Maputo, Mozambique

Well, I'm finally here.

I went to church with the family I was staying with on Sunday morning. After church we drove straight to the airport and had lunch there. Then Nathan and Sissy left me with the final parting words, "Don't talk to any boys."

My bag was supposed to weigh 30kg, but instead it was 33kg (72.6lb). I started thinking how I would remove those extra 3 kilos. The guy asked me, "Why is it overweight?" I responded with, "It's only 3kg over. Hamna shida." He grinned and let my bag through. Woohoo!

Upstairs in the airport I had to go through security again. I greeted the guard with, "How are you?" He frowned at me dramatically and said, "Oh, not great."
"Why?" I questioned.
"Because you're leaving," he responded sadly, then he waved me through. I noticed that though he had asked the lady before me to remove my shoes, he hadn't asked me to.
"What about my shoes?" I asked.
He peered over the counter for a minute, then looked at me and replied, "They are very nice, ma'am."
Smart alec. :) I laughed.

My ticket implied that my flight would go straight from Dar es Salaam to Maputo, Mozambique. Shortly after I'd settled in and was ready for 4 hours in the air, the flight attendants came through and announced we were landing. Confused, I put my seat in its "upright position." We landed at the very small but clearly labeled "Pemba" airport. I thought maybe we were dropping off some passengers, but they herded us all off the plane and through immigration. It must have taken at least an hour.

After all the confused passengers had their visas, we got back on the plane. Once in the air, the pilot announced our flight time would be "20 minutes." I figured I must have heard him wrong. We were still in the far north of Mozambique. Maybe he said "120 minutes." Nope. Twenty minutes later we began our descent into Nampula. Surely this time we wouldn't have to get off the plane. But we did. Everyone got off and went inside. I chatted with a few other passengers as we waited for probably 20 minutes. Then we all got back on the plane and continued our journey. Thankfully that was the last stop. The next leg of our trip took us directly to Maputo. I wanted to sleep (seeing as it was dark outside) but the cabin lights were so bright that I couldn't. They fed us a meal with fish. I asked for a vegetarian one, and the guy said, "It's fish." I asked if he had anything else, and he said, "Chicken." So I ate the rice and a piece of bread.

During the first two legs of the journey, I had my row entirely to myself. Then on the third segment a guy decided to sit in the aisle seat next to me. I didn't mind, except that he had awful body odor and everytime he moved a wave would rush toward me. I turn the air conditioning on full blast to try and dissipate the smell.

We were supposed to land in Maputo at 8:40pm. I'm not sure what time we actually landed, but I didn't get my bag until 10:20. I waited as they unloaded all the bags from our flight, but mine didn't show up. Neither did the bags of the two other white guys on the flight. Another plane came in and we waited for them to unload it also. Then a third plane. Still no bags. Finally an employee thought he could help us. He walked us through a maze to another part of the airport labeled "international arrivals," thinking our bags would be there. They weren't. He chatted with a lady and then took us to a back room filled with unclaimed luggage. Sure enough, there were all our bags. Why in the world they were put there instead of with the rest of the bags, I'll never know. I'm just happy I got my bag eventually.

Justin, Neil, Janelle, and Marquelle all picked me up at the airport. It was so nice to see familiar faces!

Dar es Salaam

I didn't sleep much last night, but was feeling quite a bit better this morning. The bus ride was nice, actually. It was long...9 1/2 hours. I sat next to a young woman with a 1-year-old and was able to help her out throughout the trip. I also ended up with the baby of the woman across the aisle. The bus attendant dumped the kid on me. People seem to like handing their children to me...but I don't mind. :)

At one point the baby next to me sneeze-puked all over my arm and lap. I was laying back in my chair with my headphones with my eyes closed. I didn't even flinch. In fact, I barely glanced down and went back to my reverie, totally unfazed. But the mother was so apologetic and tried to clean me up, so I took over and cleaned up myself and scrubbed her leg too.

Now I'm at my friends' home in Dar es Salaam. I am staying here until Sunday, May 24. Relaxation, here I come. Did I mention the house is right on the beach?

Outta Here!

I haven't slept in ... 43 hours. I am exhausted. I have just overcome malaria, again. And in 6 hours I'm going to wake up and stagger on board a bus headed for Dar es Salaam. Just wanted to let you know that this is my last night, my last few hours at the orphanage (my feeling regarding this: very sad, naturally). I begin my two-week travel period now and will update as possible.

Love to you all and can't wait to see you!

For those of you who haven't received the invitation to the fundraiser dinner I'm hosting in early June, let me know! I'll get one to you ASAP. The dinner will be Tanzanian fare and I'll be showing pictures of my trip. Karibuni! (You are all welcome!)

MPS+2 AGAIN?!?

Well, I'm not convinced I didn't have giardiasis, but in addition to that lovely ailment, I also have malaria. Again.

I started medication for malaria this morning. Hopefully I'll be well by Thursday morning when I start traveling.

Keep me in your prayers!

Sickie

It's my last weekend at the orphanage and I've been out of it the whole time. I've been having stomach cramps and trouble eating for a few days. On Sabbath I started feeling particularly ill. I went to bed fairly early and woke up the first time at 2am, then at 3:30am (and fell back asleep at 4:30) and then at 5:30am, then finally at 7:30am. I just stayed up at that point. I had been in awful stomach pain all night and could hardly sleep in between bathroom breaks. My fever was over 100 F the whole night, and just recently dropped down to 99.7. At 4am I took some medicine that's supposed to kill anything inside me. I'm pretty convinced I have giardia. It was a toss-up between that and amoebic dysentery.

I went to the Vineyard church in Arusha this morning. My friends there said a "safe travels" prayer for me, and I cried. I can't believe I'm leaving! I could hardly make it through church--I felt so ill. Afterward we all went out to lunch, and even the waiter commented on how ill I looked. Rachel wanted to sit on my lap all during church, but I was so exhausted that it hurt to hold her.

I'm too tired to keep writing this blog...*chuckle*

I should be better within a day or two. Just wanted to keep you updated on my current status, even when it isn't good.

Early Shift

Last night and this morning I took over my roommate's shifts so she could go into town and spend the night with her girlfriends. Last night went without incident; I even finished changing my kids and tucking them in half an hour early.

I didn't sleep well last night; I kept waking up and had bad dreams. Yet strangely I woke up at 6:15am, ten minutes before my alarm was set to go off. I pulled on yesterday's clothes and a sweater (it's COLD here in the morning!) and stumbled downstairs.

I'm really glad all 4 of my babies are happy in the morning, because it's a lot easier to change an overflowing, over-poweringly stinky diarrhea diaper when the child is grinning up at me. Did I mention we use cloth diapers? We wash them in waist-high "Hungarian toilet" contraptions (not sure why people call them that).

Apparently I am colorblind in the morning. I dressed Hope in a pink and white onesie with white cloth overalls. Cute, right? An hour later I realized the overalls were actually yellow. Likewise, Rachel donned white pants and a pink sweater. Or so I thought. Luckily her pants ended up being pink, so at least she matched in the end. I just left Hope in her Easter ensemble.

I am learning very quickly that toddlers can be really helpful. I was sitting on the floor feeding bottles to Amina and Nina (7 months and 5 months) while Nelson (9 months) was about 6 feet away with his bottle. Amina wouldn't grasp her bottle, I needed to burp Nina, and Nelson lost his to a pillaging toddler. In one of my rare moments of brilliance, I instructed Rachel to feed Amina. I hoisted Nina onto my shoulder and burped her while striding across the room to fix Nelsons predicament. I let Rachel finish feeding Amina, and then I sent her to the kitchen with the empty bottles. Afterward she felt the impulse to kiss the babies. I love her more every day. :)

When my shift ended I headed back up to my apartment, intending to sleep (which I haven't yet done). It was ten minutes after 8am. When I came out the back door, I noticed two young guys (about my age) changing in the backyard. Yes, changing. I kid you not and I exaggerate not. I immediately looked at the ground and quickly walked up the stairs to my apartment (they really didn't pick a very inconspicuous place). When I got upstairs, I thought, "What in the world?!" Usually we don't have guys that age on campus. Especially not at 8am. So I hurried back down the stairs, still averting my eyes (they weren't very quick at changing either). I found the guard and asked him who in the world the guys were. It turns out they were working for the painter we hired. Maybe tomorrow I'll inform them that they can change in the bathroom. Or at least behind a tree.

New Song

Well, I've traveled halfway around the world and lived on another continent for 8 months. I've experienced a different side of life. And I've discovered that life is essentially the same, no matter where you are in all the world. In poverty or wealth, people still face the same life decisions and the same heartbreak. No one escapes the enigma of relationships (romantic and platonic). No one is exempt from doubt regarding God. No one can conquer sin on their own. No one has everything, in any sense of the word, unless they have God, because He is everything we need.

I wrote this song today. It was inspired by Downhere's song "What It's Like."



Fix Me Again

I didn’t plan on getting hurt today

I didn’t plan to spill my tears on You

I didn’t want my heart to break into

A million little tiny pieces

And so I come running back to You

Fix me again

Heal me again

Forgive again

Where I have failed

Restore again

For I am broken

Of course I’m not the first to cry to You

Of course we all make mistakes, they’ll say

Of course we all fall from Your perfect way

We run off with our own ideas

And so I come crawling back today

Fix me again

Heal me again

Forgive again

Where I have failed

Restore again

For I am broken

I lay prostrate on the cold floor

I bang my fists, I cry out for You

You’re knocking at my heart’s door

Is opening up all I must do?

Fix me again

Heal me again

Forgive again

Where I have failed

Restore again

For I am broken

Days Are Disappearing

I somehow managed to hurt my foot, and so I limped around campus yesterday and today. Hopefully it'll resolve itself soon. Thankfully I don't have much walking on my itinerary.

Today I slept in and then relaxed with my roommates into the late morning. I stayed up late last night trying to get ahold of a friend back home and had a tough time rolling out of bed this morning. Davona and I drove to the airport at 11am to pick up our newest volunteer, Krissy.

Four of us girls went into Usa for lunch. I finally tried chipsi mayai, a Tanzanian favorite. It is an egg omelet with fries inside. Sounds healthy, right? I finally decided to ignore it's nutritional lack of value and just try it. It was decent, but would have been significantly better with ketchup or Taco Bell hot sauce.

After lunch, three of the girls headed back home but I walked down to Mamo Catering, a business run by a German ex-pat. He sells yummy baked goods. The two girls who work there are close to my age and have become my friends over the months. The one who knows English, Irene, told me she would make me "something special." I expected a pretzel or something equally trivial (though much appreciated!). Instead, she greeted me with a whole loaf of macadamia nut bread! Salome (the other girl) presented me with 3 sweet muffins. How kind of them! I talked with them until a quarter past four and then decided I should probably head back to work. :)

Back at the orphanage I discovered that I couldn't work because the internet was down...again. All I need to do is e-mail one work permit, and I can't do it! I'm upstairs now, so I can't do it from here. Krystal and I joke that the internet hates us.

Our stove was heading out of commission until today, when Ross (an ADRA worker from Australia) and his wife Ramona came and fixed it. Yippee!

I'm almost finished packing, and it looks like my bags will make it under the weight limit.

Ticket Confirmed/Travel Plans

Today I received my e-ticket to Maputo, Mozambique. Leaving is starting to feel more real. I had a going away party last night and next week at church they will pray for me. All I have left to do is finish packing (why oh why all the weight restrictions?), clean my room, and buy a bus ticket to Dar es Salaam. And then I am on my way on the next stage of my journey--the last leg before I come home. *gasp!*

So, for those interested, let me tell you a bit about my travel plans:
I am done here at the orphanage on May 18. I'll spend the 19th cleaning up and I might even stick around the 20th. Then I take a bus to Dar es Salaam (8-10 hours). In Dar es Salaam, I am staying with a friend until my flight on the 24th. On May 24 I fly from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, straight to Maputo, Mozambique. There I will stay with the Woods family for the rest of my Africa trip. The day before my flight leaves Johannesburg, I'll take a bus from Maputo, Mozambique, to Johannesburg, South Africa. I am staying with a church member in Johannesburg for one night, and then the next day I fly out of Johannesburg!

My flight back home goes:
Johannesburg, South Africa -> Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -> Washington, D.C., USA (with a stop in Rome to refuel) -> Chicago, IL ->PORTLAND, OREGON!!!

Thank you everyone for all your support. This year has been amazing and I can't believe how much I've grown! (Okay, I kind of expected the growth, but it's still fantastic!)

Please write to me. I know I don't usually respond to blog comments, but they really make my day!

I'm better at responding to e-mail, so feel free to e-mail me. Just realize that in 8 days I may not have internet anymore!

A Good Day

I have no reason to blog except that I had a good day. Nothing special happened; it was just good. I didn't expect to have such a good day, considering how many times I woke up in the middle of the night being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Davona and I spent the morning in town and we got almost everything we needed. That is a rare treat. Usually some shop is randomly closed or what we need doesn't exist, etc etc.

The immigration official continues to think we're on better terms than we are. The last two times I've walked into his office I've been greeted by:
"You look cute today"
and the next time:
"It is going to be a good day. " Me: "Why?" Him: "Because you came into my office."

Please, sir, just approve my work permits and let me go. (Last week he also tried to talk me into going to a dance club...ha ha)


The picture at the top is of me handing baby Violet (now named Clara Shei) to her adoptive mom, Kirsten, the day the father signed the paperwork. Yay!!

Just for the record, I'm looking to buy a car when I return home. I really want a Honda Civic, 1992 or newer. I will only buy a manual and I strongly prefer a 4-door. I'd also like a CD player, but that isn't necessary if the price is right. My price range is currently around $1500-$2500. I've been tempted by some newer, more expensive Civics, but I haven't decided yet if I want to take out a loan. Anyway, if you know of anyone selling a car that meets this description, let me know! :)

Thanks for reading my blog. I appreciate your interest in my mission!

Back in T-Zed

I guess I haven't blogged since I got back to Tanzania. I've been back since the 21st of April, which was 13 days ago. I was sad to leave Kenya, but I also knew it was time. Plus I had been missing the children (especially my Rachel) dearly. Coming "home" to Arusha was quite exciting!

Not much has happened since I've been back. I made some new friends from England. They are working at an orphanage not too far away. On Sunday they treated Marsha and me to lunch at the Impala Hotel. YUM! Excellent Indian food.

The other day I had an interesting experience on the dala-dala. It was crowded so I had to stand. The lady I was standing next to and I shared smiles saying "this is so uncomfortable" as we were jerked about the bus. Someone got off, and she sat down, then pulled me onto her lap! I thought, "Okay, this is at least more comfortable than standing." A while later someone else got off and I sat next to her. She felt the need to hold my hand (this is happening to me more and more frequently). First she wanted my phone number. We spent several minutes trying to figure out each other's name over the din of the dala-dala. I finally figured out her name and I told her mine. When we reached her stop, she demanded that I come to her house. I politely told I would come some other time. She was quite persistent, but I eventually convinced her that I couldn't come now because I had to go home. She was silent for about half a minute, then said, "Well I will come to Usa River with you then." I panicked inside. This lady was crazy! I told her she couldn't, but she kept saying, "Twende!" (Let's go!). I was desperate to get her off the dala-dala while it was still stopped in her town. I pleaded with her that I had to go to work, so she couldn't come with me. Finally she gave in and left. Did I mention that all this time she was holding my hand and stroking my hair? I can take a lot, but it was getting strange....

Memories of Kenya

The entrance to the Nairobi Animal Orphanage in Nairobi National Park.
















This is the inside of a volcano in Hell's Gate National Park. That is steam you see rising up.

Desi and I liked riding on top of the car. Behind us is the Great Rift Valley.















Handing out candy to the Maasai children.

















On top of the Ngong Hills overlooking the Great Rift Valley. 7000 feet.
















One of the teachers and his wife took us girls out to dinner on my last night in Nairobi. Left to right: me, Desi (from North Carolina), and Ngina (from Maryland).

Still at MAA (#2)

I mentioned a couple posts ago that I would be leaving Kenya on April 5. Well, I didn't! I was supposed to leave, but the principal asked me to stay and my boss consented, so I'm still at Maxwell Adventist Academy! (I called it MAA#2 because MILO Adventist Academy will always be #1 in my heart)

I've been teaching Math 1 (for the freshmen) every day and Algebra 1 some days. I also fill in for teachers who are sick or at conferences, etc. Tomorrow I have 4 classes before noon. In the afternoons (except Fridays) I supervise study hall for those who are failing classes. I tutor in the evenings between 8 and 10pm. In between all that, I grade papers, write tests, study lesson plans, tutor students, or recruit for Walla Walla University. And surprisingly, I still have down time! I have enough time that I've read a good number of books since I've arrived. I've lost count. Maybe 5 1/2 or 6? I plan to finish the one I'm on and at least one more before leaving early Tuesday morning. I love having access to books here!

Last weekend I went to Hell's Gate National Park. It was FANTASTIC! Desi, the assistant girls' dean, an SM from North Carolina, and Elvin, another staff member, took me rock climbing. The three of us camped on a ridge in the national park. We were among buffalo, zebra, baboons (vultures on legs), gazelle, rock hyrax (see picture), and...hyenas!! The days were warm and the nights were cold. We arrived Thursday evening and relaxed around a fire. On Friday we woke up at our leisure (which was just before 9am, I think). We each had time for personal and private devotions in the beautiful outdoors. I felt so refreshed after sitting on a ledge praying, reading my Bible, and singing. I felt free to sing knowing that no one could hear me! After breakfast we headed out to Fischer's Tower, a 100-ft (or so) "tower" of rock. Elvin set up the routes. Since this was only my second time climbing, Elvin made sure the first route was rather easy. I made it up the 40-ft or so climb and repelled down, proud. After Desi had climbed also, we moved to the other side of the tower and started setting up a harder route. I snacked on my lunch and helped out where I could. Since rain loomed in the sky, I let Desi go first. She is an experienced rock climber. She made it up with a little trouble, then came down. I belayed her. :) Then Elvin climbed up and stayed at the top to take pictures of me. I'll have to post them later. After much struggle (a blog entry in its own right which I will write later), I made it to the top of the 75 or 100 ft. climb. I was so proud and SO shaky! I repelled down and we quickly gathered up our ropes and dashed to the car before the rain fell on us.

On Sabbath morning we packed up camp as the baboons circled round, daring to come as close as possible, hoping to steal food. Vultures on legs, I say. Desi and I rode on top of the car down to our rock climbing site (FUN FUN!). We retrieved her sunglasses, which had been left the day before, and then I climbed into the driver's seat because Elvin wanted a chance to ride on top of the car (Africa is so freeing!). As we drove, I passed zebra and warthogs right alongside the road. Awesome!

We drove to the gorge (a LOT smaller than the Columbia Gorge, much to my surprise) and hiked up and down it for 3 hours. We even met a group from Portland, Oregon! The hike was really fun and refreshing. Since the park is full of geothermals, the water in the creek and falling from the sides of the gorge was warm...even too hot to touch in some places!

After our hike in the gorge we ate a quick lunch and then drove to the volcano. It looked just like a hill at first, but Desi and I insisted on hiking to the top. In the rain. It was SO worth it. Inside the volcano was a deep gorge with steam coming out. Beautiful. Magnificent. Powerful. Desi and I raced around the rim, admiring it and taking pictures, until the rain turned to sleet. That's a unique situation...sleet on top of a volcano in Africa. We hurried down the hill/mountain. About halfway down, as the rain/sleet soaked us through, we hear a LOUD thunderclap right overhead. In an instant Desi and I realized we were the tallest things around. I shrieked and bolted down the steep hill, hoping I wouldn't fall on the uneven ground and twist my ankle. We made it to the bottom, drenched but safe, and headed home.

Students are beckoning me to tutor, visit, and answer questions about Walla Walla.

Thank you again for all your prayers and support!

Much love and gratitude,

Katie

Achmed the Beetle

Desi and I found a pet beetle. His name is Achmed. These pictures were taken after the banquet at Maxwell Adventist Academy.

He kept falling off. Poor guy.

Dentist

On Sunday I was eating breakfast with my new friends at Maxwell when one of my fillings fell out. At first I thought it was chunk of my tooth, but later realized it was my filling.

Tomorrow I'm headed to the dentist to get it fixed. The whole thing should cost me less than $100 (not like I have $100 anyway), which is a blessing compared the medical fees in the U.S.

Desi and I have had enormous amounts of fun thinking up "You know you're an SM when..." phrases. Read them at:
http://www.worldrightsideup.blogspot.com/

I have progressed from math tutor to math teacher. Though teaching scares and stresses me, I kind of like it. Right now I'm preparing a test for the freshmen.

I'll only be working here at Maxwell for another 3 days, then I have the weekend off to do some touristy things, and then on April 5 I head back to Tanzania.

I'm not-so-secretly hoping that I can return to Maxwell someday. I have really enjoyed my time here!

Rest Your Heart in Me

I wrote a poem this morning, inspired by the beauty on Maxwell's campus. I hope you are blessed by it.

Rest Your Heart in Me
I kissed you with the sun
I whispered through the breeze
and still you argued that
you couldn't hear Me

I sent you blooming roses
Surrounded you with spring
Don't know why you say that
you cannot touch Me

I listened to your heart
I read between the lines
But you persisted that
I didn't hear your cries

Enchanting you with snow
When the world seemed so bleak
Clean, white redemption was
Just within your reach

Won't you please realize
I'll give you everything
All I ask of you
Just rest your heart in Me.

Maxwell Adventist Academy

I've been here at Maxwell for four days now. I started tutoring my first night and have spent my days and evenings tutoring ever since. I get up in time for worship at 6:45am and fall into bed when study hall ends at 10pm. The days are long, but I really enjoy it. I've made friends with the staff and SMs here. They are all so friendly and helpful.

The students call me "Miss Katie," at the request of the dean. I like it; it's cute. When I don't have tutoring appointments, I chat with the assistant girls' dean (an SM from North Carolina) or I read. It's nice to have access to books!

Sometimes students sit me down to ask me questions about Walla Walla. I'm learning how to be a good recruiter. I like it.

The students are all very kind to me. They greet me every time they see me and ask me how I'm doing. Many of them have gone out of their way to introduce themselves to me or spend a little extra time with me.

Being on this campus reminds me again how much I loved boarding academy. If any Milo staff or students are reading this, thanks for 3 amazing years!!!

I'll be here until April 5. On Sunday there is a banquet. I'll be preparing food and possibly serving also. I'll probably write more about that next week.

Please keep the students, especially those in Math 1 and Algebra 1, in your prayers. Many are struggling. The teacher is at a loss for what to do, and I feel his pain. On the flip side, I also empathize with the students...it's frustrating to not understand something. So please pray for them to find understanding and be able to pass their math classes.

Another long journey, another country visited....

Whew! It's been a long day. I couldn't get to sleep last night because I was so excited and nervous about this trip. I think I finally got to bed around midnight.

I woke up at 6:15am, left our compound at 7:15am, and was on a bus rolling out of Arusha by 8:15am. I was warned that there was road construction on the way to Nairobi, but I didn't realize that the ENTIRE trip would be on a dirt road. The few patches of pavement were fleeting moments of bliss.

While still in Tanzania, I looked out the window to see 3 giraffes strolling by the road. After we crossed the border, we had to slam on our breaks when an ostrich marched onto the road. Then on the way from Nairobi to Maxwell, a massive baboon scampered in front of our car. Then my driver (whom I could barely understand) told me a series of stories about baboons attacking people in that vicinity. He thought it was hilarious. I thought it sounded stressful. And the strangest part (according to him)? Baboons can tell the difference between men and women and won't attack men. Great.

After spending 7 hours on the bus, we finally pulled into the hotel. The driver was waiting there for me. We hopped in the car (did I mention I had 2 bags for 2 weeks and no one had yet commented on how much stuff I brought?) and set off to find an ATM. We did find one, in a mall. I walked in and froze in astonishment. The mall would probably be considered trashy by American standards, but it was far above anything I'd seen since arriving in Africa. Despite how trashy it mostly was, the food court was decent. I bought a roll and a tart at a bakery. The tart was DELICIOUS. It had a scrumptious crust, a thick whipped cream filling, and fresh raspberries on top. Wow! I'm glad I found the bakery. I was so hungry, having not eaten in 7 1/2 hours.

We had to run a few errands in town, and we finally arrived at Maxwell at 5pm, making my trip a total of 10 hours. I spent the next hour and forty-five minutes conversing with staff about how tutoring would be set up. They even handed me a key to the administration building right away! I was pleasantly surprised by their support and helpfulness.

After dinner I attended dorm worship, where I was introduced to the 35 residents of the women's dorm. They clapped for me, which was really sweet. Now I'm waiting for them to finish trying on banquet dresses so I can start tutoring. I am pretty tired and would like to fall right in bed (it's 8:45pm and already past my bedtime), but I want to start off with a bang. I mean business here, and I want them to know that.

Fun trip, great people. I'm going to enjoy my 2 weeks here. :)

Kenya and a Victory!

On Monday, March 23, I'm headed up to Kenya to Maxwell Adventist Academy (just outside Nairobi) for a week or two. I'll be tutoring algebra for students who aren't passing the class. I love math and I love traveling (plus I loved boarding school) so this trip should be a blast!

I had a wonderful God-given victory this morning. I went through a lot of work to process a work permit ahead of time for one of our volunteers so she wouldn't have to buy a tourist visa AND a work permit. The immigration office wouldn't fax the permit to the airport, so I showed up at the airport at 6:45 this morning, ready to greet our new volunteer, Julie. I fully expected a battle with immigration. Of course they want us to pay for both the tourist visa and the work permit, BUT the law doesn't say you have to have both. Yet. Regardless, if the officials simply decided they weren't going to accept the work permit, that would be the end of it. So before I left this morning I read about David's battles in 2 Samuel and prayed, "Lord, fight this battle for me!"

When I arrived at the airport, and immigration officer took the work permit from me (with a smile!) and processed it for Julie, then warmly welcomed us. I was shocked. God won the battle before I even arrived...I didn't have to do a thing! Praise Him!

Today I received letters from 2 of my dearest friends. That always brightens my week!

I'd love to hear from you. I'm on Facebook and Myspace, and I check my e-mail frequently. I'll try to respond if you send me a message!

Packages and Mail

Hello dear family, friends, and supporters!
I won't be home for another 3 months, but unfortunately I have to call a halt to all mail. If you have something to send me, get it out by the end of the week! After March 20, don't send me any more packages. They won't arrive on time!

As far as letters go, you might be able to get away with mailing them until March 31. After that, I strongly suggest you don't even mail me letters anymore.

If you do want to mail me things, feel free to send them to my home address. I will get them when I get home in early June. Just write me an e-mail and ask for my address. kathryn.currier@wallawalla.edu

(I don't feel comfortable posting my home address on a public blog.)

Thanks for everything, especially the wonderful birthday package that many of you pitched in for. I LOVED it!!

And Melissa, the cookies were amazing! They were a little broken, but still soft and chewy and fresh. Mmmm good! I love the combination, too. You're so creative! And thank you for wrapping them in plastic wrap. I needed some!

For those of you who will be sending things by the end of the week, here is my address:
Katie Currier
c/o Cradle of Love
P.O. Box 360
Usa River, Arusha, Tanzania
EAST AFRICA

Be sure to send everything AIRMAIL, and for my sake, please write on the customs form that the contents have "No cash value." That way I am less likely to be charged to receive it.

With love,
Katie Currier

"Sina Pupa Mungu Amenipa"

Before I begin with what I intended to talk about, I want to say thank you to whoever sent me the anonymous valentine (written in Swahili!) in the package from Walla Walla. Whoever you are, THANK YOU! :)

Kangas are worn by all the local ladies. A kanga is a square piece of fabric with some sort of design and a Swahili proverb at the bottom. The words can be anything from "Honor your parents and you will be blessed" to "I'm sorry for your loss." Locals often use them as gifts.

On Friday Marsha and I wandered the streets of Arusha while we were waiting for the mechanic to finish fixing the car so we could drive out to Lake Manyara for the weekend (I'll have to write another blog about that). We found some kangas and I bought a few. My favorite is the one I'm wearing this morning. It's blue and white and says: "Sina pupa Mungu amenipa." It's translated as: "I have no pupa because God has given me." 'Pupa' can be translated as hurry, haste, eagerness, or greediness. Take your pick. Basically, "I'm not in any rush because God provides."
Amen.

Conquering Mt. Meru...At Least Part of It!

Yesterday Marsha and I joined the Church family (which consisted of Max, Davona, Brendon, Brianna, Sabrina, and Staci) on a picnic. We drove part of the way up Mt. Meru then parked and walked a short distance up a VERY steep hill until we found some grass to sit on. We spread out blanket and picnicked! We ate plantain chips with guacamole and potato chips and apples (a real treat!!) and pineapple and toast. Unique, but tasty.



After lunch we decided to go on a walk. Well, I was under the impression that it would be a walk. It turned out to be a 4-hr hike straight up Mt. Meru. It started out lovely. We followed a trail meandering through the pretty woods. Typical. Once we reached the national park (Arusha National Park), we had to go traipsing through the bush a bit to find another trail. Brendon, the twins, and Marsha forged ahead. Max carried Staci through the dense underbrush so she wouldn't lose her sandals (Staci is 5), and I brought up the rear, jumping around and making loud comments about how foolish we were being, and didn't we know there were mambas in this area?



Once we got back on the trail I was a little more agreeable, but if we deviated from it for even 10 feet, I was sure to pipe up. The pretty trail that meandered through the woods was replaced with an overgrown footpath covered in army ants that shot straight up the mountain. Much of the time the trail was at a 45° angle or steeper. I'm serious. It was like climbing stairs. Brendon spurred us on while we huffed and puffed, whining and complaining. He insisted he was taking us to a pretty stream up the mountain, and since his grandmother had done it, so could we. Let me tell you, I have a lot of respect for that woman.



Our hike was interspersed with breaks to pick all the ants off our legs. Those things are vicious. They bite and hold on relentlessly. I had one bite me through my sock. Somehow I got lucky and only got bit by one or two ants (they're rather painful in large quantities). Others in the group unfortunately had dozens on them. Brendon even had the joy of finding a tick on himself.



After hiking for probably two hours, Max and the three younger girls gave up and turned back. I don't really blame them. No one really knew where we were going and this alleged spring was nowhere in sight. We had turned around at least once and been attacked by ants several times. The path was steep and overgrown. It wasn't exactly a stroll in the park.



So Brendon and Marsha and I climbed on. The path became more difficult and overgrown, but it seemed more adventurous with just the three of us. I stomped loudly to scare off the snakes and Brendon continually made fun of me, saying it wouldn't work. I still think it works.



We hiked for another hour (about), and still couldn't find the spring. Brendon stopped being able to recognize the scenery (it all looked the same anyway) and concluded that we had taken a wrong turn somewhere. We only had one water bottle among the 3 of us, so we knew we had to turn back soon. Besides, we didn't know what time it was, and we had a long way to go back! We hiked on in search of a vista point, but never found one. At this point we were so high up the mountain that we noticed the air was thinner. I actually started to feel sick. Thank you, altitude. Marsha estimated we were probably 8100 feet high. I guess that's not super high, but it felt pretty high.



I wish we had found a vista point. It would have been nice to see Mt. Kilimanjaro or Arusha from so high up. But the foilage was too thick. So we stopped, took a break, and then headed back down. Naturally the way down always goes faster. Marsha fell a couple times and we were attacked by ants twice, but other than that it was rather uneventful. Despite the fact that we hiked (illegally) into the heart of Arusha National Park, the only wildlife we saw were spiders and butterflies.

"Kakie, I Want!"

My darling Rachel has picked up a new phrase: "I want!" When she sees something she wants (and she's in the mood to talk), she'll exclaim, "Kakie, I want! I want!"

This morning I was in the changing room changing a very poopy diaper. Afterward I washed my hands in the large sink, which doubles as a bathtub for the kids at bathtime (which is in the evening). Rachel saw me running the water and scrubbing my hands with soap and got really excited. She has decided lately that she loves baths. She started pointing at the sink and what I was doing and saying, "Kakie, I want! I want!" I laughed and told her it wasn't bathtime. This meant nothing to her. She proceeded to strip down to her good ol' birthday suit and announce, "I want, Kakie!" Obviously I couldn't keep a straight face!

Iced Tea and Home

I'm drinking homemade iced tea right now. Everything I eat or drink is homemade, except crackers and (for now) yogurt. Ok, and milk and cheese. And I'm sure you can think of a few other things. But I do make a lot of stuff!

The purpose of this blog was to write and say that it's gloomy-looking today and I hope it rains. But it just started raining! Wish granted! Yay!

I can't tell you how much I love Africa and how tempted I am to stay here. If I were done with school, you might have to drag me home! But since I know I have to finish university, I'm dutifully coming back.

Lately I've really found peace in the old phrase: This world is not my home; I'm just passing through. 1 Peter 2:11 says just that! We're not supposed to feel cozy or at home here on this earth. Africa is not my home. America is not my home. Heaven is my home! Wherever I stay here on earth is up to God and His plan for me. The only "home" that I long for is my home in heaven with Christ.

(Wow, it's REALLY raining!)

They say home is where the heart is. It's true. The Bible says it also in Matthew 6:21 -- where are treasure is, there will our heart be. My treasure and my home are one and the same: Christ Jesus. Matthew 13:45-46 talks about seeking the kingdom of God as a pearl of great price. The message is clear: We are "refugees" here on earth, and rather than settle and live as the natives do, we must find our way to the One who can take us home!

Camels and Mambas

The toddlers playing with my nose after bathtime.

Maria poked me and as I turned in surprise toward her, Steffi snapped this shot.

Our matching dresses!

My princess playing around.

The two baby camels

Beautiful northern Tanzania

Yesterday my boss' son took me on a hike up the hill to see some camels. I've never seen camels so I was really excited to go! We walked through dry brown fields and lush green foliage and even followed a river part of the way. It was quite lovely! When we reached the lodge where the camels are kept, they were out feeding so we had to wait almost an hour. We spent the hour walking around and then sitting by the river. Brendon took pictures of the scenery, the birds, and some kids picking watercress. I spent half the time in my own little world and the other half being my chatty self. While we were at the river (which was wide but shallow and almost more of a marsh), I saw a bright green snake swimming across a narrow channel. There are only two bright green snakes in this region: the green tree snake and the green mamba. The green tree snake is nocturnal, so chances are...! While I'm more nervous walking around now, I feel privileged to have seen one of these rare (and extremely venomous) creatures.

Little News Bits

I hope you enjoyed the pictures I finally had the opportunity to post! Now I'll share little newsy bits of updates.

1. Our water quit working for 4 days. The evening it came back on I washed dishes with more glee than I ever have! It quit again today but is back this evening.

2. All my roommates left except one. She and I are holding down the fort until 2 more volunteers arrive on the 20th.

3. This last month I lived with 3 German volunteers and had a German ADRA worker as a neighbor. The 2 volunteers coming the 20th are also German. For a while it seemed like I was learning more German than Swahili!

4. Today on her way to work one of our nannies got hit in the face with the bus door. I still haven't figured out how. Her nose may be broken. Ouch.

5. David, a one-year-old, left the other night with his dad and aunt. So many children have left in the last 6 weeks! This is a good thing though.

6. We got a new HIV+ little boy not too long ago. He was very sick and the doctors thought he had tuberculosis but an x-ray proved negative. Yay!

7. I'm planning my trip to Mozambique in May. I'd really like to go overland. It would be such an adventure! But flying isn't much more expensive than overlanding and it would take 4-6 hours instead of 5 days. The main deciding factor is this: it's really not safe for a young female to travel 2300 miles alone! So unless I find a travel buddy (this could be YOU!), I will probably fly.

8. I made a vegetable pot pie from scratch today and it turned out REALLY good! It was the first time I've ever made it. I gathered tips from a couple different recipes then did my own thing and I'm proud to say it's yummy! I also made this eggplant marinara dish (like eggplant parmesan but without cheese!) that turned out really well. Mmmm!

9. I saw a bush baby almost a month ago. So cute! It jumped onto the stair railing just a few feet in front of me.

10. I cut my hair again just a couple days after New Year. The pictures I posted yesterday accurately reflect its length.

11. I'm still raising money. I just received some generous donations...THANK YOU! I'm still raising more because a) I have to get to Mozambique and the ticket costs $394, and b) I want to give money to Cradle of Love.

12. My Kiswahili is slowly improving.

13. No matter how hard I try to ignore the fact, I'm still allergic to mangoes. All types of mangoes. The allergy gets a little worse each time. I'm finally getting smart and staying away from them. For the most part.

14. I recovered from malaria in just 2 days. What a blessing!

15. I think I want to foster children back in the states. I can't imagine going to church, going to the market (aka grocery shopping), or doing just about anything without a toddler to take care of. For the next few years I'll have to steal my nephew from my sister as much as she allows! Melissa, take advantage of free babysitting!!

Pictures--Finally!

New Year's Eve with my Germans! From left: Me, Steffi, Marsha, and Katrin.

Overlooking the Indian Ocean at sunset in Stone Town, Zanzibar.

Out to eat with Rakel (left) and Hella (right) the night before they left for home. I miss you, girls!

Bridgett and me at the pool with our babies Maria and Rachel.

In the office with Rahma shortly before a clinic visit.

Goofing off with Maria while we wait for Davona in town.

MPS+2

I thought and hoped that I could get through 8 1/2 months in Africa without getting malaria. Well, I made it the first 138 days!

Yesterday I woke up with a headache. I thought it was due to the fact that I hadn't fallen asleep until 1am. Then in the late morning I started feeling really nauseated. That got worse and worse as the hours went by. When I returned from my lunch date with my friend Marsha, I had a fever of 99.4. My temperature is usually around 97.7 instead of 98.6, so once I hit 99 I know I have a fever. At that point I thought I had food poisoning from some bad yogurt. Then Davona informed me that food poisoning doesn't give you a headache or a fever. So I went to get tested for malaria.

By this time I was really dizzy and achy and just so tired. I managed to ride the dala-dala to the clinic (about 10 minutes, plus a short walk). A dala-dala is basically a mini-van sized car stuffed with 20-30 people. It's not uncommon to sit at least partially on top of someone. This is not comfortable when you're sick.

At the clinic I was the only patient. The nurses remembered me because I often bring in sick babies or sick volunteers, so they helped me quickly. The lab lady (who also is the cleaning lady) poked my finger and rubbed the blood on the glass slide. I've always wondered if it hurt to rub the bleeding finger on the glass slide (since I've watched them do it to so many babies) but it doesn't. Whew. I was pretty out of it at this point, but I think I glared at the lady rather suspiciously when she pulled out the needle because she assured me it was new (and I think she was offended that I thought her incompetent enough to not use a new needle). It was new. I watched her snap open the plastic case.

Usually it takes 10-20 minutes for the results. I waited and waited and waited. While I waited I sang praise songs. It was the only thing that kept me feeling decent.

After at least 20 minutes (maybe 30), the head nurse (or maybe she's a doctor) pulled me aside and told me that their transmitter had caught fire so the power had been shut off. Hence they couldn't use the microscope to test me for malaria. Disappointed and confused, I went home.

At home I laid around for a while before deciding to take the malaria medication I brought with me. Because of the prevalence of malaria here in Tanzania, the rule of thumb is to assume it's malaria until proven otherwise. I remembered that I had an unexplained cough earlier this week (a symptom of malaria in children and sometimes in adults). Then I threw up. I don't ever throw up. In fact, this is only the second time I've thrown up in 10 years. So I took the medicine.

I fell asleep at a quarter to seven and slept until around 7:30am, waking up every 3 hours. I took my temperature every time I woke up and it ranged from 100.4 to 100.7 F. I was so exhausted, physically and mentally (I think mentally from all the vivid dreams I had, most about work!).

This morning I've felt better as the hours go by. In fact, I think my temperature is almost gone, though I haven't checked lately.

I texted the hospital this morning, and the lady wrote back that my malaria test came back positive. The technical wording is MPS+2, which means Malaria ParaSite positive 2, meaning there are 2 malaria parasites per certain amount of blood. This is average malaria. +3 is bad, and anything higher than that is really bad.

I'm not thrilled that I have malaria, but I'm happy that I did the right thing starting the meds last night. It's important to start them early.

I thought I wanted to be pursued....

It's common knowledge (I hope) that women want to be pursued and chased after. We want our men to boldly declare their love and seek us, even if we're hard to attain. Many girls I know are frustrated that guys these days just don't take the time or energy to really pursue women.

I thought I wanted to be pursued. But when I said I wanted to be chased, I didn't mean literally chased. Down the street.

On Friday my roommates and I went out to lunch. Three girls stayed behind in Usa River to get on the internet, while another girl and I walked back to Cradle of Love. It's about a 15-minute walk. On the way we stopped at the post office. Shortly after we stepped inside and joined the queue (that's what they call lines here), a young man came up to me, breathless.

Man: I need to talk to you. I'll wait outside until you're done.
Katie (coolly): If you need to talk to me, do it here and now.
Man: I'll wait outside. I ran after you all the way from the plaza.
Katie: Talk to me right here, right now. (The other girl is still standing next to me)
Man: Ok I'll just leave then.
Katie: Okay.
Man: Oh, please, just talk to me outside. This is an office.
Katie: I don't care.
Man: Fine. (lowers voice to whisper) May I have your e-mail address?
Katie (finally cracking an amused smile): No.
Man: Oh come on, please!
Katie: Nope. (walks away)

When my roommate and I left the post office a few minutes later, I noticed the man standing outside.

I thought that was the end of the story. Quite an entertaining story! But it gets better.

After work that day I went upstairs and one of my roommates greeted me with, "I have something for you!" I got excited, thinking there was mail. Instead she pulled out of her pocket a small folded piece of paper with an e-mail address on it.

"I was at the internet cafe and some guy came up and asked if I was your friend. He asked me to give you this," she explained.

Apparently he had gone back to the plaza and found my roommates!

One persistent guy. Too bad I am a mean mzungu and will never write to him. :)

Groundhog's Day, Superbowl, and Valentine's Day

The heading mentions the 3 Fantastic February Fetes that I'm missing this year. I don't mind so much, though. The Seahawks weren't in the Superbowl so I didn't miss much. :)

Life has been good here at the home lately. We haven't hardly had internet in at least a week so I'm really relishing the fact that it works today!

I want to say a public shout-out to Alice Lang and the Hockinson Heights Junior Sabbath School. They sent a wonderful package with preemie baby clothes, nappy pins, bibs, plastic nappy covers, and burp cloths. THANK YOU!!! We especially needed the plastic nappy covers!

We've had several toddlers go home with relatives lately. It's always a bit sad, but I'm also always glad.

Oops, it's dark and I don't like walking back to my apartment in the dark (though it's all of 20 meters). I'll write more tomorrow if the internet is working!

Please keep me in your prayers. You are always in mine.

Love,
Katie

Up Late

It's nearly 2am and I can't sleep. I spent the earlier part of the night reading and praying, and now my mind is in too many places for me to sleep.
I've already planned out my class and work schedule for next fall.
Maybe I'll be able to crash into bed soon. I just have so much on my mind.

For the record, everyone here at CoL is doing well. We've had a lot of sick babies, but all are responding quickly to treatment. I'm still fighting a cold, but it's not so bad. Might be better if I got more sleep. :)

Halfway Already?

Today is my "halfway done at Cradle of Love" day. I'm not sure quite how to feel about the fact that I'm halfway done. I feel like I've been here for a year...I'm starting to get to know the ways of this country. I feel comfortable here. I have friends here. I am involved in an amazing ministry here.
But at night I still dream of home.
I plan to take full advantage of these last 4 months of this chapter of my life. When it's over, I will be glad that I was blessed with this opportunity and encouraged to make a difference in the world.
I know it's possible for one very human person to make a big difference for God. At Davona's birthday party in December we tried to count the number of babies she has taken care of since she got married. The count fell awfully close to 300. Three hundred! I think we as humans too often limit our dreams. We don't realize that if we truly give our lives up to God, He will use us in ways more miraculous than we can imagine.

Please keep me and CoL in your prayers.
Thank you and may God bless you!

Things We Need

I've received some e-mails from people asking what kinds of things Cradle of Love needs. Honestly, our biggest need is money. We have to pay salaries, Social Security for our employees, electricity, food expenses, fuel, propane, etc.

I've come up with a list of items that Cradle of Love needs right now. These are all small things that can be mailed.

Please do not send candy for the children. You can, however, send candy for the staff and volunteers.

1. Nappy pins (we use cloth nappies)
2. Plastic nappy covers (in small, medium, and large). Preferably the kind that snap together at the sides.
3. Baby nail clippers.
4. Color ink cartridges for HP psc 1410 D All-in-One printer. I believe the cartridge code is HPC93528.
5. Bath soap for babies in bars. Not liquid.


Other not-as-needed but still much appreciated items:
1. Envelopes (any size will be useful)
2. Petty Cash Voucher slips.
3. A poster that shows the human body and names the parts.
4. A map of the world.


Thank you all for your love and encouragement and prayers!

January 13, 2009

I haven't put any pictures up lately because the internet is too slow. I'll keep working on it.

Many of you read my post about Quinn's and Molly's deaths. Two days after Molly died, we lost another baby, Joshua, to pneumonia. He was HIV+. A week later, another child died of pneumonia. She was back under her family's care, but it was still hard to know we had lost her. Her twin will be returning to CoL. Most of our children have recovered from malaria. We still have a few fighting pnuemonia and bronchitis, but they should return to health quickly. Thank you to everyone who wrote encouraging notes and who prayed for CoL and me during this difficult time. God is good, and He is still blessing us.

Davona and her family are gone on holiday to Mombasa, Kenya, for 8 days. This means I'm in charge! So far the week hasn't held anything too out of the ordinary. We were supposed to get a baby girl yesterday, but she hasn't arrived yet. Hopefully she'll still come this week. Two new volunteers came on Sunday. They are bright bubbly girls from the Mid-West.

I'm fighting a chest cold. I've had a sore throat for 10 days and I've been coughing a bit the last couple. It doesn't help that I haven't slept much the last 2 nights. I've been sleeping at Davona's house because I'm taking care of her adorable little dogs. I haven't slept well, partially because I'm sick, partially because it's a new place, and partially because the dogs woke me up at 2:30am for some unknown reason. And I also have to blame myself a little because I've been staying up until 10pm watching movies. Davona has a TV and I'm taking full advantage of it!! Usually I'm in bed around 8pm, so 10pm is pretty late for me!

I went to the pool last Sabbath afternoon with a good book and read for about 3 hours, taking the occasional dip when I got too hot. I've never gotten burned at the pool, so I only applied sunscreen to my face, as usual. Well, I got burned! Go figure. I turned a very nice shade of red on my stomach, chest, and upper legs. Thankfully I was laying on my back so I didn't get burned there. I had an interesting time trying to explain my burn to the nannies. They don't understand that it's a burn and that it hurts. It doesn't hurt much anymore, and I think I'll be lucky enough to come away with a tan from the experience. But for the record, I don't condone tanning. In the future I will wear sunscreen and limit my time in the sun. If I remember.

I have received 2 Christmas packages in the mail. THANK YOU to those who contributed! It really brightened my month! Rumor has it that there may be another package on the way. I am so blessed to have people supporting me from back home!

To those of you who pray for me regularly, THANK YOU. I really need it and I really appreciate it.

On January 24 I am halfway through with my time in Africa. I'm torn between being excited to return home and being sad about leaving.