Shadrack

At 9pm on Thursday evening I received two text messages on my phone.  The first one said, “I’ve been accepted at a teaching college.  Please call me so we can talk.”  The second one said, “I need to depart tomorrow morning because it’s in the Iringa Region.”  They were both from Shadrack.

Shadrack is the young guy who helped me with my Swahili after completing language school.  He became a good friend as we spent two or three days a week practicing conversation and studying vocabulary.

Before we met, Shadrack had completed Form 4 education, which is equivalent to high school in the States.  He has been trying to get accepted into a school and trying to accumulate the necessary funds to make it possible, although he has never been pushy about his needs.  Being impressed with his natural intelligence and work ethic, I’ve really hoped it would happen.  A few months ago, Michelle and I met with Shadrack over brunch and told him that we’d love to do what we could to help him pay for school if he was able to get accepted somewhere. 

These two text messages on Thursday evening started an interesting cascade of events.  We determined that he’d just received the news that day and had started visiting family and friends to figure out how he was going to get the money for travel to Iringa and school fees.  Iringa is in the southern half of Tanzania, and at least a 2-day journey by bus from Musoma.

After a few calls back and forth, we agreed that we’d take Shadrack to the bus station on Friday morning.  So, less than eight hours after first hearing from him, we pulled up in front of his house at 4:40am.  He met us outside and explained that he hadn’t slept at all.  He’d spent the entire night saying goodbye to friends and packing his single, carryon-sized suitcase.  We went into the house, where his family had gathered (mother, aunt, sister, brother, and pastor’s son).  We chatted for a couple minutes and then prayed together in Tanzanian style, one person starting and then everyone praying out loud together.  I could sense some hesitation as the prayers started winding down, and then the sobbing began (a very uncommon thing in Tanzania, except at funerals).  It all of a sudden struck me how difficult this was, despite the positive opportunity.  Shadrack was leaving his widowed mother, 14-year-old brother, and other family members for a long time.  Since Iringa is so far away, he knew that he might not see any of them again for two years.  And they don’t even know where their necessities will come from!  Will Mom be able to get enough food for the family while I’m gone?  Will Shadrack be comfortable in the school’s housing and be able to get the necessary school supplies?  What if something happens?

We all (7 of us!) piled into our car and headed to the bus station where we saw him say his final goodbyes and board the first of several buses with his little suitcase for the beginning of his journey.

It all happened so fast, I don’t think anyone had adequate time to process.  Thursday morning was just another dull day for Shadrack.  Friday morning he was on a bus and off for school many kilometers away from home.  And his classes start on Monday morning. 

We pray that all goes well for Shadrack in his studies.