Less than 1 Week left in East Africa

Greetings once again from Tanzania, East Africa (it’s another long one - smile smile):

In this 'issue' of Joy's wanderings I want to give you an idea of what my day to day is like here now that wedding events are over and I’m almost on my way back to the US of A. 

On August 6th the last guest, besides me ;-), departed. That was Tammy's dad who winged his way over here for the wedding. We took a few days to figure out what gear we should be in for the next month. The Twins were home for the month of August from school which meant the gear was more centered around time with them & having that teenage type of fun. Including:

• watch all the Star Wars movies in chronological order. That means not watching them in the order they were produced, but #4-6 & then #1-3, It was good to be reminded of those classics and I am now ready for the new Star Wars movie that will come out this December!
• learn how to fly a quad copter - a small remote chopper with four blades and two controls. It takes more finesse and patience than I have, but it was fun to crash it a few times :-).
• Go out to restaurants to celebrate various occasions: success of wedding events; twins 18^th birthday or the occasion of not needing to cook J
• Had a blast celebrating my birthday at Arusha National Park. A game reserve just over an hour from Peter & Tammy's place. 
• while Peter & the twins would:
• go on a piki ride (piki is motorcycle in Ki-Swahili)
• archery around the land with their father, my brother, Peter
• work on various crafts – leather; fletching arrows & sewing
• mow the land with the tractor as well as creating new walking paths
• Tammy & I would:
• Catch up on computer work
• Cook
• Walk
• Shop (this is not like shopping in the US! It is takes more energy, creativity and is filled with social exchange with shop owners. Creativity is getting the items back home not full of dust or bruised – see driving below.)

It was fun and tiring being a teenager again. I found myself going to bed and getting up earlier than them :-). It was great to be able to get to know Sianna & Leighton better.

Being here in Tanzania is a study in contrasts & comparisons for me. Let's see if I can paint the picture for you. Some things are easier here as compared to the US of A. while other things take more time & energy. There is a beauty here of country & people. That part of me that grew up in countries focused on people rather than tasks is revived while that part of me that loves efficiency is frustrated up the ying yang. You'll see people walking everywhere here and they are so quick to return your wave with a deep smile and wave, thumbs up or peace sign. There is also communication with the chin and eyes that would go unnoticed in the United States. It says, “I see you, we've connected and have a good day.” Your courteous honk as you're passing someone communicates, "I'm here and going around you now.” and is appreciated rather than seen as an angry / aggressive act. Blinkers are used to communicate if it's OK to pass or not. They drive on the left here so if the blinker indicates that they're turning right - across traffic - that means it's NOT OK to pass (or they're turning right :-). If the blinker indicates that they're turning left it means it's OK to pass – (or they're turning left). Flashing your lights at an oncoming car trying to turn right - across traffic - indicates that you're going to let them turn in front of you. Flashing lights as they're passing you, which I think we used to do in the USA, most likely means there are police out up ahead. 

EATING:  Eating can be much the same items as in the US, but it takes longer to prep food as you’re doing most from scratch. Items from the US are available at a price. Large bag of peanut M&M’s was selling for $45! Don’t worry it was not bought only amazed by the price. The local food consists of rice and meat/ vegetable stews. There is a lot of corn grown and consumed as well, in corn meal the consistency of mashed potatoes called Ugali & they also eat the corn in roasted form. I’ve been able to keep to my new way of eating – palm size of protein and the rest of the plate vegetables. Really enjoy the freshness of what I’m eating. The other day we ate some wildebeest that had been shot by a friend of the family. Can’t remember the last time I ate meat and knew when it had expired!

Eating in the form of dining out has a wide range of options here in Arusha. You can go to a restaurant that feels like you’re in the US from the décor, food and service. Then you can go to the local food spot (they call it a hoteli) for a 1/10^th of the price for some local fare. There is an Ethiopian, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Mexican & Greek dining options here in Arusha.

SLEEPING: I have two locations where I lay my head to rest. One on a twin bed in my tent on the land. I am able to adjust the temperature by unzipping or zipping up the side canvas panels. There is special netting on the door and windows that allow me to look out yet those on the outside cannot see in. This is true during the day, but at night I need to be cognizant that if I have a light shining then those on the outside can see in J. Very impressed with that design that allows vision through a net one way and not the other! My light is solar with three different settings able to be charged by the sun (thus the name J) and lasts for hours. It’s nice to be able to read in bed and simply reach over to my bed stand & turn off the source of light that is not plugged into any source of power! It’s nice to be ‘outside’ though I must admit I do wake up when the tent ‘thwacks’ as it’s sent to dancing by the wind. Another source of wonderful noise is all the birds! More than 100 species have been spotted. Nice to wake up to their calls.

The other place I lay my head to rest is at the house/ office in town. It is called Amani House (Amani means peace). I have another twin bed – it’s a four poster with a mosquito net. I sleep overnight here at least once a week when I need to have solid internet access.

DRIVING: As mentioned the driving done here is on the left side of the road which puts the steering wheel on the right side of the car. I’ve slowly been driving more and more. It helps that I learned how to drive in Nairobi, KENYA which also is a country that drives on the left and a little bit crazy. My brother describes driving in town like being in a video game as you don’t know what is going to come from where and need to be ever alert. Town is strewn with motorcycle taxis that choose to go anywhere they like including coming at you down the wrong side of the road; on the ‘walkway’ beside the road or passing you. Alert is the name of the game.

Most of the roads in town are paved, but when you get out of town it’s various grades of dirt road. To get from the Wild Hope land to Amani House it is 13 kilometers (little over 8 miles). Two-thirds of the journey is dirt and the final third is paved with speed bumps. Dust is a given no matter where you’re headed. Along with the motorcycles going every which way there are public transport vans called a Daladala – the name derived from a transformation from the original cost of the ride: dollar; carts pulled or pushed by men; pedestrians, tractors pulling wagons; and goats, sheep, chicken &/or cows (on the dirt roads).

INTERACTING: It is a pleasure interacting with the Tanzanian people. They are hesitant to be the first to wave or greet me, but when it is extended by me there is an instant response. Walking in town reminds me of growing up in Kenya and standing out due to my color. It’s a bit hard to blend in. There is not a negative reaction to me, but I don’t necessarily enjoy being the center of attention just because of my skin color.

I’m enjoying interacting with those that are on staff with Wild Hope. Lillian & Mage (pronounce like Maggie) help in the kitchen. It is fun to joke with them and get them to laugh at my mild attempts at communicating in Ki-Swahili and getting them to talk in English. Lillian has been working with Peter & Tammy since 2006 and is like family. She is cooking, cleaning and making sure things are in order in the kitchen. Mage is Philemon’s wife. Philemon is Peter’s right hand man. There are also carpenters, masons, general workers and managers that work on the land. Lillian and Mage go back & forth from Amani house to the land for their work. Though it will be less & less at Amani House as more things shift to the land.

SHOPPING: Shopping is as varied as the restaurants. You can step into a supermarket much like those in the US with a wide variety of choices or go to the local duka (store) and outdoor shop that specializes in something: vegetables; clothes; minutes for your phones, etc. I had a blast going with Tammy & Sianna to a metumbo (used clothes outdoor market) where you could snag a nice long sleeve shirt (it’s been colder here than I planned for) for 50 cents.

ELECTRICITY & INTERNET: This has been one of the more frustrating sides of being here due to the inconsistency of the electricity and power. It has to take its toll on the Tanzanians as they do not know when the power will be on and those that depend on it have to work their schedule around an unknown. You’ll see wielders sparks flying late at night as you drive by as that is when they’re able to work as the power has come on. Before the company would have a schedule of when the power would be out, but now it happens randomly. Fortunately there is a generator at the Amani house that is hooked up to run power through the house though you need to stay away from using appliances – like a hot water pot – that pull a lot of power. One learns what appliances do pull a lot of power. Something we don’t need to figure out in the US.

On the Wild Hope land it is a whole different scenario as they are set up with wind and solar power. A windmill charges 10 batteries – they look like car batteries - & that gives power to the entire place. The wind flows through the land well coming off the plain below so the system is able to keep up pretty well. If the wind and sun have not been real active for a while then there is a generator backup on the land as well. When I first got here it was being used a lot, but found out that was due to the windmill needing to be fixed. It’s pretty nice to be able to come out to these 27 acres and have a consistent power supply.

The internet on the land, as of now, is less reliable than the internet at Amani House though I’ve been having troubles of late. The internet on the land is run off a cell phone sim card!!!! It’s pretty amazing technology really though not always wanting to work.

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Well, that gives you a little ‘glimpse’ in words of the surface what it’s been like for me here. There is a whole other layer of comparison & contrast for me as well – a deeper one. There is something very special about this Wild Hope land. I’m not saying that one piece of land can be more ‘holy’ than another, but when it is set aside for the express purpose of people to come away and hear God speak to them it does become special, safe and a place of growth. Like the tent I mentioned above I’ve been granted the gift of entering some deep places that I haven’t been able to see into and yet once inside I’ve been amazed at how clear things are and what an amazing view it is from the inside to the out. In August a regular rhythm of prayer was started - Monday through Friday at 10 am & 6 pm. It’s low pressure, as you can make it & such a pleasure to join with the staff – 10 am is in Swahili with them and 6 pm tends to be in English with ‘us’ residents. God has been speaking to me about how He’s gifted me, how He can use me and what He has ahead for me. It’s in the incubation stage right now and getting ready to be birthed. Stay tuned for another update J.

For those of you in the Southern California area Joy L. Russell at Your Service will be up and running the week of October 5^th. So let me know if you have any tasks around the house I can help you with:

-computer help

-organizing a closet / room / kitchen
-gardening

-window washing

-pet care

I’ll be leaving Tanzania tomorrow with Peter & Tammy - Friday, Sept 25^th - to go to Kenya to see Sianna & Leighton’s ‘school world’. Then I fly out of Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Sept 29^th arriving at LAX on Wed, Sept 30^th. So, if you don’t hear from me right away it’s because I’m in travel mode and unable to get access to the internet.

It’s been a wonderful 3 months. Thanks for journeying with me,

Joy

Birthday Fun - August 20th

Greeted in my tent by Peter, Tammy, Sianna & Leighton. Coconut oil = HUZZAH!!!

At Arusha Nat'l Park. This big brute stepping on my toe! Fortunately he was a stature or I'd not be doing so well!

Nothing like the majestic Giraffe to get you in an African mood.

Fun to see & be a part of this tree you can drive through. It's a fig tree.

Leighton could have made it all the way up with all those handholds, but we had a picnic to get to.

GORGEOUS flowers out for me at the picnic falls!

Food getting prepped.

Writing my annual birthday letter AT the falls!

Another perspective of my letter writing

Can you see the triangular spider almost in my mouth?

Surfing!

It's hard to see, but I scored lovely gifts that matched my still painted toes.

 So good to be back on African soil - my birth place - to celebrate. It had been over 20 years!

Bumpy road in route to the airport

The roads in town are pavement, but a lot of the roads outside of town are not. This is on a short-cut road to the airport. nJoy

Wedding Day - August 1st

The Program

Pictures taken - Groom and his men

Prepping the flowers!

Proud parents, Peter & Tammy walking down the aisle

Father & Bride

Top left Skyler seeing his bride for first time....

Bride and her women!

Parents prayer blessing.

"Presenting Mr. & Mrs. Russell"

Dancing out through bubbles to "Signed, sealed, delivered I'M YOURS!"

August 8, 2015 Update

I've been in Tanzania for over five weeks! Time flies when you're busy prepping for a wedding and all the other celebrations going along with it. It's been good, full and this email has the potential to be quite long as much as has happened. I will try to condense as much as I can, but also want to be able to share the wonder of it all so grab a cup of whatever you like to drink and enjoy!

Last I typed to you I was helping prep for the Send Off on July 20th. The celebration on the Wild Hope land for the neighbors & others in the Arusha area. That went so well considering ALL the factors that needed to come together. The melding of so many different cultural ways of celebrating & feeding them all. Guesstimate of the number of people was 150. They were able to sit and talk or play games down the way as they waited for the program to begin. I would describe the first part of the Send Off as catering towards the expatriate (one not living in one’s native country) crowd - the music especially. Then after the crowd had been fed East African music was put on and the Tanzanian side came forth in colorful rhythm. I had so much fun watching the Wild Hope staff dance the bride & grooms cake to them, moving in only the way an African rhythm can get your body moving and playfully feign delivery before passing it back through the line behind them. Such downright fun. So, many came together to make this event go smooth with bellies filled! Skyler & Justine - the cause of the party - were bestowed with gifts and left knowing they were loved loved loved.

Post the Send Off we prepped to travel to Maasai Land for a precious time with these dear folks, who my brother’s family has been relating with for decades, to bless Skyler & Justine. 26 of us went out in 5 cars - a coming together of the two families for this occasion. The lead car pulled a trailer which set out pace. We lunched beside the dirt road sitting in chairs and using the hood as our buffet table. The ladies room was across the road :-). We landed at dusk to a camp already set up for us by Leighton (my 17 year old nephew) Noeli & Ezra (two of the Wild Hope staff). So nice to have hot water ready for showers and our tents ready to go! The last part of the road could almost be called a road and does its best to adjust your spine in ways it hasn’t moved recently :-). The distance is about 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) and took over 4 hours!

Friday, the next day, was the day of the blessing. Our camp woke up and prepped for anything as the different cultural styles made their self evident. Originally the blessing was scheduled for the morning, but ended up being mid afternoon. It was a wise blessing committee that had us go ahead with our lunch - we heated up what was meant for our supper - as it would have been quite a long time between breakfast & when we would have eaten. So, good to be able to go with the flow and enjoy Skyler, Chase (his brother), Justine & Celeste (her sister) dressed up & bejeweled by the Maasai. 

The ceremony started with Justine and the women being driven up the hill to be prepared for Skyler & his crew walking up the hill to come get his intended. Picture Justine and Celeste in a dark Maasai dwelling getting decked out for the occasion. Solar lights were used to illuminate. Skyler arrived and entered the dwelling with gifts for her 'parents' - an older Maasai couple acted like Justine's parents giving Skyler a hard time about not deserving her and why was he worthy of her. Once they had harangued him enough, in their playful manner, they moved on to giving advice. Best one that I heard was, "When she's carrying water don't call her a 'donkey', but help her." Sound advice for any couple starting their life together :-). They also said to both of them to have eyes only for each other.  They then came out of the hut and Skyler shared some tender words with Justine's parents. We then proceeded down the hill to the Wedding blessing location with a choir leading us. About half way down another choir met us coming up the hill and what seemed like 'battle of the choirs' began. It was great fun, lots of joy and laughter. At the end of the journey Skyler, Chase, Justine & Celeste made their way between the leading choir and to seats waiting for them under a shade tent. Solomon Kipi & Peter Kukan then proceeded to lead the ceremony with much shared by all parties. Then the cows came out and the Maasai shifted their focus to those lovely creatures. Chase pointed out the heifer that he was giving Skyler, Skyler pointed out the heifer that he was giving David Owens, Justine's dad, and then the cows took off in terror due to the extra attention given them. All in all Skyler & Justine came away very rich with 1 bull, 2 heifers & 7 goats! What a lovely time of celebrating with these dear people who are so joyful. I felt so privileged to be a part of this precious time. That evening we capped the day off with playing charades around the fire. There are numerous ways for families to bond and get to know each other!

The day after I got back, Sunday July  26th, from Maasai land I got hit with a stomach bug and had to lay low for a couple of days. I was very happy with the way my body was able to fight and bounce back from it. I was back up and running by Wednesday and so appreciative of feeling better. 

Thursday, July 30th, I headed out with the gang to the wedding location at a golf club on a sugar plantation near Moshi about 94 kilometers (58 miles) from Arusha and takes about 1.5 hours to drive as it is mostly on paved roads. Moshi is the town at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro. The bride and groom had planned for the families to be out there a couple days early to have some down & together time before the big event. It was nice to have that plan in place as it forced me to get ready earlier and then have some time to rest up. I stayed in a lovely room - felt quite pampered. It was nice to enjoy walks along the golf course in the mornings with vervet monkeys frolicking nearby. The structured man-made oasis quite a contrast to the locale a week before in Maasai land and yet each meant to be. Friday morning Skyler asked if I would be their wedding coordinator for the wedding day as illness rendered the one they had asked not able. I gladly said yes and donned my Strategic Event Coordinator hat I had worn while working for Wycliffe. The LORD has built me for times like that & I enjoyed myself thoroughly with it not feeling like work at all. What fun was had at the rehearsal dinner that was an Aussie BBQ. Good to have a taste, literally and figuratively, of that culture that flows through Justine's blood – she’s Australian / Canadian.

Saturday, August 1st, the day of the wedding, dawned with overcast skies & looking like it was going to rain. The wedding was scheduled for 2:30 that afternoon. My prayer was for overcast during the wedding - so the lighting would be sweet for the pictures- and then for the sun to come out as well as Mt Kilimanjaro afterward. It was overcast for the bits that needed overcast in the morning and then the sun came out, but not the big mountain. I share this weather report because it is special to serve a God that cares about those little details. The ceremony was precious and well planned by Skyler & Justine. Embedded in my mind is Skyler's joyous, tear-stained face as he watched his bride-to-be coming down the rose pedaled strewn path on her father's arm. I cried at many points during the ceremony. It was good to worship together, to hear words of wisdom from both fathers (very impressed and proud of the words my brother shared!), watch them take their first communion together, watch them weave three satin clothes together into a wedding braid representing the strength of a 3 corded strand: the two of them & Jesus, hear their parents blessing them in prayer and have them dance out as Mr. & Mrs. Russell to the song 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered - I'M YOURS' through bubbles blown by those in attendance. The rest of the evening consisted of 'Bitings' (local lingo for Hors D' Oeuvres  :-) for the guests while the family took pictures; convoy over to the reception site; lovely meal; lots of toasts; a flash mob of the bridal party & parents doing a dance; sending the bride & groom off through a somewhat successful tunnel of sparklers and then carrying on dancing after they left. I climbed into bed feeling very full of gratitude to my Maker for helping the day go so well. The next day as I journaled all that took place I was in awe again that it went so well! Thanks for your prayers.

The next day, Sunday, August 2nd, we had a leisurely leaving as only one of our party had to get out of their place by 11 am (thanks Aunt Dorothy for doing that gracefully :-).  Nice to pack up slow, journal, have a time of worship and eat slow before piling into the cars to head back to Arusha. I had a blast with my twin niece and nephew playing 'Hinky-Pinky' (fun rhyming game) & Mastermind (a word riddle game). The time went fast which is nice as so much time is spent in travel here as the roads are prone to give way to dirt & slow you down. 

On Monday, August 3rd, we said good-bye to 6 of our party! Skyler & Justine - the newlyweds - came by for lunch with us and then were on their way to the Seychelles for the rest of their honeymoon. Chase & Amanda (nephew & wife) & Jake left to go back to SoCal and Aunt Dorothy left for Ethiopia. That left six of us to enjoy a few more days with Tammy's dad, Larry. Tuesday I had a 'crash day' of resting while the rest of the gang went out to enjoy the Wild Hope land. Wednesday we took the day to go to Tarangire Game Park which is about 119 kilometers (74 miles) 1.5 hours southwest of Arusha. The animals came out for Larry -- giraffe greeted us just past the gate as well as zebra, wildebeest, impala, stein buck, waterbuck, eland, elephants, vervet monkeys, baboon and 5 lions! Tarangire boasts a wide variety of birds as well. Most unusual experiences of the day were 1) being surrounded by elephants - they came by the car and could have been touched by us! You never want to come between a mother and her young elephant child, but we had one mother choose to go on one side of us while her baby was on the other. Fortunately she didn't see us as a threat and continued to graze on the grass near our vehicle AND 2) a little bird pecking off insects as he clung to a giraffe's leg. I could sit for hours and watch the antics of these creatures God had fun creating. Each gifted in their own way to cope with the life before them. 

Thursday we had a tearful farewell as Larry departed and then went to have some Ethiopian food! All of us still here, my brother - Peter, his wife - Tammy, their daughter - Sianna and their son - Leighton AND I are in awe as to how these many events not just came together, but all met their intended purpose beyond our expectations. A weaving of the various parts of both Skyler and Justine’s lives. The Send Off - a celebration of those in Arusha – neighbors and friends. The Maasai Marriage Blessing - a celebration with those who Peter & Tammy have had relationship with for years and years able to bless the couple in their heart language and with their traditional pattern. It also was a blessing as those Maasai invited to the wedding were not able to attend due to August 1^st being the voting day for the local election that James Kukan was running in. That date was set post the wedding date being set. They wanted to support James and support they did – HE WON! The wedding a celebration for the families near & far and friends to join Skyler & Justine as they 'tied the knot' of marriage. Thank You LORD.

Wow, I warned you this would be a long one. I have a feeling that my next update will not be as verbose and might be more towards what 'normal' life in Arusha, Tanzania is like. The twins are home from school until the end of August so there will be some vacationing as well.

I hope to get some pictures up on my blog which has been inactive for about 5 years! Keep a look out on the site below for pictures. Do be patient as it takes internet time to upload pictures and the internet tends to be sporadic. No need to sign up for anything though they will want you to if you want to leave a comment -- you can just email me your comments :-), Here's the site:

http://thejoyoforange.blogspot.com/

I'll end with the profound advice already mentioned above -- let's not call each other 'donkey' and help each other!!!!