good Christian theology . And so the mantra –“ it is more important to be in right relationship than to be right ” – rang in my head as we discussed both cultural and spiritual tools for our time abroad .
Between the end of YASC training and my start date with the Carpenter ’ s Kids program , I had time to mull how I would approach this year of mission . I decided , even before I arrived in Dodoma , Tanzania , that I would be all in : interacting with Tanzanians as often as possible , and doing my best to prioritize relationships with Tanzanians over any other sort of person . After all , I reasoned to myself , I am in Tanzania for only a year . Why not spend my time with the Tanzanians who live there ? Though well-intentioned ( albeit a bit self-righteous ), as the months went on it became increasingly clear this approach was flawed .
The Carpenter ’ s Kids ( CK ) program in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika ( DCT ) works to provide school supplies to orphans or otherwise economically disadvantaged children in the villages within the diocese . There is a long history of YASC volunteers serving with CK and I was happy to continue this work . No level of excitement , however , could have prepared me for the transition to Tanzania . The first several weeks were overwhelming . Given that it was my first time living abroad , I had never experienced feeling like everything was just so different . Swahili , cars on the left side of the road , an incredibly intense sun , power outages , squatting toilets ... you get the idea . But slowly , over time , I started to settle in .
In December 2015 , I took the opportunity to attend language school for three weeks in Iringa , a town 266 km ( 165 miles ) south of Dodoma . Studying in Iringa gave me the chance to re-set , or at least recalibrate , my ways and expectations . Learning Swahili , even if only for a few weeks , lessened the language barrier that I found daunting . Staying with a host family in its village for the last week of language school allowed me to get a small taste of what daily life was like for many Tanzanians . And befriending two
ANDY RUSSELL
generous and welcoming Norwegian families ( who were learning Swahili in anticipation of their mission posts ) allowed me to relax and enjoy relating to others . Relationships looked like opportunities , rather than burdens . The stress that started to characterize my relationships in Dodoma evaporated , yielding to a more optimistic and easygoing approach moving forward .
Looking back now , language school in Iringa was quite the watershed moment . I came back to Dodoma refreshed and reinvigorated . Rather than imposing limits on the relationships I should build , I opened myself to relationships around me — deepening those I had already forged and welcoming new ones . Doing so allowed me to see my connections with Tanzanians in a warmer , less compulsory light . My compound mates , my co-workers , people I met through church , people I met simply walking down the street or in a shop or at the market , whether Tanzanian or Kenyan or British or Australian or Dutch or Norwegian or American , so many friends , so many familiar faces , so many people I will miss !
God calls us all to relate unabashedly and lovingly to God ’ s children . Jesus showed us what it means to do that , to relate to everybody , especially those who are downtrodden or outcast . To describe myself as an “ outcast ” is too strong , but there have definitely been times when I felt like a newcomer , a foreigner and even a minority on some level . My relationships were crucial to breaking down those feelings of not belonging .
Simply put , I have felt the love here . Where would I have been without the kindness of strangers who received me when I first arrived in Tanzania ? Or without the support of people who I did not always agree with but who did display a steadiness of character that I will remember forever ? Or without the little sacrifices of time and resources others have made on my behalf so that my way might be clear and easy ? I believe it is these moments , which I have experienced over and over again in Tanzania ,
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