Dear Amazing Supporters,

    We leave on June 27th for 14 days of working,teaching,  laughing, hugging, praying, brainstorming, celebrating,grieving,and worshipping with our dear friends and students in Karanse, Tanzania.  I wish there was a way to let you see how far your dollar stretches while the team is there ( and afterward since we are investing in the school and also in His Kingdom!)  

    Your prayers and monetary investment will allow me to teach a pottery unit and I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to do that.  We will make the clay pots, decorating them with black clay designs, and let them dry.  Meanwhile we will dig a good sized pit in the dirt and start gathering wood chips and sawdust for fuel ( maybe some cow dung if I'm lucky!).  Next we will start layering the clay and the wood chips into the pit with a final covering of more chips.  A metal sheet will act as a lid  to keep the fire from burning too fast.  Then this lovely kiln will be lit for a loooong slow burn. I anticipate that firing process to take two days. When cool, the pottery will be washed to remove the ash.  I cannot wait to hear the ooohs and ahhhs from the students (and me).  I'm sure there will be photos to show when I get back.

     This is a wonderful project but it is more than just a nice pottery unit.  Pottery is one of the lessons in the Tanzania curriculum.  The students are tested on it and they have had no option but to  respond with rote answers because they have never experienced or seen the process. Creating pottery makes it real!  After I am gone, this lesson will be repeated by the teachers so each class will participate in making their own pottery pieces. This isn't just a one time frivlolity.  I predict Upendo and John and Godfrey -well everyone- will want to keep on with this.  I  will also teach the science behind  making  pottery, there will be measuring as we make the black decorative slip and approximate the amount of clay to create the pottery desired, , fine motor control will be developed, symetry and asymmetry will be disciussed, PLUS community happens when we work together on a project like this.  I might bring some marshmallow to roast while we are firing! LOL.  Just kidding...but I probably will if I can get them into my suitcase!

   I have had some donations already and need to raise $3,00 more to fulfill my requirements.  

If you want to give online here is the link:

https://www.perimeter.org/journeys/95/members/865Donations

are tax-deductible and must be made payable to Perimeter Church, who is training and sending the team and who requests that this be above your regular tithe and offerings to your local church. If I raise more than 100%, the additional funds will be allocated to the team fund, and, after that, used at the discretion of the Global Outreach Ministry Team.

Prayers:

             For the details to be done before we leave.

             That the suitcases are the correct weight and that al of them make it to Karanse.

              That the supplies we are bringing make it through customs.

              Airport and traveling connections.

              Nice weather to do the firing!

              Health

              Saftey

              Team unity and joy!

Thanks so much for your willingness to be a partner- I'm thinking you have already prayed :)

     Melissa