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Published: March 18th 2009
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In Tanzania, when people move from one home to another, it is referred to as shifting. Over the past year, the size of the mission team has decreased considerably. George has desired to increase his teaching responsibilities at the school of preaching, and the distance from our present home has prevented that. After several months of prayerful deliberation and discussion, we have decided to relocate to Arusha. We are looking forward to getting relocated and settled into a new place.
In view of relocating, we've spent much time going back and forth from Moshi to Arusha to hunt for a house, and work out subsequent details. Nothing happens without great effort here; changing homes is no exception. For example, we went to Arusha and met a realtor to look at some houses. He wanted to show us three houses, all of which we already knew about. Well, that was okay, because we were interested in a couple of them, but had not been able to see inside. The realtor had supposedly made arrangements for us to see the inside, but the only house we were able to see inside of was the one we definitely were not interested in. We
parted ways with the realtor, and continued driving around on our own.
We went back in the afternoon to the two houses we were interested in. We were able to see inside one of them. It smelled SO bad inside, as if someone had died. Too many issues with this house, so we crossed it off our list. We tried another time or two to find someone at home at the other possible house, but no success, so we headed back home. A few days later, we went back to Arusha and viewed the inside of the house. We really liked it, and so when we returned home that evening, George contacted the owner, who was in Dar es Salaam, and discussed particulars. They agreed on a price, with the understanding that first we must make sure that we could get internet.
George returned to Arusha Monday morning to go to the internet office. They hadn't been answering the phone. He arrived in Arusha, only to discover that it was a Tanzanian holiday, "Day of the Prophet." The office was closed. Later in the week, he was finally able to talk to someone on the phone, and made
arrangements to have a "technician" come to the house to assess the situation. Friday we drive to Arusha, go to the office to pick up the technician, because we must provide his transportation. We go out to the house, and the plumber is also there, with whom George also needed to confer. George and the plumber discuss what needs to be bought, and who will buy what. We have to buy the big items. Back to town, drop off the internet technician and make an appointment for installation, scheduled for Tuesday. Go to hardware store to get a sink, faucet, and some other plumbing supplies. Back to house to drop off supplies, and finally home again Friday evening.
George and Jacob headed back to Arusha this past Monday morning, to work on replacing the kitchen sink and faucet, and also work on some of the plumbing issues. None of the pipes had been flushed, and many of the faucets were clogged with junk, including a chunk of wood that came out of one of the pipes. They made some progress, and got back home Monday night.
Tuesday morning George and Jacob returned to Arusha again for the appointment
Lindsey and Her Cohorts
Lindsey and Julia have worked with these children week after week, and the children's behavior during services has improved greatly. to have internet installed. When they got to the office, they were told that the guy - the only one who can take care of it, had to make an emergency trip to Dar es Salaam, so the internet can not be hooked up. They go on to the house (a 30 minute drive), and finish working on the kitchen sink. Also, three leaks were discovered in the lines outside, a couple under the drive. They removed some pavers, dug with their hands, and finally fixed two of the leaks. In order to repair the other leak, they needed a part they didn't have on hand, so will work on that one next time. They settled up with the plumber and electrician, and politely informed them that their services were no longer needed. Later this week they will go back and try to finish flushing out all the lines, and repair any remaining leaks.
In the midst of all this, we had a huge power surge in our house one evening last week, which blew our microwave, as well as the electric components on our new oven. Fortunately, all the cooking functions are propane, and so the main parts
Eliza, Wearing Her New Dress
I sewed a new dress for her, and when she came to services last Sunday, she headed straight for me and gave me a big hug. :) of the oven still work.
To top it all off, the man that cares for the yard at our present rental home spent all day Monday generously applying fertilizer to the entire grounds. This is not fertilizer that you buy in neat little bags at your local home and garden store. This is the raw stuff. One cannot begin to describe the stench that permeated the entire property, including every nook and cranny of our house. George and Jacob had just left for Arusha, and were welcomed home that night to a very fragrant home. We tried to close some of our windows earlier in the day, but because it was so hot, it was unbearable to have them all closed. So, some coped by putting a bandana over their nose as they went about their work, and all of us fought the urge to gag throughout the day. We got through the night, but more than one of us smelled the stuff in our sleep. It has aired out some, but after 48 hours, we still get a strong waft every so often, especially in our bedrooms.
We've managed to keep some humor, in spite of it
all. Sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying, and we've definitely had some laughs. These recent events have been shared, not to solicit great pity, but to give you a little insight into our lives. Many tasks are so much more time consuming and complicated, and we just have to accept it, or go crazy. We are learning to accept it, but still wondering about the crazy part. 😊
We are thankful to all of you who are faithful to support us, and pray for us. We couldn't do what we are doing without you.
Love,
the Jensens
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Ferrell
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Oh, George!
Oh, George, All I can say is, " How you've changed." I'm not sure I'd know you if I met you on the street. Has "Shifting" been that stressful for you? Ferrell