Graduation

students marching in for graduation ceremony

One of the biggest events on the school schedule is the annual graduation ceremony for the Form IV students. Many of these students will return to their villages to pick up where they left off, but with an education that should equip them to better both themselves and their villages. They will have greater skills for work opportunities and a grasp of the importance of health and well-being. Others will continue their education in Advanced Secondary School, trade schools, colleges and universities. Our greatest hope is that they will be faithful workers in their churches and glorify God in whatever they do.

prepping the grounds

The past week has been a blur. Teacher meetings have focused on the agenda for the ceremony, food arrangements, environment preparations and the printing of certificates and awards. Students have been hauling in fire wood for the planned dinner that will feed the student body, the graduates and their families, the school staff and dignitaries. In the evenings, students have been gathering in groups around the campus to practice songs, dances and speeches.

cleaning the campus

collecting firewood

This graduation class is a bit special to us, personally, as this was the first Pre-Form One class we encountered when we came in 2009. We’ve seen these students grow physically, scholastically and spiritually. From little, insecure boys and girls, they’ve grown into the mature leaders of the student body . . . bigger than life to the current little boys and girls we have in Pre-Form today.

headmaster speech

guest speaker speech

karate demonstration

student speech

student skit

serving cake

serving cake

The big day went very smoothly. Speakers weren’t too windy, and there was a good variety of music, dance, skits, and displays of talent. There was also the traditional serving of the cake by the graduates to their parents or someone special, showing them honor and respect.

prepping cook pots

cooking

serving beans

serving rice

Following the ceremony, graduates, their families and school staff enjoyed a meal of goat, rice, beans and greens. (Students had spent most of the night tending fires under huge cooking pots of beans and goat meat.) At another location, students at large were served also. After the meal, the students enjoyed a dance. Joanne was happy to chaperone.

Returning to our home exhausted, we should have guessed that the day was not over. Many of the graduates drifted down to the teacher houses for final farewells and advice for the future. We tell them, “Glorify God in all you do. Save a little of all you earn. Look for the opportunities God puts before you. Lean on Jesus.”

Please join us in praying for the futures of these graduates. It will be April before they will hear the results of their national exams. Their performance will determine their ability, or inability, to continue with higher education.

In His grace and service,

Gary and Joanne Grenell

Update from Tanzania

Just a quick update to keep our support group aware of our activities here in Tanzania.

Shortly after arriving at O’Hare in Chicago, we were approached by a young lady who, after inquisitively looking at our luggage tags, introduced herself as one of the three female teachers joining us on the trip to Tanzania. The trip was fairly uneventful. Mr. Edgar, the Headmaster of the Madisi Secondary School (where the Vintons live) met us at the airport in Dar at 2:35 in the morning.

We reached the hotel with all of our luggage at 5:00, slept for five hours, and were up for breakfast and lunch within two hours of each other. Mr. Edgar took us on a harbor walk tour of downtown Dar, and delivered us back to the hotel for dinner and an early bedtime.

Up at 4:30 a.m., we were loaded and transported to the bus station for a 6:30 departure. The others dropped off at Mafinga, and we continued on, reaching Mbeya at 8:25 p.m. Although we’d been texting the folks at Idigima that we were on our way, trouble with the truck resulted in them not meeting us at the station until 10:15. 

The staff had a chicken dinner waiting for us at midnight, and the generator was left on for us to dig a path through the luggage and storage bins to “find the bed.” By 2:00 a.m., we were finally back home in our own bed.

We arrived in time to assist with the September Mid-Term examinations, although not as intensely as in the past. Our typing classes for teachers paid off! By the time we arrived, the teachers had typed their own examinations. All that was needed was a few format adjustments.

Although there was a lot of sign from rat activity in our house during our absence, one of the kittens we left behind has been restored to us, and we haven’t seen hide nor hair of a rat since our return. For those following our third generation cat saga, this one is named Sassy.

Due to a back injury that had been plaguing Gary the last couple of weeks in the States and growing worse from lifting containers during our travels, we contacted our Registrar to assign a couple of “students in need” to help us with chores.



The boys, Danieli and Shukrani, are Form One students, orphans, and working hard to make good grades as well as earn money to pay their way through school. They’ve been hauling water for the house and garden, watering trees, fixing fences and preparing the garden for planting.

This dry season is not the time to be planting garden, but with their daily watering, we’re going to try to get some vegetables started. With Gary’s back much improved of late, we have started planting.

On a related note, we had a wonderful blessing while in the States from the F.W. Schumacher Company, who donated thousands of tree seeds for the reforestation of the Idigima Secondary School campus. Gary planted about 600 seeds of five different types of trees the other day, both ornamental deciduous and coniferous.

The Headmaster visited the project yesterday and was very pleased with the prospect of having shade trees and windbreaks for the campus.

Joanne is staying busy with 50 new students since returning and more coming nearly every day, and with new students come the need for uniforms. Gary will need to take one of “our boys” to town soon to replenish the supply of fabric for shirts, skirts and trousers.

We are so thankful for the items donated this year. The students and staff are especially excited about the number of soccer and volleyballs we were able to bring, thanks to the Iowa Mennonite High School. Other gifts will be equally appreciated as the school year progresses: the contact paper for laminating student ID cards, First-Aid supplies, office supplies and equipment, etc. Personally, we are very grateful for the food stuffs (dried and smoked meat, fruit, nuts and spices) donated to augment our diet. For those of you who always ask, we are having students shop in the market for whatever they can find...and eggs are always on the list.

The bottom line in all of this, as always, is to build relationships for the communication of the gospel. Just the other day, we had a student express interest in learning to use a computer. His name is Ayubu, and he is a frequent chapel preacher. In the course of teaching him basic typing skills, we learned that he has a younger brother, Ronaldo, in school who does not attend church. We ask you to pray that the Lord will open opportunities to influence this youth and others.

In God’s grace and service,

Gary & Joanne Grenell