Matima Beach

A Weekend Away

Last weekend was a 'long weekend' in Tanzania. A Muslim holiday was scheduled so classes were cancelled on Monday. It was an opportunity to see another part of the country and a visit to Matima beach Resort, on Lake Malawi (called Lake Nyassa here), was planned. It's only about 170 km, but it was a four-hour trip.

For almost 100 kms we were on highway. The Tanzania to Malawi section was the best road we have seen here so far, but then we turned off. The last 50 km was over gravel road, and through the country.

The scenery was magnificent, the villages, houses and crops along the way were quite fascinating. On the way to Matima we passed through one town with footpaths, a rarity in Tanzania. In another area we also saw women riding bicycles, another local 'oddity'. At a stop at a local intersection and market we bought a few bananas for the weekend, and on the way back were able to stock up on some fruit for the week ahead.

At Matima we enjoyed warm days and magnificent views over Lake Malawi. We took the opportunity to swim in the cool waters and in the shadows of the Livingstone Ranges.

We watched the locals fish from their dugouts, and I was amazed at their skill in handling these small craft. They moved eaasily through the water, seemed very stable, and on land were very heavy. In the darkness of the early hours we could see lights on the horizon - it was the local fishermen working by lamplight.

Sunday we rose to watch the sun come up over the mountains. I was up a little early, and sat on the beach for about two hours (taking too many photos) as the light broke through and finally peeked over the top of the hills.

A little detour on the way back took us to some unexpected places. David took a left turn when we should have gone straight on. At bridge under construction forced us to turn back, and some local advice saw us winding back towards our destination via a 'shortcut'. Consulting a few more locals on the way we made it to the 'main road', and still had 40 kms of gravel road to travel.
Another detour took us to the border, and allowed us to step into Malawi before returning to Mbeya. As was the original plan we arrived home before dark.

The plan was to have Monday to recover. After eight hours of driving in two days it was a good plan. What was not planned was the confusion over the holiday. It was actually TUESDAY. Some of the holidays are 'moveable', and are only confirmed via radio or TV a few days before. It led to a little bit of confusion on Monday and Tuesday with some schools and major businesses open one day or the other, and many students opting to take both days as a holiday. That almost made me feel like I was back home!

Weekly Worship

We left Mbeya early and headed for Shipongo. It was not a long journey (maybe 60 kms), but it took 2 1/2 hours to arrive at our destination. After fifteen or twenty kilometres we turned off the bitumen and wound our way across the hills and through the villages to reach Shipongo.Along the way a few officers and local officers climbed in the back of the Nissan twin cab as the Divisional Commander offered assistance with transport.

By 11.00 am we had arrived and were greeted by Envoy Mlaga. There we were warmly welcomed into the quarters and provided with a satisfying breakfast of hot milky tea and boiled potatoes. A number of other officers joined us as we waited for others who had walked, or cycled, for many kilometres to the Corps to share in a regional gathering. Today there would be worship, celebration, encouragement and challenge. Leaders from Corps in the area came to hear from the Divisional Commander as he shared a report on the past year, and his vision and plan for 2009. It was a great privilege to be able to share with them, and an even greater privilege to bring a message from the Word.

An important part of the event was the retirement of a local officer, Mr. Petro Mukasa. The faithful servant of God has been a local officer for 40 years, and was honoured by all who had come on that day. For us it was not unusual to see the presentation of a certificate from the Divisional Commander, but the presentation of gifts from different 'sections' of that region, and from the Corps itself was new to us. The majority of the gifts were monetary, and his Corps, Shipongo, presented him with a young goat. In a country where there is no social security payment and survival depends upon your ability to work or the capacity of family to support you, these gifts will ease the burden for this servant of God for some time. It is a fitting way to honour a man who has faithfully shared, taught and led his community, as well as encouraging and supporting his leaders. The church family, his fellow Salvationists and friends, gave their support for his future.
The afternoon concluded with some more encouragement from the Divisional Commander and a meal provided by the local corps. For the DC and some of the officers (including us) the table was set in the officer's quarters. Others who had come were catered for outside the hall.

It was about 5.30 pm when we left Shipongo and the DC had taken the opportunity to talk with many of the officers and to receive and distribute important correspondence. There were a few more on the back of the Nissan as we left Shipongo and made the trek back to the city of Mbeya.

We saw again the villages along the way, the homes, the livestock, the fields and plots they worked. We saw again the women carrying their loads and the children and young men looking after the cattle of goats along the road. We marvelled at their patience and their endurance.

At around 8.00pm we arrived back at Shukrani, knowing full well that some of those we had shared with were still walking towards their homes and villages.The faith and faithfulness continues to humble us.