Hellooooo Mid-Thirties

I swear it seems like I just had a birthday six months ago, but here we are again.  Except now it's 34.  I'm 34.  When did that happen?  How?  It's mind boggling, I tell you.


I keep waiting for the age when I have it all figured out.  When I know what I'm doing, where I'm going, what my life will be like, etc.  I have a feeling this won't be the year.  


However, I did wake up Monday morning and decide to take charge of a few things.  I decided I was going to be tougher when I do business.  I will not let them make me cry.  I will be bold and confident.  I will use these last six months with SMA in Tanzania to do as much as I can with my project.  I will take it as absolutely far as I can.  I will be kinder to people.  I will be less selfish.


I'd like to tell you that I'm off to a great start, but I spent a good portion of Monday afternoon in tears.  Tears of anger and frustration at being cheated, but still tears all the same.  A slam of the door did get me my way in the end. (I should maybe add be less passive aggressive to my list.)  I did move into an office yesterday.  Finally.  That's another step in the right direction.  I was kind to the woman whose door I slammed Monday when I really just wanted to be snarky.  Another point in my favor.  I have a feeling that I'll be struggling with all of my goals daily.


So, in the end I have very little figured out.  Even the things I have planned are more like vague outlines.  My plans haven't turned out much like I thought up to this point anyway.  Better to be flexible and open to the possibilities.  Better to be happy.  It's better to stop waiting to see what life will be like.  This is it.  It's better to live each day fully with as much integrity at possible.  

Lessons Learned in September

I know it's only the 15th, but it's been a busy and somewhat tough month.  Here's what I know so far:


1.  Even dogs get STDs.  Nope, didn't know that.  Certainly didn't know that it could kill them.  I learned the hard way because of Simba, who was more a community dog than ours, but I liked him a lot.  He was really sweet.  By the time I found out he was sick, it was too late.  He had to be put down, but unfortunately I think he suffered for awhile first.  It's horrible to post this picture, I know, but this is why it's important to not let dogs wander free and to have them spayed and neutered.  

2.  Putting down dogs is really hard, even when they're not yours.  


3.  If I have only two things that HAVE to be done in a week, they will need to be done at the exact same time and require that I be in two separate places.


4.  Power shortages facilitate earlier bedtimes.  


5.  Gardening is good for the soul.  Not much compares to those little green sprouts peeking out of the ground. 

6.  Boredom + lots of nail polish=rainbow colored toenails

7.  Water shortages sometimes facilitate floods.  Someone left the tap on in the kitchen...for over two hours.

8.  When I'm warring with myself over what to do, I just go with my conscience.  I walked by these puppies for three days before taking them home.  I want none of them, but I hated to think that one day when I passed they'd be dead.  Free to a good home.

9.  It's OK to make an international phone call when you need a recipe for your favorite chocolate cookies.  Girls need chocolate.  This is a known fact.  Thanks, Mom!

10.  How to buy fish.  Plus I found out for an extra 17 cents, someone will gut it and scale it.  May also have learned one way to cook it, but will probably need some more practice.

11.  I don't care how many colors are on the card at the paint store.  You can still only get five of them.


12.  If I schedule a meeting for 10 AM, my kids will show up anywhere from 8:30 until 11:30.  


13.  I can ride my motorcycle with confidence as long as there are no animals and children in the road, no traffic and I don't have to go downhill.  


14.  Accidental Kindle buys are sometimes the best-I recommend The Hangman's Daughter and The Hunger Games.

15.  Mika may be one of the toughest cats around, but when it comes to his stuffed pig, he's a big softy.  The pig was an innocent bystander in the flood.  

16.  A letter from a friend is almost as good as a hug.  Thanks, Ewa.  

Hurry up and Wait

When I began doing my new project, I foolishly thought things would go quickly.  We have started with the requirements for registering the project as a Community Based Organization.  Turns out, some of the things I could wait until later, can’t.

I wasn’t in a hurry to find an office for the project.  We have a place to meet with the orphans and their guardians.  While an office would be a necessity at some point, I didn’t want to rush into anything.  Well, one of the requirements for the registration is a physical address and the leaders of that area. 

So we started asking around about a room to rent.  The main difficulty is that we wanted somewhere in the area where most of the children we serve live.  That means close to town.  That means a lot of money, which we don’t have and even if we did, I don’t want to spend it on a room. 

Room #1:  The location was perfect-just across the school from where we meet with the kids.  Couldn’t ask for a better place.  However, it was on a busy street with a very loud video game store in the same place.  I couldn’t concentrate while we were talking to the woman who lived there.  There was no way I felt like I could work there.  Plus, it needed a lot of work done, which we would have to do ourselves.  It would end up costing a lot of money.

Room #2:  Around the corner from Room #1, so location was still ideal.  Price was perfect.  The room was in a maze of other rooms and was too small to turn around in. 

Room #3:  Price was still perfect.  Location was good.  Room was a decent size.  We agreed that we would come back in a few days to sign the lease.  I was thrilled!  Unfortunately, when I went back in a few days, he decided to make me pay for the shelves that were inside in addition to the room.  I felt like he was trying to rip me off and even if I could have afforded to pay for them, I refused on general principle.

My principles and I were back to square one.  Then last Friday I got a phone call from Mama Mbogoma, who I work with.  She was out of town, but asked if I could go back to place #2.  The phone connection was horrible, so I didn’t really understand everything she was saying.  I thought that the people had made some changes on the teeny tiny room in the maze and that maybe now it would work.  Even though I was a complete Negative Nancy about it, I went to look.  Unfortunately, no one was home when I got there. 

I went back yesterday with no expectations.  Someone is moving out of the front room, but that wouldn’t be a good spot for the office.  Someone who already lives there is moving from his bedroom into that room, which frees up a room that is perfect for an office.  There’s no maze to go through, it’s next to other offices, it’s a good size, and the guy showing it to us said a cheaper price than the little room. 

We signed the one year lease and paid for the year today.  We can move in on September 20!  One step closer. 

Siku ya Mtoto wa Afrika

June 16th is celebrated annually as the International Day of the African child.  It was started in 1991 to remember those children who participated in the Soweto uprising in South Africa in 1976.  They protested for the right to  a better education and to be taught in their own language.  Many of them were killed for it.

This year the theme was All Together for Urgent Actions in Favour of Street Children.  A mouthful.  I couldn’t even tell you who came up with that.   Here in Mwanza, many organizations joined together to mark this occasion. Unfortunately, events like these aren’t always about the children as much as the guest(s) of honor.  In our group, we decided it was better if we celebrated with the children separately.  Since the 16th fell on a Thursday this year, I asked the children if they wanted the party on that day or the Saturday following.  They voted and Saturday won. 

We arranged for a picnic at the African Inland Church (AIC) Conference Center.  I forgot about the theme for the day.  I didn’t plan speeches or discuss street children with the kids.  It was a day for them-focused on them.  We met at our usual place, Nyanza Primary School at 10.  I told the children if they were late, they would get left behind.  I did, of course, give them a little extra time anyway.  They did really well getting there and dressed so nicely.  We took 69 of our children by public transportation to the AIC Center, which is just outside of town on Lake Victoria.  I foolishly forgot to tell them where we were going.  It made for a nice surprise, but it probably would have been better if they knew that there would be swimming.  Not to be deterred, if they were too embarrassed to go into the lake without clothes, they went in fully dressed.

There were games, many of which I didn’t understand, and a lot of food.  A lot.  It was a nice change of environment for the kids and a good chance to be together. 

I owe a huge thank you to my helpers and the AIC, who gave us a discount (eventually) and cooked lunch.  Check out some of the pictures from that day at:

Day of the African Child photos

Also, please remember that we still need assistance with seminars for the children and administrative costs.  All tax deductible donations can be sent to:

SMA Lay Missionaries

256 Manor Circle

Takoma Park, MD  20912

Just enclose a note saying what project the money is for.  Thank you again for your support!