What's New?

It's been a busy few weeks of break, and I'm pretty much exhausted! Sometimes the every day things here in Dar can be the most tiring. I keep trying to write about my recent adventures with transportation, vaccines, tours, and police, but somehow in the end they don't really have a point. The point is, I'm tired. And I'd say that's pretty normal after having my brother leave for the States, getting a new future-sister-in-law, having Christmas away from home for the first time, celebrating New Years in a completely new country, and lots of other "firsts".

In lieu of a recent post by a friend who is getting ready to go to PNG, who is also having difficulty vocalizing herself due to all the stress of transitions, I've thought maybe it's time to start putting random thoughts up on here so you don't miss out on my life the next few weeks as I try to put some coherent ideas together. So, here goes...

1. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And, PTL, His story (of His Birth, the Resurrection, etc.) are the same in MI, NC, PNG, and Tanzania.

2. I'm SO glad to help welcome my friends the Martins to Tanzania! I met them during training in Orlando, and were supposed to be the friendly familiar faces I'd see when I got here. I'm glad I can be that for them now that they're here!

3. The thermometer here in Dar keeps melting. Yep, it's really that hot. At least that's what we're assuming, since most days the weather.com website is "not reporting" for our country!

4. People come and people go. I know that's normal for missions, but I'm realizing it more and more here in my first year teaching overseas. It seems hard to get a foothold and to establish strong relationships when people all know other people for varying amounts of time, and the people you want to get to know most are leaving in a month, or 3 months, or potentially here for 3 years!

5. Transportation in Dar is NOT FUN! So far, I've heard lots of ideas for bargaining and then writing down the agreed price so that when we get to our destination, there are no "that's not what you said, I'm calling the police" remarks... we'll have to try those out. In the meantime, I'm just glad school is within walking distance! Maybe I'll just not go out from now on... :)

6. I LOVE AC!!! Yesterday, after another adventure with a cab driver and several hours with my friend at the hospital, we came back exhausted. I turned the AC in my bedroom on full-blast (it's the only one in our house, pole, rafiki!) and we all soaked in the coolness as we sat with our computers in blissful silence.

7. God's Grace is Sufficient. And I'm learning (again, just like my first year of teaching), that sometimes we have to trust that we'll have just enough for this day. Or this minute. Looking ahead to the future only brings worry and I'm realizing it's just way too much to deal with right now. In the meantime, I guess I'll be learning to think just about today, and not worry about tomorrow... (hmm, sounds almost Biblical!)

8. On that note, I saw a great movie called Bella the other day that had a great quote in it. It said (loosely), "Oh, I'm not worried. I don't worry anymore. I used to worry. But then I did some research and discovered that ten out of ten people... die." I have to laugh at the ridiculous simplicity and truth of this statement every time I think of it.

9. I'm SO thankful for the internet (when we have it) and for friends who are willing to "listen." Thanks to all of you who have been encouraging me lately from afar!

10. Adventures, such as half-power, no internet, heat, humidity, and arguments on buses only stay "adventures" for so long. Pray for me as I get through this next stretch and that I will continue to see things from the "funny side" of life every day!