LANGUAGE SCHOOL

On December 10, 2006, we moved to the Riverside Campsite outside of Iringa, Tanzania and began language school.  For the next five months we lived in a one room cabin with a bath and refrigerator.  Our meals were prepared for us and served in an open sided cafeteria area.  Our classes were held in open sided gazebos and we had classes Monday through Friday from 8:00 – 1:00.  Believe it or not, this was an ideal place to study language!  No television, no housekeeping responsibilities, nothing to distract from the task at hand.  Our first two weeks there were a bit interesting as we had to move a few times due to the river rising, reservations already made over the holidays, and such but after the first of the year things settled down quite a bit.  The campsite is nestled in the mountains and the temperatures are mild and pleasant even though it rains a lot this time of year.  We could practice Swahili with the Campsite Staff and when we went into town to the Cyber Café to do emails and to buy the few groceries and personal items we need. 

Swahili is nothing like English or Portuguese as it is a Bantu language and is probably more closely related to Arabic.  We have noticed, on the drive up there and in Iringa town, that there are many Muslim mosques in this area.  Jeff even met another Muslim man that invited him to come and practice his Swahili during our time here.  God allowed us to have opportunities to witness and be a testimony even during this time of language acquisition.

After language school we moved to the Morogoro area of Tanzania.  There is one people group there on the mountain, the Luguru people, currently being targeted by a missionary team and we will join them in working for a year.  As we close down the chapter of langauge school in our journey, we ask that you pray for the teachers and townspeople we had the opportunity to share Christ with. One even prayed to accept Christ while we were there. Pray for the next missionaries who will study there to continue to build on the witness that was started.