Hi everyone!
I will start by
apologising for being a bit quiet on here recently. I am very sorry. It has been so long that i
had forgotten my password for this blog!
The last two weeks have been really good. My dad and best
friend came out to visit/check up on me! We had an amazing time together and it
was good to be able to show them around Musoma and meet everyone on the
compound where i live. It was a boost for me in terms of Swahili as i was their
translator! I am very far off being fluent but it felt good to realise that i
have learnt a lot since being here and love speaking it! It was lovely to be
able to introduce them to the women at Rehema and show them all that goes on
there.
We had a very busy time when they were here as i wanted to
show them EVERYTHING! I knew Lydia would love the orphanage and so that was one
of the first things we did! Of course she couldn’t help but fall in love with
the children and it made me smile to see dad playing on the floor with them and
chasing them around outside.
I had been so excited for them to experience travelling on a
dalla dalla and it did not disappoint! No matter how tall you are you get
squashed in just like everyone else and it was entertaining to watch dad on
one! In that same day i introduced them to the hostel lunch. The least said
about that the better!
On one day we hired a truck and driver and Nat came with us
as we went to visit some of the villages that i worked in when i was with Go
MAD. Having told them so much about these places it was great that they were
able to see it all firsthand. We went to Kyamajoje first where we stopped to
see the health centre that the current team are building. It is looking so good
and it is amazing how much they have achieved. Whilst there we managed to
recruit a boy that would take us up the rocks behind the church! There is the
most stunning view from up there and you can literally see for miles and miles.
I was thankful that we managed the climb without any injuries or snake bites!
We were then able to visit Mtani who i am sure i have said before is the most
amazing guy. The team are in the process of building him a disabled toilet which
will make a huge difference to his life. He is such a joy to be around and has
the loveliest smile and i am so happy that dad and Lydia could meet him and him
them. After Kyamajoje there was time for a quick Rehema lunch and then a visit
to Anifa and her family in Mikaringo. They were so welcoming and as friendly as
ever! We then arranged to meet a guy who was going to take us to visit an
Albino family that rehema has been helping. They lived in the middle of nowhere
but i am so glad we visited them as we had a truly special time with them. We
played with them and handed out sunhats and glasses and lots and lots and lots
of balloons! In return they gave us lots and lots of rice and beans! Nat and i
are used to this happening and prepare ourselves for it, Lydia on the other
hand didn’t know what to do when faced with a heaped bowl full of rice! They
were so thankful for our visit and walked with us the whole way back to the
car, gathering more family members along the way! As if that wasn’t enough
excitement for one day, we were invited over to the Vinks house for dinner and
darts. I was meant to impress dad with my amazing new darts skills but he was
too busy being an embarrassing father to notice and give me some fake
congratulations!
Wow, just realised i haven’t even started talking about
safari yet..! Safari was awesome! My highlight was having a bath and a swim but
seeing 5 sightings of lion really close up (nearly seeing one hunt and seeing a
group of them chilling on a picnic bench), 22 giraffe in one go, an elephant
and a lots of zebra, warthogs, hippos and monkeys wasn’t that bad!
There was a bit of time allowed to just relax and enjoy
Tembo beach and wander round the market looking at the beautiful material.
After hearing so much about eagle rock from my go mad trips i had to take them
up it. It was as stunning as ever up there and it was refreshing to be up there
with people experiencing it for the first time.
I don’t know how dad coped being in a house with three very
noisy girls for two weeks but he survived! He sought sanity by going out with
Go Mad a few times and even trying to kid himself that he is still young by
going out to play football with them...of course he came back with an injury!
The house was a little quieter after our guests left, even
quieter when our little puppy Kip died. She had an incredible short life though
and achieved quite a lot...her biggest achievement (though not funny at the
time) was killing our chicken Rusty. We came home from work one day and she had
taken down this chicken and eaten her from the inside out. Really disgusting
and upsetting but quite a big achievement for such a little puppy!
