T.I.A

I am currently sitting in a really run down internet cafe in the closest town to where i'm living in Tanzania called Mbagala. It's saturday afternoon and the streets are bustling with people and plenty of dala dalas - aka vans/buses. It feels about 100 degrees in here and i'm surrounded by other desperate white people - aka muzungus - trying to contact home. I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM IN AFRICA! it is so unreal. i've only been here for five days but it already feels like home.  So much about this land is new and unfamiliar yet it feels a lot like I have come home. The culture, the landscape, the climate and the people remind me a lot of the Caribbean. I feel out of place as a white person but I find that to be strangely comforting since that was my experience growing up. The only difference is that they yell “Muzungu! Muzungu!” when they see us. Not surprisingly, the people are incredibly sacrificial and welcoming.  We were greeted with handshakes, hugs and plenty of “karibu’s” (karibu=welcome). Culturally, it is far more laid back and easy going than what we are used to in the west and I must say that I prefer the simplicity of life here. We are very blessed to have electricity and running, drinkable water where we are staying. Outdoor squatties and bucket showers at night under an open sky have been an exciting adjustment! 

We are finding our way as a team and hoping that the surrounding villages will soon become used to our startling presence. There are over 20 of us altogether! So far, our days have been fairly open, giving us the opportunity to adjust and settle in. We are still waiting on our work permits to be approved so that we can work in the Temeke hospital and that can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months! In the meantime we will be using different opportunities to give health care teachings in schools and villages. Just today we went out in small groups to pray and some valuable connections were made with a school close by as one of our staff was able to speak with the headmaster and explain to him what we do. 

I’ve been picking up plenty of Swahili over the last few days but I’m eager to know more. Not many people speak English and it looks like language will be our greatest barrier in integrating. It’s such a beautiful language and quite simple so I’m confident that I’ll be speaking fluently by the end of 6 months. That is at least my goal!

Missing everyone and feeling a million miles away. It's strange how when you leave, life continues on without you.