Tricountry Partnership

I made it to Iringa Saturday evening after a nice ride with Miraji.  Miraji is constantly signalling to other drivers to slow down when there is a police stop ahead or if there isn't, he tells them they can speed up with hand signals.  Every time we would see a police he would go on about how corrupt they are.  He knows where the police usually are and we never got stopped.  Saw lots of animals in Mikumi, especially giraffes.  I am partial to tall things.

Miraji and his Japanese Noah Car

Having pizza at Tan Swiss outside of Mikumi NP

Sunday was settle in and go to an English language service attended by Iringa expat residents.  Monday morning I met with Peter and Hanael who I will be working with on water projects.  All of a sudden, Peter got up and ran out the door.  Turns out he saw Pastor Wihale visiting the Diocese offices and wanted to catch him before he got away.  Pastor Wihale is our partner pastor in Kising'a and he was with a pastor friend and a Lutheran pastor from Sweden whose church also is in a partnership with Kising'a.  Sue and I met Pastor Mikael Sjodin with a group by chance in Dar 5 years ago and now we happen to meet again. 

USA - Tanzania - Sweden Partners Shoulder to Shoulder

Mikael had just returned from 4 days in Kising'a and was leaving the next day.  It was great to see him with a chance to talk and we went to dinner together that evening.  He reported that the water system was working great and that Anna, Pastor Wihale's oldest daughter and one of our sponsored students, was managing the library with the books we have sent.  The books are popular and really getting used.  I will be going to Kising'a on Thursday the 26th staying over the weekend, and can hardly wait.

Pastor Yohna and Pastor Wihale

 The church in Rodon, Sweden is also a partner with Kilolo parish and the former pastor of Kilolo was with them.  Pastor Yohna and Pastor Wihale made a trip to Sweden a couple years ago to visit their partner.  They went in winter, went skiing and ice fishing, and had a great time.  Mikael told me at dinner that he had asked Yohna what could he bring back from Sweden to make his wife happy, thinking he might ask for a dress or something.  Instead, he thought the thing that would make his wife most happy was a chain saw.  Turns out his wife has a timber business and pays men to cut timber so a chain saw would increase production and profits.  This trip Mikael tried to pack a chain saw in his luggage and was paged at the airport in Sweden and told that he couldn't bring a chain saw.  They said that it would be confiscated at Shiphol in Amsterdam so he sent it back home.