It's Raining!

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

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

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!

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!

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!

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 . . . .

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.