Life in the Lockdown Lane!

Some of you will know that Steve was recently granted a month's medical leave in the UK as he had been diagnosed with anxiety and burn out.  I stayed behind in Tanzania for 3 weeks and joined him in the UK for his final week there, last week.  I'm thankful to say that the break has done Steve good and he is improving, and he has even regained enthusiasm for life in Tanzania!  Sleep has at last returned for him thanks to the medication and his head is a lot clearer.  Thank you so much for all who have prayed for Steve during this last month - your prayers are being answered.  I'm also thankful for your prayers for me while I have been sorting out the Sanga Sanga accounts.  That work is now done and the 2019 accounts closed.  An audit of the accounts was very helpful too.

Rush hour on the London
Underground!

We travelled to Heathrow on 22nd March for our flight back to Tanzania.  We knew that we would probably have to self-isolate at home in Morogoro but we could do that quite easily.  However, 5 minutes after checking in at the airport we received news from our team mate in Morogoro that the Tz Government would be quarantining all passengers arriving from a Covid-19 zone for 14 days.  With no other information to go on - would that include us?  Where would we be quarantined?  - we wrestled with whether to pull our bags out and remain in the UK, or to go on with our plans and return to Tanzania.

We spent an hour trying to get more information from friends on the ground in Tanzania.  One said she'd been told that all arrivals would go to a hospital ward for 14 days, another said it would be a hotel - at our own expense.  Despite the uncertainty and after more than a few arrow prayers for guidance, we decided to go ahead and get on the plane.

Route map on the Qatar Airways flight...hmm,where has
Israel gone?!

Getting 40 winks at Doha Airport

It was a long journey - we had a 7 hour layover in Doha.  Actually we met a few missionaries at the airport who were heading the other way, back to the West, including a family of AIM missionaries who had just left Tanzania (the leaders of the Zigua team who we mentioned in our last blog).  It was good to see them and say our goodbyes, as Steve had been their Unit Leader and involved with them and their team in various ways. 


On our 300-seater Dreamliner aircraft from Doha there were only 12 of us aboard!  Behind their masks the cabin crew were undoubtedly smiling at how easy their job was going to be!  On arrival at Dar yesterday afternoon we were processed through Passport Control but then gathered together to be told that we were going to a hotel to be put into quarantine.  Our pleas to be allowed to return to Morogoro to self-isolate fell on deaf ears.

The view from our window 

So here we are in quarantine.  The hotel is quite comfortable and there is good wifi.  The staff and manager are being helpful and sympathetic.  That said, we have to take all our meals in our room and are not allowed to leave the 3rd floor - and to make sure of that there are now armed police outside!  Officials from the Ministry of Health will be visiting us every day to check our temperatures and health.  It's a bit frustrating not being able to be at Sanga Sanga, especially as I was due to pay wages there at the end of the month.  But we understand the reasons for our quarantine and are happy to comply with the instructions of the authorities here.  During the next few weeks Steve still has some prep to occupy him and I will be keeping a remote eye on finances at Sanga Sanga.

Interesting bathroom tiles in our hotel room (sorry, we're a bit
desperate for good photos!)

Pray for Tanzania - if Covid-19 takes hold here the results will be devastating.  Social distancing is almost impossible with large families living together under one roof and public transport cramming in as many people as possible.  Many have underlying health issues that they can't afford to have treated, making them very vulnerable.  Medical facilities will not be able to cope with an influx of patients, and protective equipment and ventilators will most likely not be available in the quantities that will be needed.

Please pray for us too, for grace and patience in this enforced period of confinement, albeit with room service!  Pray that we won't get cabin fever and will use this time wisely - and not throttle each other in the process!!

Bird of the month: Southern African
White-faced Owl...on the streets of
Keswick!