Site Announcements + Phone number... Done and Done!

Happy Belated Birthday Chris!!! 

I got a Phone  ----------->  (+255) 0788819269

Yesterday we got our site announcements ...I'm headed to a village outside of Lushoto to work in a clinic. Its in Tanga Region - same region where I have been training- (heres some copied and pasted info)


Lushoto (German: Wilhelmstal, "William's Valley" named after Emperor Wilhelm II) is one of the seven districts of the Tanga Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the northeast by Kenya, to the east by the Muheza District, to the northwest by the Kilimanjaro Region and to the south by the Korogwe District. During the German colonial period from the 1890s to 1918 the area was popular with settlers, hence the German place name of Wilhelmstal. Large farms and plantations were created, and the district was valued for its pleasant mountain climate. Numerous Church missions were, and remain, active. Between 1893 and 1911 the German Ostafrikanische Eisenbahngesellschaft (East African Railway Cooperation), constructed an important railway line starting at Tanga on the coast and passing along the Usambara Mountains with a station established at Mombo, about 20 kilometers from Wilhelmstal, to "New" Moshi at Kilamanjaro. The initial plan of the Usambarabahn was to connect the port of Tanga with Lake Victoria by passing south of the Usambara Mountains. This was in direct competition with parallel British efforts in colonial Kenya. From 4th of June 1912 to 12th of May 1913 the line was renamed Nordbahn (Northern Railway) for a short period.

Safi Sana!  I don't have too much info about my village yet but Nassoro (APCD) said I have an awesome Mama named Fatuma ready to take me under her wing.

This weekend ten of us traveled to Moshi. I ate an outstanding cheeseburger today... still drooling about it~ maybe I'll have to go back for another. Tomorrow (Sunday) we will break up into groups of two and three to shadow current PCV's at their sites.  I will be spending a few days in Mwanga with Brandon and Nat before heading back to Dar on Wednesday. Brandon (PCV) commissioned me to make some art at his site- he requested a mural.   (I'll try to update with pics while in Dar)

I recieved my first package yesterday.  It was like Christmas...I shared the starbursts with my fellow PCT's + PCV's of the week, Language Facilitators and the children in my village-  Everyone loved them -  I love getting mail... Hint hint.  Thanks Mom and Evans Family! My Brothers and Sisters at home stay love the cartoon cards.  If you see one with Scoobie Doo be sure to send it. +Way to go Alli~ Percussion!  Yeaaaa I'm so proud of you!

Home stay is almost over... Life is Calling & getting very real... Send your LOVE ~ I need it!

Mkoma Bay~ weekend away

VACATIONING @ Mkoma Bay!
Pictures are better than words...

Much needed rest and relaxation happening!

Here are some updates on home stay. The permagarden is up and running at Kilulu primary school~ The students helped us dig, plant and water. We had so much fun and hope this will be a model for next years CBT's to follow.

Rockin the Jembe! 

Water time~

This is the area before we started. 

I LOVE YOU ALL! Enjoy~

Kilulu Ju! Kilulu Ju! Kilulu Safi!

Greetings from Kilulu a small village outside of Muheza (Tanga Region). I have been staying with the Mkumbo family for almost a month and I love them! I feel so blessed to be here... where else would I be???

Dada Hawa (Sister Hawa) went back to school last week and won't come home again until December. I hope the family and I can plan a trip to see her before I move to my post. (I need to hear her say "How you Doin'?" like Wendy Williams just one more time!) Kaka Ally (Brother Ally) wears a Scooby Doo T-shirt and I love saying "Scooby Doobie Doo!" to him. The whole family gets in on it... but then it turns into "Roobie roobie zoo!"

Most of my fellow PCT's purchased phones last week. I'm waiting to find a solar charged phone and hope to get one tomorrow. I look forward to being able to say hello to my friends and family in the US.

My Kiswahili midterm is coming up on Friday. I have a lot to prepare for the oral and written exam. After the exam the whole group will travel to the beach for our first weekend off- much needed R & R!

This Tuesday my small group (Rebecca, Paul, Cameron, Steven and myself) in Kilulu will plant a permagarden at the primary school. We hope to have the childern from the school help us and take ownership of the garden as a income generating activity. I can't wait to practice using my Jembe(a local tool used to hoe) Everyone in town gets a kick out of me swinging my Jembe... well they laugh at everything I do.

I LOVE lost in translation moments! Last week someone yelled out from a passing an orange truck, "External people, How are you?!" I could laugh about this for weeks.