Egg Drop Experiment

The Friday before break, my kids were so excited. The past few weeks we have been talking about flight. So their project was to make a device that would protect an egg when it was dropped from the top of a fire truck.

As you can imagine, they were very excited. The reward was starbucks (tokens towards a prize store) if they were able to successfully protect their egg. So when the ESD came down the kids would all huddle up and wait to check the egg. As soon as i would say it was good, they would freak out screaming and yelling. The whole class, even if it wasn't their egg. It was so funny.

One of the best parts of the day though, were the firemen. They brought the truck to the school and hung out waitin for us. Then let each of my kids go up in the bucket to drop their ESD (egg saving device). They even came up to my classroom and were hanging out waiting for the end of the day so i could fill out some paperwork. But seriously, such nice guys. and so happy to spend their day helping us!

It was so cute to see all the kids supporting each other. Some even comforting the people whose egg broke! but it was a great day out in the sun.

Sunita, Tanya, and Caleb showin off their ESD.

Aidan, Sophia, and Stephanie are really pumped. Side note: stephanie is the top swimmer in Tanzania and is going to South Africa later in the year to compete against all swimmers in Africa!!

Recent thoughts!

So I know I have been saying it like crazy. but I just keep asking for prayer because I don't know where God will have me in the future.

This week I went to our AIM Tanzania conference. The speaker (peter) had so many amazing insights. I also ended up reading this book called, "The Shack" by William P. Young. Highly recommended as a book to help think about WHO God is. However, both of these have really combined to get my mind reeling and thinking. I literally could not sleep last night. My first real experience of insomnia. not too fun by the way!

I came to Africa not even sure I would make a year here, but God is amazing and gave me the grace to follow and do the things he would have you to do. But more than that at conference, I met so many people just overjoyed to be here and serve the Lord. You can just see it written on their face, this is home. this is where they were intended to be. And how I long for that! yet I also see that none of them know how long they will be doing the things they are doing. I think my misconception has long been that if I can just get it all figured out i will be happy.

But that is not it AT ALL. God doesn't tell anyone all the answers. He just gives you enough for you to know where you should be NOW, if you are listening! In the mean time, I need to learn a new word (for me) CONTENTMENT. How blessed am I, he has cleared shown me that i am supposed to be here. yet I spend my time worrying about those I love and left at home. Thinking about what I am "missing". Without seeing the enjoyment and peace he wishes for me here, RIGHT WHERE I AM!

So contentment is my new middle name. Well I hope it will be as I work towards just loving God and living life here. My location doesn't matter, what does matter is how often I am praying, how much I am allowing God into my decisions, how I treat those around me with the Love that God feels for them.

Now, i don't want anyone in America to think that I don't miss them. i do, I long to walk down the street and just be a person (as opposed to a mzungu). But i am not missing out on life. I am living the life that God has given to me. it is hard to leave family and friends, but how much more rewarding is it to do the work of the Lord. I mean think about it (as I have been trying to teach to my 5th graders)...eternity...I can hang out with everyone I love who loves the Lord then. So i can spend a few years here separated from them.

Still working on all of this, but trying to feel more at peace about NOT knowing the future. You can waste your whole life thinking about the future and worrying. I want to live in the here and now.

So on that note, some pics from the weekend of me on a camel....yup a camel on the beach. Very bumpy ride, let me tell you. Who knew!

Dudoma!!!!

The ride out SHOULD have taken about 3 hours . That is if you are in America and have direct highways and paved roads. But since this is Africa, and parts of the road we went through mud ditch and a VERY old bridge.....and you are constantly passing HUGE trucks, it took us about 7 hrs each way. Of course this did include a break down (Praise God it was in a town and we knew someone who lived there to call to come help us) and lots of traffic on the way home.



But overall, it was quite a scenic ride out. The country side is so unique here. You never know what you will see, kids peeing on the side of the road, herds of cows heading towards water, small villages, MUD HUTS WITH SATTELITE DISHES! I stayed awake and just kept watching to see what was out there. Plus it helped Carley the driver to have four eyes on the road. There are always trucks broken down. Since no one has flares, they just put out bushes. Lots of road hazards. Once we made it to Dudoma, it was so great to be out of the city. I didn't realize how loud Dar was til we left. I felt like I had travelled down to DE to visit my grandparents. That is how Dudoma felt. Slow, relaxed, more like a community. An SIL missionary named Marcia (below on the left) opened up her home to us! We were very thankful....and super excited to see she had a Wii!!! Thats right, a Wii in Africa! Someone had given it to her as a gift last year. And we were happy to play a bit!

Saturday was quite a busy day though! Kate and I went to visit a friend we met at ABO (our summer training), Andrea (on left). don't you love my mismatched clothes. I really am beginning to dress like an African. Stripes and circles!!!!! We got to see her ministry with street children. Basically every morning, her and two other people go around town and visit different places where they know the kids hang out. Then talk to them, hold a Bible study, and see if they have any needs (they usually do). By2, everyone comes back to this little rented room they have. The boys just start showing up. they really mulitplied. At first i wondered if any were coming, but by the end there were about 70 boys there! here they are waiting for others playing with Adam's accordian.

The boys hang out and the man, Adam (below in the middle) leads the worship time. Lots of singing, praying, and talking from the word. They try to have a few people share with the boys too. but as you look out at the dirty faces of the kids, I realized some things. one is that although Physically they really needed a good bath, clean clothes, house, consistent food....what they really needed overall, they were getting right here. They were finding out about the Lord Jesus and how He is there with them through all of their trials.

It was incredible to realize that although this ministry was just starting, they were beginning by meeting the right needs. Daily food (rice and beans) and lots of scripture. I wanted to adopt all of the boys move to Africa, build a huge house and take care of them, but that isn't really possible. Not until I learn more Swahili that is! But I was almost depressed about the need there. So many kids who are getting in trouble for stealing food. But they only are stealing because they are hungry!!!

However, God didn't leave me there. On Sunday we have a AIM Bible study and I was talking with Kathleen who runs the street ministry here in Dar. She was saying how that ministry has grown from occasional food filled with worms to healthy food for the children every day. her first day in Dudoma, they shared food with the kids on the street. There was literally worms floating in the food, but it was all they had. To keep a good relationship with the boys and not waste food, she had to eat the food, worms and All!! So there has been great improvements in that area. The whole time Adam has told the kids that life is hard, but Christ is walking with us and we need to follow him. Then he will supply all our needs.So this man Adam, is really incredible. He gave up his life, to wander the streets and find kids to tell about Jesus. Talk about an insiring man! I was almost thinking how brave I was to come to Africa, but I am NOTHING compared to this man and the sacrifice he makes each day to serve these kids. And then He is NOTHING compared to the sacrifice Christ made for us...so that put me back in my place!! :-)

It was a great trip overall. I love seeing more and more of Tanzania. It is such a diverse country.

Later that night, we also were invited to a Scottish dance in the MAF (missions aviation fellowship) hanger. So here are some pics of Clare (red skirt), Kate (black skirt), Carley (white skirt) and I hanging out.

More around HOPAC

So I wanted to show a bit more of my day to day life. sometimes I feel like I never leave HOPAC campus! But it is good. I am still learning the new curriculum and things. So here is a pic of one of the biggest trees i have ever seen! It has all of these uses...most of which I forget..but still. very cool. Every time I see it, I want to climb up!.

Here are my kids trying to be cute as they eat their lunch. We have two breaks during our day. each one begins with 10 minutes on the bench where the kids have to sit, talk, eat, and drink lots of water. It was quite a struggle for the muslim students last month as they were fasting for Ramadaan. I didn't hear much complaining, but I know they were hungry and thirsty. Today was the first day of school after fasting. One of my girls came up to me and said, "miss Reger Look!!!" and she took a huge drink of water. It was really cute, but also sad!

This is Caleb, one of the twins in my room. He really wanted his picture taken. But he is so helpful around the classroom. Carley and I even went over to their house one night to babysit. but they have a great house, and wonderful kids. So it was a lot of fun.

Last we have Irene (left) and Avril (right). Irene is a wonderful Tanzanian lady who works at the school. She is so helpful and took us around to all of the places we needed to know where they were! she even showed us her Fundi (man who makes clothes) so we could have some african dresses made!