Sprint for the Finish?

We have just a week to go in Mvumi, with lots of questions about what happens next.

We came back from Holiday expecting there would be a lot to do, and there is. One wonderful change was whilst she was away the filing staff had worked very hard to sort out the medical files. Any hope of carpenters arriving to insert additional shelving has gone and Irene wanted to rearrange the files into a proper order – and great progress had been made in her absence. Miracles do happen. And it should mean the clerks have more ownership of the system to continue it after we leave.

Malcolm is tackling the mountain of outstanding work. Time was spent with the auditor who seems delighted that this year he actually has some documents to audit!!! It seems likely that he will recommend that the Hospital reviews some systems.

And we have started to pack up. Our plan is to leave some things in Mvumi in case we come back – like Malcolm’s shoes which weren’t fit to bring here in the first place (now called his ‘Tanzanian shoes’). The problem will be making sure our luggage isn’t too heavy.

We have been invited by the Bishop to return so are considering this. We also, out of the blue, received an invitation from another Diocese to work at their health facility. It seems that a free accountant is a very attractive item (not that Malcolm has been called attractive for a long time). To find out more we hope to visit for a day on our way to Dar es Salaam to catch our flight home. We have decided not to decide whether to return to Tanzania, or where to work until we get back to England, clear our heads and talk with family and friends (who after a couple of months might be very pleased for us to return).

We have to sort out where we live in England in the short term. No house means finding somewhere to live temporarily. After a few weeks with family, they might even pay our fare back to Tanzania!!!

So, in addition to packing and tidying up work we also look forward to:
- being guests at a wedding on Saturday
- helping to lead a service at the Dodoma Cathedral on Sunday, followed by
- taking friends for a ‘farewell’ meal at the Dodoma Chinese Restaurant
- maybe Malcolm getting a Tanzanian hair cut before returning to meet his mother