Africa becomes a part of you...

A few fun facts I’ve discovered about my summer:
I’ve spent more time using the great outdoors than I have with a real toilet (a hole in the ground with three walls and no roof is still considered the great outdoors).
I’ve heard and spoken KiSwaheli more than English.
I get more sleep during finals week.
I’ve eaten more Ugali than I care to talk about.
No matter how much sunscreen I put on this little mzungu still fries in the African sun.

This week of camp was spent in the beautiful mountain village of Malonge, which by the way was absolutely freezing! Oh my word, I never knew Africa could get this cold. I spent every morning during group devos and every evening during service in a hoodie, my wind breaker, and a conga wrapped around my skirt…and I was still cold. What happened to the sun-scorched land ha ha?
We had 80 campers this week which will be our biggest group of the three weeks (only about 50 next week). This week was a lot more familiar due to the fact that it was the second time we were doing everything (activities, teachings, games, etc). The most fun is that we continually get to know our staff and our translators. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon splitting my sides with laughter with three of my translators just laughing at happenings of the week. Something I’ve learned from the Tanzanians is that they are in no hurry to do anything. They are relational and would stop anything and everything to sit and talk with you. I asked one of my translators Jericho the other day why he was walking so slow (we were on our way somewhere) and he said, “because I am in no hurry.” It is so true, they are in no hurry. This does though at times cause frustration because when you are trying to get something accomplished with your Western mentality the nationals just about drive you insane! But it has helped to slow my ever constant moving self.
It’s hard to believe that 2 weeks of camp are over and only 1 week remains. We head down to the valley on Monday and have the blessing of staying with the local missionaries there who live very near the village which means we will have the blessing of hot showers during the week. I continue to ask for prayers for this final week, our staff is getting very nervous about going to the valley due to the cholera rumors that are coming out of the valley. Part of the reason we are staying with the missionaries is that we will be carrying clean water to the camp every day. We are also praying that no campers bring cholera with them because the living situations in the village will cause the cholera to spread like wildfire. Zero fun sir.

I’m heading to town today for the last time. We have to get supplies for the last week of camp but there is also some last minute market shopping to do which I love doing. The market is so entertaining and quite the adventure. The market makes you feel like you are truly in another world. I’ve grown comfortable enough to be able to wander around and shop without the help of Brook or Lynn. My limited KiSwaheli is enough to get me through shopping (plus sign language is universal!).

Lynn Caraway’s (one of the missionaries) ministry here in Tanzania is taking care of orphan babies. She is on excellent terms with the orphanage in Sumbawanga and when they get newborn babies in Lynn takes one or two of them home, fattens um’ up, and once they are healthy enough, returns them to the orphanage. Most of these babies lost their mothers but still have their fathers and they bring them to the orphanage so that they can be taken care of for the first few months and then the fathers come and get them. Most of the time. Right now Lynn has twin baby girls at her home who are two weeks old. They are weighing in at 3.8 pounds and 4 pounds, tiny tiny little girls. They came without names and so Lynn had the honor of naming the girls and when I returned from camp this week she informed us that she had named one Leah and one Hannah (after myself and one of my other team members). So now there is a little orphan baby girl weighing in at 3.8 pounds who has the coolest and most awesome name ever. Little Hannah and Big Hannah became best friends today. I got to bathe and dress her and then give her a bottle. I have never held or taken care of a baby that small before. She was so tiny!! But she’s spunky and already living up to her name. Little Hannah and I will be spending as much time together as we can before I have to leave : ).

Back at campus now for the weekend gaining back some energy (just to have it sucked right back out again by two adorable baby girls) and getting ready for our final week of camp.
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