Keanes in Tanzania

This school was on our schedule to visit today, which was a blessing and a curse.  St Theresia's Secondary School is an all girl's boarding school overseen by Sisters from the Order of Mary, Queen of Africa.  The mission of the school is to grow women into active participating members of society on an equal footing with men educationally, socially, and economically.  The place is run by the very formidable Sister Scholastica, who is also the Mother Superior for the Order.  The school is a model for a well run educational institute and the focus on women's rights is sorely needed in this area. We intended to visit to see how their new kitchen was working out, but unfortunately they had a fire the night before we arrived and two dorms were destroyed.  Luckily the fire happened during the school day so nobody was hurt, but the financial burden of losing two dorms could be a very difficult challenge for Mother Superior.  Despite a mind-numbingly challenging day...

After our celebration in Mtimbwe Father took us to the catechist center.  Because the pastoral needs in the villages are so high the church has established these centers to train lay people to perform duties normally reserved for a priest.  The students here, some 300 in all, train at the center for 2-3 years with their families.  They are then sent back to their village with a new mission to preach he gospel and help their people through pastoral care.  The Marian Stove team used this center as a testing ground for the new stoves.  Over 30 Marian Stoves  were installed two years ago and we visited to ensure they were all still in good order.  Everything seemed great and the few families we met seemed pleased with the stoves.  It was fairly quiet when we visited as most of the students were on a break when we toured. Goats eating at a termite mound.  They do not eat the termites but for some reason they think the dirt itself taste good. ...

So after a very emotional day we drove for a bit of sightseeing.  We ended up driving on a half-built 100 mile new Tarmac road, courtesy of China and their One-Belt One-Road Initiative , to the shores of Lake Tanganyika .  This was mostly a sightseeing trip so what will follow is some great shots of us on the shores of this beautiful great lake of Africa enjoying a lunch and hanging out together.  For those more serious about the details see the bottom of the photos for the history of this place. Our Guide, Ernest Lugalla, enjoying the view to the Lake Susi and I tried hard all day to get our anniversary shot. Dad after a long day of Stove building on the shores of Lake Tanganyika Emma, looking across the lake to the Congo. Sunset on a great day. Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika from space, June 1985 Lake Tanganyika map Coordinates 6°30′S   29°50′E Coordinates :  6°30′S   29°50′E Lake type Rift Valley Lake Primary inf...

This morning Father Pontiano took us to Mtimbwa, which is another region that is supported by my parents home parish in NC, St Thomas Moore.  Mtimbwa is a clean village with amazing people and a very active church community.  Mtimbwa holds 6+ services on Sundays in their small chapel because the community has outgrown their building.  Through dedicated support from St Thomas Moore the villagers of Mtimbwa are about 80% complete  with a beautiful new church that can support their growth plans.  Funds from St Thomas Moore were used to complete the walls and the roof structure,.  The structure you see below was actually designed by Gabriel, who is also a key member of the stove team and, by the look of the new church, a talented architect.  As you will see in the photos, additional funds are needed to install the windows and doors and pour a floor.  Regardless, the people of Mtimbwa are grateful for the support they have received thus far and were p...