Packing

 

We've started packing for our July/August journey to Tanzania, at home and at church.  It's a little messy right now, but things are getting organized.

 

 

Our travelers have become really good at packing lightly for themselves, so that we can pack more gifts for our friends in Tanzania.  For a two week trip, we take three bottoms (skirts for women, pants for men) and 6-7 short sleeve tops.  Toss in a long sleeve tee for cool evenings, and a lightweight jacket just in case, some sleepwear and personal items, an extra pair of shoes, toiletries, medications, cameras, a journal, and duct tape, and we're good to go. It all fits in our rolling carry on bag.

 

For international travel to Africa, the airlines still allow us to check two bags, limit 50 pounds, at no extra charge.  With twelve travelers, that's 24 bags -- a lot of gifts! And a lot to organize.

 

 

This year, the challenge is books.  We are carrying nursing text books for the new nursing school that will open at Ilula Hospital.  Textbooks weigh a lot! We also have one suitcase filled by Dan McIntyre from Lutheran Church of Peace, with text books for the counseling program at Tumaini University.  One small suitcase, 47 pounds.

 

 
 
 

 

We're also carrying Bibles for students at our secondary schools.  More books!

 

 

To balance the weight of the books and still fill the suitcases, we're carrying handmade hats for newborns.  These will be delivered to the dispensaries owned by the diocese.  There are seven dispensaries (clinics) located in remote rural areas.  One of these is at Tungamalenga.

 

What a wonderful gift to welcome babies with a handmade hat.  Thanks to all the knitters and crocheters who contributed -- Karen Shaw, Cris Ireland, Agnes Leer, Lisa Loher and others.

 

Other handmade items for newborns include undershirts and quilts made by Elaine Klingebiel.

 

Even more items for the dispensaries -- bandages rolled by children in Club 45 and last summer's Kuzunguka Camp; toothbrushes; medical supplies and latex gloves donated by Global Health Ministries.

 

We've got 30 indestructible soccer balls ordered from One World Futbol company.  The kids are going to LOVE these!  And the handy thing is, they are very lightweight but will fill the space to balance the weight of the books in each suitcase.

 

Pastor Naftal asked us to bring some of those small communion cups that we use in worship. We're also carrying four communion sets -- handmade chalices and patens -- for four of the village congregations we will visit.

 

We have 48 of these solar powered radios that we will deliver to Radio Furaha.  That's the diocese owned radio station which broadcasts Lutheran music and programming.  They do talk shows with a focus on microfinance programs and ag education and water and sanitation education. 

 

Radio Furaha will take these radios into remote congregations so they can benefit from the educational and evangelistic programming.

 

The radios are equipped with cranks to generate power if the sun doesn't shine, they have a light and a siren in addition to the radio, and they will even charge a cell phone.

 

We also have SOTV t-shirts, tote bags and school bags, beaded bracelets, and more.  We will carry letters from sponsors to students, we have wedding gifts for John and Addy Mhekwa and baby gifts for Mfaume and Jenitha Kisakanike.

 

In addition to the gifts in our suitcases, we will wire ahead funds to purchase medicines for the clinics, mosquito nets to be distributed to families with young children, bikes for seven evangelists. And of course, we will carry the gift of the prayers of the congregation.

 

For all these good gifts, we give thanks!