While the Shorts moved back to the US earlier this year, Lewis is still involved in the work here. He'll be working on the fundraising side of things in the US (if you or your church would like to support the work of the school here, get in touch!) as well as making periodic trips back here to help out with the school management. He had intended to return earlier in the year, but due to the school being closed for covid and flights not coming into Tanzania until July, he wasn't able to come until August 6th. He will stay until just after graduation, on September 12th.
While he was here, we decided to have a get-together of us North Americans. I volunteered to host, so Beth and her family and the Williams from Monduli Juu came over. We had an Italian food night: I made lasagne, spaghetti with cream sauce with chicken and peppers, and pasta al pesto. Beth brought garlic bread and a cake and the Williams brought a big salad, so we ate well.
Beth brought a cake for dessert because her husband, Tizo, had his 40th birthday that week. He didn't want a big to-do, but this seemed a good opportunity to at least have a cake and sing happy birthday. The kids entertained themselves after dinner with some of the playing cards I had, and the adults got involved. Twyla and Jackson had quite a spirited game of War. Lewis and Emmy didn't seem to have such an organized game; it seemed to mostly be making a mess (I found cards under the couch cushions months later).
It was also a good opportunity to go through the very last of the things the Shorts had left behind and send most of it home with Ralph and Twyla to give out to people from the church up on the mountain or to be repurposed in some way (old mosquito nets can be used as netting to keep the birds off of something or other they're growing).
