I apologize for the quality of the photo today. Even before it got dark tonight, I was anticipating the full moon, and wanted to get a picture. But the iPhone just doesn’t do it justice. The night sky was absolutely gorgeous tonight! And I have so much to be grateful for. Safety (yes, again), the…

                                              Morning light Yellow – orange                                                sparkling, shining                                                 Beams of enchantment                                                                 Dirt roads                 Red – brown                                      winding, changing                                                                 Paths of hope                                                 Children’s faces Mahogany –…

I have blisters on my hands!!! Okay, I understand that my excitement probably seems a bit crazy, but I love hard, physical labor. My young adult years were spent working in horse barns, on a ranch, and baling hay. Teaching, that’s not work. Not like baling hay in the hot summer sun is work. So…

I realized today what a blessing it is to have cheap, and even free transportation! This morning, I got to make a grocery run for another family that is limited to public transportation, and ended up getting groceries for two families and myself in the process. I rode my bicycle, which meant that it didn’t…

I can’t believe November is half-over already. This year is flying by. Maybe its that I’m not cold in November for the first time ever. I like this. At any rate, one of the things I just keep being amazed by and thankful for is the view we have from school (see photo above). The…

Today has been a good day. I like Thursdays, with four classes of primary swim lessons in the morning, and just one IGCSE English class in the afternoon. Just being in the pool all morning is relaxing, even if it does involve using my diaphragm vigorously to talk over the hordes of excited children. Plus,…

  I am so thankful for the Wednesday morning assemblies at HOPAC. In a lot of ways, this is my “church” while I’m here, since I still don’t know enough Swahili to function well in the church I attend on Sunday mornings. I’m also thankful for two days of feeling well (until about an hour…

I’m thankful for the colors in Africa. The last few days have been full of brilliant colors from the sun shining in my windows each morning, to the last beams of light shining through the palms in the evening. I realize how much I love color. Its something I notice. The other day, as I…

Today I’m thankful for my youngest (and tallest) brother! Unfortunately, he was sleeping when I got to Facetime my family last night, but here’s a shout out to one of the most selfless, serving, gentle guys I know! I’m also thankful for being healthy again (I think). Last night was a bit rough. And as…

  One of the best things about living here is all the fresh fruits and vegetables. This pile of deliciousness cost me 5,800 Tsh, which is $3.61. And buying it is easy too! I don’t even have to pick out the best ones–Baraka does it for me! Baraka is one of about three guys who…