A Week Already!

It's Tuesday night, we've been here a week!

There have been so many praises to report, the excess luggage not being charged, the kids traveling so well, the play area in London....  What I really need to focus on now is His Grace.  I tend to get overwhelmed and make these really hideously long to-do lists and then I get caught up in life and forget to sit down and do them (gasp! I know, this is me we're talking about here.)  Well, this week, I made a list and then a day later, when I sat down to take care of it, all but two things on it had already been accomplished.  I was literally amazed!  God has been providing for us in so many ways.  I need to remember that when I get tired and the kids are fussing because they are tired.  I need to remember that when I'm hungry because everything here takes twice as long, and the kids are fussing, because they are hungry, because everything here takes twice as long!

I am thankful for good friends already...the Ness family was amazing in hosting and mentoring us for the first few days.  Thank you Mike, Kari and Katie.  I am thankful for Laura and her family that are taking us under their wing and "adopting" us!!!  I am thankful for Amy and her family that have watched our kids, intervened for us when we've needed them and have given us so many good ideas already.  I am thankful for Holly and Natalie, our house mates here in Dar.  Their experience and help have been wonderful in getting around town.  I'm thankful for Charles and Tahnya, our new pastors, that have been helping us to get settled and showing us neat places to eat and take the kids to play.

So far, we've been able to get connected with the internet (as you can see), we've gotten new cell phones (let me know if you really want to call us internationally and I'll send you the number), we're using a vehicle from the AG mission, we're going to be house-sitting for a neat family for a month (thank you Freitas family) while we continue our house search on the further North side of town by HOPAC.  We've gotten plugged in at church this past Sunday, I think we're really going to enjoy going to "The Ocean".  We're trying to learn a few new Swahili words each day, which has been fun.  Today was "please" (tafadhali) and "excuse me" (kumradhi).  We try to use them during the day and review the whole list each day at bedtime and it makes for some fun time with the kids.

Today was productive too, we got to get gas for the first time by ourselves ;), we then went to Shoppers and registered our phones and tried to get cash...the machine was out.  There were two people that tried to get some before us, we were so glad it wasn't our card it choked on.  We then went up on the peninsula to get some cash because we knew there was a Barclay's by the Doubletree at Slipway.  We were successful and took that money over to the IST Clinic to pay our family membership.  We are now in the system and have medical care, should we ever need it.  We then found our way to the Porters' house with our map, yahoo!!!!  She took us to a place called "Funky's" which is a place to eat, a pool, and a kid's bounce castle play area.  It was fun and outside (most places seem to be outside) and the kids were distracted while we waited over an hour for our grilled cheese sandwiches and fish fingers.  This afternoon we had some quiet time, I tried to make mango bread...according to Krypto it's more like "exquisite mango pudding" (a son that knows how to give his mom compliments....I need to keep him around ;)), and then Gwangi decided that he wanted to cook dinner, just like Mama Christina (the house worker that helps the Hansons and lives here on the compound.)  He came up with cooking some garlic and onions in the pan with some oil, then we added broccoli and tomatoes, then some water and tomato sauce and put it over noodles, it was actually quite good and the kids ate it all.  Maybe we'll have another Master Chef on our hands...just be careful when you give him a knife, he almost cut my finger off trying to help with the tomatoes...so glad we have our membership at the IST Clinic as of today!

But, really, there are so many things that are different here, the bugs are everywhere (my sugar was moving the other day and the bag was still closed....argh), the prices are super high (we paid the equivalent of $2 for 2 baby heads of broccoli and over $2 for about a handful of strawberries...these things will have to become special treats, but during transition, I'm trying to provide their favorite foods), getting used to driving on the other side of the road and shifting a manual with your left hand....hard!  Learning a new language...interesting so far.  The different types of living conditions here are hard to understand, you can have Western style houses right across from people living in what we would call a shack with none of the usual conveniences.  I walked a block or two to a local "duka" (a hole in the wall shop that will sell fruit, veggies, cards) with Mama Christina the other day and was just shocked at all I saw as I was walking.  When you drive, so much of the "details" of the other way of life seems to pass you by.  When you walk, you are forced to take it all in, and at at times, it really isn't pretty.

I haven't taken many pictures yet, I've still been overwhelmed a bit and just trying to stay on top of the basics.  I'll try to get a few more shots in tomorrow.  We're going up to HOPAC to look at more houses, and then we're hoping for a family fun day on Thursday, maybe the beach.  The kids are so tired of all the errand running and just want to have some fun with us.  We're praying we can keep our promise and be as much fun as they're hoping we can be!!!

We so appreciate your prayers about our living here, still lots to work out; but, it's all coming together.  Please continue to lift us up for good rest, positive attitudes, a quick resolution to the housing situation here in Dar, the sale of our house in CO soon so we won't drain our budget here, etc.  We'll post some pictures soon!