I'm here!

Victor was kind enough to come to the Dar es Salaam airport AGAIN to meet me Friday morning. He dropped me at his auntie's house since I didn't know where the Wycliffe guest house was, where I had planned to stay Thursday night. The Wycliffe driver had come the day before, and I didn't know how to reach him. (For those of you who were surprised at my lack of planning for this trip, now you can see why I didn't bother!) But it was nice to see his aunties again, and it was a more "authenic" experience anyway, eating ugali with my hands on the porch and taking a candlelight bucket shower (loving my haircut!)

After Victor and another friend, Paul, got off work we took a 3 hour bus ride to Morogoro, where I used to live. I am shocked to see that prices have increased dramatically since I left, due to the cost of oil. Transportation costs are about 100% higher after just 4 years. Paul's brother Upendo met us in town for a late dinner when we arrived at 10 pm. Upendo just took over the language school where I used to work, so I was able to hear all the news of the school and people there since I left. Then we returned to the school where Upendo had arranged a room for me.

Since Paul and Victor had to return to Dar Sunday night, we had to pack a lot into the weekend. Saturday morning we had chai at Victor's mom's house in the nearby village. I was delighted to see his three little sisters again (ages 15, 12, and 4). The youngest was born shortly before I left, and I was asked to name her. She was a little shy at first, but warmed up quickly. We took the three girls to town to buy new school uniforms, but picked up two more little boys (both named Moses, age 7) on the way when we visited Victor's fiance Ester and baby. Moses is Ester's nephew and he totally remembered me, although he was only 3 when I left. We visited for about 20 min. and he started crying when I rose to leave! So I asked his mom if we could take him to town too, and the other Moses (his cousin) came along as a bonus. Moses' mom Dina was obviously sick, and when I asked her about it she said she didn't have any money to go to the doctor. I gave her $5, hating how complacent I have become living in America and no longer weighing my purchases against what that money could do here.

After buying new uniforms for the kids, eating lunch, and buying sacks of flour, rice and beans for the two families, we dropped the kids at home and went to the nearby orphange which I used to visit weekly. It was fun to see the nuns I knew, as well as the older children who were still there. My favorite, Bebi, lives with her grandma now, so I was disappointed not to see her.

Sunday morning it poured rain. It cooled things off for a bit, which was nice (it is 90 degrees, 95% humidity here). It was raining so loud on the tin roof I could hardly hear the pastor as he preached about the joy of the Lord being our strength. After church Paul, Victor and I went out to our friend Jacob's village to see his family. It was a 20 minutes bus ride followed by a 20 minute walk on a path in the hot sun to reach the village. Victor made me laugh when he broke off a large tree branch and held it over his head for shade. He looked like the little kid from The Gods Must Be Crazy.

Jacob is from the Maasai tribe. His father has 4 wives and Jacob is the 2nd of 18 children. We had a nice visit with the family and they send their greetings to Kathy, Chuck, Krista, Sonja, and Thea. I love being with my three best buds here: Victor, Paul, and Jacob. Although much has changed, we are having so much fun talking and reminicing and laughing. Then Victor and Paul caught a bus back to Dar and I headed back to the school. I went for a long run, visiting Victor's sisters again on the way. I forgot how beautiful the mountains here are. I loved running thru the village at dusk, when people are starting to light kerosene lamps and the road is full of people walking home or standing in groups talking.