The Adventure Begins!

Jambo!  We arrived safely in Arusha, Tanzania on Wednesday, Sept. 1 with just a few snafus along the way.  The first was a bit more than a “snafu”, but did not thwart God’s plan for our departure.  On Monday, about 4 hours before we were supposed to be at the airport, Mei fell and split the back of her head open.  Jason and Grandma Marmie took her to the ER at Highline Hospital, and with everyone’s prayers and speedy doctors, they were out of there in an hour and a half!  That was definitely a miracle!  She ended up with 6 staples in her head that we have to wash daily and keep covered in antibiotic ointment.  They gave us a handy dandy staple remover for when the time comes to pull them out.  We are not looking forward to that, but are a bit more confident since we took the Health Care class with PBT.  I was so grateful it happened before we left so I didn’t have to stitch her up myself!  She is doing well now with just a little tenderness around the wound.  

We had checked into paying for extra baggage before we left, figuring those fees would be less than shipping, and had been anticipating a $48 per extra bag fee according to the airline website.  We had 3 extras, so were expecting to pay around $150.   Somehow, that $150 turned into a total of $700 in extra baggage fees by the time we got here!  It was going to be even more, but I managed to turn on the tears saying, “But we’re just trying to help orphans.  We left our jobs, our families, blah blah blah...” and suddenly they shaved $400 off the fees.  

Most of our luggage arrived, with only one still missing.  However three of our sturdy plastic bins look like they got thrown off the plane (likely before it even landed!), and shattered, so some of our stuff arrived in plastic bags.  Fortunately none of our fragile belongings were in any of those.  

When we went to get our visas on arrival, we had to apply for visitor visas (which are only good for 90 days).  We had already applied (and paid!) for student visas several months ago, but they did not process in time, so we had to get temp ones until the student ones come through.  The people in line in front of us were from Guatemala and had to pay $50 each.  When we gave our passports, the agent said, “That will be $100 each.”  So we asked why we had to pay $100 when the people in front of us only had to pay $50.  He said, “You are Americans.”  So, there went another 600 bucks that we would not have had to spend had our student visas come on time.  The kids started to get really nervous when they kept seeing Jason pull out fresh $100 bills to pay all these fees, but I think they are learning quickly that many “problems” in Africa can be solved with money.  It is also a reminder of how God provides.  Before we left, He had given us more money than we had budgeted for, so we know He has provided what we will need.

When we arrived, there were several YWAM staff waiting for us with two vehicles.  They took us straightaway to the YWAM campus, to let us get settled into our home for the next 5 months.  Previously unbeknownst to us, YWAM has provided us with a private apartment furnished with a couch, chairs, a table, and beds.  What a wonderful surprise!  We have three bedrooms: one for Jason and I; a big one for the kids with two sets of bunks; and a small one for Myrtlemay.  The bathroom has running water and a toilet with a seat!  Ellie, especially, was extremely pleased!!  We had used the restroom in the Dar Es Salaam airport, and although it was “Western style”, it was missing the seat, and the girls are not quite tall enough to squat over it, so it was a bit tricky.    

They are taking good care of us here, and the kids seem to be adapting well already.   Even though the kids seem to be doing fine, Mei is obsessed with asking, “What is Ruthie doing right now?”   She is so intrigued by the 10 hour time difference, and of course she is missing her cousin and best friend.  

We wake up to roosters at about 4:00 a.m. each morning.  They are apparently set to go off like my snooze alarm, because after they wake me, they settle down enough to where I can go back to sleep for a half hour before they start up again.  By 5:00 the ibises flocking in the nearby tree join the cacophony.  I will say that the ibises have the roosters beat by a long shot.  I think it is about 6:00 before the howling of the local stray dog population joins in the morning music, all played to the background rhythm of crickets.  Breakfast is served at 7:00 so fortunately we have plenty of help waking up in time.  

We took a walk into the surrounding neighborhood yesterday and Ethan had his handmade slingshot with him.  It was an instant kid-magnet, and we were quickly surrounded by children wanting to play with his slingshot.  Most of them did not know English, so it was difficult to explain safety rules when they started pointing it at each other.  We had to resort to waving our arms and turning the children towards the nearby empty field.  Yikes!  We have had to explain to our kids that our usual safety rules still apply, but that others won’t necessarily use the same standards.     

Ethan, our animal lover, is constantly out exploring the compound for little critters.  Happily, I was told there are no snakes here.  He caught a chameleon yesterday and all three kids played with the poor little fella for quite some time.  I was standing behind it and it was pretty neat when he rotated his beady little eye all the way around to look at me without using his head!  

Today was laundry day.  I am such a wimp!  I had two blisters by the time we were done washing and wringing only three days worth of clothes.  The kids did great, and we all appreciate the convenience of a washing machine so much more than we ever did when we actually had one!

We start our YWAM classes, and the kids start school on Monday, so we have a few more days to relax and get settled in.  We are praying for all of you back home.  Please email us and keep us posted on what is going on in your lives!  We don’t want to feel disconnected from all of you who we care so deeply about.  Thank you for your prayers and support!