We have visited a young man, Johnson, and his uncle at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The last part of the distance was a small, red dirt road that twisted among the banana plantations. At the end of the very steep road was the house where they lived. House may be an exaggeration because Johnson and his uncle share a room of 7-8 m2. The room is at the end of a hen house and there is just one building. There is no ceiling in the room next to the hen house. The smell was tough and we thought, “How can they sleep in that stench?”
Johnson has no parents. When he was little his mother died and his father died in November of last year. Johnson is an only child and his uncle is the only relative left.
Besides these challenges, Johnson has a handicap. There was an accident in his home when he was little. The housemaid had put a pot on the fireplace and left it to go outside. Johnson just learned to crawl. He moved himself to the fireplace and crabbed the handle of the pot with both hands. On his left hand his little fingers melted away at the extreme heat and his right hand is very damaged as well.
Although he lost his fingers Johnson is a competent writer and has a beautiful handwriting. He retained his thumb and most of the index finger on his right hand so he can hold a pencil.
Johnson seems to be a nice boy and is a very good student. But after his father died there is no one to pay his tuition. Without school fees he cannot continue classes as the uncle can barely make ends meet. That was very evident when we visited their home.
We have met with Johnson and his uncle again to hear about Johnson’s wishes for the future. In faith we have sent him on to Secondary school. He will be 18 years in July and has two more years before he graduates. If anyone reading this would like to help support his education there is a need for DKK 6,000 per year for this.
The future of a handicapped
Written 21.03.2023 13:06 under Archive
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In accordance with Tabitha’s wishes, we asked for monetary “flower gifts” to support the work in Tanzania instead of physical flowers. It was truly overwhelming to receive the list from the mission treasurer showing how many people had sent “flowers” in this way. That money will go toward new faith-based projects that Tabitha felt we should undertake before we return to Denmark in February 2026. These include, among other things, children in 6th and 7th grade whose mothers are single parents and have lost their jobs. As a result, they can no longer afford to pay for their children’s schooling. This would mean that these children would not receive the graduation certificate necessary to continue in the education system. Here, Tabitha made a promise of faith to help, so that so many years of schooling would not be wasted. This is now in place. Tabitha would be overjoyed if she could witness it.
After the burial, we returned to a memorial service in Betania, where good friends in the congregation had prepared a lovely coffee table, providing a warm setting for us to talk together and remember Tabitha as a community.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude. Thank you to everyone who helped with all the practical arrangements and made sure that, despite our grief, it turned out to be a good day after all. Thank you to everyone who attended. Thank you to all of you who sent flowers. You should all know that it meant an incredible amount to me. I’d also like to look back a bit and thank family, friends, and the congregation for your tremendous support while we’ve been in Denmark. Thank you for all the meals you brought by and all the other practical help you provided.
Farewell in Arusha
Our staff has been completely devastated by Tabitha’s illness and death. As a team, they have come together and been praying and fasting for her. And they are now continuing to pray for us and our work.
On the day of Tabitha’s funeral, our staff followed the service on a large screen and was thus able to participate in the ceremony. They had printed a beautiful banner to represent Tabitha’s coffin, and there, with roses and tears, they were able to say goodbye to her.
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