I'M HOME!!! =)

"Habari" (how are you?) everyone I'm home... you can still post your comments. I will be uploading pics for a while, so there will be lots of new stuff to look at soon... until then "kwa heri" (goodbye)

Pics from Tanzania...

Camp Staff...can you find Jessie?

Camp Staff...can you find Jessie?
This years theme is "God has a plan for me" (Mungu Ana Kusudi Nami)

All the campers had their pictures taken with Jess & Stephanie while they were wearing Joseph's robe of many colors

Map of my travels:

You can use the toolbar on the maps to zoom and change view style

This week were heading over the Mtns. to the Rukwa Valley to the village of Kapenta June 30-July 4:

This week we're off to the village of Kazila. June 23-27:

We had a great week at camp in Ilambila, after our adventures home we got some much needed rest. We went back into Sumbawanga for more supplies and then it was off Monday afternoon for the 1 1/2 hr trip to the village of Kazila to get set up for this weeks camp.

This weeks camp is in Ilambila June 16-20:

We traveled from Brooks (just outside of Sumbawanga) to the village of Ilambila, where we will spend the week then its back to Brooks for the weekend to prepare for next weeks camp.
After a good nights sleep in Dar Es Salaam we were up at 5:00am to catch the 6:00am bus heading for Mbeya. The bus ride was about 13 hrs long across the Tanzanian country side (as you can see on the map). We were able to meet up with Brook once we got to Mbeya. We will be spending the night here (5-31) and leaving first thing in the morning for Mumba a 4-5 hr car ride to where Brook lives...about an hour out side of Sumbawanga.


Saturday, June 21, 2008

News from camp...

Hey!

Everything is goin really good and camp was great! I had a ton of fun! Ive gotten used to the whole ugali thing and it doesnt bother me any more. the one girl, Rachael that was gonna translate for us decided that she didnt want to do it I guess, and never told Brook and we found out that shes in Mbeya until September. So this kid named Jericho is doin it. He is just about one of the funniest people Ive ever met!! its never a dull moment with him, and I’m with him all day cause he translates for me…but I have to tell you this joke he said...the kids did skits the last couple nights and he asked me if I was in one and I said no, and he said yeah, Im in trousers, not skits(skirts) I just thought that was the funniest thing ever! well maybe not ever, but I laughed a good while over it lol ...imagine that:) but its funny cause he laughs at himself, and that just kinda makes me laugh even more! but hes always got something like that to say about everything! hes really fun to be around. But anyway, teaching went really well. the counselors taught the Roman Road first, and then I taught things like how we are saved, why we need to be saved and that its not works and you cant loose your salvation, stuff like that. But we had almost 70 campers and a little over 40 got saved!! It was great! So you can thank Tim for me, for giving me that idea. it took em a while to get used to us being white and all, lol its so funny cause they would touch me and then look at their fingers, like the white was gonna rub off of me or something! It cracked me up! then they just couldnt get over the fact that we had so much hair! Thur. some of the girls braided my hair, like I usually do and after that they really liked me, they always wanted me to play the games with em, it was fun. its amazing how much you can figure out from what a person is tryin to say in a different language, lol im gettin pretty good lol. the bathing brought back the fond memories of when we had to shower outside, lol it was grass walls and we had a bucket of water...oh and dont forget the fancy stick as a bar to hang your clothes over! it normally would have only taken us 45 mins to get to ilambila (were camp was) but a bridge was out on that road, so we had to go around...therefore it took almost 3 hours lol on the way home today (Sat. 2:20 pm by the way) we had a flat tire lol and we were like 15 mins from home! Brook always makes sure she travels with a guy for reasons like that, so Anatoli, her gardener…and hes a counceler, was with us, so he changed it. the spare ended up bein flat, but she had a small compressor so we filled it up. the last couple days of camp Anatoli wasnt feeling good, and the doctor in the village(and no he wasnt a witch doctor lol) thinks he might have malaria, so he gave him some meds for it. Anywho, thats so awesome that the salamanders a alive!! I didnt think they would all make it! that makes me happy! Nope no lightning bugs of any sort here... but mom would love this, where we slept there was spiders about 3 inches across! it was crazy!! and creepy lol We cook the cake over fire! everything is done over fire here. even at Brooks house. we have a pan called a sufalia and you just put it on rocks with charcoal under it and then on top of the lid, so that it cooks evenly, just like in an oven. Im glad you got my post card. so it did take a couple weeks to get there...I havent gotten anything yet but no ones really been to town. when we go Monday to get camp stuff, Ill ask Brook if we can stop in and check. thats nice of Melanie to do that if she does:) that guy on the mower sounds hilarious!! and very true...only in West Alex. lol And yes goat really is good!! we had it twice at camp with rice. Oh man, you know how rice fills you up kinda fast, ok, take that green bowl we have that I got for my 4-h cooking and fill it almost heaping, and thats how much Jericho ate! it was crazy, he didnt even eat supper cause he was still full! we eat lunch around 2 and supper around 7 or 8. Anyway, this is a really long message lol umm, the toilet is called a cho, and its just a little building with a grass roof and a hole in the ground lol so its pretty much been like camping for a week! its rather fun I think! when we were leaving to go, thats what it felt like to me, that feeling that you get when we are headed off camping! it was cool, cause I miss camping, but I guess I am in a way, just w/o the relaxation. we wake up around 7 and got to bed around 11 every day. I guess Im gonna go now, tell everyone I said hey, and tell all the animals I said hey too. lol I'll talk to you guys later! I miss you and love you lots!!! Only like 3 weeks and a couple days till I'll be home:) ...so get all your partyin in now while you can! lol Love you guys and I'll talk to you later!

I forgot something...

Guess what?? I got to name a baby!!!! I picked out a bunch of names, well like 5, for this guy Brook knows, and he wanted her to name it…so she was like you wanna name a baby and I said, of course! I had to pick ones with good meanings, cause thats how they do around here, and the first one I picked was Josiah, it made me think of Josiah walk:), she called him Monday when we were heading to camp, and asked if he liked that one and told him that it means Jehovah (I dont know if thats spelled right) but Jehovah Protects, and he liked it, so thats what they named him! How cool is that!! anyway, I just thought I'd mention that! Love you:)


5 comments:

The Schramm's said...

Sounds like you are having a GREAT time Jess! So you liked the goat huh? Maybe its just how it was cooked for me...cuz it was nasty! :) We can't wait for you to get home and look forward to seeing all those pictures!

Keith Burnett said...

I just typed this hugely long comment and it got erased for some reason when i went to send it. I will get back on soon and retype it, but just know that we are all praying for you and that we love and support you! It amazes me that we are able to communicate from opposite sides of the world. I can't wait to hear more once you are back in camp again! Be safe and enjoy!

- Keith Burnett

Anonymous said...

Hi Jessica,
Love you and miss you very very much.
We'll be glad when you get home. Take care and we're praying for all of you. Sounds like God is using you for His great purpose of bringing people to Him. God Bless you Jess.
Love,
Grandma & Grandpa B.

Anonymous said...

Hey Jess,
Sounds like you are enjoying yourself. I bet you won't know what to do with yourself when you get home because you are on such a long camping trip. :) Miss you and can't wait for you to get home.
Love, Neashall

Anonymous said...

Hi Jess,
Just finished reading your latest e-mail. It sounded just like you. I hope this week's camp goes well. Happy 4th of July!
God Bless You and Keep you in His Care.
Love,
Grandma & Grandpa B.