God is Light

I have met so many people here in Tanzania with unique names. The naming of children is a bit different here. In my 17 years of teaching I have had many students with unique names in my classroom. When I would ask their parents why they choose that name the common answers were, "I just liked it." or "I wanted something different so I picked it." But here in Tanzania names are chosen based on situations or what the family hopes for the child...reminds me of the Old Testament.

Writing this blog entry I cannot remember all of the unique names of people I've met. I can remember a few of them though: Good Luck...Happiness...Blessing...Heaven Light(But I kept forgetting her name and I called her Rainbow Brite)...Redempta...Patience...Witness.
A friend of ours who does not have any children just yet said he plans to name his daughter Happy Mark. :)

One day I visiting Pastor Mbasha's family. We were in his backyard. His wife Janeth was trying to help one of their new baby goats get milk from his mother. The mother goat did not want to feed her baby. This problem had been going on for a while and the baby goat was sick and weak. Pastor Mbasha brought him over to me and we prayed for him. I told him the baby goat needed a name. I decided to give him a unique name...I named the goat God is Light.
Yep...God is Light. Pastor Mbasha love it. He said that I was speaking life into this little goat that was not getting the food he needed to grow strong and healthy.
Three weeks have passed since I gave God is Light his name. Pastor Mbasha says he is now the healthiest of all the baby goats and he has become his mother's favorite...that is so cool.

There is something to names. The Bible says that the tongue has the power of life and death...what we say and what we call others really matters. I love that!

Jacob and Naphtali

We have two night guards on the weekend shift. Their names are Jacob and Naphtali. They didn't know each other before they began working at the orphanage but you wouldn't know that by looking at them now. They have such a loving friendship. They speak very little English so there is much laughter when we attempt to have conversation with them in Swahili.
As sweet as they are...and they are so sweet...the thing that I appreciate so much about them is their heart for Treasures of Africa Children's Home. They really believe in what we are doing here. Jacob and Naphtali's work hours are 7pm to 7am. In the middle of the night I can hear them outside when they walk past my bedroom window...they are singing and praying...I never get tired of hearing them.
Most Africans we've met here do not have much contact with people from America. Most of the white people that come to this part of Tanzania are from Europe and travel here to go on safari or climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Jacob told us recently...through an interpreter...he'd never seen white people like us. We love to pray and we are here in Africa to live, not to go on safari.
Last weekend we visited Jacob's church...a village church up in the mountains...I drove...the driving experience is a blog entry of its own...Naphtali came with us too. What a wonderful Sunday morning service.
After church we walked to Jacob's house for a traditional African meal...so good. The whole day was very special. They were so honoring to us...I did not feel worthy of such honor...so special...so thoughtful.

Waiting

Right now we are in the process of waiting for approval from the government before we can begin receiving children. But in the midst of the waiting there is so much to do. There are plenty of needs in Africa so it is just a matter of knowing what our part is in it all.

We have all the bunkbeds in the rooms and have purchased the mattresses to go with them. A few of the rooms have been decorated...one infant room and two other rooms. They look great. We have lots of decorating still to do but that part is so much fun. We also decorated the bathrooms. One bathroom has a jungle theme and the other has a frog theme. They are ready.

We have been visiting a lot of churches. We are invited to speak at so many churches but we can't go to all of them...but we do go to many of them. This Sunday we are going to a church in Arusha. Melissa is speaking on her vision for the children and our part as adults in their lives. The following week we are going to Mierani and I am speaking at that church.

But in the midst of all that is going on we are still waiting...waiting for the approval...then we will have our treasures with us. We know that God's timing is perfect so we wait and know that the waiting will soon be over. :)

Mosquitoes

I have avoided talking about the bugs because in the event one of my many readers is interested in coming to visit, I didn't want to discourage you. :)
So I will refrain from going into detail about the bug I have named "The flying black golf ball." I will stick to the title of this blog and just talk about the mosquitoes.
The mosquitoes are everywhere. They love us. We are their favorite meal. The Africans say it is because we have soft skin. I don't know if that is true or not because I used to have soft skin before moving to Africa...I used to put lovely lotions on my skin after showering, but not anymore. I spray bug repellent all over at least three times a day. After showering my lotion/body spray of choice is made by Cutter. At night when they really swarm us I use a brand called Jungle Juice...It contains 100% deet.
You would think that with all this spraying I would be well protected...Well sad to say they still find a way of locating that one small spot that missed the repellent. The three of us have an on-going conversation about who has the most bites and where those tricky little guys have managed to bite us...You know...Our arms, legs, neck, forehead, eyelids, armpits, etc.

At this point I have decided that it is not a good idea to count the bites anymore...The numbers are always too high. I just put my anti-itch lotion on when the going gets tough.
I brought three different brands of anti-itch cream with me to Africa. I am down to my last tube...I have lent them out to the girls...Maybe I should ask my mom to send me more...I have a feeling I'll need it.
It is the light rainy season and we have quite a bit of rain so that is a factor with the mosquitoes being so plentiful, but they have been plentiful since I moved here in July...Aren't they getting tired of me by now?

I love living here. I am now used to sleeping with a mosquito net and the madness involved with preparing to go to sleep. I just wish those little guys...The mosquitoes here are smaller than in the U.S. but just as pesky...That they would leave me alone and let me have a day without itching and red bumps. My calves and ankles look like the chicken pox have attacked me on days when the mosquitoes are working overtime. But as the saying goes...I live in Africa now.

God is at Work

I have been keeping a journal since I've been living here in Tanzania. I have never been very faithful at writing in a journal in the past but here I have been consistent to write in it at least five days a week.
I was looking over it the other day and I began to cry. It is filled with so much of my experience here in Africa from what is going on inside of me. I don't write about my daily activities or even about people. I have been journaling about all that I have been experiencing personally...Spiritually...Emotionally...Mentally. It is amazing to read it over. I said to myself after reading it, "I think the Lord brought me here to deal with me...And the orphanage is a side-job." I say that because I've seen myself grow and change so much. I've seen myself stretch...And by God's grace stretch without breaking.
I see growth in me. God is still working on me and I am still growing in Him. I am thrilled that the Lord has given me this opportunity to grow and learn and change.
What is the purpose of life? Why was I put here on earth? I know it is all about giving myself to the Lord and serving Him. I know that the more I give of myself the more the Lord can use me to be a blessing to others. I love honoring God by blessing others. I love honoring God. I love God.

I know that the timing of the Lord is perfect. So I am living here in Africa and we are preparing our orphanage building for the children that we will raise up and love as our own, but until we get the kids the Lord is performing a type of surgery on my heart that only He knows about. I am here and it is never a dull moment...Not at all when God is at work in my life. :)