Letter to Mbulu

November, 2002

Pastor Samwel Sulle
ELECT - Mbulu Diocese
Northern District,
Mbulu Congregation,
P.O. Box 51,
Mbulu,
Arusha, Tanzania

Dear Pastor Sulle:

We are in receipt of your letter & pictures from Earlene Reader. Thank you. I have put them up at our Mbulu Bulletin Board for all to see.

You state in your letter dated October 7^th that you have not heard from us. I sent you a letter October 1^st, by airmail. The next time you write, would you please let me know the date that you received it, so I can understand how long it takes mail to get to you?

In your Oct. 7^th letter you included some Construction Cost statements. What is the monetary unit? I assume it wasn't American dollars. Please let us know. I know the men in our congregation will be very curious. Do you know the exchange rate for Mbulu/Tanzania currency vs. the American dollar?

On October 13th we celebrated "Friendship Sunday". Church members were encouraged to bring a friend to church. After the service, we shared a potluck lunch. I enclose a copy of the Flyer (yellow paper) that was passed our to the Sunday School students advertising the special program we would offer that day. I also enclose some photos taken during the Sunday School program. They show the students playing what we understand to be African instruments: Finger Drums, Rainsticks & Jingle Sticks made of bottle caps. Please let us know if our information is correct, and if you do use those instruments. The photos also show the kids parading around as they sing a song in Swahili. Some students are playing a game where they guess the smell of an item used in Tanzania, like coffee, cinnamon, etc. Some children are doing worksheets with questions about Tanzania. Some children are trying to throw bottle caps into a container. And finally, all students in attendance put their handprint on a banner made by one of our Church members, Artist Linda Snavely. I enclose that Banner for you to share with the entire Mbulu Congregation Sunday School.

Finally, like last month, I enclose a copy of the latest Preschool Newsletter (November 2002), to answer your continuing questions about our preschool program.

Bwana awabariki. I understand that means "May God Bless Us". If that is not correct, I apologize for whatever I said!!

Yours in Christian Fellowship,
Linda S. Newton, Outreach