I'm home!

I thought I'd drop a note to let you know that I arrived back at Manchester Airport at 10.30 this morning after a long journey! The flights were very smooth and punctual and I look forward to showing people my photos and sharing what I have been doing.

Thanks for all your prayers and support!

Emily

Happy Christmas!!

I thought I'd wish you all a very

Happy Christmas

God Bless,

Emily

Masengo Church

Last night's recording was at Masengo church which is going to be the main University Church for the Anglican University which is currently in development.

I had the same issues over an electrical loop although we were in the vestry at first and once we moved into the main church, my equipement wasn't getting any more interference. It was a good recording session and the young people were enthusiastic and worked very hard at their song. I was able to do a bit of overdubbing as well, giving me more chance to mix the song in a more effective way when I need to back in the UK.

Please pray for the recording sessions all week, that they would go as smoothly as possible and that if there are any issues with electrical loops or other barriers, then I'll be able to overcome them and record effectively.

Thank you!

Exx

Recording!!

I am recording choirs all week, which is proving to be an interesting experience as I only have limited equipment and can only do a certain amount with what I have got. I hope to be able to use it to its fullest potential however, and then I will mix what I have recorded, once I get back to the UK. Here's a photo of the recording session last night at the Anglican church at Ipagala. It was a trying experience as I had a fair amount of technical hitches with eqquipment - the major one being a ground loop which prevented me from recording anything until I had set up a DI box which allowed me to lift the signal and therefore breaking the loop. There were other hitches but I hope to have got enough recorded to be able to work with when I am back. There were 2 choirs wanting to be recorded and so that gave more pressure on timing, especially when the equipment wasn't playing ball!! I am at another church tonight.

Exx

Music Workshop in Ipagala

I led a music workshop on Saturday afternoon and 11 youth choir leaders were in attendance. I really enjoyed teaching this group, and they are all keen to understand more about music. Music education is lacking in Tanzania as I have mentioned previously and it seems to me that it is not lack of enthusiasm for understanding, more lack of opportunities to learn. I am running a follow-up workshop with the same group this coming Saturday.

Please pray for that and also for the recording work I am doing this week

Thanks,

Emily

Under 5s at the Canon Andrea Mwaka School

Hi, I thought I'd post a picture of what I was up to this morning! I helped out with a group of 3-5 year olds at the International School in Dodoma, which is actually 10 mins walk from where I am staying. It is a Christian school, which is run by the Diocese of Central Tanganyika. I did a few songs with them and joined in with some other activities also. A huge issue in Tanzania is that of education. It is seriously lacking and that can be a huge issue on a day-to-day basis when people haven't been taught to problem-solve and think for themselves. What they are doing at Canon Andrea, is teach from the English syllabus. There are many missionary children as well as local muslim and christian children who attend. I will post more next week but a thunderstorm is brewing and the internet connection keeps going off! Thanks,

Emily

Village Life

I thought I'd post a brief update today! I spent all day yesterday at a village just outside Dodoma, which was a very interesting experience. I was aware of some things, but not others, and so I found that the villagers are very spread out across the land and have "complexes" which are their own bits of land with their house and a places to keep livestock. Many people live together in one complex, and men in the village have more than one wife. There were many many children all over the place! It is a stark contrast to the UK, as these people have built their own houses, and what you see is what you get. They were grateful for our visit and incredibly welcoming, and also asked if people back home could pray for them. There are many Christians in the village and a few people met us at the Anglican church. They send their greetings to the UK. I thought I would post a picture of the children waving to you!

Please do remember these people in your prayers, as they serve to remind us that many people in the world live in poverty and struggle to survive with the smallest amount of resources.

Thank you

Emily

World AIDS Day

Hi - I wasn't sure if I'd get to post this blog today as the power was off again this morning. However, once it came on again this afternoon, I felt it was really important to create a post today due to the fact of it being.....

World AIDS Day.

HIV and AIDS is a huge issue as we all know, especially in Africa. Elizabeth told me last night, that in this area of Tanzania, it affects 1 in 12 people, and so with that statistic it is clear to see that there is desparate need for prevention education and support for people who are living with HIV and AIDS. In fact I am currently sitting in the internet cafe which belongs to the ACT (Anglican Church of Tanzania) and this centre has also been set up as a resource centre for HIV/AIDS. The Anglican church has several projects on the go, involving work around HIV and AIDS, and they have a vehicle which they can use to take out to places and visit people.

I was invited to see a nursery which a lady who works for ACT has set up in her back yard. This means that space that would have been her garden now has classrooms and a school during the day. She is passionate about serving the Lord and for supporting AIDS orphans, so much that she set up "Rhema Education Centre". At the centre, the standard of education is very high and so healthy children are able to attend as fee payers. Children who are HIV/AIDS orphans or who are infected, are given free places.

The important thing is that all the children are treated equally, so although some of the children may be ill more often than others, or not look as healthy, they are all given equal amounts of attention and the fact that some of them are affected by AIDS is not dwelt upon, meaning that the children can lead happy and confident lives at the school. The head teacher pointed out that some of them don't yet know that they are infected, and for 3-7 year olds it is really important to give them a chance to have as much of a happy childhood as possible under the circumstances.

It was obvious to see how happy the children were as we went round a couple of the classes and one of the older classes sang "What a friend we have in Jesus", and a younger class sang "Heads, shoulders, knees and toes" for us!! The children learn English as it is thought of as helping to get further on in life, if they can speak English. A hugely important aspect of this work is the Christian emphasis, and so they are taught about God from an early age.

Please remember these children in your prayers today and remember that these are the unwitting victims of HIV/AIDS. Please pray especially for the new premises being built for the school. There is so much need for this school, that they have got more and more children wanting to come, so they are busy building a new school down the road, to be able to expand and offer more children this opportunity. They hope to have the new school opened early next year. Please pray that this will happen to the Lord's plan.

Thanks,

Emily