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Published: March 2nd 2008
Fetch a pail of Water
The Children are sent down to the stream in Kioga to bring back water for the family farm.The Prices of Canned Foods and Normal Staples in the Stores are on the rise... There are some examples and pictures on Page 3... All the more reason to get these Gardens growing and supplying needed foods for the people of Tanzania and the local Missionary families! You can find just about everything you need here inthe stores, but they are usually not quite what you had hoped for, poor in quality, expired, or just too expensive to even consider. I can't even stand the thought of buying a box of cereal for around $10 to $12. Then there's the Oil, which you need for so many different things that runs about $10 a container as well... Don't get me started on the cost of Dog food and Laundry soap! We are having to learn to make different things work! And today I went to put gas in the truck and its reached over $6.00 a gallon for diesel here in Tz. We're longing for the fresh fruits and veggies to soften the blow of the grocery shopping each month! It seems like if it's not a necessity, then it can be marked up just however high they think someone might
pay to get it. For example: There are these 6 cans of luming American Refried Beans on the shelf down at the store, all you have to do is pay $4.00 a can to taste them... It's just not fair I tell you not fair at all! But by the time someone finally gives in to buy them, they will be expired and probably explode on impact!
Brent has been busy this week, we all have for that matter, making preparations and doing some research and traveling around the region to look further into resources for the Garden Project. With the help of some go here, go there instructions we eventually found a great little store that carries everything he will need to put together the drip kits to begin teaching the Drip irrigation program here in Tanzania. We are looking to schedule a week long seminar later in the year and we will bring in a large group of local preachers and farmers to train them using this specific technique and learning how to build compost piles to better fertilize their crops.
We found the Tanzanian Farming Association, where they had a store in Arusha that sold
Looking for a Water Pump
at the local Tanzanian Farmers Association Store water pumps and seed in large quantity, the water pump in action actually works like a stair stepper would, holding on the handle and pumping the water with human force one step at a time. I told Brent I may have to invest in watering our own yard that way just for the exercise! It was about $100, and one of our guests, Dave bought one to take it back to the states with him to have some engineer friends look it over and see if they could build something similar.
We visited several local members of the church who run and operate their own "Bustani" Gardens and checked out their own normal mode of farming to evaluate what things could be taught and re-enforced to aid in a better yield of good fruits. Took the GPS tracking devise around mapping out the Mountain roads all around Mt Meru and along the foot hills of Kili as we were traveling around... Our Guests Dave and Randall had brought one with them from the states and we really enjoyed watching it work these roads over!
When we traveled up the lush green sides of Mt Meru, the dust was
swirling at the base of the mountain so much so that we passed numerous dust devils, or small dust tornadoes. Then as we went up to go visit our dear brother in Christ, Blind Moses, in Kioga, we found him in the church building with the dust just a swirling and him teaching a Bible Study to two people. That is such a blessing to find, when you come to visit an see someone busy about the Lord's business. We had come to see his home garden, and stopped in unexpectedly... So we joined in the class in stead and just had a good visit about the needs he sees in the area of farming in this Mountainside village for the mostly massai people. There was a local iron craftsman sitting near the church building and Brent went over to talk to him as well, invited him to the church, and opened up a door for future a future study. Randall, was wanting to buy one of the man's large knives, called pangas but he didn't have any with handles there, so he sat and carved him a personal one by hand with two little pieces of wood he found
on the ground. Garrett sat in amazement watching the man carve quickly and steadily with a masters hand at his craft! You just never know what you are going to come across in a day's time here. I took Callie for the tour of the Kioga congregation's kitchen.. a mud hut building with a tin roof about 5 foot long by 7 foot wide, dirt floor, with piles of chipped cups and old bowls, and a fire pit in the floor for cooking on for fellowship meals. And Moses keeps his three goats right there tied up to the outside of the building as well. She laughed... As the missionary experience is beginning to grow for her.
We have had to laugh a little with Callie never having lived here long term, she is getting to experience our beloved "African Factor" in all the small stuff that goes on through the day. As we were headed down the mountain she looked at her watch concerned that we were running a little late, but "Hamna Shida" No problem in Africa, No Hurries here.
She also learned what we go through on a weekly basis, that the ATM machines are not
at all that reliable.. and you never know from day to day if they are going to work or not. For three days she tried to get money out of her account, using about 5 different machines... knowing full well that there was money in there. But the Tanzanian ATM machines were on Strike! When she finally did get her money out 3 days later it gave her all two thousand notes (equiv. to about a $2 bill) so you can imagine the stack of bills, she came out laughing but with a victorious smile, that she actually got her money from the machine! A small but grand Victory! it's almost as if you feel like you've won a prize, just by getting out your own money!
Josephat taught Bible Class this morning & Brent preached this morning, and we had one man to be baptized yesterday afternoon. So the Lord continues to Bless all the efforts put forth here in Moshi, as He adds one more to his church! We had an American family to come and visit this morning for Bible Class as well. The Wife and children came to the kids Bible Class, but were somewhat
timid, with all the new faces. But we were glad that they were there. They also attended our weekly devotional on Thursday here at the house, where we got to know them a little more personally. They are returning to the states in just a few months, but we are happy to have the oppertunity to spend what time we have together sharing with them about the church.
The Kilimanjaro Marathon ran through town today, so the noise level was up somewhat and afterwards you could see children everywhere along the roads playing in the left over boxes and cups from he drinking stations along the roads.
We will be picking up our Oklahoma Crew tonight at the airport. Brent's brother Matt and our niece Nicole Richardson, along with 10 others who are coming to work with us here in Moshi. We have a week long seminar scheduled up in Marangu this coming week, with evangelism in the mornings and outdoor preaching near the local market in the evenings. So it will be an exciting week to come!
If you would keep Charles Creel in your prayers as he and his family have just suffered the great
loss of His mother, after having returned the the states. And Stephanie & Ashley Stafford are both due to have surgery on the 12th. If you could please, keep these families in your prayers!
Hope that the Good Lord Blesses You and Uses You in His service this week!
We love and Miss you all!
Julie Richardson
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Cindy D
non-member comment
Pictures do tell stories
Wow, Julie. Those pictures make me ashamed to complain about the cost of anything when I go to the store. And I've never seen a dirt tornado. I bet they sting really bad. It looks like ya'll have very full days ahead of you. You will remain in our prayers.