Mikumi

Wednesday and Thursday of this week were spent at Mikumi National Park. We left after lunch on Wednesday and made the short drive to the park. When we arrived we unloaded our things at the lodge and had a soda before going out to the bush. As we drank our soda zebras, elephants and buffalo were all drinking at the water hole only a 20 yards away from us- I already knew this was going to be a great trip.

That night we were in the bush to watch the sunset. We had seen so many animals: zebras, elephants, cape buffalo, baboons, wildebeests, hartebeests, impala, warthog, giraffes, a hippo, and numerous birds. It was unreal. At one point we got out and walked around a water hole. Our footprints were minimal compared to the elephants prints we were walking next too. I thought I was living in the Lion King :)

When we arrived back at the lodge we passed a huge herd of cape buffalo on their way to the water hole. There were probably at least 150 of them. Because it was dark, we couldn’t see them well but we could scene their presence. We went back into our rooms before supper and when we were going to walk over the to main lodge, they had moved in and were between our cabins. They were only about 10 feet away from us as we walked on the sidewalk. It was a pretty unique experience but dangerous at the same time. A worker had told us that buffalo are responsible for more human deaths then any other animal in the forest.

We ate super by candle light with a gentle breeze in the air. We could hear splashing in the water hole and the restlessness of animals as they walked around. That night, I fell asleep to the sounds of elephants.

The next morning we woke early in hopes of seeing lions. After getting ready, we went out to the porch and saw 10-15 elephants at the water hole. They slowly meandered across camp, through the cabins. When we walked to the lodge for tea, the elephants were only a few yards away.

We went out into the bush and drove around for most of the morning. We once again saw many animals. In the late morning another vehicle on the road flashed their lights at us. We drove to them and they told us they had seen lions. We went to the area where they told us they were- there were three of them and we drove off the road to get a closer view. Three females sat under the tree undisturbed by our presence. Elephants were on one side of the tree and buffalo on another. I am sure they were much more occupied with watching these animals.

The rest of the day was spent driving and looking at animals. We left the park and went to a snake farm before driving home. Mikumi was a really great experience and it was nice to have a mini break from Swahili class.

I hope all is well back home! Take care- michael

O The Places We Have Been!

This weekend was a busy one with three village visits and three church services. Each visit was very different and unique. For this post I have decided to to do a "photo blog." I hope the photos give you an idea of what our weekend consisted of.

Mabwegere Village
It took us about 2 hours to get there and the last hour was spent 'off roading.' The drive was bumpy, but we arrived safely. When we arrived at the village we were invited to have tea. We also walked around stoping at the well and school. The service itself was the shortest we have attended- about an hour and a half.

This church the service was held in.


As we drove through the bush Pastor Hafermann noted that the bush roses were in bloom. On the way home, we stopped to take a few pictures.


Mkona Wa Tembo Village
This village was probably the most rural that we have attended. As we drove through the bush we made our way down a bumpy path that eventually led us to a tree. This is where service was held. People sat on benches made from logs and an altar was made on the scene with sticks and a straw like material. 3 choirs sang at the service and there were 18 baptisms- young and old. To date, this is probably one of my favorite services I have attended. Before going home, we had to change the flat tire we received on the way down.







Engere Engere B Village
This village was located just outside of Morogoro. The service was special because it would be the first that was held in the church. A wealthy man built the church after he was unable to build a tobacco farm on the land. It was really neat to see the dedication of the building. Everyone marched around the church 3 times singing a hymn. 2 choirs sang and there was an auction at the end.


People walking to attend church.


Lining up to march around the church




Four goats were auctioned off at the end of the service. This was one of them!

This is just a short synapse of my weekend. Last week we also started going to the orphanage about 2 miles from the Lutheran Junior Seminary. On Wednesday we will be taking a mini vacation to Mikumi. We will be going on a safari, so hopefully we will see lots of animals! I hope to post about both soon.

I hope all is well back home. I think of you all often.
Take care- michael

Under the Shade of a Tree

Words will not be able to give justice to this weekend. With two village visits I have plenty to talk about. In this post, I will focus on the service we attended on Saturday. On Saturday we attended a service at a Maasai village and on Sunday one at Meseyu, a village about 45 minutes from the Lutheran Junior Seminary.

Saturday morning began like most others with breakfast at 7 am. At breakfast Pastor Hafermann reminded us that we would be leaving soon because the Pastor that we were accompanying wanted to get to the village early. So, shortly after breakfast we left and made an hour and a half long drive to the church of the Pastors. Upon arrival he was not there so we patiently waited in the vehicle. After a few minutes a phone call was made and we found out that he had decided to make another visit that morning, but he was on his way back. After over an hour of waiting the Pastor arrived on his bicycle. We were all greeted and then he insisted that we come to his house because he needed to take a bath.

We walked through the village to his home. As he bathed, his wife brought out tea and we enjoyed each other’s company. After bathing, the Pastor came out and joined us for tea.

After tea we walked back to the vehicle and drove a short distance to the Maasai village. The drive was a bumpy one as we drove down a rough path, bypassing trees. We parked near a tree where a couple hundred goats were resting. The children that were tending to the goats greeted us and we continued to make our way deeper into the establishment. We continued to greet many women and then decided to walk to the water hole where the men and cattle were. As we walked we were amongst a herd of small cattle. After a short walk we arrived, greeted the men and walked back to the village. We sat under the tree where we would be later having church service.



Stools were brought to us as we sat patiently taking in the beautiful scenery around us. The environment was peaceful with the sounds of birds and goats in the background. As we sat a large van came out from the savannah and as it approached we could hear the sounds of a choir! The vehicle parked near ours and a large Maasai choir spilled out- I have no idea how they had all fit.

The choir practiced under another tree as a young Maasai man served us ginger tea. As the afternoon progressed the young boys took the mother goats to the watering hole and people began to gather for the service.

The church service was like most others I have attended throughout my life except for one thing- the venue. We sat under a tree, on stools, chairs and rugs. Baby goats and dogs meandered in and out reminding us that we were outside. During the service we were able to see the baptisms of three Maasai men. We also enjoyed the performances of two Maasai choirs. The service only lasted two hours but it will be one I will remember for a long time.
After the service we were invited for a meal. We sat under the same tree and ate rice with a creamy tomato sauce with our hands.

Below are pictures from the day. I felt awkward taking photos during the service, but I was encouraged. These Maasai are very proud to call themselves Christians.

Sorry about the length of this post. It is much longer then I would want it to be, but I thought I would share our unique experience.

Take care! michael

Jana nilikula katika nyumba ya rafiki

After 4 days of Swahili Class I can officially say that I am fluent! Okay, maybe not fluent. I only know a few words and sentences, but overall I would say class is going well.

We have class three times a day for a total of five hours. Throughout the day we have two breaks for tea and a two and a half hour lunch break. The schedule is much more relaxed then I am used to but it has been a nice change. Below is a picture of where I have class!




Learning a language is not one of my strengths. However, I think most who have learned a language can say that at some point it all sounds the same. This is what happened to me today. During our afternoon class I was practicing saying “Jana nilikula katika nyumba ya rafiki” (Yesterday I ate lunch at my friends house). After repeating this phrase many times and a couple distractions I said, “Jana nilikula mbwa. . . ” (Yesterday I ate dog). To say the least, we got a couple of laughs.

Tomorrow will wrap up this week of class. Saturday and Sunday we will be going on village visits.

Below are a few pictures that I have taken the past couple of days.

Take care- michael

Bwana Asifiwe

The last few days have been exciting to say the least. Late Friday night Aaron Schutte, a Wartburg Alum who is teaching in northern Tanzania, arrived at the Lutheran Junior Seminary. He was able to show us around the grounds and make us feel comfortable and at home. In addition to that he shared stories that reiterated the idea of how welcoming and great the Tanzanian culture is.

Saturday morning we traveled to the Maasai Cattle Market. The Maasai are an East African tribe who are heavily populated around the Morogoro area. The market was a really great experience in itself. As we walked through one couldn’t help but admire the beautiful clothing and the simplicity of the Massai people. One also couldn’t help but be taken back by the hospitality of the people we met. As soon as we walked out of the car people started coming to Pastor Hafermann and greeting each of us with a hand shake and “Bwana Asifiwe” (Praise the Lord). For lunch I had my first traditional Tanzanian dish- chips mayai and goat. Chips mayai is a dish of fried potatoes and egg- I thought it was very good. The goat was fresh from the market and cooked over an open fire.



Sunday was our first village visit. Upon arrival to the village we were invited into the sanctuary for tea. The church was very simple compared to what we have at home. Cement floors, walls and wooden benches reminded me that worship is not about the place you do so in, but the people you are around and the message that is given. The church service was around 4.5 hours long. Believe it or not, it actually went by fairly quickly; choirs sang and danced during the service providing for a very unique and moving experience. The Massai choir was probably my favorite of the day. The young girls sang and danced to a couple of songs during the service.





After a long day the night ended early. This morning we began our Swahili classes and are currently on our 2.5 hour long afternoon break.

Hope all is well! michael

On the Ground

After almost 24 hours of driving, flights, waiting and airline food we have safely arrived in Dar Es Salaam Tanzania. We arrived here at 11:00pm (3:00pm Iowa time) Thursday night and traveled to a Catholic guesthouse where we caught up on sleep for the night.

This morning we ate breakfast and began our drive to Morogoro. On the way we saw a family of Baboons crossing the road (I thought to myself I would have much rather hit one of these then the deer that I did on Sunday). The rest of the drive was spent taking in the beautiful Tanzanian scenery.

After around a 3 hour drive we arrived at the Lutheran Junior Seminary. It is hard to believe that this is what I will call home for the next three months- it is so beautiful and peaceful!






Above are photos of the Lutheran Junior Seminary :)

Take care- michael

24 hours and counting!

In 24 hours my dream of studying abroad will become a reality as I board the plane that will ‘officially’ mark the beginning of my program. I will be studying in Morogoro, Tanzania at the Lutheran Junior Seminary. While there I will be taking four classes and engaging in various service opportunities.

My program is three months long. When I think about being away from family and friends, 3 months sounds like a long time. This will be the longest period of time that I have been away from my immediate family and it will also be the longest period of time that I have gone without seeing many of my aunts, uncles and cousins. When I think about the experiences I will be having 3 months feels too short. In other words, being away from home may be ‘bittersweet’ at times. However, I know that this experience is going to be one I will value for a very long time.

This is just a short post to begin my blogging marathon. I hope to update a couple times a week as my internet connection allows. While away I would love to hear from you. Feel free to message me on facebook or send me an e-mail at michael.c.stevenson@gmail.com.

take care- michael