practice guitar. It has also been good getting into more work on the project for Mt. Meru and having plenty to do. It has also been a blessing hanging out with my housemates and all the interns here.

Fully supported!
So after a long and prayerful journey, I am now fully supported financially!! I praise God for answering my prayers and all of yours and for confirming His call to come to Uganda. Thank you everyone who has given toward my trip, I greatly appreciate your partnership in His work.

Prayer Requests and Praises

1. PRAISE God I am fully financially supported!!
2. PRAY that we would give a good and useful design to Mt. Meru University.
3. PRAY for funds for Mt. Meru that they would be able to begin construction as soon as possible.
4. PRAISE for a good and encouraging time in Tanzania.

Thanks for reading this long email and I'd love to hear how things are going for you! I miss all my dear friends all around the world and I hope that it will not be long until I see you again. Praise God that He is Risen and that we can look forward to living with Him in eternity!!

In His grace,
~Heather