Adventures in Africa

World on Fire

2010-02-01T23:32:00.001-08:00

I'm listening to a beautiful song by Sarah McLachlan. I've always liked this song. Tonight while taking a study break I discovered the music video she produced for this song. It touched me in a deep way, and I can't help but share it with you.

It mentions Tanzania at time 2:54 and the Kibera slums of Kenya (which I drove past several times while in Nairobi) from time 3:40-4:10. I almost cried when I watched this video, because I saw all that, on a daily basis. It's worth watching if you have 4 minutes. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDmPcSWE0WU

Seeing all this made me want to get up and walk out of this computer lab, leave this hectic and stressful cycle of school and little sleep. It made me want to hop on a plane and go back to Africa and give all that I have. It makes me want to pick up all my babies all over again, rock them to sleep, feed them uji in the morning, change their incredibly messy diapers, and learn to sing their Swahili songs.

But I realized that while I have a lot to give now, I will have more to give if I finish the task before me. Now, all I have to give is love and time. In 2 years when I graduate, I'll have love, time, and a degree in engineering. I'll be able to rebuild their hospitals, fix their bridges....and I will still be able to love each and every one of my babies.

I'm going back someday. East Africa has stolen a piece of my heart, and I continue to ache for the place that for 8 short months I called home.

Maputo, Mozambique

2009-05-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

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?!?

2009-05-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-06T07:33:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-04T05:32:00.003-07:00

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

2009-04-22T23:27:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-04-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-31T23:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-31T00:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-27T01:52:00.000-07:00

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....

2009-03-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-03-10T00:29:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-02-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

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!"

2009-02-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T04:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-04T23:39:00.000-08:00

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....

2009-02-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-01-18T04:32:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-14T00:49:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-13T00:03:00.000-08:00

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.

Two

2008-12-30T01:28:00.001-08:00

On Sabbath we lost one of our quadruplets to pneumonia. I was still in Zanzibar, so I heard the news when I returned Sunday night. It was sad to hear, but my biggest concern was comforting Davona. I hadn't had the chance to get attached to Quinn. He was only about 6 weeks old and spent his 4 weeks at CoL at Davona's home because he was too little to be around the big kids and all their germs.

But today we lost another. I was in the office early this morning talking to my dad and a close friend on Skype. I often wake up early to try to Skype with the people I love. Davona rushed through the office around 7am and into the baby home, barely acknowledging me. A few minutes later she came back in and asked me to take 3 babies to the hospital. I drove the babies and their nannies to the nearest clinic. It was still so early I was surprised it was open. Molly looked oh-so-sick. We waited on a bench for I'm not sure what, but then Molly's eyes rolled back and we demanded that the nurse take her and look at her. Everything was happening in Swahili. I realized that Molly had malaria and was probably entering the fatal comatose stage. I was right. Maybe half an hour after we arrived (or possibly less), we were given the news that she had died. I didn't know how to react, but before I could think of what to do or say, I started to cry. Molly's nanny was bawling next to me. I actually don't know the word for the type of crying...not weeping, not hysterics...just pain. The other two babies are still at the hospital on IV drips for severe dehydration due to diarrhea. I am sure they will be fine. They don't have malaria and they didn't look nearly as sick as Molly looked, even yesterday.

I took the nannies back to CoL, leaving the babies at the hospital with our nurse. Then I brought back another volunteer who agreed to stay with our nurse and the babies. The nurse and I put Molly in the car and I drove, alone and zoned out, back to the baby home. I carried Molly into Davona's office and sat there, holding her. I tried to close her eyes. She seemed more peaceful that way. She wasn't cold yet. She didn't smell like anything other than spit-up and normal baby smells. I held her until Davona came into the office. Something about Davona's arrival snapped me back into awareness and I realized I need to check on the other malaria babies and make sure they were keeping their medicine down. The head nanny assured me they were.

Molly was buried this morning in the corner of our property. I didn't attend the burial. It was too much for me. She was abandoned so we had no one to inform of her death. She turned 2 months old yesterday. She came to us naked and still sticky from birth, weighing only 4.3 lbs. Since then she had grown into a beautiful, healthy-sized little baby, thanks to Davona's loving care (Like Quinn, Molly stayed at Davona's house until recently). It is so sad to lose a healthy baby to malaria. We are all upset and frustrated and the home seems blanketed in a somber mood, though we have to put on a face for the other children. They have no idea what happened.

Today I started tutoring Davona's daughters in Algebra 1. It was nice to have something to focus on other than Molly's death.

Please pray for the baby home and pray for Davona. I am handling this all ok, but naturally she is very sad.

Dar es Salaam

2008-12-22T20:59:00.000-08:00

Without my computer it's been hard to keep my blog up-to-date. I apologize.

Right now I am in Dar es Salaam, the biggest city in Tanzania. I think about 4 million people live here.

I arrived Sabbath evening from Arusha and spent that night, Sunday, and most of Monday with a group from European Bible School in Norway. A lifelong friend, Katrina Cooksley, was in the group. It was SO nice to see someone from home! We had a great time catching up and sharing travel experiences.

The group left on Monday, but an hour or so later 2 of my roommates from CoL showed up. The three of us spent last night here in Dar (at the good ol' YMCA) and this morning they took the early ferry (7:15am) to Zanzibar. Unfortunately, I couldn't accompany them (though I was supposed to) because the immigration office STILL hasn't released my resident permit. It is approved and paid for, but they keep wasting my time. I've been waiting for it for more than 3 weeks now. I applied in November. The latest word is that I should get it by noon today. Then I'll be able to catch a later (and more decrepid) ferry to Zanzibar to meet up with my friends.

The three of us are spending Christmas in Zanzibar on the beach. How odd it will be applying sunscreen knowing that my family is bundling up and playing in the snow!

In advance, I wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement, especially regarding my computer.

Hints for Christmas ;)

2008-12-05T06:28:00.000-08:00

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Mailing-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Bad News

2008-12-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

My roommate accidentally dropped my laptop, and it's completely ruined. I'll have to get a new one when I return to the U.S. next summer.
It's been a stressful last few days because of that. I have no communication with my friends and family now.
I can no longer log onto Skype, so don't call me.
I would love to receive letters, though!
I may or may not be able to log onto my blog for a while.
I will be able to check e-mail occasionally.
Please, please keep me in your prayers. I am discouraged right now. Also keep my laptop in your prayers. I really need a miracle at least to save my data. Saving the rest of the laptop would be nice, too!

Wasps

2008-11-28T00:08:00.001-08:00

I've always been uncomfortable around bees and wasps, probably because I'd never been stung before the other day.
Since the sting I've discovered that my fear of flying things with stingers has escalated to a state of being petrified.
Smaller wasps I can control myself around, though I do freak out a little more now.
However, we have these huge wasps. They're almost the size of dragonflies. They're black and big and they love flying around offices and kitchens (the places I most often spend my time). I've never actually seen one outside.
I have been afraid of these since I saw the first one in my kitchen. I would just calmly leave the room/building if one showed up. Now, however, I absolutely cannot stand to be anywhere near them. I completely freak out and start shaking and whimpering. I look so silly, I'm sure, but I can't control myself! I am absolutely and completely petrified of these things.
I've never been afraid of anything in this manner.

Davona thinks it's funny.

Kiddies at Pool

2008-11-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

Davona, Rakal, Hella, and I took the two Marias and Martin to the pool today. Loads of fun!

Both Marias with me (1 is standing, 2 is sitting)

Maria1 and me

Maria2

Sabbath Was Made for Man

2008-11-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

I'm tired so this is going to be a short post. I had to tell my story, though, of how God works in wonderful ways.

I usually ride to church with Max and Davona Church, but they didn't go this week. I really wanted to go anyhow, so I decided to bravely ride the bus as far as I could and walk the rest of the way.

I tried to take Salima with me, but she was so scared I had to turn back. I decided to take Rachel with me instead. She would go to the end of the earth with me.

The dala-dala driver and attendant both assured me that they would take me all the way up the hill to the University of Arusha (the Adventist university). From there I would only have to walk half a mile to church. Well either they lied or they don't know English, because they dropped me off at the bottom of the hill and kept right on going. I stood there with my baby in my arms for a second, then decided to walk. A dala-dala might come along (I knew even as I thought this that it wasn't likely). As I started up the road I saw a sign for the university. It read: "University of Arusha: 6.3 kilometers." That's almost four miles! Uphill! On a dirt road! And I was carrying a child and a large (though not heavy) bag!

I started walking anyway.

After just a couple minutes, a dala-dala-looking van passed. I tried to flag it down, but it just flashed its lights at me and kept going. I'm still trying to figure out what it means when they flash their lights here. Sometimes they do it before they stop, sometimes they do it if they're not going to stop. Sometimes they do it to say hello. I just can't figure it out.

A 4-door sedan passed next. I ignored it. Then I saw a RAV4-like car coming up the road. For some reason, I flagged it down. And he stopped! As he pulled up next to me I realized it was a gentleman, maybe in his late twenties. I'm sure that what was going through my head is exactly what is going through your head: "Oh my...I'm hitchhiking in Africa, by myself (well, with a baby), and I'm being picked up by a single man. I am so stupid." But! Let me reassure you. Hitchhiking in Africa is not like hitchhiking in America. Yes, there is always the possibility of getting robbed (the most valuable thing in my purse was a bottle of hand sanitizer). But in East Africa it is common for people to hitchhike, and very rare for it to go awry. People just don't hurt hitchhikers here. Plus, the locals have a certain respect for white people. We bring money to their economy. Why would they endanger that by hurting one of us?

So, I asked him if he could take me to the university. He said yes, and I hopped in. The very first thing he asked me was, "Are you going to church?" I was taken aback. "Yes," I responded, and then he told me he was an Adventist! An Adventist! He told me he was also going to the university to pick someone up and bring them back to town. I thought that was nice of him, but then he told me he was a taxi driver. "Oh no," I groaned to myself, "Now he is going to expect me to pay him!" (though this did make me more comfortable regarding my safety). "How much are you going to charge me?" I asked, half joking and half scared. He looked at me and said, "Oh no. Nothing. Today is the Sabbath. I do not work on Sabbath, so you cannot pay me. Today I am just helping you."

What a blessing! God led me to flag down that specific car, where I found a taxi driver who was also an Adventist and who dropped me off at the door of the church and didn't charge me a penny! We even found out we had a couple friends in common! (Driver: "Do you know Max Church?" Katie: "Are you kidding me? I work for his wife!")

God is good.

Disclaimer: Please don't think I am behaving in an unsafe way. I am, in fact, very safe here in Tanzania.

Ouch

2008-11-21T07:39:00.000-08:00

Until about 15 minutes ago, I'd never been stung by a bee.
Well...
Our water has been off for 2 days. I got desperate and tried to climb onto the water tank to see if the water was being routed to our apartment or not (it works downstairs....). By the way, our water tank is on top of the roof. There was a bee on the ladder so I batted it away with a stick. Gently.
But that bee/wasp/ugly-black-flying-thing-with-a-stinger came back with a vengeance.
I screamed and hopped around like a typical girl, but he got me. On my arm. Ouch!
It hurt a lot!
Over the next minute or two this warm sensation coursed through my arm (intermittent with shots of pain). I tried to mix baking soda with water, but alas, we had no water. I finally found a teaspoon of water in the bottom of our otherwise empty tea kettle and mixed up a little baking soda paste.
It doesn't hurt anymore.
The nannies asked if I took out the stinger. Um...no... :S It didn't look like there was one.
Anyway, I've officially had my first bee sting. Hope I did everything right.

Katie + Rachel + Market = Fun Times

2008-11-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to take Rachel into the market with me! The market is about a mile away (on Thursdays and Sundays) but it's easy to catch a dala-dala there for 150 shillings (about 12 cents).

It was my day off so my roommates and I sat at a local lodge and drank soda and played cards (we wanted to swim in the pool but the manager decided today that he wanted to charge us). I left the "party" early and headed back to Cradle of Love. I donned my African dress, which was a gift to myself for my 2-month anniversary of being in Africa. The locals loved seeing a mzungu in a traditional dress! I got many compliments and one ADRA worker told me I just needed to draw all over my body with a black marker and then I would truly be an "African lady!"

Before I begin, let me clarify...Rachel isn't really a baby...she's 2 years old. We as the volunteers just tend to call them all babies.

I must admit, Rachel is probably my favorite baby. I chose to take her to the market because 1) she's my favorite (and I'm her favorite), and 2) she's the least likely to cry. Since these kids rarely leave the compound, going to the market is a big deal. In fact, I don't think a volunteer has ever taken a child to the market. Sometimes they will take them to the pool or to church, but to the bustling market? I'm brave. :)

Rachel was her usual quiet self. Maybe stoic is a better word. I'm slowly getting her to talk a little. She's perfectly capable (I've heard it!) but she is moody and stubborn and just won't talk most of the time. My latest accomplishment: about half the time she says "up" when she wants me to pick her up instead of just crying. Yay!

I even got a couple smiles out of her during our hour-long adventure. Mostly she just clung to me and looked around, quietly taking in her surroundings. The dala-dala unnerved her at first (it would unnerve anyone! I'm a little surprised she didn't cry), but I kept my hand on her at all times and she was okay.

I loved it! A good number of the locals at the market commented on the mzungu with the African baby. Some of them asked me in Swahili, "How is your baby?" instead of asking me, "How are you?" One lady was even kind enough to teach me how to respond in Swahili!

This is Rachel's typical expression. But as you see in the picture at the top, she does smile!

Havilah Fun Day

2008-11-19T12:12:00.000-08:00

Lyte pauses from playing in the pool to snap a picture with me. What a sweet girl!

Dorcas blows up a balloon. The kids loved them!

All the Havilah kids playing in the little bit of water we put into Davona's pool.

I'm not sure who the kid on my right is, but he and Dorcas and I had fun shooting this picture.

On Sunday, Nov. 16, we invited the 20 kids and 4 staff from Havilah Village down for a fun day in the sun. Havilah Village is an orphanage just a handful of kilometers up the road. It is located near the University of Arusha, the Adventist University here in Tanzania. Havilah Village is run by Global Vessels and takes kids as young as 3. Currently their oldest children are 9, but they keep kids until they are 18. Two student missionaries from Andrews University are serving there. I get to socialize with them on Sabbath after church sometimes.

I was in charge of games, so I organized Simon Says, Duck Duck Goose, a water balloon toss, and tossing a bean bag through holes in a board. We split the kids into groups and rotated through the games. We stopped for a yummy lunch of beans, rice, cooked kale, caramel popcorn and cake (the cake made by me!), as well as some slightly stale but much-appreciated chips donated by a local grocery store. At the end all the kids got a prize toy.

It was a great day with wonderful weather!

Mango Allergy

2008-11-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd post a couple pics of the babies. One is Rahma, whose smile brightens my days. This girl is ADORABLE. She giggles so much! She's the baby who will laugh when someone else is being tickled! I love her and often carry her around or hold her while I'm doing office work. I just can't get enough of her...except maybe when she's occasionally cranky. :) The other picture is of Grace and Jackson. I haven't quite figured out Grace yet. Sometimes she cries and I'm not sure why. Jackson is just a normal little baby...cute like all our babies at Cradle of Love!

I titled this post "Mango Allergy" because, well, I've had a run-in with mangoes. I love mango! Back home I've often reacted to the skin of the mango, but I wasn't sure if it was actually the fruit or the pesticides on it, since it was only the outside. Unfortunately I made an unwise decision here and assumed it was pesticides and that I wouldn't react to Tanzanian mango. Boy, was I wrong! I've had the worst mango reaction I've ever had! My lips and chin broke out into a very itchy rash the next day. Over the next week the rash moved across my chin to my jawline and onto my eyelids! Then on Sabbath it migrated to my forearms, my hands, and my feet! Not fun!

The good news is that I have researched mango allergies and discovered that it IS only the skin I'm allergic to. My allergy is caused by the sap from the tree, which gets onto the skin. The sap has an oil in it that is similar to poison oak. I've always been very allergic to poison oak!

My roommates have graciously offered to peel mangoes for me from now on. If they're not around, I do have a good supply of latex gloves. :)

The rash on my face is almost gone (it's been just over a week). My hands and feet are still definitely broken out. I'm expecting that to fade away by the end of the week.

In other news, 2 new volunteers from Norway arrived yesterday. They're fun and friendly and I'm excited about spending the next few months with them.

Babies Come, Babies Go

2008-11-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

We've had some changes at the home lately!
Last week two families each brought us a preemie baby. Both are less than a month old. Amina (girl) and Lowasa (boy) are tiny, cute, precious bundles!
The very next day, someone found an abandoned baby by the side of a path. They took it to the hospital, and the hospital immediately sent the little girl to us. She still had birthing fluid on her little body. As Davona put it, she was "new, new, new!"
The nannies named the little girl Happiness. She weighed only 4 lbs. 5 oz with clothes on. What a tiny baby! She is doing well here.
Just yesterday, Ally and Zainabu, adorable little twins, transferred to another orphanage, where they will stay until they finish high school. I am sad to see them go, but I know it's for the best. I'm just grateful their mother let them go. She has been rather difficult.
Then in the afternoon we had the privilege of receiving ANOTHER baby! Little Joshua is 9 months old. His mother tried to get rid of him when he was first born, but a nun convinced her not to kill him. A friend has been taking care of him since he was only a month old. The mother is sick with HIV and is deciding what to do about his future. For now, he is here with us! He's a real cutie!
I don't have pictures yet, but Davona posted some on www.cradleoflove.com.
Also, I learned how to do one local hairstyle! I styled Rahma's hair. There is a picture of me with her on the CoL website.
Pray that funds flow in! I still need more money, and the baby home needs much more. We appreciate your prayers SO much! I know God has a plan, and it is comforting to me to know you are lifting us up to Him.

Election Day

2008-11-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

This morning my apartment mates and I woke up around 5:30 and caught a dala-dala into town. The U.S. Embassy was hosting an election party at the AICC in Arusha. We arrived at about 10 after 7am, just in time to hear speeches from both McCain and Obama. Coca-Cola provided free beverages (a big deal here) so we stuffed 10 bottles in our purses on our way out! We stayed until about 8:30, then got bored of watching everything on TV and left. After walking around Arusha all morning getting vegetables and discovering new shops, we headed back.

Laura was scheduled to work this afternoon, so Emma and I walked down to Arumeru Lodge and splashed around in the pool. I finally used the underwater feature on my camera! It was a blast!

Shortly after we got back to CoL (Cradle of Love), the skies filled with dark clouds and it started to get stormy. Good thing we swam when we did!

Notice the size of that beetle in the smallest picture. I hope you can see by comparison to my foot that the bug is BIG! I hope I never run into one of those again.

Tomorrow Ally and Zainabu, 22-month-old twins, are moving to a long-term care facility. I'm sad to see them go, but I'm glad that their mother is letting them be transferred to a place where they can grow up happily and healthfully.

My Back

2008-10-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

I recently received word from my dermatologist that I had to have a bump removed from my back as soon as possible. After much searching, I found a good doctor about an hour and a half away by bus. He removed the bump for me at no cost (what a blessing)!

Here is my scar as it looked on 10/24/08.

It's a bit sore....

Their local anesthetic isn't the best, so I had the privilege of being quite aware of some of the cutting and the stitches.

I'm thankful that everything went smoothly, though! God is good!

Afro!

2008-10-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

I really couldn't resist these pictures. :)

I Still Need Money

2008-10-17T01:25:00.002-07:00

Thank you again to those of you who so generously gave money so I could come to Africa. A few of you still continue to give, and I am incredibly grateful!

I do still need to raise more money. I still need about $1500. A portion of that I will leave here at Cradle of Love when I return to the United States.

I know that most of you who are reading this blog have already given. In that case, could you please pass the word along to friends and family? Any donation helps! Ask your church family. Post a notice in the bulletin. I can send brochures or other information. Just ask! Also feel free to check out the website: www.cradleoflove.com.

If you decide to donate directly to Cradle of Love through the website, please let me know so I can include it in what I am "leaving behind" as a donation. Keep in mind that donations directly to the baby home do not help me with my expenses.

As always, keep praying!

Thank you and God bless!

Quick Update

2008-10-17T01:22:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm all better! Not sick anymore! Yay!

Thank you SO much for all your prayers. God is answering my prayers and taking care of me in ways that I wouldn't expect. He goes beyond all my expectations.

Sick :(

2008-10-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I had an unpleasant experience this weekend. On Sabbath night I woke suddenly very ill. I stayed sick all day Sunday. I won't go into detail, but it wasn't pleasant. I think I may have some sort of parasite. Not fun! This morning (Monday) I started antibiotics. Hopefully that'll knock whatever it is out of my system! I am thankful, though, that unlike Sunday, today I had the energy to move around, take a short walk, and even play with the babies a bit! I was bedridden all day Sunday, without even enough energy to sit up. Now, just a day later, I am feeling much better! Thank you for all your prayers!

I have also learned to be thankful for my strong stomach. I've never been one to throw up when I'm ill, which sometimes means that I have to suffer through nausea longer than others. When I realized that some people who get parasites throw up so much they can't keep down water or medicine, I decided that I'm very thankful I never throw up!

Despite my not-so-happy weekend, I am in great spirits. I'm just thankful for medicine, energy, water, and people who care. God bless!

Just Another Day

2008-10-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

The other volunteers were gone today, and Davona went to church with her family. I was assigned to be a nanny from 7am to 1pm so I didn't get to go to church. My job as a nanny consisted of feeding, bathing, changing, putting down for naps, etc. for 6 babies. I was replacing a nanny who is on holiday for the month. I have the afternoon/evening shift tomorrow.

After my shift I rode the dala-dala into Tengeru. I just needed to get away, get some exercise and get some sunshine. It really helped! I talked to a few locals, as I always do when I go into town, and tried to learn more Swahili.

Here is a picture of Rachel, one of the shy babies who loves me:

Bahati Is Healthy!

2008-10-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon Davona, Batilda (the nurse), and I performed an HIV rapid test on Bahati. It consists of drawing a small amount of blood and mixing it with some solution. A piece of paper reveals a pink line if the blood has HIV, and no line if it doesn't. We waited anxiously for the 15 minutes that it takes to complete the test, staring at the little strip of paper, praying we wouldn't see a pink line. And there is no pink line! Bahati's original diagnosis was wrong, as the doctor suspected. He doesn't have HIV!

Please keep praying that Clinton and Helena will also test negative for HIV.

A Ray of Hope

2008-10-08T01:52:00.000-07:00

I mentioned earlier that 3 of our babies tested positive for HIV. I was wrong; four of our babies tested positive. One baby, Rahma, is definitely positive and has started antiretroviral medications (ARVs). She will take them for life. The others recently had a blood test to determine if they need ARVs.

The other volunteers and I drove into Usa River today to find out the results from the last blood test. The doctor, an Italian man, gave us some good news. He said that the antibody count for three of our babies is actually very low. Often a baby whose mother is HIV+ has antibodies in its blood for about a year after birth, even if they don't have the virus. Since the count is so low, the doctor thinks that those 3 babies don't actually have the virus! One child, Bahati, is getting tested again a week from today. If the results are negative, then he is perfectly healthy and HIV-free! If the results are positive, then we have to wait another 4-6 months and test him again. The other 2 babies are only about 6 months old. We have to wait until they are a year old to do more testing.

I'm so excited, and so hopeful! Please pray for these precious babies.

Flood

2008-10-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Today I had the privilege of driving all the volunteers (there are 6 of us) into town to pay a visit to the immigration office. An immigration official stopped by the other day and told us that our visas aren't good enough and we have to get work permit/class C visas. Which means we all have to pay another $120. I left 4 of the girls in town and came back with Emma. I was a few steps ahead of her as we walked into the apartment, but I stopped short just as I got inside. Our whole apartment was covered with TWO INCHES of standing water!

Before we left, the tub was on because some clothes were soaking. Then the water suddenly cut off (as it does often), and we thought we turned off the faucet, but apparently hadn't turned it all the way off. While we were gone the water came back on and flooded all our bedrooms, our bathrooms, and our hallway. All my books are ruined, and some of my stationery is a little disformed. The only book that survived completely damage-free was my Bible (what a blessing!!). Luckily that was all the damage I suffered. Emma's computer may be ruined. We're still waiting to see if it will turn on. My other roommates seem to have not lost much, if anything. I'm thankful for that!

The water took 2 hours to clean up. I wish we had a pump. Instead, Emma and the gardener, David, mopped it all up with mops and bed sheets and towels. I had to go to a meeting and could not help.

The meeting I had to go to was Cradle of Love's 1st administrative council meeting. Davona, the director, and I are the 2 administrators. Our council also consists of Zahara, the staff coordinator, and Batilda, the nurse. We had a great meeting (there were a lot of issues to discuss!). I really like being part of the administration. I feel respected and valued, and like I can make a difference. I've also started to become a sort of mediator between the director and the other volunteers. There is nothing bad to mediate; I just help make sure that scheduling is communicated, etc.

I'm glad the water is cleaned up, but I'm still lamenting the loss of my books (most of which were brand new).

I'm also relieved, though, that the administrative council seems like a group that will work together very well.

Lions and Zebras and Elephants, oh my!

2008-10-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today we went on a safari to the Ngorongoro Crater! We had to leave Usa River at about 6am so we could make it to the crater by mid-morning.

Before we looked at the animals in the bottom of the crater, we stopped at a Masaai village and took a tour. They even danced for us! This is me with one of the Masaai men outside his hut made out of dung!

Here I am holding elephant bones with a water buffalo skull at my feet.

We saw all kinds of animals in the crater: elephants, water buffalo, wildebeast, hippos, lions!, zebras, warthogs, dik-diks, many birds, a hyena, and rhinos!

In the picture above, you can see that the safari vehicles are following two lions as they walk down the road. How exciting! We also had the rare opportunity to see a lioness hunt and kill a zebra.

1st Birthday Party

2008-10-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

The other day we threw a birthday party for 4 of the babies' 1st birthday!
Another volunteer and I made the cake and icing completely from scratch. We were so proud of ourselves! We even had to sift the flour and mix the powdered milk.
After giving every child a small piece, we just let the toddlers have at the cake. They made such a mess, but they were so excited the whole time! We even had fun cleaning up. :)

Suppertime Photoshoot

2008-09-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of Noreen and me. Isn't she beautiful? Her little smile is so cute!

Maria just looked so cute in this little hat! I made her stop eating so I could snap a picture! She loved the attention.

Yasini loves kissing! I told him to "busu" Salima, thinking he would kiss her cheek, but no! He went straight for the lips!

Another Roommate

2008-09-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

My newest apartment mate arrived this evening. We now have 7 of us living here, which is full! All the rooms have 2 beds except mine, since I'm the long-termer. Four of my apartment mates came together and are here until around Thanksgiving. The newest one is here until December. The other one is a Tanzanian who was only here for a week and a half, and will leave on Wednesday.

I really enjoy living with these ladies. We are all here to help these babies, and we act as an encouragement to each other.

2008-09-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Neema was so excited to hold baby Rebecca!

Solo Market Trip & the Game Lodge

2008-09-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's a quarter to one in the morning and I can't sleep, so I'm blogging! :)

I went to the Tengeru market for fresh produce. I had to ride the dala-dala, which is a mini bus. I would describe it as a mini-van sized automobile with about 16 seats but at least 20 passengers! People just cram into these things. It costs $200 TSH, which is about 15 or 20 cents. The dala-dalas are the easiest place to get pickpocketed, because you're crammed into a tight space with a bunch of people. I was very careful in placing my money inside my clothing and did not have anything stolen.

The locals are very helpful. People constantly pointed me in the right direction, especially if I asked, and sometimes even if I didn't! Everyone I came in contact with was eager to help me learn Swahili, and I enjoyed practicing. I think my progress isn't very fast, but two separate people complimented me on learning it so quickly, so maybe I'm not doing half bad!

I like the market very much. The locals sit on blankets with their produce in little piles (they sell by the pile). As I walked by each person would call out, "Mzungu! Karibu! Njoo!" which means, "White person! Welcome! Come see what I have! Come!" After buying my produce for the week, I purchased a few meters of a pretty fabric. I'm going to have it made into a dress. I can't wait!

On Sabbath Davona and I took 4 of the toddlers to the nearby game reserve. The kids hadn't been in a car since at least before they came to Cradle of Love, and they were terrified! It was so sad, and so hard to explain to them that they would be just fine! I sat in the back and had all 4 clinging to me, tears rolling down their cheeks. Once we got to the game reserve (it's only a 5 or 7 minute drive), the kids happily watched monkeys, porcupines (they are HUGE!), tortoises, a hawk, crested cranes, a crocodile, zebras (we got within 10 ft. of them!), a beautiful stork, an ibis, peacocks, and two different species of wildebeast-looking things (they weren't wildebeasts, but I don't know what they were). I really enjoyed the game reserve, and I know the kids did, too! Salima and Neema kept saying, "Zebra!"

A Sad Day

2008-09-26T03:09:00.000-07:00

Today I had my first glimpse of the sorrow that is connected with the babies at Cradle of Love. Davona and I drove into Usa River to review the results of 3 babies' HIV tests. All 3 tested positive. I asked Davona what this meant for the children, and this is what I learned:
-Even with medication, they will probably not live to see age 15
-There is little to no chance of their adoption with a positive test result. Most Tanzanians don't want HIV positive babies, and the few foreigners who would accept them regardless cannot get around all the red tape required to get the children into the U.S.
We drove back to Cradle of Love in silence, after Davona called one baby's prospective adoptive mother (an American) and told her the sad news. The woman burst into tears.
These babies have their future decided for them. It's not fair, and it's so painful to watch.

On a brighter note, the kids at Cradle of Love are happy. For now, they do not know what HIV is or if they have it. Today was the first time I had a sad thought since arriving. Downstairs in the baby home it is all joy. The children are well-adjusted and happy, and they know that they are loved.

A Sick Day

2008-09-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I contracted a very sore throat yesterday afternoon which worsened throughout the evening. I had a rough time sleeping last night, and woke up feeling a bit sickly. I went downstairs to feed the babies breakfast but came back upstairs to rest for most of the morning, expecting to return to feed them lunch at noon. Instead I slept until 2pm! I likely would have slept longer, except that one of my roommates woke me up to ask if I needed any soup made, concerned that she had not seen me all day. She is a very sweet Tanzanian lady (in her late twenties I suspect) who is here for a couple weeks on vacation from work.

I rested all day, venturing from my room once to make myself some soup. I read and slept and ate throat lozenges by the dozen. I finished my book, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, just now and realized that my sore throat is nearly gone! My achiness is also much improved. I am feeling so much better, and excited to return to my precious babies tomorrow!

Thank you to all of you for your prayers!

First Round of Pictures

2008-09-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

This first picture is Agatha, with Neema in the background. Her teeth look like little rabbit teeth--it's so cute!

The second picture is Hope, who is just a constant bundle of joy! She absolutely loves it when I lay on my back and lift her in the air above me, airplane style.

It's Raining!

2008-09-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to rain. It's drizzling much like it does in Oregon, and it's pretty cool (maybe in the 50s?). I feel very much at home, and I'm happy!

Links to Pictures

2008-09-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

I can't upload any of my own pictures yet, but here are some neat links that might interest you:

A pic of what the people/scenery look like:

http://developmentalidealism.org/img/africa/4f.jpg

Pics of the kind of monkeys we have in our backyard--the ones that came in my apartment!

http://www.enkosiniecoexperience.com/images/Vervet%20Monkey%20Sanctuary/vervet4-small.jpg

http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/40/vervet-monkey-pictures_572.jpg

Children in Africa

2008-09-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

First, I must comment on the fact that I just had to shoo 2 monkeys out of my apartment! They climbed up the stairs and walked right in! I glanced up from what I was reading and saw them, but it took me a second to process that there were monkeys in my apartment!

All the children here seem to want attention. Not in a bratty or needy way, just in an innocent, simple way. It's so endearing. As we drive along the road (the one paved road in Usa River), children stare and wave. Reciprocating a wave or a smile just makes their little faces light up! Yesterday when we arrived at church we plopped down on the grass and this little girl, maybe about 3, came over and pressed herself right up against my side. She didn't move the whole service, or say anything. She just wanted to be as close to me as possible! When her mom took her away at the end of church, the poor girl screamed and cried. The children here at the orphanage are similar. Each of the babies/toddlers has its own personality, naturally, but many of them just want to be held. One girl sat on my lap for nearly an hour today. If I put her down she would cry, and if I walked away she would just bawl (even if it was just to help another child who had fallen, or take rocks out of a kid's mouth...the kids are constantly sticking rocks in their mouths. I don't get it). She had to be the center of my attention every second. If I picked up another child, she would cry. I happen to know that this girl was abandoned by her mother, and it was so sad to see her so clingy.

It is nice to know that I'm making a difference simply by loving these children. I have plenty of love to give!

Market!

2008-09-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

I love the market! Max and Davona took me there today. For approximately $3 USD, I bought a small watermelon, 3 lg. tomatoes, green beans, nearly a dozen small oranges, 4 small peppers, a kilo (about 2.2 lb) of brown beans, about 8 small potatoes, half a dozen good-sized carrots, and 4 small onions. Fresh food is cheap! The first thing I bought was tomatoes. Max asked how much a pile of 3 was, and the lady responded $200 TSH, which is 15 cents! I was taken aback, and very excited that I'll be able to eat inexpensively! Packaged goods really rack up the bill, though.

I'm very excited about cooking from scratch! I have all those veggies, rice, and flour, plus a bunch of spices my mom sent over with me. This will be an adventure!

I Have Arrived!

2008-09-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

I am finally here in Tanzania! I had a wonderful trip with even a few surprising blessings! Due to an overnight layover, I was supposed to sleep alone in a hotel room in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Naturally I was nervous about this, especially since I don't know the language and have no way of contacting anyone should I need assistance. Well, the plane I was on from Washington, D.C. to Addis Ababa stops in Rome to refuel (it is a looooong flight!). When we landed in Rome, I noticed that a young man about 5 seats away looked an awful lot like a student at Walla Walla University. I approached him and he recognized me. How amazing to coincidentally have a flight with another WWU student! And he informed me that 2 more WWU students were sitting farther forward in the plane! The 3 were headed to Ethiopia as student missionaries, and invited me to spend the night with them instead of alone. I am so glad they did! I felt much safer, and much happier with companionship.

I have been at Cradle of Love for almost 24 hours. I like it very much! The babies are absolutely adorable, and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. We even have monkeys in our yard! I saw 2 of them just now as I walked back to the orphanage from the director's home.

I went to church this morning (it's Sabbath for me, since I'm 10 hours ahead of the West Coast) and had the pleasure of meeting some other foreigners. I have heard that there are 2 student missionaries from Andrews University working in the area. I would very much like to meet them soon!

Tomorrow Max & Davona Church (Max=ADRA Tanzania Director; Davona=Cradle of Love Director) are going to take me to Usa River (walking distance) to the market so I can buy fresh vegetables. Yesterday I bought bread, peanut butter, and eggs at the local shop, which is really just a hut with a few necessities.

How to Contact Me!

2008-09-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

Ways to contact me:
-Post comments on this blog (I believe you have to have an account to do this)
-E-mail me! kathryn.currier@wallawalla.edu
-Write me letters! I absolutely love receiving letters, though I admit that I am not the best at returning the correspondence promptly (though I do enjoy writing!). Maybe this year I'll focus on being more consistent and prompt in returning letters! I must warn, though, not to send packages. I will be charged to receive them, and they often will be rifled through. Large envelopes should be ok, and of course a letter will get to me just fine! I sent myself a test letter nearly a month ago, and it has not arrived yet, so expect long delays in delivery!
Katie Currier
c/o Cradle of Love Baby Home
P.O. Box 360
Usa River, Tanzania AFRICA
-Call me! How? you ask. Let me explain! I purchased an internet phone number for only $7/month (thanks to my dad for paying for this!!). My phone number is
(503) 616-4582
This is a Beaverton, Oregon, number, so it is local to Portland residents. If you call me on this number, you pay no extra charge than you would to call anyone else in Beaverton, Oregon. The number rings to my laptop. If I have internet and am not working, I can answer the call and talk to you! Otherwise, you can leave me a voicemail that I can retrieve later.

All my love!

Only a Week Left . . . .

2008-09-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

I have received approximately $2700 in donations. How amazing that is! I am truly blessed to have so many loving friends and family pitching in to help with my mission trip. Honestly in all my life I have never been so sure of a decision as I am of my choice to spend this year in Africa. I know that God will use me and mold me this coming year more than ever. I am absolutely thrilled to leave a week from today! In fact, exactly a week from this moment I will be in Washington, D.C., I believe, waiting to fly to Ethiopia!

I still need approximately $2500 more. This is how it breaks down: $400 for insurance, $1200 for food and necessities while I am gone, and $900 to reimburse me for what I've spent on supplies & vaccines. I have raised enough to get myself over to Africa, but I need money for food while I'm gone! I would also like to be reimbursed for what I've personally spent, because that money should be going on my school bill when I return.

Donations can be sent to the student missions office throughout the year to help support me. Remember not to write my name on any checks (rather on a post-it note attached), and to include your name and address with the donation. Send financial support to:

Walla Walla University
Office of Student Missions
204 S. College Ave.
College Place, WA 99324

Keep me in your prayers, as well as my two friends who leave for Tanzania the day after I do, Neil and Justin. They'll be working in a hospital near Kigoma. Also, please pray for the families of a few missionaries who were tragically killed in an accident in Chad.

Visa and a plane ticket!

2008-08-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

My visa arrived in the mail yesterday! One more thing I can check off my to-do list!
Also, I finally found the perfect plane ticket. It's just under $2000 (a good deal!). I'm flying with my friends Neil and Justin for most of the trip. They will be working in Kigoma, Tanzania. Neil's blog is www.neilandafrica.blogspot.com, for those of you who might know him. My flight layovers seem fairly convenient and I leave PDX in the early evening and return also in the early evening. This means more people will be willing to say goodbye to me and greet me when I return! I'm thankful I don't arrive at midnight or some other crazy hour. Five p.m. sounds very nice to me!
Again, thank you for your prayers and financial support! I still need to raise two to three thousand dollars!

Counting Down the Days!

2008-08-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

As of this morning, I have raised $1455. That's almost enough to pay for my plane ticket! I'm going to dip into my savings to pay for the airfare. I have also used my summer wages to pay for supplies, my visa, my passport, and immunizations. I didn't realize how expensive a year of travel would be! I'm praying that more money comes in. I have to support myself financially while I'm abroad, as well as pay for insurance through the General Conference. Those two things will come to close to $2000 (in addition to the $2000 airfare). Please pray for my travel plans!

Speaking of the General Conference, my call was passed on Wednesday!!! After months of waiting and frantically sending e-mails to dozens of people I've never met, I am finally approved to go as a student missionary sponsored by the Adventist church! YES! This is truly an answer to prayer...and a much-anticipated and much-worked-for accomplishment!

Thank you to everyone for your support! I truly appreciate every dollar you've given, every prayer you've sent up, and the thoughtful cards and letters I've received. I'm very, VERY excited to be in Africa at Cradle of Love Baby Home! (www.cradleoflove.com)

Funds Are Trickling In

2008-08-04T11:41:00.001-07:00

As of last Wednesday, I've received about $750. Only a few thousand to go! I'm very excited about leaving in just 7 weeks! If I can buy my ticket within the next week or so, I can probably get it for $2200, which is a thousand or two less than I thought I would have to pay! That is very good news. Beyond that I have to pay for my medical insurance and my living expenses (which together should total between $2000 and $3000, depending on whether or not my call is passed through the GC). Speaking of my call, Davona, orphanage director, filled out more paperwork regarding my call last week. As far as I know, only the division and the GC need to approve that paperwork and I'm set!
I'm also in the process of getting my visa.
Thank you for your prayers and your financial support!

Call Passed by Tanzania Union

2008-06-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my blog!

I am SO excited to go to Africa! On Monday, June 23, my call was passed by the Tanzania Union. Just a few more steps and I'll be cleared to go! I'm sending out letters for fundraising, so if you haven't gotten one yet, please e-mail me your address at kathryn.currier@wallawalla.edu and I will make sure you get one!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support as I prepare to embark on this journey!