Go Beyond | Tanzania

By Ross Sinclair

Bill and I got up early and savored a cup of coffee as we enjoyed the view of the Zanzibar Straits. The group spent the morning relaxing on the beach. Today begins the process of traveling home. Travel today will consist of cabs, a ferry and airplanes.

We rode from the hotel to the ferry landing in a taxi. When we got out I noticed that on the front left wheel that only 3 of the 5 lugs actually had nuts on them. Inspector Gadget assured me that 60% coverage was good enough.

We were able wait for the ferry in the VIP lounge. As you can see from the picture, we took the term lounge literally.

The ferry ride was great. Most of the group played spades or rested. I sat on the top deck and enjoyed the fresh air and salt spray. The ride was a little rough. We were bucking a strong head wind and the seas were 3-5 feet. I thought things might get interesting when they started passing out the “Sick Bags.” I had a vision of what that might be like in high wind conditions. I was glad I was on the second row but I was still ready to employ my ninja like reflexes. Ultimately they were not needed.

We made it to the hotel, ate dinner, and took a 3 hour nap. At dinner, the waitress strongly recommended that Bill order rice with his entrée. He took her advice and ended up with a saddle of rice. Everyone at the table had an opportunity to enjoy some.

Getting around in Dar es Salaam is always interesting … even at 1:00AM. All indications are that tail lights are not required for night-time travel. Apparently traffic signals are optional. We ran no less than 4 red lights on the way to the airport. Even when there were cars in the cross traffic we just went straight through. It was better for me not to look. As always The Lord was watching over us.

We just took off from DAR on our way to Istanbul. Most of the group will head home, but a few of us are spending a few extra days in Istanbul for some sightseeing. We shared a group prayer before we parted ways.

The flight provides an opportunity to reflect on the trip. New friendships were made and old ones were renewed. We have shared an experience that will leave us changed. On past trips I could point to a number of professions of  faith as a measure of the success of the trip. That is not the case this time. As far as I know there were none. Our goal was not evangelism, it was equipping and teaching. I think we have succeeded in that objective. The Safwa have been trained and I am confident that they will execute the plan. Please keep Pastor Nelson and the Safwa Team in you prayers.

Bwana Asifiwe – Praise The Lord!