Back at Freedom Lodge on a lovely, coolish day!  No more 94 and sunny.
Some of our favorite things from the last week:
Mt. Kilimanjaro was OUT
baobabs are leafed out ( it is summer)
Flame trees are in full bloom
full moon over the Indian ocean
sunrise over the Indian Ocean
new friends from Victoria, B.C.
Zippy and D O G
fresh fish
greetings from our dear friends at Freedom Lodge

some of our least favorite things:
police checkpoints - about 1 per hour - some requiring payment
heat and humidity on an 11 hour drive to Pangani
Moshi- Arusha traffic
Endless school board meetings
Endless Diocese meetings

And, we love our students - many of the Form 5 and 6 have come to visit - including Frida John and her son, Dylan.  (She is sponsored by Haldor)  She is a delight, made bracelets for Marilyn, Kristina, Christine and me, works during the day, attends Arusha Technical college at night.  Talk about a life saved.
Our Fredy Mollel has been invited to spend a month in Nebraska through the Mwangaza exchange program.  He is VERY excited.  We hope we can get him to WA while he's in the states.  His wife, Edna is not quite so excited, as she is expecting twins while he is gone - or before.  
Baraka is at school most of the week, but has Fridays and weekends off.  So, we do get to see him - and he takes such good care of us!!! 
Marilyn leaves tonight to go home for her sister-in-law's memorial service.  I will miss having my friend here.  But I will be fine - lots left to do for the kids and teachers.  And, Elizabeth is here, too.
More tomorrow, maybe.  
Salama, mary

Blog is not working from TZ.  So,this post is from Mary, sent via e-mail to post from WA.  Mary and Marilyn are at Pangani, a wonderful beach retreat on the Indian Ocean.  Pictures are Kristina's from a few years ago but will give you an idea of why we go to Pangani. click on each picture to enlarge it. 

We are fine.  Very hot here, but good wind, so we're surviving.  All the plans to sit and do nothing have had some adjustments, but we have really done a lot of nothing. :-) We have new friends from Victoria , B.C.  Stephanie is a nurse who lived here for a year and returns every year.  She has a program of sponsoring kids - most in the Marangu region.  We are going to talk with her about how she does it. 

Two dogs here, so I am happy.  one is Zippy and one is D O G (deeohgee).  Great food here.  ( and quite a nice view - especially with the full moon.)
Trip here was brutal - VERY hot, 5 police checks, not knowing exactly how to get here - long day.
School board meeting started late and went long but is summed up by Mtui - we got everything we wanted to get accomplished.  True.  We meet with the Diocese on Fri. when we return. 

I hope I can blog -  soon.  Baraka will help me with the pictures.   Love you all.  Mary

Weebly decided that I did not want to create a website - thank you, Kristina!  Baraka does not have university today, so he'll be around to help post pictures.  So far posting pictures escapes me.  
Rain most of yesterday.
No water again today.
Clive, the water/solar guy is coming today and I'll have Grace and Robert ( headmistress and most wonderful guard) meet with us.
Teacher, staff meeting today.  Need to clarify what Safi is and what we can and can't do - some misinformation floating around, evidently.
Conversations with all the Form 2, 3 and 4 students completed.  Some even asked questions of me.  They all want school bags - but ones that are like backpacks.  All gave us information as to what parts of the school uniform they needed - Baraka is going to check with each student to see what he sees as essential.  ( Once again, he is invaluable to us.)
School board meeting tomorrow morning.  Diocese representatives are supposed to come.
Elizabeth will move us to Freedom Lodge after the meeting, then a trip to Shaanga ( workshop, store with work done by people with disabilities.), then Marilyn and I are invited to Alex's for dinner - with Baraka.  Alex is French and teaching at the International School - and quite a delight.
We will be happy to have reliable water again.  ( altho we should have here also).
And, we will be happy to have someone else make us food. 
And, we will be happy to just play for a few days.
Yesterday Pendo, Jen and her friends' student, went with us to get vegetables at the corner "markets" - women with their fruits and vegetables on tables or on the ground.  She was able to get the local prices.  We asked her if we could buy her some vegetables for her hostel, but all she needed was cooking oil.  So, we got that.  She is a delight - as are all of these kids.
Dinner last night was leftover fries that we toasted in the fry pay and a vegetable stir fry of tomatoes, green pepper , onion and  some new item that Pendo told us was very good - and it was.
Haven't read one page of my book yet - living takes a lot of time here :-)
​Love, Mary

lIt is Wednesday night , when Mary and I are usually at choir practice but 
instead here we are clear across the world in Tanzania enjoying the company of good friends.
We went to dinner at a special small corner lunch counter that serves wonderful food...especially french fries...  The first year I came to Tanzania, that is about all I ate.  I now am drinking chai, a tea and we are using water from our well here at Ngatelu and I haven't gotten sick at all!  
The weather had been typical of Washington winter weather with much rain...but it is warm out side.  Our friends here are bundled up in hats, jackets and sweaters and Mary and I are just comfortable with the temperature. 
We are getting to know the students by face and some even  by name.
Mary and I are getting used to more primitive surroundings including no indoor bathroom at night.  We have stooped to using a "p" pail which the security guard empties for us each morning.  I have a little problem with that but getting better.  

The students here are so bright and are eager to study and learn all they can to better themselves.  It is so satisfying to see them head to head in the library pouring over their books and finding answers collectively on  the subject at hand.
The teachers also are wanting their students to succeed and are in the classroom providing that guidance .

We lose electricity daily for a few minutes or hours but we are adapting to it.  There i
​s wonderful solar power here and we are lucky enough to be able to use our iPad and lap top  utilizing solar power.  

The form 4 students are waiting impatiently for their exam results which should be out by Feb 13th.  They will also learn where they will be going on to school.   
Our social life here keeps us busy after the school day...and we are anxious to be in bed in our PJ's by 7 pm most nights.  
We both love it here and think we are the most blessed two people on earth...of course minus ongoing problems we must deal with regarding the  Ngateu school.

more later.. Marilyn

Monday, Jan 18th a school day for Ngateu an holiday for USA students, Martin Luther KIng...how fitting to be here  

Marilyn and Mary discussing what time the game starts - and it doesn't matter since we won't be up.  And, Baraka is in hysterics!

Emmy, Mary and Elisante

Emmy, Mary and Elisante

friend, mary, emmy, elisante, Alex, Baraka, Hellen, Tumaini

Marilyn and I have a rare extra hour in our life!  We are going to Elisante's graduation with Baraka and Christine's taxi driver, Kelvin.  But, Baraka found out that the graduation will not be over until 2 ( he had  thought 1) so we are wasting time until 12:30 and then we'll go pole pole ( slowly)  I love him!  We would not have enjoyed  sitting for an extra hour in the heat - and Baraka understands.  
We are living at the Ngateu guest house - toilet outside, but nearby, water in basins, gas cook top, refrigerator, 2 bedrooms - one with elec. for Marilyn's a-pap, students  singing in the morning, no barking dogs, lots of visitors, including little Novathe who has the BEST giggle, Elieshi and NEW BABY.  We are doing well!
Marilyn makes great breakfasts - and we had the best ever mango today from elizabeth.
We nearly got locked inside the house 2 nights ago - key would not come out of the lock.  Windows have screens and bars.  No way out, but the door.  Luckily Baraka ( did I mention that we love him) heard us and came- handed the other key through the screen and after some maneuvering, he got the key out and door open.  We were happy. :-)  He said some "incompetent fundi"  ( worker) had put some paper in the lock.  So, we are good to go now!
We've had many meetings and usually long ones.  But they've been productive.  We keep learning more that we need to do.
So- we sleep well, we love our students and our teachers and our other friends and are amazed at the maturity of the post=secondary kids!  Rain and mud and barking dogs and hornbills are a blip on the screen.
​Mary