Memories of the Tanzania Trip - Fall, 2002
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November, 2002
Jambo, Rafiki Yangu (Hello, to my friends) from NW Ohio.
Yes I am back from Dodoma, Tanzania, East Africa. It was a wonderful trip. All 16 of us stayed healthy. Bishop Mwamasika took very good care of me. I was treated lake a queen. He was always there to tell me to rest or to pick us up in his Land Rover. He is a good shepherd of his people. The weather was in the low 80's during the day and low 60's in the night but it was a dry type heat and very comfortable. The sun was close to our heads when we were outside at noon. That was hot, so we wore hats.
Our airplane flight was uneventful. We lost 7 hours going over to Tanzania.
We flew out of Detroit to Amsterdam and then to Dar Es Salaam. Bishop Mwamasika
was at the airport to greet us and helped us get through customs. I looked over
his shoulder and there stood Elizabeth Ringo, whom I had left in Bluffton, OH.
with Pastor Maurer last July never thinking I would see her again. We both
started crying and laughing at the same time. What a friend she is.
Yes, I did see all of the ladies and gentlemen who came to Northwest Ohio
last June and July
except Eva, Betty, and Peter. They all send you their love.
One of the first ladies I saw was Tina. She is doing fine and looks so happy.
Sally lost her husband this year and he is buried in her backyard. Joyce and I wore
the dresses we wore the first time we saw each other in Toledo. They were very
similar which pleased us and made us good friends immediately. We wore them the
same day at the convention. I met Sarah's children. She still wants very much to
come back to Ohio. She is doing fine. Rose came to the convention on Monday and
was my translator for the day. She had a miracle story to tell me of how she got
to come to the convention, it seems she lives in Dar Es Salaam and that is a 
full days trip to Dodoma by bus. I will share her miracle story with you later.
Sifa was busily helping run the convention. She had the women of NW Ohio to her home for breakfast one morning before the convention. She made me roasted peanuts, which she had raised and roasted over an open fire, and homemade potato chips to take on our 12-hour bus trip to Arusha. Did they ever taste good!
Remember Adelina who could not speak any English last year. While we were hugging she started talking to me in English. I said, "Adelina! What has happened? You are speaking English!" She said, "I am trying." Adelina was the Diocese President as I am the Synodical Women's President. She did a great job at the convention. She gave me a letter as I left Dodoma, actually a prayer request. Here it is.
Mkunde was there and we hugged and hugged since language was a barrier, her
son and nephew
helped us and we found out we were the same age! This pleased her
very much. Her home is close to the church office. I asked her nephew to find
out for me how she felt about her visit to Ohio last year. She gave me a report
that is excellent. I will share this with you later.
And last but not least, I had a surprise meeting with Godwin or Goodie as we
called him! (Remember, he was always taking video pictures at the convention). I
had shared with the Bishop I really wanted to see Peter and 
Goodie who lived in
Kondoa. We were driving through the main road in Kondoa when the Bishop yelled
at a truck coming at us. The truck proceeded to stop and the driver was Goodie.
We both screamed and laughed and hugged right in the middle of the village of
Kondoa. It seems Peter was up in the mountains. Eva moved away is all they said
and Betty wasn't at the convention. No one would really say why.
The people of Dodoma are very kind people as they warmly
welcomed us wherever
we went. This giraffe, symbol of their country, was their farewell gift to each
of us. My heart and mind are still with these dear sisters of the Dodoma.
More stories will follow throughout the year and I am available to speak at your organizations and churches.
Pat Hirschfeld
November, 2002