A Word From Sterling Pfenning

Hi,

My name is Sterling Pfenning. I’m from Faith Baptist Church in Albert Lea, Minnesota. I first met the Eads in March 2008 when they spent a week at the church missions conference and then again later that summer at Bass Lake Camp.  Two and a half months ago I first contacted Dan, and three weeks later I landed in Africa.

I’ve spent the last two months as Daniel’s Intern. I have had a great time here trying to learn the culture and the language. Part of that learning was time spent out in Nyakaliro. While I was there Pastor Elias and I went out to the town center where he left me at a local café with some random strangers. He told me “I’ll be back later” and then he disappeared in the darkness. So for the next hour, I sat there and hammered out some Swahili with the five to ten guys sitting around me. We all sat around one little candle and I with my pen and a pad of paper wrote down everything while using Swahili, English, and hand gestures to try and get my point across and figure out what they were saying.

When I first got to Mwanza, Dan told me that to learn a language you have to make a million mistakes and I think I made just about that many in one night. I have found it to be very fun to sit and “talk” with people. If you ever get the chance to visit Tanzania My suggestion to you is that you get out and visit as much as possible. I know that if I come back that’s exactly what I’ll do. 

Comments

[Nathan Peloquin]

Great post. Thanks for sharing! Couldn't agree more strongly with your point about visiting the people.

Nate P.