One for the Birds..

 Beloved Bee-eater Buzz Bye.

I left Tanzania eight years ago this month! As they say; time flies! So it's about time I told another 'God' story, this one from that August in 2004 when I was preparing to leave the country I'd loved for years before I even first set foot there. So glad that, by God's providence, I was once a bright-eyed eight year old dreamer reading adventure books way into the night.

How God managed to drag me away from my beloved Tanzania with my consent I won't disclose here only to say He had been at work over the previous year doing that. He'd also, inside the last 6wks, completely turned around what I'd been set on doing over the six months before I would start classes in Auckland. I'd trusted Him on that despite it making zero sense when I changed my plans to match His. The day after I did it was revealed exactly why He'd asked me to – but that's another story!

And so I found myself in early August 2004 with less than a month before I'd fly off to open a new chapter of life back in New Zealand. The decision to leave after three seasons at Namuai Farm had been hard but I was slowly coming to peace with leaving a stunningly beautiful home/work environment where I worked a great job with good staff under me while enjoying excellent conditions and renumeration serving the best boss I'd ever had.
In the previous few days I'd been talking to God as I gave up to Him the things I enjoyed most about living here; the things I'd miss - they were many! I was excited about my intermediate-term plans for NZ but right then feeling rather subdued and wistful – grieving the soon coming leaving of a life held dear.
During this particular lunch hour I confessed to my Heavenly Father that I knew He already knew my heart's desire; that I  hoped to return to East Africa after a couple or three years IF He saw that as best for me. But if this was my final farewell to Tanzania then that was ok despite how I felt. I was letting Him know I would trust Him with my heart even though I couldn't see where He was leading me at the time.

Well, on this otherwise normal workday, I was sitting on my fabulous sunset-facing farmhouse verandah just settling back into my customary few quiet minutes of surveying the beautiful lawns, flowering gardens and fruitful trees spread about me. As I did so I noticed some unusual new-to-Namuai birds! Feathered friends were very common as Tanzania is home to over 500 species, many of whom are dazzingly coloured cool things.

So cool that birdwatching had, over the last eight years, become one of my favourite past-times. New Zealand has many unique birds but I'd never been much of a birdspotter there except when drawing a barrel bead on ducks – and that was really more about the joy inherent in being outdoors, the thrill of the hunt and the physical pleasure of swinging a shotgun and timing my trigger pull perfectly.
Avian Africa had however, without firing a shot, captivated with it's immense number of species and their glorious variety of sizes, sounds, shapes and colours. My Collins “Birds of East Africa” field guide had been an excellent purchase and was now entirely well-thumbed. Personal favourites included tiny cute Pygmy and Malachite kingfishers, princely Batchelor eagles, solemn Saddle-billed storks, proud Red Bishop weavers, regal Crowned Cranes, sauntering Secretary Birds and of course the Ostriches I had galloped off the ripening wheat crop on our lower 500 acre block many times aboard my two-wheeled gruntbeast. Bigbird brains may be slow but their legs can sure motor :)

But above all I loved Bee-eaters the most. Thought them just the neatest birds since sighting a pair of Little Bee-eaters on my first visit to Tarangire National Park in April 1996. A John Deere-ish green and yellow and cute as buttons. Plus, cf. other birds they let me get fairly close with Landrover and camera which helped endear them to me given they are rather small.

Little Bee-eater Family wake up. Tarangire National Park 2003 (300mm handheld).

Driving through far-off Shinyanga Region in January 1997 I'd snapped four bigger type Bee-eaters perched in a roadside tree catching/eating dragonflies. They weren't easy to identify despite Collins help. Collins and co are now packed away in our container (making space for my sister-in-law now visiting from Maryland) and I can't remember what name I eventually put to identify those birds. They were a species of Bee-eater I'd never seen until being that far west (I'll edit in such name details when I next rescue Collins from container clutter).

 Four ???? Bee-eaters, Shinyanga Region, Tanzania in January, 1997.

So, returning to my Namuai verandah story, I was undoubtbly inclined to notice the flock of approximately sixty(!) Bee-eaters I saw swoop in over the next minute to perch altogether in a tree at the Northwest corner of the garden about 25m away. I'd never seen such a flock neither this species anywhere I'd travelled in East Africa; and I took great notice observing birds and other wildlife when out and about. That was one of the joys of being in Tanzania – never knowing what interesting stuff you might see by a days end. Namuai Farm is home to many resident bird species as well as some seasonal migrants but this flock was something altogether new to me after 3yrs observing the birdlife of West Kilimanjaro.

Thinking they might shove off for good any second I refrained from heading inside to grab camera and tripod and instead decided to just enjoy them while I could sans the usual picturemaking stress. As I sat there watching these lovely creatures noisily sort out perching arrangements, I wondered half aloud how far they had come from and why, and what are the chances they might stay awhile? There was no-one else around but the very next second I heard this direct answer by way of a very clear whisper in my spirit “Andrew they've come to wish you farewell, farewell from Tanzania.” After that sunk in “Wow, what a cool farewell gift. Thanks Lord!” is all I remember whispering gratefully back.

Over the rest of that day, they flew constant fighter-plane-like missions out to attack insects on the wing. They have amazing vision because they head flat out making a direct bee-line to snap any size insect flying up to 40m away. Then they flit straight back to find a perch to sit on while they scoff their prize.
Now and then one would venture over to squat on the radio tower guy-lines near me for a change of view; so I got to see them close up too. I was amused watching them work and also interacting amongst themselves. They were quite chatty with occasional angry tiffs over prime perching real estate. Mostly they got along fine and seemed to be having a great time hanging out in my yard. Near dusk, not long after I got in from being out on the farm, I saw them suddenly fly off together towards wherever they had come from earlier in the day. Would I see them again tomorrow?
Happily they turned up just after breakfast to once more run through their same beautiful game...and so it was every following day of the remaining 3wks until I myself winged away leaving them behind. I'd pointed the Bee-eaters out to my gardeners (minus my 'farewell' story). They said they'd never seen birds like those anywhere around Namuai before and certainly not in the farmhouse gardens like that.

Nearly eighteen months later I spent three weeks in Tanzania on the way home from 2mths in Europe. I stayed mostly in Arusha doing trips out to various old haunts; including a good friends farm further north around Mt Kilimanjaro. Luke kindly dropped me at Namuai the next day so I could give my salaams to Namuai area friends and acquaintances. Samweli my best gardener had moved on elsewhere but when I met Lilian those Bee-eaters suddenly came to mind. So I asked her if they were still making an appearance. “Manager” Lilian replied, “those many birds left the same day you did. They've never been back since.”

Thanks Loving Father for that special treat! Who but You could, and would, send me my #1 favourite bird in numbers too hard to ignore? A special, humbling, reminder of your intimately personal knowledge of me to encourage me through my last weeks in a place I found hard to leave despite your clear call on my heart. Thanks for such an awesome knowing love!

  

The next time I saw Bee-eaters wasn't until over two-and-a-half years later in December 2008 while staying at 'The Kingfisher' lodge near Jinja, Uganda. I was there together with our whole Uganda Mission squad for a 3-night annual retreat. I was anticipating an interesting few days, not least because Eden and I would be floating the idea of both of us travelling to Tanzania in early January and we had no idea how our superiors would respond.

We had only met a few times during work-related visits to each others mission stations (2.5hrs drive apart) but had similar outlook and interests and had connected well. She'd heard I'd worked in Tanzania and told me she'd sponsored a Tanzanian girl for 7yrs through Compassion International. They enjoyed a great writing relationship and she had not given up hope that God would enable her to visit Elizabeth before she had to return to the USA in only 4mths time. I'd said I'd be sure to provide her with heaps of good contacts and some advice on places to see etc if God gave her the opportunity to go - just let me know when you know. 

Myself, I'd always be keen to visit Tanzania again but since I'd not long started my work in Uganda and wouldn't have holidays due for some time I hadn't entertained more thought on the matter. That is until Phil had spoken to me recently about my needing to renew my 3mth tourist visa as it would run out before the missions new NGO identity would be registered and I could apply for my 2yr work permit under that. They didn't want me getting the permit under the old NGO status but the new registration was dragging on (4yrs already!) and didn't look like happening before the new year now given the typical wind-down before Christmas associated with any government office in Africa. So, meantime, given my 3mth visa expired on Jan 10^th, could I cross the border into Kenya in early Jan? I'd need to stay there four or five days and hopefully get my tourist visa renewed for another 3mths upon my return? He'd give me enough funds for the cost of the whole trip seeing as it wasn't my fault. And as soon as the new NGO came through I'd be able to apply for a legitimate working visa.

I didn't have any good friends in Kenya, except for in big-city Nairobi - but I had no desire to go back there, so I'd straight away asked if I could make it a week long trip and visit my friends in Arusha instead. They were doing some interesting new farming things that might be useful to see given my own work brief? I'd pick up the extra cost and deduct the extra time from holidays. Phil thought that made sense so, quite excited about seeing familiar faces and places again, I'd contacted contacts and started asking God to help me make it a worthwhile trip when I remembered what Eden had shared. Hmm, I thought, what are the chances of this not being a 'God' thing? Too many coincidences not to be worth seriously considering! First, a totally unexpected opening for me to go. Second, a godly young woman wanting, hoping and praying to go meet and encourage another young Christian woman she's known for seven years by distance. Third, having lived there I knew Tanzania and it's people and their language better than any other potential guide Eden was likely to know or meet. Fourth, I reckoned I'd actually enjoy it given what I'd already seen of Eden's godward character and humble but adventurous nature. So I communicated to her that I thought maybe God was on the move about to do something special for her and Elizabeth and to start praying as many things would have to fall into place before such a trip would be possible.

Late in the afternoon on check-in day I was down by the Lake Victoria pondering such things while enjoying watching the many Cattle Egrets, a Pied Kingfisher and some Maribu Storks that were busy around the shore as only birds can be. As I finished sharing my thoughts with my Heavenly Father and rose to make my way up the track back to the lodge grounds I saw a flock of quite large-sized Bee-eaters zoom in and perch throughout the only big shade tree nearby. I drew nearer to sit and watch them chatting away while perchswapping with each other. I counted over 100 of the beautiful creatures and thought maybe they roost overnight here? But twenty minutes later as dusk dropped in they up and headed south of a sudden. Gone. Recalling my last encounter with Bee-eaters I asked God if He was giving me a hint that yes indeed He was up to something?

Well, God moved in some remarkable ways and our wonderful trip to Tanzania is real His-story now. The new NGO was finally approved within days of our return from Tanzania. Stuff like that...

Now, I can't speak for others but in the many times I stayed at The Kingfisher since I never saw those Bee-eaters again despite maintaining a lookout for them. God's flock of feathered angels (messengers) of hope. The sure hope of His intimate knowledge of, His presence with and, His care and provision for, those He loves!