Our Adventure: Tanzania 2012

It is here I start my recount of our journey as a family to Tanzania.

I journalled all throughout the trip and this is what I wrote:

Day 1        6/9/10

It still seems a little crazy to me that I'm laying on my bed in Africa as my toddler paces back & fourth in the pack & play next to me (refusing to sleep, slightly weirded out by the mosquito net that encases him).  And that my husband is here with me.  In Africa.  It's crazy.  But it's awesome.
What is also amazing is the favor we had on the way here.  And as I write this, I'm realizing that though we prayed for and believed God's favor would be all over is - it came in forms I wasn't expecting.  I expected it would mean there would be an empty seat on the flight so we could use Owen's car seat.  But God had other plans.  The flight was full, so Owen was on our laps the entire time.. well except when we got up to stretch, then we gave him our seat :) 

   

He did a really great job though - all things considered.  And riding that way forced him to learn to fall asleep on me again, which I'm thinking will be very helpful throughout the trip.

God's favor allowed hubby & I to be together on the last flight (though our seats weren't assigned together) and for that four hours Owen slept the whole way! (After only sleeping maybe two hours total on the 13 hour flight).  God's favor followed us through immigration when not even an eyebrow was raised at Owen not having his yellow fever shot record.  And it continued when every single piece of our teams luggage (like 12 pieces!) made it through, despite our extremely late departure from Charlotte and the plane being held for us in DC because we were late for it.  God's favor is awesome and it is so neat to be covered by it and know that it was because so many people were covering us in prayer.

So when we arrived in Kilimanjaro, 

  

Peter & Mary Street, and Marilyn were there to pick us up.  Marilyn flew up from South Africa to join our team, she skyped in on a team meeting while we were back in the States and has been a long distance part of our team from the beginning. :)  She led the trip two years ago that Frank & Aimee were on.  Her husband is from South Africa and she had just left her three kids with her in-laws there so she could come be with us for the trip.
We drove the hour-long trip home,

   

                                   (guess who wanted that pic?) :)

unpacked our things, organized a little bit, then headed out for our first African meal at a restaurant called "Salisbury's".  It was a steak house that is a little 'upscale' (for African standards) and it was pretty delish.  I had the peppered steak and chips (fries) and peanut slept on my lap the entire time.  After we got home he had his first-ever bath with a friend, the missionaries' daughter Faith (2yrs).  He hated it just as much as he hates bath time at home.  He is currently resisting sleep in the pack & play... I guess I better try to get him down so we can get up in time for breakfast in the morning! Below you can enjoy a little tour of our 'home' :)

  

 The path leading to the guest house. To the left of the path is the 'pit' (where all the trash gets burned) and water tanks.

 

The living area, just as you walk in the door.  That window is where our room was (below).

   

Our room, the bathroom area, the two doors on the right are the shower stall and toilet room, respectively.

   

The view from our front door,& the doors we walked through every morning for breakfast (the main house)

 

 The driveway leading out of the property, and the front yard, to the right of the driveway.

 

 The front yard -- <3  -- and the kids area of the front yard.

Another view of the front yard, to the right is the driveway.

 

 Owen LOVED the swing in the front yard. It was so peaceful - a perfect place for some quiet time.

 

Several tortoises roam the property - Owen learned to say "Turtle" because of these guys! (okay I know they aren't turtles, but that's way easier to say than tortoise)

 

 Baby tortoises! Sooo cute!                   This little guy was pretty cute too - and very friendly!

They have three guard dogs on the property, all very friendly pups :)  This one was guarding the garage/guard area.... or just relaxing in the shade :)