Day One - Tanzania

Greetings from Tanzania!

It's wonderful to finally be here! We had quite the flight schedule on the way here; it included a long layover in Detroit and two 8+ hour flights to Amsterdam and Dar es Salaam. After about 36 hours of fairly smooth traveling we finally reached our destination, albeit exhausted and ready for bed. The Lord has blessed us with safe travel, and prayers have been answered as all of our team luggage (and therefore our medication) arrived on time. Additionally, customs did not give us many problems and we were able to leave the airport without much resistance. Grant was there to receive us and it was very comforting to see a friendly face after such a long travel.

Walking outside of the airport felt very similar to a warm Houston night, very humid and muggy. The city is right on the coast of the Indian Ocean, hence the moist air. Contrary to popular opinion, swarms of mosquitoes were not there to greet us as the sliding doors opened to the outside, but we have had our fair share of swatting the pests. We rode by bus to a Catholic Guesthouse. By this time it was about midnight local time, and we were certainly ready for bed. The quarters were quite nice and we all had showers, which was our primary concern.

The next morning we had breakfast and left for Mogoro, the location of the Lutheran Junior Seminary, where we will be staying the rest of the week. The bus ride was about three hours long, which allowed plenty of time to make observations. Poverty seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. It looks very similar here as it does in Guatemala City, where I have been on youth missions. The nicer homes near the road we traveled on were made of cinder blocks and metal sheets; others were made of wood and straw. We saw some people "mowing" the native grass along the side of the road, but it wasn't with the lawn mowers that we are used to; they were swinging machetes back and forth, cutting down the grass until it was an acceptable height.

Since it was Saturday, it was a busy day for the various markets that we passed, and when the bus stopped the people tried to sell us the many items that they had. The nice buildings and cars that we are surrounded by at home were nowhere to be found. Logic told me that if there were so many old cars, then at one point we would have to pass some newer cars, but I was wrong. Occasionally we saw a newer building, but it was rare. Ironically, we passed an enormous stadium that was being built, and we were told it was going to be for soccer. On a related note, the airport was by no means luxurious but somehow it had flat screen televisions that were replaying World Cup highlights. These people love their soccer.

The drive was interesting; we all fit on a bus that seemed to hum and rattle a little at high speeds. Also, passing other vehicles on the two-lane highway doesn't feel like the safest activity, but we made it to our destination safely. On our pit stop about halfway, I noted that while Pepsi and Coke was only 30 cents per bottle, gas was more expensive than back home, coming in at a little more than $3.50 per gallon.

We arrived to LJS just after noon, and immediately had lunch. The food was good - hot dogs, rice and beans, and the best pineapple I've ever had. The team's spirits were high as the good meal came as a surprise to some of us. We settled into our rooms and spent the rest of the day relaxing. The doctors went to the nearest pharmacy to purchase more medicine. I was told they were able to buy $300 worth of medications that would have cost about $3,000 in the states. As you can imagine, this was yet another blessing.

This evening we ate dinner and had a worship and devotional time, which was followed by an "unpacking party," in which we sorted the medications and prepared for the rest of the week. As a random observation, I asked Grant this afternoon if it would be a good time to write this journal; he said yes except for one problem: the electricity was turned off. He mentioned that this evening when it was back on, I could write it, assuming the internet was working. I then found out that on Saturday afternoons they ration the electricity in order to save money. Fortunately it was quite the pleasant day, so it was hardly missed during the day. As you can tell, these journals may miss a day or two, depending on the conditions here.

Thank you again for your prayers and your support. The trip has only just begun but the Lord has blessed us as so many things have gone right already. I look forward to writing you again.

Ryan