Ernesti, carpenter and handyman at the Lake House of Prayer in Tanzania, at work in his outdoor workshop.

I would like to introduce you to Ernesti, one of our staff members at the Lake House of Prayer retreat center in Tanzania. Ernesti is a professional carpenter in his sixties, responsible for all the maintenance of the center. He crafted by hand all of the woodwork, including doors, tables, desks, chairs, and beds. His simple and tasteful designs help set the mood for a restful retreat. On the exterior, the trees Ernesti planted ten years ago in three-foot-deep holes filled with rich soil and compost have grown into a forest. We are now blessed with a variety of beautiful birds who find shelter in the trees, and retreatants often mention hearing their songs as one of the first ways they begin to notice God’s creation. 

Ernesti was born in a village where his father lived a traditional Sukuma lifestyle, keeping many cows. Though Ernesti was one of the few students to pass primary school with high enough grades to be accepted into a boarding school, his father did not support his interest in education — he wanted Ernesti to stay on the farm and shepherd the cows. As Ernesti reached his twenties, he decided to pursue carpentry. It was not an easy road. The first carpenter he paid to teach him ran off with his deposit. Fortunately, he was able to scrape together enough money to enroll in a vocational school for formal training.

Since 2015, Ernesti has been working out of a small structure that was meant as temporary storage during the retreat center’s initial construction, using a simple wooden bench under a tree for his projects. He never complained about working around the rains, or about the small hot tin structure as his only refuge. He is always there to greet us with a big smile. We are now building him a proper workshop. 

We had enough roofing sheets left over from a recent project, stones from a new driveway, and timber from trees we cut last year to get started on the walls. We now need funds to cover the cost of roofing, finishing the space, running electricity, and setting Ernesti up with some basic power tools. 

Ernesti’s workshop being built.

In other news from the retreat center, thank you for your support in getting a new roof on the three-bedroom house. By Christmas it looked like new with a fresh coat of paint and was ready just in time to host a group of young adults on their school break. Their parents had asked me and another lay missioner, Joanne Miya, to speak with them about relationships. For one of the activities, the girls made a pizza as did the boys — dough and all. It was a good lesson in patience, cooperation, and learning from others, all essential skills for healthy relationships. 

Looking back on 2025, my first full year at the retreat house, we hosted a total of 225 guests across 16 day-retreats on themes including retirement, youth and relationships, and personality and spirituality (Enneagram), as well as overnight guests on silent retreat following the Spiritual Exercises. I recalled how unsure I was when I first took on the responsibility of managing the retreat house and accompanying guests through such a sensitive time in their lives. We are hopeful that as retreatants share their experiences with others, we will continue to welcome more guests in the year ahead. 

Stephen and Loyce Veryser, Tanzania 

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