We are in the final stages of finishing our fence. Now the property is secure. In a developing country like Tanzania in which land is invaded on a regular basis this is an important step. The next step is to build something that I can live in.

I’ve thought of building a simple mud-brick house since the funds for this year are running out. When I ask people what they think of this prospect they are unanimous in their rejection of such a possibility. One reason is, why would a rich foreigner dare build something only a poor person would? Another reason is the permission to build on the type of land we have says one cannot build with mud-blocks. Others are concerned about security, it is easy to break into a mud-block wall that a cement one. So we will build the modern way, with cement.

Because the funds are not enough for now we will have to build just part of the house (a room and bathroom). We’ll dig the entire foundation of the house then start filling in the spaces to meet basic needs and as other funding arises. This is the way many build here, one room, wait for a few months, get some money, build another room. It can take years to finish a house. Hopefully, that won’t happen with us.

Tanzania, at least traditionally, is not a confrontational culture like many Western countries. To confront someone in front of a group of people gives the person “shame” and the confronter will probably gain nothing except an enemy. I learned as a Pastor that if I need to confront someone on a particular issue it is best to find some privacy(which is not that easy) and speak to the person one on one.

Confronting one needs solitude with the person and respect. The confrontation ought be grounded in respect. If one does not show respect one’s message will not get through. Many Tanzanians have an inferiority complex when it comes to foreigners, they are intimidated by the West’s development. Some are amazed at the West’s accomplishments and wonder if God made ‘White people’ with a different kind of brain.

Two days ago I had to confront the architects who are drawing up the House of Prayer plans. Their ideas of how to enflesh the vision were very much different that ours. I had to remind myself the conversation on this sensitive subject is like a dance where one moves with grace, honesty and respect. The conversation turned out very well to my delight. They understood the challenges of the vision and I understood where they were coming from. This understanding came from an attitude of mutual respect.

Yesterday, I received the initial drawings for the House of Prayer from our architects. They are disappointing. They missed the point almost entirely that the site is for the Spiritual needs of our guests, not for their leisure or pleasure needs.

They included a swimming pool, three dining rooms, large rooms that included a sitting rooms for our guests. All the buildings were in the round, which uses a lot of space. The place looks like something foreign tourists would come to. My contractor described it as a ‘campground’.

Much of the fault lies with me–I did not explain clearly enough the vision. It’s the vision, Dummy! Everything from that flows. In the past when the church built something it had its own people plan and execute. These days one has to use secular resources that have little knowledge of building for the Spirit. So, I meet with the architects this week to explain very clearly what the challenges we have working together. I hope to slow down the process so we can check their work to make sure it enfleshes the vision. There is a popular saying, “Haraka Haraka, Haina Baraka”, Fast, Fast, there is no Blessing. Indeed.

“Shaghalabhaghala” is a Kiswahili word for Chaos, a negative kind of chaos that breeds confusion. Living in a city like Mwanza is living with the reality of Shaghalabhaghala. One meets a great example of what happens when traditional culture collides with modernity.

Mwanza is a unique place because of its diversity. We have many different tribes from all over Tanzania. We have tribes from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. There is a large Arab population here, along with many Indians. There are many NGOs, churches, mosques and temples servicing Christians, Moslems, and Hindus. This social fabric is starting to tear as long standing human relationships are put aside in favor of profit, pleasure and religious fanaticism.

There is a tremendous rapid development going on with large hotels and office buildings reaching to the sky like so many Towers of Babel. Along with this rapid, pretty much unplanned development comes a loss of civility and the famous African hospitality. One struggles with the stress of living in such a frenetic atmosphere. The poor struggle the most as they are marginated daily by the mad rush for profit without social responsibility. Which is why many of us missioners are here. To live in solidarity with the world’s forgotten. Why? Because we are followers of Jesus.

Since we started at the Lake House of Prayer site we have built a storeroom, an outdoor toilet, a small pond to put water and are continuing to build a chain link fence. We have no water at the site so usually 10 women haul water for us, for a price. It is a good way to give people some work.

The women go down to a natural spring about a 5 minute walk downhill towards the lake. They come back with a full heavy bucket of water on their heads. The journey back up hill for the spring takes twice as long. It is amazing to see the strength of these women, many of whom are elderly. Actually, the poor of Africa do not retire to a life of leisure. Everyday they struggle with their families to get enough or any food on the table. Hauling water up a steep hill even if you are a grandma is one survival technique.

Today at the building site I was told that a young man who is our neighbor died suddenly. I saw him regularly when I was at the site and he seemed ok. But that is deceptive for just as many young women like to hide that they are pregnant, so too, many people are close to death but try not to show this reality to themselves or others.

What happens is a person starts getting sick at a minor level and ignores it perhaps because there is no enough money to go to the doctor. The minor disturbance becomes major so money is collect from family and friends to go to the hospital. At the hospital one is met by lack of service, not enough doctors or medicines, poor testing, and outright corruption. So the sick one can get sicker.

One returns home to his/her normal life but it is not normal, the person is on his/her way to death. Others notice, I usually don’t until someone tells me. People are so used to sickness and death they make it look normal. Then they die. I am really surprised. Others look like they are surprised. But they know, death had been close for a long time.

We have two sets of rockbreakers on the building site now. I’m trying some friendly competition to see who would be able to break up the rocks without using so much time, energy and money. First an explanation. Our area has a lot of large boulders that need to be removed for future building to take place. Having these large rocks is par for the course in our area, for after all Mwanza’s nickname is ‘Rock City’.

One team of rockbreakers uses big size charcoal and wood(Kuni) to heat the rocks enough so they can break them with their assortment of tools. The other team only uses small size charcoal (chenga) to heat up the rocks. And they get the job done much faster than the first group. Eventually I will have to chose between the two teams to give the ‘contract’ to break the large rocks on our property.

The first group would be the sentimental favorites. They are a couple of old men in their sixties trying to provide for their families in a job for strong young men. The second group is really just one young man(not very big) from the local area. He is doing the more efficient job and he too has a family to provide for.

We have to pay for a large truck full of felled tress to get enough ‘kuni’ for our old men. The charcoal they use is much more expensive than the ‘chenga’. If I keep the older men more trees are going to hit the dirt. Perhaps I can support creation by keeping the young man and saving a few trees. Whatever the decision, as a Missioner, one must always keep in mind the values of the Gospel.

In a way, the House of Prayer has already started, without any buildings though. Yesterday, I gave a retreat to a group of Maryknoll and SMA Lay Missioners. It was a privilege to share some insights with them of being a Contemplative in Mission during our times.

As we gathered around the Eucharist table at the end of the day I was struck by Pope Francis’ words of that the church is a ‘community of disciples’. I saw the people there as my brothers and sisters in Christ. All of us here in Africa seeking to be faithful to the Gospel and needing each other’s support in a very challenging time in Tanzania.

Here at the Bishops house they raise chickens, lambs, goats, pigs, cows and different kinds of food. Two days ago, 7 cows disappeared. Disaster! Thankfully, the Bishop was away so the community had some time to find the missing cows. It seems that the cows disappeared when the hired workers, there were three of them, went on their tea break and let the cows graze on their own. As someone said, ‘cows are not people, you can’t tell them to stay put while you go have some tea.’

The cows were ‘misplaced’ in the morning but the report did not come to the house until evening. A search of the surrounding area was done. No cows seen. The next day early in the morning the brothers were out looking for the cows. Finally, the cows are found quite a ways from the house. Apparently, they wandered into a man’s field and started eating his crops. The man stopped them and locked them up in a corral.

The community had to pay a fine to the man for the damage the cows did to his crops and the cows were herded back home. This is not the first time cows have disappeared from the Bishop’s house. Jesus spoke of ‘hired hands’ that don’t care for the flock. Such is the case here, the three young men hired to guard the cows are in the habit of having their tea and leaving the cows without a Shepherd. Giving them a punishment will only help for a time. What is needed is a commitment to being close to the cows. Not being close to your salary and tea time.

Two days ago we had two land experts come out to measure the boundaries of the plot for the House of Prayer. Why did we have to this if the land was measured and beacons cemented in place long ago? Because a few key beacons were removed by people not interested in having the land fenced off.

This is a major issue in Tanzania, land. With the rapidly growing population and expanding urbanization Tanzania is running out of good land for people to live off of, especially in the cities. Hopefully, we will be able to use the land for the maximum benefit of the spiritual-psychological health of the local population.

The traditional ways of living off eternal spaces of beautiful land are dying. We are learning to live together in very tight spaces. Hence the need for a place like the House of Prayer, to fill the traditional human need to have enough space to be at Rest.