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Published: July 10th 2013
Jeannie & Rob
Farewell DinnerAfter Fran and Jack left we continued our work at the college. We were moving into our busy time of year, trying to finish teaching the syllabus, preparing examinations, marking, and submitting results. Along with these academic responsibilities we were busy finishing off projects we had started, attending farewell celebrations, packing and shipping things home and saying many tearful goodbyes. Over the two years we have made so many good friends, both with the teaching staff and with the students and we’ve shared so many wonderful experiences together. It was difficult to say goodbye, but we both knew it was time to return home. So although there were sad farewell moments, we were also excited to be coming home to see our family, friends and our country.
Farewell Party At the end of each term and/or at the end of the school year, it is a tradition at the college and the Tanzanian way, to have a farewell dinner celebration for departing missionaries. This year the celebration was very heartwarming for us as we were also among the departing. Along with all missionaries not returning for the next year, we were given seat of honour at
the front of the dining hall with the Director of the college. The first order of business was students and staff singing, dancing, and presenting gifts to show their appreciation. We were very moved when several staff members spoke on our behalf and expressed their appreciation and sadness at our leaving. With a very humble heart and much gratitude, we were then able to also express our appreciation to the staff and students for all their support and kindness over our two years, but most of all to God for his faithfulness to all of us, and we wished them all God’s blessings in their future studies and ministries. We both feel that it was a great privilege for us to live and work at the college and be an intimate part of their lives. As emotional as it was, it was also a lot of fun with a great deal of humour included in these heartfelt speeches. Humour is a big part of the Tanzanian culture and it was an honour to share this wonderful opportunity to combine our sadness and our joy in saying our final goodbyes.
Amaizing Grace (….no it’s not misspelled – Maize is the
Gift
Gift giving at Farewell staple crop for many Tanzanians.)
This again was a difficult growing season for our students and their families. There just was not enough rain to support a good harvest. Consequently, the college has created the
Amaizing Grace Project. Through this project money is raised so that the college could purchase maize when the prices are lowest. Then this maize is distributed in two different ways. The 1
st is to provide maize to our graduating students so that they would have food as they begin their ministry in the parishes to which they are assigned. This is just a start up program before these students can begin their own gardens and establish themselves in their parish. The 2
nd purpose for the program is to provide food for the families of our students who will be attending school in September. It would be too difficult for our students to come to school and be fed at the college while their families at home have nothing to eat. We have supported this project with a generous mission contribution. Thanks so much for your support which has enabled us to make this contribution.
Graduating Seed Money A second project was to
Moses
Moses farewell speech provide our graduating students with seed money to establish themselves in their new homes in their new parishes. Often these new pastors are assigned to their parishes without a house to live in or with a house that is in need of many repairs. They need start-up money to purchase necessities for building or repairing their new homes. What is amazing about these students is that they know the hardships they will face, but have faith that God will somehow provide for them and they left the college with a very positive and hopeful attitude, even though they won’t know where they are assigned until the end of August. From what we have seen from last year’s graduating class God has been faithful and all these students are doing well and are very happy in their ministries.
As one pastor said when I asked him last year, “Where will you go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Will there be a church building?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where will you live?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where will you find food?”
“I don’t know.”
But he answered all these questions with a smile on his face and
Goodbye
Group Goodbye a confidence that although he didn’t know, he was confident that God knew and would provide. Such faith was amazing for us to witness.
Again our mission was able to support this project as well. There were other projects which we will report on when we return home, but please know that you have helped so many students that have such a strong passion to serve the Lord, to get started on the road to self-sustainability.
Some Favourite Eating Places The wazungu (white folk) liked to go out Friday evenings to relax after a busy week of teaching. One of our favourite places was the Dodoma Hotel. Here you could eat out in a beautiful garden courtyard with a fountain pool just about any night throughout the year. No winter here, Canada. They offered a wide variety of food including great Chinese cuisine. This is the first place Jeannie got hooked on Chips Masala. Another place we discovered, thanks to Ben and Elizabeth who regularly went into town to visit young friends working with Cams and Carpenter’s Kids, for a quick snack at lunch was ‘Burgerville’. It was a most unique place, just a small stand near
Burgerville
Lunch with friends the bus depot. And here you could order what? Yes a burger! What a surprise! It was a novelty. They also served ‘chips mayai’ – a flat omelette made with French fries - delicious. Of course our standard spot for lunch was Rosie’s Café where you could get fresh squeezed fruit juice, curry and standard African fare. Another night spot, ala Ben & Elizabeth, was Mungano, referred to as the ‘Chicken Place’. Here you could order… ???? yes, chicken, barbecued regular, mild or hot, and hot was really hot. All food is served with fries here. It was a fun place with a pool table available for all of us who thought we were pool sharks. Another local favourite was Leone’s Afritalian Cafe or, the ‘Pizza Place’ – fabulous pizza and pasta among many other things. This was in an open air facility that showed movies every other Wednesday evening. We were very grateful to be able to enjoy our Friday night safaris where we could get some really good food and be relieved from cooking and cleaning up, not to mention enjoy some special free time to get to know our colleagues.
Some Special People There are
Chicken Place
Chicken Missionaries so many people we’ll miss, but we thought we might highlight a few as we said our goodbyes. Most of the expats will be leaving the campus during the break until school begins again in late August; some going home, some going on extended holidays and some going to different missionary sites to work. Some are staying on at the college to continue their work like our good friends, supporters and bridge partners Sandra and Martin from USA. Sandy is Communications Director for the college and Martin works as a pathologist in Dodoma. They have been at the college for 9 years and have 2 more to go, so far.
Ben and Elizabeth were our immediate neighbours. Elizabeth worked in the theology department and Ben worked in, or I might say, was the computer department. Even though they were here for just one short year, we’re not sure how the college is going to cope without Ben’s expertise.
Robert and Mary from Australia, Jo and Marion from New Zealand, Peta from England and Sora and Changkyu from Korea will be staying for the next term, but will be taking time away for various activities. Bridget was here for
Pizza Place
Great outdoor facility the last half of the last semester and has gone home to England.
We will miss the Tanzanian staff very much; Moses Matonya and his wife Ruth (former director now working on a PHD), Joshua Rutere and his wife Sarah and their three kitlings, Grace, Ezra and Rebecca (acting Direct), Charles Mwhihambi and his wife Janet (Dean of Academics and Head of Theology), Ysufu Mkunda and his wife Mary (Head of Finance), Hilda Kabia (Dean of Students), Jemima Nchimbi and her husband Michael (Head of Secretarial Department), Monica Tuppa (Financial Administrator), Joyce (Accounts Receivable), Nelly Fumbi (Secretary to Dean of Academics), Phanuel M’ungo’ngo (Theology Teacher and Sub-Dean of the Cathedral), Amos (Mathematics Teacher), Gonda (Theology Teacher), Mganua (Lawyer working and studying English at the college).
We were very grateful to all the staff and missionaries who worked at the college, for their friendship, their support, their faith and the great work they are doing, and have done, at the college.
We can’t forget Brian who worked for Carpenters Kids and who we met through Ben and Elizabeth. Rob and he were always arguing about who won the war of 1812, but Rob wanted to show him there
Secretaries
Tea with Jeannie were no hard feelings for our victory as we made him an honorary Canadian with his new Canadian shirt and flag. We also made Ben and Elizabeth honorary Canadians with a new Canadian shirt.
We said goodbye to our gardener Baraka and his fiancée Perisi. We were so pleased when Baraka told us he planned to marry Perisi as she was the girl Jeannie and I thought would be a fabulous match for Baraka. You can view their pictures on this blog. Baraka has taken over my bike so that he can visit Perisi over the holidays and will be able to use it in his upcoming parish assignment.
Charles was our 2
nd gardener and he also took care of our car. You can see him cleaning our engine from the last muddy trip we took to Chikola visiting Peter’s parish. It was a mess, but Charles made it look like new again.
Then of course we had to say good bye to our house girl Moti and her family. She worked with us for our two years. You might be wondering why we needed a house girl, two gardeners and a car guy. Well, we might
Jeannie Presenting
Secretary Certificates have been able to do some of this work ourselves, but it would have been very difficult with all the responsibilities we had around the college. It also gave us an opportunity to give some students and Moti work they needed to pay their education fees and living expenses. The students needed money to pay for their 10%!o(MISSING)f the school fees with the rest coming from sponsors.
Our last good-bye was to our neighbourhood beggar, Shamba. Shamba (born Obediah) has been begging at the college since its inception 50 years ago, and came around every day looking for something from each of the missionaries. One of his hands was badly gnarled, they say from a fire when he was a boy. Usually, we gave him a banana or some small item; however, you couldn’t give him anything of value like new shoes or mafuta (oil) which he often begged for, but of which he would just sell to buy alcohol. Although he was a daily persistent visitor, we all had a soft spot in our hearts for him.
Our Home One of the things Jeannie and I enjoyed was sitting out on our front porch to
enjoy the view down the hill towards Dodoma and the University of Dodoma in the distance. We also took great pleasure watching the different birds visiting our bird bath. There were so many different kinds and they always visited several times every day. It was interesting to see how they would perch in the small bush beside the bath and wait their turn – but sometimes they shared together.
Final Good-bye On the morning of our final departure, as we prepared to leave the campus for good, many of our friends came out to say good-bye. Several colleagues came to the house to give us our final farewell hugs. Moti and her family came too. As we were driving off the campus some students, colleagues and staff members gathered to wave good-bye along the driveway. It was a difficult drive to the airport as we knew this would be our last time working here. Farewell Msalato; thanks for all the wonderful memories.
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Corie Curtin
non-member comment
Hello!
Looking forward to seeing you. We are in charge of CAGT this year so will include you in our distribution. Hope travels are going well. Returning home will be a shock but with your experiences over the past 2 years you will return with a warmth in your heart. Good work you two!!!!!! See you soon.