July, 2011: Back in My Hot Home

I am glad to be back to my hot home, and I am having fun with the kids - they are all home for school break - well, 5 have gone for visits with relatives, but that still leaves 18 plus 5 puppies and 3 kittens. The kittens live in my room so the bigger dogs don't eat them. Another lively addition to our family is Queenie, now 7 months, the granddaughter of our chief mama, Violet, whose daughter Hawa has come to live with us.

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January Update

It's great having Ditrick as the Assistant Project Manager - he's on the ball, and keeping me well informed.

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So Hard to Leave Behind…

t’s that time of year again – leaving Tanzania and all the kids is always hard for me.

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Group Photo!

With our expanding family, it's a rare occasion when we are all together! This shot was taken on the veranda of the new girls' dorm, and is missing only Kiza and Musa, both boys away boarding at secondary school. Our Canadian guests, who stayed two weeks, and spoiled us all with their generous gifts and attention, insisted on capturing us all in rememberance of their time in the "real" rural Tanzania.

Pictured left to right are: seated: Rajabu, Blandina, Mwajuma, Sophia, (standing is Christina) Zawadi, Maria, Emma(nuel), and Neema. Middle row: Irene, Noelle, Isaiya, Paulo, Violet, Joan, Mariam and Irene. Back row: Manager Ditrick, Mama Violet, yours truly, Mama Zaina, manager Mallya and Teacher Shabani.

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Back in Msongola

I slowly come to wakefulness, realizing I am listening to the frogs... the rain... the birds... the roosters, then the waking kids. I feel so happy! I watch as the light grows, and I see the outline of the trees, then the clouds, as the sun tries to appear. I am so happy! And I thank God for the priviledge of witnessing the break of day in all of it's noisy, wet, misty glory. And I get up to join in.

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