Rafiki Tanzania

All of our children!

and all of us who love them so much!

Firsts

I'd like to introduce:

• The first class of first graders in our village.
• My 1st first grade class.  My assistant Jack is first class!  She's wonderful, especially when it comes to teaching Kiswahili!

Here's a glimpse of the handprint Paul left on our village.  More to come soon...

Perspective adjustment

Paul's impending departure date left me feeling sad.  Then the following conversation took place in my first grade class.

Frank: When you take Mr. Paul to the airport you will cry?





                                          Me: Probably.

Beatrice: Why?




Me: Because when you care about someone and you have to say goodbye it is     sad because you will miss them.






Maurin: When my mom died I would cry in bed at night because I missed her.

Zanzibar Day

Zanzibar Day, January 12th, was a school holiday for us.  This was the perfect chance to go on one last outing with Paul.  We hopped in a van with Julia, Jenna, and Ivy to ride to Uru.  There we were introduced to our guides and hiked to a waterfall.  The landscape was beautiful.

From there we went to the coffee plantation of our guide's mother.  We learned how to process coffee.  They prepared a national dish of mtori (similar to potato soup, but made from bananas).

We joined the Chaga tribe in their dances.

Afterwards, we ate lunch at Mt. Kilimanjaro View Lodge. 

 As we parted company we were serenaded by a traditional tribal goodbye song.

Haircuts aren't easy to get here so I've been thinking about growing out my hair and donating it.  Originally I was going to wait until June, but then I decided to do it now so Paul could take it back and send it in.  So...with a roommate that is quite a stylist, I left my hair in her hands.  Now it's 9 inches lighter and a record length for me.

Kwaheri 2010

My last memories of 2010  are sweet.  On New Years Eve, a triathalon and biathalon were held for the children in our village, followed by a picnic. 

The older children (ages 5-7) competed in a triathalon (scooters, running, and skipping). 

 

The children (ages 3-4) competed in a biathalon (tricycles and running). 

 And the winners were...

The games were followed by lounging on Maasai shukas and enjoying a picnic of hotdogs, banana chips, and carrot sticks.

The festivities ended with cups of jello, a new treat for Tanzanians.  They thought they could drink it and continued to ask if it would melt.

Habari ya safari?

On January 4th the Nickels family, Paul, and I departed our village bound for three days of safari.  We went to Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara.  The staff at our lodge were local Maasai in full shukas. The experience left me speechless as we experienced God's creation in unbelievable ways.  The second day I woke up and was led to Genesis 1.  Throughout the next two days these verses were a soundtrack in my mind.  Can you imagine what it must have been like in the beginning?  Now...stop and soak up God's creation as I have been doing since I arrived in this beautiful country.