Tanga region  on Amani mountains

Our Hotel in Muheza!

Breakfast in Front of the hotel

Amani Nationalpark Authorothy

Mudroad towards Makanya

We arrived at the Maluvera Teaplantation

Really huge tea fields around the tea factory

We want to place the transmitter up there!

The brothers cut down the wheeds on the plot

Prayers on the place of the new transmitter

Coming back to their houses... a big thounder!

Mayor talking

Philemon sighning the documents

Deo is recording the church choir

Changing the connection of our transmitter in Tangal

Philemon and Deo talking with the pastor of Kisosora

Kilimanjaro again in sight

We took off Moshi on Thursday, November 22nd 2012 to head for the Amani Mountains after trying to contact the people we would like to meet there. The director Philemon Fihavango, Deo our deacon and me.

We arrived in Muhesa in the dark, it is there where we have to leave the road to Tanga to go up the Amani mountains.

Since we could not continue our safari because the gate through the national park was closed already. So we had to sleep there. But where? Gideon came to meet us and showed us where to stay just like an angle!

After having tea the next morning we went off Muheza and continued our safari to Amani National Park Headquarter. Since Gideon had prepared everything by phone we could talk with the official right ahead! Unfortunately our request to pass an underground cable through the forest reserve area had disappeared. But we got all the contacts to resend the letter by email as soon as were back in Moshi.

Then we continued to drive through the tea fields. The roads were very muddy because there had been heavy rains the day before. We really had fear to get stuck, and who could pull us again out of the mess?  But we got to Maluvera, the tea factory without any problems!

And even there it seemed that the manager just has waited for us! Even there our letter delivered by hand had disappeared we were asking to pass an underground cable through their fields. But with all the contacts it will be easy to resend it until it will be replied!

Then we continued our journey to Makanya. We have seen this place already in 2004. In 2008 we made a research which place would be best for a transmitter of the Lutheran Radio Centere in Amani, since our temporally transmitter site in Kisosora is just 60m above sea level and within a housing area. The TCRA wanted us to move to a higher location since years!

We came back last year in September and it took up to this November to come back!

First the way passes around big tea fields, and goes up. Then it passes part of the national reserve forest until you enter the small village Makanya direct on the steep cliffs going down to Tanga plane.

We parked the car in front of the church and asked for the Mayer . They showed us the way and the Mayer went with us to the brothers selling us the small plot for the transmitter hut.

They waited for us already and we went up the hill. First they showed us a grass field, but since we did not wanted to reduce their Cow grass we asked for the highest peak of the hill which was still untouched.

They cut the rubbish between the trees. Then they said: "We would like to donate this place to the church for its evangelistic service in honour of our father. Since he has already died we can not do anything better for him!" Then the evangelist prayed for them and deacon Deo laid the ground in front of God to use it best through the Lutheran Radio Centre.

We went down to the houses of the brothers. All but Philemon and me were sitting on the small bench in front of their house we heard a really big thunder behind us. A lightening stroke must have hit a tree just there where we were some minutes ago. Women and Children were screaming and many, including the Evangelist ran for their lives down into the village.

"Now God has taken the plot really!" they said. We sat together and a common document was signed by all with several copies for the brothers, the village, the district and the studio.

The church choir was practicing when we came back in the village. Deo recorded it and made an interview with the leaders for our weekly program.

Then we had to hurry up, since we wanted to reach Tanga still on daylight. The internet connection of our transmitter in Kisosora did not work again and we had to change it for reception from Mlalo!

Martin

The car of Mission OneWorld goes the extra mile!