Milk and Cookies?

Continuing with the Frequently Asked Questions from my latest newsletter, here's another one...

What do you eat in Tanzania?
It's actually pretty close to what I'd eat in America with some slight alterations.

The fruits are tropical: apples and grapes are expensive and rare, cranberries and blueberries virtually nonexistent, but mangoes, pineapple, papaya, guava are cheap and plentiful. These I'd buy at our local fruit and vegetable duka. (Swahili for store/shop)

For meat, I'd usually eat chicken or ground beef, which is so lean there's almost no need to drain the grease! Large portions of meat are expensive and not commonly used in recipes. Although you can buy meat from a local butcher, it's not the safest since it probably hasn't been refrigerated. I'd get it from Shop-Rite, a South African grocery store chain, or another grocery store.

Pasta is readily available as are different varieties of rice. There is a great bakery which makes several types of loaves, rolls and flat breads.

Cooking is a little different, too. Gas ovens and stoves are the most common and almost nothing comes frozen or prepared. Everything is from scratch.

There are several wonderful restaurants in Dar also. Anghiti's, an Indian restaurant, is my favorite! Addis in Dar offers delicious Ethiopian food. Hot Box has great burgers...though I honestly couldn't tell you what was in or on them and we have a theory that their tastiness is a direct correlation to the amount of time you've been in Dar... The only American restaurant is Subway and it is remarkably like Subways in the US except they serve no pork products. There's also a great take-away 'fast food' Portuguese chicken place, Barcelos.

Of course, Tanzanian food is common and delicious, too.... more about that in another post...

Food I missed most: MILK!! Cold, creamy, delicious, need-to-be-refrigerated milk!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane...

I have a ticket to Tanzania! Yea!!

My flight leaves July 30 from Tampa. I'll fly to Washington, DC then on to London, England where I'll stay for two nights with friends. Then I fly to Johannesburg, South Africa and finally on to Tanzania arriving August 3. :)

Total in-air flight time: 24 hours 16 minutes
Total miles traveled: 11,606!!

:)

Kwaheri California

Kwaheri: Swahili for 'goodbye' (qua-HAIR-ee)

While moving to Tanzania to do what I know God is calling me to do is beyond exciting, there are some parts of if that are hard. Leaving California is one of them. I've visited family here many, many times before, but leaving was easy because it wasn't my home. But it is now. I have a life here, a church, friends, work...as well as family. And that's made it harder to say 'goodbye.'

January before last (2007) when I first made the decision to move to California after returning from Tanzania, I began praying for 3 things: a church with a heart for missions, a Godly mentor, and a small group whose members were in the same stage of life as myself. I was pretty specific in my prayers and kinda told God exactly what I wanted! The incredible thing is that He answered all of my requests - and then some! He used my cousin to lead me to Community Baptist Church where I met Sandy (!!!!) and got connected to a small group. Even the specifics I prayed about those things were answered.

I was listening to Beth Moore the other day and she said something about prayer that has stuck with me and is worth repeating. She said, "Our Father delights in exalting, ambitious praying!" In other words, pray big, God-honoring prayers and get ready for what will happen!

Want another example of amazingly answered prayer? :)
I mailed my first Wycliffe invitation to partnership letter in March. And in 4 months, God has provided above and beyond what I was expecting in both monthly and one-time support. I don't know if you're aware but many missionaries spend a year or more developing partnerships and raising the needed funds. 4 months is the most amazing confirmation that I am going where I'm supposed to be going!

The cool thing? He used the answered prayers from a year and a half ago (church, mentor, small group) to help the next stage of my life begin. The people I have met at and through CBC and who are partnering with me as I go to Tanzania are incredible!

I'm praying that you would all know the wonderful blessing you have been to me this year. :)

Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe...part Mbili (2)

My friend, Sandy, found this great clip on YouTube. It's a slightly different version than the one we sang - and much faster but still really fun to watch!

Enjoy! Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe

Tanzanian Dinner

The Tanzanian dinner at CBC went great!

Thanks to my wonderful small group, friends and family!! :)

Here are a few pictures of the evening...

Diane, Pat, Michael, Scott, Stacy and Riley set up, served and cleaned up
along with Man, Wumi and Bryan!


My CBC small group!
Michael, Riley, Carley, Stacy, Bryan, Diane, Wumi, Pat and Man!
...only missing Scott and Andrea...

I talk with my hands ...

...and use lots of expression apparently!



The wonderful news is that I am at 97% of my monthly support quota! PTL!! Thank you for your prayers! I had asked for prayer to be at 100% by July and I am so thankful that I am very nearly there...and it's July! :)

Hakuna Mungu kama Wewe

Tomorrow I will be having a Tanzanian dinner at my church to share what I'll be doing in Tanzania and invite people to become partners. During one part, we'll be singing the Swahili song "Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe" and it's definitely worth sharing here. Enjoy! :)

Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe
There's no God like you
Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe
Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe
Hakuna na hatakuwepo
None and there will never be

Nimetembea kote, kote
I have walked here, there
Nimetafuta kote, kote
I have searched here, there
Nimezunguka kote, kote
I have turned around here, there
Hakuna na hatakuwepo
None and there will never be

Picture doesn't really go with the post, just think it's beautiful!!
This is Tanzania: Acacia trees and zebra on the savannah.