For those of you who don't know, this morning i arrived back from three weeks in Tanzania spent working with orphans and disabled kids. Like i said in the lounge, my camera was stolen amidst the adventures and i have no photographs to share. Words, it seems, will have to do instead.

i'll get round to writing something substantial sometime soon, but for now i just thought i'd share a teeny sample from the first few days of my journal..
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This is what life was made for. Adventure.
Flying 11000 metres above ground, cruising over clouds and watching lightning strike from the opposite direction. White cotton-candy sprinkles i could reach out and touch if it weren't for this thing called gravity.
Adventure. Soaring through the air to a world completely different to our own...

Day 1 in Tanzania:
We have arrived at Matumaini. It is a strange place without its children. It is a place of hollow classrooms and empty noise. It is dripping taps with no plates to clean, dusty football fields with no games to be played, new shoes with no one to fill them.

And yet it is still a school of hope.

Our library is in place, roofs have been repaired and our trampoline will go up. Edward & Tilead will keep working hard and new limbs will be made. And the children will return.. soon, but not soon enough.

One good thing is that the children who stay on the compound - their parents are Officers - have more freedom to play.

Racho is much bigger but still wearing the same dress, still shyly smiling and still holding onto my hand. And some of the children are still shouting "Laura!" even though i don't know who they are. i have been remembered and that touches my heart.

It is still a school of joy and hope.


Day 2:
Today i have made friends with a skinny litle dog and a wide-eyed boy named Samuel.

The dog is one of Joy & Linda's adopted tribe (along with 13 cats) and runs to me whenever i whistle. She likes tickles behind the ears and wag-wag-wags her tail whenever you approach, but she is fearful, doesn't like sudden sounds and runs, curls up and barks so loud you can hear her from the other end of the compound. And she is beautiful.

Samuel (sam-well-ee) is my little wide-eyed wonder with his knitted blue jumper, all holes at the elbow and unravelling as he goes. He is an explorer, fearless in his entry, stepping into the unknown of our hut as he comes to visit. He is a giggler, a cheeky-monkey-boy with bubbles in his hair and a grin on his face as i splash him and play.

He is also about 2 years old, full of tears and wrapped around my leg one minute, but swinging with joy from one arm the next while Racho dangles from the other.

They are beautiful children with beautiful souls and they don't half make me smile.

The rest of the day has been all busy-ness and bits. It has been a day of practice and preparation; of repacking and removal; of dancing and singing and learning new songs; of playing and drawing with Officers kids; of writing and reflecting; of beautiful dogs and frightening insects; of Bible quizzes and times of prayer; of shouting outside and jumping up-n-down; and of prayer-walk-traditions through the compound.

These are the days of our lives...

Day 3 in Camp Tanzania and all is well with the world.

06:30 - Team members Laura and Samantha awake rather late to catch a dala-dala (minibus) at 06:45.

08:00 - The team checks in at Dar es Salaam bus station.

08:30 - Begin our nine hour bus journey North.

14:00 - Stop for a 10minute lunch and toilet break. The team are not impressed with their presealed beef and chips, so it's Pringles all round for everyone! Many of the team have their first experience of a real African "toilet"! This keeps them entertained.

17:30 - Team arrives in Moshi, purchases return tickets and meets the local Salvation Army Officer. They board a dala-dala for Langasani village, squashing 22 people in a bus with 12 seats, Tanzanian style!

18:20 - Arrive at the hostel in Langasani. The rooms are surprisingly luxurious and the team is overjoyed. No huts, we're together in a building with hot showers and are completely delighted.

19:30 - Meet together to walk to the Officers' quarters where we spend time singing with their children, enjoying sodas and witnessing our dinner being prepared. No roasts in the oven here - it's 5 chickens and 2 bags of rice cooked in enormous pans balanced on stones over 2 tiny fires. Esther, the female Officer, and her neighbours slave away for hours.

21:30 - Dinner is served! The team dive in with cutlery-hands and enjoy their most amazing African meal to date! Our hosts bring basins and jugs to wash each of our hands and we are truly humbled and blessed.
Susanna leads devotions, talking about talents and making the most of our God-given lives. It is an incredible evening.

22:45 - The team arrive back at the hostel, chill out together and head to bed. Lala salama (sweet dreams) to all!



Day 4:
Today has been an incredible day.

We painted the outside of the Officers' quarters today and made it look all shiney and new. We befriended their children and played duck-duck-goose in the mud. We had a tour of Langasani village and met with some of the locals.

From the road, Langasani looks just like a few rows of huts. From inside, Langasani goes on and on and on, with animal stalls, a market place and a whole series of homes.

We met with a corps member named Miriam, struggling with chest problems and inviting us into her home to pray. We stood in a circle holding hands with the locals while a woman got down on her hands and knees in the dirt and shouted prayers for us. We drove by dala-dala to a children's project and were greeted by 300 singing and marching kids. And we were truly, enormously blessed.



Day 5:
Today we met a piece of history - 86 years old and frail, standing outside his crumbling white house with its scorpions making themselves at home. 86 years old and spotless white uniformed, singing and dancing and grinning for his guests. 86 years old and still walking hours to church every Sunday.

He is the founder of the Salvation Army corps in Langasani and has never missed a Sunday yet. His wife died 5 years ago and he is left alone in his house built by the church. And yet he is not alone because he so clearly has Jesus in his life. It echoes from his every word and he was a beautiful soul to be allowed the privelege to meet.

Afterwards, we headed to another kids club much smaller than yesterday's and sang and danced and played games with the kids. A tiny little toot of a thing with a name i can't pronounce kept taking my hand and let me pick her up and carry her. She was a whisperer and a sweetheart and i wanted so badly to take her home.

She was holding my hand through the window of the bus as we prepared to leave and it was one of those moments that brings a lump to your throat. Today has been a day of those.

The warmth of these children constantly astounds me. We've known them but a few minutes and they're jumping to call us 'rafiki' (friend) and show us amazing amounts of love. It is beyond beauty.

We painted the inside of the quarters today too - it looks a lot better, all things considered - and spent some time playing with their children and, er, feeding their cows. i have officially been licked by a cow (gross) and have held a baby chicken (very cute). All in all, it's been a good day all round!

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i'll stop there - we were there for 21 days altogether and this could drag on. i'll write a briefer overview when i can make a little more sense lol.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ches,

Wow Ches...I am floored! Not sure what to say..Your writing is beautiful and I feel you brought me there...but I can never know what you experienced. Your truly amazing...I am in Awe of you. I am glad ur home safe and sound..I hope you feel better and I look forward to hearing more. Big hugs!

I love this, for so many reasons. You brought home what was in your heart and in not one two beautiful languages.I have the privelege of chatting with you, and have seen your drawings , in light of your camera being stolen, and along with this journal, it's like old time exploration, it is humbling to me.Please don't ever stop being so magical and generous to thse babies. I know you need them like they need you. Like we need you, too.

This is awesome I hope you post more. I am sorry your camera got stolen. Those little one's sound so sweet and deserving i'm glad you guys are helping them out. <3

thanks for the journey, Ches..... cant wait to hear more!!

You are just amazing Ches. I was in tears reading this. Very beautiful. You are a special person who brings light to the world. Thanks for sharing your experience.