Reflection, Introspection

I took a bus to Mugumu last Saturday by myself for the very first time and made it here in one piece. Of course, the ride wasn't without its high points, like when the bus driver was forced to drive on the side of the dirt road because of road work and at one point the ground gave way and we got stuck at a heart-stopping angle. All the passengers piled off the bus and waited by the side of the road while the bus operators and male passengers tried to dig out the wheels. By this time, it was late afternoon and little did I know we were only 20 minutes away from our destination (probably a good thing). After a brief moment of spine-tingling panic, I sat down and prayed. I did not want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception and no way out. One hour later, a dump truck driver took pity on us and pulled out our bus. Prayer answered and an overwhelming sense of relief!
My bus experience sums up my last four months well. There have been unexpected twists and turns, challenges around every corner, and I'm ready for more. My first semester of teaching had many bumps, a few near misses, and a couple breakdowns but, overall, I've emerged stronger and wiser because of it. I am reminded on a daily basis that I cannot do it alone and that relying on God is so much easier, not an easy lesson for an independent, do-it-yourself person to learn.
Theo and I went over my students' evaluations and I discovered that they'd enjoyed my class but had two complaints: the class was too long (two hours twice a week following lunch and naptime is not ideal) and the homework too much (ironic, considering they often did not complete their assignments or copied their neighbour's). Although Theo reassured me this had more to do with my students' work ethic than my teaching ability, it's given me all the more reason to try and motivate my students more and put in the extra effort myself. My students' have found it hard to understand why they should learn the complexities of English grammar and speech when they are surrounded by Kiswahili and probably won't need it in their line of work. They also have a heavy course load that requires them to write one research paper a week in English once mid-terms are done. To say they're exhausted by Week 12 is an understatement. I noticed that towards the end of the semester, they began to show up late or not at all more frequently. I wonder what they'd do if I decided to 'take a day off'…
My range of Kiswahili vocabulary seems to be expanding at a snail's pace. I haven't spent as much time as I'd have liked going through my flashcards (yes, I know, I'm a nerd) and I find myself coming up short in the most basic of conversations, searching for that missing verb. Language is the key to building good relationships; hand and foot gestures can only take you so far. The language itself is fairly simple but it's remembering all that new vocab that can be so frustrating. On top of strange grammar rules, some words resemble each other so closely that changing just one letter can completely alter their meaning. It definitely helps me relate to my students' struggles with English. I have managed to master the majority of greetings although someone always seems to slip in a new one when I'm not paying attention. A response of 'Nzuri sana' is usually sufficient and I ask my host father later what was actually said. Most Tanzanians genuinely appreciate my efforts at speaking Kiswahili and assure me I'll be fluent in no time!
My host family has been great throughout and living with them has made it even easier to feel at home. I'm grateful that all of them (except for my host mum) speak fairly good English. The 'fish story' is the extent of our misunderstandings. My host father has been diligent about pointing out small cultural nuances I consistently overlook or forget. My host siblings and I swap new English and Kiswahili vocab and I've even honed my chapatti-making skills to where I can assist my host mum with making dinner.
All in all, these past four months have flown by with lots of adventure and experiences in between. And thanks to all of you, I've gotten through every moment of 'homesick-itis' along the way. Keep the emails, calls and prayers coming - Thank-you!

Christmas Plans

My first semester of teaching is behind me, my marking is complete, and final grades have been submitted. These past two weeks have flown by as I prepared for the next semester, got creative planning the Games for our upcoming team retreat, and edited a project proposal. My original plan had been to leave today but it fell through at the last minute and, instead, I will be enjoying the comforts of a local bus first thing tomorrow morning. I'm off to visit one of our MCC families in the nearby village of Mugumu. They are working on an MCC-supported HIV/Aids program and I hope to write some of the content for their upcoming program website while I'm there.

A week from now, we'll be on our way to Nairobi for a retreat with all the MCC and EMM (Eastern Mennonite Missions) service workers of East Africa. Among them will be several other SALTers currently serving in Ethiopia and Uganda. I'm excited about exchanging experiences and stories with them as we look back on the first four months of our service time.

Many of you already know but for those of you who don't, Dan is coming to visit me for two weeks and arrives in Nairobi at the tail end of our retreat. Once our team meetings are finished, our MCC TZ Team will spend a week in Tanga (located on the Tanzanian coast) relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, hiking, and doing other touristy things. Dan and I hope to fly from Dar es Salaam to Musoma and spend a few days with my host family so he can meet everyone and see the school where I teach and the place I'll be calling home for this year. As you can well imagine, I've been counting down the days and becoming more excited with every passing day. This will be an unforgettable Christmas!

Please pray for travel mercies over the next month as all our team members meet up in Nairobi before driving out to Tanga and returning to our assignment locations by car, by bus, and by plane.

Moving Day Has Finally Arrived

I am finally living with my host family in the most beautiful room in all of TZ! I have been staying in the MCC Guest House on campus since my arrival and shuttling back and forth for meals with my host family. When my host family agreed to take me in, they did not have a room ready for me and hoped to renovate the small building in back of their house within a month. Things took a bit longer than planned but I am absolutely thrilled that it all came together before the end of the year.

I spent the morning of working on my final exams before checking things out at lunch. My host father assured me I could pack my things and move later that afternoon. I took him at his word and packed my bags as soon as I finished teaching and waited out an unexpected rain shower/ thunder storm. The first break in the weather, I rolled my faux-leather suitcases across the soccer field to the great amusement of the local boys. I'm sure it must have been quite the sight to behold! My host sisters helped me and I was settled in and unpacked by dinnertime.

My room's walls and ceilings are painted white with a bright blue trim around the bottom; two glass paned windows on either side of the room, one with a view of Lake Victoria, give a nice cross breeze; my own private showering area complete with shower curtain; bright yellow and red curtains; large single bed and a desk for me to work at – pure luxury!