Palm Sunday 2023 and the Lost Sheep

The flight to Tanzania was flawless and Qatar Air and Doha Airport are great. Doha Airport was named best airport globally in 2022. No emptying cabin baggage (ie computers) in the transfer area. The arrival in Dar Es Salaam was not without incident as the five laptops in my luggage had me taken aside to empty out my bags and convince customs I was not selling them. Then checkin was complicated as I was told I could not have them in my checked baggage so had to carry them in cabin baggage! Getting to the hotel wasa nightmare. I walked there once that is how close it is but roadworks made it a 30 minute taxi and 47 minutes next morning.

Having arrived in Musoma Wednesday April 28 with Easter approaching it was clear that Lent is still a big deal and the Easter bunny is not. My trip from Mwanza was punctuated by a brief visit to Bishop Zephaniah Ntuza of the Diocese of Victoria Nyanza.

Dinner with these two.Couriering from Australia to Godwin in Dar and from Deborah to Musoma.

Bishop Ntuza and I lining up for a photo

My favourite sunrise

Our early morning runs are now more manageable with these leads

I am leading a group of 18 Australians who will be at an Anglican conference in Kigali who will come to Tanzania on a lightning tour to visit churches and understand how the church is functioning in a developing country. My visit to the Bishop was to meet him as our final morning will be spent visiting his diocese.

I moved back in with my friend Bishop George who was glad to see me and again have comapny in his lonely role as his wife continues in Dodoma, 1,000kms away. However she arrived for Easter holidays on Saturday night so is here for two weeks on school break. BTW she teaches a class of 235 grade 6/7 primary students with one other teacher! The bishop did ask if they learn anything or is it just chilminding?

I am back walking the dogs with Bishop in the morning. However, having housesat (read dogsitting) for two daughters in Adelaide and Sydney, I have learned a thing or two about how to slow these German Shepherds down. So my gift to Bishop was two dog leads which puts us in control of these sprinters. After two morning walks, we were less run off our feet and both dogs appear to have learned that they can no longer drag us as we control their power through our writs.

It rained non-stop my first three nights here and a funeral for a clergy person an hour and a half away that the bishop was to be at on Saturday proceeded without him as a bridge was under water from the rain. However in this agricultural society, no one complains about it being too wet.

So Palm Sunday was both of us going to the English service. However enroute we were picking up a man he had known for over thirty years who was a leader in the church that he forst was appointed to as a minister and who helped him greatly. He hasn’t graced the inside of a church for decades, having slidden into alcol abuse.

So we were 20 minutes late having waited for this man to get ready. However it was interesting when time came for Bishop to say a few words and he asked this gentleman up and told the congregation his story about how helpful he had been and how he had backslidden and was now returning to church! A big clap from the congregation. It was a lesson to behold as someone was welcomed back as the lost sheep.

The sermon earlier talked about struggle and so it was a theme that fitted in nicely as this man in his late 60s or maybe even 70 was welcomed back. The fact that Bishop made his way to bring him highlighted the humility of this man who has a pastoral heart for people.

Overheads enhanced sine my last time

The lost sheep welcomed back into the fold

Flooding preventing people getting to a funeral

The other pleasing thing was that the overheads using a projector and computer has been enhanced since I left and they have figured out the way to overcome problems. I left having agreed to preach Easter Sunday.

I am here until mid July. My goals on this visit are:

• Facilitating a Leadership Development Program for senior staff here over three months
• 22 April leading 18 people on a tour of 4 dioceses for six days
• Completion of the Strategic plan
• Completion of Bunda Girls School buildings (it started in 2013 so it will be nice to see it finalised)
• Completion of the Strategic plan for which most work was done last year.

So my focus at this stage is getting all details of the tour organised before focussing too hard elsewhere.

New Beginnings

Induction at Mara Easter Week 1

Its has been a busy week here in Musoma. Arriving by local bus from Mwanza (4.5 hours) I learned a lot from just a bus ride. I gave up my seat to a woman with two kids she was standing trying to hold as the bus weaved along the main road avoiding hazards. Lots of young blokes who didn’t even look up. This is a strongly dominated male culture.
Bishop George met me at the bus station and took me home. I am living with him while in Musoma. His wife Janet who teaches in Dodoma came home early for Easter to greet me and head back to Dodoma (20 hours on a bus) on Easter Monday. Christina is the housekeeper who cooks, cleans and does all things domestic. There is a 24 hour security guard at the gate and at night the guards are armed.

Bishop George and his wife Janet

Christina- Cook extraorinairre

The house at night

I had the house to myself on Saturday and Sunday as they went to a village for confirmations and it was too far to travel back Saturday night. I went for a walk up town and cvisited the markets and bought one or two items. A plate to sit on top of the gas stove will allow my stove top espresso maker to keep me in decent coffee.

The heat has surprised me and I did sleep a lot on the weekend. Not sure if it was the heat or effects of jetlag. The weekend also brought news from my wife that she had tested positive for COVID on a PCR after two negative RATS. While concerning she was assuring me she had only mild symptoms. How I have not contacted it as my daughter and two grandkids contracted it in the days prior to my departure and I had significant contact with them the previous weekend at my grandson’s birthday party.

I downloaded Duolingo, hoping to learn some basic Swahili given I am here for more than just a week as have my past visits been. I gave up by Monday, but Glen a former missionary here who is back for ten days to say goodbye after the hasty Covid departure said he would see if there were any books they had when they were learning Swahili.

The first day in the office surpised. I have an office and a title – Business Manager – somewhat embarrassing and I did ask who made way for me to have sucha big office. Katibu (Diocesan Secretary Max) told me it was a meeting room and as I was a “big man” I deserved a big office. By week’s end it was all making sense. The photo of the office says all you need to know about the state of administration not only here but generally in Africa. A meeting with the bishop outlined the tasks he had in mind for me to work on in my time here. The list seemed intimidating initially but as the week went on it was clear I am seen by him as a change agent.

A big office for one

M works in the Link Office

Two Eddies and both Lay Canons

My induction proceeded with introductions to all staff working in the diocesan office here.. There are many departments and significantly a number of younger staff. The diocesan office now has a legal adviser, given litigation is becoming an issue and also to deal with land issues and contracts.

I spent most of Tuesday in Mother’s Union Board meeting. Significantly from that I learned that MU had done training in 2018 on a Church & Community Mobilisation Program (CCMP) and two groups have already saved TZS 30 million (Tanzanian Shillings) or about $18,000 which was used to finance small projects on a loan basis to community members. This is significant and the bishop is keen to have this roll out across the diocese. Reading through the financial statements I was also questioning how accounts are presented and individual cost centres not showing as P&L centres. This is an area to address with finance who was at the meeting. Over the Easter weekend (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) Janet and a number of MU members visited remote villages with gifts of food and school supplies for distribution to needy children and their parents.

Wednesday was sermon preparation day. But first I had to sort out my online access to the bank as I had been locked out due to too many attempts at my passowrd. I ended up having to go to town and but an international bundle for the phone and ringing my bank. Amazingly it only took 10 minutes but the bundle did cost $30 and was needed as I didn’t have SMS for my Australian number to receive a code to verify it was me making the changes.

The Bible readings for Sunday were Psalm 118:14-24, Isaiah 25:6-9, 1 Cor 5:7-8 and Mark 16:1-7. By day’s end I had the outline completed and an idea of what I was going to say.

Maundy Thursday was a meeting with Arthur who has three jobs in the diocese. It went for three hours and it seems he and I will work together trying to help manage his workload and put in systems that will help him. I manged the completion of my sermon and used Google translate to translate it into Swahili. The bishop was impressed at the accuracy of the translated sermon. The subject is The Shroud has Been Lifted. I also wrote a blog on the absence of Easter Bunnies and eggs in Tanzania. It struck me that there is no commercial advertising of Easter. The blog can be located at the link above. At 3pm a service was held in the cathedral with lots of music. I took a video of a song sung by the bishop’s secretary. It is absoultely amazing when you think these singers have no formal music training.

Arthur the Link, Education and

M is Arthur’s assistant

Maundy Thursday worship

Good Friday was church at 10am (English) and at midday a service of the last seven sayings of Jesus which lasted three hours. First time I have ever heard of this type of service but lo and behold Darling Point Anglican in Sydney had the exact same service but with nine last sayings. Church is very liturgical and this would have been a high holy day. Again excellent music. In this context the liturgy is remembered as I observed even young children reciting responses. No prayer books in sight. I downloaded a Swahili song book earlier in the week and was able to attempt to sing some of the songs in Swahili.

Glenn and Dominique who were missionaries here for ten years are back to say goodbye and sort out their goods before going home. A short trip of ten days, they took the bishop and I for dinner to a local restaurant which allowed a time of saying goodbye. The school Glenn led had a farewell for him earlier in the week and formal farewell from the diocese will take place on Tuesday before they head home.

Dinner at Matvilla with Glen and Dom and kids

My diet here is totally changed. I have been doing keto for over three years and the diet here is totally the opposite. High carbs, high protein and low fat. Fat in fact is only in the oil used for cooking and any fish or meat. In the week here I have eaten an extraordinary amount of beans and am surprised at how tasty they are.

Christina the housekeeper here knows how to cook. Rice is an accompaniment with most meals and either a small amount of meat, generally chicken but once we had beef. Spinach as greens and plantains (cooked bananas) are regular side dishes and maybe 100 -150grams of meat on any day. On the days eating out I order tilapia, a freshwater fish from Lake Victoria – arguably the tastiest fish in the world. The house is literally a 200 metre walk to the largest lake in Africa.

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MU ladies on their way to villages

Tilapia

Perhaps the biggest change is walking the dogs or should I say the dogs running us. It is a brisk 2.5 km circuit as the dogs pull us along. I haven’t exercised as hard in many years. My heart rate is getting to 160 according to my Fitbit. My thighs are feeling it. On Saturday the dogs get a wash that essentially dips them in public dog bath and has chemicals for parasites, ticks and allows them to be scrubbed down. This happened before sunrise so they get the first bath. 80 to 100 dogs go through the same water on Saturdays for 500 TZS each.

Central markets

Central markets

Communion wine is stored in a water bottle

Adram pastors the English congregation

Magnificent sunsets abound on Lake Victoria

Easter is the diocesan auditor – a new position

So it has been busy, tiring but a great start. I am lookning forward to the next few months.

How Can it be Easter if there is No Easter Bunny?

Missing in Action – no Easter Bunny can be found in Tanzania.

This is the question that came to me a week after arriving in Tanzania where I am volunteering with the Anglican Church of Tanzania in Mara Diocese. It struck me earlier in the week that there is no chocolate to be seen or advertised anywhere.

No Easter Bunny.

No Easter eggs.

No advertising it is Easter week. Where has Easter disappeared to in this country? What is going on?

Based at the area office of the church, everyone there is acutely aware that this is Easter week. Church last Sunday had everyone waving palm leaves, as it was Palm Sunday. This was the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt and the crowds covered the streets in palm leaves in honour of their king. A week later this same crowd were shouting for his execution. No chocolate eggs that day, only blood and death.

But where is the commercial reality that reminds us it is Easter. Can we really have an Easter celebration without chocolate? I realise this is a heresy for which I could be crucified (metaphorically speaking).

The theft of Easter in our consumer driven west has meant that those “celebrating” Easter are celebrating a myth. This is the myth that chocolate eggs and rabbits are the reason for Easter. Spiritual issues are avoided. The guilt driven may attend a church service along with the annual Christmas pilgrmage. But outside that it is eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow …..

Gone is the Easter celebration of the man who gave his life in the humiliation of death on a cross. The God man dying the death each of us deserved to offer us each an escape from eternal death. We squander this gift for chocolate eggs. We satisfy carnal desires in lieu of seeking the spiritual reality that Easter offers.

Maundy Thursday had a 3pm church service where choirs ranging in age from seniors to junior groups sang about their understanding of Easter. No chocolate. No exchange of gifts. Simply joy at the gift provided by God who gives them hope for the future and joy in the present.

One of the choirs at the Maundy Thursday Church Service

Could there be another reason why western marketing has not made it here to the streets of Musoma and most other towns in Tanzania to extol the importance of the Easter Bunny? Oh that’s right, chocolate is expensive. There is no market for people whose lives are lived on survival incomes. Where it is rare to see anyone smoking cigarettes. Where AU$200 monthly is a living wage. Where the manager of a mobile phone shop trades her increased income for the lowly salary of a church worker because she sees the value in serving others, not chasing a material life.

Are the culture wars in the developed world seeking to shut down Christianity so that the spiritual challenges of our mortality can be literally out of sight and out of mind. So everyone can be a monkey. See no Christianity.Hear no Christinity. Definitely don’t speak Christianity. Slincing Christians won’t stop the good news of Easter. Jesus came Jesus Ddied. Jesus rose from the dead. 2000 years of attempts to stop Christianity have failed. Using the Easter Bunny to divert us from the Easter message may blind many but won’t stop Easter being celebrated for what is is all about.