September 19 Update

Hello Friends and Family,

Good news! We have survived (though barely) training! Today, Sunday we had a church service with the other missionaries here at Madisi Secondary School. We also found out where each of us will be moving. We have been placed at Bukimau Secondary School, which is in the same region we are currently, Iringa. It doesn’t seem too far from here, but here, everything is far. So, Wednesday, we will leave with two other girls who have also been placed in the Iringa Region, to be dropped at our village. Matt and I will temporarily be placed in a house in the village, which is apparently directly next to the school, until our house is finished being built. We don’t know a whole lot more about the school other than there is currently no electricity. They are in the beginning phase of building the “administrative building” and once that is completed, VST will provide the school with a generator.

(from an e-mail by Matt & Emily)

Living in the village has been difficult, mostly due to lack of sleep for Emily. We have lived, breathed, and eaten as if we actually live the life of our student. We have practiced teaching an English intensive course that we will be responsible for at our school. It is a course designed to equip students to learn basic English skills in order to continue their education, which is supposed to be taught completely in English.

We are thankful to know of all of you praying for us. Pray that God would be opening the hearts of our students we will meet at Bukimau. Pray that our house will be finished quickly, so that we can “settle” in. Pray that if God allows to have access to electricity, that that would also happen quickly. Pray for travel as all of our team spreads out across Tanzania. Most of them have much farther to travel than us.

Much love, Matt and Emily