Reflections

So as we suggested in our blog ‘Friends from afar’, this weekend we received some thoughts/reflections from our friends who recently spent 3 weeks in Tanzania and 1 week with us. We have left their thoughts almost completely untouched so as to not lose their voice! Let’s read what they thought…

This was our first trip to Africa and just as we were warned it is an infectious place! Tanzanians were so friendly and welcoming, they made me want to go and wait at Heathrow for random people to arrive and then welcome them with open arms and as warm a welcome as we received in TZ.
The most stunning thing was the beautiful range of fantastic landscapes and scenery we experienced. Everything from long white sandy oceans through to safari grasslands, rivers, woodland, plains, peaks and hills. Our photos simply don't do justice to the beauty of the place and the huge range of landscapes we saw in such a small area of the planet.
We had the real privilege to meet some 'real' people who we would not have met had we stuck to tourist areas and resorts. These moments were real highlights of our trip and we are indebted to those who welcomed us into their homes with such warm hospitality and were willing to answer some of the questions we had about culture and their lives.
We were also humbled as we were forced to think of all the everyday things that we take for granted in the UK. Things such as a reliable supply of electricity, safe water supply and tarmac roads. We never think about these things are really are quite blessed to have what we have. We take so much for granted on a daily basis.
However we did enjoy being able to shop in a market and seeing farms where produce were grown. It was great to have really fresh milk and bake our own bread. All these pleasures have largely been stolen from us by a supermarket which shields us from reality really and a society which puts great distance between us and where things come from and how things are made. I honestly believe children today in the UK believe that sweetcorn grows in a can and would be shocked to learn that you could make bread in your own kitchen! I hope that we can regain a sense of simple reality into our lives.
We were also obviously saddened by the reality of poverty, seeing villages who's crops had failed because the rains had failed and just observing the high numbers of people who were unable to find work and therefore struggling to provide for families was upsetting.
We had a fantastic time at church on our Sunday in Mbeya where the joy people had for YHWH was something else, I couldn't help but join in praising God, trying to clap along and make my stubborn white man body get some rhythm and not just stand their rigid! It was a real pleasure to worship with the congregation and whilst i didnt understand more than 2 words (Amena and Mungu) it was a great experience.
Our Tanzanian experience has made us hungry to visit more of Africa and has definitely changed our outlook on life and been an experience we will never forget.
Matt and Liz aren't bad hosts either!

Many thanks to Chris and Rosie for taking time to reflect on their experiences and put it down ‘on paper’ for us… not to mention actually coming and visiting! It is so exciting for us to see and hear people’s experiences out here, especially if it is their first time. It certainly helps to remind us of some of the differences and challenges there are. We are sure we will be reminded of that, perhaps in an opposite way, on our brief return to the UK later this week… we shall certainly write of our experiences later!

To view a couple of quick videos of our church (to which Chris and Rosie referred to in their reflections) please click here and here.