Today’s message at church was, as usual, entirely in Swahili. Which means that I don’t understand very much. What I do consistently get are the Scripture references. Today’s reference was Revelation 3:15, where God expresses his contempt for the lukewarm. It also helped that I knew the words for hot, cold, and lukewarm from my…
Life in Tanzania Q&A
Now that I’m finished with the bulk of planning for this school year, I finally have some time to answer your questions about my life in Tanzania. If this post only brings up more questions, or if you want to see photos of something in particular, let me know! I live here now, so some…
Settling In
I know that I promised another Q&A post, and it is coming. Eventually. I’m putting it off a little because one of the first questions people asked was what a “normal day” looked like for me here in Tanzania. Right now, I have no idea. Right now, there is no such thing as a “normal…
Time to Ride
The world of a cyclist is full of wonder: The wind breathes freedom into my veins and hurries fear away into sweet song. The sun chases clouds into swift retreat, even in the rain. The incline gives glories untold as lungs gasp for precious air. The wheels fly, pedals spinning, muscles screaming, chain singing. The…
We’re Not in Kansas Anymore…
Life is different here. That might be the understatement of the month. Living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania is not the same as living in Fort Wayne, Indiana. That’s not a bad thing. Just different. For instance, in Indiana, there’s snow. In Dar, there’s no snow. That’s a good thing. At least until I get…
A Squeaky Wheel Kind of Day
The shopping cart I chose today had a squeaky wheel. A very squeaky wheel. The kind that screeches and whines down every aisle. The kind that leaves every single person in the store with a piercing migraine. And yes, of all the carts available, I chose the one with the squeaky wheel. This afternoon just…
The Last Week
I apologize for the disjointed (and lengthy) nature of this post, as it was composed intermittently throughout the final week of my stay in Iringa. I just wanted to share some of the little things that made this week special. On Sunday afternoon, after returning from church, Angelica and I embarked on my first long…
Church
On my last Sunday in Iringa, I attended a local church with Lucy, Amy, and Angelica. The service was entirely in Swahili and it was beautiful! The Tanzanian Christians worshipped with joy and enthusiasm. Despite not being able to understand the majority of the message, I was encouraged by being able to catch a large…
Ruaha Safari
As I mentioned in my last post, the Ayling family invited me to accompany them to Ruaha National Park for a safari. It was on this trip that we were stopped for smuggling honey (or weapons), and also that we had a flat tire in the middle of lion country. Unfortunately (or maybe…
Tested and Tried
Exactly two weeks after landing in Dar es Salaam, I had my first (and hopefully only!) experience with malaria. I was so sick I thought I would die if I vomited another time. Sitting on the concrete floor of the choo (bathroom), I desperately asked God to heal me. He did, through the kind assistance…
Ride Fierce Racing 