Happy 1st Birthday Debora!

On Saturday I went to Teacher Catherine's house for her daughter Debora's 1st birthday!  Despite her daughter HATING me (literally she cried the every time she saw me) it was SO lovely getting to meet and chat with her amazing family.

Teacher Catherine and Teacher Sarah

Catherine's older brother, mom, Debora, Catherine, her older cousin, aunt (who they refer to here as their "young mother," VERY confusing) and younger cousins

Catherine and the birthday girl in her party dress!

The mzungu doll would of course be a gift from who else mzungu Sarah!  Maybe if she gets used to the doll, next time she sees me and my white skin she won't freak out!

Catherine's "young mother" Jessica and Debora

Catherine's cousin Sarah.  At least she liked the mzungu doll!

Usambara Mountains

I spend 3 days trekking from Lushoto to Mtae through toprical rain forests, traditional villages, and farming areas.  I stayed and ate with the locals including Rangwi convent where despite any confusion I caused, I did NOT find my calling!  

Irente View Point, above the village of Mazinde

Sunset from Irente View Point.  View of the Massai Plains

Traditional Village in Mtae

"The World View Point"  Sunset in Mtae 

Rangwi convent I stayed at

Farming area

Lovely field we stopped at to rest and have a picnic lunch

Teaching English Words

sun, hand, heart (which they say "i love you" instead of heart), mat, egg, apple, hat, fish, kite, house, snake, ice cream

So I definitely do not claim to be an artist of any sort but I am trying to teach the kids as many words in English as possible so I draw pictures on the board and have them say them in English.  The other day I gave them play dough (which they go bonkers for) and had them make one of the pictures I drew and then they would have to tell me what it was in English.  Sadly, their English vocabulary only consists of words that are easy to draw!

Not so sure what Petro made but he is so gosh darn cute it really didn't matter :) I think it was an ice cream cone

Thomas made a fish and sun!

Clinton made a sun as well

Abu made a house (although none of the houses here look like the "western" style house I drew on the board)

Noeli also made a house

Sharron made a snake, house, and an unidentifiable object

Can I please bring them all home with me?

Waterfall Hike

Last weekend I did a hike in Arusha to this waterfall.  It was beautiful!  We walked through several remote villages to get there.  It is incredible the beauty hidden in all the poverty here.

Emilie, Brian, JZ, Me, Kate, and Rylee

Rafting the Nile Pictures

 These are some pictures of when Blake, Arika, and I rafted the Nile in Uganda in April.  We went through 12 class V rapids!  And I thought rafting the Grand Canyon was intense!?!?




  

Practicing in case we tipped over.  Thank God we practiced as I was out of the boat more than I was in the boat!

 

Looks easy enough






Just Kidding




I am not so sure the whole boat was supposed to be UNDER the water.
I thought boats were meant to float ON the water.

Blake "riding the bull"

Holding on tight!  Not so sure why as the boat was at a 190 degree angle, clearly, we had no hope!
Going

Going

Gone

Shouldn't our guide be inside the boat and not on top of the bottom of the boat.?
Just a thought?

Where are we?  Good question!

There we go again!

At least we are still in the boat on this one

Not for long though

Not so sure what our guide was so excited about.  I think he was just abandoning ship.