Good Times & Tragedy

Third Week in Moshi

It was the third week in Moshi and though not without disturbing issues, generally it was good, and I am so grateful for my life here with John (most importantly) and friends nearby.  We had another big rain on Ash Wednesday so the yard is incredibly green, our chickens are happy, and flowers are blooming.  Very unusual for this time of year!  Hopefully the rains will continue for the farmers.  We don’t want to say to Chrissy and Julia, “eat your heart out” as I show the pictures of the avocados weighing down the tree…starting to fall, again quite early, the passion fruit ready for plucking and having Rose’s famous passion juice, the garden plowed and nearly ready for planting sweet corn, & the lime/lemon tree so full of fruit that we cannot drink either enough gin and tonics, eat enough guacamole, freshen and dress enough salad to keep up with them all. 

Avocados are nearly ripe

Some have started falling already!

Garden needs only manure

Lemon Tree

Passion fruit flowers

Passion fruit

New hiring in the MEPI offices gave us the opportunity to go to dinner at Mkulima, which is a highlight for me.  And this night was no different.  I realized that the world is really belonging to young people now as I looked around the table.  I told Ahaz that even he is a Babu now! In particular big thanks go to Able & Ndmongwa who dealt with orders and bills.  I just ate! 

John and his lovely women

some of the guys (and Guido's head)

Able hams it up

Ndmongwa and Freddie and Amani wow, the young people!

Now what is Able doing?

Eat your heart out Charles.  It was the best ever!

John, happy at Mkulima!

We said goodbye to Guido but not before he handed over a microscope to the Health Care Dispensary which is nearly spruced up and ready to go with paint, plants, rooftops, new washer dryer that soon patients will be flocking in I believe.  Of course as American products are, this one was a 110 volt, and needed a stabilizer and surge protector, and once again my friends at Cotya Umeme store had just what I needed.  It is so great to have people who will be patient and help out when you need them.

Guido and Puly and staff

Guido and Puly in the garden

opening the box with the microscope

And I had to make a quick run to a paint store, and needed advice so who did I turn to?  Well Cipa of course and who should be there but little Faradja with her favorite gift from her American sister, Lyriella, a puzzle.  Cipa tells me that she sleeps with the puzzle, takes it to school, and won't let it out of her hands.  Would that all our children would cherish things so much.

Faradja and her puzzle (put together over and over by her own hands

And that reminded me to return to post marathon quickly to highlight our car mechanic (fundi) Deo, who is standing with our friends Nikoli and Terrie Emmanuel!  Deo had to come to pick up the car yet again when we had only bright lights and were blinding everyone in the compound and on the roads at night, and told me that he had run part of the ½ marathon with John…. What fun.

Nikoli, Deo and Terrie

John’s birthday was quiet but nice.  Next week we will have more of a celebration at Lake Chala…hopefully.  An amazing thing happened on Saturday.  We went to our friend's Coy and Casey's house to see an artist exhibit.  What a great thing those guys are doing, helping aspiring artists to show their work!  And there was old Barney.  Now quite old.  But clearly he recognized us and greaeted us.  I nearly wept!

Thinking of you Russell and Kay-John and Barney

Barney loves to rub!

We found terrible news at Church this am.  Our dear friends’ Nic & Sylvie’s farm office was broken into by 10 thugs with all kinds of weapons.  They beat up the askaris terribly and made off with a gun.  This is terrifying for us all but mostly for Nic & Sylvie, Greg, Terrie and Nikoli who find sanctuary in this beautiful farm.  For all who read this blog please keep them in your thoughts and prayers and hope that the thugs will be brought to justice before they can do more harm.

Nic Sylvie Nikoli and Greg in happier days

Nic sports his own fabulous lettuce to William at "high" tea