Nursery - what an experience!

We have been blessed to be able to spend a few days at a nursery in Dodoma, where Esther has had a few days to get used to a lot of children in one place. Although she is a very sociable child, she has not had much experience in sitting with other children or in listening to the teacher, and interacting is a fairly new thing too - when there are so many children, and when she doesn't know many of them either.

Playing doctors with her friend Anna, and a few other new friends.

We were invited to help out at their Sports Day, and that proved to
be a lot of fun.

Sports Day

Filling up the bucket - what a game!

It's time for the Teddy Bear's Picnic. A tiring but fun filled day.

Party at SEMA Nursery

We were invited over to the nursery to join with 2 American guests who had been visiting for a week. They were living here at MAF, and the lady, Pastor Laura Guy was teaching a seminar each evening at the church out at N'gon'ghona. She and her husband Cliff had a great week, being involved in a number of different activities. They were up for anything and it was their first experience of Africa. Well done you guys!


This is the nursery where Julie Anne teaches (as a volunteer) each Monday, some English through Bible stories, songs and Nursery rhymes. We have been involved here since we came to work in Tanzania, 6 years ago. Kathryn Cole was the matron at that time, but when she and Michael left MAF Tanzania and returned to the UK, I became matron. The Boys Brigade gave us some money from their Anchor Boys, and we spent it on little tables and chairs, so that the children would be able to sit and draw and play at tables and chairs of suitable heights. Prior to this, they sat on benches. Thanks Moneymore BB.

The party was to thank them for coming and to say 'Farewell'. The children sang a couple of songs for them, and Laura had some gifts to leave with them after talking to them and praying for them too.
It was a lovely party, and Laura and Cliff were given some clothes as a farewell gift.

We shared some food and drinks with the children, teachers and parents.

This was a part of a Sabbatical for Laura - and not a lot of rest.
We trust they will return to their home church refreshed, and be able to share God's blessing that they have felt in their lives, with their people back in Living Water Christian Church, Missouri in the Kansas City area.


We took this picture after all the talking, singing and eating and drinking was done and all gifts were given.

Other birthdays in May and June

A very good friend of ours, Claire, celebrated a birthday in May, so we had an excuse to find a baby sitter and go out for a meal with some friends, and no children. It was fun, and we brought some of the group back afterwards for coffee and birthday cake, followed by a game of pictionary - which was great craic!

Claire is in the middle - the birthday girl!



Many snaps taken on the night!





Great pizza at this Italian pizzreia. Worth a trip for sure! And it's right here in Dodoma!


Aleah's Birthday Party
Esther was also at a birthday party. Aleah, a little friend of hers who lives on our compound, had her third birthday party, and she had a pussy cat theme. What fun for little girls!


After some lovely delicate face painting, the cats were ready.


What gorgeous pussy cats there were at the party.


When they started creeping around the room, they came across another cute little kittie - Soraya, who you can't really see in the picture below.

More fun shots from the party.



Cute kitty cats!

What a fun time they all had!

Esther had a great time at the party with her friends.

Ian's Birthday Party


Ian, our programme manager celebrated his 65th birthday in June too. He also went to the pizzeria (like Claire) and then he returned to our house for some birthday cake and a dvd. A good evening!

Benjamin's Birthday

Benjamin turned 7 on the 20th May and had been looking forward to his special day for quite a while. We decided to have some friends round for a party, to watch a movie with them and start it all off with a swim, early in the afternoon, when it was still a bit warm.

Unfortunately it was a cooler afternoon, and fairly cloudy. Although the boys enjoyed a few games and races in the water,...



...and a lot of boy stuff...



it was too chilly for most of the girls, who preferred to just do their own thing, and not do any races. What are girls like, really?

Anyway, they all had fun.
And the girls did join in with some games!

Some fun snaps from the pool!





After about an hour at the pool they went to the playground for a play and then we played a few games, like 'Hunt the Daddy', 'Hunt the Birthday Boy' and hunting for them both together. The kids had a blast, and were very keen to be the first to find the person hiding when sweets were given out as rewards.

Benjamin loves DVD's and so a full length DVD is always very exciting for him! So, we had a dvd, followed by a birthday tea.



Just in case you were wondering what on earth is that cake supposed to look like? - the school bus is the answer to your question!

Mount Hanang

Glenn has just been to climb Mount Hanang.

'... Mount Hanang, ... at 3,417m (11,212 feet) is the fourth highest mountain in Tanzania. It is a grand volcanic cone, rising steeply above the surrounding plains ... but very few visitors know of its existence.' According to the Lonely Planet book, Trekking in East Africa.

He had been hoping to find some guys that would be willing to do this for a long time now, so was delighted when some of the men that he is friendly with here in Dodoma were interested.
The guys that climbed with him were...

Ruben, ...

Martin, ...

Paul, ...

Ian...

... and Glenn.

After driving to Kondoa, about halfway up the northern road to Arusha, they turned off north-west to Katesh. This was where they stayed over night, before the hike and after it.


Here in Katesh they picked up their guide, Thomas (above), who has climbed Hanang many times.

Some of the flowers and fauna that he saw whilst up Hanang that caught his attention.







I like the yellow one!


This little house was part of a village on the way up.


Due to time the team of guys made it up to the outer cone at 10,500 feet before they had to begin their descent, as time would not allow them to go further. A pretty impressive climb as they started hiking at just below 6,000 feet. It was a 6 hour hike up and a further 4 hours down. Well done guys! But which hurt the most? The up, or the down?