Today was our last day at the orphanage. It was especially hard for us because we all had those one or two kids that would cling to us for the 2 weeks we were here. My special friend, Happiness, and I had an especially hard time saying goodbye. I spent the evening jump roping with Mwanaid and Happiness, but when it came time to sing our goodbye song, I couldn't hold back the tears. With Happiness holding my hand, we walked to the exit of the orphanage. I hugged her and whispered ''Naku penda'' (i love you) in her ear. I was crying really hard, and I couldn't believe that our trip was already nearing our last day. Then, the most amazing thing happened to. One of the house mothers, who I had also gotten close to, (and doesnt speak any English) hugged me and dried my tears. She put her hand on my heart, and then put her hand on Happy's heart. As if she was saying ''you will always be in eachother's hearts''. It was the most memorable experience of my trip! This whole trip has really taught me that it doesn't matter where you come from, or what language you speak, but just being with the people here in Tanzania has made the biggest difference in the world. In my eyes, bringing 18 people to Tanzania has made a huge impact on these kids, as well as their caretakers. I will never forget this experience.
Audrey
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Special Project
The two Projects that are happening right now are the hand washing station project and the painting the School. The team that I am with for the hand washing is doing very well, while the painting still needs a lot of work to complete in two days.
By Sam Belliel
By Sam Belliel
I had a dream the other night. I was sitting drinking coffee and across from me was Michael Jackson. People know how he worked with helping children of the world. In the dream he told me how great of a job he thought we were doing, and the progress he saw. He told me "there is not one thing I can see wrong with the job you are doing. I really believe he was telling me this, that I was talking to him.
Triumphs in the picture for Tanzania Team
Jambo Everyone!
I'm so excited to finally blog. Since I haven't had a chance to blog yet, I have a lot to say about the whole trip in general. The entire experience has been remarkable!
In particular, it has been really great to see all of the plans we have to improve the school and orphanage come to life. The cabinets and storage have now been officially put into the school, and the hand washing station is really coming along. In addition, all of the little projects we have been doing are having a visible effect on the children. Alex Stern organized making dolls for the orphanage kids and they were handed out today. Seeing each child grab their doll that they had made and hug it was just priceless. We handed out the shoes and uniforms today also. It was almost like taking the kids shoe shopping as they tried on sizes and chose their colors. At the end of the day it was really great to see every student smiling in a new uniform.
One thing that I have personally loved about this trip is the bonds I've been able to make with some of the kids here. A girl at the school named Martha is so smart (she showed me her immaculate exercise book) and it is so much fun to be able to identify her and run up to receive her greeting everyday. Hussein is a 15 year-old boy (although he looks closer to 12) who is the son of a teacher at the school and he comes to help out everyday. I've gotten to know him a little and today we talked about American music he knew. He recognized JT, Beyonce, and we even sang Temperature by Sean Paul together. When Michael Jackson came into the conversation he broke out into dance; he was pretty good, too! I love to see all these connections pop up that I never would have though we had. Two other girl, Mwanaid and Miriam, help out at the orphanage and I talk with them everyday. As we were walking to the orphanage the other day Miriam was also walking home from school and she yelled "Alex!" and ran up to me; it totally made my day! I love how she remembered my name and was so friendly. Mwanaid is 14 and the other day we talked about our shared hatred or physics, haha-- if she lived in the US I could totally picture us going to Starbucks together after school and being great friends.
The culture and atmosphere here is surprisingly comfortable for an African country. Even the people on the street wave and say hi. Honestly, I am loving it here and I feel so good about what we've been able to accomplish. I feel like by this point the group camaraderie is strong and we're making some big strides towards helping the kids we've come to love.
Well it seems like there is never enough time to explain everything I want to (time to go to a before dinner meeting), but hopefully through all these great posts you're getting an idea of whats going on here.
-Alex Miner
P.S. Before I'm late for the meeting, I wanted to share some cool things I've seen.
1. People are really resourceful; you can see a bunch of people wearing shoes made out of cut tires.
2. Today we visited a Bitik maker. It's an art form along the lines of tie-dying. There were some beautiful pictures and he was telling us all about the whole process of painting on wax and adding different colors.
3. Obama is loved here, as you could probably guess. We've seen multiple guys with Obama belt buckles! Whenever we say we're American the first response is usually "Oh, Obama!!".
4. T.I., Rihanna, and some other American artists are pretty popular here. Today our guide Nelson was playing us some of his ringtones (even Deb was jamming out, since she's so up on the hip-hop music ;)
I'm so excited to finally blog. Since I haven't had a chance to blog yet, I have a lot to say about the whole trip in general. The entire experience has been remarkable!
In particular, it has been really great to see all of the plans we have to improve the school and orphanage come to life. The cabinets and storage have now been officially put into the school, and the hand washing station is really coming along. In addition, all of the little projects we have been doing are having a visible effect on the children. Alex Stern organized making dolls for the orphanage kids and they were handed out today. Seeing each child grab their doll that they had made and hug it was just priceless. We handed out the shoes and uniforms today also. It was almost like taking the kids shoe shopping as they tried on sizes and chose their colors. At the end of the day it was really great to see every student smiling in a new uniform.
One thing that I have personally loved about this trip is the bonds I've been able to make with some of the kids here. A girl at the school named Martha is so smart (she showed me her immaculate exercise book) and it is so much fun to be able to identify her and run up to receive her greeting everyday. Hussein is a 15 year-old boy (although he looks closer to 12) who is the son of a teacher at the school and he comes to help out everyday. I've gotten to know him a little and today we talked about American music he knew. He recognized JT, Beyonce, and we even sang Temperature by Sean Paul together. When Michael Jackson came into the conversation he broke out into dance; he was pretty good, too! I love to see all these connections pop up that I never would have though we had. Two other girl, Mwanaid and Miriam, help out at the orphanage and I talk with them everyday. As we were walking to the orphanage the other day Miriam was also walking home from school and she yelled "Alex!" and ran up to me; it totally made my day! I love how she remembered my name and was so friendly. Mwanaid is 14 and the other day we talked about our shared hatred or physics, haha-- if she lived in the US I could totally picture us going to Starbucks together after school and being great friends.
The culture and atmosphere here is surprisingly comfortable for an African country. Even the people on the street wave and say hi. Honestly, I am loving it here and I feel so good about what we've been able to accomplish. I feel like by this point the group camaraderie is strong and we're making some big strides towards helping the kids we've come to love.
Well it seems like there is never enough time to explain everything I want to (time to go to a before dinner meeting), but hopefully through all these great posts you're getting an idea of whats going on here.
-Alex Miner
P.S. Before I'm late for the meeting, I wanted to share some cool things I've seen.
1. People are really resourceful; you can see a bunch of people wearing shoes made out of cut tires.
2. Today we visited a Bitik maker. It's an art form along the lines of tie-dying. There were some beautiful pictures and he was telling us all about the whole process of painting on wax and adding different colors.
3. Obama is loved here, as you could probably guess. We've seen multiple guys with Obama belt buckles! Whenever we say we're American the first response is usually "Oh, Obama!!".
4. T.I., Rihanna, and some other American artists are pretty popular here. Today our guide Nelson was playing us some of his ringtones (even Deb was jamming out, since she's so up on the hip-hop music ;)
Monday-Back to school
Although the safari was very fun and exciting to go on, all of us were happy to go back to the children at Kilimanjaro Children's Foundation. Like us in America, they only have school on the weekdays.
In school, we went to our regular classrooms, and with our regular groups. Instead of starting out the day with the schedule that we planned, we actually got to see the kids work in their classes. We were really impressed that they were learning things that we learned but at a much younger age than we did. In my classroom we did science. The kids, specifically, were learning about animals. Their assignment was to draw the animals and fill in the missing letters. One of the girls I worked with kept on asking for the answer. I didn't give it to her, but I helped her understand what they were supposed to be. I attempted annunciating the word and emphasizing the missing letter, she didn't get it. Then I realized that it was okay, that she should try it on her own, even if it is advanced. She showed me when she was done, besides one, she got them all right.
After they had all gotten their work checked, and the other classes were done with their work too, the kids went out to play with the new balls we brought them. It was really great to see how happy they were to play soccer (football). We also brought a couple of frisbees. A few minutes before lunch was going to be served, one of the frisbees got stuck in the big tree. The kids that got it stuck in the big tree came up to me and showed me what had happened. I then called Harrison, seeing that there was not really a way to get the frisbee out of the tree, because of it's placement around the 35 foot area. He immediately tried to get a soccer ball and throw it at the frisbee. It kind of worked, until he threw it too high and went over the frisbee and landed in the tree. This time it didn't come down. We didn't want to get a third thing stuck in the tree, so we asked Jackie if she could try to climb the tree, if Harrison helped her up. I would have tried to climb the tree too, but of course I chose to wear a skirt that day. Jackie got up to a protruding part of the tree, and she couldn't climb up anymore because there was nowhere to put her feet, or arms. She descended the tree. We started to think of other ways to get the toys down, when this kid, we later found out his name was Idd, started to climb the tree. Now, you have to understand that this is a very awkward tree to climb, and there is nowhere to put your hands or feet until about 20 feet up. None the less, he climbed swiftly up the tree, with no obstacles. He got both the ball and the frisbee down, it was incredible. I later got a picture of him, and the tree. After lunch we went back inside and decorated backpacks. We then continued to leave.
Sorry, I would write more, but we have a meeting planned, and i am late already.
Madeline Aybar
In school, we went to our regular classrooms, and with our regular groups. Instead of starting out the day with the schedule that we planned, we actually got to see the kids work in their classes. We were really impressed that they were learning things that we learned but at a much younger age than we did. In my classroom we did science. The kids, specifically, were learning about animals. Their assignment was to draw the animals and fill in the missing letters. One of the girls I worked with kept on asking for the answer. I didn't give it to her, but I helped her understand what they were supposed to be. I attempted annunciating the word and emphasizing the missing letter, she didn't get it. Then I realized that it was okay, that she should try it on her own, even if it is advanced. She showed me when she was done, besides one, she got them all right.
After they had all gotten their work checked, and the other classes were done with their work too, the kids went out to play with the new balls we brought them. It was really great to see how happy they were to play soccer (football). We also brought a couple of frisbees. A few minutes before lunch was going to be served, one of the frisbees got stuck in the big tree. The kids that got it stuck in the big tree came up to me and showed me what had happened. I then called Harrison, seeing that there was not really a way to get the frisbee out of the tree, because of it's placement around the 35 foot area. He immediately tried to get a soccer ball and throw it at the frisbee. It kind of worked, until he threw it too high and went over the frisbee and landed in the tree. This time it didn't come down. We didn't want to get a third thing stuck in the tree, so we asked Jackie if she could try to climb the tree, if Harrison helped her up. I would have tried to climb the tree too, but of course I chose to wear a skirt that day. Jackie got up to a protruding part of the tree, and she couldn't climb up anymore because there was nowhere to put her feet, or arms. She descended the tree. We started to think of other ways to get the toys down, when this kid, we later found out his name was Idd, started to climb the tree. Now, you have to understand that this is a very awkward tree to climb, and there is nowhere to put your hands or feet until about 20 feet up. None the less, he climbed swiftly up the tree, with no obstacles. He got both the ball and the frisbee down, it was incredible. I later got a picture of him, and the tree. After lunch we went back inside and decorated backpacks. We then continued to leave.
Sorry, I would write more, but we have a meeting planned, and i am late already.
Madeline Aybar
Uniforms! Shoes! Dolls!
After squeezing everyone in our group into one van, we made our way to the school. Today, Tuesday, was one of the most rewarding days because the children at the school received their brand new uniforms and shoes! Each of the children stood up in front of their peers and teachers and received a uniform. Everyone sang "We are proud of you!" to each kid. The kids had the brightest look on their face and seemed immensely proud. We started fitting the kids for shoes after each uniform had been distributed. To me, seeing the kids with new shoes was a treasure. Before today, some of the kids wore shoes 4 sizes too big or shoes that they could not run in. Now they each have a sturdy pair of shoes! Later they got a chance to run around and play in the new outfits.
My favorite part of the day was when our team walked over to the orphanage. As soon as one of us steps foot into the orphanage center we are swarmed by the children wanting to hold our hands. On Monday we started making stuffed dolls with the kids from the orphanage. They each got to stuff their doll, draw a face on it, and then kiss a heart and place it into the doll. When we arrived at the orphanage today, all of the dolls had been sewn shut and brought back. One by one we called a child's name to come and get their complete doll. To the children it seemed like Christmas! They all played with us and their dolls. Before it was time to leave we gave each child a Starburst to eat to top everything off!
During the day Sam worked extremely hard building a hand washing station for the school. It will enable the kids to wash their hands before they eat lunch or whenever their hands are dirty. Liz also made great progress on the large painting of our team logo on the school wall! Good job to both Sam and Liz on their projects!
Tune in tomorrow to hear about the handing out of backpacks!
Alex Stern
My favorite part of the day was when our team walked over to the orphanage. As soon as one of us steps foot into the orphanage center we are swarmed by the children wanting to hold our hands. On Monday we started making stuffed dolls with the kids from the orphanage. They each got to stuff their doll, draw a face on it, and then kiss a heart and place it into the doll. When we arrived at the orphanage today, all of the dolls had been sewn shut and brought back. One by one we called a child's name to come and get their complete doll. To the children it seemed like Christmas! They all played with us and their dolls. Before it was time to leave we gave each child a Starburst to eat to top everything off!
During the day Sam worked extremely hard building a hand washing station for the school. It will enable the kids to wash their hands before they eat lunch or whenever their hands are dirty. Liz also made great progress on the large painting of our team logo on the school wall! Good job to both Sam and Liz on their projects!
Tune in tomorrow to hear about the handing out of backpacks!
Alex Stern
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Safari days!
JAMBO!
So today and yesterday we went on safari! It started out driving in the car for 4 hours to this lake (with no water...) I was with Deb, Alex, Alex, Maddie and PK
We all got kind of sick in the car, and tried to sleep. Henry was our driver, and we stopped at this overpriced tourist place but we got to eat lunch with wild cats! (not lions though...) But we did see elephants! They came 10 feet away from our trucks! My favorite part of the trip was when we handed out our extra food. Deb collected everyone's uneaten food and we passed it out to random kids on the side of the road! The look on their faces and their smiles made that experience just the most amazing thing ever. We slept at the Highview hotel (at like 2000 feet) after watching and dancing with native dancers. This morning, Sam, Gary and I woke up at 6 to go running. Turns out if your all wearing hiking boots, EVERYONE will hear you. So we didnt... we just sat and watched the sunrise (which was good because i did NOT want to go running...) We then ate breakfast and left at 8. We drove for a really long time, and ended up in the Ngorogoro crater, which is like 9 miles all around. It was part desert and part swamp, and we watched a lion and a wildabeast fight... pretty cool i must say! On the way home, we got a flat tire in pitch black so it took us a while to get home. I have loved going to the school everyday and being with Masa, and the other kids. I am LOVING it here and will be sad to go home :( but excited to make my photoalbum with my 600 pictures! (is it bad that that is what ive beent thinking about the whole trip?) Haha Kwaheri!
Audrey
So today and yesterday we went on safari! It started out driving in the car for 4 hours to this lake (with no water...) I was with Deb, Alex, Alex, Maddie and PK
We all got kind of sick in the car, and tried to sleep. Henry was our driver, and we stopped at this overpriced tourist place but we got to eat lunch with wild cats! (not lions though...) But we did see elephants! They came 10 feet away from our trucks! My favorite part of the trip was when we handed out our extra food. Deb collected everyone's uneaten food and we passed it out to random kids on the side of the road! The look on their faces and their smiles made that experience just the most amazing thing ever. We slept at the Highview hotel (at like 2000 feet) after watching and dancing with native dancers. This morning, Sam, Gary and I woke up at 6 to go running. Turns out if your all wearing hiking boots, EVERYONE will hear you. So we didnt... we just sat and watched the sunrise (which was good because i did NOT want to go running...) We then ate breakfast and left at 8. We drove for a really long time, and ended up in the Ngorogoro crater, which is like 9 miles all around. It was part desert and part swamp, and we watched a lion and a wildabeast fight... pretty cool i must say! On the way home, we got a flat tire in pitch black so it took us a while to get home. I have loved going to the school everyday and being with Masa, and the other kids. I am LOVING it here and will be sad to go home :( but excited to make my photoalbum with my 600 pictures! (is it bad that that is what ive beent thinking about the whole trip?) Haha Kwaheri!
Audrey
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Key to Progress
"We are the future leaders of Africa"
A book of statistics can reveal interesting things about a country. The infant mortality rate, the gross national income, and the yearly income of an average resident. But usually overlooked is the literacy of the country. A small number that can reveal so much, especially over time.
Education, education, the key to progress.
This percentage can separate the developed world, from the developing world. A little number, so easily overlook, but so important to every country. In the United States, a place where not going to school and gaining that education is punishable by law, it is too easy to forget our luck. Yes, America has poverty, and homelessness, and lots of hunger, but the literacy rate we can boast is outstanding.
As I walk the streets of rural Tanzania, I'm amazed by the energy that exudes from these kids. I've been here four days, giving out toys, learning names and teaching lessons, and they are always eager for more. They don't think about the presents we give them, or the amazing new things we bring to the school. They show up whether we are there or not, and this is simply amazing. To think in a country where a child is lucky to get an education, these children are so eager to get just that.
Education, education, the key to progress.
We listened to them sing us songs today. They had it all figured out. The poems they wanted us to hear, the formations, chanting and beautiful rhythm. I thought is was cool that they could memorize, but i was more astounded by what they were actually saying. "We are the future of Africa!" they screamed. "We love our teachers, we love our school, we love you, our humble guests".
Education, education, the key to progress.
I can't seem to stress what ran through my head at that moment, when through the thick accents I understood what they said. They get it. And their brilliant. One of these kids could lead Tanzania into the light, and into the 'developed' world. I was staring at Tanzania's future. Its only future.
Education, education, the key to progress.
And so, as I continue to walk the dusty streets of Africa, towards a beautiful school, with four children hanging on each finger (you'd be surprised by how literal I'm being), I don't see despair in their faces, but joy at their most proud possession. Their minds. And as I walk from the orphanage every night, I can't shake their smiles from my mind. We walk down these humble paths, smiling, and giggling, as slowly they chant:
"Education, education, the key to progress"
7/31/2009
Jackie Lungmus
A book of statistics can reveal interesting things about a country. The infant mortality rate, the gross national income, and the yearly income of an average resident. But usually overlooked is the literacy of the country. A small number that can reveal so much, especially over time.
Education, education, the key to progress.
This percentage can separate the developed world, from the developing world. A little number, so easily overlook, but so important to every country. In the United States, a place where not going to school and gaining that education is punishable by law, it is too easy to forget our luck. Yes, America has poverty, and homelessness, and lots of hunger, but the literacy rate we can boast is outstanding.
As I walk the streets of rural Tanzania, I'm amazed by the energy that exudes from these kids. I've been here four days, giving out toys, learning names and teaching lessons, and they are always eager for more. They don't think about the presents we give them, or the amazing new things we bring to the school. They show up whether we are there or not, and this is simply amazing. To think in a country where a child is lucky to get an education, these children are so eager to get just that.
Education, education, the key to progress.
We listened to them sing us songs today. They had it all figured out. The poems they wanted us to hear, the formations, chanting and beautiful rhythm. I thought is was cool that they could memorize, but i was more astounded by what they were actually saying. "We are the future of Africa!" they screamed. "We love our teachers, we love our school, we love you, our humble guests".
Education, education, the key to progress.
I can't seem to stress what ran through my head at that moment, when through the thick accents I understood what they said. They get it. And their brilliant. One of these kids could lead Tanzania into the light, and into the 'developed' world. I was staring at Tanzania's future. Its only future.
Education, education, the key to progress.
And so, as I continue to walk the dusty streets of Africa, towards a beautiful school, with four children hanging on each finger (you'd be surprised by how literal I'm being), I don't see despair in their faces, but joy at their most proud possession. Their minds. And as I walk from the orphanage every night, I can't shake their smiles from my mind. We walk down these humble paths, smiling, and giggling, as slowly they chant:
"Education, education, the key to progress"
7/31/2009
Jackie Lungmus
Friday 5pm from Bonnie
Hi everybody! Jambo from Moshi. We are all well and completely amazed by this experience. Our hotel is very nice and safe and the food is plentiful and delicious. For those of you who know me personally-the waiter knows to bring me my cokes! It's only the real stuff here, in bottles and it is good.
The children are so beautiful. Quite simply when you look in their eyes you see God. I've learned a lot about the children but more about myself. We go on safari tomorrow and I am so excited but at the same time I don't want to leave the children. The children take your hands and walk with you. They expect nothing but your presence. They look deeply into your eyes. They are always in a group so to give a child a long look, a loving smile, a hand is so important. Every human being just wants to be seen.
I'm getting to sing a lot. The children sing so well. they know quite a few songs. When I teach them a new song bthey listen so intently, by the time we sing it a second time they have in perfectly-inEnglish! They are so eager to learn. they learn so incredibly fast. There math skills are so ahead of ours. When I sing with 130 or more children I just get lost in the moment. It's one of the things I came here to do.
We were surprised by a few things-one game was to keep a balloon inthe air and play with it. Well, these children have nothing so they just held the balloon. But they were happy. We haven't taken the supplies yet but we are doing art projects every day. They made nametags we were going to collect and pass out everyday but that simple piece of paper with twine was too important to give up.
This is life changing. I know people said that before we left but it is. I love it here but it also is challenging.
For you TrinityNusery School families and friends-thank you again for all of your generous donations. Thank you for letting us be your hands that deliver them. the children sang a song today-we have no money, our parents are poor but we say thank you.
To my family and friends I love you and miss you. Every night I look at your pictures and read your notes.
I am so blessed to be part of this team. There are angels here with me. Everyone cares so much for and about each other.
Kwa Heri-goodbye-with love and gratitude, Bonnie
The children are so beautiful. Quite simply when you look in their eyes you see God. I've learned a lot about the children but more about myself. We go on safari tomorrow and I am so excited but at the same time I don't want to leave the children. The children take your hands and walk with you. They expect nothing but your presence. They look deeply into your eyes. They are always in a group so to give a child a long look, a loving smile, a hand is so important. Every human being just wants to be seen.
I'm getting to sing a lot. The children sing so well. they know quite a few songs. When I teach them a new song bthey listen so intently, by the time we sing it a second time they have in perfectly-inEnglish! They are so eager to learn. they learn so incredibly fast. There math skills are so ahead of ours. When I sing with 130 or more children I just get lost in the moment. It's one of the things I came here to do.
We were surprised by a few things-one game was to keep a balloon inthe air and play with it. Well, these children have nothing so they just held the balloon. But they were happy. We haven't taken the supplies yet but we are doing art projects every day. They made nametags we were going to collect and pass out everyday but that simple piece of paper with twine was too important to give up.
This is life changing. I know people said that before we left but it is. I love it here but it also is challenging.
For you TrinityNusery School families and friends-thank you again for all of your generous donations. Thank you for letting us be your hands that deliver them. the children sang a song today-we have no money, our parents are poor but we say thank you.
To my family and friends I love you and miss you. Every night I look at your pictures and read your notes.
I am so blessed to be part of this team. There are angels here with me. Everyone cares so much for and about each other.
Kwa Heri-goodbye-with love and gratitude, Bonnie
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A Day at the market 7/31/09
Yesterday some of us went to the market. The market was incredibly interesting, especially to see the way that people would get their household needs (spices, herbs, grains, etc). There were two groups that went to the market. One group went to the market to purchase oranges for the orphanage and the other group went to purchase plumbing supplies for a work project at the Kilimanjaro English Nursery School. Upon a safe return to the hotel, it was learned that the experience of one group was radically different than the other. The group buying the oranges was immediately "targeted" as tourists and attracted many street vendors and peddlers. The group purchasing the supplies for the work project had an interesting time bargaining the price of the supplies for nearly an hour. Seeing the market was a true eye-opener to just one part of the lives of the citizens of Moshi, TZ.
-Zack Adams and Sam Belliel
-Zack Adams and Sam Belliel
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
first 2 days!
JAMBO!
Our first 2 days on the trip were CRAZY! The first day, we met at the airport and got all 34 bags on the plane. We ate (our last fast food meal) and then went to our gate to take off for Detroit. Our plane ride was short, and i talked with the people around me, (Alex M and I stalked Josh...our plane buddy and his brothers) and then it was on to Amsterdam! We were supposed to sleep on this flight, but the movies distracted us... I watched 4 movies on that flight and didnt sleep at all! (I think PK was the only one...) We had a 3 hours layover, but only had an hour to walk around. There were so many Dutch people, and it was fun to listen to their accents! We got chocolate and tried cheese! BUT THERE WAS NO STARBUCKS! we made do with frozen chocolate coffee. We then boarded our plane to Kilamanjaro Airport, and this flight drove everyone insane... it turned out that it was only an 8 and a half hour flight, but honestly, time has never gone slower. I sat between Bonnie and Deb, and Alex and Alex and Maddie were right next to us. Bonnie and I got to look out the windows at the 2 deserts under us! When we finnally got there, the smell of the country was amazing. It smells kind of like burning hay and peanuts! hahaha but we were all so tired. We then filled out sheets for our visas and got all 34 of our bags! We met Jim and the Springlands hotel staff with a van and we drove an hour in the dark to the hotel. We fell asleep quite fast, but Alex and I were the only ones who seemed to sleep through the night without a problem. We woke up this morning with Alex and Maddie yelling through our open window. We had a meeting after breakfast and then went to the school. We were dropped off in town and walked. It was so amazing, because local children would run up to you, and kiss your hands and guide you across town. When we got to the old school, we met Teacher, and he explained to us about the old school. Then we walked 5 minutes to the new school where we were greated by 170 singing children. We ate, and played games and sang, and the kids are SOOO CUTE! This girl, Masa, was on my lap the entire day, and everyone had fun blowing up balloons. She waved at me the whole time down this dirt road until I couldnt see her anymore. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted but it was time to go back to the hotel and wash up, and then go to the orphanage. We went there and met with the 30+ kids staying there, and we watched them play! Its almost 7 30 and we are about to go eat dinner, and then organize our donations which we will bring to the school. I am missing everyone that I love back home, but im LOVING it here! I dont think ill be coming home...
Kwa Heri,
Audrey
Our first 2 days on the trip were CRAZY! The first day, we met at the airport and got all 34 bags on the plane. We ate (our last fast food meal) and then went to our gate to take off for Detroit. Our plane ride was short, and i talked with the people around me, (Alex M and I stalked Josh...our plane buddy and his brothers) and then it was on to Amsterdam! We were supposed to sleep on this flight, but the movies distracted us... I watched 4 movies on that flight and didnt sleep at all! (I think PK was the only one...) We had a 3 hours layover, but only had an hour to walk around. There were so many Dutch people, and it was fun to listen to their accents! We got chocolate and tried cheese! BUT THERE WAS NO STARBUCKS! we made do with frozen chocolate coffee. We then boarded our plane to Kilamanjaro Airport, and this flight drove everyone insane... it turned out that it was only an 8 and a half hour flight, but honestly, time has never gone slower. I sat between Bonnie and Deb, and Alex and Alex and Maddie were right next to us. Bonnie and I got to look out the windows at the 2 deserts under us! When we finnally got there, the smell of the country was amazing. It smells kind of like burning hay and peanuts! hahaha but we were all so tired. We then filled out sheets for our visas and got all 34 of our bags! We met Jim and the Springlands hotel staff with a van and we drove an hour in the dark to the hotel. We fell asleep quite fast, but Alex and I were the only ones who seemed to sleep through the night without a problem. We woke up this morning with Alex and Maddie yelling through our open window. We had a meeting after breakfast and then went to the school. We were dropped off in town and walked. It was so amazing, because local children would run up to you, and kiss your hands and guide you across town. When we got to the old school, we met Teacher, and he explained to us about the old school. Then we walked 5 minutes to the new school where we were greated by 170 singing children. We ate, and played games and sang, and the kids are SOOO CUTE! This girl, Masa, was on my lap the entire day, and everyone had fun blowing up balloons. She waved at me the whole time down this dirt road until I couldnt see her anymore. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted but it was time to go back to the hotel and wash up, and then go to the orphanage. We went there and met with the 30+ kids staying there, and we watched them play! Its almost 7 30 and we are about to go eat dinner, and then organize our donations which we will bring to the school. I am missing everyone that I love back home, but im LOVING it here! I dont think ill be coming home...
Kwa Heri,
Audrey
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Safe Arrival
I received word via email from Jim Lumberg & Anne Driscoll that the team and all 34 of our bags have arrived safely in Moshi, Tanzania.
The team is on their bus heading for the hotel where they will be greeted with a lite dinner and then off to their rooms for what hopes to be a good night's rest. The team is staying at the Springlands hotel. Here is a link to the hotel's website in case you want to take a look. http://www.springlandshotel.com/
P.S. Moshi is 8 hours ahead of Chicago. I hope that we will begin to read posts from our team members tomorrow morning.
The team is on their bus heading for the hotel where they will be greeted with a lite dinner and then off to their rooms for what hopes to be a good night's rest. The team is staying at the Springlands hotel. Here is a link to the hotel's website in case you want to take a look. http://www.springlandshotel.com/
P.S. Moshi is 8 hours ahead of Chicago. I hope that we will begin to read posts from our team members tomorrow morning.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Departure
We met at O'Hare this morning at 11am. All team members were checked in and ready to go by 11:45am a full 2 hours before our flight! YAY! The first leg of the trip was very short! The team has landed safely in Detroit and is waiting to leave for Amsterdam shortly.
The AWESOME luggage tags were created for all team members by Madeline & Harrison Aybar. Thanks guys!
This was an emotional day for many. The team members seemed eager, excited, and ready to embark on their journey. There were a few tears from the moms and Tammy as we watched all of our green shirts head off through the security gates.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
12 hours to departure
We are just about 12 hours away from arriving at O'Hare for our departure.
Please keep us in your prayers as we travel thousands of miles away from home.
W have packed all of our bags brining nearly 1800 pounds of toothpaste, soccer balls, shoes, clothes, school supplies, art projects, and more.
The anticipation grows each moment as we wonder about the people we will meet and the work we will do.
Thanks to all for your support thus far and continued prayers as we work as Christ's hands in the world.
Please keep us in your prayers as we travel thousands of miles away from home.
W have packed all of our bags brining nearly 1800 pounds of toothpaste, soccer balls, shoes, clothes, school supplies, art projects, and more.
The anticipation grows each moment as we wonder about the people we will meet and the work we will do.
Thanks to all for your support thus far and continued prayers as we work as Christ's hands in the world.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Team Members
Zack Adams
Harrison Aybar
Madeline Aybar
Maggie Belliel
Sam Belliel
Audrey Binder
John Binder
Bonnie Cobia
Anne Driscoll
Krista Giuntoli
Debbie Herring
Jim Lumberg
Jackie Lungmus
Alex Miner
Liz Oatney
Pastor Kirk Reed
Alex Stern
Gary Vernon
Deacon Tammy Wischnack
Harrison Aybar
Madeline Aybar
Maggie Belliel
Sam Belliel
Audrey Binder
John Binder
Bonnie Cobia
Anne Driscoll
Krista Giuntoli
Debbie Herring
Jim Lumberg
Jackie Lungmus
Alex Miner
Liz Oatney
Pastor Kirk Reed
Alex Stern
Gary Vernon
Deacon Tammy Wischnack
2009 Trinity Tanzania Mission Trip
Thanks to all of you for traveling on this spiritual journey with us as we prepare to head to Tanzania in just a few short weeks! Team Tanzania, consisting of 19 very dedicated youth and adults, continues to grow and learn as we move forward to our July 27th departure date. We will be working with children at the Kilimanjaro English Nursery School, many of whom have been orphaned by HIV.
The Kilimanjaro English School is located at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, in the African village of Moshi, Tanzania. The school was founded by Edward Lazaro who is better known as “Teacher”. Teacher founded the school in 1997 to help local children orphaned by AIDS and others who needed help. Today the school serves over 250 children ages 3 to 8 years old. One of the primary goals of the school is to put young children on the path of hope and opportunity providing resources to help them grow strong in mind, body and spirit.
This school is more than just a school. It provides basic food and basic care and shelter to severely underprivileged children and very importantly provides a safe and positive environment for them outside of school hours. Please visit our website http://kilimanjaroenglishschool.com/index.html to learn more about the school.
The Kilimanjaro English School is located at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, in the African village of Moshi, Tanzania. The school was founded by Edward Lazaro who is better known as “Teacher”. Teacher founded the school in 1997 to help local children orphaned by AIDS and others who needed help. Today the school serves over 250 children ages 3 to 8 years old. One of the primary goals of the school is to put young children on the path of hope and opportunity providing resources to help them grow strong in mind, body and spirit.
This school is more than just a school. It provides basic food and basic care and shelter to severely underprivileged children and very importantly provides a safe and positive environment for them outside of school hours. Please visit our website http://kilimanjaroenglishschool.com/index.html to learn more about the school.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
