Our very merry Christmas in Bethlehem . . .



Mary, Joseph, and the Innkeeper



Mary held Baby Jesus . . .

Baby Jesus!

Tony held the shining star

A choir of angels

Little Drummer Boy . . .

We three kings . . .

Our shining star

Christmas zawadis . . .

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care . . .

Twas the night before Christmas . . .

December 19th from under the net!

Mama Lizbeth from Norway outfits Wema and Winnifred, the Chikira sisters, with gifts from home

Evalin, Angela and Margaret with new dresses after a trip to town!

 It is 7:54 p.m. and I’m in bed watching Evalin wash her face with my clay cleanser (thank you Julie).  For someone so young she’s starting with pimples already and is self-conscious about it.  Aisha needs to watch her and Angela is watching Aisha watch Eva!  Glory just came for the company.  What is really happening is Glory, not wanting to go to bed (songs have just ended) is trying to stay up with the bigger girls but she’s caught!  Pendo gets to sleep with Mama tonight so she’s in their giving instructions to all her bigger sisters! 

Priska sends her thank you to Mama Cindy her sponsor

Angel & Glory say thank you to Mama Kathy

We’ll get our Christmas “shrubbery” soon and decorate it.  The volunteers have been incredibly busy preparing for Tumaini’s second Christmas and all of us are excited . . .

On the home front, pole (sorry) for all of the work being done both in the U.S. and Canada, getting our container together and ready to go.  Photos will follow but we here at Tumaini must thank all of you for your love, hard work and support!  We are so, very grateful. . .

Reward is responding to his meds.  He has a parasite in his brain caused from eating undercooked pork.  The treatment is almost as bad as the parasite, except we’re hoping he’ll heal and be well again.  Today we met a man who suffers terribly from elephantiasis, see the photo and requires surgery to drain it.  His name is David and Dr. Pat has offered to help him get the surgery he requires . . .

Volunteers Mark, Erica, Rachel, Michael and Jon paint our classroom with the children

Jon from Norway, never stops asking what he can do o help!

There are so many people to thank for help this year . . . first and foremost our sponsors, new and old for continuing to love and support us . . . you will receive your child’s report soon and please know how grateful they are for having you in their lives . . . we’ve been gifted this Christmas with not one but TWO cows for Tumaini and should have them this week . . . thank you donors for making this enormous difference in the lives of our children!  Milk!  Every day!

The children read . . . Glory, Harriri, even Latifa basic words.  Jenny too!  Some of us are struggling . . . Evalin, Athuman, Vitalis, Paskaly and Kelvin, but for the most part their difficulties surround language and reading and that takes practice.  We continue to work on that also.

We enjoy fresh bread every few days because of our oven.  A new dish added to our menu includes potatoes, green beans and meat mixed in a light tomato sauce . . . it’s delicious and nutritious.

Angel and Margaret wrapping gifts for volunteers.  They are so happy to give back

Eva and Francis busy wrapping . . .

To each of you in the bustle of Christmas we say thank you, so very much.  There is so much we do here every day and when I look around I reflect upon how little we would actually be able to do without you and your help. . . to Osteroya Kindergarten in Norway, Mama Lizbeth and Matz and Jon thank you so much for your kindness, your incredible donation, support and your hard work here at Tumaini.  To kaka Michael and the McCann (Rebecca and Rachel) clan here AND at home in Australia . . . how do we thank you for embracing not only Gerhad but all of us here at Tumaini and gifting us with your presence, your incredible fundraising efforts (follow Michael McCann on his Kili climb for Tumaini) leaving Dec. 26^th, to Erica who will leave us on the 21^st but must return, for loving Athuman, to Robyn and Mathilde, Alison and Katy, day after day after day . . .

From Oddo and myself, to each of you.  Our sincerest thanks for helping us help our children to enjoy a second Tumaini Christmas . . . to God for keeping all of us safe and together . . . our condolences to good friend and Tumaini supporter Blair D. on your loss, our prayers are with you, to our mother Margaret, you also at this time of concern, and to each and every person who has reached out to us at Tumaini, Merry, Merry Christmas to you and yours with wishes for peace, health and happiness in the year ahead.

Happy Birthday Harriri!!!

A wonderful sixth birthday for Harriri, was had by all today!  (Harriri and little brother Liadi)

December 11th from under the net . . .

December 11^th from Mama under the net . . .

Lying here at 10:00 p.m. with Harriri asleep beside me. It reminds me of our shared time together in the hospital! We will celebrate his sixth birthday tomorrow and he has chosen to come to town with us to provision to Tumaini House . . . I've been wanting to catch you up a bit but the internet has been terrible. Burger night was an absolute blast and we threw in ice cream! It is unusually HOT, the hottest I have ever experienced and with limited refrigeration, to say the least, very little of our food is ever COLD! It was a nice treat . . .

I am enclosing Mary, Neema’s and Glory’s clinic cards with their CD4 counts . . . Mary was in failure when we met her an a VERY sick little girl, her CD4 at just 21 . . . amazing what a little TLC and proper adherence to one’s ARV’s can do!

We’ve been busy! Christmas preps are on the go and I continue to enjoy Xmas carols from the children. I think we may be having a pagent or something, but I’m not supposed to know anything . . . something is in the works!

Our most amazing volunteers Rebecca, Michael and Rachel from Australia, along with Erica and Robin who has just arrived . . . Mathilde, Katy of course, and Alison has come “home”to her Tanzanian digs for the holidays! They and the children have been BUSY with crafts of all kinds! The house is being decorated, tshirts are being painted, I heard a threat of a gingerbread bakeoff upcoming and we still read and practice our “maths”. The children are spectacular . . . I’m washing heads morning and night with antifungal shampoo and Rebecca laughed because every time a new child with ringworm enters my site line, a tube of antifungal cream instantly appears! Thank you again, Dr. Rob and Dell Pharmacies in Burlington, Ontario!

I am hoping there is not too much chaos at home with respect to the container shipping and truly wish I could be there to help, BUT! Honestly! I’d so much rather be here! Please, all of you doing all of this work to help us help these little ones, thank you so much!

You will remember Reward, our university student who fell and hit his head when a munitions depot began exploding and has experienced continued blackouts, pain and dizziness? Well, we'll have the results this week!

Sending so much thanks home to everyone who embraces us here at Tumaini House and especially our hardworking bunch trying to get the container shipped . . . although I must confess I'd rather be here with the children, I am so incredibly grateful for your love and incredible generosity . . . Asante. Our children are thriving because of your love and I am ruefully aware of how very different their little lives would be without your continued support . . . Asante kwa watoto Tumaini! Thank you from the Tumaini children!

I’m enclosing a few more fun shots for you to enjoy . . . be safe and happy with your holiday preparations! Badaye! Later!

Sorry for not writing sooner, I've been playing with the children!

Happy to be home Evalin

Kelvin says "Hi Laci!"

December 4^th from Mama

Well, we arrived safely and after a comfortable KLM flight.  If only we could persuade them to allow us more baggage KLM would become the ideal airline!  Breezed through passport/visa clearance, by the by they’ve constructed a new visa window, larger, so things clear a bit more quickly.  Got snagged at customs (I don’t know what their problem was, what, with Pat and I lugging 17 bags between us!  (Thank you again Amanda!)

What a greeting!  Latifa, Harriri (he always sneaks in), Stefano, Anna, and Oddo of course, Lohai and Jeremiah all greeted us at the airport, loaded things into the gari (vehicles) and we were on our way home!  The children stayed up waiting (which is quite an effort for a group of little ones as busy as ours and we were received in song and by TONS of hugs and cuddles!  They are all fabulous!  After a late night snack of sambosa we were off to bed, me with our two youngest in tow, Liadi and Latifa, who by the way has gone home with her mother for the holiday and was soooo very happy to do so!  We attempt to reconcile any of our children with their families as often as possible so they don’t lose touch and Latifa, after spelling several words in English (not that her mother would know if she was correct), we packed her up and sent her home with Mama.  A happy little girl and a happier Mama!

I have been walking around here weepy with happiness as I listen to Pendo read a story or dictate his letters to Liadi, our baby.  Almost everyone here can read at least a simple story now.  Christina, Pendo, Latifa, and the older children, Harriri, and Gerhad for example, are whizzes!  It is overwhelming when I recollect from where they started  . . .

We do have our concerns here.  Oddo and I sat Daniel down to tell him about his Mama’s death.  We held his hand and explained that his mother was no longer sick, (AIDS ) as his last memories of her were of her being so, but that she was with God now and could see him every day and would be so very happy to know that he was safe and healthy and happy . . . and learning.  We explained that when he says his prayers at night he can talk to his Mama and she’ll hear him.  There was not one tear.  I questioned him and he did understand . . . we are keeping a special eye on him . . .

Harriri, Liadi and Athuman’s brothers Gaspar and Deo came to visit and although Liadi ran to his kakas to greet them, Harriri, I noticed hung back, quite serious.  I had to ask him to come and greet them.  After they left I called Harriri into my bedroom to ask why he didn’t want to be near his brothers.  He didn’t have an answer, but after a couple of minutes he began to sob . . . Harriri cries silently, as do many children here, and this was very quiet sobbing but sobbing none the less.  You will remember, that his mother was murdered last year and I asked if it was his Mama . . . he told me no, and withdrew but when I asked him if he wanted to be alone for a while, he told me no and asked me to bring our lunches into my bedroom which I did.  Harriri is usually a high energy child, but can brood, as does Athuman his brother and we continue to investigate what brings this darkness and how best we can help.  Athuman suffered before his mother’s death but is new for Harriri.  We can usually tickle or cajole him out of a mood and we repeat REGULARLY that the children have the power to choose every day if they’d like to be happy or sad.  I remind Harriri if he needs some special Mama time, I am here . . . he too, we have an eye on . . .

You may remember Reward, our university student?  Well, earlier this year there were some explosions from a munitions depot very near his university and Reward was thrown from his bed.  He hit his head on the concrete floor and was knocked unconscious.  He has intermittently suffered from dizziness, severe headaches and falls unconscious periodically.  We have investigated a head scan for him but, with the public hospital’s machine broken, we need to send him to a private clinic and that will cost 220,000 TZS or about $140.00 CAD.  We are working on this . . .

Dada Katy and watoto

Sponsors, your Xmas gifts are being handed out pole, pole, (slowly, slowly) in private and the children are ecstatic. Thank you so very much!  We are BUSY here, inventorying clothing, repairing uniforms, interviewing teachers for next year and developing our educational programs.  I though, am spending almost every moment of every day with the children and LOVING every minute of it!  They are for the most part, healthy and happy and Dr. Pat is here and taking care of those feeling under the weather.

Best buds and bros Harriri and Liadi

Pretty Priska

Esther!

Our booth is proceeding (sorry for all the bad weather in Simcoe!) and we thank volunteers for coming out to help.  Please send my husband Steve an email steve@mybrokersteve.com if you would like to help and our container is preparing for shipment!  Thank you, again, to EVERYONE who has contributed to this container!  How blessed are we?

I will close but enjoy the photos!  We are well and loving each other and are so very grateful for your continued support . . .

Our new dining table!

Mary and Aisha . . .

Neema always gives us a smile!

Ema and Lazaro, best friends forever!

Preparing for Christmas!

Whew!  It has been a BUSY couple of weeks starting with volunteers from Holy Trinity Catholic High School and Delhi District Secondary School’s “Me to We” group (along with my sidekick John, daughter Amanda and girlfriend Joanie) who spent all day Saturday and Sunday sorting and packing clothes, shoes, toys, bicycles, desks, furniture, linens, medical supplies, etc. for our soon departing container!  Thank you to Bill H. for donating the shipping boxes!  We are still trying to locate a diesel generator AND if anyone knows where we might find a 40’ shipping container at a discounted price we’d be VERY grateful!  (If you don’t ask, the answer is ALWAYS No, right?) The price of a shipping container has increased shockingly since we purchased our last one! 

B.C., Asante for gifting us with a new LARGE screen television for our family to enjoy on weekends . . . We do not have television at Tumaini but on Friday and Saturday nights, IF we have electricity, the children get to choose between music or movies . . . sometimes there were upwards of 50 people craning to see a 27” screen.  Not anymore!

 
Soooooooooo many of you have worked so hard to help us get donations together and again, how blessed have we been to find a donor generous enough to help us get all of these new treasures TO Tumaini House?  Asante to you, friend!

Babas Steve & John and Kaka Luke

As if things aren’t busy enough around here, we have been welcomed to join the Simcoe Panorama of Lights with a Tumaini display booth where we will be selling Hot Apple Cider (Thank you Cider Keg) and cinnamon doughnuts (Asante The Apple Place) and we NEED YOUR HELP!!!  Local Tumaini supporters, the lights are being turned on in Wellington Park this Saturday November 26^th and will run through New Year!  We need volunteers to man our booth and serve our visitors from 6-9 p.m. daily.    You will be out of the elements but dress warmly!!  If you are able to help please email my husband Steve (steve@mybrokersteve.com) with dates of availability . . . high school students this will count as volunteer hours!!! 

And thanks must go out to Mennonite Savings and Credit Union (Aylmer) volunteers Libby Seitz, Elaine Cowan and Lisa Neufeld (with Jenna McDowell) for spending the day assembling ALL that remains of our Christmas Giving Campaign!  You will remember last year where we sold everything from chicks to cows?  Well we’ve assembled our remaining gift packs and they are ready for ordering.  If you’d like to purchase a gift for a teacher, letter carrier, mother inlaw, or spouse who has everything, please send me an email or, make a donation online at www.tuchifo.com request what you’d like and we’ll get it out to you! 

$10.00 - 12 chicks

$20.00 - one bag of Maize (a staple food source)
$30.00 - helping our garden grow (seeds, fertilizer and fuel for irrigation)
$40.00 - sorry, we’re sold out of goats right now.
$50.00 - one bag of beans (a vital protein source and staple food source for us)
$100.00 - towards the purchase of a new cow (two if we can sell our remaining 26!)

FYI – Our mama cow Ranger is sick and we are going to have to replace her.   We have spent hundreds of thousands of shillings on veterinarian bills this year.  Tumaini, the baby is growing and strong but milk for our children is the issue and Tumaini is a boy.  We estimate the cost to purchase one female (hopefully pregnant) cow to be around $1,000.00 and we have 26, $100.00 donations left to sell this year.  The sale of ALL our remaining cow gift cards would allow us to purchase TWO cows and build a needed addition onto our cow house!  Please help support us will you?

Finally, we have recently been in touch with a solar firm in western Canada who is working madly to include a solar installation for Tumaini in our container shipment.  For those “Tumainites” who have lived with us in Tanzania you know how challenging it can be to find the house pitched into darkness (sunset is 7:00 p.m. year round) or unable to keep food in the refrigerator because we’ve had no power for too many days, OR, the battery on our computer, cell phone, camera, or the HOT WATER HEATER (if we have water) depletes.  We have enough challenges at Tumaini House each day, loving and raising our children without trying to do it in the dark, hmmmm?

 We need help . . . your help.  If possible, please consider making a donation to assist us in getting this system installed and working at Tumaini . . . our solar friends will contribute 25% of what we do so let’s please make this happen!

I am leaving in one week!  As my new Aussie sister Rebecca says, “Only seven more sleeps”!  I invite those of you who have not done so yet to get me your letters, photos, modest gifts for your sponsored child and as always I send out BUCKETS of gratitude for the love and continued support you show Tumaini. 

There are so very many people to thank for this year’s success.  To new friends and old, please know that our kids thrive today because of you.  Because of the dedicated support you continue to shower us with.  Because of your commitment.  There are so many charities to help . . . so many children requiring assistance and it is ONLY because of you that we continue to grow, that our kids are healthy, that they play and dream . . . and hope.  From the absolute bottom of my heart, for all of us at Tumaini, Asante.  Sana!  Thank you VERY much.

It feels good to help people in need doesn’t it?  I know that feeling and so do each of you.  I ran into Deacon Frank from our church this afternoon and we spoke about it . . . that feeling of purpose . . .  of fulfillment we discover when, thinking beyond ourselves, we reach out to someone else and give them what they need, be it food, medical care, a place to lay their head, or sometimes, just a hug. This is especially powerful when we’re involved with children, the sick and the elderly.  I do not know how to thank each of you for allowing us to be your connection to that feeling  . . .

We lost Bibi Bad Eyes this week and young Daniel’s mother has succumbed to AIDS.  Our prayers of peace are sent with them and our hopes for a full, healthy, love filled life surround Daniel.  He already shines . . . Happy Holidays!! 

Daniel when we first me him . . .

And our little man today!