Just like 6 Flags...all day (week) long!

New pipe rack holding strong.
The only beige MMM truck I've seen and it's ours (for now)!

(Title) Quote from my partner Tiffany on day 2 of heading out

well, not quite the field...on Wednesday we spent the day getting set in Tanzania. We went to the phone store to get TZ numbers for our phones, but the network was down so we had to return in the afternoon. (We did and connection was working!) On our way to lunch (at a fancy hotel in town) the truck I was driving started stuttering, flapping. Yep, flat tire and we hadn't even hit the rough dirt roads yet.

Thursday was our first day in the field. Tiffany and I dedicated 12 wells! It's a personal record for me! (And her as this is her first trip!) We drove out about an hour and a half and then never got back in the truck! Innocent, our Field Officer, moved the truck a little to be closer to the wells, but it was closer for us to go from well to well (that isn't to say they are that close together...just closer than going back UP to the truck and then down to the next well.). Needless to say, it was a long and exhausting day. But so good!

At the well, it always makes my heart leap when clear water comes out of the pump from the very beginning. Sadly this doesn't always happen. The bricks and gravel in the bottom are dusty or the water that began refilling before the brick walls were out in was already muddy. It clears up pretty quickly (usually) but sometimes it takes some time. Our last well on the first day was one of those. The water was so icky, we pumped and pumped and it didn't really change, but our team said that it would as they continued to pump the water out. Yesterday we went back to check on the well and get a good picture and the water was crystal clear!!! (I don't want to say that I didn't believe my team but I guess I did have my doubts.)

We were headed home after a good day of well installations. I got a bump (many of them really), but this one wasn't any bigger than the rest. Innocent said we need to stop, the pipes are loose. Woo i stop the truck and get out and the back pipe rack has folded backwards over the tail gate. The pipe racks are what hold the pipes as we head out over the roads (or foot paths or for tracks). And they are pretty important. We took the rack out of the holder and laid it in the back of the truck. Then ratcheted the pipes down but not too tight...We had to stop about 500 ft down the road because they had already bounced loose. Added a strap on the middle and they lasted longer...still a slow way back to the hotel. (New (to us) pipe rack the next day)

Innocent brings his whole crew to all the different wells. He says they can learn from each other. It is a great feel the way they all get along. In Tanzania, the villages are large and for the first days we were doing our installations all in one village (different villages each day). The villages are divided into hamlets which I think would correspond to what we normally think of as villages. There were few gifts at the individual wells but at the end of the day the village would provide dinner for the whole installation team. Rice (ugali once), chicken, beef, fish, or a combination, beans, cabbage, eggs. It is tasty. We eat and run as we have to get back to the hotel before dark (and sometimes we do get back!)

What a day looks like...

Billboard at a busy intersection...good reminder in life

Of course every day is different but here is an overview of the average day. 

I set my alarm for 6am...to hit snooze for at least 7 (usually 10) minutes. Up for some stretches to get ready for the day. Pack up my bags (water, android, phone, snacks, visor, keys and....) Head out for breakfast of eggs (hard-boiled or omelette style), bread (sliced and a little tough), and cassava or yam with tea (or coffee if you prefer). We then read the devotion together (There are 4 of us US volunteers: Tiffany Poch, Richard Ashe, David Fisher and me). (Join us! Email devotions@mmmwater.org for a daily email or get the kindle version on Amazon for 99¢.) Rev Mwasakifwa (pronounced as it looks), the MMM coordinator in Tanzania, and Innocent Deus, a Field Officer, are often at the hotel by then. 

We head for the office to load the pipes, pumps, and small parts and tools that we'll need for the day. Tiffany, Innocent, and I head out to the Mbeya Rural district. (Mbeya is the town/city we are based in.) After about 1.5 hours and a few stops to pick up installation supervisors and builders, we arrive at the first well. In Tanzania the villages are much larger and very spread out. So we install many wells in one village but they aren't usually very close to each other. 

Our installation supervisors and builders grab everything they need from the truck and head for the well. We follow (a bit slower). As they measure and install, we fill in information on an Android that gives MMM stats and greet those who are at the well. Once the pump is in, the dedication service and demo begin. Then on to the next well. We keep installing and dedicating until about 4 and then head back home, dropping people off again and (hopefully) getting back before dark. 

Dinner and a shower (not necessarily in that order). Chatting with the others about the adventures of the day. And then bed!! Hopefully some journal and reading time but that is usually cut short with the call of sleep!

Week 1

Sunday: arrival of the rest of Team 1 and travel to Mponela for orientation.

Monday: long day of training. Learned a lot and met the team after a night's rest. (Getting off the plane with that jetlag makes people fun but we don't necessarily remember a lot)

Tuesday: travel to Tanzania. Leaving at 5am and arriving at 7pm. (Losing another hour to a different time zone).

Wednesday: changing money, getting phones set up, more driving practice, flat tire

Thursday: first well installations! 12 in and so many happy people. We were fed in the village : rice, chicken, eggs, beans, cabbage

Friday: 11 more in and another meal! On the way home we completely broke the back pipe rack (holds the pipes on top of the truck so they don't bounce too badly). Made it back with a few more stops for adjustments.

Saturday: 12 wells installed and we got to hold some babies.

Sunday: church in the morning and rest in the afternoon getting ready for another (full) week of installations.

Hoping that our vehicle adventures are about done!

Tanzania encore!

Team 1 practicing entering well info into androids and find shade at the same time!

Orientation went well. It was long (only 1 day but there is a lot of info imparted). We were welcomed by each of the area coordinators (Nkhoma Synod & Livingstonia Synod in Malawi, Lutheran diocese in Tanzania, and the synod in Zambia). So that we don't have to listen to one voice, each of the returnees is asked to present a topic and mine was cultural differences. (Lucky me it was the same one I did last year and I still had my notes!!)  A few moments from the first 2.5 days:

At dinner the first night I asked for Nali Garlic, a garlic hot sauce that I adore. There are many different flavors of Nali (such as hot, ginger, gold, kambuzi, etc). The server said she would check (Nali Kambuzi was on the table, Hot the next day). She then came out with a bowl with peeled fresh garlic in it...not quite what I wanted but I couldn't be rude! While I didn't eat all of it with dinner I was glad for a room to myself --definitely no vampires either!I

During one of our breaks at orientation I had tea and I added some lemon juice. Not thinking anything of it I added milk as well and it curdled on contact...I had no idea it would do that but now I know. (And knowing is half the battle)

Tuesday morning we took off for Tanzania! Rev Mwasakifwa set our departure for 5am and he drove. With our luggage on top and well tied down we went. I was facing backwards as I get carsick from sitting sideways (This vehicle has two benches down the back facing in but we only had 3 people) and I saw a plastic bag look like it came from the top but it could have been over the car so I just kept watching....well that'll teach me! The next thing to go was a sports bra of mine! Stop the car!! The top of my action packer (black heavy duty Tupperware used as suitcase) had been tied down too tight and was bowed to catch the wind! Tied it down again and I got the plastic bag contents back but the sports bra was gone when we went to get it! Oops!

We crossed the border after a wonderful early lunch/breakfast in Mzuzu (Thank you, Peter!). A 12.5 hour day of travel to reach our hotel for the night. We lost another hour crossing the border into TZ and this are 7 hours ahead of NC time. 

We are now in Tanzania and it is time for some rest before starting tomorrow!!!

Arrival

I have arrived! After driving (thanks, dad!) to chapel hill and staying Wed night (thanks, kate!) And getting to the airport for a 615am flight our of Raleigh before Flo came through...24 hours of traveling (Raleigh to Washington D.C. to Addis Ababa to Lilongwe) I got through immigration and am back in Malawi! I

Isabelle picked me up and we took off for Salima and Cool Runnings (great place to stay). Glamping for two nights, relaxing, napping, swimming and getting over jetlag (maybe) and meeting some interesting people (2 guys in for 2 weeks of diving safari, an Australian couple who are taking 2 years driving around Africa (14 months in), and others).

Today we came back to lilongwe where I met Team 1 and am getting ready for orientation and wells!

MMM!!!

I'm getting ready for my 5th trip with Marion Medical Mission and am so grateful for all of your support! I'm leaving home on Wednesday and flying out VERY early on Thursday from Raleigh. (Thank you, Kate!!) 

This year I have been asked to be a member of both well installation teams, thus spending 6 weeks (September 16- October 28) helping to provide clean water and doubling my impact! Marion Medical Mission has set the goal of 2,900 new protected water sources (100 more than last year) as well as expanding into new districts for even greater distribution. I am so glad to be a part of this organization!

I ask for your prayers while I am gone and look forward to sharing new stories and experiences when I return in December after traveling around to visit more friends!

Peace,

Jessi Stitt

P.S. Marion Medical Mission (www.mmmwater.org) has a devotional booklet created for this year's well season. It is available by daily email if you put your name on the list by emailing devotions@mmmwater.org or by download on your phone, tablet or e-reader from Amazon for $.99 search MMM Daily Devotions 2018.