Blogs from Arusha, North, Tanzania, Africa - page 16

Our readers are aware that life in Africa is always unusual. Well, furlough time for missionaries is likewise unique. Living out of a suitcase and traveling about like sojourners requires some adaptation. Joy and I were brainstorming about how to celebrate Lindsey’s 18th birthday since it fell while we were in attendance at the Polishing The Pulpit venue. We were able to go to a nearby grocery store and purchase a cake, candles, and lighter. Then after the evening lectures concluded we called some friends and family to meet us for some cake and visiting. We are certainly proud of Lindsey! She carries herself with such grace and poise (Does that sound like proud parents?). Happy Birthday (again) Lindsey! We had assembled in an area which had closed for the evening, but was not locked. The ... read more

After the safari we realized we were running out of weekends in town and there was another market we wanted to go to in town- the Masai market. We were told that there were many souveneirs and that prices could be bargained. Let's do it! I found a painting of elephants at sunset that I had to take home and a bag with a really cool pattern. On Tuesday we spent our day on site. They are planning on planting a HUGE garden so the kids can have organic vegetables, and the excess can go to the village. It was incredibly tedious, but a lot of fun working with more than just our group. We took turns making the rows and planting various plants. Wednesday the groups got called in rotations to the primary school in ... read more

A warm up for Kilimanjaro To give ourselves a better chance of climbing Kilimanjaro we did a warm-up hike on Mount Meru, the second highest summit in Tanzania, at 4652 metres altitude. Meru is nowhere near as popular as Kilimanjaro, but it's becoming busier as more and more people realise they need a proper acclimatization before tackling the big one. The Meru hike is a 3 or 4 day climb depending on how fast you do the descent. The summit attempt begins very early on the third morning, when, like on Kilimanjaro, you set off for the summit at midnight. Ruth and I had already been in Tanzania for 4 days on a safari before we met up with the rest of our group, who flew in the night before Meru. We were joined by our ... read more

Program Description and Mission We are building and 3 storey building to offer a total of 65 children in the District to have housing and financial support to provide the most basic needs of food, shelter, clothes, sanitation, education and care. These estimated 65 vulnerable children will be orphans and disabled Why disable children? Disabled children are some of the most vulnerable children in Tanzania. When a person becomes disabled or a disabled child is born, the individual and family enter into a new world about which they know next to nothing and about which they have a lot of stereotyped notions. They are influenced by culture, which see disability as a curse or the manifestation of sin and disgrace in the family, and alms given to the disabled beggar are a means of obtaining spiritual ... read more

I have a lot on my mind. This weekend when I was in town, I had an email that explained that my abroad program to Siena, scheduled for next spring, has been cancelled. I had the coordinator transfer my application to the Rome program. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize that I don't think that's what I'm supposed to do. I don't want to spend that much time in a big city. I think I want more of a cultural experience- a more authentic living situation, more authentic food, an easier atmosphere to interact with locals.. a little farther away from the tourist-y activities that a big city has to offer. *I ended up taking a leave from school during the spring quarter of my junior year and travelling around Europe ... read more