The End is There

[uc pseudonym]

Life transitions seem to be a common theme recently and I am jumping on the bandwagon. When I next log on to CAA, it will be from a satellite connection in Tanzania.

I will be completely absent from the forums between today and August 6th because I need to travel to multiple locations in country before settling. This will likely continue over the next four months as well, because I will be in immersive training. Following that, things should normalize, at least for the three years I’ll be there.

The position I accepted will place me as the only IT person in a fairly large block of the country. Because the Serengeti National Park cuts it off from the highly developed parts of the country, this area’s technological growth is lagging behind the rest of Tanzania.

Still, the growth is rapid and they requested an expatriate worker to help them develop some infrastructure. My headquarters will be an area that didn’t have electricity before 2005 and now has an internet café, two hospitals relying on computers, and an AIDS education/relief ministry with a lot of machines that need maintenance.

Half my job will be basic tech support for those organizations. The other half will be training people, both in basic computer use and to do my job once I leave. Hopefully I’ll play some small part in bringing an area up to speed with the rest of the country and provide some people with skills and potential jobs.

The reason I go into unnecessary detail is to encourage people to think about service in their lives. There’s an overwhelming amount of injustice in the world, but many things can be done to lessen it. As Christians we should be especially aware of our calling to right that which is wrong.

So if you want to give, make sure to fund organizations that empower the poor instead of easing the consciences of the rich. If you want to serve, seek out all the partnerships between developed and developing nations that can help both work toward a just society. If you have skills, consider how they might be used in the broader world.

Sermon aside, farewell for now. Once I’m settled into my new job in Tanzania, I’ll be joining you again.

[Atria35]

*low whistle* That's realy impressive, and I'm really rooting for you to help a lot of people while you're there. Good luck!

[goldenspines]

Best of luck to you, UC. ^__^
I'm happy you got this awesome opportunity and I'm sure God will bless you and others through it.
Your presence and insight will be greatly missed around the board until you can come back online. Have a safe trip over there.

[Cognitive Gear]

This sounds like a fantastic ministry opportunity. I'm certain that lots of people will be saying this, but for what it's worth, I will be praying for you and that God will be glorified through you.

[Tsukuyomi]

*Hugs* I'm glad you're getting to experience this great.. experience xD Stay safe and keep us updated when you're able to hop one

I know some have been longing for their own calling. I'm glad you heard yours ^^ Hopefully, others will keep an open heart to hear theirs ^^

[bigsleepj]

Good luck, UC! Godspeed on your journey.

[Kaori]

Very awesome, UC! I wish you the best.

[ich1990]

I have said it before, but I will say it again: good luck, take pictures, and tell us all about it when you get settled.

BigsleepJ put it perfectly; Godspeed, sir.

[Lilac#18]

[color="Plum"]Good luck.[/color]

[rocklobster]

Well, good luck, friend. I know we haven't gotten to talk much, but I consider us friends. Will be praying for you.

[RoyalWing]

This sounds like a very big challenge... but I'm sure you'll be able to meet it. Do your best.

[ChristianKitsune]

Wow, UC I'm impressed, big step outta Kansas into Africa... I'm definately praying for you, that God will use you in ways you never expected, and in ways that will bring glory to Him. I pray that God will change lives through you, so they can have a brighter future.

God Bless, UC!

[mysngoeshere56]

WOW! That sounds like quite an opportunity. You'll be thought of and prayed for in your absence. I wish you the best!

[Angel37]

How awesome! You'll be in my prayers!

[uc pseudonym]

I am officially back to participating on CAA. Though I probably won't be as consistent as I was in the past (due to unreliable electricity and work issues) I plan to be around for a while now.

Things are going well enough. Most home and work issues have been smoothed out. I wouldn't call myself comfortable in Swahili, but all my conversations have been in Swahili for about a month and I manage. Some things are a little better than they were without me but I'm a very long way from accomplishing any of Imara's goals. Hopefully no more than three years away. That is all I have to say unless people have questions.

Here is the closest I can get to answering the request for pictures. Most uploaders are rejecting the network out of hand, so I could only attach three images. Out of four. I do not own a camera, so I do not get pictures very often.

Picture Commentary
Desk: Where I work. The other three offices in this room are the youth education department, not that you can see them in this picture.
Imara: The office complex for four different development organizations. My office is midway down the left.
Gate: My host family's house. This is the average upper middle class home for Tanzania; roughly twelve people live in it.

[Kaori]

Hey, welcome back!

I wouldn't call myself comfortable in Swahili, but all my conversations have been in Swahili for about a month and I manage.

Language acquisition would have been my first question had you not already told us . . . and it’s awesome that you are speaking entirely in Swahili. I wish I could have that sort of immersion experience in Japanese, but incidentally, my work is conducted entirely in English. Anyways, Swahili is a sort of lingua franca spoken throughout a large portion of Africa, right? Are there any additional local/tribal languages where you are, or just Swahili?

Are you serving through MCC by any chance? Just curious, because I know that 3 years is a pretty typical commitment for MCC positions.

Any comments or observations on culture and/or language?

Praying for blessing over your continued work.

[Radical Dreamer]

Welcome back! Glad to hear you're doing well over there and learning your way around the new language and customs! I'll continue to pray that things go well for you over there, and I'm glad to see you back on CAA!

[ShiroiHikari]

It's good to hear from you.

[Okami]

Welcome back! It's great to hear from you and to have an update on how things are going.

[goldenspines]

Welcome back, UC! It's great to hear from you and I'm glad you've been doing well. I hope things continue to go well and improve. ^__^

[Lilac#18]

[color="Plum"]Welcome back.[/color]

[shooraijin]

Welcome back, UC!

[Tsukuyomi]

I'm a bit late to the party, but welcome back ^__^

[Dante]

Welcome back! Tanzania is awesome, I RP as that country over in CNRP on Cybernations. Is it true that China is planning on building a hi-way straight through the Serengeti though . As my father noted, they'd be hitting animals every other minute so they could transport precious metals. Not to mention that such a collision could kill the driver.

Anyways, glad to here you're back!

[ChristianKitsune]

Welcome Back, UC!

[Sheenar]

Welcome back, UC! It's great to hear that things are going well! I look forward to hearing more about your time in Tanzania as time goes by.

[uc pseudonym]

Thanks for the welcome, everyone.

Anyways, Swahili is a sort of lingua franca spoken throughout a large portion of Africa, right? Are there any additional local/tribal languages where you are, or just Swahili?

Swahili was a trading language that takes a fair amount from Arabic and is widely spoken in East Africa. Relatively few people learn it as a first language, but Swahili is basically your only option if you want to communicate (though English is gaining in tourist cities and Kenya) – for example, Tanzania has around 120 different tribes with as many languages. The big tribes in my village are Kuria and Koma, with numerous smaller ones, but these languages are mostly spoken in the home.

And yes, I'm with the local organization (Imara) through MCC.

Any comments or observations on culture and/or language?

I'm not sure I can answer that question with any degree of succinctness. There are a few interesting things I can say about the language without writing any essays:
- You can't use a singular possessive for many words in Swahili. For example, if I refer to the US, I have to say "our country" even though everyone else is from Tanzania, because I do not personally own the United States.
- Swahili is a highly agglutinating language that cares less about verbs than nouns. There are twelve different noun classes (or eight, depending on how you count) each of which have different rules. So there are numerous different versions of the word "three" depending on the object.
- There are no natural ways to talk about superlatives in Swahili. Likewise, it is basically impossible to say "too much" of something. I tried to say "more than enough" but my language teachers said you can't use the words that way.
- Speaking in generalities, western cultures share information freely and hoard possessions whereas African cultures share possessions freely and hoard information. There are many discussions about the effects of information technology, the internet, and rapidly changing knowledge bases on these cultures.

Is it true that China is planning on building a hi-way straight through the Serengeti though

It's true and it appears inevitable. There is international criticism, but Tanzania does have the legal right to build the road unless the argument that it violates the East African community's standards holds. The biggest concern is that increased traffic will stop all migration into Kenya, which would lead to a host of problems.

In general African nations have been willing to accept such deals from China because it is a free way to improve their infrastructure. Though China's motives are obvious, all other governments appear equally self-serving and at least China gives them things while taking their resources. If this is a subject that interests anyone, I recommend China in Africa by Chris Alden.

My last picture is attached. There are two of these in my room, serving no function except ventilation (ie bugs). I have no idea why.

[GeneD]

Welcome to the continent UC! (and back to CAA)

The photos are cool and hopefully you can send more when you get some.

[Kaori]

There are a few interesting things I can say about the language without writing any essays [. . .]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing those.