Tanzania 3

We went to a Swahili church on Sunday. It was an AOG. It was all in Swahili. The service went for 3 hours. I stayed for the first hour and a half of the singing. The congregation sang all together maybe three times while the rest of the time groups of people mainly women and children would get up the front and sing and dance. They had an electric guitar, bass and a keyboard that they used just to play the drums. Before each group got up they would put on a really fast beat that was very loud. Lyndon said he now knew why keyboards had all the different drum beats - for African services! They also do this loud yelling thing where they move their tongues up and down madly. When Zoe did her usual high-pitched screaming it fitted in perfectly! It was very entertaining. They had a time of bong prayer (how do you spell that?) which was really powerful. I left after that with Zoe and another MAF family with kids. There is no kids programme and the preaching goes for an hour and a half so I thought I'd leave for both my and Zoe's sake. Lyndon apparently had to get up and introduce himself and used an interpreter, he did well the others said. The preacher did speak for an hour and a half!

Yesterday I went to the 'Climax Club' with Meryl to do aqua aerobics. The club is for the rich Tanzanians and expiates. Meryl likes it because she gets to meet other people apart from MAF people. It was lots of fun, we splashed a lot and I didn't really get the hang of this noodle thing which made things all the merrier! The whole time little brown faces are watching you through the fence along with a few mothers. It must be great entertainment for them!

Tonight I'm going with Meryl to the MAF womens bible study here on the compound. I went to the last one so I must have been here a month. (they are held monthly) I really enjoyed it last time so hopefully it will be good again. Today was my house girls last day working for me while we are here. Zoe really likes her and calls here Meme instead of Mary. We are going to her place for tea on Sunday night with Meryl and William. She has been excellent and Lyndon wishes he could have her in NZ!!!!

A Masi Couple

We leave Dodoma next Tuesday for Zanzibar for a couple days. Then we are back to Dar to spend a couple of days with William and Meryl in their new place and then off to Amsterdam. We are not sure of the exact date when we will be departing Dar but will keep you posted. Well that's it, I need to go and wake Zoe from her afternoon sleep which has gone for over and hour and a half - she doesn't go down to well at night if she sleeps this long, oops! The cot has been so good I'm not looking forward to using the mat again.