Hello - from Dar

Friends,
It has been two weeks since our accident, and I am glad to say by the Lords’ grace we have recovered very well (emotionally). We (I specifically) experienced a few nightmares (which surprisingly started about a week after the accident)…but that was it - praise the Lord.
As expected…we soon started to follow up on the insurance stuff (as it will surely cost a bunch)… and that proved to be no fun! As you can imagine… since everything is done manually, we have spent long hours at the traffic stations and dealing with insurance guys - so far we have had three sets of the guys (including assessors & others from the big guys with money-underwriter) who all come to investigate the car and ask questions. This past Monday, We had to travel all the way back to Rufiji to collect a single page form (PF90) – without it one should forget payment from the Insurance. Also they do not cover for rental… and given the fact that we do not expect the car back for the next month (or two) we have to try and juggle schedules with picking up kids from school etc. Thanks to the Lord our teammates have really rallied around us and helped us with the kids when we got stuck in downtown –o something.
All in all though, - we feel blessed and that everything that is happening with us (and our teammates) is part of life! Part of our growth in the Lord experiencing, and learning new stuff in him. Thru these experiences, the Lord allows us to meet with lots of people who we would have never met otherwise. These include a Sheikh (It is estimated that up to 99% of residents in those areas of the coast region are Muslims). We picked and gave him (the Sheikh) a ride on our way out there (Rufiji basin) ...and we were together for over an hour of our ride. We had a lot to discuss – and of course we ended up talking religion… before he arrived at his destination, he asked us if we could consider coming to his neighborhood - as he knows we can bring with us some "blessings". He thought we were very different from other x’tians who he claimed to be too judgmental and “arrogant” in their faith. He also asked if we would like for him to find us land in his neighborhood (which happen to be on the other end -south - side of Dar) so we can come and work in his community. We however told him – we just cam and that for now e are concentrating our efforts in knowing our neighbors (on the north side) and see what we can learn from them and them from us. I however joked to the fact that we may take him up on his offer – of which he laughed and told us to consider it seriously. Too bad 3 days later he called and asked if we can help him out with some money. We couldn't fulfill his request ... (and I am not sure where that left us with him). I do have his number however and may decide to call him sometime later.

Well, thought of dropping a line to let everybody know how we are doing.
Dave, Rachel, & D joins me in giving their hugs to all of you.

Love
Edmond