Wednesday, January 25, 2012

AND A SHIP SETS SAIL!

Loading, and loading, and loading, and . . .
We're crossing the Atlantic!  Mediterranean Shipping Company contatiner XCLU75111175 is on it's way to Spain and there are so many people to thank!  To those of you who wish to remain anonymous but know who you are, for purchasing the container AND shipping it here, to your staff who worked so hard to get everything together from your end, to your family who began the ball rolling in the first place, Asante Sana!  Often, when we reach out to help someone here in desperate need, their response is, "I have nothing to give you to show my gratitude, but God will thank you for me" . . . the same applies here!  Hundreds and hundreds of hours have gone into purchasing, collecting, sorting, washing, packing, and loading.  Our children are truly blessed and from Oddo and myself, for every minute of those hundreds of hours, THANK YOU!

All of this has come from you!
To friends, volunteers and donors in Canada, hundreds of YOU, who purchased and collected and donated and then came to our farm and sorted and packed and packed and packed and then loaded and finally waved our container away . . . thank you so very much!  There are so very many of you that I will miss someone so please, know, how very grateful we at Tumaini are, for the continued love and support you show us.  Tractors and and a new television, and computers and clothing and desks and chalk boards, and tools, and TOWELS! Wheelchairs and sofas and books and books and books, and toys and BIKES!  Shoes and PJ's and dishes and tables . . . thank you, thank you, thank you!


And To Dave Egles and family and staff at HES (Home Energy Solutions) in Barrie, Ontario and B.C. for ensuring that we have a solar installation in our container . . . and to Mike O'Connor at Northland Logistics for working so hard to iron out some of the inevitable "wrinkles" we experienced in getting this contaiener on its way . . . Asante Sana!  Did you know that our empty container got into a car accident on it's initial trip to our farm and was delayed as a result?  Or, did you know that a driver inadvertently parked our container at a depot instead of taking it directly to the rail line so it wouldn't "miss the boat".  Well, Mike did . . .  We did miss that first boat but are loaded and at sea now . . . thank you again! 

We can track our container, which should arrive in Dar Es Salaam on March 2nd . . . where then we will begin the arduous task of negotiating AROUND the sad corruption of this country to get all of those beautiful donations here . . . to our children . . . to our family!



Asante . . . Sana . . .