beautiful kids

 

Norman filling in the holes in the classroom floors 12 Oct 2011

Day 3

Check out the new photos today.  Most are of the beautiful kids - one or two of the team working.

This trip the team are staying in the Twiga Hotel in Dodoma.  It's on a bed and breakfast basis.  Lunch is sandwiches and fruit and is eaten at the school.  The team have dined each night since they arrived at John Ntandu's home>  His wife, Vera, has provided a wonderful feast for the guys after they have returned from school and for that they are grateful for the family's generosity.

Tom says that the Hostel should be plastered by the end of this week ready for the electrics.

Day 2

The team have been hard at it today again - they continue painting and Norman is going to fill in the holes in the classroom floors tomorrow.

Tried to load some pictures but it was unsuccessful - hopefully tomorrow night I'll get them on.

Keep praying for the team and for Tom as he prepares for Sunday worship and all the other duties that land on his shoulders as Team Leader.

The Children of Gawaya

These beautiful children are thankful for your sponsorship.  They are so happy to be able to go to school.

Day 1 - Gawaya School

The team are well rested after the long journey and ready for work!  As you see they have started to paint the classrooms (much in need of it to say the least)!

They have arrived in Dodoma

After a long journey they finally arrive in Dodoma.  They are settled in the Twiga Hotel and tonight they dined with John and Vera Ntandu and family.

Tomorrow Chris, Jackie, Sharon, Norman and Joanne will visit Gawaya school and start the work in the classrooms.

Jim and Daniel will start to put the electrics and plumbing into the hostel.  Tom says that it's gonna be a splendid place when it's finished.

Hopefully Tom will get some pictures off to us soon and I'll post them for you to enjoy.

Parachute Jump Postponed

The weather conditions yesterday were not favourable and Ruby's parachute jump has been postponed until 22 October.  She is terribly disappointed but looking forward again to 22nd.  Today is her 53rd birthday and everyone at kids4school wishes her a great big 'Happy Birthday'

Ruby Nixon on sponsored parachute jump

The day before her 53rd birthday, Ruby Nixon, sponsor and supporter of kids4school, will parachute from a plane13,000ft  above the Garvagh countryside.

All sponsorship will be donated to the work of kids4school.

(3 of Ruby's children - she has 5)  Marc, Michelle, Sarah & Ruby

If you would like to encourage her please write her a message either on this page or our face book page.  If you would really like to encourage her please send all donations to the kids4school office and mark it for Ruby.

another Team leaves for Tanzania

Saturday 8th October at 5.30am will see 8 sleepy but excited team members meet at Belfast City Airport at the start of their journey to Dodoma, Tanzania.

Team members are: Tom Robinson(team leader and Director of kids4school), Chris Lindsay, Jim McIlroy, Norman Truick, Sharon Truick, Joanne McFarlane, Jackie Robinson and Daniel Crowe.

Pray for safety in travel and that the team will have a blessed time on this third Work and Witness trip for kids4school.

heading for home ..

The team have arrived at Makumi National Park where they will stay overnight and enjoy a safari.  Enjoy the fun guys .. you deserve it for working so hard the past 2 weeks

most recent photos from Tanzania

Tom sent these last night by email .. hope you enjoy them

The Welcome at Kitelera

Tom just called to tell me that when they got to Kitelera this morning there was a welcome celebration for them.  The elders and the children were there and they sang to them.  Tom said I'd probably have cried my eyes out as it was so touching.  I could cry just thinking about it.  I wish I was there!

More tonight when Tom gets a chance to call me again.

blessings ...

I cannot wait for an update from Tom on the Church Service yesterday in Kitelera.  He told me that it was a wonderful service and that there was so much blessing.

He said that there were two baptisms - GLORY to GOD!

moving on ....

Tonight the team are resting in the Twiga Hotel in Dodoma!  They have moved!  Tomorrow they start work in Kitelera and for many reasons including the bad weather and the road conditions, Tom has decided that it will be closer and safer to make the base in DODOMA.

Sleep well team.

Please continue to pray for them and the new challenges in Kitelera.

Jesus Christ is Risen today .....

Siku ya Mbingu kujawa na sifa,

(One day when Heaven was filled with His praises)

Siku ya Mbingu kujawa na sifa,

Dhambi zilizidi duniani;

Yesu akaja azaliwe mtu,

Awe na watu ulimwenguni.

Alinipenda, alinifia,

Ameondoa na dhambi zangu;

Alifufuka nipewe haki,

Yuaja tena Mwokozi wangu.

Na siku moja walikwenda naye,

Wakamkaza Msalabani;

Aliumia, aliaibishwa

Ili atuokoe dhambini.

Siku hiyo wakamlaza chini

Kaburini alipumzika;

Matumaini yetu wenye dhambi,

Ni Mwokozi, kwake twaokoka.

Kaburi likashindwa kumshika;

Jiwe likatoka mlangoni,

Alifufuka kwa kushinda kwake,

Naye yuko mileie Mbinguni.

Siku moja atatujia tena;

Utukufu wake tutaona;

Atawaleta na wapenzi wetu;

Mwokozi wangu tutaonana.

Easter Sunday in Kitelera

He is Risen.  All over the world today Christians are celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Some members of the team celebrated at dawn as the sun rose in HOMBOLO.

They all attended the church in Kitelera for morning worship and sang several pieces including 'One day when Heaven was filled with His praises' in SWAHILI!

This little church was filled with the presence of the RISEN LORD.  There was truly 'showers of blessing' today.

new photos from Tom

bye HOMBOLO

Tom decided tonight that the best thing to do because of the roads, weather and distance that needs to be travelled to Kitelera next week to move the base to DODOMA.

Everyone is packing tonight and leaving tomorrow morning for Easter Sunday morning services in Kitelera. They will set up camp for the next 5 days in DODOMA.

Then it all starts again.  Another school, new kids and working against the clock to make a difference.

finishing off ....

Although the team have completed 7 classrooms apparently that's only half the school!  They were at school today putting on the finishing touches.

Tom reported today that they had heavy rain yesterday in HOMBOLO.  That makes it very difficult to travel as the roads will be treacherous.

On top of that today one of the vehicles broke down and some of the team were held up in Dodoma.  Tom needs your prayers for the wisdom to make decisions necessary to the work planned for next week.

Playtime ..

Good Friday in HOMBOLO.  No work today.  Instead the team spent the afternoon with the children.  They played games - football was the favourite no doubt!

At this time I'm not sure about tomorrow's plans as I didn't get to speak to Tom tonight.  He's away to bed early - still got the cold and feeling poorly.

Continue to pray for them all please.
 

last full work day in HOMBOLO

Well seven classrooms are fully painted!  What an achievement in such a short space of time.  The team are to be congratulated and I know that that's not what they want but how wonderful it is nonetheless.

I hear that they painted a large 'twiga' on the wall of one of the classrooms and a 'hippo' on another.  Twiga, in Swahili is giraffe.

They have also painted educational artwork in the form of numbers and words on other classrooms.. Won't the kids be thrilled when they return to school?  It is a completely different learning environment now.  I cannot wait to see the pictures the team bring home.  I'll post them as soon as I can.

Tomorrow afternoon the team are throwing a games session for the kids - it's party  time too!  Alison brought balloons, Chris brought footballs and some of our friends and sponsors sent frisbees.  There's gonna be some fun there tomorrow.

The team have been practising a hymn to sing on Sunday morning in Church.  It is 'One day when Heaven is filled with His praises' and they will sing it in Swahili!  Tom is preaching.  They will be worshipping in the little Church at Kitelera on Easter Sunday.

On a more serious note Tom has been unwell most of this week with sore throat and aches and pains - 'flu-like symptoms.  Please pray for him and a speedy recovery.

keeping at it ...

Day 2 - lots more work done today.  Lots of kids at school and lots of fun too.

Tom reports that they will complete the work at HOMBOLO tomorrow because there will be nothing like that done on Good Friday.  Hopefully that will be a day of more fun and games with the kids.

April has been busy with the camcorder and hopefully Jemma has had her note book out.  She is our journalist for the trip.

Tom made the dinner tonight to give Jeff a day off and a visit to the school.

Tom is not sleeping well as he said that there is a 'creature of unknown origin' in the roofspace overhead.  At about 3.30am it makes noises like scratching and dragging something!  He thinks it might be some sort of lizard! Anyway he borrowed ear-plugs from Jackie and he is hoping to sleep tonight.

Please remember them all in your prayers:
Tom Robinson, Alison Robinson, Chris Lindsay, Joan Rankin, Jim McILroy, Brendan McIlroy, Iris Henderson, Judith Bell, Jackie Robinson, Nicola Spiers, April Matchett, Jeff Higgins, Ivan Crowe, Jemma Higgins and Tim Matchett,

1st day at work ....!

The team have just completed their first day at work.  They painted 2 classrooms at the HOMBOLO school and met some of the kids.  Tom says that not all the kids were at school today.  April was able to shoot some video. Jeff is doing the cooking and served dinner to tired and hungry people following a busy day.  It's quite warm - Tom thinks in the 30's.

Iris was in charge of the devotional tonight.

By the way this is the first day they have had electric at the compound.  Apparently a storm took out overhead cables the other night.

They are all in bed now as I write this.  The time difference is 2 hours ahead of us.

We're here ... finally

The Team are spending their first night at the compound close to the school at HOMBOLO.  It's very basic living quarters that will be home for the next 11 days.

Tomorrow they begin the work with the children and teachers and they will make a start painting classrooms, drawing murals and finishing off a classroom that needs further construction.

I heard that there had been some rain in Hombolo, necessary for the crops, but it will make travel difficult especially on the dirt roads.

Pray for their safety please and that the work they are doing will be blessed by God and Him glorified.

Happy birthday Tom xx

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Tom
Happy birthday to you
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They have arrived!

The team, tired but happy, arrived safely in Dodoma for their first night on African soil.  We look forward to daily reports from the Director.