Orientation and preparing for the next stage…

January 30, 2012 in Front, Life, Mark, Tanzania, Wycliffe

Orientation

After a couple of weeks in Dar es Salaam we’re now coming towards the end of our 3-week orientation course, and looking ahead to the next stage!

We have definitely learnt a lot in the last couple of weeks, about life in Tanzania in general and about Bible translation and language development here in particular. At the same time we’ve been trying to prepare ourselves for the long trip out west to our new home – Mpanda – at the beginning of March. This has meant buying various things for our house including some kitchen equipment, making sure the car that we’re borrowing is in good condition for the trip, obtaining Tanzanian drivers licenses, and meeting with various people to discuss the work we’ll be doing in Mpanda. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tumefika! We have arrived in Tanzania…

January 23, 2012 in Africa, Front, Life, Mark, Tanzania, Wycliffe

Mark and Laura outside the office

After five years of anticipation and preparation, on the morning of January 13th we finally touched down at Dar es Salaam International Airport to begin the next stage of our work supporting Bible translation. We are happy to have safely arrived in Tanzania where we are working with SIL International, an organisation devoted to serving minority language communities as they write down their languages and translate the Bible and other materials. Read the rest of this entry →

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England

January 10, 2012 in Front, Laura, Life

Laura with Mark's grandparents

The last week has been a whirlwind visit to Mark’s family and our supporters in our other home country, England. New Year’s day we flew into London Heathrow airport very early in the morning and were met by Mark’s happy, sleepy parents. It had been a year and a bit since I’d seen them and about 7 months for Mark, so it was a very happy reunion!

The next few days were sleepy ones with few events planned except a dentist check up. On Wednesday evening we were able to attend a prayer group for Mark’s home village Semington where we shared a bit about what we’ll be doing in a few days time. It was a very encouraging time as we caught up with supporters, including our friend Sarah who has been working in the United Arab Emirates and has very interesting stories about life in Abu Dhabi. Read the rest of this entry →

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Looking back: Kids’ Soccer Festival

December 27, 2011 in Church, Life, Mark, Mission, Sport

Soccer Festival

This week we are busy packing up our belongings deciding what to give away, what to leave with friends, and what to fit into the four suitcases that will come with us to the airport on Saturday morning as we head to England, and then on to Tanzania in a couple of weeks!

Much as we are looking forward to arriving in Tanzania, we will be sad to leave friends and family here in the US. One of my enduring memories of our time here over the past year or so is the 4-week “soccer festival” that our church hosted for kids from the local neighbourhood last summer. Here’s a great little video from the festival made by Stephen, which will help to bring back some great memories when we’re on the other side of the world… Read the rest of this entry →

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Joyeux Noel

December 24, 2011 in Culture, Mark, Theology

Nativity scene 756

This Christmas Eve we spent the afternoon watching the movie Joyeux Noel, the story of Christmas in the trenches during the First World War in 1914. The movie of how the soldiers of various nationalities who had been fighting each other for months ceased their fire, greeted each other in no-man’s land and even played football together.

The most striking part of the movie is the absurdity of the war. When the men meet up at Christmas they realise they have a huge amount in common, and yet on every other day they are trying to kill each other because that is what their commanders, and their nations, have ordered them to do.

In many ways the First World War was the height of modernity, with the European nations accepting without question the narrative of the unstoppable march of civilisation and progress. In reality the nations at war had a great deal in common – shared histories, similar languages and cultures, and apparently a shared religion. And yet their narratives of progress, despite their similarities, could not co-exist but clashed leading to the loss of millions of lives. Read the rest of this entry →

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