'5000' degrees in Kazovu!

December 12th, 2013

The year is coming to a close! It really does not feel like December to me because it is 5000 degrees in Kazovu, Tanzania. Never in my life have I sweat in the winter months. New experiences every day! Many days I have had to go to swim in the lake just to escape the heat, but don’t forget sunscreen!!! Every time I get sunburn I have to explain why my skin reacts so badly to the sun. This is such a foreign concept for those who never have to worry about sunburn.

I am writing you today from the spot under the mango tree where we can connect to the internet. The weather is actually cooler today because we had rain this morning. I am thankful for that. But, still wearing a t-shirt and feeling comfortable. I am thinking about those at home who cannot leave their homes without their coats and snow boots.

Form 1 and Form 3 students have 9 exams to take this week! WOW! And I had to type all of them! Two weeks ago my headmaster brought to me a stack of white papers with exams written on them. 18 exams all multiple pages long and they needed to be typed, formatted and sent to Mzee (Steve Vinton) the next day. Hokay! Thanks for the short notice! So I spent over 16 hours in front of the computer typing. It was quite exhausting but since I am the fastest person to type, it was the only way to finish the task. The only exams I had trouble writing were the Kiswahili exams written by Mwalimu Kibona. As much as I am learning the language, I am not fluent, so trying to type in a language I don’t know can prove to have its challenges. Kibona had to edit my work to make sure I typed actual words.

The Thanksgiving holiday was absolutely unforgettable here. I did not expect to have such an amazing celebration of an American holiday in Africa. I woke up in the morning feeling sad because it was the first Thanksgiving I spent away from my family. But, I knew that if I spent the whole day thinking about home, I would have a terrible day. Instead, I decided to find a way to celebrate African style. My Pre-Forms love surprises, so instead of giving them exercises I told them we were going to celebrate. I sent the girls out to collect firewood and pots for cooking, and the boys out to buy flour for ugali, fish and tomatoes. When they returned with the supplies we made a big fire and cooked the largest pot of ugali I had ever seen. Seriously, this pot was 3 feet in diameter and it was full! We all sat around the pot and ate our fill, just like I’m sure you all did on that day. Definitely missed the turkey, but couldn’t complain because I was stuffed! Then, we all went down to the lake together to swim. I raced some students who said they were faster than me… I was definitely faster! But, we had a blast. The students enjoy standing on my shoulders as I go under the water and then go flying through the air as I push off from the ground. We also like to play tag in the water and let me tell you, it’s a work out! We laughed and sang songs as we walked back to school. One of the students and I traded shoes and so he walked in shoes that were way too big for him and I walked in shoes way too small for me. As I went through this day, all I could think was, “Wow, God you are so faithful and giving.” It was impossible to not give thanks to God on that day. What a wonderful day of celebration with the most amazing group of students I could have ever asked for. Even though they can drive me crazy sometimes, I love them with all my heart and I know that God loves them too.

I have already told my parents this but, a few weeks ago I was given a gift by the students. I was walking to school to play Go-go (the game with the sand and the Fanta bottle) with the girls and some students called me over to them. They had the most adorable little puppy in their hands. They said, “Miss Emi, come and see, a dog!” Of course I went over to see! When I picked him up they told me he was mine. Huh? You’re giving me a puppy?!? I thought they were kidding at first but they told me it was a gift. So, I have a dog! His name is Mixon. Now Kazovu is really starting to feel like home. I have a pet. He is a little troublesome and definitely an African dog, but he is adorable. The only issue is that I really do live in a ‘barn’. The number of chickens in our home has increased. We now have, not exaggerating, 40 chickens roaming around and living in our house. And now there is a dog and we also have a cat. The chickens are there so we can eat them, the cat is there so he can eat the rats, and the dog is there to chase all of them! Yesterday, I found Mixon in the room where the chickens sleep and he had two little chicken feet hanging out of his mouth… oh, Mixon… What have you done!?! Madaam is going to be so mad! Turns out the baby chicken had died from something else and so Mixon didn’t actually kill it. Phew! But, it’s still really gross.

My Pre-Forms have been troublesome lately, mostly because they are children and it happens! They take all the energy I have every day! I think they are also ready to have a break, just like me. To be completely honest, I am becoming tired. Like most of the other teachers we are looking forward to the approaching holiday break. It is a constant prayer in my head for strength. Strength to pour as much as I can into these kids because I know some of them will not return to Kazovu Secondary School in January. This is for many reasons, but mostly because they don’t live in this village and came to learn English from an American. I have been told by the VST leaders this is very common. I can’t imagine this school without them, but I know that God has a bigger plan and maybe going to another school is the best thing for them. I have to trust God.

One quick story about a particular day in Pre-Form; I split the class into 4 groups and they were required to answer the questions given to each group written on a piece of paper (the school had no chalk that day - improvising!). As they were finishing I allowed them to go outside for break. I stayed inside and was helping a student finish correcting his paper and then all of a sudden a dead rat plops on the desk. One of my students thought it would be hilarious to bring it to me and see what I would do. Now, I have become immune to rats so they don’t bother me. What bothered me was it began bleeding on the desk and most of all my student thought it was okay to bring it into class while I was teaching… yeah, not okay. At the time, I was angry about the situation but now looking back on it, it is really hilarious!

I have enjoyed getting to know the new teachers here. Especially Anne! She is wonderful and we have become good friends. Her English is not super good, but then again neither is my Swahili. I speak slowly with her and she speaks slowly with me. It works out. Yesterday I taught her and Kibona how to say the tongue twisters, “Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore” and “How much wood a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.” Let’s just say it was hilarious!!!! Now I will hear Anne practicing as she is walking here and there. So funny.

The mangoes are now gone and that makes me sad. I was basically living off of them for a few weeks. We were all eating about 10 every day! Sweetest fruit I have ever tasted in my life. Now they are gone, and I’m sad, but I think my body is happier now that I’m not eating so much fruit…

My journey will begin on the 18th of December to return to Madisi. Janelle has told me the updated information of traveling. Due to exams and the finishing of Pre-Form the day has been moved from the 14th to the 18th. Most likely I will travel with Chriss to Kirando and then to Sumbawanga. There I will meet with Godfrey (VST director) and the other American teachers and take a car back to Madisi. A car is much faster and easier than a bus, so I am thankful for that.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers!

P.S I received yesterday some letters from America. I looked at the postmark date and some of them were from October. The envelopes are no longer white (covered in dirt), so you know they tried hard to get here. Even though they are from 2 months ago I was so thankful to receive them! Thank you so very much to those of you who write!

I love you all,

Emily, or Miss Emi, or Miss Emilianna (you choose!)

In Awe of Jesus

November 20, 2013

Family and Friends,

Here in Kazovu, a remote village in Rukwa Tanzania, heath care is non-existent. It is very difficult for anyone to receive care for any type of sickness. There is a Duka la Dawa (shop of medicine) in the village that can provide basic medications but at high costs. So, most people who become ill never have the opportunity to receive care. Because of this, death is frequent among the young and old of Kazovu. At least once a week, we attend a funeral of someone who has passed or hear the cries of their loved ones while in our homes at the school. Even those who are able to make the journey to Kirando and go to the doctors, sometimes are not able to overcome the effects of malaria, typhoid and other dangerous diseases.

I will never forget the faces of the family that walked past us one day. A father was carrying his 8-year old son on his back. His son had died at the hospital in Kirando. How can I possibly bear to see this? It broke my heart and that image will forever be in my mind. But recently something happened that hit a little bit closer to home and I must share it with you because of its significance to me and also the amazing power of God that was poured out.

My friend Baraka became extremely ill about two weeks ago. It started out slow but then became a very serious issue. One day we were playing cards under the mango tree and everything was fine when he suddenly stopped playing and looked down at his lap and didn’t look up. I kept saying, “Baraka, Baraka, are you okay?” He slowly looked up at me and said nothing. But his eyes said everything. He was in need of help. When we arrived at his home, he collapsed on his bed.

The next few days he felt fine in the mornings but then at about 4:30pm every afternoon he would have the same symptoms; chills, then a high fever and he could not speak in full sentences (most certainly symptoms of malaria). One night, Jonathan, Kibona and I were all in Baraka’s room trying to help him take medicine. We had to lift him up and hold him there and attempt to get him to drink the medication. It was such a sad and scary moment, this full grown man we have to feed like a child. He would every so often make eye contact with me, and though he could say nothing I knew he was saying, “Help me please.” I immediately started to pray on my knees and asked God to bring a miracle to him.

After a while Jonathan began asking me questions about certain passages in the Bible. We ended up studying together for over an hour next to Baraka and I could feel the presence of God in that room.  I continued to pray over Baraka. The way Baraka had been breathing was short little gasps of air, like it was difficult for him to get oxygen. While I prayed over him the Spirit of God regulated his breathing. Even if he was still sick, for the rest of the night Baraka rested peacefully. How incredible is GOD?! He is powerful to help those who call upon His name.

The next day we convinced Baraka to make the journey to Kirando in order to receive more care. He stayed there for four days and returned happy and healthy. God rescued him. No doubt about that.

The last few weeks have been problematic in regards to sickness for Kazovu Secondary School’s staff.  I was sick for a day (only a stomachache and some minor cold symptoms), a new teacher named Annie was sick once. It is true that the environment we live in is tough. In such a hot place with malaria mosquitoes everywhere it does not surprise me that sickness is common, but it is very frustrating. When the teachers are sick, the students don’t learn. Today for example, the only teachers who are not sick are me, Annie and Jonathan. The other four are at home sick. I pray every day that sickness would leave this place.

Now enough about sickness…

The rains have started!!! As of yesterday we have had extremely powerful rainstorms daily. Last night it was so loud it woke me up! I am thankful for the rain though, it makes the temperature here much less intense. I even wore a jacket yesterday! I know, crazy for November right? I am amazed every time I look at my calendar and remember that it is almost December. It really does not feel like it. How can it be November 20th and I get a sun burn at the same time? Definitely feels like the longest summer ever.

The students took a trip to Kipili this past weekend. They went by boat (about a 3 hour journey) in order to play football (soccer) with the students of that school. Because of the severity of the waves when it was time for them to return they ended up sleeping in Kipili and returning the next afternoon. While they were gone I enjoyed very much having some time to myself. Baraka and Annie were here too but I spent a lot of time alone to pray, think and just relax. It was much needed. In a place where being alone is seen as a negative thing, I was happy to have just a little.

The girls taught me a game yesterday at school. It involves a Fanta soda bottle, sand and a ball (made out of plastic bags). In the middle is an empty bottle surrounded by a pile of sand. Two people from one team stand in the middle and dodge the ball that is being thrown at them from the opposing team. If they get hit, they are out. If the other team allows the ball to pass behind them then the two players in the middle try and fill the bottle with sand as fast as they can. If it becomes full, then they empty it and start again. Whoever has the most filled bottles at the end of the game wins. I played with them and had an absolute blast! Getting some much needed exercise and also getting super dirty and laughing harder than I have in a long time. We had so much fun. We will probably play again today unless it rains this afternoon.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by some of the tough things here. But I still find so much joy and happiness in Jesus. Every day He reveals more of himself to me and I am able to experience His presence and peace.

A message that was particularly encouraging to me was the sermon by AJ Swoboda. He spoke at LifeCenter Church in Spokane two summers ago and I have it on my iPod. Last night I was listening to it and found that I connected with it in so many ways. If you would like to listen to it, it is on LifeCenter’s website. It is called “Deliverance from the Jail cell.” Now I am definitely not saying that I feel like I’m in jail, far from it. But the message does ask the question, “Who are you strapped to?”

God has definitely strapped me to Kazovu Secondary School and all the people in it. The message talks about hope and how hope is not found in our situations but in the fact that the tomb is still empty. There is so much power and truth in that statement. God has given us His Spirit as a helper in whatever situation or circumstance we find ourselves in, whether it is in a rural village in Africa, or in our homes or workplaces. God is faithful to those who are willing to crawl on the lap of Christ and say, “Abba, Father.”

After listening to this message I found great joy in ‘rocking out’ to the song “Beautiful One” by By the Tree. I experienced so much joy in the Lord as I worshipped Him and replayed the song over and over again.

I am so in awe of Jesus and His grace, peace, power, faithfulness and love. He knows me more than anyone and knows more about what I am going through than anyone else. I am so thankful to have Him as my helper in times of struggle and in times of peace.

As the holiday season approaches I feel many things. I am so sad to not be with family during this time of thankfulness and celebration. I can just imagine the food, fun and games that will be shared in the traditions of the holidays. But, I am also happy because I know that God has placed me exactly where He planned and that I am being used for a higher purpose.

So this Thanksgiving I am thankful for Kazovu. I am thankful for the students here that I have come to love and care for so much. I am thankful for the friendships that I have made. I am thankful for good health. I am thankful for ugali (for as much as I really can’t stand it, it keeps me strong and well fed). I am thankful for my home and a bed to sleep on. I am thankful for my family and friends for without them I would not be here. I am thankful to know that people are praying. But most of all, I am thankful for Jesus Christ. I am thankful that no matter what happens He will remain the same today, tomorrow and forever.

Love,

Emily

A Mango A Day Keeps Malaria Away

Greetings Friends and Family! I hope this message finds you all happy and well. I am writing to you at almost my 1 month mark here at Kazovu and close to 2 months total here in Tanzania.

The past two and a half weeks have gone well. I continue to have new experiences and learn more and more about the world around me.

In order to help myself remember what happens on a daily basis, I make sure to write down a word or phrase on my calendar every day that reminds me of what happened. So from that list I will try and keep you all informed on what has been going on. But it is difficult to write about everything because so much is happening all the time! The school’s computer that I use is almost always out of battery and because our electricity is not working we are unable to charge it.

Also, in order to connect to the internet the modem must have money on it, and many times it does not. This requires going to the village in order to buy a voucher. I will try and send a message every two weeks if possible, but then again you never know.

I continue to teach Pre-Form every day and I am starting to understand more about how the teaching system works. I teach in the mornings from 8ish to about 10:30am. Then tea and then back to teach again from 11-12:30ish. The times are not set in stone whatsoever. But that is close to what happens most days. The other teachers are supposed to come and teach as well but because there are now only 5 teachers here including me, it makes it difficult for other teachers to spend time in Pre-Form. I totally understand and I really enjoy teaching Pre-Form so it is no trouble to me.

There are now 19 students in Pre-Form, it continues to grow! We still would like to see more students come to school. From the list we received from Mzee (Steve Vinton), our school is still very low in numbers, but not as low as some others. Madisi has close to 80 Pre-Forms, others have similar. These schools make ours look depressing. But compared to the other schools in the Rukwa region, we are doing pretty well. Sichowe has 12, Ninga has 7, and others have zero. It is very sad to hear these numbers, but also each one is a celebration. If only one student comes, then that is one child saved.  All Glory to God.

Jovinus left on Sunday the 6th. The next few days were spent teaching during the day and then swimming in the lake during the evening with many of the girl students. On the 7th I went with Markrina (The head girl at Kazovu, who also is at the house all the time helping us cook) and also with Suzi. She is in the room now and wanted to say hello.  So, “Hello!” from Suzi. Both of them are in Form 3. We swam and they sang songs. Then they had me sing some songs for them. We bonded over the Justin Bieber song “Baby” and I thought it was hilarious they knew the words. Lots of laughter! The next evening I was planning on just going to the lake by myself to swim for exercise and wash my hair but as I was passing the school some girls shouted, “Madame! Are you going to swim?” I said, “Yes! Will you come with me?” So that night I helped teach Leticia, Salome, Janemale and Rehema to swim. We had so much fun and the girls loved it. I showed them the butterfly stroke and it was so hilarious to watch them try to do it. Even more hilarious to watch the other small children in the water a little ways down shore trying to do it too!

On the 9th Winfrida left Kazovu. I did not know she was leaving and did not know why. Apparently she was sick so she was going to the doctors in Kirando. We thought that she was going to be gone for a couple days. She didn’t return for two weeks! She just came back on the 22nd. I am not sure what she was doing that whole time because she was not that sick I’m pretty sure. People disappear a lot here I have heard. Most of the teachers who have taught here in previous will one day say, “I am going to Kirando to buy some things.” And then they never come back. Later they will call Chris and say, “I am not coming back to Kazovu.” This leaves the school one more teacher short. The school only has five teachers. Baraka is teaching Biology, Chemistry and Physics for Forms 1, 2 and 3! It is impossible to do so! Winfrida only teaches one subject for Form 1. As you can see the balance is a little askew. Godfrey (Director of VST) said that in December when we meet in Madisi he will ask us what our schools need. I already know the answer to that question. This school needs teachers!

Friday the 11th was a happy day. When I came into the house for tea after teaching in the morning I stumbled upon 4 of the girls dancing to very loud music in the main room of my house. They were at first embarrassed, but then I started to join in! I think I am a better African dancer than American! The girls were very impressed. We danced for a while and then I went back to school. Came back after and we did the same thing again and hid from the male teachers when they would walk by. It was a day of laughter and joy that’s for sure!

Now Saturday the 12th… this was definitely a day for the books. Lately I have been going to church with Baraka on Saturdays. He is SDA. I have enjoyed going, even though I don’t understand much. The church is very small and very few people attend. But it has been nice spending church time with them. On this Saturday I did not go to church in the morning. I was so tired in the morning so I stayed home. During that time I listened to a sermon on my iPod, read my Bible and the book, The Circle Maker. When Baraka returned from church I asked him what they studied in church. I in turn told him what I was studying. He then said something that made my heart stop… “Emi, do you know what you will do? You will preach at evening service.” I quickly said, “Oh, ummm… why? I am not a preacher. What will I say? I don’t speak Swahili!” He assured me, “Don’t worry Miss Emi, you will do just fine. I will translate for you.” So I preached. Dad, are you proud? I don’t think that preaching skills are genetic, definitely did not do super well, but it was truth. I talked about what I was reading in The Circle Maker. The book was talking about the miracle of meat given to the Israelites when they were in the dessert. I started to think of other miracles from the Bible that were just crazy out there. Like Jericho, Peter walking on water, The Resurrection etc. I talked about those and how God is the God of the impossible (that was my title).  Look at what God did for these people because they had a little faith. What can he do through us?

After finishing my talk I sat down. I was relieved it was over, but happy I did it! The people sang songs and then Baraka leans over to me and says, “Ok, so now you can go back and talk again.”… what?... Ummmm, what am I supposed to talk about I just said everything I had prepared? I prayed that God would give me something else to talk about, and quick! He led me to talk about divisions in the church. So I preached about how Christians get so caught up in what denomination people are a part of, oh, you are Baptist… uhhh. Oh, you are Lutheran.. Oh, you are SDA? Why do we make war against each other? The devil is so creative in attacking the church in this way. I looked at the people and said, “I am American, I don’t speak your language, and I come from a Baptist church. But you are all my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I love you.” This message went well and it made my heart soar when I saw people coming into the church as I was talking. They sat down on the benches and started to listen. People who don’t come to church normally! Even children! God was working in that moment, through my fear of preaching to glorify Him.

On that night, Chris brought a Disco to school. This was to celebrate the end of Form 2 National Exams. There were huge speakers that we setup in one of the classrooms and then the music began to play. Most of it was Swahili music, but that is okay because I really like it! I watched as the students danced their hearts out. I was amazed at how well some of the girls could move their hips and wondered how the boys could do some of the dance moves they were doing. It wasn’t long before the girls came over to me and pulled me into the middle of the dance floor. We danced for hours! Reminded me so much of a dance we would have in America. Just a bunch of people having fun! But African style! We didn’t stop until midnight! Safe to say I was exhausted, but so unbelievable happy.

Chris went to Sumbawanga to turn in the exams and so it was just me in the house. Teacher Jonathon and Teacher Kibona were both in Kirando (they always go there on the weekends because their wives and children live there) so Baraka was alone in the other house. The next few days we spent together talking, cooking, playing cards, going to the village and swimming. On Sunday Baraka bought us sugar cane to eat. When we arrived at home I studied him as he ate it because it is a very interesting process. You have to use your teeth to tear the outer layer off and then bite off pieces, chew it and suck out the juice and then spit it out. Yeah, I struggled with all parts of the process. I don’t know how his teeth can bite through that first layer! I tried, but it was a sad attempt. I wanted to use a knife but he said, “No! I am training you to be an African girl. Use your teeth.” HA! I succeeded but it took me a long time. Once I had finished 3 sections, he had finished 8.

On Monday we did not have school so we went swimming. Baraka is afraid of water, deathly afraid. But, I convinced him to get in. Granted, he only came in up to his waist and then ran away but it was good. It was such a hot day so I enjoyed being in the water. Enjoyed it too much actually because we stayed at the beach for 3 hours, in the middle of the day, and we live in the center of the sun… SUNBURN! I started to notice it was getting bad before we left, uh oh. I come out of my room after changing and the faces of Baraka and Markrina dropped. “Oh Emi, what happened?” I said, “The sun hates me.” Now, I have had worse sunburn in my life. This one was really not THAT bad, but they have no idea what sunburn is. Baraka felt my face and said, “Oh no, your head is so hot.” I told them not to worry too much, that it will be fine in a couple of days. They were extremely worried. They asked me if there was anything they could do to fix it and I said that all I needed was time. They didn’t like that answer so they cooked porridge for me, convinced that it would make me better. It didn’t of course but I was touched by the thought.

On Tuesday, Jonathan and Kibona returned and so all four of us played cards. We had so much fun! I don’t know if everyone reading this has seen the YouTube videos of goats making sounds like humans, but I swear those goats are here in Kazovu. Every day we hear goats yelling like people! Baraka says, “Is that a human being?!?” HA! So because of the humor in this we said that every time you win a game of cards you have to cough like a goat. We now do this all the time to greet each other. “Kibona! COUGH…” Even the students have started to pick up on it.

That night (15th) the Pre-Form students had a football (soccer) match against Form 1. My students are so very small compared to the others so Baraka played with them to make the teams a little more even. It was so fun to watch them play. The game ended in a tie. I was distracted though because as the sun was going down I was drawn to the lake. The most unbelievable sunset I have ever seen. This place is really good for that. I just sat down in the middle of a path going to the lake and just stared at the beauty of the colors; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink. The most skilled painter or photographer could not capture the full beauty of that night, or any night here for that matter. I lost track of time and soon I hear Baraka calling my name, he thought I had gotten lost or eaten or something. No, no, no. I explained to him how much I love watching the sun go down and so he sat with me and watched for a while.

If you haven’t guessed already, Baraka is like my best friend! We have become so close that now we feel as if we are brother and sister. He can tell when something is wrong with me and I can tell when something is not right with him. I appreciate his company so much and thank God for the blessing he is to me. We laugh a lot and share the same feelings for ugali, which are not good. The days that we were cooking for ourselves you can be sure that we ate anything besides ugali and beans! I taught him the phrase, I am sick of _______. So now Baraka says to me, “Emi today I cannot eat beans, why? Because I am sick of beans!”

The week of the 14th-18th there was no school. I still do not really know why but I woke up every morning ready to teach and day after day someone would tell me that the students will not study today. It was frustrating to not know what was going on, but that happens a lot so I’m getting used to it. I’m not going to lie, having the week off was nice because I could rest but I am also starting to feel the pressure of getting through the Pre-Form course. We are currently just beginning Book 3. My goal is to get through Book 8. But there are only 6 weeks remaining. I know that God is in control, and I have to remind myself of that daily.

One of my frustrations has been my inability to understand Swahili. I can communicate very little with people. I can do short sentences and communicate well enough to buy food, get things I need, ask basic questions but without more knowledge my relationships with people just aren’t there. I was very frustrated by this, and I still am somewhat. God called me here to teach yes, but also to become friends with these people! Get to know them. Live with them. Develop strong relationships with them. Because through the relationships is where Jesus can be shared! It hurts me when my students try to tell me something and I do not understand what they mean. I have started to pray so hard that God would do some amazing work and help me with this language. I don’t know if I will ever be fluent in Swahili but in my time of greatest frustration I was encouraged by a note, a note that was left on the table for me by Markrina. I found it on Friday the 18th. It said,“Nakupenda we we Emi.” Which means, “I love you Emi.” Wow. My relationship with her has been mostly non-verbal and she writes this.  This helped me to remember that sharing Jesus does not only mean communicating it verbally, but living it.

This week (21-25) we have had school every day but Thursday. The whole school went to the funeral of the founder of Kazovu School. I now fully understand and have witnessed what it means when people wail, women falling to the ground, screaming and crying, mourning the loss of this man. The students and teachers stayed outside for most of the time. The teachers were invited into the home of the village leaders. We shook hands with them and communicated our apologies for their loss. I did not think that they thought much of me since I did not say much due to lack of understanding in the language but later Chris told me that they loved me. They were so impressed to see me coming into their home and attending the funeral of this man. Again, God telling me it is okay to not be fluent in Swahili, at least not for now.

Tonight I will be making American food again because yesterday we ate ugali and beans. Both Baraka and I said afterwards, I am sick of this! So I promised him that I would cook tonight. I will go to swim later today. Chris wants another lesson!

All is going well here and I continue to grow and learn. Harder things come and go but God is still the same today, tomorrow and forever. I am happy that His Presence is always with me, even when I don’t notice.

Kazovu Secondary School

October 8, 2013

This message is coming to you from my new home in Kazovu, Tanzania. As I said in my previous email, I was placed at Kazovu Secondary School. I started my journey by bus on September 24th and arrived at 10am on the morning of the 27th. I have now been here for almost two weeks and so I am writing to let you all know what has been going on here so far. This message is extremely long, sorry! But so much has happened since arriving.

The journey was supposed to begin early on the morning of the 24th. So Alex, Lindsey and I were awake and ready to go at 7am. It turned out that the bus wasn’t going to leave Mafinga until 1pm. So we really didn’t need to leave Madisi until 11am. We ended up just enjoying the company of one another for the few hours in the morning, praying for each other as we left training and finalizing packing. Janelle told us that we could leave some of our stuff at her house so we would hopefully only have to take one bag on the bus (which we learned from the bus ride from Dar that having multiple bags on a Tanzanian bus is absolute chaos!).

Our first bus was from Mafinga to Mbeya. It was about a 6 hour ride, not bad. The bus was packed with people and we had our backpacks and pillows smashed on our laps. We arrived in Mbeya that night. As Americans unfamiliar with the country and unable to understand the language well, we would have been very lost without our good friend Jovinus (Jo-vi-noose). He is the guy that does building construction for the schools and also installs electricity. So basically he is like the handy-man of the organization. He himself graduated Form 4 from Madisi Secondary and is now 22 (like me!) working hard to make money in order to go to University. Jovinus traveled with us and helped us navigate the bus system, and find a hotel in Mbeya. We were also happy with his choice of hotel because to our surprise there was an actual shower! The water runs from the nozzle to the floor… foreign concept to us now since bucket showers have become our best friends. And the water was also HOT! Lindsey came back from the shower and said, “That was the best early birthday present ever!” Her birthday was September 29th.

After enjoying some local food we went to sleep and continued our journey the next day to Sumbawanga. This bus ride was 9 hours long, some of it on paved roads, other parts on bumpy dirt roads. I sat next to Jovinus that day and this is when we started to become good friends. Arriving in Sumbawanga we exited the very hot and muggy bus and met the directors of VST, Godfrey and Immanueli. It was so good to finally meet them. They are fabulous people with amazing hearts for God and for the children of Africa. We took our stuff to a guesthouse to spend the night. Had a wonderful conversation with Godfrey and Immanueli about VST and their backgrounds in the organization. They gave us some very good advice for our new schools too (since they had just visited each of them) and encouraged us in going.

That night was our last night together as new friends (Alex, Lindsey and I). Even though we were given separate rooms, we stayed together in one room, watched some Big Bang Theory of Alex’s computer, and enjoyed laughing, talking and praying together. We were so sad to have to part ways but also were encouraged because each of us has an amazing opportunity ahead of us to reach Africa for Christ through education in three separate places in the Rukwa region. I feel like I have known these girls for years and I am happy to have spent the first few weeks sharing experiences together. But the time to part ways had come and it was time to walk hand in hand with God into the unknown.

Jovinus and I took a bus at 9am the next morning (26th). I now fully understand the extent of the heat in western Tanzania. PHEW! The bus took many stops, for reasons both Jovinus and I were both unaware. When we stopped along the way, the wind was no longer blowing meaning that it was blazing hot. The bus ride was about 8 hours long. Once we arrived in Kilando we ran to the lake hoping to catch the boat leaving at 4pm. There was a young boy running at full speed with our stuff on his cart, Jovinus and I not far behind. Unfortunately, we did not make it in time. The boat to Kazovu had already left. We walked back through town and came upon a small guesthouse where we spent the night. It was here that I taught Jovinus the game 5 crowns. And I’m sure my Dad and Carl will be happy to know that he beat me… twice! We stayed up late because we got caught up in conversation. He told me all about his childhood and how he came to study at Madisi; did not expect a person with such a kind heart to have once been so negative. God has really turned his life around.

To my surprise I was awakened by Jovinus saying, “Emi, Emi, are you sleeping? We must go now to the boat.” I thought the boat was not coming until later so I was not prepared. I hurried and threw some clothes on and packed my stuff and we began the walk back to the lake. We loaded our stuff into a boat that turned out to be the wrong one so we unloaded all the stuff and put it into another boat. We talked with some local people hanging out on the beach and several of them followed us onto the boat as we left. The boat was a decent size and how you ride in it is by sitting on the edges. That was exciting! For me it was fun, but not for Jovinus. He does not know how to swim so he is terrified of water. Even though I assured him I was a very good swimmer and I would let the laptop sink in order to save him, he was still afraid.

It was the moment I looked up from the boat and onto the water, mountains and villages that I realized I live in the most beautiful place on earth; white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and green hills and mountains. Absolutely amazing!

Many students and small children swimming in the water were there to greet us as we arrived. They are not used to seeing many white people in their village so soon the number of children went from 10 to 30 to 40… just staring. This happens when I am just walking through the village too. They don’t want anything from me just want to watch me. Teacher Jonathan says, “Oh look, you have so many friends!” Ha! The school and teacher houses are very close to the beach so we didn’t walk very far to arrive. Met the Headmaster, Chris, and his wife Winfrida (everyone calls her Madaam). I am living with them in their house during my stay here in Tanzania. The only other female teacher is the Winfrida, so there isn’t a female teacher only house. I am now their adopted daughter and live in my own room in their home.

The house is a one-level cement and brick building with four rooms, one main room, one room for kitchen things, a bathing area and a toilet room. The roof is metal, which is awesome, but the individual rooms do not have ceilings. So when I look up from my bed I see the wooden framework of the metal roof. This provides for nice airflow when the wind blows but also allows God’s precious creatures to enter the house at any time of day or night; noting too out of the ordinary for Africa. I have my mosquito net set up which is really nice because the first couple of nights I did not and I woke up with a dozen bites on my hands and arms. Now it is okay! It also provides me with some comfort knowing that I have my little walls of protection when I sleep so the sounds of small animals will not keep me awake. One thing I will have to get used to is the alarmingly loud roosters and chickens that live in the room next to me. No idea why these animals have a special room in the main house all to themselves but I don’t ask questions. They just walk in and out of the house as they please and it’s totally normal. The problem comes at 3:30am every morning when the roosters wake up… COCK A DOODLE DOO!!!! They do this for at least 30 minutes and then again at 5:30am. Needless to say my sleep from 3:30-5:30 is not so fantastic. It is getting easier to tune them out once they start but it is still an adjustment. But on the plus side, I never need an alarm clock!

The morning of the second day after arriving Chris sent me on a trip to a neighboring village with a couple of older girl students from the school, Markrita and Elena. We went to the village of Isabba, which is about a 50 minute walk south of Kazovu. This village is the home of Markrita and Elena. We went in order to talk with the Chief officer of the village and inform him of my arrival in hopes that he would spread the word that an American was in Kazovu to teach English. We ended up going to get fresh fish from the fisherman at the lake first. There the girls make me hold lots of fish and crabs, both dead and alive. Slimy! After paying for out meal we went to prepare the food. Scaled and gutted my first fish! Scaling it was no problem it was the gutting that was disgusting. The girls found my disgust to be rather amusing. As we waiting for the Chief we enjoyed some tea and andazi (African donuts basically). When the Chief arrived, I informed him of my purpose in Tanzania and in particular the village of Kazovu. He was very happy to hear of the news. But, he said the best way to convince the people to send their children to school would be to come back the next day and speak to the majority at their village meeting. So that is what I did. I walked back to Isabba the next morning with Chris and we spent time with the people there relaxing and eating food until 2pm when the meeting began.

The meeting was held under the largest mango tree in the village. Everyone gathered around seeking shad from the tree. They sat on the ground or on bricks while the leaders of the village sat in chairs at the front. What I noticed was that there were different sections for different people. There was a row to the side of all elderly people, men and women. Then there was a large section of young men and boys to another side. And all of the women and children sat on the ground behind the chairs for the village leaders. So almost always the words from the speakers were directed away from them. When it was my turn to speak Chris invited me to the center. I made sure that my words were not only directed at the men, but also the women as well. I spoke some in Swahili and some in English. Chris translated for me. We tried to convince the people that education is very important and that their children need to be in school. Which is a very difficult concept for these people because education in not valued here at all, especially for girls. I noticed there were dozens of young girls, most likely under the age of 16 already nursing and caring for their babies. Breaks my heart to see that their lives have already been decided for them and most likely they will never go to school. God was working on hearts of some of the people though. We had two boys stand up and say they wanted to come to school and fifteen adults! They told us they wanted to know English so that when their children come home from school they could communicate with them in English.

After the meeting I started to play with the young children of the Isabba. All 60 of them at once! Was a little overwhelming but I taught them numbers by drawing them in the sand and having them repeat. Also we played a game in which they could learn the parts of the body in a very fun way. We were all laughing and having a great time. The Mamas were even joining in too!

Once we were all exhausted from doing games I walked with Markrita to her house. But most people didn’t leave the gathering place and I really felt like I needed to go back. I think that the Lord was pulling me to spend more time with the villagers. So I went back and they had begun to sing and dance to music. Everything was choreographed and rehearsed! I asked Chris and he said this happens every Sunday as a way to relax and enjoy life, and enjoy we did! It brought all of us so much joy and laughter, especially when the old grandmas got up to dance. Definitely an African celebration!

The next couple of days were spent in the village of Kazovu going house to house asking children if they wanted to come to school and trying to convince their parents to let them come. Ten more students signed up! I was very happy. Many of those ten were girls too, which made me even happier. I started teaching Pre-Form last Wednesday. The schedule for teaching here is very obscure and relaxed. I asked many different teachers what the process was and all of them said, “Oh you just teach two or three periods per day and then the other teachers will come.” Huh? I knew there would be times when I didn’t know what was going on… this would be one of them. I just decided that I would go in the morning and teach until I was at a good stopping point. I taught from 7:30-10:30am and then again from 12:00-1:00pm. I finished almost all of what was planned for Day 1, which was good. Baraka, another teacher (yes the other teachers call him Obama), is a wonderful person and is quickly becoming my closest friend here. He is a very good teacher and extremely passionate about his work and the success of his students. He is going to be helping me teach Pre-Form but because there are only seven teachers total here, he has needed to teach Form 2 and 3. So for the first week I was teaching most periods per day in Pre-Form, which was fine by me because that is exactly what I expected to be doing.

I was nervous for the first day but it is becoming easier. Every day the number of students increases. Right now I only have 15, but I started with 5. They work very hard and are doing well even after just one week. I love them! Of course they are still children and goof off sometimes but I run a decently tight ship in my classroom, which is needed and expected here so it’s going well. The students here are used to structure so I need to keep that going or I will lose control of my classroom. 15 students are easy to manage but I am praying so hard that more students will come and make it almost unmanageable because that means more students are in school. Please continue to pray for that alongside me.

The nights are spent talking and spending time with friends; Chris, Winfrida, Baraka, Jovinus and some of the students that come over to help us cook. We talk, laugh and play games together. I taught them UNO and go fish. They love those games! And when it is late we all get a little goofy so it’s just an all-around fun time.

I have been practicing cooking over a wood fire and it is really fun. I like it very much! Winfrida has been showing me how to cook some things and I have even taught her how to make some things. Like spaghetti! I made American food a few nights ago and it was so good. One can only eat ugali so many nights in a row before going crazy. I made a tomato sauce that was very tasty and put it over noodles. Tonight we had chicken, for the first time. I knew we were going to eat meat because Chris said so earlier today, but I forgot that they butcher their own meat here. I was sitting out back with the women cooking and some boys came and put a chicken with tied feet right in my lap. They totally expected me to kill it for them. I have not been in Africa long enough to be ready for that! I gladly declined and so Winfrida took it and prepared it for dinner. Maybe in a few months I will have the guts to do something like that.

The other day I prepared roasted peanuts. They were originally intended for Jovinus because he bought them, but when they were done cooking he was nowhere to be found. So Winfrida and I decided to partake in the eating until he came. She set out the bamboo mat in the middle of the floor and we laid down on it and ate peanuts. I enjoyed this time so very much for many reasons. It was the first time I felt like I blended in. I felt as if I was a part of the culture and for once I was not just an American, but an African woman in training. I felt so comfortable just lying there on the floor eating peanuts with Winfrida. Her English is limited but we still have a very special connection and I am so happy to have her as a friend.

I have also been doing a lot of swimming! Once people found out that I loved to swim they were very excited. Chris and Winfrida do not know how to swim and so they asked me to teach them. So on separate occasions I went with them to the lake and gave them their first lesson. I used an empty jug as a kickboard in order to help them learn to kick. Both of them struggled a lot with that concept but were so determined to succeed. There was definitely a ton of laughter and joy during those times! They will need more practice for sure though. The other times I go swimming I go with students or I go alone. There is a large section of beach a short walk south of the school that never has any people. It is completely peaceful and I have enjoyed going there on many occasions, mostly evenings when the sun is setting. It is the one place that I can go to be alone and enjoy the peaceful noises of the waves coming onto the shore. I usually go to wash my hair and my clothes. I cannot describe in words the beauty of the sunsets. I sit in the water and gaze over to the vague outlines of the mountains of Congo as the sun sets behind them and paints the sky deep shades of pink, orange and blue and it reflects beautifully on the water. In the distance the silhouettes of fisherman in their boats are the only things on the water. I thank God for moments like these and his beautiful creation. I don’t think I will ever get tired of it.

Jovinus left on Sunday :(. Sad but also happy because he completed the work he came here to do which was to install electricity. All of us were sad to see him go. We walked him to the boat in the morning and waved as he sailed away. (He made Baraka go with him because he was still afraid of water...). Electricity is both a blessing and a curse because at night all of the cockroaches come in herds to the light in our home. It is really annoying. We have turned it into a game of sorts, how creative can we get smashing the irritating things. But it is no problem. It is only for a short time that we have big problems with bugs. I am thankful for that.

God has been revealing more and more of himself to me as time goes on here. He has overwhelmed me with a sense of peace. He has blessed me with strong forming friendships with the people, he shows me his glory through creation and the beautiful artwork he has crafter, and he reveals his power and authority through the storms. There is no doubt that Kazovu is one of the hottest places on earth, but God can take even the hottest places and cool them with rain.

My fourth night here we were hit with the biggest rain and thunderstorm I have ever experienced. Our roof is metal so when we tried to speak to each other, it was no use because we couldn’t possibly hear each other over the sound of the crashing rain and cracking thunder. I was overwhelmed by the Presence of God’s ultimate power. It was almost as if God was saying, “Hey Emily, I’m bigger. I’m bigger than the heat. I’m bigger than your worries and uncertainties. I’m bigger than you.” And yes He sure is.

One of my devotions a few days ago said…

“Relax in my everlasting arms. Your weakness is an opportunity to grow strong in awareness of My Almighty Presence. When your energy fails you, do not look inward and lament the lack you find there. Look to Me and My sufficiency; rejoice in My radiant riches that are abundantly available to help you. Go gently through this day, leaning on Me and enjoying my Presence. Thank Me for your neediness, which is building trust-bonds between us. If you look back on your journey thus far, you can see that days of extreme weakness have been some of your most precious times. Memories of these days are richly interwoven with golden strands of My intimate Presence.”

Days and moments are not always fantastic and easy. But one thing I can know for sure is that even in my darkest times I have the most powerful and loving ray of sunshine lighting my path and holding my hand and heart.

Greetings from Tanzania!

September 23, 2013

 

We arrived in Dar and stayed at the KB hotel that first night and then left the next morning for Mafinga. Edgar (head master of Madisi School) was just absolutely amazing helping us to find our bus at the bus stop. I have never seen so many people, cars, buses and luggage in my life. We have all decided that we would still be standing there at the bus stop if Edgar was not there to help us find the right one and verify that our luggage made it on. The bus ride was long but we were entertained by Tanzanian "soap operas" basically playing on the TV. Alex (another missionary teacher from the U.S.) and I found them to be very entertaining. Once we arrived in Mafinga 9 hours later we went to get our luggage out of the back of the bus and the bus almost drove off with my big green bag. That would have been interesting but Edgar made sure the bus driver did not leave until we found it. (it helps that he can communicate well with the people). We stayed the night in Mafinga at a little hotel and then went to the market the next day to practice bartering. I did pretty well. Edgar said that for a Mzungu (white person) I was given very good prices.

Left that afternoon for Madisi, about an hour and half drive through some of the most beautiful country and mountains I have ever seen. There is no way to describe how beautiful it was. So green and lush contrasted with the orange color of the roads and homes along the way.

We arrived and met Janelle. She has been a missionary here for 4 years and has been our trainer. She is a wonderful person. Every morning we have been meeting at her house and have a quiet time at her home, then we go to another building near the school to do our training. Training consisted of bible study, case studies, situations, culture, VSI(Village Schools International) expectations and history, language learning and learning how to teach Pre-Form English. There is just the four of us. Alex, Lindsey, me and Janelle.

The first night we met our host students! I have been spending the last two weeks with my new friend Zilpa. She is 14 and in Form 1 at Madisi Secondary School. We went to the market first thing to buy some food and then walked to her house in a village on the opposite hill from Madisi. The village is called Fyogo. About one and half miles to school and the same on the way back. Definitely got my exercise these past two weeks going up and down the ginormous hills! Now I have Tanzanian muscles! Her home was very basic and her family is one of the wealthiest students that attends Madisi. I was so blessed to have such an amazing host family. The mama and baba (mom and dad) were unbelievably hospitable, but then again that is the culture here. According to them I am now family. The language barrier was very difficult at first before the relationships were formed. But after spending two weeks in their home, learning to cook ugali, beans, rice, chipati, chai and others in their kitchen, helping with chores and eating food with them... we are now very close friends. 80% of communication is non-verbal and this was put into practice these past two weeks. I also was immersed in the culture so my Swahili has improved very much since I arrived two weeks ago.

I went to church with my family on Saturdays. They are a SDA (Seventh Day Adventist) family. Hearing them sing to Jesus with just their voices... never have I heard such a beautiful sound to the Lord. Sharing in the common bond of Christ helped me to relate with the people. I was able to have great conversations with many people who came to the house to talk with me. Being able to talk about my faith with them was incredible.

A couple of funny stories...
So the hills here are very steep... needless to say I have slipped and fallen on my bum several times while attempting to go down. It has been pretty hilarious..Zilpa is always entertained, and so am I.

While walking to school today we passed many primary students quickly running in the opposite direction to their school (This happened most days). As we passed one girl I noticed that she had something in her arm that resembled a football. As we got closer to her I realized that...NOPE... she was running with a bucket in one hand, and a live chicken in the other, carrying it like a football. The biggest smile on her face as she was running, too. So cute!

There are many other stories but I am very tired right now and needing to get some things done before leaving in the morning. It is almost midnight here and we are leaving tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. for Mbeya (our first stop on the way to our new villages). I still have some packing to do. I cannot wait for this next step. But, I am also sad to leave Madisi. As soon as I start to feel comfortable here and make friends... God says it's time to go. I see it as an amazing challenge of faith. All three new missionary teachers are going to the Rukwa region of Tanzania. This area is where the VST schools have the lowest enrollment total and lowest percentages of girls enrolled. The goal of the organization is to enroll as many girls as possible in the schools. So that is why we are going to these schools... to enroll girls in school. The more girls in school, the less girls that will be married and having children at very young ages. Not only are we teachers, we are being sent to the villages to go out and bring kids to school.

Drum roll please.... I am going to Kazovu! This is the school farthest away from any other school. It is right on Lake Tanginika. Apparently, it is right on the beach with crystal clear waters. It is only accessible by boat as well. The school has less than 100 students total enrolled. I pray that this year there will be so many more, and that girls will come. I pray that God will use me to reach out to these people. I pray most of all that God's love will be shown. My journey to get there will be long... but worth it. It is so nice to know where I am going. I have already begun to pray for the school by name. I already love the people, the students and this country.

Alex will be at Ninga and Lindsey will be at Sichowe (both in Rukwa region).

I miss you all very deeply, but you are all in my prayers. I don't know how the internet connection will be when I arrive in my village. Due to computer problems (i have a mac not a pc which is apparently is fine, but makes things a little more complicated). Things will work out fine but might take a little while to get things up and running.

Know that I am well, happy and falling more in love with Jesus every single day. God is opening my eyes to new things every moment. There have already been times of excitement, joy, frustration, sadness, uncertainty and many more... but God's glory was shown through all of them. The assurance of His Presence with me has been undeniable. Our Lord is strong, and is always with us. His Spirit is alive and active... take time to experience His love, it is all around you.

Safari Njema. (Safe travels). For both me and for you, wherever the Lord may take you whether it be near or far.

Much love,
Emily (or as the Tanzanians call me, Emi)   :)

p.s. I have a new address for my Rukwa village. Don't worry, the letters sent to the one in Mafinga will still get to me. But for future reference if people could send letters to this new one, it would probably be faster:

Emily Harpel
c/o Village Schools Tanzania
Box 143
Sumbawanga, Tanzania

The time has come!

Hello everyone!

I cannot believe that the time has come for me to leave. This summer has gone by so quickly! Working as a firefighter for the Department of Natural Resources for two months, a quick week at home in Yakima visiting family and packing and now I fly out of Spokane in less than 48 hours.

I would like to take the time to thank those who came on Wednesday night to pray for me. I still cannot believe how many people came to send me off. I am so very blessed to have so many people supporting me financially and most importantly in prayer. Thank you thank you thank you!

This week has been a whirlwind! Trying to make sense of my packing list and gathering things together, making sure everything is squared away for me here in the states before I go, and seriously pondering what it means when they say... pack a years worth of everything... uhhhh what!?! And it all has to fit in a 50lb suitcase. I have never even thought about how much shampoo I use in a month, let alone a year! So to help with that I cut my hair really short, which is a big transition for me since I have had long hair since I could remember. The piles of clothes and toiletries laying on my bedroom floor stare at me all day long and it is somewhat overwhelming how much there still is to do. But then I remember, that all of this "stuff" is not the point of this journey. It doesn't matter how many skirts I have, or t-shirts, or bottles of shampoo, or silly little electronics because I know that when I arrive, I will be disgusted at how much I have in comparison to how little they have. The more I have, the bigger the space I am creating between me and the people I am trying to reach with the love of Jesus. I know that bottles of shampoo and laundry detergent will run out, and that's okay. I will learn how to do it the Tanzanian way.

The enemy tries to use materialistic things to distract me and take away from the ministry I will do. Good thing I have Jesus to fight for me. I have put on the full armor of God and I am ready. Ready for whatever He will have me do or whatever situation He will put me in this coming year. I think that the enemy is scared. Scared that people will see Jesus work and move in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones.

Saying goodbyes... Now this is a tough one. I am not one to get homesick very often. Usually I adjust quickly to new situations well and am quick to make friends. I pray that this happens again. But this time, I will not have the same access to communication with my loved ones like I have in the past. To be honest, I am a little nervous about that. I love my family and friends so much and know that at times it will be hard for me to be away. But, I also know that I am called to be family and friends to the Tanzanian people in my village. As much as I will miss the people I love here in the US the people in the village need me more. And not me on my own, but me with the good news of Jesus. If you feel so led to send me a letter, I would be so blessed by that. Let me know how you all are doing and I will do my best to get back to you. Snail mail is suuuuper slow! But I will try!

Emily Harpel

c/o Village Schools International

Box 183

Mafinga, Tanzania

or email me! emily.harpel@villageschools.org

Just so you all know, here are my travel plans for the next couple of days.

Friday - Travel with parents to Spokane, WA
Saturday - Plane leaves at 6am going to Seattle, WA
                 Leave Seattle at 9am and fly to Chicago (this is where I will meet a couple of girls going to TZ as well!)
                 LONG LAYOVER IN CHICAGO! Leave for Istanbul, Turkey at 10pm
                Arrive at who knows what time, considering the time difference... it's an 11 hour flight.
                 Then leave for Dar and arrive after 9 hours.
We will stay in a little hostel that night and then leave within the next couple of days on a 13 hour bus ride down to Madissi which is where we will have our two weeks of training. In training we live with a student in their homes and they will teach us everything about cooking, cleaning and living in TZ. During the day we will be in the schools learning about teaching. After two weeks we will be sent to our villages where I will be for most of the year.



Let the adventure begin!!!

Emily

Getting Ready

July 9, 2013

At this time I am gearing up to spend a year in Tanzania, Africa as an English teacher. I am going to serve with an organization called Village Schools International (VSI). My whole purpose in going to Tanzania this coming year is to ultimately share the Gospel with the people there.

I have been spending the last few months raising support and finishing up paperwork to be fully prepared (legally) to embark on this journey. At this point I have registered with the embassy, applied for my VISA and sent in my credentials to teach. All that is really left to do before September 7th rolls around is to start gathering packing materials and most of all spend time in prayer. Praying that God will prepare my heart for the work that will be done and for the hearts of my future students, their families and the other members of the village.

I have created this blog so that my family, friends, supporters and anyone else who would like to stay updated on my year in Tanzania will have a way to keep informed on what is happening over there. My internet access is very limited once I arrive, so this blog will be the best way to communicate with you.

Thank you for your prayers as this new adventure begins!

-Emily