^{While I was in Dar es Salaam, I heard about Madisi Secondary School – an opportunity for me to get more education. I went home and told my parents, “I want to continue to study!” My parents are farmers. At first, they did not want to send me to school; they wanted me to stay on the farm and help dig. But I wanted to study very much. I went to my older brothers. They, too, did not get an education beyond primary school (7th grade). They decided that it was important for me to go to secondary school and agreed to help support me so that I could have the funds to continue my education. They say, “Our sister will one day be the rich one, then she will help us.” Maybe I will be, but I’m not sure. When I told my parents that my brothers thought I should go to secondary school, they too decided to help support me.}

I think the best thing is to study. It is a hard life if you do not have education. When God helps me get to the university, I want to be a teacher or a nurse.

Amina is my 19 year old host student. For the past week and a half I have been living with her here in the village of Igoda. We share a twin bed in her 8’ X 7’ room comprised of bricks, tin roofing and a dirt floor. This is common housing for many students in the village.

Every morning we hike approximately ½ an hour to school. In the beginning of my time here, Amina kindly encouraged me to speed up by asking, “Miss Jennifer, can you add motion?” She does not want to be late to school! We now have an agreement that when I am huffing and puffing up the mountain, she is free to go on ahead so that I do not make her late. J

Amina is a hard worker! She has been a beautiful example to me of generosity, hospitality and perseverance. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to live with her in the village and have a “back stage pass” into Tanzanian culture. What a privilege!

I’ve made a few little friends here in the village. Though I don’t speak much Swahili, we have bonded over little things. Arborns, thank you for the wooden block version of Memory you donated to my collection of school supplies. The kids LOVE this! Doans, thanks for the books you sent me just before I left (We All Go On Safari, Moja Means One and Jambo Means Hello). These have been an invaluable connecting tool – the children learn words in English while I improve my Swahili vocabulary! Building relationships with these kids has definitely been a highlight of my time in the village.

I’m thinking of becoming a Seventh Day Adventist for one – and only one – super spiritual reason: the Seventh Day Adventist church is a mere two minute walk from where I am living in the village. Amina’s church, on the other hand, is a 45 minute hike up a mountain. I will be in shape whether I want to or not!

We left the village late this morning. Amina told me church started at 8:30am; we left at 8:30am. I questioned whether or not we would be late and she responded, “It’s okay. Maybe the pastor will be late.” And sure enough, he was. Since Amina is Catholic, the first thing we did when we arrived was to kneel down and pray. My prayer was, “Thank you God that I made it up the mountain!”

Greetings from Mafinga, Tanzania!

After traveling for approx. 50 hours straight, we arrived at a hotel
in the wee hours of Saturday morning. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so
thankful for a dribbly spout of cold water and the opportunity to take
a cold sponge bath.

Today we spent the morning purchasing supplies
in the market. The other six teachers (including a 75 year old woman,
Joyce, who is travelling internationally for her first time and is my
new hero) seem like great people.

Thanks! Love you lots and I’m so grateful for your prayer support!
-Jen

“Whoah, we’re half way there. Wo-ah, living on a pray-er…” (It’s 4am Eastern/standard time and I’m sitting in the London-Heathrow airport typing Bon Jovi lyrics at an internet cafe…Nice.) I’ve made it half-way to Tanzania by the skin of my teeth. I guess God is helping me learn to depend on Him (and others!) right from the start: Last night I positioned myself in line at Logan airport in Boston, reached for my passport and….nothing. No passport. It only took me a few seconds to realize I’d managed to leave this necessity in the copy machine at Staples in Concord, NH - an hour and a half away. After much prayer, desperate cell phone calls, nervous pacing and a Straweberry Daquiri, I breathed several deep sighs of relief when I finally made it on the plane thanks to the heroic efforts of my brother Chris and adopted/honorary brother, Brian, and perhaps some divine intervention as well!

Anyone who has travelled overseas is very familiar with the “F” word — FLEXIBILITY. I was reminded of my need to practice this virtue (if I can call it that) when I received an email from Steve Vinton (founder of Village Schools International) a few days ago. Here’s a little piece of what I’m expecting when I arrive in Tanzania…

Dear Gang,
So glad I didn’t write you yesterday to tell you all of the plans that we had made to receive you and get you here and to get your training program started, because a series of events conspired to have us change just about everything that we had put in Plan A – so my friends, here is Plan B – but given that your arrival is a whole week away, we might end up being on Plan C or D by that time! The most important thing we have to learn as Americans if we want to survive happily in Africa is to be flexible. We are an “event-oriented” culture here – whereas in America we’re a “time-oriented” culture – doing things according to the set program is really important to us as Americans or else we see things as disorganized, we get stressed out, we’re left feeling that things aren’t going well. Here in Africa – we’re only concerned that the “event” happens, when it happens really doesn’t matter and all of the things along the way are just adventures to use to spend time with people. So in America the church service promptly starts at 9:30 and is promptly over at 10:45 so that people can get their kids out of the nursery and Sunday School on time and so that the next service can start without delay promptly at 11:00. A 2-minute delay shows that we’re a relaxed church that isn’t all uptight and we kind of like that – it goes with the pastor not necessarily always wearing a tie anymore. But a 20-minute delay and well I won’t even say that heads will roll I’ll just say that we’ve never experienced it so we don’t know what would happen and we can’t even imagine it. Here church starts at 9:30 but most people don’t really arrive until 10:30 and the pastor won’t really come maybe even until 10:45 and no one really knows or really cares when things really start and you’re not at all late even if you arrive at 11:30 or even 12:00. Showing up for the “event” is what matters – and all of the time that we’re “late” we’re not really late, we’re spending the time doing worthwhile things like talking with our neighbors and laughing and perhaps even eating. So friends, as I share with you the plans of Plan B, I do so knowing that while you all want to come and serve and be a part of Africa, you’ve still all got at least one foot in America and so knowing that there is indeed a plan might make you feel good – and knowing what the plan actually is might even make you feel really good.
So in the interest of making you feel good before you get on the plane I’m going to tell you what Plan B is.
But in the interest of having you feel good while you’re here in Africa I want you to be ready to be good and flexible and to just roll with the flow. The “event” is getting to Igoda. When we get there matters very little here – and all of the hours (or days) of delay are opportunities in Africa to meet new people, to talk with them, to make some friends. Eventually we’ll get to Igoda – the “event” will occur – and that is absolutely all that matters here in Africa. May it be so in your hearts as well. What I’m trying to say is that a flat tire in America makes one late. A flat tire in Africa just means you have a flat tire, it’s yet another opportunity to talk with people, and you still will eventually arrive at Igoda and that’s all anyone really cares about in the end!

 I think this is going to be good for me.