Mbigili Lutheran Church

Ok, this one is a week late and you may have read the punch line.  Our friend Beate from Amani Orphans Home Mbigili invited our group over to visit and play with the kids.  Jane Cassleton had brought a Whiffle Ball and Bat, so despite the inclement weather, we did manage to get in a few innings of baseball.  We started by showing them how to hit the ball.  Duh.  Like they needed lessons.  The part they didn’t get was the base running.  One would it the ball and several would run to the tree, er, uh, base. Or another tree.  Pretty soon all the kids were running the bases and the wazungu were trying to hit them with the ball (whiffle ball, remember?).  Soon it started raining a bit, so the game was over.  I think we declared everyone a winner.

Sunday, I went to church at Mbigili Lutheran Church, sponsored by Richfield Lutheran Church.  Last year, when they wondered who this Olson was, they looked through the Richfield Lutheran Church Directory to find me, but without any success.  I think Pastor Rolf had been there just a couple years ago.  Nope.  We do not have the good fortune to be related.  But it is probably true that we all look alike to the Tanzanians!

We missed the pastor.  He was at Image (e-mah’-gee, not im’-ij) for a multiple ordination.  Five hours, not including 2 hours travel time each way.  The evangelist did a fine job. 

Outside the church, I noticed a little girl, six or seven, I suppose.  She had ratty hair with crusts on her scalp.  You may have read this earlier.  It is called Tinea capitis, a fungal infection of the scalp. It occurs in the US, but it is a result of poverty and dirt.

Please read this from The Lancet: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2813%2960150-6/fulltext?elsca1=ETOC-LANCET&elsca2=email&elsca3=E24A35F

Enough is enough.