Monday in Iringa

Monday, July 19, 2010


We started off the day today viewing some sites located around Iringa, and quickly made our way to what was the highlight of many people’s day: Huruma Centre and Orphanage. Huruma, which means mercy, is run by Mama Chilewa, who currently has 31 students at the orphanage who attend school, 2 new Maasai children who don’t attend school (as they do not speak Swahili), and 18 students who attend a boarding school. After hearing about the orphanage and how it works, we went out to play with the kids. Sam, Reid, and Jenna played football (soccer) while Hannah, Nora, Julie, and Terry played with the kids and spoke with Mama Chilewa, as Paul took pictures and documented the interactions that were occurring. Games abounded in this wonderful afternoon, as the kids played jump rope with us, and some taught us new games that most closely resembled Ring around the Rosy, Tug of War, and London Bridge is Falling Down. Despite the language barriers, information was exchanged primarily through the smiles and bonds of friendship formed this afternoon. After this, we returned to the apartments, where we met some friends from previous trips, including speaking more with Emson Sandigila, the previous pastor at Lulanzi who now is a pastor at Cathedral Lutheran in Iringa, and we spent an evening with John Mhekwa and Jeffrey, both of whom were previous students of Pastor Julie’s. This was another great day in Iringa, and tomorrow we are filled with more busy activities. Lala fofofo. (Sleep like a log)