Week 2: Language studies continue

Mambo! (how are things?)

I thought I would send an update now that I have spend over a week in Tanzania. My language training is underway and I think it is going well. Thank-you to all of you who have sent messages to me. I appreciate the support and would love to write back to you individually (and hopefully eventually I will be able to) but my internet situation does not currently allow for that. I will be learning more about my assignment in the next couple of weeks. So far I know that in Tabora I will be getting a bike as everyone bikes there. I also know I will be working with KMT (the Tanzanian mennonite church) in the Tabora diocese to try to figure out what kind of projects we will be working on. I will be living with a family with 2 children and no one connected with my job speaks any English so my language training is extremely important. It is hard to make myself use swahili when people around me speak English but i am trying as I really want to learn. I have enjoyed exploring around where I am staying (near Arusha) where there are a number of villages that look exactly like you would picture an African village would look. We have tryed to talk to some people here but it is a bit challenging as we don't come up with the words fast enough and they talk to fast for us right now. So here is a bit for you ....Nilifika Tanzania wiki jana na nitasoma kiswahili mpaka nitakwenda Tabora. Ninapenda Tanzania. Kwa heri!

Cara

Finally in Africa

I am very excited to finally be in Africa. I arrived on Sunday and since then have not actually done much except for trying to recover from jet lag. Today was my first Swahili lesson. There is a lot to learn but it was very good to get started. The teacher is good and I think I will enjoy the classes a lot. I hope I will learn enough to communicate with the people once I leave for Tabora. We went for a run/walk today and got to see a bit more of the country than the compound we are living in. We saw some villages, very awkwardly greeting some people and then smiled and laughed as we failed to understand what they said, and even heard a choir practice (which was very beautiful). I look forward to seeing and learning more in the coming days and also am looking forward to the day I sleep through the night.

Leaving on a jet plane...

I am sitting in the Africa house in Akron enjoying my last morning in North America for a long time. There have been a lot of goobyes as everyone has been gradually leaving for assignment. I am finally actually leaving for Tanzania today. It is a bit surreal and I am not sure that it has totally sunk in yet but at the same time it is a bit overwhelming...does that make any sense? It has been a good week of orientation where we have been scared and encouraged about the experiance as well as had a lot of fun and made some new friends. Thank-you for all the kind wishes and prayers. I ask your continued prayers for my journey and for building relationships when I reach my destination.

When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I

Psalm 61:2

Orientation

I am currently at orientation in Akron. It is beautiful here and I am really enjoying the people that I am meeting. It has been fun to get to know some of the other SALTers as well as the IVEPers (who are from many different countries and are coming to USA and Canada). and YAMENers (from any country to any country). It is good to have some people here who are from Africa (although not from Tanzania) to get a little taste of what is to come. I have so far learned that my Swahili book may be teaching me some things that would get me laughed at as well as a little bit about how we dress and act differently here that what they would do in Africa. The worship has also been a great experiance as we have a worship service/devotions every day with all of the SALTers, IVEPers and YAMEN. The sessions have been good and I think they will be very helpful for when I get there. I think that the most important things so far have been talking about realistic goals for our terms and how to support our spirituality on term when the churches we attend may not be what we are used to or what we understand. My favorite quotations from orientation so far are from the SALT coordinator (alhtough I think at least the second one is from somewhere else)

"the goal of humanity is to not be in God's way"

"we approach our lives [in north america] as a problem to be solved, not a mystery to be lived"

I have to admit the heat with the humidity in Akron is a little bit unpleasant...I feel sweaty and gross whenever I do anything outside. This is a bit concerning since I am about to head to Africa!

In conclusion I am having a wonderful time and am getting more and more excited for heading to Tanzania. I ask you to keep me in your prayers as I discover what God has in store for me in this journey.