In January 2010 I set out on the most challenging, yet rewarding, journey our Lord has called me to so far in my life. For one year I went to Tanzania with Africa Inland Mission, with the opportunity to teach some of the young people of this remarkable country. Tanzania is a large country with a population of 41 million and its largest city is Dar es Salaam, situated on the east coast. However I was heading for a small town called Kahunda, on the shore of Lake Victoria, about three to five hours from the second largest city, Mwanza. Yes, I realize there is a big difference between three and five but it all depends on how often the car ferry decides to run on any given day, the road condition during and after rainy season and how many flats you have along the way.
After a two-day journey by car from Nairobi I arrived in Kahunda on the 6th of January and by the 15th I was ready to teach and standing in front of my class — a total of five students. Lesson # 1 for me: Students turn up as money and family situations allow; plan accordingly. By week four I had two full classes ready to learn Form Three (Year 11) Geography and I was standing in front of 130 faces staring sceptically at the ‘Mzungu’ teacher from…where exactly is New Zealand?
That was lesson # 1 for my students. Teaching was fun and definitely challenged me as the students have very little English and the school no resources whatsoever. But together we got there in the end. It didn’t take me too long, however, to figure out that while the school wanted another teacher they didn’t really need one so the question came loud and clear: “Why on earth did you bring me here, Lord?” As always, God answered that prayer.
Along with teaching I also picked up coaching the ‘netball’ team and after some lessons in how we actually play netball we were ready for game day. Hosting three schools from around the region, I got the ‘honoured’ position of umpiring the games which at times resembled a wrestling match rather than a netball game. With two wins and a draw under our belt we were feeling rather good and I had a few mental notes ready for a devotional debrief with the girls about Christ-like behaviour in all aspects of life, including the netball court. Feeling a bit exhausted I decided to skip out on the second-half of the soccer match and head for home, but the Lord had other plans. I fell into conversation with one of the Form Four guys who eagerly enquired why I had come to Kahunda. After a short explanation of the Lord’s call on my heart and a clarification that, no, I was not here to do research, he decided it was safe to open up and share with me from the heart. “Madam,” he said, “I have been at this school for three years. I’ve attended all the different religious groups, but I don’t see it.” “See what?” I asked gently, hoping I was thinking on the same wave length. “See it in people’s lives.”
So, there it was. This one searching soul was the answer to my prayer. That’s why I was there. The conversation continued and I organised a time to meet with him to study the Word and he, along with some friends, spent time with me on a weekly basis simply searching the Scriptures.
We opened it as a Bible study for others to join in and I used it as a time to challenge and encourage the students to seek to know our Father, to seek out His will and to do it wholeheartedly. My Friday morning whole school devotions adopted this slant, looking at various people from the Bible and how they used their gifts to serve the Lord, and encouraging the students to move from nominal Christianity, which is so common there, to truly committing their whole life to the Lord in thankfulness.
So what was it like living out there? Tough, but rewarding. I enjoyed it a lot! Kahunda is a small community (around 6000 people) without all the mod-cons. Apart from a couple of house mates at different times in the year I shared a rather roomy three-bedroom house with various creepy crawlies and a couple of cats who kept the home relatively rodent-(and therefore snake-) free, and had the luxury of solar power and cell phone reception. In town on market days we could get some fruit and vegies and beef on Tuesdays. If you wanted chicken…well, they come with feathers and still clucking, so it depends entirely on how brave you are. There are a few small shops in town so we could get kerosene for our freezer, but most shopping was done on a monthly basis in Mwanza.
This year the Lord also taught me so much about trusting in His providence in all circumstances and searching for opportunities to proclaim His name wherever I am. Would I do it again?… in a second, and moreover I would recommend it to anyone thinking the Lord may be calling them to step outside their comfort zone.
September 2011
