Isimila, the Stone Age Site

Twenty kilometers from Iringa, off the Mbeya Road, lies Isimila where archeologists discovered Stone Age tools in the early '50s. We visited last Saturday, an absolutely gorgeous day with bright sunshine, no rain, and just enough breeze to make a walk through the mostly dry Isimila river bed pleasant. The gorge formed by tens of thousands of years of erosion provides some of the most dramatic vistas in all of Tanzania--and that's saying a lot. It's a little like the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Colorado's Garden of the Gods all rolled into one and miniaturized.

After viewing a display of Stone Age tools (60,00 to 100,000 years old) unearthed by three separate archeological digs over the last half century, we were taken on a walk down into the canyon, through the valley of sandstone pillars, haunting, towering structures left after erosion. Our guide Donatus, an archeologist who works at the site, gave us a wonderful summary filled with both fact and lore about the area. In fact, we felt so confident by the end that we were able to spot more tools in the river bed ourselves. This coming September an expedition will arrive from the U of Dar es Salaam to continue excavation; Donatus will be accompanying the team.

Sunday in Isimani

We knew that today was the day we would go to Isimani. We knew that today was the day we would present the bicycles. We knew that the day would begin with breakfast at the pastor's home, followed by the worship service, and lunch, again at the pastor's home. We knew that there would be singing and dancing and clapping of hands.

What we didn't know is that the following conversation would ensue over breakfast.

Russ: Pastor Chaula, since we do not have an interpreter, I hope we will be able to discuss the content of your sermon over lunch.

Dot: Pastor Chaula, what is your sermon going to be about?

Pastor Chaula (to Dot and Russ): It is customary that when we have visitors that they give the sermon.

Dot (gulp, gulp): What is the gospel lesson?

Pastor Chaula: It is the story in John about the woman adultress and the people who wanted to stone her.

Dot (looking at Russ): Sure; we can do that. You betcha.

An hour later we preached the sermon. It included a dramatic portrayal with Dot playing the part of the woman about to be stoned and Russ doing dual duty as the Pharisees and Jesus. It didn't lose anything in translation, and when we return to Holy Trinity, we'll be glad to do an encore presentation.

Seriously, we "preached" about sin being separation from Jesus, and that each one of us, either privately or collectively, are sinners who have been brought back into fellowship through Jesus' death. We talked about how nations also can be guilty of sin, how nations then can come back into fellowship with one another through partnerships in Jesus, and how those partnerships strengthen both sides.

Today was the trip to Isimani to deliver bicycles. Isimani is about an hour away by car but a world away in experience.

Our day began this morning in downtown Iringa at the bicycle shop where Pastor Chaula and his hired lorry met the two of us, along with Don Fultz and Dennis Engele. It took a couple of hours to inspect and load the bicycles--and break for lunch at the Hasty Tasty--before we headed out of town. Through the valley between mountains to the end of the paved road, then another 45 mintues down a rocky dirt road, down a narrow dirt track, down a narrower dirt track, and finally Isimani itself up to the front of the main church, where a group of women greeted us with hugs and "trilling." The bikes were unloaded and safely secreted into the church until Sunday.

We were led to Pastor Chaula's home for tea and lunch prepared by his wife and the other women. After lunch was a business meeting punctuated with prayer and singing and the introduction of some of the evangelists and congregational leaders who'd arrived to meet us. Before we said goodbye we arranged to return for service on Sunday, at which time we'll officially present the bicycles.

Isimani is an agricultural region. While Iringa and the countryside surrounding it are lush and green with generous rains, Isimani is dry. Once again, the maize and sunflower crops are failing. It is a very poor community. It is also a community with pride where joy and generousity overwhelm and humble the visitor.

Bicycles a la BKB

Another day, another adventure. No classes at Tumaini this morning because of the Muslim holiday, so we accompanied Don and Dennis from Bega Kwa Bega to the bicycle emporium of the central market place and negotiated for 18 bicycles and repair kits. On Thursday we'll follow the truck to Isimani to deliver them to Pastor Chaula and his evangelists.

Speaking of Muslim holidays, we're discovering that water department workers have the day off. This is problematic for us because due to mud in the lines, we have had no water in the house since yesterday afternoon. No water today; no water tomorrow. I find it's a great excuse to eat out.

Last Sunday we again ventured out into the countryside with BKB folks, this time to Nganegae in the mountains, a little further than our trip the previous Sunday to Kilolo. It's a six- or seven-hour event beginning with breakfast at the pastor's house, singing and dancing to take us to church, a three-hour service with singing and dancing, more singing and dancing outside afterwards, an auction for the chickens and corn brought to offering, singing and dancing, and finally lunch at the pastor's house, with singing and dancing. Did we mention the singing and dancing?

Each time we do this, we're treated to a wonderful sermon with translation. In effect, we hear the sermon twice, both times with a liberal amount of playacting to get the points across. Don or Gary preaches...Pastor Msigwa improves on the message! Stewardship has been the theme each day: the widow's mite, Zachaeus, every tenth ear of corn for the church until the pile at the altar grows to the ceiling.

Tomorrow, hopefully, classes resume. By the end of the week we should have our full complement of students.

Lunch at the Hasty Tasty

Hello from Iringa, Tanzania! It's two weeks today since we arrived in Iringa, and every day and every moment has held a surprise. Today was no exception. After our daily shopping excursion to the Iringa Central Market to buy tomatoes and peppers, we stopped in at the Hasty Tasty for a bite to eat and promptly ran into some folks from Keene, NH, who are here with Global Volunteers. He's a retired surgeon and they were volunteering at a hospital/medical center 50 kilometers away.

For anyone who's ever visited the Hasty Tasty before (it's featured in the Lonely Planet), you might remember the owner/operator who looks more like a transplanted New Yorker than a local, you'll also remember he's as jolly as they come, proven by the fact that when we went to pay our bill and discovered empty wallets, he said, "No problem! Stop by any time!" We must confess that the reason for the depleted cash supply had a lot to do with a local named Mgotcha (NOT a joke) who keeps trapping us with enticements. If he doesn't get us, he has a buddy close behind named Mr. Cheaper (also NOT a joke) does the follow-up presentation. Our house is filling up with batiks and banana leaf pictures.

Tomorrow we get picked up early in the morning by Bega Kwa Bega folks (one of our sponsoring agents) to drive two and a half hours (on Tanzanian roads...30 minutes in the US) for a worship service at what is know here as a "preaching point." There will be breakfast at the pastor's home served by the women of the congregation followed by singing and dancing to lead us into the church. Two hours for the service won't be unusual, but rest assured that with all the singing and dancing, clapping, drumming, and bell ringing, no one will fall asleep. Afterward we'll have dinner at the pastor's house, a tour of local projects jointly sponsored between the ELCA and the ELCT, then another bumpy ride home. It's through the mountains, where--as Russ says--there's scenery that would light up the eyes of real estate agents in New England. It will be breathtaking.

Then Monday will arrive, and maybe we'll even have students.