Today I am really struggling with contentment here in Tanzania. This morning, the power went off 2 minutes after the alarm did, meaning no hot showers, toast, or coffee to start our day. (thankfully it did return about 5 hours later). The morning was very rainy and drizzly - our first actual "drizzle" here in almost 7 weeks, but still a damper on my spirits and a crimp in my hope to have sun-dried laundry.
Today is the last day of the month which means we have to pay our workers. We also feed one of the families which means I must buy large quantities of rice, oil and corn flour for them. I also bought luku (electric) for the first time today. So between all 3 of these projects, the money feels like it's absolutely flying out of here...and it doesn't get replenished until the middle of the month.
I am discouraged about the size and cost of our house. I am discouraged about the size of our car. I am discouraged at the cost of food and the fact that we can't seem to keep food in the house (both because it's difficult to obtain and because our boy in particular is a bottomless pit). I am discouraged that I am not learning Swahili more quickly. I am discouraged that we still need a lot of furniture in order to feel settled.
Most of all, I'm discouraged at my lack of contentment. I definitely had my days of envy back in the States, but overall I felt at peace. Here, I feel an absolute lack of everything, all the time. I am jealous of others' larger houses and cars. I am envious of those who have extra money. I want the sense of purpose and accomplishment that others seem to have here. These feelings of discontent are even more discouraging because so many have so little here. I do have a roof...and electric most of the time...and food...and a car. My husband has a job, my kids are enrolled in a great school, and we have more blessings than we can count.
Today, I'm meditating on Paul's letter to the Philippians: "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Phil 4:12-13).
And I am praying for contentment in all circumstances: with power, or without power; in a small house or a large one; when my kids are fighting or when they are getting along. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Mosquitoes
Oh, how I hate mosquitoes!! On an intellectual level, I understood that they were prevalent in Africa, but I thought that by putting on bug spray and sleeping under bed nets we would be more protected. Maybe we would be from American mosquitoes, but these African ones are tricky. They basically hide in dark places (like under the bed) all day and then emerge to torment you in your bed net at night. I think there's no worse sound than the whine of a mosquito in your ear at 3 a.m. (shudder). I think that could be employed as a torture device alongside the rack.
Luckily we have a very effective weapon at our disposal: the Zapper. It's basically the size of a small tennis racket with a button on the side to electrify it. You swing at the mosquitoes and...sizzle! they drop dead of electric shock (sometimes the carcass actually fries on the surface which creates a somewhat unpleasant smell).
It's a bit disturbing to admit how satisfying it is to sweep through the bed nets before bed at night and make a bunch of kills. There's something primal that gets released in me when I do this (protecting my young? dominance of species?) However, it's a little less satisfying to sweep through the nets in the morning and realize we were cohabiting with 3 or 4 friends.
We have some toxic bug spray that we want to apply to the bed nets, but like many other things in Africa, it's been a challenge to figure out how to do this. We think we want to do this via a spray bottle, and we've been keeping our eyes open for the past couple of weeks to find one...no luck so far.
Until then, the Zapper is our first line of defense!
Luckily we have a very effective weapon at our disposal: the Zapper. It's basically the size of a small tennis racket with a button on the side to electrify it. You swing at the mosquitoes and...sizzle! they drop dead of electric shock (sometimes the carcass actually fries on the surface which creates a somewhat unpleasant smell).
It's a bit disturbing to admit how satisfying it is to sweep through the bed nets before bed at night and make a bunch of kills. There's something primal that gets released in me when I do this (protecting my young? dominance of species?) However, it's a little less satisfying to sweep through the nets in the morning and realize we were cohabiting with 3 or 4 friends.
We have some toxic bug spray that we want to apply to the bed nets, but like many other things in Africa, it's been a challenge to figure out how to do this. We think we want to do this via a spray bottle, and we've been keeping our eyes open for the past couple of weeks to find one...no luck so far.
Until then, the Zapper is our first line of defense!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Convenience
I think what I miss more than anything about the U.S. is the incredible amount of convenience I had. Bagel stores! Take out! AAA for car breakdowns! Canned beans and tomatoes! Starbucks! Kohls! Bed Bath and Beyond! Having two cars! Having power whenever we wanted it! A dishwasher! Washer and dryer!
Cooking here takes up the majority of my daily thought as it involves a lot of preparation and forethought...although not too much forethought since produce doesn't keep, bread molds quickly and with the threat of power outages, I'm afraid to keep too much meat frozen. Unlike in the States, I don't simply load up at the giant grocery store once a week. There are little forays into small supermarkets (dukas) or roadside fruit/veggie stands at least every other day. This is, of course, much more time consuming. On the positive side, I have been developing a personal relationship with Saheedi, the green grocer!
We don't have nearly the variety at the stores (even the big, Western-style ones) as we did back home. One thing we've been missing is granola bars. As opposed to occupying half an aisle in the U.S., I have barely seen them anywhere here. A friend here said she has seen them...for the equivalent of $2 U.S. per bar (and up). So I've gone the much more inconvenient road of making homemade oats and honey bars from scratch a couple times a week. I'm sure we're eating a lot healthier with less preservatives, but it sure would be nice to just load up on packs of mini Oreos and Lunchables and have lunches packed for the week. I even miss peeled, packaged baby carrots...it's a lot more work to peel and slice them.
Laundry is another stress. Without a washer and dryer, it's all hand washed by our house worker and line dried. Prior to this week, we had someone coming 3 days a week to do this. However, the volume of laundry for 5 people was just too great - there was too much stuff for the clothesline and stuff was not drying. This week, we have a new worker coming every weekday and this has been working out much better. I have found that it is just much dirtier here than in the U.S. and so the kids' clothes need to be washed almost every day. Because they wear uniforms (and P.E. uniforms) it is essential that we get the right things in order. There's no throwing a load of laundry in at 11 p.m. after realizing it's gym day for someone.
There are a lot of material things that I'd like that I have no idea how to get. Or, the way to get them is to traverse downtown through crazy traffic to the big scary market where only Swahili is spoken. So, I'm making do without quite a few things for the time being.
Interestingly enough, there are 2 things which are more convenient here in Tanzania. Our dog needs quarterly heartworm shots...and the vet makes a house call! And the people who sold us the car assured us that if our vehicle needs service or repairs, the mechanic will also come to us. Bonus!
Another blessing of convenience is that we have gotten on a weekly pizza crust distribution through HOPAC. Tim places the order, and 2 crusts and tomato sauce magically appear once a week after school. I can't tell you how much I love Wednesdays with the thought that dinner is already planned and only requires me to add shredded cheese to a crust and bake it. It feels so good!
Two things I'm trying to take away from this time of many inconvenient things...First, we don't need all that much convenience in order to be happy. Honestly, I have found that I can get by without 99% of the products from my former life and be just fine. However, whenever I do get back to the U.S., I hope will have a new appreciation for the bounty of convenience around me (and I hope my readers will look at convenience with fresh eyes, too!)
Cooking here takes up the majority of my daily thought as it involves a lot of preparation and forethought...although not too much forethought since produce doesn't keep, bread molds quickly and with the threat of power outages, I'm afraid to keep too much meat frozen. Unlike in the States, I don't simply load up at the giant grocery store once a week. There are little forays into small supermarkets (dukas) or roadside fruit/veggie stands at least every other day. This is, of course, much more time consuming. On the positive side, I have been developing a personal relationship with Saheedi, the green grocer!
We don't have nearly the variety at the stores (even the big, Western-style ones) as we did back home. One thing we've been missing is granola bars. As opposed to occupying half an aisle in the U.S., I have barely seen them anywhere here. A friend here said she has seen them...for the equivalent of $2 U.S. per bar (and up). So I've gone the much more inconvenient road of making homemade oats and honey bars from scratch a couple times a week. I'm sure we're eating a lot healthier with less preservatives, but it sure would be nice to just load up on packs of mini Oreos and Lunchables and have lunches packed for the week. I even miss peeled, packaged baby carrots...it's a lot more work to peel and slice them.
Laundry is another stress. Without a washer and dryer, it's all hand washed by our house worker and line dried. Prior to this week, we had someone coming 3 days a week to do this. However, the volume of laundry for 5 people was just too great - there was too much stuff for the clothesline and stuff was not drying. This week, we have a new worker coming every weekday and this has been working out much better. I have found that it is just much dirtier here than in the U.S. and so the kids' clothes need to be washed almost every day. Because they wear uniforms (and P.E. uniforms) it is essential that we get the right things in order. There's no throwing a load of laundry in at 11 p.m. after realizing it's gym day for someone.
There are a lot of material things that I'd like that I have no idea how to get. Or, the way to get them is to traverse downtown through crazy traffic to the big scary market where only Swahili is spoken. So, I'm making do without quite a few things for the time being.
Interestingly enough, there are 2 things which are more convenient here in Tanzania. Our dog needs quarterly heartworm shots...and the vet makes a house call! And the people who sold us the car assured us that if our vehicle needs service or repairs, the mechanic will also come to us. Bonus!
Another blessing of convenience is that we have gotten on a weekly pizza crust distribution through HOPAC. Tim places the order, and 2 crusts and tomato sauce magically appear once a week after school. I can't tell you how much I love Wednesdays with the thought that dinner is already planned and only requires me to add shredded cheese to a crust and bake it. It feels so good!
Two things I'm trying to take away from this time of many inconvenient things...First, we don't need all that much convenience in order to be happy. Honestly, I have found that I can get by without 99% of the products from my former life and be just fine. However, whenever I do get back to the U.S., I hope will have a new appreciation for the bounty of convenience around me (and I hope my readers will look at convenience with fresh eyes, too!)
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Thankful Thursday
4 weeks ago today, we arrived in Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania, to begin our new life. It's been a challenging and
often overwhelming adjustment, and the temptation is to focus on the
negatives (as I write this, the power is off again). However,
there is a verse stenciled on our living room wall which says,
“Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4) which is an
important reminder whenever I see it. As such, today I'm going to
focus on some of the joys and thanksgivings of the past month.
- Health: we have been very blessed with good health. So many people report difficulties with digestion and fevers when they arrive, but except for one “off” day and a minor cold, we have all been very well physically.
- Protection from medical crisis: Charlotte sprayed herself in the eye with DEET bug spray. Josh got so many mosquito bites on his hands that there was more redness than skin. Tim suffered a blow to the head while playing football (soccer). In all 3 cases, everyone is absolutely fine with no medical treatment sought.
- Friendships: the kids in particular have made fast friends in their classes, for which we are so grateful. They are enjoying running around together on the playground after school, just like at EC! Emily and Josh are also each playing football 3 times a week which keeps them very occupied. Overall the kids' transition to the new school has gone even better than we had hoped.
- Making progress on the house: although we have the basics, we have no storage units, the house echoes and the girls are still living out of suitcases. Slowly but surely I'm making a dent: we have curtains in the bedroom and kitchen, curtains are ordered for the living room and dining room, and we are getting bedside tables and an armoire for the girls (delivery in 2 weeks!) As you can imagine, there is no IKEA down the road to solve these problems!
- Driving: I no longer break out into a cold sweat every time I'm on the roads. And unlike New Jersey drivers, the crazy antics here in Tanzania really don't faze me all that much. I guess because it's such a free-for-all here, you can't really expect order on the roads. I've also finally been adjusting to the turn signals and except for one time, I've been properly sticking to the left side of the road.
- HOPAC Community: we have been welcomed with open arms into a wonderful family of believers. HOPAC is an amazing school and I'm thankful the kids can continue to receive an excellent, Christ-centered education.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in
affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Thoughts from the Tech Teacher
Teaching in a computer lab in the third world is probably as "interesting" as you think it may be. In some ways, the infrastructure and hardware we have access to would surprise you. School buys all teachers new HP laptops. (which is awesome since my own new laptop broke...have I mentioned that 1000 times yet?) Our computer lab is running brand new N-Computing thin clients on a Microsoft 2012 Multipoint Server. (The students are excited to be using Windows 8, except for those who already hate all things Microsoft...company loyalties are universal.)
In other ways, like all things in Africa, as set up as we are, things just don't work. The servers are set up to run on batteries when the power goes off, but right now some part of the network is not staying powered. Since we are using networked computers, they all shut down anyway. School has a fast Internet connection, except there seems to be something slowing it down tremendously just in the past week (basically, since I started teaching...) In many ways, these issues are not far from similar problems we've faced back at Eastern Christian in the first world. I am not surprised, after 12 years of teaching, when my tech-based Plan A doesn't work. My slightly less tech-based Plan B often doesn't work either, unfortunately, and I am still gathering the resources and ideas needed to have some pen and pencil Plan Cs ready.
I have two IT staff hired at the school helping out. And when I say helping out, I mean, they take care of everything and I have just been focusing on lesson plans and how to get the technology to do what I need to teach effectively. Teachers ask the IT staff to help with printing problems, projector problems, wireless problems. Wow, I am spoiled! But at the same time, it's been a learning experience for me to find out where I fit in the tech scheme of things. I am willing to help, but I don't know the system very well yet. And when I want help, instead of fixing something myself, I need to rely on others to do it. This takes some getting used to. I am feeling my way yet, but I remain pretty upbeat.
Well, kind of upbeat, because honestly I haven't had a class period yet where the network and the computers worked as I wanted them too. It would be nice to get my "Plan A" lesson that I am excited about taught once or twice! (I've decided that I cannot rely on ANY Internet connectivity to teach. No more GoogleDocs, Google Earth, or Prezi. Boo!)
On Tuesdays, I mostly teach Grades 6, 7, and 8. The middle school curriculum gives me the most freedom to teach what I want to teach. And I have to admit, I was not looking forward to teaching this age. I have always been a "I need high school students so I can treat them as adults" kind of teacher. But it turns out, the crazy 7th graders are actually my favorite group right now. (I have them for homeroom as well. They are energetic but I like it.) And of course it's fun teaching my daughter and her classmates. They all like me because I play MineCraft. As I've always said, I get along with kids because I've never matured myself. I'll be teaching this age group things like word processing, presentations, and an introduction to programming (a program called Scratch).
On Wednesdays, I mostly teach Kindergarten - Grade 5. OK, I never knew that I'd be spending most of my time in the computer lab convinced to keep people sitting down. They get up to tell me when things don't work, they get up to tell me when things do work, they get up to tell me they are happy, sad, or about to go to the bathroom. Well, I did have a great time this week learning what ages could handle certain things. Grade 2 could learn to log in, but it was a whole period. Grade 3 did it in 5 minutes! Kindergarten had a great time learning where the letters on the keyboard were. Most of the time, these classes will be learning typing and playing some fun math/reading games when they are with me. (I am learning how to take games from the Internet and save them on the local computers for easy access. Once I stock pile enough of them, this will be ...easy?)
The rest of the time, I am teaching two classes to high schoolers. ICT (Information & Communication Technologies.) It's a long story to describe these classes in detail. Basically, HOPAC's secondary school curriculum comes from an International Program that Cambridge University created. It's a prestigious and ambitious program, and requires us to really focus on "teaching to the tests." So for the first time in my teaching career, I can't just teach the things about computers that I find interesting. Still, the curriculum is pretty interesting. The biggest challenge is learning a lot of new terminology. It turns out that English English and American English are quite different when it comes to education. "Mark" is a "grade". A "Paper" is an "exam." Those are two examples, but actually there is almost an entirely different worldview I need to get used to in terms of grading and teaching. My "IGCSE ICT" class is mostly Grade 9, and they thoroughly learn word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentations and HTML (web pages). My "Applied ICT AS level" is the advanced class for Grade 11/12, and it focuses on advanced skills, mostly on the database level. They also have to memorize how computer systems are used in a wide variety of industries, from burglar alarm systems to car manufacturing to online banking to hospitals. Their paper at the end of the year consists of scenarios from different industries, and they need to provide insight into the hardware and software their "client" might need to solve a problem, and then build complex databases related to it. Well, sorry for the details, I should have just said, "I have a lot to learn yet to teach this class."
Well, there is still a lot more I could say about my students, about the differences in teaching here and in America, and about HOPAC's unique atmosphere. But those will have to wait...sorry for all the tech details, but I know some of you (ie my fellow geeks) need to understand this level of computer detail :)
In other ways, like all things in Africa, as set up as we are, things just don't work. The servers are set up to run on batteries when the power goes off, but right now some part of the network is not staying powered. Since we are using networked computers, they all shut down anyway. School has a fast Internet connection, except there seems to be something slowing it down tremendously just in the past week (basically, since I started teaching...) In many ways, these issues are not far from similar problems we've faced back at Eastern Christian in the first world. I am not surprised, after 12 years of teaching, when my tech-based Plan A doesn't work. My slightly less tech-based Plan B often doesn't work either, unfortunately, and I am still gathering the resources and ideas needed to have some pen and pencil Plan Cs ready.
I have two IT staff hired at the school helping out. And when I say helping out, I mean, they take care of everything and I have just been focusing on lesson plans and how to get the technology to do what I need to teach effectively. Teachers ask the IT staff to help with printing problems, projector problems, wireless problems. Wow, I am spoiled! But at the same time, it's been a learning experience for me to find out where I fit in the tech scheme of things. I am willing to help, but I don't know the system very well yet. And when I want help, instead of fixing something myself, I need to rely on others to do it. This takes some getting used to. I am feeling my way yet, but I remain pretty upbeat.
Well, kind of upbeat, because honestly I haven't had a class period yet where the network and the computers worked as I wanted them too. It would be nice to get my "Plan A" lesson that I am excited about taught once or twice! (I've decided that I cannot rely on ANY Internet connectivity to teach. No more GoogleDocs, Google Earth, or Prezi. Boo!)
On Tuesdays, I mostly teach Grades 6, 7, and 8. The middle school curriculum gives me the most freedom to teach what I want to teach. And I have to admit, I was not looking forward to teaching this age. I have always been a "I need high school students so I can treat them as adults" kind of teacher. But it turns out, the crazy 7th graders are actually my favorite group right now. (I have them for homeroom as well. They are energetic but I like it.) And of course it's fun teaching my daughter and her classmates. They all like me because I play MineCraft. As I've always said, I get along with kids because I've never matured myself. I'll be teaching this age group things like word processing, presentations, and an introduction to programming (a program called Scratch).
On Wednesdays, I mostly teach Kindergarten - Grade 5. OK, I never knew that I'd be spending most of my time in the computer lab convinced to keep people sitting down. They get up to tell me when things don't work, they get up to tell me when things do work, they get up to tell me they are happy, sad, or about to go to the bathroom. Well, I did have a great time this week learning what ages could handle certain things. Grade 2 could learn to log in, but it was a whole period. Grade 3 did it in 5 minutes! Kindergarten had a great time learning where the letters on the keyboard were. Most of the time, these classes will be learning typing and playing some fun math/reading games when they are with me. (I am learning how to take games from the Internet and save them on the local computers for easy access. Once I stock pile enough of them, this will be ...easy?)
The rest of the time, I am teaching two classes to high schoolers. ICT (Information & Communication Technologies.) It's a long story to describe these classes in detail. Basically, HOPAC's secondary school curriculum comes from an International Program that Cambridge University created. It's a prestigious and ambitious program, and requires us to really focus on "teaching to the tests." So for the first time in my teaching career, I can't just teach the things about computers that I find interesting. Still, the curriculum is pretty interesting. The biggest challenge is learning a lot of new terminology. It turns out that English English and American English are quite different when it comes to education. "Mark" is a "grade". A "Paper" is an "exam." Those are two examples, but actually there is almost an entirely different worldview I need to get used to in terms of grading and teaching. My "IGCSE ICT" class is mostly Grade 9, and they thoroughly learn word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentations and HTML (web pages). My "Applied ICT AS level" is the advanced class for Grade 11/12, and it focuses on advanced skills, mostly on the database level. They also have to memorize how computer systems are used in a wide variety of industries, from burglar alarm systems to car manufacturing to online banking to hospitals. Their paper at the end of the year consists of scenarios from different industries, and they need to provide insight into the hardware and software their "client" might need to solve a problem, and then build complex databases related to it. Well, sorry for the details, I should have just said, "I have a lot to learn yet to teach this class."
Well, there is still a lot more I could say about my students, about the differences in teaching here and in America, and about HOPAC's unique atmosphere. But those will have to wait...sorry for all the tech details, but I know some of you (ie my fellow geeks) need to understand this level of computer detail :)
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
The Unexpected
Upon completion of 2 weeks here, I have now lived in Tanzania as long as I had visited Uganda for the mission trips which were the entirety of my logical, thought-out "I have experience living in Africa!" basis of uprooting my family and moving them across the world.
The thing is, is turns out that LIVING in a third-world country away from everything you've ever known and VISITING it are pretty different. Some of you may have known this already, but this is the level of drawn conclusions I've been able to come to so far.
The thing is: yesterday I posted a nice Facebook status of my first day of school, and it got over 100 likes and it did accurately reflect the great first day of teaching I enjoyed here at HOPAC. But it doesn't tell a very complete picture. Posting photos of our new environment, Facebook status updates and "slice of life" updates just aren't adequate for really diving into what it's like to live here. Well, even longer Skype calls, emails, and this post don't really do it justice either. Well, I haven't even figured out WHAT I feel so far (much less figured out what the kids feel).
I sure wish I could say "It's been the hardest thing I've ever done but the rewards are all worth it," but I haven't figured out what the rewards are yet. It is certainly novel and refreshing, walking around a campus with palm trees and a tropical breeze, looking over the Indian ocean. (But worth leaving for?) It is a joy to meet the students here at HOPAC and learn about their lives and their interests (but I could also be about to start classes at EC, and looking forward to my advanced programming students, yearbook staff, and new students to meet). Church here has been uplifting and refreshing (but not Ridgewood), and making new friends has been welcoming and encouraging (while also making us miss others).
The truth is, after 2 weeks, I (and I think the rest of the family) are only saying, "Can we just pack up and go home pleaserightnow?" about once per day. A big improvement over last week. Our good days are days we end by feeling overwhelmed instead of over-the-top-whelmed. There is a big chart about culture shock that shows that the average person has about a three-month Honeymoon Period in a new culture and then they dip into severe depression-like culture shock and our response is, "Wait, there's a honeymoon period?" And very well-meaning and welcoming (really, they are, I don't mean to be sarcastic) longtimers here say helpful things like, "This is winter, just wait until February and you'll really be miserable!" and, "It's easy now that there is this new shopping centre and that new store down the street!"
My original plan starting to write this post was just to highlight some unexpected, unplanned, and yes much harder parts of our lives here. Not to overly complain, but to try to be honest both with myself and with others.
The thing is, is turns out that LIVING in a third-world country away from everything you've ever known and VISITING it are pretty different. Some of you may have known this already, but this is the level of drawn conclusions I've been able to come to so far.
The thing is: yesterday I posted a nice Facebook status of my first day of school, and it got over 100 likes and it did accurately reflect the great first day of teaching I enjoyed here at HOPAC. But it doesn't tell a very complete picture. Posting photos of our new environment, Facebook status updates and "slice of life" updates just aren't adequate for really diving into what it's like to live here. Well, even longer Skype calls, emails, and this post don't really do it justice either. Well, I haven't even figured out WHAT I feel so far (much less figured out what the kids feel).
I sure wish I could say "It's been the hardest thing I've ever done but the rewards are all worth it," but I haven't figured out what the rewards are yet. It is certainly novel and refreshing, walking around a campus with palm trees and a tropical breeze, looking over the Indian ocean. (But worth leaving for?) It is a joy to meet the students here at HOPAC and learn about their lives and their interests (but I could also be about to start classes at EC, and looking forward to my advanced programming students, yearbook staff, and new students to meet). Church here has been uplifting and refreshing (but not Ridgewood), and making new friends has been welcoming and encouraging (while also making us miss others).
The truth is, after 2 weeks, I (and I think the rest of the family) are only saying, "Can we just pack up and go home pleaserightnow?" about once per day. A big improvement over last week. Our good days are days we end by feeling overwhelmed instead of over-the-top-whelmed. There is a big chart about culture shock that shows that the average person has about a three-month Honeymoon Period in a new culture and then they dip into severe depression-like culture shock and our response is, "Wait, there's a honeymoon period?" And very well-meaning and welcoming (really, they are, I don't mean to be sarcastic) longtimers here say helpful things like, "This is winter, just wait until February and you'll really be miserable!" and, "It's easy now that there is this new shopping centre and that new store down the street!"
My original plan starting to write this post was just to highlight some unexpected, unplanned, and yes much harder parts of our lives here. Not to overly complain, but to try to be honest both with myself and with others.
- When you're on a mission trip, others are driving you around...you never really need to know where you are going! When you have your own vehicle, you have to think really hard about where in the world you want to end up, and how worth it the attempt would be.
- When you're on a mission trip, all your supplies are given to you. You don't need to puzzle out which unlabeled store front you might find a zip tie, Nintendo DS charger, or bookcase.
- When you're on a mission trip, you can communicate with local people to "try it out" and exchange greetings. Fun! When you live here, you need to figure out how to get money on your phone and you know you are being a jerk insisting on English and even then not understanding it. Or feeling like you've probably committed five-six cultural insults since walking in, but bowing and walking slowly out and trying again tomorrow would probably be the ninth-tenth.
- When you're on a mission trip, your schedule is built for you. You're told to wake up and start devotions, when to work hard, and when to take some time to relax and recharge. In life, it's never that easy to find the right quiet time when your brain is on overcharge, or how to relax at a beach when you are probably forgetting that your water bill may be due but you have no idea how to find it or pay it.
The truth is, God has been faithful and has continued blessing us in so many things. He is protecting us and upholding us. We've been singing a lot about "the God of angel armies always by our side" and "Whom shall I fear?" And even in our most confused and most scared, we believe all that at a deep level, even if circumstances swell to temporarily overwhelm us. So I hope this doesn't come off as overly negative!
Monday, September 2, 2013
A Day in the Life
It's Monday morning here in Dar es Salaam. Most of my U.S. friends are deep in dreamland and will enjoy a leisurely Labor Day when they awake, filled with barbecues and the last days of summer. Here, it's just another Monday morning, sunny and in the 80s. Today is the 4th day of school for us and so things are beginning to settle into a pattern for us on weekdays:
5:45 a.m. - the alarm goes off. We groan.
6:00 a.m. - we get the kids up. They groan. The sun begins to rise at about 6:30.
6:55 a.m. - we leave for school. So far, everyone has been great at getting ready and we have been early every day.
7:20 a.m. - school begins for the kids and Tim
I use my time during the day to meal plan, get groceries, and attend to the myriad of details and paperwork that are present even in Africa. I am learning to put my Western efficiency notions aside: if we have food and I can do one other thing per day, it's a rousing success! I have met a wonderful group of Christian women that are talking about a weekly Bible study/coffee and there are some opportunities to volunteer at HOPAC. Beyond that, I'm open to God's leading! We have a house worker present Monday, Wednesday and Friday from about 10-4 who cleans and does laundry. Our house isn't very big and so it's a bit awkward to be there while she's trying to work (especially since she doesn't speak English). I'm still trying to sort that out.
2:20 p.m. - school ends! FASA (Fun After-School Activities) begin in a few weeks and will run until 4 p.m. Tim has volunteered to coach Josh's soccer team (the boys U-11...under age 11) which will have practices on Tuesday and Thursday, and a game on Friday. Tim also has a staff meeting on Wednesdays, so he will be very busy this fall! I would like to help out with one of the FASA and we'll need to coordinate all this, having only one car. None of us have yet been in a bjaji (a taxi - it's a tiny, three-wheeled motorized vehicle that drives even more crazily than NYC cabbies)...that is always an option to get to or from HOPAC, at a fairly low cost.
We're also trying to sort out music lessons for the kids. Emily is interested in continuing violin, Josh is eager to take drum lessons (groan!) and Charlotte is undecided. Lessons are held during the school day at an additional cost...just trying to figure out how one obtains musical instruments in Tanzania and how we would practice!
Emily is in "secondary school," and they have had homework already (even on the weekend!) Josh & Charlotte will begin the fun this week. All 3 kids are taking Swahili, and it's great that we have native Swahili speakers on property to practice with. I'm amazed at how much Emily has learned already! I'm trying to keep up with the lessons, too.
5:30 p.m. - we usually have dinner. It gets dark here by 6:30 every night and it feels like the rhythms of life have pushed back a bit. I think we've only been away from home two nights past 8:00 p.m. It's really dark here at night and difficult to see while driving - it's hard enough to navigate the roads, pedestrians, bicyclists, and bjajis with the help of daylight!
7:30 p.m. - kids start getting ready for bed and read in their beds. Tim and I usually play a board game. We haven't seen any TV or movies since arriving 2 1/2 weeks ago. I feel a little disconnected from news and pop culture these days although I am very thankful that our internet has been more consistent.
It feels good to be getting into more of a routine. It is my prayer that I feel more and more confident each day...it takes a lot of mental energy to drive, do errands, and try to communicate! It is also difficult to be an effective parent when your own mental reserves are drained, and so I pray for patience, love and grace in abundance.
5:45 a.m. - the alarm goes off. We groan.
6:00 a.m. - we get the kids up. They groan. The sun begins to rise at about 6:30.
6:55 a.m. - we leave for school. So far, everyone has been great at getting ready and we have been early every day.
7:20 a.m. - school begins for the kids and Tim
I use my time during the day to meal plan, get groceries, and attend to the myriad of details and paperwork that are present even in Africa. I am learning to put my Western efficiency notions aside: if we have food and I can do one other thing per day, it's a rousing success! I have met a wonderful group of Christian women that are talking about a weekly Bible study/coffee and there are some opportunities to volunteer at HOPAC. Beyond that, I'm open to God's leading! We have a house worker present Monday, Wednesday and Friday from about 10-4 who cleans and does laundry. Our house isn't very big and so it's a bit awkward to be there while she's trying to work (especially since she doesn't speak English). I'm still trying to sort that out.
2:20 p.m. - school ends! FASA (Fun After-School Activities) begin in a few weeks and will run until 4 p.m. Tim has volunteered to coach Josh's soccer team (the boys U-11...under age 11) which will have practices on Tuesday and Thursday, and a game on Friday. Tim also has a staff meeting on Wednesdays, so he will be very busy this fall! I would like to help out with one of the FASA and we'll need to coordinate all this, having only one car. None of us have yet been in a bjaji (a taxi - it's a tiny, three-wheeled motorized vehicle that drives even more crazily than NYC cabbies)...that is always an option to get to or from HOPAC, at a fairly low cost.
We're also trying to sort out music lessons for the kids. Emily is interested in continuing violin, Josh is eager to take drum lessons (groan!) and Charlotte is undecided. Lessons are held during the school day at an additional cost...just trying to figure out how one obtains musical instruments in Tanzania and how we would practice!
Emily is in "secondary school," and they have had homework already (even on the weekend!) Josh & Charlotte will begin the fun this week. All 3 kids are taking Swahili, and it's great that we have native Swahili speakers on property to practice with. I'm amazed at how much Emily has learned already! I'm trying to keep up with the lessons, too.
5:30 p.m. - we usually have dinner. It gets dark here by 6:30 every night and it feels like the rhythms of life have pushed back a bit. I think we've only been away from home two nights past 8:00 p.m. It's really dark here at night and difficult to see while driving - it's hard enough to navigate the roads, pedestrians, bicyclists, and bjajis with the help of daylight!
7:30 p.m. - kids start getting ready for bed and read in their beds. Tim and I usually play a board game. We haven't seen any TV or movies since arriving 2 1/2 weeks ago. I feel a little disconnected from news and pop culture these days although I am very thankful that our internet has been more consistent.
It feels good to be getting into more of a routine. It is my prayer that I feel more and more confident each day...it takes a lot of mental energy to drive, do errands, and try to communicate! It is also difficult to be an effective parent when your own mental reserves are drained, and so I pray for patience, love and grace in abundance.
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