Refleciones de Moises
Journey to Africa
May 2019
Today, we started another amazing journey to Africa! Nathan Dunahee and Mike Kristancic and I started our leg of travel: Seattle. Our flight leaves for Dubai in 4 hours: Ojala! Many orphans are waiting for, hoping for, and prayi
ng for Clean Ozonated Water.
Day 1: We are almost done with second flight; 7,065 miles, 563 mph. We land in Dubai in 1 hour. Spent a fair amount of that time strategizing with Nathan Dunahee (Agape Pamoja) about future plans in the Mwanza Area of Tanzania; Strategic Relationships, African Culture, Expectations, Relationships, Resources, and our Partnership. Agape Pamoja has an abundance of young and very talented friends who will prove invaluable to our efforts to bring Pure Cl ean Ozonated Water to our new friends in Kenya and Tanzania.
Day 2: Last night, we completed the second 13.5 hour leg of our flight to Dubai, UAE. We arrived in time for a tour of the world’s tallest building, world’s tallest hotel, and UAE largest mosque. Lamborghinis, Jaguars, Bentley’s, Rolls Royce…. This is the World of Flesh. Stark contrast to our destination. Tomorrow, we start the last of 3 legs to Dar es Salaam. Our friends are waiting and praying for us.
Day 3: We have arrived in Zinga. It is raining cats and dogs! Got the grand tour of this incredible hospital first thing where the NICU and Birthing center will soon be complete. The water system is working great. 16,777 gallons on the water meter, or about 150 – 5 gallons per month. System ozonating and everyone loves the water! Sele gets back tonight from Arusha for more training!
Day four: Woke up at dawn to the sounds, barks, yells, and calls of African wild animals and birds (and more rain). Wow! What has God created here? We also woke up to a complete Power Loss. Today, I am doing training with four new operators on the water system, changing filters, shocking the system, and stocking up on water bottle caps and seals. Sele got back last night at 7:00 PM and left for Dar es Salaam. I guess we will go with the flow.
Day 5: Today we started training four new operators at the IHP Hospital in Zinga, Tanzania. They were like kids in a candy store: eager to learn, lots of questions! Changed the filters, shocked the system, and made a list of neede
d parts. The flow meter had failed and we had forgotten to put a sight glass in their system. No problem, coming right up. Already bottling 140 bottles a month, and the birthing center and neo-natal care center hasn’t even opened yet. Had a great time visiting with friends. After training we talked to Selemani Shabani about an install at his 1,500 member Church!! Then, Nathan tried to spear some snakes with the Massai!
Day 6: After a full day of travel, we arrived in Wacharra, Kenya. So many needs! 40 bunk beds, 400 chickens, teacher salaries, food…. Bernard’s Vision Orphanage has a lot of needs and a lo
t of beauty at the same time. Everyone is SO nice! So glad to see us! The children are so beautiful. The children sang for us, orated poems for us, and danced for us. We have to fit “WATER” into our schedule someplace. Benard’s family welcomed us and we went right to work. Lots of mosquitos! And Highland Malaria!
Day 7: This day we signed a covenant with Benard Ondiek Orphanage, School, and Medical Center, to return next year to install a full Agua Viva Water Purification System! They are so happy! I am not quite sure how we are going to get it done, but God has blessed us and commanded us to help these people… and we shall! This will be our first install on n Kenya! Next thing, flat tire on the road!!
Day 8: After signing a covenant, we left the next morning for Tanzania. Our 5 hour journey, in a very crowded car, took 12 hours. The worst roads I have ever seen! It took almost two hours to get through the border.. very bad idea. We drove through the Serengeti, and it was very plain to see how desperate these people are for water. Women everywhere walking miles with 5 gallon open buckets of water in their head!
Day 9: I must say, it is a miracle that Mike Kristancic and Nathan Dunahee were able to accompany me to Africa. These guys are great servants of God. Mike (aka pointer) is patient and steady as a rock, a real man of God. Nathan (aka sniffer) is a motivator and adventurous, and water is his specialty. At this point in our trip it has become very apparent that each are contributing in there own God honored special way. It certainly has taken a village. Thank you Jesus, that you chosen these two men to accompany me to the wonderful world of Africa!
Day 10: Mwanza Tanzania. I was surprised how nice it was. Quite clean… Functioning… Busy… I immediately liked this place. Sele (our friend from Zinga) says “Can we stop by my property!” “You have property in Mwanza???” In fact, it is right on the way. Wow!! Two miracles in one day???
Day 11: Pay Dirt… We arrived in Mwanza and headed straight to the Free Methodist Church of Tanzania (FMCT) where the National Leader and Superintendent, the Reverend Mlongecha Yesse, greeted us and introduced us to their Mwanza Water Committee. They already had 6 appointments at various sites for our teams to visit! They need clean water in this community badly and they already have a well and a spacious room to put the Water System in. We got checked in to our Hotel Malaika and got ready for a full day of site visits and water testing. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. Our committee, Mbaja Wagome, Adam Prosper, Yusuph Sabato Emmanuel, Kashindi Charles Selemani (our new Chemist), and Sethi Mlenda Ualenga have provided a great service to aguavivinainternational.org by preparing the way and doing their homework. This has greatly increased our chances of working in Mwanza, Tanzania… these people are amazing!
Day 12: Our next visit was the African Inland Church (AIC) Igombe, established 1689. As God would have it, Benard Ondiek is a bishop of the AIC in Kenya. Over 1,000 children swamped us as we arrived. High fives and smiles everywhere as we were welcomed like heroes. After our speeches to the masses, they escorted us to Lake Victoria. These children drink untreated water directly from this lake. Of course we took a water sample. They scoop this water up into yellow cooking oil containers and carry it about 1/4 mile to the village. “Please install a purification system in our poor village!” The next hour we discussed and prayed about how we could accomplish that with Reverend Mashona!
Day 13: It was hard leaving Ngombe, but the next site also shows great promise! We arrived in Kayenza where we were greeted by another African Inland Church of 360 members. The Reverend Onesmo Mkama called a community meeting. This community of 6,000 indigenous Sukuma Tribesmen is right on Lake Victoria also. We are anxious to see the water test results. A few people mentioned excess fluoride in the water… I hope not. We can’t filtrate flouride. This is definitely a fishing village. They dry the little sardines right in the beach! How cool is that… uh, do NOT eat them!
Day 14: Leaving Kayenza, we drove two hours north to the Magu District. Another Africa Inland Church, we were welcomed by Evangelist John Enosh Malila and a host of villagers with water (don’t drink it) and white sweet potato (don’t eat it). These were the nicest people yet and most in need. This is a very remote but large village. In 10 seconds, Nathan had a baby sitting on his lap and a friend forever. Hey, let’s stop for a COKE!!
Day 15: The next village was also in the Magu area. This Church is a Shamah Church in the village of Mashineni. They have 130 members and the village is about 2 kilometers from a river called Semeyu. We met for quite some time and talked about possible ways Agua Viva could partner with this community.
Day 16: Our last site investigation was in Busisi. This small community already has a nice well… about 50 feet deep with a hand pump. The community leader met with us and we agreed to help them size an electric submersible pump. We had to take a ferry to cross the bay and we watched women (never men) scoop up 5 gallon jugs of water and start the 5 mile trek to their village… UP HILL.
Day 17: We finished all our site investigations… WOW! A lot to think about. We are so thankful for the Water Committee: Sethi, Mbaja, Adam, Kishindi, and Yusuph! They did such a great job, making us successful. And, the National Director Yessi never left our side. It didn’t take long for us to make our decision. We drafted a covenant to return next year to install a Water Purification System at the NYASAKA FREE METHODIST CHURCH MWANZA. We explained the program and the team all joyfully signed the covenant! We have a few issues to iron out but this Water Team is amazing, and with God’s help, they will be ready. Thank You, Jesus. Agua Viva will need to raise more money this year than ever before… Cause We Are Going Places!!!
Day 18: During this trip I personally counted 14 miracles. Things that literally had to be a result of the hands of the Almighty God. So many good things happened. We met so many good Christian Brothers and Sisters. Surely, God will continue to bless our efforts with these people! We will need to raise more money. We will face many challenges. It will not be comfortable. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10…. these trips will sure make a believer out of you!
