Testimony Time, Power and Sweet Singing

Wow! Pole sana everyone! It has been a really long time since my last blog. Life here in Dar is still going well. I'll share some general update stuff, then share a fun story...

-My work at the international school during the week has been moving from background helper to more concrete teaching work, which is reall great. I've had the opportunity to teach a lesson in a secondary history class on African history, as well as do some exam prep; I've taken small groups of German students to work on what they've been learning together; finally, with a maternity leave resulting in potentially no primary music classes, I've worked with the music teacher and am doing a few weeks of music class myself (with another teacher around) which has been tons of fun.

-I've discovered where to find the best coffee in town, although it is really far from where I live- but still, a couple rainy afternoons spent sipping some wonderful coffee while reading a great book.

-I have been walking long distances somehow, and dragged one of the youth from the church I'm helping at on the weekends on a long hike down the Ocean Road near the city center, ending up at the fish market where I got to see the variety of ocean fish brought in and the stands of really beautiful seashells brought in from a few remote coastal/island areas of Tanzania. My young friend nearly died- I told him something is wrong when a mzungu is more able/willing to walk long distances than a mswahili. :)

-There have been wageni (visitors) at my house, which has been great- some friends of people I know in Mwanza en route there, and others friends of the couple whose house I'm living in. It has been lots of fun, especially as I'm otherwise alone in a big house with big walls separating me from my neighbours. Company is always great!

-Plans are more set now. I will leave Dar before the end of May, and head to Turkey before arriving home July 6. I'm excited to explore some new places!

-Yesterday I managed to finally beat my mom, who has always preemptively called me on every key special day, preventing me from initiating something for her... I called for Mother's Day a day early, and thus was able to reach her before she "did me a favour and called me first" like she always does. Finally I win! :)

So, here's my story....
Sunday, a week ago, we had the sound system at church all set up and ready to go, the worship team had practiced, the microphones were set properly, and we were all ready to start, when the power went out. They could get a generator, but it would take a while and make the service start really really late if we waited for it. So, I am glad to say that in the test I managed to pass- for those of you who know about my trip to Serbia you may remember the lesson God was trying to teach me stemming from smoking keyboards and off-key singers, it seems He wanted to check if I had finally taken the lesson in... :) Rather than panic, or wait for ages for the generator, I proceeded to lead in some a capella singing. We began with Il m'a sauve, which I have been teaching kids both in Mwanza and here in Dar, to celebrate how he has saved us, loved us, washed us, touched us, etc. And then stopped for some old-school testimony time that was so hugely encouraging. I tried to remind people that while umeme (power-electricity) was missing, we still had reason to praise Him and anyway still had Mungu (God) and therefore the more important kind of power was still present. The testimonies then flowed out of that, and people just wouldn't stop. Instead of having to coax it out of them, it just began gushing out... what he has done in their lives. It kept going long after I figured it would. And then we sang, in English and Kiswahili, Hakuna Mungu kama wewe (There's no one, there's no one like Jesus), one of the local Kiswahili favourites- and they were singing like I've never seen/heard them sing before. So great! So, in it I was able to share my little story too, from a few days previous. On the Friday I got up way too late and was going to miss the beginning of primary assembly where I had to play piano for the national anthem (of Tanzania- which I now know). Images of everyone being upset at the irresponsible volunteer Mr. Schalm were floating through my head. I had just shut off my alarm upon waking up, and fell right back asleep. So I quickly got ready and headed out, but there was no way of reaching the main road where the 3 wheeled bajajis are always waiting, who can take me the rest of the way to the school. I told God as much, informing him that without a ride sasa hivi (just now) I would never make it, and noting that such a ride was not possible as the bajajis are never just hanging around in the subdivision by my house. Well, a minute later as I was walking, a random work truck stopped and the driver asked me where I was going. I told him, and he told me to get in. (all in Kiswahili of course) So I did. No, this is not hitchhiking; people use whatever random transport all the time, just not normally wazungu like me. So not strange that a truck would pick up a random passenger, but strange that he would ask me, which is something the taxis and bajajis do but trucks don't. So we got to the main road, and I asked him how much I owed for the ride- expecting the sort of price from a bajaji or dalla dalla. He waved me off, refusing to be paid, and then drove off. I was able to get a bajaji and reach the school even a few minutes earlier than needed to play Mungu Ibariki Africa (God bless Africa) for the primary assembly. So I was able to contribute to the testimony time Sunday during our wonderful service without umeme. Some good local yelling and whistling (part of any celebration or excitement) followed the story, and such enthusiasm was far more than normal for this rather subdued English-language church. So, some more Bwana Asifiwe was in order, and is in order, and I gratefully declare it again alongside the church and alongside all of you who are learning to say it back home!

Whew, that was a long one- hopefully it makes up for the month of no updates. I miss you all and will be home soon!