Happy Anniversary to Us

Trevor and I just celebrated our 9th Anniversary with a trip to the Detroit area for dinner and a movie. We ate at a Brazilian Barbeque restaurant named Gaucho's. Their food is amazing. They came to our table with ~16 different cuts of meats to sample. Plus, yummy sides and a salad bar. It was a fun experience followed by "The Hunger Games" movie. I had finished reading the books recently, so was pretty excited to watch the movie. It was a fun night out on the town with my honey. Happy Anniversary Trevor, I love you with all my heart!

Kianna's New Trick

As soon as the weather started getting warmer Kianna was determined to learn how to ride her bike without training wheels. Her motivation was simply that she wanted to go as fast as Kaylee, so they could race. After just a couple of times of working with Daddy, we are proud to report that she achieved her goal. In order to celebrate this BIG achievement we took a trip to The Spotted Cow for ice cream. Great job Kianna, we are proud of you!!!!

What Did I Learn in Africa?

Our Team

Great question without an easy answer. Perspective, I guess. I have been on a great journey the last few years. We have downsized our lives by over half, but we are still extremely rich and comfortable. My kids go to a great school....they have lots of shoes and can refuse the food they don't like because there is always more. Clean and functional bathrooms are plentiful. I can safely drink the water. A grocery store is always five minutes. I can go on and on.

So why can't we be content? Perhaps it is just the American way. We always want more. At times I feel we are a thankless society...whereas we should be thankful if we are truly living by the fruit of the spirit. I think God is using experiences like these to get my attention. Confession time: I have a lot to be thankful for and I have too many wants. That is pretty easy to see. The Bible says it is easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than to go to heaven. That is a tough piece of scripture to get your head wrapped around. Frankly, as Americans, we usually skip over verses like that. It is easier to avoid it. I am sure I will continue to process through this trip for the days, months, and potentially years ahead. I know that I have been given much and much is expected of me by my Lord and Savior. I know I can do more to help the poor of the world through my finances, my time, my prayers, and my words. I pray that I can be less selfish.

It also struck me that after 10 days in Africa I cannot recall a time when I heard an African complain. Perhaps it was the language barrier or maybe they wouldn't want to show that emotion to a mzungu (white man), but it didn't feel that way. Amidst their struggles they certainly had joy. They seemed thankful for what they had and were resourceful to fill the gaps for things they lacked. There is a lot to learn here for us as Americans. We love to critique and complain. It seems like a hobby for some. I pray that I can use this experience to change my own ways and maybe others.

Thank you for reading and for your prayers and support. I know God will use this experience in amazing ways. I've tried my best to capture the experience, but it is a lot to unpack and articulate.

In Christ,

Trevor

Last Days- The Day That Never Ends...

Zebras

Baboon

Warthog

Trevor and Micah on the Land Rover

Bilboa Tree

Hippo coming up for air

Male lions

More baboons

Cool signs along the road

We got up bright and early...6:30am for our final safari. The sun was just peaking up over the hills as we departed. The area around our camp was full of zebras and impalas. It was nice to not be as burdened by taking pictures, just soaking in God's creation. The wind was cool, but fresh. Amazingly, I had no allergy issues the entire trip. Maybe I finally found a place that works with my sinuses and tear ducts. :o) Our guide, Joshua, understood our goal. We hadn't seen crocodiles, hyenas, leopard, or a male lion. There are no rhinos in this park...they are up north in another park. Cheetahs aren't found here either. I tried to tell him there was a first for everything, but he wasn't buying it. Joshua told us he had a dream that we would see a male lion that day. Many groups go 4 or 5 days without even seeing a single lion and we had already been spoiled the first night. We weren't getting our hopes up. We ventured through the park for nearly an hour. Deeper and deeper into the wild plains. We returned to the hippo pool and Joshua pointed in the distance. I have no idea how he saw it from that distance, but he spotted the smooth back of a croc, lying at the side of the pond. Good thing no one was swimming because none of the mzungu (white people) saw it. Even with my zoom lens it took a few minutes. Ducks walked all around the croc, but it never moved in our ten minutes there. Guess he was full.

From there we went down a new path. Down a muddy gully. Thank you for 4 wheel drive. Joshua stopped out of no where. I was in the front seat with him and I could see him rapidly pull out his binoculars. My untrained eyes found three lumps of brown in the green grass. I grabbed my camera and zoomed all the way. The shape was unmistakable. Three male lions. Wow! We moved as close as we could. The biggest lion rose and stared. He began to walk...make that strut away. No shortage of confidence. The others followed. Joshua circled around and we headed them off. Again, we were making eye contact. One lioness appeared as well. Who knows how many more were in the tall grass. The other two males were younger, with manes in progress. That was the end of the safari. Joshua's dream came true! He was a believer and a pretty neat guy. It is amazing to meet these people and hear their stories. He's been a guide for eight years and drives all over Tanzania.

We were back for breakfast and to pack up. I hate packing up souvenirs and all that, but I was excited to think I was on my way home to my family. This is the longest Keri and I have been apart since we were married and the longest I have ever been away from the kids. I appreciate the perspective this trip gives me. I am very thankful for them and can't wait to see them.

We took off for Dar Es Salaam at around 10:15am. We were riding in the Land Rovers back to the airport, not that Shabiby Video Bus Line. That is definitely a praise. We were told it would be a four hour trip with a couple stops. Of course, this is Africa. It took us nearly 8 hours of death defying travel to make it the airport. We even had to skip dinner because of the delay.

The start was fun. Baboons cross the road. Road signs signaled giraffe crossings. Soon we left the park and we returned to rural African life. Block houses...I now have a thorough understanding of how to make a house in Africa. ;o) The poorer have homes of sticks and mud. Kids were everywhere and people were out hoeing in the fields. It was a beautiful day. A warm breeze flowed through the vehicle. Only 40 hours of travel to get back to Michigan! We left Friday at 11pm Michigan time and we won't get in until Sunday at 6 pm if everything goes well. Yuck.

It was an amazing journey. Traffic laws need not apply in Tanzania. There were two lanes of traffic with occasional passing lanes...at one point our vehicle was passed by a bus being passed by another bus with a motorcycle in the other lane. It is hard to describe, but let's just say it could have been an episode of Fear Factor. It led us to the question of "what happens if there is an accident?" The only police we saw were standing on the side of the road. They don't have cars. Joshua gave us an answer that shocked us. If a pedestrian or vendor is hit, usually the driver is pulled from the vehicle and may be stoned to death on the spot. He said it with a very straight tone and it left us all speechless. At that point, I decided to close my eyes and sleep. The trip was dragging on and on. About twenty minutes passed and I was awoken to shouts. My eyes first found a vehicle on its side in the ditch. You could see bits and pieces of a vendor cart. Another member of our team pointed us to the right side of the road. There was a young man on his knees, fear draped across his face, and a group of men beating him. We prayed, but there was nothing we could really do. This was no place for westerners and there was nothing we could do, but put our own lives in danger. Africa is a beautiful place with amazing people, but there is little order and life here is on a thin thread. It was an amazing reminder of the privilege we have been given by being born in America. Anyone that doubts that gift needs to do a tour of duty in a third world country.

We were traveling at a snails pace. In the villages the limit is 50 km per hour, but there was no limit elsewhere. That didn't matter. There were trucks that could barely make it up the hills....and some didn't. You see a lot more break downs here than in the states. Everything has a few miles on it and emission standards really don't apply. I felt like my clothes reeked of diesel fumes by the end of the day.

We made it to Dar Se Salaam, or the Dar, in late afternoon. It is a city of five million. When we left eleven days ago, we really didn't see the city alive because of the rain. Well, the trip in made up for that. The roads turned to four lane, but the number of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, walkers, gawkers, peddlers, and buses turned exponential. It was like driving through a super market. The streets were lined with vendors and the center median was no different. We passed a spot where an Iman was preaching...actually trying to raise up an offering according to Joshua. As we were stuck in traffic we watched as no one walked forward. I guess Islam isn't perfect here after all. You couldn't understand the man, but the in flexion in his voice made no mistake that he was spitting venom. Islam is a religion of fear and manipulation...not of love and forgiveness and moral living. That is a topic of another blog. Crazy things here in the battle of Christianity versus Islam.

Despite the huge Land Rover we all felt claustrophobic. Every square inch seemed to have a person or a goat. A little motorcycle passed with a couch on the back. Goats road shot gun in a scooter. A man walked a half dozen cows through the city. Where were they going? Dust and smoke were everywhere. Thank God for asthma inhalers.

We finally hit the airport and, frankly, I couldn't get on the airplane soon enough. Just crossing into the airport through security felt like a relief. I loved my time in Dodoma and at the safari, but I could do without Dar Se Salaam the rest of my life. It was chaos personified. It made Bangkok and Sao Paulo and Managua look like cake walks.

Well...the journey ends here. Airports are airports. In flight movies, sodium rich foods, expensive Americanos....thankfully, every minute gets me closer to Keri, Kaylee, Kianna, and Trace.

Trevor

Tanzania Day 11

Fire Ants

Giraffe

Trevor next to the lions

Lion yawning

Giraffe

Water Buffalos

Elephants and baby

Lion stretching

Impalas

Hippopotamus

Trevor next to hippo pond

They let us sleep in a bit and we started at 8:30...wait, make that 8:15am. As I was venturing up the hill I heard the Land Rover's engines roar. Needless to say I began to sprint. I made it...barely. After I had left breakfast to get my things they had decided to move up our leave time to 8:15. That would have been a bad day to miss a safari.

Safari #2 didn't prove as eventful as Safari #1. The journey started exciting enough. We crossed a line of army ants that had build a one inch wide trench across the road. Warrior ants were out, trying to crawl up our legs as worker ants carried eggs across the road. How can insects without a brain coordinate all this? Amazing stuff. We crossed a rickety bridge that had enough creaks to make anyone squeamish. Makes for great video!

Its funny, but the "awe" quickly evaporates and you say..."well, there's another impala or there's another elephant." We were spoiled on our first expedition. We did get some better close ups of giraffes. Amazing animals. It is funny how they all stop and stare at us. You wonder what is going through their brains. Maybe we are the attraction. I learned that there were three types of giraffes. These were Massai Giraffes. They each have unique patterns, but not as distinct as giraffes in Kenya (I forget their name). Generally, the darker the giraffes, the older the giraffes.

We spent the middle of the day beside the pool. Some white frog jumped in. Kianna will love that picture. We saved a gecko from drowning and some weird bug with an antenna out its posterior. Wow. Lunch was crazy. Someone spotted a green snake poking its head around the corner. Only a 75% chance that it was poisonous. :o) The locals were split in the end. From the faces of our tour guides we believe it was a Green Mamba. They were backing away. After lunch, some of the team went down by the pool and found the snake again. Right there on film it hunted, killed and swallowed a large gecko. That doesn't happen in Michigan.

Safari #3 took place at 4pm. We went until sunset. We saw a silver jackal...it looks very much like a fox. The leopard still eluded us. It is the hardest animal to see in the park. They are very adept at hiding. The manager of the camp said it took him six trips to see one. Needless to say...we need more trips, I guess. We also saw some amazing birds and a bill bob tree that was bigger than our 8 person Land Rovers. I got out and climbed the tree.

No excitement that night other than a Preying Mantis getting in our snack mix. When I went to return to my tent there was a Massai man that acts as our guide. I guess he is there to make sure we don't get eaten by something. I asked him what happens if a honey badger came across our path and he said "don't know". That wasn't all that reassuring. It also made me think...I probably wasn't faster than this long legged, hundred and twenty pound man. Good thing we didn't come across a badger.

Tanzania Day 10

Land Rover

Baboon

Vuma Hill Luxury Tent Camp

Inside of tent

Outside of tent

Trevor near dining hall

Beautiful swimming pool

Feeding a bush baby

Bright and early we left Dodoma behind us. It was hard to think that the work was going on at the site and we were not there. We pray that everything will be finished quickly.

We boarded the Shabiby Video Line bus promptly at 8am. Five long hours, filled with "The God's Must Be Crazy II" and "Con Air" and quite a few African rap videos filled the time. We were stopped by police several times. Two or three officers stand by the side of the road in their crisp white uniforms and stop most traffic. Twenty seconds and we were off again. Not sure the purpose really. The police have no cars, but they stand by the side of the road with their radar guns and then call ahead to the next check point. The other interesting thing about Tanzanian roads is the "speed humps". Yes, right on the highway there are huge humps and the bus literally flies over them. I even hit my head once.

We arrived at the destination (which I can't remember the name). Amidst a thriving market we transferred our luggage from buses into 8 person Land Rovers. It was quite the step up after those narrow bus seats. Our driver Joshua swiftly took off, leaving men and boys peddling everything from peanuts to hard boiled eggs to drinks/candy behind. It was a beautiful drive. Mountains on all sides that eventually opened up to plains. Many villages were along the road and it always captures my imagination to see how they live. They were more rural even than Dodoma and seemed more orderly. I think I would choose a village to live in if I were transferred to Tanzania. One village even had a pool table out underneath a stick and sheet metal structure. People have to have their billiards!

They told us to be on the look out the moment we entered the park. They were not wrong. Right at the gate we were greeted by a baboon. He sat there and wanted food from the cars. When he sat, it was pretty clear we were dealing with a boy baboon. :o) We made it through some forested hills to our camp. The place is run by Fox Safaris out of the U.K.. It is simply amazing. I cannot imagine what it took to build this place in this remote of a region. We only have power twice a day for 4 hour blocks. They run off a diesel generator. Their are sixteen tents....but they are not really like camping back in Michigan. The tents are probably five hundred square feet and sit off the ground on high decks. Two queen- sized beds and a full bathroom with hot water...believe it or not. This is not roughing it. Our camp sits high and we can see for miles over the African plain. Lunch and then we were promptly on our first expedition. Amazing. We were all worried we would not see animals since it has been so wet. Usually the animals congregate around the watering holes, but not when it is wet. Well, we had nothing to worry about. Thirty feet inside the park we found a herd of Impalas...imagine small dear with the males having long antlers. They look like lion food to me. Anyway, they were everywhere. One male rules about fifty females. Some were even taking care of business right out there in the open. More Impalas will be on the way! Wildebeasts herded next to them giving us curious looks. A few kilometers ahead was a giraffe. They are a little more shy, but you can see them in the distance. I had never seen a giraffe run. No reason to in a zoo. It looks like the animal is in slow motion. Crazy! Elephants were everywhere. Big ones, baby ones. We saw one little guy that our guide said was barely a month old. The elephants come right up close. Absolutely no fear. I guess being as large as our Land Rover helps a bit. We came around the next corner and there were four female lions taking a nap in the sun.

The car shut off and the lions just stared. One got up and used the restroom. We just sat there, five feet from one. Beautiful creations! They rest about twenty hours a day and hunt twice a day. When they yawned, you could see the power in their jaws. Their saber teeth are amazingly large that close. The next stop was a pond...with hippos. They are the most dangerous animal in Africa if you choose to boat with them or swim with them. The bulls are quite territorial. There were probably eight of them in this pond and they were pretty sloth like. A couple made big splashes and opened their big traps just like in Hungry Hippos. We even spotted one baby, but he only poked his head out of the water.

This park is huge and hard to put in words. They tell us it is over 3,000 square kilometers. It is a large plain with trees dotting the landscape. Bilbob trees are amazing. They are several meters wide and for every meter they are a hundred years old. We drive on red dirt and gravel roads with the occasional roller coaster ride through mud. Thankfully, the Land Rovers are huge and have four wheel drive. Little gullies cut through the landscape...normally they are dry, but now they are filled with running water. We were told that several roads were washed out over the last month.

We toured for over two hours, right until the park closed at seven. It was serene as the sun set behind us. At the tail end we found zebras. There were probably a dozen and one baby. Their stripes were hypnotic as they stared at us. One little baby was a little skittish. Behind them were a couple giraffe's eating from the heights of a tree.

Well, the day closed with a great dinner under a huge thatched deck. I thought we were done with animals, but right underneath the deck were five honey badgers eating scraps. They growled and fought over the food. They are the fiercest animals in the area...they even take on lions and usually come away on top. On the deck were little light brown monkeys called bush babies. They would take bread right out of your hands.

Sleeping in the tent/cabin was a new experience. No need for a sound maker here. The jungle is alive with birds, monkeys, and other animals. There are no fences here...so you have to make sure your flashlight is dead ahead. Never know what you are going to find....hopefully not one of the honey badgers that was eating those scraps just 50 yards from my tent. I slept well, but woke around 3am hearing animals moving below. They say there are giant porcupines in the area. Crazy!

Well, that is all for now.

Trevor

Tanzania Day 9

Water on our worksite.

New tin roof on ministry center

Pastor's bedroom with new tile.

Trevor giving the balls to the boys.

Workers with their new LCS shirts.

Our goat

They used the same machetes to cut the meat as they had to do their work during the day.

Cooking the goats for the feast.

Our Feast

Our meal

Hello all,

Today was our last work day on the project.  The masonry is nearly complete.  I had a great time carrying 40lb blocks and buckets of dunga (mortar) up a homemade ladder.  Nothing like that for a work out.  The rest of the team completed about 2/3 of the tin roof.  We also had the pleasure of digging a trench for about 50 yards or so and 18 inches deep.  Thankfully, the ground was moist, but it still took its toll.  All in all, an amazing amount of work was completed. The senior pastor, Samuel, already had his bed set up in one of the rooms.  When we came the structure had no floor and looked really rough, so it is neat to see it to that point of completion in a few short days.  Our work here will continue since we have funds left over from what we have raised.  The roof and kitchen should be finished.  We are told they will be having classes in the new ministry center even later this week.  They are excited to have a roof over their heads.

Rain, rain, and more rain.  Last night it poured for hours and the work site greeted us with huge puddles.  Thankfully, the rain let up for about 6 hours while we worked.  After our feast with the workers and the church, the heavens opened up again.  It was the only time all week we were stopped by rain.  The pictures were amazing as the worksite was essentially one big lake.  There is no storm sewer here so all the water simply finds the lowest place and collects.

The Tanzanians fixed a huge lunch for us, including butchering two goats and grilling them. They wanted to show their thanks to us in this traditional way.  Let's just say, no part of the goat goes to waste, but they saved the best meat for us.  It was a little chewy, but the flavor was great.  They also cooked a huge pot of rice over an open flame and cooked bananas in oil.  They had a spinach of some sort as well.  I have to say that everyone did well to try everything.  It wasn't exactly a "western" dining experience.  I have to say we did our best to be graceful.  Four hours later and my stomach is still in tact.  This was a huge feast for our new friends and we were thankful for it.  It would be easy to curl our lips at the flies or refuse to eat, but that would not be what loving our neighbors requires.  

Goodbyes were hard.  We toiled with these people for many hours and accomplished much.  A great numbers of pictures were taken...some even from the Tanzanian's cell phones.  Yes, they pretty much all have cell phones.  I guess that is pretty high on the priority of needs these days, even here.  Cell phone before shoes.  We gave each worker a shirt from LCS (the school I work at) and the workers were very thankful.  We also gave little dresses to the little girls and Leonard and Sedge got their soccer balls.  They both were in tears at the site of them and it was a blessing on my part to even be a part of it.  The team also collected enough money for Leonard and Sedge's parents to send them to school for the next 8 years (a dollar goes a long ways here).  Their father was so overwhelmed he could not really speak.  I write this not to brag about the good we have done here, but to show you what an impact we can make on lives with so little.  We have no idea where this family will head in the future, but we have given them a start.  Most of us left our hats, work gloves, tools, candy, and a number of other things with the team.  We know it will go to great use as they continue to labor.

Well, tomorrow is off to the safari.  You can't come to Africa without a safari, can you?  No WiFi there, so this will be my last post until I get back stateside.  We have a 4 hour bus ride....ugh.  Then we are on Land Rovers for 2 hours to the game park.  Evidently we will have the resort to ourselves.  We take a safari each evening and morning and hopefully we will have a great encounter with nature.  

I will be back in Michigan on Sunday night.  I miss my family desperately.  The only downside of this trip is Keri wasn't here to witness it with me.  I know God will provide her an opportunity at some point.  Thankfully, we have Skyped nearly every day.  Isn't the world crazy?  We can connect virtually anywhere.

Blessings to you all,

Trevor

Adrian Day 8

I think our mouse trouble is a thing of the past. No more evidence of mice. Yeah!

We had a great day today. Kaylee participated in her school's talent show. She wrote and illustrated a book titled The Princess and her Castle. Daddy helped her make it into a power point presentation before he left. It turned out great and she did an awesome job reading her story to us. I never would have considered entering a talent show at her age, but she is a bit fearless when it comes to speaking in front of large crowds. She amazes us. Kaylee was sad that Daddy couldn't be there to see her, but she was super excited that Grandma Sue and Grandpa Wayne and the rest of our family were able to be there to support her. Great job Kaylee!!

Tanzania Day 8

Our lunch tomorrow!!!

 

Playing London Bridges with the kids.

 

Tresses are up.

 

Classroom we have been working on.

7am to 6pm today.  Progress is being made!  We completed the tresses to the point we will be putting on the metal roof tomorrow.  That is really exciting because it means the people will be able to use the building when we leave.  The entire building was started in 2006, but it has been very slow in progress because of a lack of work/witness teams to Tanzania because of the cost and travel required.  Anyway, the people are very joyous to see the end of this phase so near.  It is very easy to share in their joy as they work along side us.  Besides the roof we made and laid more brick.  My role was again to support the masons by lifting blocks and motor all day long.  My bones ache, but it was fun to work along side these young men.

I am developing quite the vocabulary in Swahili.

asante = thank you
jumbo = hello
mambo = what up?
poa = coooooooool
yesu = Jesus
yesu ni gia = Jesus is the way
yesu ni kweli = Jesus is the truth
dungo = mortar
t-fary = block
haraka  = fast
poley = slow
gausha = strong
pepe = candy (yes peee peee)
and much more....

We had a great time with the kids today around the site.  We are getting to know their names.  We took out balloons and bubbles and caused a near riot!  We are learning some of their names and they now are calling out to us.  One little boy brought a toy.  A little shell of a flashlight with some other plastic trinkets attached.  It was a joy to watch him so excited.  We are planning to give them many things tomorrow that we brought.  We wait till the final day so we do not have a mob.  We will be proclaiming Jesus as we do it.  Please pray for us!

Also pray that there will be many great interactions tomorrow.  We will be saying goodbye to the workers we have sweated with for over a week.  It is amazing how well we communicate now.  I wish we had more we could do for them.  Most of them have two sets of clothes at most and some do not have shoes.  Most only have flip flops.  As Americans, we have so much and yet, we always want more.  These people live on so little, but you would never know it by the way they laugh and have fun.  We have much to learn.  I pray that we will all find it in our budgets and our time to do more for the world.

Best part of tomorrow....they are butchering and barbecuing two goats right on our work site!  Can't wait!  The church wants to thank us with a feast.  Should be an experience.  I've also bought two soccer balls for the two little boys, Leonard and Sedgeway, that live on the work site.  They currently have a little ball made from plastic bags and twine.  They have been great helps this week and are great boys.  What more can a 10 and 12 year old want?

Well, one more work day and then off to 3 days of a safari.  I am looking forward to that!

Blessings from Tanzania,

Trevor