Impressions of Ivuna

The sunshine beating on my back, the sandy soil beneath my feet, the gentle breezes blowing, what a beautiful morning to be in the fields. The sound of hoes breaking soil is music to my ears. As the skies clear off, blue mountains can be seen along the horizon. I am now very sure that packing my bags and leaving this village in Southwest Tanzania is not going to be easy. Ivuna and all it's simplicity has stolen a portion of my heart. How can it be that two weeks have passed so quickly? Was it not just a few days ago that we left Mbeya, and bounced our way back to Ivuna?

Besides leaving our seats countless times on our way to Ivuna, we also had the exciting experience of getting royally stuck. For the most part, I loved every minute of that adventure. 

There is so much I would could say about these two spectacular weeks. In fact, it has taken several attempts over the past week to finally reach this point.

But let me start with telling y'all a little about this village. Ivuna is located in the Rukwa valley of Southwest Tanzania. It's a 5 hour drive from Mbeya, their nearest city. My missionary heroes who live back here buy most of their supplies, produce, etc. out in Mbeya. A lot of our diet back here has consisted of porridge, rice, beans, corn, potatoes and chinizi salad, with the exception of some pretty spectacular American dishes made with food supplies that Paul Lapp's brought over with them. Meat, dairy products, and fruit are scarce. Sure it would be nice to have more access to such luxurious foods to break up the high carb diet, but we are fairing just fine without it. I have started craving porridge with peanut butter and rice and beans. Imagine that!

Some super amazing pizza, baked on the brazer.

Gasp! Real chocolate cake!!! Baked to perfection by the one and only Chef Kimberly Nolt.

Kim's cute little hut. In the background you can see the choo and shower shanty. Beyond that is the main house where the other girls sleep. 

The main house. 

Village life has really been growing on me. The simplicity is quite attractive. There is no running water, so nearly every day someone makes a trip to the bomba (water tower) to fill our water buckets. I don't think I gave it much thought before coming here what all running water does for us. Without it there are no faucets, washing machines, toilets, nor showers.
The village also doesn't have electricity. But my friends have a small solar powered battery in the main house which lights up the place very nicely after dark. It also provides a nice little charging booth for our electronics.

Cooking is a field I have not been brave enough to venture out into very far on my own. I'm slowly learning by working along side the pros.

Sorting beans: a new hobby of mine.

   

Heading to the bumba for water

The bumba

Canning beans over the brazer.

So yeah, it's almost like camping...only different! ;)
Besides scrubbing laundry, keeping up with the cleaning, carrying water, and preparing the next meal, we have been doing a lot of gardening. They are growing peanuts, corn, tomatoes, okra, and loads of other yummy veggies. Having the opportunity to stick my fingers in the dirt again has been great!

The language barrier has been the hardest to adjust to. Communication is such a huge part of our daily lives. My friends have been patiently teaching me little things here and there. I finally know enough of the greetings to be friendly, and I really enjoy using them. Here and there I'm picking up a few Swahili words and phrases. It's really a shame I don't have more time. I would really enjoy learning this language.

I've been spending most of my mornings at the clinic with Kim. There haven't been a lot of patients. During the quiet times, we have been solving the world's problems and filling our journals. 

          

The Clinic

and it's fabulous nurse!

        

Gardening at the clinic.

Coloring with kids during slow mornings at the clinic

I have been thoroughly enjoying each opportunity to experience the every day life these Africans. This past Saturday, Kim and I joined her friend, Mama Glanti, as well as Mama Glanti's mother and cousin, Monika, in their sesame field in the farming land outside of the village. It was a delightful experience, entering into their work lives and getting dirty next to them. Once we reached the goal for the day, we gathered under a tree on the edge of the field to eat the maandazi that Kim and Monika had hiked back to the village to buy for our hungry tummies. By now the sun was high in the sky and beating the energy right out of us, so we all chose to call it a day. We arrived back at the house just in time to enjoy the delicious lunch that Rachel had prepared. I was quite tired by this time and thought to myself, “A nap would suit me well.” But that nap never did happen. For as I settled down on the couch, Kim came busting in with news that the two of us were to go to Mama Glanti's house right away. She had a lunch of Ugali and fish waiting for us. Another lunch? Good thing I didn't fill myself up at the first one. So off we went, down the dirt path to Mama Glanti's little, mud hut. In the center of the room a tray laden with ugali and fish, perched on top of a bucket. We took our seats on the smaller buckets setting near the "table". Eating ugali in a for real mud hut with them and like them was an experience I wouldn't want to trade for a nap.

Mama Glanti

 


I am now convinced that these African women are made out of iron. I feel like a plastic-made, wimpy American next to them. Dear Mama Glanti was out in her field all morning. Then came home and had to haul water from the river before she could cook our lunch. THEN she scrubbed our dirty dresses yet! I know from experience how exhausting it is to spend a morning in the field and how much energy it takes to carry water and scrub dress. Such is the life of many of the women in this village.

Highlights

Singing together.

Spending time with the children.

One night everyone came over to the girls' house for a ugali dinner. Here we are stacked in the cute little
dining room. (l-r: Zack Lapp, Rebekah Oberholtzer, Kim Nolt, Rachel Oberholtzer, Hannah, Becky,
Paul, Nelaine, Gina, Ben, and Rachel Lapp.

One morning Hannah and I washed corn and laid it out to dry. Later that afternoon, Rachel went with us to get it ground at the mill.

Once a month market comes to Ivuna. Lorries loaded down with supplies and goods to sell come roaring in from town.

Rice and beans. Yummers!

 

Ivuna has left it's imprint on my heart.