Loving it here!!!

Hey guys! It's been a long while and of course I don't have much time. All the volunteers are going out in Moshi for dinner tonight so I have to be quick.

So let's start with the insane safari!!!! We headed out to Tangerri (sp?) Sat morning at 8am and got there around 1p after a few stops and a few hours of driving. It was beautiful and my favorite stop of the 3 day safari. The trees were amazing--they have trees here called baboa and they're enormous! We saw a family of elephants only about 10yards away from our matatu--they were bathing in a small creek. I was on the safari with 4 med students from New Castle England and Ninka, an OT from Holland. We also saw ostriches, wildebeasts, lots of zebras very close, and many different types of birds. Outside the park we stopped for a family of giraffes that were on the side of the road! After about 5 hrs there we headed to our lodge which was pretty nice. We set off the next day for Ngorongoro Crater (think Lion King!). We were supposed to rent a vehicle to take us in the crater but none were available so we took our chances...it was spectacular! We saw black mane male lions, female lions, about 30 hippos in a pond 10 yards away, rhinos (which are rare), ostriches, flamingos, zebras, wildebeasts, hartbeast, impalla, warthogs (they walk just like Pumba;-)), hyenas, & buffalos! We headed out of the crater around 4p because the gates close at 6p. Then we had a flat tire...and so began the crazy evening...the flat was changed and off we went. Then the matatu started overheating so we stopped to cool it off. Then as we climbed out of the crater the matatu kept overheating and we kept having to stop. We realized that there was no way we were going to make it out by 6p. So we thumbed a ride to the headquarters of the park while Ray and our guide stayed to get the matatu going. We rode up on the back of a pick-up truck that had bars across it! Now, realize that we're going at a serious angle uphill, we're having to dodge tree branches, & the cliff down is about a yard or so from the truck--and they were pretty fast. So we waited at the headquarters for Ray and he finally arrived about an hour or so later! By now it was getting cold and we were pretty sure the matatu wasnt going to make it back to our lodge an hour or more away. So Ray said our options were to: lodge at the REALLY expensive lodge on the crater rim, sleep in the police station!, or the local village--all of which did not sound good...so we went to the garage to get the matatu fixed (or so we thought) and we headed off again...and broke down again! It was dark by now...and Ray and our guide set off the find us a ride. So it was the six girls with our cook, Clement, who is Tanzanian and smaller than any of us. We heard animal noises too and I just prayed Ray made it back soon. Before he arrived, of course, someone pulled up behind and sat there for about 5 mins and then came up to the window--we were a little scared and he was speaking very loudly to Clement. And then Ray pulled up!! Whew! So we rented a car to take us back to the lodge and then Ray would come back in the morning and see about the matatu. On our way out of the park buffalo were running in front of the car and even along side us and one hit the jeep a bit!! We had gotten permission to leave the park late, but at the gate the guard was asleep so we waited another 30mins or so til the guard finally woke up! But, we finally made it back, watched a little of the World Cup finals and headed to bed. The next day we went on a walking tour of a local village, banana plantation, acacia forest, & Lake Mynara (sp?). The banana plantation was really beautiful and we learned all about how they grow them etc...The lake was also gorgeous and we walked right up to zebras (well as far as they would let us--about 30yards. We saw wildebeasts, flamigos, buffalo, and giraffes!! We spotted the giraffes on the way out and just walked over to them-I can't wait to show you all pictures! We met Ray back at the lodge and he had the matatu but it wouldn't make it back to Mailisita so we rented another matatu!! I was glad when we finally arrived back at Mailisita--it really has become home to me here!

Then I had to meet Jack Tues morning at 8a to buy materials for the Pilgrim renovation. We met up and it was so much fun going 'shopping for materials.' As I've said before, Jack is from Kenya and speaks English very well. We are always having great discussions about American culture, etc. So Tues, Weds, & Thurs I spent at Pilgrim with just Jack, the two fundis, myself and the staff and children there. I really felt welcomed and sometimes find it's better to be the only mzungu because I feel more included in everything. I have never done such hard manual labor this last week but I have also had the most fun while I've been here. The fundis are great and always getting a kick out of my trying to learn Swahili and trying to do tasks. I have learned how to mortar bricks, drill with a manual drill (there are no power tools here), saw iron rods, hammer many things, mix cement, etc. I was surprised too when the fundi had me mortar almost the entire first layer of bricks for the shower room! And then asked me to do the same the next day so I guess I can't be doing it that bad;-)! Jack and I have been having a great time too--whether laughing at ourselves trying to drill and such or him asking me out the shows Tyra and Divorce Court! The Pilgrim renovation should be done this week and we're having a celebration BBQ weds which I am really looking forward too! The boys are very excited for it to be done and I must say I feel a little pressure because the children will all rotate around once its done--older boys at Malika will go to Pilgrim, older toddlers at Mailisita will go to Malika and such. Can't wait to show everyone pics of the project too!

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Mama Gemma & I went to KCMC with Ragate for him to be fitted for a new wheelchair and for us to meet with Heavenlight, an OT that had a placement at LIA but now works at KCMC. Ragate is amazing boy and one of my favorites I must admit. He is able to communicate somewhat and able to feed himself but unable to toilet or dress himself. The other boys at Pilgrim are so sweet with him though and help out a lot. He is by far the most jovial of all the children. One day this last week, Jack and I were having a time with our wheelbarrow that barely works--it kept falling apart and we were laughing so hard and then Ragate joined in laughing, so much that he started coughing! So anyhow, we met with Heavenlight and the Principal of the OT school in Moshi. I plan on sponsoring the tuition and such for a student that will then be committed to work with LIA for 3yrs after graduation. We talked with two students who will be completing their first year this month. Anicet was highly recommended by his professors and I was impressed as well. His mother is a school teacher and his father has asthma and such that he cannot work. Anicet has two younger sisters also in school so his mother cannot help with his education and he has been stuggling this last year to make ends meet. He seemed very interested and would describe his a someone with a gentle soul. I think it would be nice to have another male role model around for the LIA boys as well. The sponsorship will be about US $1000/year and so I will set aside some money for it but plan on fundraising also when I return home. I am so excited to get an OT for LIA and to really help the disabled children here.

Today I met Jack again to buy some more materials and then after some work at Pilgrim I headed back to Mailisita and then now Moshi. Tomorrow Jack & I are going to an Assemblies of God church in Boma (same denomination as my church in Richmond!). And the services here are 5 hours! So I can't wait to report about that experience!!

Love you all and thanks to those who have emailed and commented!