some of my temporary roommates

my little friends Neema and Bryson who have both been residents at my house for different periods of time

simple pleasures

Some of you may know that I've been trying to live a gluten and dairy-free life for the past few years. As much of a challenge as that is in America, it has been much more of a challenge living in Tanzania. I've found some ways to adapt and adjust my diet, but the most difficult thing for me has been that I have to cook and bake so much of what I eat. There are not many "convenience foods" available for me so I have to make it all myself.

Not too long ago I bought a used stand mixer (like the Kitchen-Aid mixer that is common in America) from a missionary family who was moving back to New Zealand. This has made my life SO MUCH EASIER! Baking is no longer as time consuming for me and requires less of my own elbow grease. I even ventured into the world of gluten-free sandwich bread, and the results were amazing! I couldn't even believe how good the bread was when it came out of the oven. I would even say that its better than some wheat breads I've had in the past. I'm including a picture here so you too can be amazed!

Looks good, doesn't it? Hard to believe its gluten-free.

I've also recently found someone who makes yogurt and cheese from goat milk. That's pretty exciting in my world!

These little things have made such a big difference to me in the past few weeks. I'm so glad that God cares about these little details in my life too.

Maasai in America!

There is a group of Maasai from Tanzania singing their way across the southern United States, led by some of my friends from Arusha.  Check out their site and see if they will be anywhere near you, and then go see them.  It will definitely be worth your time!  Also check out the blog chronicling their day to day activities . . . including trips to Wal-Mart and Texas long horns!  Its pretty good stuff.  

Last week I was with a team from Perimeter church visiting people who are living with HIV/AIDS.  One of the families we visited was a single mom with two children.  She and her youngest child, a little boy about 6 years old, are both HIV+.  We really enjoyed the time spent with this beautiful family, and especially to spend time with this rambunctious, energetic little boy.  At one point he started to pretend he was taking our pictures with his imaginary camera so Claudia (one of the visitors from Perimeter) and I both let him take a turn actually taking pictures with our cameras.  He loved it and we could hardly pry our cameras out of his hands when it was time to go!  Towards the end of our visit we asked each family member what they wanted us to pray for.  The daughter, about 12 years old, wanted to pray for a father to be in her life.  This, of course, caused all of our hearts to break.  The mother asked that we pray for provision for her children to be able to continue going to school.  This is the most common thing HIV+ parents pray for, when they look to the future there are often many questions as to how their children will be provided for.  Again, heart-breaking.  Then the little boy wanted to ask God for food, specifically rice and meat.  After spending some time in prayer for this family we had the privilege of presenting the family with a 10kg bag of rice, along with a few other food items.  The little boy was allowed to open the bag to see what was in it.  It was such a blessing to us to witness this little boy see God answer his prayer so quickly.  He was so tickled!  The rice and other food will last only a few days or weeks, but the faith and hope that they (and we) gained from this experience will last much longer.  I hope that this will encourage all of us to continue to bring all requests, big and small, to the Lord and continue to trust in Him for all of our needs. 

one of his masterpieces

figuring out what all the buttons do . . . should Claudia be worried?

this smile did not leave his face during out entire visit

opening the bag of rice

Please pray for this family and so many others who are affected by HIV.  The need is great but I know we serve a greater God.  

This made my day yesterday!

So what would you do if you had to work outside on a cold day and you had a warm, fuzzy, matching coat and hat in your closet?  You would wear it of course!

I spent the last few weeks working on preparations for teams and then hanging out with two great teams from Perimeter Church and Scottsdale Bible Church.  Both teams were here earlier this month to partner with Imara in the community development (or rather, community transformation) work that is going on in Northern Tanzania.  I had a lot of fun with both groups, and, of course, took lots of pictures.  I got to be part of ministry to widows (by planting gardens and building goat pens), ministry to children who are sponsored by individuals at both churches, and enjoyed interacting with so many of the wonderful people who live in these two communities.  I also got to see some amazing scenery!  

Click here to see some new photos.

here's a little song to brighten your day . . .