I ARRIVED

... but my luggage didn't!!!! Oh well, guess shampoo, deet and toilet paper are over rated.

When we arrived in Kilimanjaro last night and found out my large suitcase didn't follow us, I just looked at Matt and said, "Oh well"... I'll survive. The hardest part was trying to explain to the lost/found guy that I was staying in a church and had no way for them to contact me if they did find my luggage. Finally they let me go out of the building and bring back someone who was picking me up to explain to them where I was staying. I went out and Invo, the headmaster of the school I teach at, was there waiting. He was my hero. He knows me well and came into customs and gave his cell number and his school address. PHEW. I'm a little concerned they won't find it, but... oh well, things could be words.

Seriously, I'm a little bummed about having 10 sets of clothes missing, 3 pairs of shoes and having no hair care products or adapter for my hair dryer, but as long as they don't mind me wearing the same 3 sets of clothes, I'm fine. I do need a shower, so I'm planning on getting shampoo while here in Moshi town.

While we were driving out of the jungle to town I saw 3 blue monkeys in a tree in the valley (near where I'm staying). I've never seen monkeys up there before. Last night while Matt and I were on the balcony of the church, we saw the very top of Kilimanjaro. The saying is... when Kili shows her face, she wants you to come back. There was a full moon so we could see her face. I'd never seen it at night before.

It rained all morning and was so peaceful on the mountain this morning. All I could hear were bush babies and roosters. Did you know roosters don't necessarily crow when they see the sunrise... they prefer 4:00 a.m. At least that's what Tanzanian roosters prefer.

I met with my dear friend/sister Sarah this morning and on Monday I'm off to see my daughter, Happiness. I am so richly blessed!!

My love to all of you and hope you're all enjoying life as much as I am.

Goodbye USA

Passport $156
Vaccinations $200
New Journal $10
Snacks for Trip $15
New clothes $150

Donations from friends and family... priceless

Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you all for the support you've provided me. I feel I am the luckiest person alive. I can't believe all of the things you've done to help me get ready for this trip and the things you're sending with me to give to the people I meet in Tanzania. I already feel God working and I haven't even left the states yet. What a blessing you have been to both me and my friends in Tanzania! Asante and God Bless you all.

I will try to post a few times while I'm over there so please check back or check "follow" and you will automatically be notified if I post.

When I leave tomorrow morning it will take me 26 hours until I arrive in Kilimanjaro. We will arrive the following evening. From previous experience I know we will be greeted at the airport and then driven up to Uswaa, where we will be staying. Our rooms are guest rooms the church built above the sanctuary(the church is in the picture). I've heard the church bells go off (2 sets of them) at 5:00 every morning and they are RIGHT NEXT TO THE ROOMS! That will be 9:00 p.m. your time if you live in Lincoln. So at 9:00 p.m., before you go to bed, send a little prayer my way and I will send one your way when I wake up!

Kwa Heri (good-bye)

Overwhelmed

Right now I'm near tears. No, not because I'm leaving the country in two days, but because of my friends. I'm overwhelmed with the help, generosity, interest and love I've received lately. I have friends that helped make bookmarks, bracelets, and teaching manuals. Four of my co-workers just wrote me checks to "give to a worthy cause" while I'm there. They have no idea what their money is going to do. I've gotten their money already ear-marked to give to the handicapped children of Faraja Primary School. Faraja translates in English to mean comfort, consolation. This money will go so far at this school. These children have physical disabilities and are unable to live at home, like they would had they lived here. To learn more about the handicapped children at Faraja go to their website. http://www.farajaschool.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=66643&orgId=fff

Am I Starting a Pharmacy?

Seriously? Stool softeners and Kaopectate? Isn't that counter productive? I need separate luggage for my medications I'm taking over there... what am I thinking?

• cipro (antibiotic in case I get diarrhea)
• Malarone (malaria meds I need to take daily)
• motrin
• tylenol
• stool softeners
• kaopectate in case the cipro doesn't work?
• neosporin
• fish oil pills... cause I just need em, that's why
• cranberry pills because I DON'T want to get a bladder infection over there
  
• vitamin e because it's good for my total health and well being
• vitamins because I might miss a meal... on the days they serve banana stew
• pepto bismol in case i get a tummy ache
• bandaids
• hand sanitizer
• individually wrapped hand wipes
• .... come on, surely I'm missing something. I'm heading out to Walgreens now to see what else they have on the shelves I just might need.

My Itinerary

I'm 6 days from leaving and things just found out my itinerary. The thing I was most worried about... will I have a place to stay? The answer.... YES!!! Why do I worry? When will I ever learn?

Here's what I'll be doing:

Thursday, May 7: Leave Lincoln, fly to Minneapolis and then to Amsterdam
Friday, May 8: 8:30 p.m. arrive in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (I will be staying in a room at
the top of the church)
Saturday, May 9: Hopefully go into Moshi to buy bottled water and exchange $
Sunday, May 10: Attend services at Uswaa, spend day walking around the village
Monday, May 11: Go to Masama Girls School to visit my AIDS Orphan, Happiness
Tuesday, May 12: Go to Arusha to purchase school supplies for Uroki Secondary School
Wed., May 13: Spend day at Uroki Secondary School. Do Teacher training workshop on
Taking Notes
Thursday, May 14: Spend day at Uroki Secondary School. Do Teacher training workshop
on Taking Notes: part 2
Friday, May 15: Spend day at Uroki Secondary School. Do Microsoft Word Basics training
Saturday, May 16: A.M. Do teacher training at Uroki (Active Learning); P.M. Dinner with
Bishop Shao
Sunday, May 17: Teach Sunday School at Uswaa, worship service
Monday, May 18: Go to Faraja School for Handicapped Children and spend night
Tuesday, May 19: Go back to Uswaa
Wed. May 20: Day at Uswaa
Thursday, May 21: I will go by myself and travel to Morongoro to visit friend Amini and his
family. We will do safari and spend time at his wife's restaurant and the
University in which he teaches.
Friday, May 22: Still in Morongoro
Saturday, May 23: Morongoro
Sunday, May 24: Travel back to Uswaa
Monday, May 25: Spend day at Uswaa. Board plane at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 26: Arrive in Lincoln at 6:30 p.m.

A GREAT INVENTION

Why couldn't i be the one to invent this? It's a toothbrush that has toothpaste in the barrel. All you do is twist the knob and it is applied automatically to your toothbrush. I guess you can get 30 brushes out of one brush. I bought 2!!!

My invention will probably be hairspray in a brush.... any takers?

Map of Uswaa

This satellite picture shows where I'll be staying... on the southern slope of Mount Kilimanjaro. It is in the jungle with only a one lane dirt road out. It's rainy season right now... so getting up there and getting out is always a problem. We have to drive (or walk) up the side of a very steep mountain slope... if you've ever been on Trailridge in CO you might get the picture. If you happen to meet a vehicle on the road, one of you has to back up until you can find a place to pull over. SCARY!!!

Link to view village of Uswaa

Places I'll Be

I'm going to land at Kilimanjaro airport. When I get picked up from there (approx. 9:00 p.m.) I will be taken to a small village on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Some of the other places I will go while I'm there are: Arusha, Moshi, Morogoro, Dar es Salaam and possibly Tobora.

Can you find the places I mentioned on this map? Tanzania Map

....Days Away

As of this posting, I will be leaving for Tanzania in 24 days. Most people would be ready, right? Well, that's not how things work when you go to Africa. At least not with the group I travel with. I remember two years ago we didn't even know where we were going to be sleeping until we landed. If everything went smoothly last time, why am I worried now? Why don't I just trust God and know that everything will work out... it always does?

I do have a pile of "gifts" and medicines and clothes in a corner of my bedroom... so at least I've got a start. Unfortunately that's all I have prepared. I'm supposed to do some workshops for the teachers at one of the schools there and don't know what I'm going to do... guess I'd better get busy. I did buy our AIDS orphan (Happiness) some sheets for her bed, a polar fleece blanket, some socks, a bible, backpack and some misc. things. I can't wait to see her again!!! I'll post more as I start doing more to get ready.

May 2009 Trip

I'm getting ready to go back to Tanzania!! I can't wait. Full of different feelings. Excitement, apprehension, unpreparedness, awe and thankfulness to name just a few. I'm excited to go back and see my "friends and family" over there. I'm apprehensive because I haven't made any arrangements yet and I leave in less than 30 days. I'm unprepared because as I just said, I leave soon and haven't planned any lessons to teach. I'm in awe because I can't believe I get to go back to my beautiful Tanzania. The greatest feeling is probably thankfulness. I'm so thankful for this opportunity and so thankful for those who have made this dream a reality.

The weather will be pretty descent. I won't be staying in Arusha, but it is the closest city, so I'm assuming the weather will be similar to Arusha's. l but I still don't know what to pack!