Jumping: Kids, A Pineapple, and ME

When I got to Tanzania, I found out that it was actually almost illegal to take any pictures, and that most the people didn't like to be photographed unless you paid them. Therefore we could only really take pictures: on Joy in the Harvest property, very quickly without anyone noticing, or when there was nobody around.

As Donna and Neil and I were taking our dirt road shortcut between town and the Guest Houses, I took the opportunity of the path being empty to have Donna take a jumping picture of me. The scenery of Kigoma was beautiful, and I wasn't about to go back to China without any pictures of it! As I was taking my jumping picture a group of five kids came up from the houses along the path. One little girl held a baby brother half her size on her hip. They crowded behind Donna and Neil and quietly peaked around their waists as I counted "one-two-three" and Jumped into the air. They whispered to each other smiling. I must have been quite a site.

When I had finished my jumping picture I looked at them and, motioning for them to join in, asked if they wanted to take a picture too. Four of the kids eagerly ran forward. I got us all lined up across the path, and we practiced counting to three and then jumping. We did it a few times, and thanks to the fast action shuttering of my Nikon D60 (love it!) and the amazing ability of the kids to jump at the same time (my basketball girls could take a tutorial from them) I ended up with this picture, which has become one of my favorites of the trip.

Tanzania: PhotoGallery

Tanzania: The Imaginary Picture Girls

The first day I went to help with the Kimberly's House Feeding Program, I took TONS of pictures of the kids. They loved seeing themselves in the camera, and soon I was causing a small riot because they all wanted their picture taken multiple times. The girls all smiled prettily, or shyly, while the boys gathered together throwing up a hand sign, or posing with the spoon of food halfway in their mouth.

The next time I went back, I left my camera at home, figuring I had caused enough of a commotion the last time I was there. As I walked down to the site there were two girls sitting at the first picnic table with bowls of beans and rice waiting patiently in front of them. As soon as they saw me, one of the girls put her hands up holding an imaginary camera and took a picture. I spread my arms out, shrugged my shoulders, and said "I don't have my camera today"... :( sad face. But having come straight from a Kindergarten in China, I knew what to do. I took out my own imaginary camera, held it up to frame the two girls in the picture, paused, and said "CLICK." The girls laughed a bit. I then brought the "camera" over to them to show them their "picture." At this point they threw back their heads in hearty laughter....That was just TOO silly. I took a few more imaginary pictures of them, each time getting a your-funny-taking-pictures-with-an-imaginary-camera laugh. Pretty soon I had to put away my imaginary camera lest it cause a riot as well.

Kimberly's House: Feeding program
Three days a week—every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday— 250+ kids and 50+ adults converge at the Kimberly's House Feeding Site located right next to Joy in the Harvest site 2 (where the Guest Houses and Computer school are located) and overlooking Lake Tanganyika. Anyone who wants to can come and get a meal. Full bowls of rice and beans are handed out, along with drinking water. A local evangelist gives a short talk and leads the kids and adults in prayer. The kids have to wait until EVERYONE has a dish until they can dig in! I was amazed to see the ones who got served first dutifully waiting until the last had received their bowl and they were given the okay to eat—even more amazing since some of them may not have had a good meal since the feeding two days earlier. The kids would be sitting shoulder to shoulder at the long picnic tables. Some of the smaller children sat under the picnic tables facing outward. At first I thought that this was because the tables were too crowded, but then I learned that it was because they were used to protecting any food they got so that it couldn't be stolen and eaten by a bigger, older kid. Many of the children are orphans, losing their parents early to Malaria, Aids, etc, and they learn early to fend for themselves. I went and helped at the Kimberly's House every chance I had.... who can pass up those cute kids?

Kigoma, Tanzania : Arriving

When I left for Kigoma from Shanghai, my prayer for the trip was a simple one from the song "Hosanna" by Hillsong:

"I see the King of Glory
Coming down with clouds of fire
The whole earth shakes

I see His love and Mercy
Washing out all ou sins
The people sing

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith

I see a near revival
Starting as we pray and seek
We're on our knees

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest Heal my heart and make it clean,
Open up my eyes to the things unseen,
Show me how to Love like YOU have Loved me.

Break my heart for what breaks Yours,
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause,
As I walk from earth into Eternity."

I would be working with an organization called "Joy in the Harvest" run by Lowell and Claudia Wertz (reletives of my China desk-mate Kendra). I didn't know what to expect, or what I would be doing–but my hope was that God would, as the song says, Open my eyes, show me how to love like Him, and break my heart for what breaks His. I feel like God granted this prayer. I was able to see the ministry that the Wertz's have, to help with some of their ministry areas, and to see what kinds of needs this part of Africa had, and glimps into God's heart for the future of Kigoma, Tanzania.

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ~ James 2:15-16

I love how the ministries of Joy in the Harvest really target the needs of the people of Kigoma and fulfill God's exhortation to us in James 2:15-16. While I was in Kigoma, I was blessed to be able to see many of these ministries at work. Over the next few weeks I will try to post stories and memories about the many ministries and my trip to Kigoma.