All packed-up 
Loaded-up and ready to go 
The new style of flying 
Nathan, Kristi, Eden & Emmy in front of their new home 
New Tanzania home-school room 
Newly-rebuilt generator with Nyenye, Nathan and James 
Cattle in Nathan’s backyard 
Introducing new Butterfly ultrasound and iPad to CMH doctors 
Ultrasound demonstration videos 
There are avocados up there 
Eliakimu receiving filters for new water system for Matabete Masai village 
Howell greeting students at CSOP 
Eden being silly with Mima 
The “cat” bus in Mbeya 
Mary teaching Sunday Bible class at the mission congregation 
Looking for that snake 
Nathan preaching at the mission congregation
We are now at the end of our second week-end here at the Chimala Mission after helping Nathan, Kristi, Eden and Emmy load-up and move across the world to their new home in Tanzania. Getting here was quite an endurance test not only with the flights, but also getting all the COVID tests and submitting the proper results documents. We arrived quite exhausted Thursday night (Feb 11th). Before landing in Dar-es-Salaam, we had a short stop on the island of Zanzibar where a small aircraft mechanical malfunction delayed our short 10-minute flight across the bay to Dar. With all of our luggage accounted for, we caught 2 taxis to carry us across the street to the FQ Hotel.
Since we have arrived, it has rained nearly every day which is good news for the farm program. Already, Nathan and I have preached twice; and Mary and Kristi have taught Bible classes for children in two different congregations. Kristi has been able to finally use her new Swahili language skills she has been studying for so long before coming to Chimala. Nathan and I have been busy with a lot of special projects including moving furniture, repairing a generator, running-off destructive monkeys and a few annoying snakes, setting up a meeting with the doctors introducing them to the new Butterfly ultrasound and software; and teaching Nathan how to drive a Land Cruiser 5-speed sitting in the right seat while driving on the left-side of the road. If it sounds confusing, it is. But you eventually get used to it. And we have already received our first gift from one of the CSOP instructors – a rooster! For now, he’s a pet in Nathan and Kristi’s small court area behind their house. Eden and Emmy are quite fond of the rooster and aren’t ready to cook him yet.
We have several meetings to schedule to get updates on the CSOP, the farm program, the schools, the general estate, and planning for the construction of a new sterile operational theater at the hospital. It appears more modifications will need to be made to the plans before consulting a contractor. This is a significant addition to the hospital; so we want to get it right before we pull funds and start construction.
On a personal note, my brother sent a text saying that our mother had a bad stroke Sunday evening and has been transported to Jackson (TN) General Hospital. She has had mini strokes before, but the ER doctor said the scan showed a big area indicating she had a bleeding stroke. He said she doesn’t act like she recognizes anyone. I would appreciate your prayers as we are hoping things will stabilize for her and she can be brought back to Union City. We are aware that the outcome of her condition may very well affect the length of our stay here at the mission.
God bless you for your love and support of the Lord’s work at Chimala. Howell
