Mbudya Island

Earlier this week, we took a trip out to Mbudya Island.  It is right off of the coast of Tanzania and Dar es Salaam, and we have heard so much about it over the past year.  We just hadn't made the time to get there.

Our friends, the Ellis', had family in town, and asked us to join them on a trip over to the island for the day.  Tuesday was the chosen date.  I'll be honest, I took some motion sickness medicine for the boat trip, and so was quite 'out of it' for most of the day...I was tired, and slept part of the morning away.  I am just such a light weight when it comes to any kind of medication.  Next time I'll know to not take so much, maybe a half dose?  There aren't many pictures; but, enjoy what you see.  It really was beautiful and peaceful.

Rob with a starfish on his back.  The kids got a big kick out him bringing this out of the ocean.

Then the kids were playing around with it.

Lunch!  It was so good!!!!

Amazing view from the beach.

The tide going out.

Some of the shells that we saw.

A very large baobab tree on the island.

Krypto pointing out at the cement factory, back in Dar (can you see it?)  It was what Roald Dahl used as the idea for the factory in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"...did you know he lived in Dar es Salaam?

An up close view, at the base of the baobab tree.

We're not in 'Crisis Mode' yet...

Just had to share, we've had a turning point.  I think we can finally say, after being here for almost a year, that we are "Africa Veterans", lol...

Really though, we are on our 4th day with no incoming water from Dawasco, the water company here in Tanzania.  Our house worker, Mama Rose, told us this morning that she had heard on the radio that it might be a week.  So, we thought, ok, maybe Tuesday or Wednesday of next week we'll have the water come in again.  We checked the tanks, we're down to 1/3 left.  I started mentally making plans....

Then, a local friend, posted on Facebook, that it was a week more, so a week from today...well, that changes things, we can't go a whole other week on what we have...we have enough for another couple of days, that's it, and that's with rationing...ie. no laundry and quick showers, etc.

So, I decided to send Indy out to get us some water jugs so that we have enough to drink and can do bucket showers.  I tell the children that we'll only flush the toilets once a day, at night, before they go to bed, so they don't have to smell it...otherwise, keep the lids down.  I clean out a bucket and tell them they'll each get 1 bucket of water at night for showers, we'll get you wet, soap up, then rinse you.  I tell Indy that we'll fill up the sink with water to wash cooking dishes, then just do quick rinses, otherwise, we're going to paper plates for eating....I think he's also going to stop shaving... etc, etc, etc..... then I say "We're fine, I don't think we're in crisis mode yet..."  At this point, Indy starts to smile and laugh, almost hysterically...  "That is funny, we're talking about bucket showers, not flushing the toilet, not doing laundry, eating on paper plates, and you're totally ok with this...that isn't crisis mode?  A few months ago, you would be about ready to cry!"  I just smiled back at him, because yes, a few months ago, this would have totally and completely stressed me out, today, I jumped into planning mode and I know that we'll be fine.  God will provide...my only other thoughts are what will those without back-up tanks do during this time?  Can they afford to buy bottled water for their family?  Will they have enough to make it through until Dawasco fixes the water main break?

Instead of stressing out and allowing my fear and worry to overcome me, I am "Counting on God"...one of my favorite songs from Desperation Band and Jared Anderson back in Colorado Springs!  It's definitely one of those marker moments when you can look back over a time in your life and see the changes in your attitudes about gratefulness, about stress, about worry, about others, about God's faithfulness....  Here's to many more of those in the years to come, because I know, that even at 37 years old, I am still growing and learning so much about life.  I'm hopeful that at the end of this race, I will be all that He wants me to be...I'm not there yet, so I know the race isn't done, and I'm thankful for the time to grow while I'm completing it!

The extra water jugs that Indy just purchased.

Pre-school visits, casts, ballet, games, and M&Ms

Carol is heading back to the US...but, not until after she had another very full and busy week.

We actually just put the kids down for quiet time, after the taxi pulled away, and Sissi was all weepy.  Krypto said, "Daddy, I'm tired, we've been so busy!"  It's true, we fit quite a bit into a two week visit.  I'll try to back off a bit this next week; but, it's the last week of school at HOPAC, with all of the usual activity that goes along with that... we'll see how good of a job I can do in the "slow down" department!

On Monday, we returned to the Frontline Pre-School that we had been to on Friday.  We wanted to bring them some craft supplies, and also give all of the children some toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss that Carol had brought with her from her dentist in the States.  The Pastor had been called away, and even with no adult supervision, the kids had all come to school, put their backpacks on the table, and were playing outside together very nicely.  We stayed and played for a bit, found someone that spoke some English, and made plans to return another day.

Krypto playing with one of the boys at the pre-school.

Some of the kids from the pre-school

What a sweetheart

Then, we came home to find that the vet had arrived.  If you remember, our dear dog, Smokey, had pulled off his bandage, so....a cast was the next step.  He had to be sedated so that the vet could have full access to his leg.  He's been back a few times to give him some antibiotic shots; but, for the most part, I think we are finally on the road to recovery.  Hopefully we can get it removed next week!

The vet, Dadi, his assistant, and our gardener, Happy, working on Smokey's leg.

Then, on Monday nights, I meet with a few ladies and we're doing a Beth Moore study on the book of Esther.  I highly recommend it if you haven't done it.  It's teaching me a bit more about Jewish history and dealing with some issues that I think we all hold near and dear like fear, anger, meanness....

Me, Laura, Carolyn, and Carol

Tuesday is our swimming lesson day.  We're getting better at it every time.  Hope we can work on swimming a bit more this summer; but, we've acclimated so much that the water seems cold to us now.  Winter time in Dar...ahhhh :), it's 82 degrees right now, and feels like 87 with a bit of humidity.  Chilly!

Also, on Tuesday, Carol went with a friend of ours to the Nuru Center to see some of the crafting that they do and the ESL classes that they offer to some of the disabled here in Northern Dar es Salaam.  We met up in the afternoon and worked with the Sala Sala Kids' Ministry again.  Definitely a full day!

Sissi working on her kicking and blowing bubbles, in the pool at HOPAC.

On Wednesday, Sissi has a dance class that meets at our house this summer.  Gwangi then has a piano lesson immediately following.  We really enjoy this time with our friends.  Carol was able to go with some other friends of ours and visit an orphanage right outside of town that the International Baptist Church is beginning a partnership with.  She enjoyed her time and I know that we'll be making an attempt to help with the ministry going on there as well, in the future.

Warming up and working on their positions.

On Thursday we had our last set of music lessons up at HOPAC and then that evening we met up with our Small Group from church, The Ocean.

Friday, we went back to the Frontline Pre-School and did a short lesson with them on their teeth and how to brush them.  We sang songs with them, did a coloring page, and then I tried to teach them how to jump rope and blow up "air rockets"...we left them with the craft supplies and fun things to do, and we'll most definitely be going back again to share and play with the kids.  

Opening up their packages with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss.

Rehema was so excited about her new toothbrush!

Coloring a sheet with a tooth, toothbrush, toothpaste, and apples :)

These two girls are just the cutest and have so much personality!

They love it when you take their picture.

Carol with Pastor Mwangomale, also the teacher at the pre-school.

Me, blowing up the "air rocket"...they loved chasing it all over the yard.

Too much fun!

Lots of hugs happened, all around.

After the pre-school, we took a trip to White Sands hotel and took Carol to the beach.  It was a beautiful day and I'm so glad that she got to see the beach before she left.

On Friday night, HOPAC had their Staff Appreciation Dinner at BBQ Village downtown.  We were so thankful for Carol volunteering to watch the kids so that we could attend.

Indy and Bubbles, ready to head out to dinner.

Finally, today....Just a few pictures before Carol left to get on the plane, and head back to America!

Kids climbing in the tree, out in the yard.

We finally got around to playing Carcassonne this morning with Carol...I think she really enjoyed it and wrote down the name of the game to play with her grandkids back in the States.

A view of the board, about half way through.

Then, decided to give Indy his Father's Day gift early, so he could spend some time enjoying it today!
It's a hard bound book that covers 100 years of Flight History in East Africa.  Absolutely amazing pictures and stories in this book!

Enjoying his look through, decade by decade.

This is a picture of a Short Brothers, Empire class flying boat, moored off the coast of Dar es Salaam in 1939.  Wow, how the port has changed!

Finally, got a package yesterday from Jeff's mom!  Yahoo!  We have 4th of July stuff now and my FAVORITE candy, in the whole world, PEANUT BUTTER M&Ms :)!!!!!!  Two bags....Sweet!

Fun with our visitor, Carol

We've had a friend visiting this week from the U.S.  It's been a very full and busy week.  I didn't take too many pictures because I thought we would be able to download the 300+ that she had taken so far, from her camera.  Alas, the SD card is a different size than what my computer can take and I don't have the right size USB cable...so you'll have to do with me telling you about some of the special events we've been involved in while she's been with us.

First off, there has been quite a bit of drama with our dog...and it's ongoing to tell you the truth.  He originally had a growth on his leg, the vet cut it out and put stitches in, then the dog pulled them out.  The vet came back and cut out more dead skin and burned the spot so it would scab/heal.  The dog kept picking at it and the spot was very raw, so we called the vet again.  He came back and this is what he made for him on the day that Carol arrived.  Since then, the vet has been back another two times (and we're calling him to come again tomorrow.)  The dog was able to get the collar (cone of shame from "Up"), so he made it smaller, then he used the edge of the collar to scrape it raw again.  So, the vet sedated him again, cleaned it all up and wrapped it.  He got the wrapping off on Saturday....ugh!

The kids have discovered climbing trees in the past few weeks.  They love to have their pictures taken in the tree and I have a chair that sits under the tree so I can read out loud to them.

My beautiful girl!

Look at those blue eyes!

Some Bionicles that Gwangi got from his friend Sam.

We did some school this week while Carol was here.  We got some reading and lapbooking done with our "Treasure Island" book.  We also covered Monet as our artist for the week and learned a bit about Russia as our country of the week.

"Treasure Island" lapbook items...writing about the Main Characters and Pirate Clothing

A view of the lapbook

Working on our paintings of the Japanese Footbridge

Sissi's version of the Japanese Footbridge

Krypto's completed picture, laying against the original from the book we were reading.

Out to dinner with some friends, that are leaving the country this summer, at BBQ Village

Just a few of us talking at the restaurant.

Group Shot

Working on the Artist lapbook

A Lego dinosaur battle

On Tuesday, Carol had a great time helping out in the library at HOPAC.  That afternoon we got to introduce her to the Sala Sala group of kids.  What a blast.  Later in the week, we took a trip to a pre-school and did a lesson with the children.  Carol got some great pictures of the children learning about "Five Little Monkey's Jumping on the Bed", we did hand puppets, taught them the song in English and worked on our numbers.  We're hoping to go back again this week, they were a great group of children to work with and the Pastor was a wonderful man that has a far reaching vision.  Hopefully more on that later!

For the weekend, we decided that just Carol and I would go to Zanzibar, so we took a flight to maximize our time on the island.

At the airport.

Taking the first flight of the day.

The famous cork screw tree

If you want to see more, you can look at my post from last October about our trip to Zanzibar :)

http://whateveristrueandnoble.blogspot.com/2011/10/walk-through-zanzibar.html

Our guide making gifts for us!

Trying to eat the "Stink Fruit"

Opening it up for us to eat

The girls at the end of our tour

A view of the market

Picture of the squids for sale...Krypto loves squids, so this was for him

A view from the plane as we were coming into Dar to land on the way home

Another busy week is coming up, we've got another trip to the pre-school to work with the children, Carol is going to the Nuru Center - a place where they minister and teach ESL classes and craft making to some disabled people here in Dar, a trip to an orphanage, working with our Sala Sala group...and whatever else we can fit in to our days.  Hope this finds you all well, thanks for letting me share our week and activities with you!