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Our First Trip to Bethany
It is now several weeks since myself, Graham and Anya arrived back from the Bethany Project in Tanzania. It almost seems like a dream now, I look at the faces of the children on photographs and remember the Tanzanian team at the other side of the world.
After three flights from the UK we arrived at Mwanza airport and were greeted by Bibi Jane and Paul who are two of the Bethany team. After a bumpy but interesting ride in the Land Rover we arrived at Bethany. We were shown to our rooms which were certainly not as basic as I had imagined. We had electric lights providing no one overloaded the system, running water most of the time and if you timed it right you could even have a warm shower heated by the sun. Our beds had mosquito nets and there were insect screens on the windows to keep the 'nasties' out.
Everyone was up by 6.30 before it was even light with the children off to school by 7 in order for them to undertake the 20 minute walk to the village school. Scattered along the side of the road are the mud brick houses with roofs made of dried grass or tin. Men and boys wander around with small herds of goats and cows. Everyone smiles and tries out their English on you as you fail to catch the Swahili greetings unless you really concentrate. You are quite a novelty to the villagers as you walk along the road from Bethany to Yitmiwmila village.
Graham was soon involved in any DIY tasks that needed completing including 'resurrecting' the blackboard, mending beds and painting in preparation for the group of students from the UK who were to arrive two days before we left. When I mention Graham I mean by husband Graham and not Graham Pountain. Anya and I busied ourselves with the children and undertook craft activities, reading, English lessons and teaching English worship songs. We also helped the children reply to letters they had been sent from England.
On our first day we were privileged to be able to go to the wedding of Feleshi (one of the Bethany workers) who was getting married to Loyesa. All 41 of us piled in the Land Rover and trailer for a memorable journey with everyone joining in singing celebration wedding songs with great enthusiasm. The little mud church was packed. Some people sat on benches and others sat on the floor, those who couldn't fit inside stood looking in through doors and windows. Everything was so colourful, the whole village was there. The celebration moved from the church to the village. The people in the village provided the food which was rice and meat and it was really tasty! We left at about three and then later on in the day we headed out to Magu to do some shopping which can be a really long process. While Graham P was doing the Bethany shopping we wandered around the shops in the centre of Magu trying to look inconspicuous but failing miserably.
Jane took us on a visit to the school where we met the teachers. There are 10 of them for 400 pupils who's ages range from around 7 to 20. We then strolled back through the village and went in the three local churches, all ingeniously built with dried mud bricks just like the houses. In the evening the whole village came to Bethany to watch a video projected onto a large sheet fastened to the wall of one of the buildings. Everyone found somewhere to sit and then watched Tom and Jerry cartoons followed by Gladiator with Daniel, one of the Bethany volunteers, translating.
On another occasion we went to see a baptism at Paul's church as 21 young people declared their faith and after the service we all walked down to Lake Victoria to witness the baptisms. Again there was singing as we walked with people carrying colourful umbrellas and branches to shade themselves from the sun. Everyone from the area came to join the celebration. Their worship and prayer is very moving, you can't understand the words but you certainly know they mean every word of it. They are so enthusiastic and sincere.
On our second Sunday we went to Bunda which boarders the Serengeti. The Land Rover was comfortably full with about 14 of us, all excited at what we might see. Whilst driving we saw ostriches, monkeys, gazelles and a large group of tourists. It was a great morning and on the way back we had time to attend the service at Paul's church. Anya and Paul sang with Anya being asked at short notice to sing a song in Swahili which everyone found amusing. We visited four boys in a local village who were waiting to come to Bethany The boys' big brown eyes were filled with fear and a sense of being lost. Their diabetic father, whose wife had died 2 years previously with diabetes was hoping they would be taken on the day of our visit. Before leaving we took photographs of the boys for the Bethany records.
Many of the locals had few possessions, yet they seemed content. Their love of Jesus and their faith is so strong without all the complications of wealth and western society that we are hindered by. On reflection I wonder who has the wealth. We have the material wealth but they are much richer spiritually as they depend on God for so much more. We are too dependant on ourselves and the things we own. The whole trip was an experience never to be forgotten and a tremendous challenge to our priorities in life. I don't think any of us will be the same again. We gained so much from the people there. We live lives of spiritual poverty but enjoy all the comforts of living in the developed world. They live less affluent lives but have a spiritual richness. The visit caused us to think of our lives as a journey to our home in heaven. We all travel along different routes, some more difficult than others with different tests from God along the way to make us more like Jesus. For those who love the Lord whether we be Tanzanian or British we will all be released from the restraints of life when we arrive at our destination, hallelujah what a great day that will be, Bwana asifiwe (praise the Lord ).
Elaine Earnshaw 10/10/03
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