Tight Spaces

Tim and I have been traveling the past two weeks; we have visited three of our five Districts. Our purpose, other than to spend time with leadership and pastors, has been to promote the Bible College and it's various programs. We are also introducing a Scholarship program set up by the TAG national office to assist our 2,000+ pastors who have never been to Bible College.

We have enjoyed the opportunity to meet with and encourage our pastors in the remote areas of our region.

When we traveled to Tabora it was a 6 hour drive; half paved road and half dirt. Other than being ran off the road twice by large buses, the trip went well. Tim traveled a few days later to Shinyanga which is just a two hour trip away and had a visit with pastors and leadership there.

Last weekend, we traveled to Kagera District; we chose to take the Victoria Ferry which travels during the night back and forth between Mwanza and Bukoba, Kagera. We board the ferry at about 8:30pm and we arrive the next morning in Bukoba about 6:00am. Going over wasn't too bad, Tim and I shared a small bathroom sized room with a set of narrow bunk beds and a sink in one corner. Bathrooms were the public ones used by all on our deck.

Returning the following night, we were unable to purchase first class tickets so had to travel second class. There is a significant difference between these two classes. If you travel second class there is another bathroom-sized room but there are 6 beds; two stacks of three plus the sink. You are on the second deck rather than the top deck of the three deck ship. You don't have access to the nice dining room nor are you allowed to leave the second deck. Melodie, a single missionary, and myself were in with 4 young ladies who did appear happy to see us when we entered, they did not speak English and they did not seem to have any plans to sleep any time soon.

Tim shared a room with five men and two of them were very friendly and spoke English well.

It was a totally different trip back across the second night as second class passengers than it was the previous night as first class passengers. I was thankful that we did not have to travel third class which means you don't get a room or a bed but just a spot on the ship.
It was an experience that we will remember. However, we survived and when we arrived home we took a nice hot shower and took a short rest on a nice big bed.