We made it home!

Just wanted to give a quick update to let you know that Jenny and I are back safe and sound. We had about 18 hours of flight time with an 8 hour layover in Amsterdam. We didn't sleep much, but thanks to modern technology, were entertained by several movies to bide the time. I definitely watched some movies that I normally wouldn't....but when you have all of that time, you resort to any kind of entertainment possible! ("The Little Mermaid", for example)
I won't reveal who....but someone on our flight, a grown-woman, watched "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Hopefully that detail well describes the desperation we felt towards being distracted from the fact that we had hours to go until we would be home!

We were met at the airport by some of our close friends and went to dinner immediately afterwards. Jenny and I talked a lot about how much we missed Mexican food while we were gone, so we went to El Porton. Being that it was 2 a.m. Tanzania time, I opted out of the taco-fest had by all. Nevertheless, it was wonderful to be with people who know us well and were committed to following our trip and praying for our efforts, as well.

We are blessed.

Thanks again to each of you....

Lauren & Jenny (Bruce, too!)

Faith, Hope, and Love...

In just 4 hours Lauren and I will be heading to the airport. We have felt as if we were in a time warp here in many ways. As the weeks have gone by, I've found myself grappling with all sorts of different thoughts and emotions on what I have seen and experienced. I have found myself doing a lot of listening and thinking, rather than talking as much as I usually do.

It is natural and easy for we as Americans (and Westerners) to come here and be overwhelmed and saddened at the poverty, lack of education and sanitation, harsh treatment of women, lack of attention to children, etc. At the same time, there is MUCH we can learn from this culture and these people. I refuse to believe that the negative aspects I've seen and experienced are as good as it gets (or will get) for these people, and I'm sure I will continue to process things for quite some time. Amidst it all, the Lord has taken me back to this verse:

"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

Faith: I see faith in Grace, who says a prayer for every child she holds at school each day. I see faith in Batista, whose actions, words, and thankful attitude reflect Christ. I see faith in the girl who is singing the hymns at church with eyes closed and without a hymnal. I see faith in Carolyn, an outspoken Christian and African woman at the wood market, who is empowering women to do something with their lives...

Hope: I see hope in Abdala, who gets up every morning excited to go to a school that will accept him. I see hope in the smiling faces of the children as they greet us each morning in Kunduchi village. I see hope in the "mamas" who sit outside of school to get water, help with bathroom duties, and watch over the very little ones. I see hope in our driver, Mapunda (who is 47yrs old), who is not ashamed of sitting in the afternoon English class for 7-9yr olds...

Love: I see love in Siri, as she sprints towards me, jumps up into my arms, and kisses me on the cheek. I see love in my fellow volunteers as they patiently let children hang all over them, as they bandage wounds and blow noses, as they pour water. I see love in the old woman at church who walked up to us this morning with a very warm welcome. I see love in the older brothers and sisters who take such good care of their younger siblings at school...

...and these are just a few highlights. This country is not void of faith, hope, and love. Praise God for this! I have been reminded over and over again that I must love these people through my actions...this has truly been "drilled" into me, as I only know a few Swahili phrases/words.

As Lauren wrote, thank you so much for being so supportive and journeying with us for the past 5 weeks. There's lots left to tell and show in person!

Another smiling kiddo, holding the hand of her younger brother.

For the last time, here is a list:

TOP 5 THINGS I WILL NOT MISS (In Order):

1. The PINK SHORT SLEEVED SHIRT that I wear all the time.

2. Burning Trash and Black Smoke from moving vehicles.

3. Sleeping Under A Mosquito Net every night.

4. Eau de DEEP WOODS OFF!

5. Ants in my food, on the wall, in the sink, in the bed...and so forth and so on.

...Kwaheri (good-bye)!

Now what?

As we leave tonight, I have been pondering my future involvement with the children that I have met, and other kids like them that live in Africa. How can I support them from far away? How can I show these children that they are not forgotten, but that they matter, they are important and they are loved?

My heart continues to firmly believe that my work (and our work) in Africa is not done.

I would encourage those of you who are interested in sharing your life and resources with children like the ones you have read about on our blog to look into an "adopt-a-child" program. There are several reputable organizations that will take your $20 or $30 a month and expand it to: send your sponsored child to school, feed them and clothe them. You can communicate with them through letter so you can begin a relationship with the child, as well. It may seem like a small effort, as you are only helping one child at a time, but that is where we have to start. One at a time to change the problems that poverty allows. It is a way for you to change a life without ever leaving your home. That is pretty incredible!

I am certainly not trying to guilt anyone into such a commitment, just encouraging those who are interested in becoming involved with the people of Africa to do something concrete to support a child in a life-changing way.

Below are some respected organizations through which you can "adopt" a child.
(If there is a place, other than Africa, that you are interested in these organizations reach children all of the world. I am just a bit partial!)

Food for the Hungry
www.fh.org
Compassion International
www.compassion.com

World Vision
www.wvi.org

Thank you again for your prayers, encouragement, support and interest in what we have been able to do in our 5 weeks here. We are blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.
We are looking forward to seeing each of you in the coming weeks.

T Minus one day....

Our cook, Batiste, whom I have written about earlier, has a son Horucy that is not able to attend school this year because of financial difficulties. Horus is a great kid who comes to our afternoon classes. We all like him very much. Due to the fact that I have had so many generous donors, I was able to go to his former school and register him for next year! He will begin classes in January, which is the beginning of their school year. The whole family is thrilled.

Thank you, again, for your generosity.
The Jordan School where Horucy will go to school.

Batiste and me after I told him that you will be sending Horacy to school!
We took a vehicle like the one above. They are called "dala dalas" and are absolutely packed each day with Africans. It was a fun experience! We also sat on bike taxis on the way back from the wood market- side saddle in a skirt, no less! (A bike taxi has another seat on the back and a small handle....sort of scary....but kind of fun, too!)
We went to Grace's house for an authentic African lunch. Above is her daughter Anna and niece Bumi who we played with while there.

Our lunch: ciabetta (tortilla-like bread), pineapple, beans and pumpkin leaves. I repeat....pumpkin leaves. They had an interesting taste....almost like a grainy spinach/collard green flavor.)

I wanted to post some other great pictures that were taken along the way....
A couple hanging out on their "front step" in Kunduchi village.

DZinyeto's wife and baby, Fatuma
(And yes, there is a "D" in front of the "Z" in his name....we are finding out that consonants belong all over the names the we have been misspelling and mispronouncing!)

Our last day at school.

Since today is Friday, it was game day at school. Jenny did a great job planning and implementing their first obstacle course. The kids really enjoyed it, the teachers and volunteers did, too!

Here is some footage of Jenny in action with the kids!

motiono.com/watch/EiRRuNTO

It was a sad goodbye to be sure, but it is wonderful to see the fruits of our labor. Sitting back and realizing that they now have a set curriculum, the kids love coming to school and the teachers are better able to do things themselves, is very fulfilling. Here are some last shots of us with our friends that we will never forget. Knowing that these kids are held by God, I believe they will be taken care of long after we leave.

Jenny & her two favorite friends:
Siri (L) and Twalibu (R)

We've mentioned before that older siblings are very responsible for their little brothers and sisters. The boy on the left brought his little brother to school today. He held him, played with him and loved every minute of it. Jenny and I continue to think that is a major thing that the Africans could teach us....

This is what I like to call my "Where's Waldo?" shot...
When we walk through the crowd of children to sit down, several stand up and follow us so they can be held, touch our hands or just be near enough to us for a smile. I will miss that.

Aziza looking good in her new sunglasses. The kids loved these!
Thanks Mom, Dad & Elizabeth!

We made the cover of the Dar es Salaam paper!
Maggie and I didn't even know that someone from "The Citizen" was taking pictures when we were in the Mwenge market on Sunday. Another volunteer spotted it and sent it our way. The attached article was about tourism. I wonder how they knew we weren't locals?!

The Big Giveaway!

Last night.....Some of the volunteers....this was last night's "Goodbye party" as some of us begin to leave tomorrow.

(L to R): Sarah, Maggie, Roxanne, me and Jenny

Today at school was like "Oprah's Big Giveaway" show! We were able to give each child a pair of underwear, shoes, shorts and a shirt! (We have been to some markets shopping and have pooled our resources in order to buy all of these things, in conjunction with the clothes that my family sent last week. Apparently, the markets here receive clothes that are donated by different charities all round the world- Goodwill, Samaritan's Purse, etc.) There were about 200 kids at school today. Keeping them occupied while we took 10 at a time to fit into clothes was quite a chaotic procedure. It took about 3 hours to get everyone situated. Apparently word spread through the village that we were giving away clothes, so many of the villagers came to watch. What a wonderful feeling it was to give- especially when the recipient is in need and thankful!
Here are some pictures of this morning's events. (My hands were so occupied trying clothes on the children, that I didn't get too many photos...)

Simon, Maggie and Robbie with our piles of clothes to give away.

The kids being fitted into their new clothes

Look, Dad...even Africans are rooting for the Red Sox!

DMapunda (my favorite African name) is our bus driver each day and sometimes he bring along a sidekick. His friend makes African wooden instruments that are similar to a violin. I asked him if he would play it for me this morning, and boy did I get a show! Below is the link to hear him play. Let me warn you....he has sort of a creepy singing voice in parts of this song....(This goes out to you, Anna Pearson!)

motiono.com/watch/irReNTNr

Some of you have written emails mentioning that you would like to greet Jenny and me at the airport when we arrive at home. We would love that! Anyone who would like to be there is absolutely welcome! We will be thrilled to see familiar faces!!

Due to security precautions, I have been advised not to write our flight information.....but we are set to arrive at 4:55 pm on Monday July 2nd. Email Jenny or myself if you want the specifics!

A smorgasbord of thoughts...

I am not feeling so hot today....but, being as "determined" (also known as hard headed) as I am, I went to school anyway. I ended up laying down with my head on my backpack in the supply closet and fell asleep during school. If you knew what a zoo that closet becomes, you wouldn't believe that I was able to sleep through such insanity! So, I think I am officially under the weather. I have a headache and am just not up to par. No big deal...but will stay home from our afternoon class and rest up.

I do want to share something that happened yesterday that had great spiritual meaning for me. Abdala's brother, Alfani, is an awesome kid. He is so kind to his brother and always has a smile on his face. The volunteers are all crazy about him. He sat next to me yesterday in our morning class and was all smiles, putting his arm around me and saying "Good morning, teacher". I just eat him up. He then proceeded to pull a broken lighter out of his pocket to show it to me. It was clear that it was his newest find and he was excited about it. It was clear that he didn't know what this item was or how it was used. Loving him and wanting to keep him safe, I smiled and gently took it from him and put it in my pocket saying "pole, Alfani" which means "I am sorry, Alfani". He burst into tears and held his hand out for me to give it back to him. he didn't understand why I would take away something that was so special to him and made him so happy after he shared it with me. I asked Emmanuel, one of the Swahili speaking teachers, to explain to him that I loved him and wanted to keep him safe, and that was why I had to take the lighter away from him. He just bowed his head, continuing to cry and doubt why I would hurt him. It broke my heart to see him so upset, knowing that I caused his pain. I rubbed his back and just kept saying that I was sorry.

This was a crystal clear example of my relationship with God sometimes. Knowing that He loves me, wants to protect me and knows what is best for me, I still doubt when He takes things away or withholds things from me. I seem to think that it is because I have made Him angry or He is disappointed in me and this is my discipline. I believe, though, that He sees the big picture and knows what is best for me. He takes away things that are potentially dangerous, hurtful or just "not our best". That being said, he longs to comfort us while we hurt. He loves us that much. I have had plenty of times, like Alfani, when I doubt, hang my head and cry....but at the end of the day, I have to trust His plan.

The below pictures and video are from the last several weeks- they have just not made the blog, yet.
Enjoy.

Some children on their walk to school.

This is Sammy. He is a total pistol, but we all really love him.

This is a "piki piki" and is a taxi type vehicle that you see all over Dar. They are like glorified golf carts...and look like a lot of fun!

A typical house here

The below video is more footage of my precious little Mwadenny. It was taken last week, but I forgot to post it. He is too cute!

motiono.com/watch/tsReuNit

This is a video of the kids coloring. They love it!

motiono.com/watch/treNouoU