Getting Mentally Ready To Move Onto The Next Stage...

Today was a little rough for me... this morning I said goodbye to Natalie and Florian. I can't express how grateful I am that they have been here for the past five weeks - they have been like family to me. Evenings here at LJS simply won't be the same without them. I wish them both the best of luck. As I was saying goodbye to Natalie, we talked about how it is just that we are moving onto the next stage. I think that is truly an appropriate explanation of what is going on right now.
I feel like I am in an awkward transition right now - I have two weeks left in this place that has completely stolen my heart but I also have people back in the States who I am excited to see and talk to again. Tomorrow we head off to Zanzibar until Thursday night. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about the trip. I am excited to see what Zanzibar will be like but at the same time, this would be the last week that most of the teachers will be here.
Life seems to be in limbo... I am trapped between two worlds right now. The world in which I must live to finish my education so I am able to come back here and the world in which I want to spend the rest of my life. Right now I can't imagine what things will be like back home. I think it will take me a few days to realize that I have left Tanzania and that I won't be back for a little while. I have found my motivation and my reason for doing what I want to do. I have found my love and my passion again.
Peace.


Some people without whom this amazing experience wouldn't have been the same or even be possible:

Bariki.

Moreto.

Sylvester. Possibly the best resource I have consistently used here to practice my Swahili.

Anna.

Kidege. Always smiling and loves to say "My Mungu!"

Natalie and Florian.

Ancy.

Agnus.

Jimmy (and Catuk - the Indian couple's baby).

Luka Ramadani - PH's right hand man. Church builder, evangelist, driver, husband, father, family man, etc.

Me, Natalie, and Anna.

Florian - always one to make me laugh.

Natalie and I at the Orphanage. I felt like I could talk to Natalie about nearly everything... we bonded fairly quickly and saying goodbye to her was the most difficult thing I've had to do on this trip so far.

Time is Dwindling...

As I woke up today I realized that in two weeks from today I will be en route back home. It honestly scares me to think about leaving here. People are starting to leave LJS… the long course students left about two weeks ago, Anne left last week, Natalie and Flo leave tomorrow, and Anna leaves to travel for Christmas break on this coming Friday. It is starting to feel like a lonely place and with so many people leaving, it is a reminder that we too will leave soon.
I’ve noticed that I am in a different place than the boys are concerning going back home. As the time gets closer, I don’t want to leave. I feel at home here and I feel like for once my mindset and way of living fits in with the people around me. I feel more at ease here than I ever have anywhere else. At times I feel guilty that I have ‘deserted’ the people in El Salvador, but they will always have a piece of my heart and they will always be in my prayers and in my mind.
I was talking to Bariki last night about how we have to leave soon – it has been a fairly common topic of conversation with people around here lately. Bariki started by asking me where I want to live if I don’t live in the States, I told him that I would like to live here. Then he asked if I’d want to live here for only a few years or for my whole life… I said for my whole life. We got to talking about why I like Tanzania – which I should add, is a very difficult question to answer. I explained that I feel more at home here than I do in the states because there is such a strong sense of community here and such a focus on relationships with other people. I tried to explain that in the States I don’t exactly fit in with the mentality of most people since I am a ‘hippie.’ I said how I love that people know that there might be problems but they push through them whereas in the States so often, people create problems for themselves.
I am so very appreciative of this trip because it allowed me to find my heart and the motivation I so very much needed to continue my studies and continue to work for the things that I am passionate about.
I suppose what scares me about going back to the States is that I am afraid of leaving the people here and loosing touch with these people who have helped me to grow. I am frightened that I might forget some of the things I’ve experienced here and I will get lost in the hustle and bustle of life in America. However, I am most afraid that for one reason or another I will not be able to return here and that honestly is the worst part about having to leave.
I have fallen in love with so many aspects of this place. I love the way that, despite the fact that I am clearly a foreigner, people will just talk to me and be patient with my language skills almost no matter where I am. I love how it looks when people here hold my hand. I love the idea that community is so important here. I love how people will give you all that they have – the hospitality and selflessness shown here is truly amazing. I love how people genuinely welcome us into their hearts and homes. I love how people don’t seem to create or dwell on complications in their lives as much as many people do in the States. I love the bright colors that seem to paint the country and its people. I love that I have made so many new friends here who have helped shape who I am and who I will be. I can say without the slightest doubt in my mind that I have fallen in love. I will never be the same again.
Peace.

Return to Maguha

Fundraising auction.

Some of my choir girls.

PH preaching to the choir.

Mchungaji Dunia

Wednesday we went back to a village that we had been to much earlier in the trip and whose choir we had seen at a village or two recently. It was the Massai village atop a hill. It was a village I had fallen in love with before. It was the first village where someone pointed out that I was the only girl sitting, eating, and talking with the men. It was the village where one little girl flipped her eyelid inside out and made funny faces at us, reminding us that people are people no matter where in the world you are. It was Maguha.
Our most recent village simply solidified my love for this country. When we got out of the car, we greeted people as usual – but I got a pleasant surprise when several of the girls remembered my name and greeted me by saying ‘habari Sara.’ I knew at that moment that this was going to be a good day. The village was having a fundraiser to put in windows and floor so they had invited all sorts of elders from neighboring villages. We went in to have tea and some rice flour maandazi-type minicakes. Then we went out on a walk with some of the pastors and evangelists that had come to the village as well. When we got back from our short walk, it was just about time for church. We made our way into the church. As the service went on – which was long and hot, like all the others – I was reenergized when I heard little voices next to me calling out my name. I turned and some of the girls in the choir had been calling my name. From that point on I was almost inseparable from the choir. For the remainder of the service we made faces at one another back and forth across the aisle. When the service and auction (the church raised 2 million shillings for their projects) was done I went over by them and they had several pictures taken with me. They did the usual take/look at pictures and videos, touch the skin on my arms and feel my hair and time flew by. Before I knew it, Pastor Duniani came over and asked me if I was going to leave here today and told me that it was time for lunch (at about 5:30pm). After dinner/lunch I went back over by the girls and we were right where we had left off. Soon enough PH came over to tell me that we were going. The girls asked him if I could stay there until tomorrow. My heart absolutely melted. When I got into the car we waved goodbye frantically at one another and as we pulled away, they started to chase after the car. The choir will be at the KKKT (Lutheran Church in Tanzania) year-end seminar in two weeks. As we drove away, I started to think about how the day had an impact on me.
Today the last little bit of my heart fell in love with this country. It is so extremely difficult to explain what life is like here, but I will try so please bear with me. Life is simple. It revolves around relationships with other people rather than accumulating material possessions. It can be difficult at times but you are surrounded by people who understand your struggles and with whom you have the strong relationships that are able to be support through everything. Generally, life is communal – people live for and with one another. People will give you whatever little they may have. Hospitality isn’t just a kind thing to do, it is expected. People seem to trust you until you prove them wrong. Spirituality is huge and encompasses all aspects of life – whether it is formal religion or more loosely held faiths. People here live the message of the Gospels – love your neighbors above all else. People are patient with foreign speakers and will take the time to explain things in a different way/speak at slow pace just to be sure you understand them. People are welcoming and encouraging. Time isn’t something you race against, it is just there. Material possessions exist to help you survive – not to show some status. People always seem happy to spend time with one another.
Like I said, it is quite hard to express in words what life is like here because at times, it is so very different than life in the States. But I have most definitely fallen in love. For me, this hasn’t just been three months studying in a new, neat place. This has been three months of my life that I will never forget and that have motivated me to return some day soon. My heart is here with these people now and will probably always be. After this, I will never be quite the same and for that I am eternally grateful.
Peace.

Some Videos To Enjoy.

The first video is of the Massai warriors at today's village dancing and singing for us.
The second is a video that Steve took of the killing of a cobra outside of the dinning hall here at LJS.
Peace.

Some Sights.

Downtown morogoro... it is kind of a sprawling city. This is the heart of downtown - it is looking towards the daladala station.

From the last orphanage visit... she was such a cutie.

Tim with one of the crazy boys.

I just fall in love every time.

Natalie and another kid - we usually end up being human jungle gyms.

On the swing with Gifti.

Pretty sure this kid peed on me but cute nonetheless.

Kidege and Gifti (she was adorable and attached to him quite quickly).

On the swings... this kid had the cutest smile with huge dimples but I couldn't catch it on film.

Each and every sunset here is beautiful and different... as Barry (a new student from Australia says, 'it's just lovely.')

Luka's beautiful tiles.

My Travel companions monkeying around.

Florian with one of the kids.

Kidege pushing some kids on the swingset - they were almost all calling him Baba (dad/father)

Natalie and I hanging out with some kids at the orphanage.

Massai wire jewelry - usually women wear this wrapped around their arms or ankles.

A Weekend To Remember.

Friday we canceled our afternoon Swahili class and Tim and I went with Kidege, Natalie, Flo, and Omega to the Catholic orphanage. Once again I have no words that will describe the experience except to say that the images will stay with me for a lifetime. (Pictures will come soon.)
Right after Tim and I got back, it was time to go to Luka’s house for supper. First, Luka’s house is beautiful – tile floor, blue and white walls, a chicken coop he just built that day, etc. We got to see the kids again and this time we were able to meet Rehema (Solomon’s oldest daughter who goes to a boarding school in the Kilimanjaro region). You could tell that Eme had been working for quite some time because we got a Thanksgiving-style feast. There was meat, fancy rice, small fish, sauce, cooked pumpkin leaves, jack fruit, pineapple, and mangos (and possibly more that I have since forgotten). As we were getting ready to leave Luka gave out a general invite for all of us to come back anytime. Then, as I was saying goodbye to everyone, Eme shyly said “Sara, karibu tena” (Sara, you are welcome to come again). It warmed my heart – each time we see Eme I can tell that, even though we can’t talk most of the time, that we’d get along quite well. Our feast was just that and it was a beautiful night in the company of new family here in Tanzania.
Then Saturday we lost power for most of the day/night. So Natalie, Flo, Anna, and I had a night hanging out by candle light, playing/listening to guitar and just talking. Several other people rotated in and out of our circle (Anne, Steve, and Bariki). It was a good time – we just spent the night as newfound friends and enjoyed each other’s company. I think that a big part of the beauty was that we didn’t need power to enjoy ourselves. So often in ‘developed’ nations we rely on electricity so much that we don’t know what to do with ourselves when it goes out and even though we are all from America or Europe (with the exception of Bariki), we had no problems finding something to do. I guess that is just one of the many ways that Tanzanian culture is wearing off on us – we place a greater value on human relationships than the ability to use electricity to separate ourselves and create barriers to relationships.
We went back to Mabugeri on Sunday (where there had been the violence against the Massai. This visit was much different from our last visit – you can tell that things have settled down quite a bit - on our drive into the village we saw Massai walking around and in town. When we got to the church, we had tea and maandazi (half cake). Then we hung around for awhile and waited for church to start. Church went along as usual and after church we went outside to shake hands. While we were doing this, one woman stayed inside and started to cry out hysterically. After the pastors gave their sending blessing, they headed back inside to see what was going on. Slowly we followed. When we got inside we saw a woman sitting on the ground crying out and almost convulsing. The pastors and evangelists began to pray over her – they shouted things like, “In the name of Jesus, leave her!” “Come Out!” and “By the blood of Jesus leave!” It took quite some time. A few minutes into this whole ordeal, Steve and I noticed the kids that were in the church were being shooed away from this woman, so we decided to keep the busy in the back. While we were playing with the kids, two mamas (probably about my age) came over and started to talk to me. They asked where I was staying, if I am studying, and welcomed me to visit again. Then they started to ask if Steve and I are husband and wife, I quickly told them no and they explained that I was by myself and there were three boys so they didn’t know. After the woman stopped, we went for lunch and then headed back outside to say goodbye and leave. Once we got into the car we asked PH what he though of what happened. He told us that he wasn’t sure if it was possession or if it was post-partum hysteria, since she done this before and had threatened to kill her child once.
Looking back on the day it is amazing to reflect on the hospitality we are shown anyplace we go. On our last visit, we brought them food to help them out and this time we were each given a plate of 5 or 6 maandazi, tea, and water before church and then each given soda, water, rice, beans, and meat/sauce for lunch. They are still in the process of recovering from everything that has happened but we are told that the school has reopened and half of the stolen cattle have been returned. But it amazes me how much people are always willing to give – even when they may not have much. So many times we have tendencies to keep the best things for ourselves and to keep to ourselves. That is hardly the case here – people will greet you and give you what they have to offer.
I have come to notice one difference between here and El Salvador that I think has drawn my heart even closer to this place … here I have never once felt unwanted. In El Salvador I haven’t really felt like this either but many times we get looks as we drive that are kind of saying ‘what are you doing here?’ But here no mater where we have gone people will come greet us, wave and/or chase the car as we drive past, or just send a genuine smile our way. It is a dichotomy at times – to feel like a complete alien but to also feel welcome and wanted. I love this place and, like I told Anne today as she left LJS for her home for the next 4 years, I will be back here someday, somehow. There is a beauty here that seems to find its way into your heart and it becomes a part of you that you simply cannot deny.
Peace.

The Powers We Deny.

While we are here, we are all taking two observation/journaling classes – one about religion in Tanzania and the other looking at Contemporary Tanzanian culture. Last week Peter and I were talking about some of the challenges that these classes pose. The biggest challenge for us is that in Tanzania, the culture reflects a lot of the religious beliefs
(both past and present). Many times it is extremely difficult to differentiate between what is secular and what falls into the religious sphere. Since the country still is split about equally between Christianity, Islam, and traditional religions, it makes for a type of culture that encompasses and is tolerant of a variety of people and practices. Many of the busses and daladalas have some type of religious slogans written across them. It is interesting since in the US, while religion is important, it is separated from the rest of the nation’s (and many individuals’) lives.
One aspect of Tanzania that we’ve recently talked a lot about with Mchungaji is black magic. It is something that I think all four of us have some skepticism towards. However, at the same time, it is difficult to say that is flat out doesn’t exist, when someone you respect and know is deeply aware of the culture tells you that they believe these things exist. PH told us about stories of possession and curses. One he has told is about a Christian missionary family that lived in a very heavily Muslim area. One day some Muslim elders from the village came up to the mother and father and asked them, “What is your medicine?” They replied with, “Oh, if we are sick we get some medicine from the local store.” The elders didn’t like that answer, so they asked the question again. The Christians replied saying, “Well if we are really sick, we go to the local dispensary and get a shot.” The elders became furious. They asked what the family does each night and what time they go to bed. The family explained that each night they pray, sing, and then they shut off the lights around 8 or 9 since hey have small children. The elders told them that for the past few nights they had been trying to go and put an end to the missionary family but every time that they went, no matter what time of night, the light was on and there was singing coming from the inside. The elders told the missionaries that clearly they are protected by something powerful and they would be left alone from now on.
Another story we’ve heard is about Dr. Nyka – the woman who started Faraja Trust – and how she has woken up in the morning with little cuts all over her chest (a classic sign that you have been cursed and black magic has come to visit you in the night).
Finally we’ve heard about several spirit possessions. They are always women and when they are possessed, have raspy men’s voice that come out of them. I asked why women and why they are possessed by male demons. Mchungaji told me that it is because often times women turn to black magic to heal various (usually menstrual) ailments and when they do so, they are then kept in the hold of black magic by a possession. One story that PH had told us was of a woman who had gone to try and use black magic to heal something that was ailing her. She was supposed to bring a white sheet, a white chicken, and the hand of a child (meaning she had killed the child). She was at church one day while PH and Luka were there and Luka went outside with her for a little while. They talked and she explained that she had done the first two but was quite frightened to do the final task and she wanted out but she had drank a bottle of water with the ink of some verses and is now stuck. Luka (being the genius that he is) told her that drinking the blood of Jesus will save her and free her from the hold of the black magic. She agreed and went in the church to take communion and from then on she has been fine.
Even after hearing all these stories, I am not completely certain what to believe. Black magic traditionally goes along with Islam and Christians don’t really have a problem with it. But there are some things you hear that are just too odd to be a fictional story. And since I have been thinking about it for some time I have come to realize that if we accept the existence of a powerful, invisible being that interacts in our lives how can we also just blindly deny the existence of an evil invisible being?
Peace.

A Few Things To Keep In Mind With The Upcoming Holiday.

It is almost time for a glutton’s favorite holiday in the States – Thanksgiving. Over the past few years I have become rather disillusioned with the basis of this holiday. What exactly is it that we are celebrating? Our ‘successful’ encounter with the Native Americans (which left about 75% of their population dead from war and foreign disease)? Our birth of our free nation (I’m pretty sure that holiday falls in July)? Or do we celebrate the harvest (while millions are unable to feed themselves and their families)? And why do we find the need to overindulge on this day when every single day there are millions of people who do not have that luxury?
As much as I hate to post a blog like this, it needs to be said and a lot of people need to hear it.
So as I sit here in Tanzania, constantly reminded of the need to live simply and of the importance of the people who we share the earth with, I’d like to share a few things that I hope you will keep in mind as you celebrate Thanksgiving this year. I encourage you all to take the time to really read all of this post in its entirety.
(The following facts and quotes were found at changingthepresent.org - a website that is aimed at changing the tradition of giving material gifts and moving towards giving donations to various organizations.)


“When I gave food to the poor, they called me a saint. When I asked why the poor have nothing to eat, they called me a communist.” – Dom Helder Camara

- In Sub-Saharan Africa, 200 million people go hungry every day.
- 250 million people have died of hunger-related causes in the last 25 years – roughly 10 million each year.
- 1 in 5 people in the world go to bed hungry each night.
- 30 million Americans – 13 million of them children – live in households that cannot afford an adequate balanced diet.
- Each day, 19,000 people die of hunger and hunger-related diseases. That is 13 people every minute of every hour of every day.
- The amount of grain produced in the world today could provide each person on the planet with the equivalent of two loaves of bread per day.
- The average American family throws away 14% of its food.
- 3.4 million people die each year because they lack access to safe drinking water.
- 1/6th of the world’s population does not have access to safe drinking water.
- A child dies every 15 seconds from water-related diseases.
- The average person in the developing world uses less than 3 gallons of water each day for drinking, washing, and cooking. This is the same amount used to flush a toilet in the developed world.
- It would cost an estimated $16 billion more each year to halve the number of people without access to safe water and sanitation. Americans spent $15 billion on bottled water last year alone.
- Women and children in rural Africa walk an average of 5 miles a day for water.
- 20,000 people die every day because they are too poor to stay alive.
- More than 1 billion people around the world live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1 a day.

“I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask: ‘Mother, what was war?” – Eve Mirriam
“Peace is not a dream; it is hard work, and there is nothing naïve, glamorous or simplistic about it.” – Dr. Oscar Arias, Nobel Laureate in Peace
“There will be no future without forgiveness. Any process of peace is bound to collapse if this is missing. There is no way to peace and stability can come through the gun of vengeance.” – Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu
“Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act on it.” – Pablo Casals

- War has killed 2 million children in the last 20 years.
- 90% of modern war casualties are civilians – mostly women and children.
- In the last 5600 years there have been only 292 years of peace.
- There are 92 known cases of nuclear bombs lost at sea.
- Every 30 seconds, an African child dies of malaria.
- Every year, more than 10 million children die before their 5th birthday from completely preventable diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia.
- Every day, 8000 people died from AIDS-related conditions.
- As many as 300,000 children currently serve in government forces or armed rebel groups. Some are as young as 8 years old.
- 1 in 4 victims of female genital mutilation will die as a result of the procedure.
- One woman dies in childbirth every minute in developing countries.
- 1 in 16 African women will die as a consequence of pregnancy.

You can help, if you look for ways to get involved you will find that they are staring you in the face. You don’t need to travel to another country; there are plenty of opportunities in all corners of the US.
Peace.

Prison Week

Let's see, this past week we (well Peter and I) went to a total of 3 different prisons – the first was for the meeting on Tuesday, the second was a guard’s wedding on Saturday, and the third was a confirmation/baptism service at the youth prison. All of them were amazing in their own way. As hot and long as the day ended up being, Sunday would have to be my favorite. There were seven choirs – one Massai, one from a nearby all-girls high school, one Anglican, and the other 4 were local choirs of adults. It was great and each choir definitely had their own style of music and sound. Then of the two kids baptized, one was Waswahili and the other Massai. Finally, there were six people confirmed – one Massai boy, two prisoners, and three Waswahili. After the service there was an auction and then everyone was fed – which was a miracle in itself since the church was packed and then there were people sitting outside of the church as well.
I suppose, in retrospect, I loved this service because it showed some of the best of Tanzania – that people of different backgrounds are able to come together peacefully for a joyous celebration. I love that about being here – it is (mostly) a peaceful coexistence of different peoples. I think so often we get caught up in the little things that make us different from one another and we so easily forget that we are connected to one another and we are all human beings who deserve the same type of respect and compassion.

As the time begins to draw near for us to head back home to the States, I wonder how life will be different and I wonder how I will cope with it. I know that deep in my heart I will long to return to this place and reunite with the people who have been here with me through this experience. As I continue to talk to Godfrey through email (since he is studying at university now) we end almost each email with I will see you again. I will never forget the day I told him what I wanted to do in the future (work abroad in either the NGO sphere or in the religious sphere), he seemed to perk up and he told me that one day we might meet again if I return here. In our last email exchange (which was largely in Kiswahili, which makes me proud of my Kiswahili skills) I told him that I have fallen in love with Tanzania and I have decided that I would definitely like to work here, his response was ‘nasema karibu sanaaaaaaaaaaa’ (I say you are very welcome [to come back here]). In a weird way it gives me hope that I will one day return here. I don’t much want to come back to ‘save the poor Tanzanians’ I want to walk beside them and be here to support the people here. I guess it is all summed up in one of my favorite quotes…
"If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound to my liberation, then lest us move forward." - Indigenous leader
I think it sums up my experiences here – we are all bound to one another and we cannot go into another culture to simply make them like us, if we go we need to walk alongside them and let them lead through their culture while standing beside them and supporting our fellow human beings.
Peace.

Goats in church for offering again - it never gets old.

Preaching at the church door so the people outside can hear too.
- note the UNHCR tarp outside.

The six, diverse confirmands.

Choir at the wedding.

My travel companions climbing around.

The church at the youth prison all decorated for the celebration.

Praying with the couple before the wedding.

You Get Out What You Put In.

Today started with us waiting for Mchungaji and Luka to return from Dar – they were picking up two of the pastors from the airport since they had visited Denmark. While we were waiting I ran into Sylvester, probably my favorite worker here at LJS. Him and I always talk and he is a great resource for practicing Swahili since he knows English so well but he always will try to make me talk only in Swahili (one thing that is especially nice since most people here at the campus tend to talk more in English). We were talking about the day and at somehow I managed to make it through the conversation in mostly Swahili (I broke into English once but caught myself and went back and translated it). At the end of our conversation Sylvester told me (in Swahili, of course), “now you are speaking beautifully. It is difficult to start, but now you are speaking like a Tanzanian.” Talk about a huge compliment!
Today we visited Konseli, another Massai village. Tim was unable to go today since he has Malaria (pole sana, Tim – so sorry), so it was just Peter, Steve, and I. It was nothing less than a beautiful day. When we got out of the car at the village people were singing and we were once again greeted once we stepped foot outside of the car. As we were greeting people, we were surprised to find that one of the young men, Michael, in the village spoke amazing English – possibly better than many of the teachers. We were quickly ushered into the church for tea (amazing, as usual) and maandazi (again, I love this stuff). As we waited for church to start, we talked with Michael some more and then some little boys came up and sat by me and started to feel my skin and hold my hands – it was so cute. After tea, some of the choirs started to come in and we moved to different seats. The service started and proceeded as usual – baptisms and all. One nice difference was that I was able to follow a lot more of the service than ever before. Like with every other service, it ended with the congregation going outside and shaking hands.
After we all shook hands and had the sending blessing, there was a healing service (like there usually is) and Steve and Peter went inside while I stayed out and talked to Michael. Another man came up to greet me and he told me that I was welcome to come back anytime and he pointed in the direction of where he stays and where there are places to stay in the village. He also told me that every Sunday they have service and that I should come back. I continued to talk to Michael about schooling and English. He said that many people, Massai in particular, have a difficult time obtaining education. For him, English is the language of the educated. He told me that many Massai weren’t able to start schooling until several years after the Waswahili people – much like many minority groups. He explained that he would have loved to go to university but he just didn’t have the money (1,000,000 shillings) and if he ever gets sufficient funds, he will try to go. He also told me that many Tanzanians would like to go to the US but it is so difficult to get a visa – they are able to get passports, but visas applications are so frequently turned down. He explained to me that he would love to go to the US just to see it and open up his mind (sounds a lot like the reason many Americans study abroad). Soon enough I wandered into the church for lunch (rice, beans, goat, pepsi, and water). After lunch we walked outside and hung around playing with the kids while PH, Pastor Paulo (one of the pastors who went to Denmark), and Pastor Malaki (the area’s pastor) talked with some of the men. At one point, two little girls came over to me and the older girl told me that she had brought over another little girl whose name was also Sara. When it came time to leave, Luka honked the horn and we had to break away from the kids. A couple of kids grabbed my hand and walked me to the car. As we walked, they told me not to leave – my heart just melted.
We drove out to one of the congregation members’ new house (very beautiful by the way!) and while we had some milk (Massai live by their livestock so milk and goat meat are food staples) Pastor Paulo joked around with me. Before I know it, all of the men were joking around with me that they had arranged my marriage and got a herd of cattle. This became the running joke for the rest of the day.
Finally, on to the lesson/realization of the day – you get out of things what you put into them. Today I went into the day with no expectations and with a confidence in my Swahili skills and I ended up having one of the best days yet – I didn’t want to leave the village today. A few nights ago my mom had told me that I might have found the place of my calling – part of this trip for me was to help me decide what part of the world I wanted to try to work in. When she told me this I felt like if I agreed with her, I would be abandoning the people that I love so much in El Salvador, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I am just drawn to Tanzania. I love living in community with others and the sense of people’s existence relying on one another and that is exactly how so many people here live. Then when I went into today with that thought in mind I could almost feel myself letting down a wall that I had put up that prevented me from fully falling in love with this place – I found myself trying to speak Swahili more, with less fear of making a mistake, and I let people into my heart. Being here has taught me that clichés become clichés since they are true for the most part. If you put good energy into something you will get good, positive things in return. I can truly say now that I am falling in love with this place and these people.
We leave in a month and I am already dreading having to leave this place. I can only hope and pray that I will be able to return here one day in the (near?) future.

Peace. (and photos :) )

Holding hands.

Smile!

Loving the cameras, as usual.

The first kids we've seen in the blue fabric... after asking both Moreto and Kidege, the color of a Massai woman's cloth is mearly a fashion choice.

This guy is deaf and despite getting him into two schools for the deaf, he kept running away from the first in Dar and couldn't learn in the second.

Through the looking glass.... or door.

The local choir... one of three choirs today.

Mchungaji Malaki .... this guy seems to be everywhere we go!

The boy on the left is Malaki's son... last week he swallowed a nail. He also responded to Luka's question of, "Who are you?" with "I am a child of father and mother."

The kid in the middle with the big smile just kept smiling at us like this pretty much the whole time we were there.

Mchungaji Paulo - one of the two Pastors who went to Denmark... this guy has so much energy.