I love where i am here in Tanzania, the town is called Singida its beautiful, its also pretty cool weather for Africa because I am in higher elevation. Singida is just north of the center of Tanzania. Travel here was a little crazy though, We took a bus from Cambodia to Thailand waited over 3 hours in line at immigration at the Thai border, got on another bus for 10 hours to Bangkok where we waited for several hours to board a plane to Niarobi Kenya, we waited about 2 hours to board a plane to Dar Se Lam the capitol of Tanzania then waited several hours at the airport because half our squad was on a different plane then we took another bus to a Hotel and stayed the night, Dar Se Lam is the scariest, most dangerous city I've ever been in. We woke at 4:30 am and walked with all of our stuff, for me this means I am carrying about 80 pounds worth about a mile in the dark through crowds of Africans also getting on buses, my team somehow got split up and half of them almost didn't make it on time and during all of this one of the girls on my squad got mugged some guy knocked her down and stole her passport holder, luckily nothing was in it but it freaked everyone out a bit. I was just praying that it would all work out. So we finally get on the bus to Singida a supposed 9 hour bus ride from where we were, but wouldn't you know it our bus breaks down on 3 occasions and it ends up taking 14 hours to get here.
We arrived and were instantly and literally in the arms of our hosts, whom I love dearly, Pastor Paul and his wife Mama Janet. They have us working with the poor and orphaned children here many of whom have HIV but we don't know what ones, when Pastor Paul says their parents "went away" it means they died of AIDS. The community takes in the children on the streets and make sure they are at least getting some food and water, but most don't go to school, part of what my team is doing is building a website so the children can get sponsored by Americans and go to school. There is a lot of Joy here despite how it sounds and I don't think I have ever seen Faith like I see here. When they pray for the sick they expect them well, they believe the Bible is the Living Word, they pray for hours each day and live lives that line up to what the Bible says. There isn't doubt or watered down faith they are full of Holy Spirit Fire, they are constantly calling demons out of people and evangalising to the Islam community without fear but with faith that God is going to move.
I feel safe here but we are allowed out after dark and there is a man named Joseph that walks the perimeter of our house while we sleep to keep watch that no one climbs the wall. We eat mostly carbs and fruit mostly bread and potatoes but I walk about 10 miles a day so I am not gaining any weight back. The people here are so friendly but we are told to not trust any strangers, we walk in twos everywhere. This town is so quiet and we are surrounded my mountains that look like huge boulders stacked on top of one another. I can find anything I need or want here and its all within walking distance.
I have yet to see any zebra, elephants or other safari animals only storks and blue lizards with red heads and I think there were flamingos at the lake but they were white so I am not sure. I am traveling to Malawi to do our debrief on the 26th its a two day journey south of here and across the border.
Thanks everyone for your prayers and support! I am still in need of $5500.00 in order to be fully funded and continue on, the last financial deadline is march 1st, AIM has had grace for me and let me continue on despite my lack of finances and I am so thankful, but I am not sure how long they will let me stay if my account stays where it is. Sending love home.
