Eating in Musoma

Busy busy busy here, and all pretty normal according to my current grid, though perhaps it might not be so normal for others. So what do we talk about when we have nothing to say?...FOOD
Food is a fantastic topic I think, because it's a subject on which most people have pretty strong and sure opinions. I personally, really like food. And what's more, I really like the food here. Alison and I are soulmates insofar as food is concerned. Our basic theory is you take as many fresh vegetables as you can (cheap here and so wonderful) and throw them all together in some form or another, and it'll be just fine. This first example is of dinner one night when Alison made cheese biscuits and we added tomato, cucumber, onion, and cilantro for little open face sandwiches. Simple and delicious. very artistic, don't you think? Alison and I also share the belief that you can add hot peppers to most anything and instantly improve it. Love this.

Good meat is a little harder to come by here, but because we live on Lake Victoria, we can certainly get excellent fish. When you go out to eat in Musoma, an almost guaranteed fantastic meal will always be fried fish. It's fresh tilapia from the lake, and scrumptious as far as I'm concerned. The one catch (no pun intended) is that it comes with head, tail, and eyeballs (thankfully the insides are removed). The head is considered the best part, but I confess, I usually leave it pretty well alone. The fish can come in a variety of sizes, but generally range in price from about $1.50-$3.00, which would of course include a side of fries as well. The fish in this picture is bigger than those you'll get at most places.

The best part of eating out here though is never the food, it's always the friends you eat it with. So to conclude is a picture of me and my friend Tara at my favorite place to eat in Musoma. Though the menu is...limited, the atmosphere is wonderful. Karibu Musoma, tule samaki!

Goodness Gracious

I just got this picture of my sister's kids today and am awed and amazed by the cuteness. Beyond belief. Just makes it a bit harder to be away. If I can get my other sis to send a pic of my other little nephew, then I will post it and you will all stand in amazement at the overall level of cuteness bestowed in the children of our family. Wow.

Jesus in Kuria

Today I went out to a nearby town/village with my roommate Alison to visit some friends of hers. This is a family who are from the Kuria tribe (though they are living in a Simbiti area). He is pastoring a church there, and his mother was also there visiting. His mother was pure old school Kuria, with a weathered face and hanging earlobes from gauged earrings. Alison brought a copy of the Jesus film in Kuria to give them, and what a joy.

The pastor was so excited that he immediately went to search out a dvd player to borrow (he only had a vcd player). He came back in about 20 minutes with a dvd player and a huge smile. He kept expressing how excited he was to see it, and how excited he was for his mom to see it. When he finally managed to get the player to open and inserted the disc, we started.

Throughout the movie, the pastor kept crying out in excitement, repeating the words, laughing, explaining things to his mother, talking about what good Kuria it was. He kept repeating, "This is so much better than in Swahili!" He said when he listened to it, it touched his heart in a way the Swahili didn't. This is a fairly educated man, who knows Swahili well and has a good grasp of English as well, yet his excitement at hearing the words of Jesus in his own language was something beyond that which I have seen. Joy was pouring out of him. Alison and I just kept looking at him and laughing with joy, such was his infectious excitement.

His mother watched too. She doesn't speak Swahili, and so has most likely had little access to Scripture, though the New Testament has already been translated into Kuria. She watched much more quietly than her son, but was very intent on the film. Yes, occasionally her grandchildren poked her to keep her awake, or her son prompted her to pay attention, but for much of the film, her attention was riveted and you could just tell she was touched. She asked her son questions about what was said or what was going on, and he engaged with her, explaining Jesus' words.

What a blessing of an afternoon! This was such fun, and reminded me again, in a very real way, of the need for Bible translation. The words enter in to a person in a really intimate way when they come in a language the person grew up speaking. It also got me excited about the prospect of getting this film into the languages we are working with here (which is on the books). What an exciting thing to be a part of!

But beyond all this, I was reminded of the power of the story of Jesus. The gospel is powerful. It changes lives and hearts. Jesus was God made flesh. He walked among us, taught, healed, loved. He died for our sins, and rose again on the third day. One day we will rise with him in glory. I was moved by seeing this story again, and in many ways for the first time, through the eyes of another. Praise God.

Cute in America?

So I'm pretty sure my sense of what is cute and what is not is slowly being affected by my current location in the world. So I have decided to ask for help. I am posting a couple of pictures of what I consider some of my cutest outfits here. I want you to answer two questions:
1) Is this a cute outfit?
2) Would this be cute if I wore it in America?
Thank you for your kind assistance!

Outfit 1


Outfit 2


Outfit 3

The Selfish Package Post, Year 2

So I did a post like this last year, and found people generally receptive. You can probably learn a bit about my life just from reading it. Like the title says, yes it's pretty selfish, and not all are small ticket items. But please remember that I'm honestly just as happy with a letter or card. Letters make me feel remembered and loved and prayed for. If you do send a package, I would ask that you be very general in your product descriptions, and maybe even just say something like "gifts". Most of the time, it's ok to put "NCV" (no commercial value) as the price. Please also be generous with the packaging tape, as I suspect this can ward off any interested postal employees.

Love you all!

Address

Ellen McCaskill

PO Box 1235

Musoma, TANZANIA

The List

Pampered Chef oil sprayer thing

tuna (it comes in packets)

Post-it file folder tabs

hot chocolate packets

paper thin cutting boards

coffee (whole bean)

dark chocolate

movies you've seen and enjoyed

books you've read and enjoyed

music you've listened too and enjoyed

anything from my Amazon wish list

sunglasses

onion chopper

cotton tops, size medium, not boring, preferably a bit dressy (ie not just v-neck or crew-neck)

long dresses (colorful and MUST hit under the knee; I even prefer the super long style)

rechargeable AA batteries

colorful pens

linen spray (or febreeze would do)

Long Time No See

Already broke my resolution...failed to get blogs done like I wanted to. That said, it's been one crazy month, and I haven't yet gotten the concept that even a short thought can suffice. It doesn't have to be terribly exciting, though my life here isn't terribly boring either. So I think I'll write a short list of some non-boring recent events.
1) I visited with missionary friends over the weekend. They have chickens, dogs, goats, and guinea pigs. They made a go-cart for fun over the weekend and played with it in the rain as soon as it was finished. Good times.
2) My recent pride is in getting good deals on motorcycle rides. Once I negotiate the price I like, I hop on the back side saddle and pray for safety while thoroughly enjoying the scenery.
3) Our house has been without power for 4 days, and good be without for several more, apparently until they put up a new pole. A good excuse to clean out the fridge (though the fish in the freezer stunk up our house). I'm thankful for a gas stove and back-up battery that allows us overhead lights and an outside safety light.
4) We have a workshop this week with 9 participants from 2 language groups learning about editing and creative writing. Tomorrow I teach on descriptive writing and punctuation. Exciting stuff.
5) There's a retired pastor in a town across the Serengeti from us who received a vision from the Lord about a drink that can heal any disease. He makes it and sells it to people (extremely cheaply). At last report, the line (in cars) to get to his house was 5o+ kilometers. Everyone wants to head his way (and many have already gone). This is the talk of every chai break.
6) Two weekends ago I went out to a village church and was served not one, but two lunches directly after one another. Nothing like starches and meat to lay like a brick in your stomach...but excellent hospitality.
7) The country of Tanzania is facing a nationwide power shortage. Apparently, we might completely run out in just a bit, which would also affect the water supply.
8) Recently on a happy, tired, hyper afternoon at the office, I ended up telling/performing the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to our entire office. Only wish I actually remembered the details of the story. There have been requests for a different story!

Village Church

Just liked this pic

Me giving the closing address at a workshop

Accident

Before I start, I’ll tell you the end, which is that everything is absolutely fine. There, I killed the suspense.

This morning I was in an accident. I was making a right hand turn into our office drive, like I do every morning. What I failed to realize was that a motorcycle was passing me on my right. *Do remember that in TZ we drive on the left side of the road* He tried to get out of the way, but couldn’t and clipped the front of the car I was driving and fell off his bike. He immediately popped up, so I knew he wasn’t hurt. I stopped and looked back at my Tanzanian coworker who was in the backseat. He told me to continue to drive into the office (50 feet away) and hopped out of the car to handle things. Mobs can form quickly here and are potentially dangerous, and in the time it took him to tell me to keep driving, I already saw maybe 15 or more people running toward the car. I followed his instructions.

I drive in, tell someone at the office what has happened, look at the damage to the front of the car, grab my bag, and enter the office. The cook at the office asked what had happened as she saw me shaken and tearful. People are still running toward the accident, but thankfully our office complex has a gate and this gate was closed. I found out later that people had rushed the gate, and I heard all kinds of yelling. The cook told me not to go outside. I confess, I was pretty scared. Apparently when the police showed up, they yelled at the people who came to the gate.

About 20 minutes later I was told to go out to the police at the scene of the accident to explain what happened. I was blessed in that several gentlemen from the office came with me. There were probably 50-75 people standing around and it was quite intimidating, yet I felt surrounded and protected by these men from the office. All the witnesses confirmed it was not my fault. I am still amazed that, except for at the very beginning, I did not cry or even get weepy, and besides that, I was able to explain what happened in Swahili. Those things together is nothing short of a miracle. After this the other driver, two witnesses and I all went down to the police station to give statements. I found the police friendly and helpful and all in agreement that I was not at fault and had done the right thing, even in driving away. They understand the nature of large groups and the wisdom of getting to a safe place.

So that was the story of the day. After this, I opted to go home for the day as the adrenaline rush ended and exhaustion took over. I still have not been able to sleep, and this is a concern, but hopefully I’ll get some rest tonight. In the midst of it all I see so many things to praise God for.

Praise God that no one was hurt

Praise God that the crowd didn’t get out of hand

Praise God that there were witnesses around who saw exactly what happened

Praise God that my coworker was in the car and told me the right thing to do when I panicked

Praise God for all the other men at the office who took such good care of me when I was so scared.

Praise God that I had the ability to speak the Swahili I needed and that I could understand the majority of what people were saying to me

Praise God that he is taking care of me, even in the midst of a very scary situation

Life Here is Different

"We slept under the stars and some Maasai guys came with us as our guides. We slaughtered a goat, did lots of pranks and had a general blast." This is a quote from an email I just received from one of the MK's who is currently going to boarding school up in Kenya. Hilarious. I mean, slaughtering a goat? Something 15 year olds do for fun on a campout? Maybe it's not as funny as I found it personally, but it certainly does amuse.
Life here is different. There are a lot of things that aren't, but I'm also discovering some of the things that are gradually becoming my normal. On Sunday I was in an Anglican church in a nearby village and a chicken came in and wandered about the front of the church during the sermon- no one cared. Someone put 3 pieces of gum in the offering bowl to be auctioned off at the end of the service. Two weeks ago at another church I saw a single egg auctioned off. Anything you can put in the offering plate is acceptable.
What I'm grateful for here is different. When I go to a church and they don't have a keyboard or sound system, I'm grateful (it allows me to actually hear the choir). I'm grateful when the seat in church has a back on it. I'm grateful when I have power in the evenings. I'm grateful when people have change to give me in the market. I'm grateful when the Coke is cold. I'm grateful when I order food and it comes in under an hour. I'm grateful for the generally pleasant weather of Musoma, especially when I compare it to other parts of the country.
Conversations around the table are different. We talk about the conditions of the roads, the coming of rainy season, and the new power rationing schedule. We talk about who is coming and leaving for furlough when, realizing how frequently the circle here changes.
My clothing here is different. There are two extremes here: either everything on the body matches perfectly, or nothing at all matches. I find there is very little middle ground here. Yesterday for church I wore a full kitenge outfit, the skirt and blouse and I had a shawl with me, though this was a different material. Then when I got home, the blouse got uncomfortable, but I was too lazy to change the skirt. What I ended up with was an hysterical outfit that I know no one would think anything of if I wore it in town.

Yes, life here is different, but it always keeps me on my toes. Things that used to feel weird are now normal, and yet I am constantly surprised at the new things I see, things that still aren't normal. Life here is different...sometimes frustrating and sometimes fun, but never boring. Never boring.
And one wonderful thing is that in the midst of all the differences, the God we serve is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

House Help

In case you have ever thought that having house help would make your house cleaner, this is what happens when you have house help, even just twice a week: Your ability and will to clean up after yourself virtually disappears, so all the in-between times end up much, much dirtier.

Wii!

So for Christmas, my fam got together and bought me a Wii and Wii Fit board to take back with me to TZ. What they didn't realize is that a gift for me is a gift for Musoma, and Musoma is appreciating it. My first weekend back in town, the Gilmores came over and we all enjoyed it. Thanks Mary Grace, for introducing me to the game "Just Dance." Here are the pics of some crazy dancing taking place. (Oh, and the next weekend I went to the Gilmore's house and we played for approx. 7 hours...wow) A big thanks to the fam who got me this super fantastic gift!

Braden learning to Walk Like an Egyptian

Chris swallowing her pride:)

Tirzah demonstrating how it's done

Perseverance and Courage

Some days I want to quit. Yes, I admit it. Some days I just think "what on earth am I doing here?" and want to hop on a plane and be someplace else. Today was one of those days. Not necessarily a bad day, but a truly tiring one. One that wears on you. One that makes you want to say "I quit," and the knowledge that before me lies a seemingly endless stream of days almost exactly like this one. Trials bring perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope. Isn't that what Scripture says?

A few weeks ago in Bible study we had a lesson on courage. Courage is looking at God, not at your circumstances. Courage is believing that God is bigger than you, and acting on that knowledge. Courage is a way of encountering your circumstances. We are called to encourage one another...to give one another courage. To strengthen and build each other up so that we can face whatever lies in our path. Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified or discouraged. Courage and perseverance, and trusting in God for them both.

O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
Psalm 59:17

Holy Moses

This year I decided to use "The Daily Bible," a chronological Bible divided into day long chunks so you get through the whole thing in a year. So far so good. I'm happy to report that (by the grace of God) I am actually still on track with that. That puts me smack in the middle of Exodus at the moment.
Now, I've read Exodus before, and have read before how Moses responded to his call. He was scared. He felt inadequate. He wanted God to send someone else. I've definitely felt that way before and processed through a bit of it, but something new hit me this time. Moses did have very strong faith, but his faith was in his own weakness. He believed that his weakness was in some way stronger than the strength of God. He thought his weakness and inadequacy was so great, that somehow God couldn't overcome it. So really it's a matter of faith. It's a matter of believing that God is so powerful that my weakness and stupidity cannot possibly mess him up or throw him off his game. He is bigger.
Lately I've been struggling with seeing my own powerlessness and inadequacy. I've been fearful that the decisions I make will somehow ruin my life and potentially ruin the lives of others. My weakness could throw off God's great plan. Though I would never say such a thing, my attitude and fear was declaring that's what I actually believed. But God is bigger. His strength is infinitely greater than my weakness. And God uses my weaknesses and is glorified in them. What's more, he is a good and loving father. He is worthy of my faith and trust and loves me more than I can understand. So my challenge then is to walk ahead in courageous faith, faith that he is my strength and salvation, my fortress. Of whom shall I be afraid?

Blog Resolution

Yes I know, I know. I haven’t posted anything for like 3 months. But all that is about to change…at least, I hope so. I am planning to put forth a concerted effort to make some kind of update to this blog no less than once a week. So for those of you who have completely given up checking this blog, I beg you for one more chance. One more chance to make things right. And for those of you who are actually reading this now, I’m going to reward you with some pictures from this Christmas break, which for those of you who don’t know, was spent with my amazing family (including the new baby Claire) and my super boyfriend Johnny. See what you think, leave comments, and I might even be inspired to do a few more updates this week. (I even have a few planned already) So, let’s see what the year holds.


The kids meeting Claire for the first time


Yay! Finally, a little sister. Everyone knows little sisters are simply the best.


Me with all my kids! I love this


David attacking Doo-Dad...he attacks often


Caroline and David with new baby Claire


Bevy with all the grandkids...what fun (you can tell that Owen especially is having a blast)


Mary Grace, Andrew, Johnny and I all took off one night for dessert. Yay for living in a place that has restaurants!


Johnny and I sporting our Christmas colors (unplanned)


Out for a hike in Kentucky...so nice to hike again!


Finally, an actual date. After nearly 8 months apart, it was great to get dressed up for a night on the town. Dinner and a movie, simple but wonderful (not to mention the excellent tie).