Leaving the North

Today I got a taste of home...I was watching COPS with Kaylie and one of the busts was in good ol Spokane, Washington!  I got exited.

 

I can't believe that this day has come.  I have some nerves about leaving tomorrow and embarking on the journey across the country...but God has been good and given me encouragment through people at just the right moment I needed it.  I feel blessed and I know He is directing every step.

 

It's been an interesting journey for me thus far.  I thought this time would be similar to my last experience here, but it has been very different.  Part of it has been my mindset...I know I'm in it for the long run.  Everything was new to me before, now it's more like home here, and when it feels like home, there is comfort in that.  Comfort can be good, but it can cause complacency which I don't like because then I stop growing.  Last time I was here, it was so easy to forget about my worldly concerns, but this time I have seen my insecurities, desire to be married, eating disorders, fear of letting people down, and doubts of my purpose in life all rear it's head.  I know that just because I'm not in Idaho, it does not mean these things won't follow me.  The root is where I need to deal with it all and totally surrender everything and trust and have faith!  That's where I find freedom.

 

I have realized that people hide.  We only portray the good things to people...but don't really open up about the deep places in us.  I'm not saying that everyone needs to know everything about ourselves.  What I am saying though is that sometimes we keep things in secret, we don't think anyone struggles with what we struggle with, we think we are the only ones...but I have seen once you speak it out, once you open up and not let these things have power over you...you realize that others have gone through the same thing, but also have been to ashamed or scared to say anything.  I don't know if this makes sense.  It does to me.  Basically just know that whatever you are going through, whatever has happened to you, whatever you have done, you are not alone.  Someone knows what you are going through and can relate and understand.  There are places of healing and freedom in getting things out and not hiding.  Jesus has shown me that His grace and love covers everything.  Even though I feel like a failure at times, He knew those very things I would do and He loves me in spite of it all and still chooses to use me.  I don't deserve it...but I'm so thankful and blessed.

 

Okay, so as the first part of my journey comes to an end today, it is bittersweet.  The goodbyes were hard yesterday.  I hate goodbyes...who likes them though?  The kids were by far the hardest because they grow so fast and I just get attached.  They will always have my heart.

 

I am getting excited to just be in the village.  I'm getting so tired of packing!  I realized that the last 3 weeks I have packed 5 times.  I have way too much stuff.  This will be interesting to get all of my stuff off the bus and to the hotel tomorrow by myself.  I have 3 big suitcases, one rolling carry-on size suitcase, one backpacking backpack, and one laptop bag.  Everything is packed to the max.  It's a lot!

 

Once I leave tomorrow, my internet access will be limited.  I will be able to update my blog and let people know I made it to Mafinga...but once I'm in Iringa, I will have no internet access for 2 weeks.  After that, I'm not sure how often I will be on.  Please e-mail as you can to marisha.cunliffe@gmail.com or write to:

 

Marisha Cunliffe
c/o Village Schools Tanzania
Box 183
Mafinga, Tanzania

 

I won't be able to write you unless you write me first and send your address.  So it's a bit of a manipulation...but I'm okay with it.  I guess you could also email me your address.

 

Thank you for those who have sent me updates and have been an encouragement!  I love you and will hopefully be in contact soon after my travels.

An overview of life in Tanzania

So I have realized that I really haven't done a very good job updating this blog, nor explaining what life has been like...so this will be random and start at the beginning of my time here.

When I got into Nairobi airport, I was able to have them issue me a boarding pass to Kilimanjaro for me.  But they informed me they might not be able to have enough time to get by bags from my British Air flight to the Precision plane.  At that point I didn't care.  I just said as long as I get to Tanzania, that's all I cared about...I would get my bags in due time.  So after John, Fay, and Rachel were delayed by a day getting here...I wasn't able to get my bags for 2 days.  It was a good way to start out living here.  I didn't pack smart in my carry-on...just basically shoes b/c they were the heaviest and my bags were already at the 50lb limit.  After 2 days had passed, we went to Precision's office and my bags were there!  It was a great surprise, but we had actually told them we would pick them up from the actual airport when the Batchelder's came in.  Anyway, they had me go through my bags to see if everything was in them...of course going through 3 bags full of random items, I wasn't able to accurately investigate.  As time has gone by and I have needed certain things, I have noticed the items that I am missing:

2 mirrors

Dell Computer charging cord

Camera charging cord

Camera battery

2 memory sticks

1 thumb drive

iPod cord

iPod wall charger

outlet adapter

qtips

Granted when I was packing at home I didn't sleep in two days and had so much going on in my mind that I could have not packed the qtips ( maybe) but I'm pretty sure I did.  So I had my breakdown with frustrations...but just trying to not worry.  Musa, a friend that we know in Moshi, says that he has an extra iPod cord and possibly a computer cord.  John gave me his camera cord b/c we have the same camera.  That was so nice!  The only thing that really sucks is that my memory stick for my camera is only 2GB.  I would have had plenty of memory to store pictures before selfish people went through my things and probably just turn around and sell it.

It's been funny to see how much this country loves Obama.  His picture is everywhere...blankets, cars, posters, newspapers, tshirts...I even saw his name across the band of some boxer briefs today.  I had to laugh pretty hard today at that one.  He is their hero.  It's odd to go from our country where he is actually our president and have him be grilled one every move he makes, so coming here and seeing his face everywhere and to see the love that people have for him.  It's very interesting to say the least.

As some of you may know, things move a lot slower here.  People are way more relational than in the states.  They aren't in a hurry to get to the next thing, it's about relationship and being with people.  Today for instance Musa came to pick me up to go talk to the Precision Air people.  That was this afternoon, around 12...when I started writing this blog...I thought we were just going to go do that and come back.  Oh not at all.  We first met his friends for lunch, then drove to Precision, then to the bank, then to the barber shop, then to get ice cream, then to go run some other errands, then to get tea, then to pick up some friends and give rides to where they needed to go...i could go on.  But it wasn't go, go, go...it was just all of us, in his car, hanging out, talking, laughing, being apart of each other's lives.  If someone needed to go get something done, everyone would go with, no one got impatient if something was taking a long time....it was just what it was.  It was actually pretty amazing to see.  That would never ever happen in the states.

The night Rachel left, Janessa and I, along with Jordan and Kristin went out with Musa to Kool Bar.  Yes, you read that right.  It was a bar, but that wasn't the focus...it was more of a hang out spot at night.  It was pretty nice inside.  They swiped Janessa and I with metal detectors and didn't want to let us through because it was detecting our water bottles...but Musa came out and said something to the guy and we got through.  The main reason Musa goes to the Kool Bar is to play pool.  They have one table there and people come and play with each other.  The loser is out and pays for the game, and the winner keeps playing.  Just like the states, it's very fun to people watch.  Obviously this was a new experience for us so we tried to take in as much as we could.  I will try and paint a picture for you:

Majority of the people were African males.  There were a few wazungu (white people)...and even fewer females.  I think I only saw one African female there the whole night.  There is a dance floor off to the side with mirrors on both sides.  The music that night was Dr. Dre, DMX, Tupac...just to name a few (it took me back to middle school)...no one dancing, except for my random spasm of a move to make Janessa laugh.  Then as the night grew older, the males at the Kool Bar started dancing.  I wouldn't even begin to be able to describe how they moved on the dance floor...but ask Janessa or I to show you and we would be happy.  The males all danced with each other.  Fairly close to one another, but would be looking at themselves in the mirror to see how they are busting their groove thing.  They weren't bad dancers...it was just left us speechless to see males dancing with each other.  Occasionally a female would go out there to dance...and the males wouldn't even look at her.  She would be dancing out there by herself.  It's pretty much the exact opposite of what you would see downtown CDA on any given night.  We couldn't believe it.  If I go again...which Musa is there every night and I turned him down tonight...I will try and take a video to show people.  It was definitely an experience I won't forget...and I actually enjoyed myself...even more than I ever have going out in CDA or Spokane.

While the whole team was here, we were able to go visit Treasures of Africa (TOA)...which is an orphanage here, ran by some amazing american women and tanzanian's too.  The majority of the kids were at school, but Lydia was able to give us a tour and just share her heart and their ministry there.  It blew me out of the water to hear how they operate and why and to see the love they have for the 26 kids there.  If you ever had a desire to support a 3rd world ministry or orphanage or anything...I would hands down if full confidence recommend checking out http://www.treasuresofafrica.org/ and supporting them in any way possible.  I'm hoping to spend some more time with the director, or even if something opens up in the future with a teaching position...maybe God would open a door for me there.  It's absolutely amazing.

Musa took us one day to go see Giraffe's on the backside of Arusha.  We had never seen African giraffes when we were here before and we had some time.  It was a couple hour drive, but I think worth it.  I really do think they are my favorite animal besides the Panda.  They are so unique and seem so sweet.

Pastor Zachariah's house is getting close to being done.  Due to the cost being too much, we aren't able to fully finish it...but we were able to complete the floors and the roof...which are two of the most important things.  There are other things to be done...but for the most part it looks like a house here.

We were all staying at the Umoja hostel...but due construction going on, we basically had no water for anything while we were there.  So with 4 days left, we moved to a place called the Coffee Lounge.  It has always been our favorite place to come hang out, eat, use the internet cafe...we just didn't know they had some rooms up above until Jordan and Kristin mentioned it to us.  We were very excited to be staying somewhere that had water for one, but that we loved the food and just the whole dynamics.  They fed us such a good breakfast every morning...way better than Umoja...and they were just so good to us.

I bought a new phone today.  There are extras here that have been bought in the past from people living here or teams coming over...but they are so old and outdated that we just thought it might be better to purchase a new phone.  I won't be able to use it a lot...but it is a good idea to have while I'm traveling to southern tanzania and in case I need to get in contact with people here or in the states.

I also bought my bus ticket today for Iringa.  I leave Moshi on Tuesday the 7th...and I hear it will be about a 13hr bus ride.  Once I arrive in Iringa, I will stay the night there.  The rest of the Village Schools team will arrive in Dar on the morning of the 8th and they will all travel together to Iringa to pick me up and then on to Mafinga where we will all stay the night, check emails and meet the directors.  On the 9th, we will then travel to Igoda where we will be doing our 2 week training.  This is when I will have no contact with home...no phone...no internet.  I will be paired with a student and that is who I will live with for the 2 weeks.  I will learn how the basics..., to cook and clean, and pretty much just how to live in a village like the locals.  When the student is at school, I will be with the other VST team members going through our training of how to teach and the other basics of knowing how to appropriately immerge ourselves into a culture that is so foreign to everything we know.  After the two weeks, we will then each be assigned what school we will be teaching and living at for the 3 months.  We will all be in separate villages, so this is where I'm sure a lot of my challenges will come.  I will be with Tanzanian teachers and the village members...but having no friends, or family, or even americans around me...well, it will be a huge growing time.  I have mixed feelings.  Overall I'm excited.  But there are so many unknowns and variables that as an American, I like some structure.  I am learning...and will most likely learn even more, what it means to fully and completely rely on God.

As I learn more about where I will be and what I will be doing with VST I will inform you all.  Please update me as much as you can by email for letters.  I can't stress enough to you how sad I get when I don't know what is going on in your lives.  Anything simply telling me how you are and what you have been doing, makes a huge difference and at least makes me feel somewhat connected to you all.  I know it will never be on top of your priority list to sit down and write me a letter about yourself...but please know it would probably be the single most impacting thing you could do for me...besides praying that I survive of course :)

And of course if you want me to send you letters...give me your address :)  I will have time to go old fashion and hand write some stuff to you.  I think letters take about 2 weeks.  All information about how to best contact me is in one of the first blogs or on my facebook page.  I probably will not be checking facebook...and it's hard for me to even go on my blog to read comments...the quickest and most reliable way to communicate will be through this gmail account and snail mail.

If ever you want to talk to me or text...I can give you my number.  phonecardsmile.com is a cheap way to buy credit to make international calls.  Like I said though...I won't be able to use the phone much where I will be.  Only on occasion or if I travel to a city.  But this week, before I leave I have a lot of time on my hands to talk.

I think that's all I have for now.  Sorry it was a lot, but with the team being here...it was so jammed pack that I really haven't had a lot of time to just be and process through things.

Love you all...and miss you guys already!