Heading out East on Main

The St D's group piled into the Land Rover today at 9:30 and headed out East on the main highway through Dodoma for several miles, turning right on a dirt road for several more miles on our way to Wilunze.

Everything is dry because the rainy season is from November through March. We are on a high plains desert scape with small mountains off in the distance. The spaciousness is comforting.

We pass houses made of mud brick with low walls, some with thatched roofs and others with corrugated tin roofs. Some houses have no roofs at all and others are in complete ruin. We pass a young man sitting by the side of the road with his bicycle propped against his knee. We see another man driving a home-made cart with a team of yoke oxen. Then we pass a bus.

I'm between HB (husband Jim) and my friend Elizabeth on the back seat of the LR. Steve is in the front passenger seat. Friend Nancy is in the way back with Clair, Rev Emanuel, the Assistant Director forthe Carpenter's Kids Program.

My jaw drops when we see a group of at least 100 people dressed in African finery, dancing and singing, greeting us. We asked the driver to stop and we pile out, joining in an impromptu  parade of bobbing, weaving people keeping rhythm to the hand drums. As long as I live - I'm sure I will never see such a greeting for any group of people.

We were all overwhelmed.