No hurry and no worries describes Tanzania to a T. Last night I was thinking, I have only been here a month, have I learned anything yet, or are there somethings that I want to take home and apply to my every day life in Nebraska. Well the answer is yes. At home it seems like I am ALWAYS in a hurry, running back and forth between places, always having something to do. I like to add un needed stress to my life, Quenton can attest to that. It seems like I am constantly worried about something back home, or trying to plan and micro manage everything. WELL since being here, I have come to find out that that way of life is not entirely necessary.
I know that there is a huge difference between living in Africa and America, but some of the basic principles still apply. People over here have amazing faith and thank God for everything. Even though some of them barely have a roof over their head, they still enjoy life and are happy and content. They thank God for blessing them and helping them to survive another day. Going into town you see many people walking hand in hand, or taking a nap on the side of the road, soaking up the sunshine. People are always happy over here and never in a hurry. They don't worry about day to day hardships, they just work hard and trust that everything will fall into place:)
The people of Tanzania have been a big inspiration for me so far...( well not the ones that constantly shout "mzungu"-white person- or the ones that make kissy noises or ask me to give them their money, those people just frustrate me:) ) But the people who barely have anything to their name but are so full of joy and love and hospitality, they are teaching me a lot. For instance, when I get home I am going to make a true effort to sloooow down. There is no need for me to be running my self ragged day in and day out, and trying to plan things, and micro manage things. I need to give all of my worries, trials, and concerns to God, and trust that he will help me through it all. In America we have so much, yet so many of us are unhappy. And that is truly because we are spoiled. I feel that it is necessary to humble yourselves and live among the least of these, to truly experience what joy is about. My first month has been full or emotions of joy, sadness, and just plain being overwhelmed:) But I can tell that God is working in me and helping me to become the women that I am supposed to be. He is helping me become more relient on him, and helping me to focus on the joys of the day instead of the sorrows.
I have two months left, and I can't wait to see what else is in store and to see how God will use me:) And now I will leave you with a funny story....
A few days ago I was outside with the two year olds and Hermici was hugging Sister Nirou around the legs. All of a sudden he starts to pee (they are potty training and don't wear diapers) and I grabbed Sister Nirou's arm and said "Look out, he is peeing!" And she sighed, with a big smile on her face and said "Nimeshiba, hakuna matata!" Which means, he is satisfied, no worries. I about died laughing. It was one of the top ten moments here so far. Next in line to eating homemade pizza for dinner with the sisters and watching a comedy show in Swahili on TV with them:) Priceless.
Thank you for the prayers and the wonderful messages! Have a great Tuesday.
Love Molly
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A Walk Up Hill.
During our lunch break at school, one of the architects working on surveying the school asked me what the main differences are between America and Africa. That was my first time that I have been asked that. I told him that things are much more simply in Africa, you have what you have and you make the best out of it. I told him that in America we have so many options that people are very spoiled and in the long run end up not very happy at all. I told him that in America there is more fast food and mor obese people. He chuckled. We then got into a discussion about school. I told him that elementary schools in America have time during the day when the kids will go to music class for an hour, or go to gym class. He thought I was talking about extra curricular activities. He couldn't wrap his mind around that. We talked about how different school in general was between Africa and America. His name is Caleb and he wants to come to Massechucetts to get his masters in interior design. The classrooms that I have been helping out in have desks a chalk board cemenet floors and minimal decorations or school supplies. And yet these kids are very respectful and take their education very serious:) Only 7% of Tanzanian children complete secondary school. Which was so shoking for me to hear. Around 10:30am we have Chai, where we drink coffee and eat amazing treats, it's a great pick me up in the mornings. It has been very "cold" here the last few days. Misty rainy dreary. I can even see my breath most mornings. But it never fails that the sun comes out every afternoon:) It is in the middle of winter here, and the temps are slowly warming up.
On Thursday I went to my first "send off" with Sister Julie Anna. A send off is essentially a going away party for the bride to be with her family and friends the thursday before their saturday wedding. We packed some scones and away we went. Little did I know that we would be walking uphill for 2 hours to reach our destination. It was in a little village with very beautiful sights:) I was pooped though. They had a traditional service with a pastor, wishing them good luck in their future and such. The bride had maroon and gold on and her sister had the same dress on. The women members of the family had different combinations of maroon and gold on. After the serivice, we walked another 20 minutes to where the celebration was to take place. There was a dj, tents, and caterors. They had traditional wedding cake, which was a goat....Yup didn't partake in that haha. It was very interesting to see another cultures' celebration of marriage. And the wedding is today and there will be over 600 people there, I have been told. Thankfully Sister Julie Anna and I got a ride back to the Orphanage with sister Allie so we didn't have to walk:) But it was quite the adventure needless to say.
The babies are doing wonderful. They are slowly learning my name, Dada Molly, (sister Molly). They bring me so much joy. Waking up every morning the sisters warmly greet me, and my breakfast is always waiting for me. Then I go play with the babies and they attack me and drool all over me. It is a wonderful feeling to know that when I wake up every morning I have people waiting for me to give them my love and it is very much reciprocated. I am learning new swahili words as well. Tabia mbya sana means "very bad manners." I hear that a lot with the little ones as the Sisters are trying to show them right from wrong. This morning I woke up to freshly baked cake for breakfast. It was a mix between coffee cake and pound cake. A great way to start the day.
That's all for now! Thank you for your continued support and prayers. I am enjoying my time here very much. I still miss everyone at home, but at least now it is more bearable to be away. I know my time is limited here and that I will be returning in a litte over two months, so I need to make every moment count here! Have a great day!
Love Molly
On Thursday I went to my first "send off" with Sister Julie Anna. A send off is essentially a going away party for the bride to be with her family and friends the thursday before their saturday wedding. We packed some scones and away we went. Little did I know that we would be walking uphill for 2 hours to reach our destination. It was in a little village with very beautiful sights:) I was pooped though. They had a traditional service with a pastor, wishing them good luck in their future and such. The bride had maroon and gold on and her sister had the same dress on. The women members of the family had different combinations of maroon and gold on. After the serivice, we walked another 20 minutes to where the celebration was to take place. There was a dj, tents, and caterors. They had traditional wedding cake, which was a goat....Yup didn't partake in that haha. It was very interesting to see another cultures' celebration of marriage. And the wedding is today and there will be over 600 people there, I have been told. Thankfully Sister Julie Anna and I got a ride back to the Orphanage with sister Allie so we didn't have to walk:) But it was quite the adventure needless to say.
The babies are doing wonderful. They are slowly learning my name, Dada Molly, (sister Molly). They bring me so much joy. Waking up every morning the sisters warmly greet me, and my breakfast is always waiting for me. Then I go play with the babies and they attack me and drool all over me. It is a wonderful feeling to know that when I wake up every morning I have people waiting for me to give them my love and it is very much reciprocated. I am learning new swahili words as well. Tabia mbya sana means "very bad manners." I hear that a lot with the little ones as the Sisters are trying to show them right from wrong. This morning I woke up to freshly baked cake for breakfast. It was a mix between coffee cake and pound cake. A great way to start the day.
That's all for now! Thank you for your continued support and prayers. I am enjoying my time here very much. I still miss everyone at home, but at least now it is more bearable to be away. I know my time is limited here and that I will be returning in a litte over two months, so I need to make every moment count here! Have a great day!
Love Molly
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Things That Have Made Me Smile
So the last two days have given me many reasons to smile. On Sunday I went to church up the hill from the Orphanage, and I was one of three white people in the whole place, out of about 500 people:) Didn't understand a word again, but that's ok! There was a 15 minute break during the middle of church which was weird, and during offering everyone filed up to the front and dropped in their money. So after church there was a a choir contest with 24 Tanzanian Choirs. They sounded so beautiful! Don't worry I recorded some of them. After church we had lunch with some people there and I saw my first goat being roasted (wasn't done in time for us to eat darn....) and ate real sugar cane. It was so awkward because you just chew on it and then spit if out...kind of felt like a cow:) Sunday afternoon was nice and full of relaxation. I got back to the orphanage and the babies were sitting outside playing! It was so nice to get to enjoy the warm sunshine with them outside! Then I helped feed the two year olds again, which is always a joy! haha. Then yesterday....it was my first day helping out at the primary school. THAT WAS AN ADVENTURE! Screaming kids running around, saying teacha teacha, pulling on you and climbing on you!
The first class I helped Ariel and Aimee with was pre-1. There were about 50 kids ages 3.5-6 in one classroom. They were writing FAT,NAP,LAP in their assignment books and practicing cursive C. At 3.5 years old? That seemed a bit crazy to me...Then we sang songs and I did my best rendition of Itsy Bitsy Spider in front of everyone and messed up the words, it was classic:) Then we had Chi...Tea Break. I had the best roles i have ever tasted in my life! They tasted like funnel cake. It was a nice treat in the morning when it was 60 degrees and drizzly out. Then we went to the Standard Three room which has ages 9-11, and we taught writing and religion. For writing they read a short english picture book like Arthur's Great Adventure for example and then they answered five questions. Lesson of the day, Tanzanian children don't know what the word favorite means:) For religion we are teaching them to memorize the books of the bible. So we started with the first 12 of the Old Testament. It was priceless to hear them try and pronounce Deuteronomy. HAHA:) Loved it, they were trying so hard. Then we had lunch which was much needed, as i was starving by then. After lunch was absolutely insanity....There was no plan, 70 kids in one room and 3 american girls in charge.....We sang a lot of songs and our voices went horse:)
Then Ariel walked me home and we carried her laundry down to the orphanage, we tried to put it on our heads to fit into the culture, but it was an epic fail:) Then there were monkeys in the trees right outside my bedroom! I hear a ruckus as all of the three year olds were running outside and screaming monkey in swahili. It was so surreal. AND THEN....after being rainy and cloudy all morning, when I was walking Ariel back to the main road, we saw the top of mt Kilimanjaro in all of it's glory, clear blue skies and not a cloud around. It was breath taking!!!! and of course i didn't have my camera....hopefully there will be other opportunities to get a good picture of the mountain. So...yes many things to smile about in the last couple of days!
Thanks for all of the prayers and messages! They for sure keep me going. And if anyone would like to send me some McDonald's via FedEx, that would be much appreciated! Take care and God Bless:)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Pizza and a Hair-do
The last couple of days have been great. On Thursday afternoon I got to enjoy some time loving on the babies and spending some more time in the two year old house! It was time for bath time again, and this time it went much smoother. Once again i was in charge of Vaseline and getting them dressed. They were precious today and actually listened:) Before bath time I spent some time swinging with Anita. She just looked so sad and needed some love, so we played on the swing to bring some joy to her life. Thursday night for dinner I walk into the room that we eat and Sister Julie surprised me once again and she made HOMEMADE pizza, with fresh vegetables. That is hard to come by in Tanzania. She also made a great salad and some potatoes. So filling. Yesterday I spent the day with the babies. Their finger nails were scratching me up real bad, so I took the liberty and trimmed all of them up. Today I got my hair braided. Six hours later, and what seems like 20 lbs of fake hair, it is complete. This way my hair is done and I can just tie it back. One less things to worry about here. Starting on Monday I am going to be helping out in the primary school up the road which is an English Medium style school. Not sure what my tasks will be, but I know I can help out in some capacity. Splitting my time between the orphanage and at the school. Aimee and Ariel are two girls from Omaha that live up the road from me in Machame and they teach at the school. It has been mentioned that we might be starting a youth group for the kids. Mondays and Wednesdays, splitting them up by age group. This would be a great thing for the youth to be involved in, and something for me to look forward too. I will keep you updated:) Other than that things are going pretty well. I am getting into a routine now, which helps the days pass. Thanks again for all of the support! Take care and talk to you soon.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Getting into a Routine.
As I was reading the other day I stumbled across some scripture from Jeremiah that touched my heart. Of course I can't remember what verse and chapter, but it went something like this..."don't leave anything prematurely, god has a plan for you and stay to see it out all or your days...." i probably butchered that but it was worth a try! any way i found comfort in it.
My days up at the orphanage have been great. Very very relaxed though, I sometimes go a bit crazy. Back home I am so used to busy busy busy, that I feel that I am not making an impact when I am just hanging out with the kids and not doing a whole lot. But rest assured God has a purpose for me here:) He has blessed me with wonderful Sisters that show me hospitality and love each and every day, it is great, even though we don't understand each other always. The whole English - Swahili barrier. But they show me grace and try and help me improve my Swahili. So a typical day looks like this: wake up at 8am, have breakfast, consisting of bread, hard boiled eggs, and coffee, getting ready for the day, then going into the baby house at 9am. They are usually getting their milk or being bathed, so I watch them and love on them and make sure no one hurts themselves while the sisters are busy with the other babies. I help feed them lunch around 11am then they go down for a nap at 1130am. Then i go to the 2 year old house and help feed them. They have their blended food in a tin cup. Most of them can eat by themselves, but some need to be spoon fed. That's where I come in to help. Then I eat lunch around 1230pm, consisting of rice, beans, vegetables, and water. In the afternoon I have time to hang out while the babies are sleeping. I usually read, or write, or find something to do. They usually wake up between 130 and 200 and then i play with them some more. I can come and go as a i please and do what i want there. I work better with directions, but the sisters insist that i don't work that hard! The other day I went to the market with Sister Julie and got fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. Then i helped prepare a salad for dinner by chopping up vegetables....I usually eat dinner around 630-700, by then it is pitch dark out...After dinner I shower, read, occasionally call my boyfriend:), journal about the days events, and then go to bed. I have been going to bed at 10 PM and getting up at 8 AM, that's ten hours of sleep a night people! Something I never saw in college. ha
The occasional trips into town are wonderful! Today I road the dala dala into town all by myself. Big step for me. It is the equivalent to and astro van and they pack as many people as they can in there and stop at various stops and it gets you to town haha! There was a baby pracitcally sitting on my head this morning, and i was shoulder to shoulder and knee to knee with everyone else. And of course I was the only white face on there...It was a bit awkward. But it only costs $.67 to go on the 45 min-1 hour adventure into town. So it is way cheap, but surely an adventure. While in town I usually score some American Food and get more credit for my phone so I can have communication with the outside world. I have met a few friends here so far, so we get together in town and hang out. Two girls from Omaha live just up the road from me and are teaching in a school near me. So it will be nice getting to know them better! And the best news of all! I am getting my hair braided on Saturday, something to look forward to. It will be easier to maintain my hair because I don't have to worry about washing it and having clean warm water to do so:) Gross i know, but only in Africa.
That's all for now! Thanks for the support, prayers, and love. I miss you all. Hopefully my days will continue to go by smoothly and not drag on for ever:) I am trying to enojy every single moment that I have been given here. I will not get any of them back. I am look forward to every day here as a gift from God, and to see what he has inside that present for me. Take care everyone and enjoy your day!
<3 Molly
My days up at the orphanage have been great. Very very relaxed though, I sometimes go a bit crazy. Back home I am so used to busy busy busy, that I feel that I am not making an impact when I am just hanging out with the kids and not doing a whole lot. But rest assured God has a purpose for me here:) He has blessed me with wonderful Sisters that show me hospitality and love each and every day, it is great, even though we don't understand each other always. The whole English - Swahili barrier. But they show me grace and try and help me improve my Swahili. So a typical day looks like this: wake up at 8am, have breakfast, consisting of bread, hard boiled eggs, and coffee, getting ready for the day, then going into the baby house at 9am. They are usually getting their milk or being bathed, so I watch them and love on them and make sure no one hurts themselves while the sisters are busy with the other babies. I help feed them lunch around 11am then they go down for a nap at 1130am. Then i go to the 2 year old house and help feed them. They have their blended food in a tin cup. Most of them can eat by themselves, but some need to be spoon fed. That's where I come in to help. Then I eat lunch around 1230pm, consisting of rice, beans, vegetables, and water. In the afternoon I have time to hang out while the babies are sleeping. I usually read, or write, or find something to do. They usually wake up between 130 and 200 and then i play with them some more. I can come and go as a i please and do what i want there. I work better with directions, but the sisters insist that i don't work that hard! The other day I went to the market with Sister Julie and got fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. Then i helped prepare a salad for dinner by chopping up vegetables....I usually eat dinner around 630-700, by then it is pitch dark out...After dinner I shower, read, occasionally call my boyfriend:), journal about the days events, and then go to bed. I have been going to bed at 10 PM and getting up at 8 AM, that's ten hours of sleep a night people! Something I never saw in college. ha
The occasional trips into town are wonderful! Today I road the dala dala into town all by myself. Big step for me. It is the equivalent to and astro van and they pack as many people as they can in there and stop at various stops and it gets you to town haha! There was a baby pracitcally sitting on my head this morning, and i was shoulder to shoulder and knee to knee with everyone else. And of course I was the only white face on there...It was a bit awkward. But it only costs $.67 to go on the 45 min-1 hour adventure into town. So it is way cheap, but surely an adventure. While in town I usually score some American Food and get more credit for my phone so I can have communication with the outside world. I have met a few friends here so far, so we get together in town and hang out. Two girls from Omaha live just up the road from me and are teaching in a school near me. So it will be nice getting to know them better! And the best news of all! I am getting my hair braided on Saturday, something to look forward to. It will be easier to maintain my hair because I don't have to worry about washing it and having clean warm water to do so:) Gross i know, but only in Africa.
That's all for now! Thanks for the support, prayers, and love. I miss you all. Hopefully my days will continue to go by smoothly and not drag on for ever:) I am trying to enojy every single moment that I have been given here. I will not get any of them back. I am look forward to every day here as a gift from God, and to see what he has inside that present for me. Take care everyone and enjoy your day!
<3 Molly
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Hospitality as it should be.
So much to update all of you one! This morning I rode along to the airport to drop Farryl off. She is headed back home, and now here I am without her support and knowledge! It will be ok because she gave me a crash course in the ten days that we were able to spend together. I moved my things up to the orphanage on Thursday, and spent my first full day there thursday to friday. It is very peaceful up there but as usual a lot to get used to. There are four houses up there, 3 for the children divided up by age group and one for meetings, church, and misc things. On Thursday I helped feed the babies, which was a challenge and a big fail on my part. You place the baby in your lap, place a cloth around there neck for a bib and you feed them their blended food out of a metal cup with a large serving spoon. Now most of you know that I am left handed, but I am often challenged when it comes to doing new things and figuring out which hand to use and what works best. Well the story ends with baby joseph knocking over the food, me spilling on him and my self and a sore back:) But I will get used to it hopefully. These babies need love and that's what I am here to give. It is so easy to put my needs first, but really i have everything and more and i just need to be loving on them and filling them up.
Then it was time to help with the two year olds and bath time. It was Farryl and my job to dry them off then put on vaslene when they were dry and then cloth them. Then we sat them on their potties. Well those smart children know that we aren't really incharge and they were running a muck and sitting on their potties, falling in their pee, and being rascals:) But whenever Sister Wendy came back in the room, they sat down and looked around like they had been doing nothing wrong. Haha It took a lot of energy to take care of 13 two year olds for a bit, but we got it accomplished.
This weekend I am back down in Moshi at the convent staying with the Sisters because Sister Agnes and I are doing a home visit tomorrow and it was easier for me to be in town to go along with. Tomorrow we are visiting a child who has left the orphanage and going to see them at their new home. To see how they are doing and if all of their needs have been met. Then it's back to the orphanage in Machame to love on the kiddos. It has been a hard adjustment because most everyone I am surrounded wth speaks swahili and me not so much, even though I am learning. The Sisters are all so welcoming and loving, but it is just hard when we don't always understand eachother. I have been a bit lonely lately, especially in the evening when it is dark out and everyone is settled in and then there is me haha. But I have some good books and journaling to do so that helps the time go by a bit faster.
Since I have been here I have noticed the never never ending hospitality. The people that I have met do not have a ton to give, but they give their hearts out and welcome you into their houses with warm arms. Last night we went to say goodbye to Nasibou, one of the children that has left Neema, at his nanny's house and they offered us dinner even though we were eating in an hour and there were probably 20 people in a tiny tiny tiny one bedroom house. it was nuts. i was a bit overwhelmed. But moments like this teaches me that it's ok if everything isn't perfect and your house isn't in order, it is better to love and have relationships with eachother, and most of all laugh, even though i hardly know what is going on, then to worry about anything else at all:)
I have a lot left to experience and take in. I am still overwhelmed at times, but slowly it is getting easier. I just have to remember to put Jesus at the center, and it is really his work that I am doing. I am just the hands. It is easy to become selfish when you are stepping out of your comfort zone, but that won't really help:) Please pray for strength, wisdom, and endurance. And that I stay safe and sound and am not homesick anymore! I want to fully enjoy my time here without counting the days until I get home, I want to leave everything here and have no regrets that i didn't get to do certain things because i was to busy being sad. I can't wait to see all of you and talk to you when i get home! Thanks for the support and take care:)
Then it was time to help with the two year olds and bath time. It was Farryl and my job to dry them off then put on vaslene when they were dry and then cloth them. Then we sat them on their potties. Well those smart children know that we aren't really incharge and they were running a muck and sitting on their potties, falling in their pee, and being rascals:) But whenever Sister Wendy came back in the room, they sat down and looked around like they had been doing nothing wrong. Haha It took a lot of energy to take care of 13 two year olds for a bit, but we got it accomplished.
This weekend I am back down in Moshi at the convent staying with the Sisters because Sister Agnes and I are doing a home visit tomorrow and it was easier for me to be in town to go along with. Tomorrow we are visiting a child who has left the orphanage and going to see them at their new home. To see how they are doing and if all of their needs have been met. Then it's back to the orphanage in Machame to love on the kiddos. It has been a hard adjustment because most everyone I am surrounded wth speaks swahili and me not so much, even though I am learning. The Sisters are all so welcoming and loving, but it is just hard when we don't always understand eachother. I have been a bit lonely lately, especially in the evening when it is dark out and everyone is settled in and then there is me haha. But I have some good books and journaling to do so that helps the time go by a bit faster.
Since I have been here I have noticed the never never ending hospitality. The people that I have met do not have a ton to give, but they give their hearts out and welcome you into their houses with warm arms. Last night we went to say goodbye to Nasibou, one of the children that has left Neema, at his nanny's house and they offered us dinner even though we were eating in an hour and there were probably 20 people in a tiny tiny tiny one bedroom house. it was nuts. i was a bit overwhelmed. But moments like this teaches me that it's ok if everything isn't perfect and your house isn't in order, it is better to love and have relationships with eachother, and most of all laugh, even though i hardly know what is going on, then to worry about anything else at all:)
I have a lot left to experience and take in. I am still overwhelmed at times, but slowly it is getting easier. I just have to remember to put Jesus at the center, and it is really his work that I am doing. I am just the hands. It is easy to become selfish when you are stepping out of your comfort zone, but that won't really help:) Please pray for strength, wisdom, and endurance. And that I stay safe and sound and am not homesick anymore! I want to fully enjoy my time here without counting the days until I get home, I want to leave everything here and have no regrets that i didn't get to do certain things because i was to busy being sad. I can't wait to see all of you and talk to you when i get home! Thanks for the support and take care:)
Monday, September 6, 2010
Church and Visit to Arusha
Church Sunday was an experience. It was all in Swahili, but you could just feel the power of God in that place. The sisters and the young women in school sang at different times and their voices together are just beautiful! The pastor introduced me and I stood up and waved, it was kind of awkward, haha. There was a sister sitting next to me and she was translating most of the sermon for me. I took communion with them, and pretty sure the "grape juice" was some form of alcohol, but who knows. Sunday was pretty low key I got to read and write and nap after church. Then Sister Angus took me into town to meet Farryl and she was with three other wazungu, white women:) Two from Ohio and one from Germany. We went to Farryl's house where she is staying and had dinner, but my tummy wasn't feeling that well so i didn't each much...
THEN yesterday we went into Arusha, crazy town. Farryl me and the two Ohioians set out on a journey. We went to the bus stop, and they were very eager to put white women on the bus, good money, except it's the same price for everyone. So i say next to farryl, and then a women and a child got on the bus and she had a chicken in her bag! It's little head was sticking out and scared the crap out of me haha. It was 1.5 hour ride to Arusha. When we got there we went to the Masi market and bought some treasures and then we met Farryl's Lawyer friend Will for lunch. He works for the U.N. at the Rwanda Criminal Tribunal Hearings....where they have court going on from the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. He took us to lunch at the Blue Heron....and let me tell you....the food was FABULOUS! I got a pizza and diet coke (coke light as they call it) and devoured it, it was the first time my tummy has been full since ive been here. After lunch will took us to his work, and we got to go listen to some hearings! They are open to the public, had to go through security and such. But it was cool! We sat in a room and watched through the wall with head phones. It kind of dragged on bc the counselor wasn't making a very good cross reference trying to blame the whiteness for something. But i am glad that we got to go. The bus ride home took FOREVER! and there were sweaty people all over, practically sitting on my lap because they don't leave until that bus is jammed full! After a long day i slept so good last night!
SO today Farryl and I are in town (moshi) doing internet, getting fabric, phone credit and such. We are going up to the orphanage today this afternoon (in Machame)! I am getting so anxious! I feel like I have been lolly gagging around here, but like Martin and Pastor said it is good to get used to the culture and acclimated. I will meet the girls from omaha today up there. Then I will come back to the convent and rest up, and off to sleepy i will go:) Tomorrow I finally move in with the babies. I saw my room and it is actually really big, so that will be nice to have my own space!
So that is all for now! Can't wait to move in with the babies and start serving them and loving on them:) Have a great day everyone!
THEN yesterday we went into Arusha, crazy town. Farryl me and the two Ohioians set out on a journey. We went to the bus stop, and they were very eager to put white women on the bus, good money, except it's the same price for everyone. So i say next to farryl, and then a women and a child got on the bus and she had a chicken in her bag! It's little head was sticking out and scared the crap out of me haha. It was 1.5 hour ride to Arusha. When we got there we went to the Masi market and bought some treasures and then we met Farryl's Lawyer friend Will for lunch. He works for the U.N. at the Rwanda Criminal Tribunal Hearings....where they have court going on from the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. He took us to lunch at the Blue Heron....and let me tell you....the food was FABULOUS! I got a pizza and diet coke (coke light as they call it) and devoured it, it was the first time my tummy has been full since ive been here. After lunch will took us to his work, and we got to go listen to some hearings! They are open to the public, had to go through security and such. But it was cool! We sat in a room and watched through the wall with head phones. It kind of dragged on bc the counselor wasn't making a very good cross reference trying to blame the whiteness for something. But i am glad that we got to go. The bus ride home took FOREVER! and there were sweaty people all over, practically sitting on my lap because they don't leave until that bus is jammed full! After a long day i slept so good last night!
SO today Farryl and I are in town (moshi) doing internet, getting fabric, phone credit and such. We are going up to the orphanage today this afternoon (in Machame)! I am getting so anxious! I feel like I have been lolly gagging around here, but like Martin and Pastor said it is good to get used to the culture and acclimated. I will meet the girls from omaha today up there. Then I will come back to the convent and rest up, and off to sleepy i will go:) Tomorrow I finally move in with the babies. I saw my room and it is actually really big, so that will be nice to have my own space!
So that is all for now! Can't wait to move in with the babies and start serving them and loving on them:) Have a great day everyone!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Greetings from Africa
Well finally made it! It was a very long journey, but here I am. I am glad to be here but very overwhelmed at the same time. It is going to take alot to get used too, but I know I will eventually. Didn't expect to be homesick already. Went to Arusha national park yesterday with 20 3-4 years olds and 10 adults, all packed into an old toyota bus. Car seats? Nope we held them all in our laps, it was very fun! It was some of the kids first times ever being in a vehicle! The smells here are crazy too! Something to get used to. Thank you for all of your support! Please continue to pray for strength and endurance. More to come later!
Molly
Molly
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