Hi Guys,
It has been an awesome 2nd week so far for me. It has been a bit trying because God has designed a very unique situation for me to grow in an area that I didn't know I needed more growth in. You know how sometimes you want to meet people's expectations of you by doing what you think they would like for you to do... Well, it's kind of difficult to meet some one's expectations when you do not know what they are... Now that I am in Tanzania and I am in a culture that I am not familiar with, I can't try to meet any body's expectations but God's. You see, because Tanzanians have a different worldview than my own, things that generally matter to Americans may not matter to Tanzanians and vice versa. Because I look like I am African, they automatically expect me to speak Swahili and to understand their culture. So when I start speaking "baby" Swahili and I don't understand all of the cultural nuances, they are a bit shocked. It's not a great big deal but it still matters. I didn't realize why I was somewhat frustrated by this expectation until I talked to someone about it last night. I realized that the reason I was disturbed was because I wanted to meet their expectation. To be honest, it is impossible for me to meet that expectation. I will not be fully fluent in Swahili in three months, I will not fully understand the culture in three months and... I am not a Tanzanian. :o) Anyone who knows me well, knows that I can sometimes put too much on my plate... :o) I'm the type of person that will try to meet expectations that are too high... Does anybody know where I'm comin' from? I know I'm not the only one! :o) Though I was hoping to speak fluent Swahili so that I can begin to understand the culture more and the people for that matter, I can not do it right now...well not using that method.
I trust that the Lord will give me insight in ways that I never imagined. So that is my expectation though I still expect to speak fluent Swahili by next week!! I'm just kidding...
I love you all and I can't wait to hear from you... Keep me posted on what's goin on in your neck of the woods... and I will keep you posted on what's going on here...
Ubarikiwe (oo-bar-ee-kee-way: Be Blessed),
April Nicole
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Studying in Iringa
School has been fine for me so far. I have only been to one class because we arrived to Iringa on Thursday night. Gaudy left to return to Moshi on Friday morning and I started my first class shortly after she left.
I am actually picking up the language pretty fast. I know how to count to a million already but I need to be able to remember the verbs... So pray that I can retain about the verbs. Though school has been fine, staying in a tent has been an adjustment... Oh, I thought you knew... I am at a campsite (Riverside Campsite). The teachers come up to the site to teach us Swahili throughout the week. I would send you some pics but there is no flashdrive hookup at this cafe... I will try to send you some the next time we come. I can bring my laptop to do. But yes... a little friend named "Lizard Thing" woke me up this morning...lol... I don't know what kind of sound he made but it was enough to make me get up and get movin' I got up and washed my face right outside my tent opening (as you can see I didn't say door) and brushed my teeth... got dressed and went for breakfast... Bacon, eggs, and crepes... it was good...
Anyways, my time is running out here so I have to go... keep in touch with me guys.. and keep praying... I will let you know later about a experience Gaudy and I had on the bus before leaving to come to Iringa... We had the chance to witness about Jesus to a Muslim minister who was trying to witness to a man that was sitting next to us... I have to go so I will tell you later... Love you all.... Aprili Mfalme (April King in Swahili)
I am actually picking up the language pretty fast. I know how to count to a million already but I need to be able to remember the verbs... So pray that I can retain about the verbs. Though school has been fine, staying in a tent has been an adjustment... Oh, I thought you knew... I am at a campsite (Riverside Campsite). The teachers come up to the site to teach us Swahili throughout the week. I would send you some pics but there is no flashdrive hookup at this cafe... I will try to send you some the next time we come. I can bring my laptop to do. But yes... a little friend named "Lizard Thing" woke me up this morning...lol... I don't know what kind of sound he made but it was enough to make me get up and get movin' I got up and washed my face right outside my tent opening (as you can see I didn't say door) and brushed my teeth... got dressed and went for breakfast... Bacon, eggs, and crepes... it was good...
Anyways, my time is running out here so I have to go... keep in touch with me guys.. and keep praying... I will let you know later about a experience Gaudy and I had on the bus before leaving to come to Iringa... We had the chance to witness about Jesus to a Muslim minister who was trying to witness to a man that was sitting next to us... I have to go so I will tell you later... Love you all.... Aprili Mfalme (April King in Swahili)
The Dalla Dalla in Dar es Salaam
Hey Peeps,
Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words. I am sooo blessed to have all of you in my life. The last couple of days have been pretty good for me. Though it is taking some getting used to, I am adjusting.
The Dalla Dalla:
On Wednesday morning, Gaudy and I took a bus ride to Dar es Salaam so that we could be closer to Iringa. We decided to wait until Thursday so that we could ride on a safer bus line... Thanks for your prayers because we arrived to Dar es Salaam safely and all put together :o) When we got to our hotel, we prayed and just asked the Lord to protect us and our things. I was"itching" to walk around so we left the hotel room to go into town. Now, for those of you that think I am referring to the bus system in America... think again... We caught a ride on a "dalla dalla" and boy was it quite the experience. The concept here is that a "dalla dalla" is never full.
We jumped on and it was already full according to American standards... So we were pretty smushed for lack of better word. I knew that it would be this way so I wasn't uptight about it... It was the ride back to our hotel that threw me for a loop.... :o) After walking through town and going to the ocean, we waited about 20 minutes to catch a dalla back to our hotel room. Wehn we finally saw one, we jumped on the dalla and squeezed our way in. It was even tighter than the first one that we rode on. Gaudy was standing about two people away from me and we were both haunched over the front seat. Yes, it was uncomfortable. There was a man right behind me... so I kept trying to push my backside to right of him so that I wouldn't be right up on him... :o/ He didn't seem to care either way but I was feeling a bit uncomfortable by this point. One of the other men on the bus motioned for me to stand up straight. I didn't realize that I could but I found away... I told him thank you in Swahili which is Asante (ah suhn tay)... I had finally gotten used to the idea of standing there so close to men that I didn't know until the dalla pulled over to let more people on... About three people jumped on and I had to transition to one foot... Mind you, we are in traffic.... We were on this dalla for about an 1hr 1/2... So... the rest of the time I just jumped from one foot to the other when one leg got tired... Though I was uncomfortable, I knew that it was apart of Tanzanian life so I was able to bear/bare (I can't remember which one is the correct way to say it) it.... Though I was dirty and smelly by the end of the trip, I realized that it wasn't so bad... We arrived back in one piece and I got the chance to experience a small percentage of life as a Tanzanian... It was alright :o)
When we got back to the hotel, we went to eat and then we took some time to dance and worship the Lord. I taught Gaudy a dance that goes to the song "Beyond the veil." It was great!! God is sooo good y'all...so good.... She taught me the song, "You are Alpha and Omega" in Swahili and we sang it together, just worshipping the Lord. It is amazing how the Lord can take two people from two sides of the world and bring them together to glorify Him. It is great...
Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words. I am sooo blessed to have all of you in my life. The last couple of days have been pretty good for me. Though it is taking some getting used to, I am adjusting.
The Dalla Dalla:
On Wednesday morning, Gaudy and I took a bus ride to Dar es Salaam so that we could be closer to Iringa. We decided to wait until Thursday so that we could ride on a safer bus line... Thanks for your prayers because we arrived to Dar es Salaam safely and all put together :o) When we got to our hotel, we prayed and just asked the Lord to protect us and our things. I was"itching" to walk around so we left the hotel room to go into town. Now, for those of you that think I am referring to the bus system in America... think again... We caught a ride on a "dalla dalla" and boy was it quite the experience. The concept here is that a "dalla dalla" is never full.
We jumped on and it was already full according to American standards... So we were pretty smushed for lack of better word. I knew that it would be this way so I wasn't uptight about it... It was the ride back to our hotel that threw me for a loop.... :o) After walking through town and going to the ocean, we waited about 20 minutes to catch a dalla back to our hotel room. Wehn we finally saw one, we jumped on the dalla and squeezed our way in. It was even tighter than the first one that we rode on. Gaudy was standing about two people away from me and we were both haunched over the front seat. Yes, it was uncomfortable. There was a man right behind me... so I kept trying to push my backside to right of him so that I wouldn't be right up on him... :o/ He didn't seem to care either way but I was feeling a bit uncomfortable by this point. One of the other men on the bus motioned for me to stand up straight. I didn't realize that I could but I found away... I told him thank you in Swahili which is Asante (ah suhn tay)... I had finally gotten used to the idea of standing there so close to men that I didn't know until the dalla pulled over to let more people on... About three people jumped on and I had to transition to one foot... Mind you, we are in traffic.... We were on this dalla for about an 1hr 1/2... So... the rest of the time I just jumped from one foot to the other when one leg got tired... Though I was uncomfortable, I knew that it was apart of Tanzanian life so I was able to bear/bare (I can't remember which one is the correct way to say it) it.... Though I was dirty and smelly by the end of the trip, I realized that it wasn't so bad... We arrived back in one piece and I got the chance to experience a small percentage of life as a Tanzanian... It was alright :o)
When we got back to the hotel, we went to eat and then we took some time to dance and worship the Lord. I taught Gaudy a dance that goes to the song "Beyond the veil." It was great!! God is sooo good y'all...so good.... She taught me the song, "You are Alpha and Omega" in Swahili and we sang it together, just worshipping the Lord. It is amazing how the Lord can take two people from two sides of the world and bring them together to glorify Him. It is great...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Day 3: Preparing to leave for language school
Alright guys... nothing too outstanding today.. but I did get a chance to eat a traditional Tanzanian dish today... It's called Mkande (muh-con-day)... It was actually pretty good. It's made with beans and corn.. the beans are cooked in a coconut sauce and some other stuff.... I forgot... I just ate! I will be leaving for language school tomorrow so please keep me prayed up. I have a bus ride to Dar es Salaam tomorrow, a town about 7-9 hours away and then I will travel to Iringa the next day.. another 7-9 hours... I'm excited about it though. Being able to speak the language here will definitely help with being able to witness in their mother tongue (most people speak Swahili and their tribal language... so Swahili is actually their second languge. With there being so many different tribes here, learning Swahili is my best bet). Just pray that I pick it us quickly and easily. I have heard that Swahili is a pretty easy language but thats just what I heard :o)
Well love you guys and I pray the best for you too... Oh yeah, I got some really good nuggets from Ephesians 2 this evening. I could not help but reverence God for all the blessings that we have in Christ. Check it out. I am sure that it will bless your soul.
Blessings,
April Nicole
Monday, May 19, 2008
Safely in tANzaNiA!!
Hi Everyone,
Just want you all to know that I made it safely to Tanzania last night around 8:00 p.m. The combined 18 hour flight + the additional 7 hour lay-over was not too bad :o). I watched an edited version The Negotiator on the first 8 hour flight from Detroit to Amsterdam and then I watched National Treasure on the second 8 hour flight from Amsterdam to Tanzania. I didn't sleep too well on the plane, but I slept a good 9-10 hours when I arrived here last night.
The first day here has been great... I spent some time with some of the friends that I made last year. We went into town to buy bus tickets for my trip to Iringa, which is about a 14 hour bus ride from here. Pray for safe travel there and back... I will need it ;o) I will be in language school in Iringa for 4 weeks. One of the women here will be traveling with me. She is from Tanzania and can help with communicating... I am very thankful for that. She is also very nice and down to earth... Lacyndra, Debbo and Joell asked about you today... We also went looking for shampoo and soap... and NO I didnt find the kind that I was looking for but what I found will have to do...
I will post more later guys.. I have to read and pray and go to sleep. I need to be rested for all the things I have to do in the morning to prepare an overnight stay in Dar es Salaam... I will tell you about all of that later...
Blessings,
April Nicole
We went for lunch today and I couldn't help but to buy one of the drinks that Tanzania is famous for... according to Lacyndra... STONEY TANGAWIZI!!!! That is the picture that I have added. I will post more pics tomorrow so please check out this blog later....
Just want you all to know that I made it safely to Tanzania last night around 8:00 p.m. The combined 18 hour flight + the additional 7 hour lay-over was not too bad :o). I watched an edited version The Negotiator on the first 8 hour flight from Detroit to Amsterdam and then I watched National Treasure on the second 8 hour flight from Amsterdam to Tanzania. I didn't sleep too well on the plane, but I slept a good 9-10 hours when I arrived here last night.
The first day here has been great... I spent some time with some of the friends that I made last year. We went into town to buy bus tickets for my trip to Iringa, which is about a 14 hour bus ride from here. Pray for safe travel there and back... I will need it ;o) I will be in language school in Iringa for 4 weeks. One of the women here will be traveling with me. She is from Tanzania and can help with communicating... I am very thankful for that. She is also very nice and down to earth... Lacyndra, Debbo and Joell asked about you today... We also went looking for shampoo and soap... and NO I didnt find the kind that I was looking for but what I found will have to do...
I will post more later guys.. I have to read and pray and go to sleep. I need to be rested for all the things I have to do in the morning to prepare an overnight stay in Dar es Salaam... I will tell you about all of that later...
Blessings,
April Nicole
We went for lunch today and I couldn't help but to buy one of the drinks that Tanzania is famous for... according to Lacyndra... STONEY TANGAWIZI!!!! That is the picture that I have added. I will post more pics tomorrow so please check out this blog later....
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