I am
using my laptop (for the first time in three months!) at a conference center in
Morogoro (central Tanzania). This
milestone conference is my “Early Service Training” – which means that I have
lived alone at site for almost three months.
I regret to say that I have not yet been able to write about the
amazing, fulfilling, journey of the last three months – it’s a combination of
being unable to access my laptop as well as more busy than I could have
imagined. But, I will do my best to write
a few hasty summaries on my cup full of
blessings over the past three months.
Maisha
Mazuri means “good life.” Life is far
too good to me – fact, not opinion. My
village is nestled in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. On clear days, the view of the peak, called
Kibo, is breathtaking. Most evenings,
the cloud cover disappears for a while, and Africa’s tallest mountain is the
backdrop for football, choir practice, food-begging, and the other evening
student activities.
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| Our football field on a crystal clear morning |
The mountains make
for a morning run with more “huffing” and “puffing” than the Big Bad Wolf
himself, but I hope that my muscles will thank me later. Our village is more accurately described as a
lush banana farm, with houses and vegetable patches dotting the landscape. The sun can get hot in the afternoons, but
cool streams that run straight from the peak of Kilimanjaro are plentiful.
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| All smiles with some of my Advanced-level Students |
My favorite place to visit in the village is
called Kighunduma – a word in our
tribal language, Kichagga. It’s a hidden oasis, a virgin waterfall never
marred by the feet of tourists. The hike
to the waterfall is long, and full of muddy slopes, thorny patches, and
unblazed trails. The final hurdle is a
dangerously slippery, steeply graded hill that, I’m sure, most casual hikers
would turn away from. But, the
persevering hiker will be soon rewarded, as this tumble-trap opens up directly
into a rushing, rock-lined stream.
Carefully toeing the slippery rocks leads to the huge downward-tumbling
column of water. Days I have spent
hiking to the waterfall with my students and friends are among my favorite in
this country.
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| Visiting Kighunduma one day with my friend Seth, a nearby Volunteer. |
“Buying
local” is not even a choice, because I live on the most fertile ground on
Earth. I eat fresh eggs everyday from
the school chickens that roam our beautiful campus and my house. I drank fresh milk – well, until our mama cow
passed away (a story for another time).
I can pick fresh papaya from a tree just outside of my house, and my
students tell me that mangoes will soon be falling from the trees like
rain! My hope was to grow every variety
of vegetables that I eat in my own mini-farm, but the chickens had other plans
for the seeds that I planted and nurtured for weeks. So, for now, I still spend my Saturdays
conversing laughing and joking with local mamas at our weekly “sokoni,” or
market.
The school, as a whole, has more resources than I could have imagined - and you will be hearing plenty more about the opportunities and challenges that accompany this soon!
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| I cannot believe the first house I have to myself is this beautiful! I live on the entire top floor, and our school pastor, his wife (also a teacher, my mentor, and best friend), and their children live downstairs. |
The house that my school provides for me is too good to believe. I have three bedrooms – so plenty of space
for my frequent visitors! Clean, fresh
running water is a huge blessing to all of the volunteers in my district. In fact, I even have a Western flush toilet
and a shower! Electricity on most nights
makes life incredibly easy.
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| My living room - I host chai guests here almost every day :) |
It’s hard
not to feel guilty, because many of my volunteer friends do not have running water
or electricity, but I guess it’s another thing to accept the surprises of
service, both good and bad.
You
might call me a chronic optimist, but I truly do not think that anyone could
have a complaint living in my community.
I could gush for hours about everything at my school and in my village,
but I will let the pictures do some of the talking. Enjoy a few glimpses into maisha mazuri – the
good, good life.
