Welcome to Mwanza

Welcome to Mwanza, Tanzania.  This little city is right on the shores of Lake Victoria -- the second largest fresh-water lake in the world.  Mwanza is made up of beautiful farm country and huge boulders...a heaven for people who enjoy bouldering.  The houses are built among the rocks.  The main industries are fishing, tourism and farming.  They grow rice, bananas, mangos, coconuts, papayas, corn, etc.

This is the hotel where we stayed for two days and two nights.  We traveled with the Broadbents and the A.P.s.   On Friday,  we met with the missionaries for zone leaders conference and then had dinner together here at the hotel.  On Saturday we met with the branch leaders for training and then went sightseeing.  On Sunday we had branch conference.  The branch was started one year ago and now there are about 50 members.  The branch president was the only member in Mwanza for 28 years.  He joined the Church in England as a young man as he was going to college there.  He has three children preparing to go on mission.

This is the scenery from the other side of the hotel.  We think they were growing mostly rice in this garden.

The air was clear -- unlike Nairobi --  and the atmosphere was very peaceful and quiet. 

Here are some of the missionaries and President Broadbent in front of the church house.

This young man is the gardener.  He is using this little part of the church yard to plant some vegetables called sgweeky.  It's kine of like spinach except it is chewy.  He takes great pride in his work.