2009: The Year Ahead

As we stand at the beginning of this New Year, it is interesting to remember where we were this time last year and how little we new about the year ahead! We were less than three weeks away from leaving for Tanzania, finishing up packing, saying goodbyes and waiting for work permits! We knew that awaiting us was a largely unknown place, some training and language learning, and then a new job and home. What it all looked like, and how it would pan out, was unknown. Thankfully, looking back, we can see that it was all well planned out and that we were never alone or in need. I would like to say that our faith levels have been increased through this past year and I’m sure they have, I mean I know we definitely had some time of having to just sit back and trust! However its amazing how quickly one starts to struggle again the very next time an unexpected or unknown arises isn’t it?!

Looking forward to the coming year we do know more about it than we did last year. We have an exciting year ahead (one other positive about knowing more is that you can be excited about it rather than just unknowing!) and thought you might like to get a rough idea of our coming months.

January: office work preparing materials for the basic literacy teacher training; welcoming and supervising a short-termer from Holland (until March); supervising our literacy workers from the areas as they come in to finalise their storybooks; visiting the Kinga language office (weather and roads permitting!).

February: the same as above except that we are planning to visit the Sangu, Vwanji and Nyakyusa language offices.

March: more of above and we plan to visit the Bena language office; Matt has 2 weeks of branch ‘strategy & governance’ meetings in Dar; a couple of our friends are coming to visit (yey!).

April: finalising work in office; Easter break; and a two week return to the UK (more details to follow)!

May: return from UK; plan for and facilitate our first artists workshop; final preparations for the Basic Literacy Workshop.

June: aforementioned workshop for two weeks; other office tasks.

July: branch conference in Kenya; final preparations for literacy conference poster/presentation.

August: Matt’s parents and some friends visiting (so we will take some/most holiday here!); further language area visits.

September: lots of calendar distribution again with language area visits.

October: the same as above.

November: project planning meetings; more office work.

December: Christmas!

As you can see the plans get thinner as we get further through the year, however we thought it might be interesting to see some of the events that are lining up ahead of us right now. We are excited about the year ahead: the challenge of ‘coordinating’ the department from January until May while our supervisor is back in Austria, the joy of having friends and family coming to visit and see our home, the excitement of returning to the UK albeit briefly, and the unknown of the work and the obstacles that it will bring! Thank you for supporting us in it all. We trust your 2009 will be full of the same, though quite different, things!