This past Sunday we visited the church in Mangaba. There was a good number present. Mangaba is one of the older congregations in the District. It was one of the four here when I first came in 1999.
The leader of the church is Sialiawa. Mangaba has always had the stoutest and neatest (tidy) church building in the district.
There were about 50 in attendance. At this time I am visiting the congregations without Charles Phiri present. He wants me to do this so that people will be “free” with me. I am not certain I understand but he does not want his presence to have an impact on how they respond.
The lessons were well received by the congregation. I noticed that there were not as many children in this congregation as in some others I have visited. It may have been because some were not there. At Kasamba more than half of those present were children.
I found out later on that the congregation at Masaga had expected me today were waiting. But that was not in the plans and I did not tell them I would return so there was a miscommunication there. But that afternoon Charles and I went there to retrieve some things and found some working on the building roof adding grass to get ready for the rains.
The congregation in Mapoto wants to build a new meeting place. To this end they have molded and burned the bricks to build the building. To build it they need cement for the blocks. I have already given them the pockets of cement to do the foundation. They asked for cement now to build the walls up. I was able to give them 10 pockets of the 20 needed. But I have to guard my funds so I could promise no more than that for now. Part of it has to do with the furnace that they blocks were in was taken apart and they need to be used before the rains to ensure they will last.
I am not sure when the other pockets will be given. This aspect of being here will be most challenging. Everyone will be coming to me for funds for things like this. I am not certain that I will have them available.
Water has been a serious problem at my house. We had to hook up to the council water system. But the water line is old and leaks and for most all of this last week Mvula has been working daily on patching the line to get water going into the tank. The level got really low.
So with some funds that I secured we have not put in our own line. This should resolve the immediate problem. But as of this morning there are still some bugs to be worked out regarding connections but it should be worked out as someone is coming to look at the problem down the line today.
COMMUNICATION
I have gone on Facebook and established Simalundu Mission. It is proving to be a good way to communicate with folks on a daily basis but I do not think it will take the place of the blog. I do not know much about facebook but I can see where one can spend an awful lot of time with it. But for now it is a good way to communicate but beyond that I am not sure how much or how to use it.
I will write more later but I want to post this.
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