Family Fun in the Mountains

Summer fun at Mt Baldy!

My aunt Sherry

cousin-in-law Nick and little Niko

Morgan and Karis coming down the mountain

Karis enjoying getting her hair wet and flinging back her head!

Niko throwing rocks

Up and down the mountain

Summer Schedule

Not a very exciting post here but I thought you might be interested to know my summer travelings:

June 20
   leave Dar es Salaam

June 21
   arrive Tampa, Florida
   drive to Fort Myers to stay with my sister, Liz and her husband, Rhett
   (help out with a summer arts camp along with my mom and our other two sisters)

July 2
   drive to Bushnell, Florida to stay with parents

July 5
   Barbeque with family!

July 6-8
   travel to Yulee, Florida and Evans, Georiga to visit cousins!

July 9 (today)
   ...remind myself I need to buy a camera so I can take pictures of all these events!!!!
   in Bushnell, Florida
   get-together for supporters and friends

July 14
   fly to Rancho Cucamonga, California

July (....)
   travel to northern California to visit friends (?)

July 26
   return to Bushnell, Florida to finish buying and packing

August 1
   fly to London, England to stay with Debbie, Naomi and Jess (with possible visits to other friends)

August 14
   fly to Dar es Salaam

August 15
   return to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania


... if I'm in your area, give me a call or email! I'd love to reconnect with you!

:)

June

Delicia, me, Naomi: housemates

June is a hard month at HOPAC. Although the end of the school year usually brings joy to teachers and students alike, in a missionary community, it also brings the season of good-byes.

As a teacher, about the third to last week of school, I'm saying "Come on, end-of-the-year." But by the time the last week of school rolls around, I'm saying "What? Already? Can't we have just a little more time together?"

This year is no exception, especially as there are many leaving HOPAC and Dar for good: families who have been the pillars of our community, prayer warriors, HOPAC leaders, small group girls, friends at church, a housemate. (Naomi, below)

It's hard to have so many good-byes at the same time and to be leaving Dar myself for two months, knowing I'll be returning to a somewhat different community. At the same time, I am thankful for so many friends who will still be in Dar, at HOPAC, at church. And as one friend said, "I am ready to open my heart again" to new friends.

I find myself longing for the day when there will be no more good-byes, no more transitions. I am comforted by the knowledge that my citizenship is in Heaven and I entertain the thought that in Heaven, all of my 'groups' will get to meet all of my other 'groups' in one joyful, never-ending, Jesus-hosted reunion.

But still, June is hard.

Smiles

Mary and Felecia

Judah and Mary

Mary and Anen, twins

Mary, Ethan, Felecia

Anna, Lois Graham (we have two Lois Gs), Precious

Jane (after several attempts to catch her smile!)

Ji Myeong

(Mary was around a lot during picture-taking time!)

:)

Pigs & Hens

HOPAC is currently in the middle of both Swine Flu and Chicken Pox outbreaks. Last week grade 2 was closed because almost half the class was out with swine flu and Chicken Pox has worked its way through almost everyone in Grade 3.

This week Grade 1 has their first case of Chicken Pox and their first testing for Swine Flu. I'll keep you posted...

:)

(What is it with these animal diseases?)

Superbowl Monday

That's right. Since we're 8 hours ahead of EST, the Superbowl airs here at 2:30 am! And for the first time in several years, I got to see it!! Now some missionaries here are doing the smart thing and recording the game to watch it this evening. However, this calls for avoiding all news, friends, Facebook, blogs, etc. for the day...

I opted to watch it live with Roger, Paul, Kevin and Benji! Live being time-delayed by the network and by the satellite company who, if the game seems slow to them, occasionally skips parts of the game. Thankfully we had none of that. They even played the half-time show (no commercials, though!) although the sound was off the entire time - off by about 10 seconds!

But I got to watch football!! (On a comfortable couch with people who care about it. That's gotta be a part of Heaven...) And the Saints won! Yay! (Didn't care too much about that but I chose them so I stuck with my choice and it paid off.)

Thanks Roger and Laurie!

:)

and now, for your listening pleasure...

the Ocean in Dar podcast

That's right ladies and gentlemen, you can now listen to my pastor, Steve Kuert and sometimes visiting pastor, Roger Kuykendall!

After several months of confusion and miscommunication, I finally figured out the easiest way to publish these sermons - and it only took about an hour (and most of that was Internet speed.)

God is good!

:)

A Bagamoyo Retreat

My housemate, Naomi, and I decided we needed a break from Dar. So last weekend we drove up to Bagamoyo. Bagamoyo is a sleepy town about an hour drive from the north side of Dar where we live. It's a nice drive through several villages - no traffic; fruit and vegetable dukas (stalls) along the side of the road; and, since we've recently had rain, the grass and trees are beautiful and green!

We went to Travellers Lodge for lunch and then found a shady spot under a coconut palm to read and relax. Such a nice afternoon!

a local fisherman cleaning his catch on the beach

Tanzania children playing in the Indian Ocean

:)

Max

Meet Max.

Max is our class tortoise.

His full name is Max Alex Poko.

Don't ask me why.

A few months ago, he wondered into the yard of another teacher and managed to avoid being eaten by two dogs...so we decided he's probably sturdy enough for 23 6-year olds!

Around the middle of December he managed to escape/was released from his outside box. We just figured he'd had enough. We looked for him for about a week and even prayed he'd be safe.

Then last week a secondary student came by in the middle of the day with Max! The students were thrilled! He'd somehow managed to cross a small ditch and wonder over to the secondary block without being eaten by crows, snakes, or mongooses. (Thought: Do mongooses eat turtles? And yes, it's mongooses not mongeese. I looked it up.)

Right now he's making laps around the classroom. (I let him wander at night.) He's been around at least 10 times and just keeps going. I was wondering if he only went clockwise but he just turned around and is going counter clockwise. His favorite place is under the book bin at the back of the room.

Don't worry, we let him outside as much as possible! During every break we have 'Turtle Time' and students keep an eye on him...he tends to wonder off...

:)

Stuff!!

Thank you KLM! My bags arrived with little hassle early Sunday morning. I got a text at 1:30 after the flight came in.

They've had quite a trip! They followed me to London then returned to Amsterdam, separately, then were supposed to go back to London before coming to Dar via Kenya but I think they actually just went from Amsterdam down here to Dar.

Oh well! They're here!!

Which means... Pictures!

Samuel ...and his artwork

Showing God loving us from the overflow of His love in relationship with Jesus

(deep stuff for Grade 1 but they get it!)

Dhashrrad

Allison

:)

Baggage, baggage wherefore art thou baggage?

Hopefully you're on your way!

My bags did not make my connection with me from Amsterdam to London. :( KML was very helpful and are sending them my way...at least that's the plan.

Please pray that they get here!! My two little lost duffel bags stuffed with good things from America!

:)

Things you just can't get in Dar

or "Selections from my American shopping list"

jolly ranchers (x2) for small groups

chocolate chips

new clothes and shoes! (not secondhand!)

SD card

sauce packets

American candy (at the request of my students!)

construction paper

brown duct tape (so many colors!)

Action Packer (thank you , Target!)

treasure box toys from Oriental Trading Co.

bug spray (with DEET, please)

:)

Pictures coming!

as soon as I get back to Tanzania

...because I bought a memory card for my camera (misplaced the other one!)

:)