Some fun pictures!

Special Perks

I don't know about you, but I always thought that missionaries should get special perks from God. You know like the stoplights always being green when you pull up, never having car troubles, ATM's always working, and certainly, under no circumstances should any missionary have GREY hair! Last night, my roommate, Julia and I were hanging out with a friend when they noticed a very long, very grey hair. Can you believe it! This is not supposed to happen. I thought for sure that being a missionary was the gateway to eternal youth. So, just in case any of you weren't sure: life is still very ordinary as a missionary. I have grey hair. My car is outside right now being repaired for the umpteenth time; I usually have to go to three or four ATMs to find one that works or that has not run out of money and we have one traffic light in town and it is never green! Oh Well.... =) God is still good! He shows that in so many ways even though I have grey hair.

Proud accomplishments

So, years from now I hope that there will be things that I will think of fondly remembering how God worked both through me and in me. However, I have to say that one of my proudest accomplishments will be teaching the children of Africa to give me five and say "Alright" with a little bit of attitude. I had so much fun yesterday playing with the children. We were in Likamba taking pictures of the children as we start up our child sponsorship program there and I just couldn't help myself. As others were working, I sang and danced with them. When they sing, they usually do lots of fun dance moves. One of my favorites is about the elephant who wants to ride the bus. He can't get in and they ask why, why, why? He says, because I'm too big, because I'm too big. While doing this, cute little five year olds wiggle their bottoms back and forth and put their hands to their heads in exasperation while singing. Hilarious! Why work when you can play with kids....

We did get all of our work done, mom, so don't worry. I am not a total slacker! =)

Without vision the people will perish

Some of you may know that I teach part time at Joshua Teachers training college here in Arusha. It is a Christan college and I think the only one in all of Tanzania. However, the biggest difference is that we encourage the students to teach differently, to love the children, nurture them, challenge them, help them, and so much more. So often here, education can be rote. I think that the government would like to see that change but for now often you have teachers that only teach at the front of the class and the students simply imitating and memorizing. We want these teachers to have their children discover, be curious, and love learning. Most of the teachers at the Imara schools were trained there and fourteen out of the current 26 students will go to Imara schools.

I have loved my time there. It is so exciting to be a part of what God is doing at JTTC. Since the beginning of this term, I have started doing something different with the teachers as we begin class. Each day, we pray for a different country. They have been shocked to learn that all westerners are not Christians and what it is like in other countries. It has been such a powerful time to pray for others and as we pray, we pray for the students that they will one day teach. I am so overwhelmed as I hear them pray that maybe some of their students will be missionaries to the Sudan, Italy, Nepal, and other places. Today, we talked about that white missionaries are not what the Sudan needs but fellow Africans to bring them the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. These future teachers will help change their nation, transform it, and bring it out of poverty. The students that they teach will have such a large impact not only in Tanzania but in all Africa and even throughout the world. Investing in the lives of these future teachers has been such a blessing. I am so thankful for all the opportunities that God has given me!

Do you see what I see?

Throughout my short stint here so far, there have been mulitple times where I have thought I wish I had my camera. I have even thought having my own reality TV show. I could be on the travel channel... =) Not really but sometimes I have no idea how to properly capture what I am seeing through words. I have thought it would be good to put a camera on the steering wheel and ride around one day.

With so much to say about the everyday life it is hard to know where to start. The transportation is always a bit humourous. We have buses everywhere that are more like minivans which are called daladalas. I have ridden in them a few times and I had no real concept of what it meant for a vehicle to be overcrowded until that time. Just when you think that no more people can fit, five more get on. One time, we were walking to get on one of them and another guy recruiting for his daladala came up. He was leaving sooner so we decided to take that one. Innocent decision. No big deal, right? WRONG! A huge all out fist fight and brawl quickly interrupted between the two recruiters. We learned our lesson on that one. When you are driving, these buses weave in and out of traffic and stop often so you have to learn to pass them. So our two lane road really becomes a three lane or sometimes four lane road.

In addition to daladalas, safari vehicles, and regular trucks and cars, you have a ride array of carts and bicycles. These carts are packed full of everything from sodas, concrete blocks, shoes, rice, tires to people, children, water, and so much more. The men that pull these have arms and legs of steel. I never cease to be amazed at how much they are able to carry. Now onto the bicycles. What they can carry on the back in unbelievable! Most recently I saw a man carrying at least fifty bottles of oil on his back, you see shoes, giant jugs of water, and of course people. You can even catch a bike taxi and pay someone to give you a ride. How fun!

It's all about perspective

I traveled to the village, Likamba last week. I have been there many times and every time I go there all I see is grey. It feels like the sun does not shine there. The school is in the middle of nowhere in the hills in a Massai community. The road to the village seems like it could collapse at any moment because it is surrounded by giant lanes of holes. Following the road can be tricky at times. When you get there, you see two grey buildings that have significant cracks from all of the earthquakes that we have been having. Even though the buildings are relatively new, they have the appearance of age. Inside the classrooms are grey concrete floors and grey concrete walls. They appear hard to keep clean especially since the children have to travel far (some two hours) to get to school in the dirt and mud. Without enough classrooms, one of the classes is forced to meet in an office. You have thirty small children cramped into a small little room. The uniforms that the children have are barely holding themselves together. They are all hand-me-downs. Some of had to roll up the pants because they are too long, others are so short they look like shorts. There are holes and tears in every outfit. The giant holes in the sweaters are held together by a string tied in a knot. Zippers are not uncommon even though there is clearly a need for them. Then, you look at their feet. Over half do not have socks. Almost all have shoes but many of them look their heels have mouths because part of the shoe has fallen off. Some children even have shoes that are way too big for their little feet. When you take a closer look, you realize that many of the children have probably not showered in a long time. They have a layer of dirt with cracking skin and sometimes fungus on their head. Many of their eyes show signs of malnutrition. Their exercise books are meager and the pencils are nothing more than nubs. Paper or other supplies are too much of a luxury that they cannot afford. The teachers themselves have to take several buses and then walk an hour to get to school. Their only meal is cup full of grey porridge.

When you consider all of this, life seems grey. However, you only need to spend about a minute with one of the children to realize that is not what they see. They see hope. They see a teacher that loves them and cares for them and shows them tenderness. They see teachers that love them so much that they are willing to travel that far to teach them. They see that they have a whole outfit of their own and shoes which doubles the size of their wardrobe. They see fun in learning and what it opens up to them. They see a meal that they might not get otherwise. They are amazed at the cracks because God saved the buildings. They see shoes that allow them to run back and forth and play with each other. They see pencils that allow them to put down their ideas, thoughts, and answers. They see classrooms that are places where it is safe and they can laugh and giggle. They see a place of opportunity instead of a place of fear. They do not see their school as the middle of nowhere but rather a place that is the beginning of somewhere. Huge smiles consume their faces and brighten their malnutrious eyes. They don't see a classroom as too small but just right so they can sit closer to their friends.

At the end of every day, I see all of these precious children lined up singing praise and worship for God's goodness, love, and provision. It's all about perspective.....

Cats and Brothers

My little brother is not so little anymore. He can even carry a person out of a burning building! Go little bro! Anyway, I digress. Last week, my brother and I chatted on yahoo messenger, what a wonderful invention! My younger brother has beat me to the altar so he likes to give me a hard time about my continued state of singleness. He has often teased me about ending up with a lot of cats as I get older. So, as we were talking he asked about the situation. He said, that since I live in Africa if the cats will be lions, cheetahs, and leopards..... Little brothers!

By the way... I am a dog person....