Noah, Noah, Noah...

Noah is our wild child. The only thing that keeps us sane through the tantrums is that he's just as passionate and joyful when he's happy! It's never the middle ground with him.


The kids are a bit tired of the Snake Park, but went along this week to show some new friends to town the excitement. Holding the olive snake is a big treat. He's hamming it up for a group of Tanzanian students, all of whom are really terrified of snakes!

Pay no attention to the fact that the boys appear to be in a bar. Because they are. Kind of. Going to the rec. center for lunch is fun because of the rugby fields for running. And these small candies which completely dye your mouth blue or green or red. The kids love 'em!

(I love that tomorrow is the first day of school!)

Ol Doinyo Lengai

It's Maasai for "mountain of God." About a 6 hour drive from Arusha, it's an active volcano that actively erupts about every 20 years. It's currently bubbling and spewing lava and rocks, so what better place to go for a weekend camping?

The temperatures out there were over 100 degrees. I can't even begin to describe the heat, the never-ending wind, and the dust that swirled constantly. Ava's always asking, "are we in the bush?" and the answer was most definitely, "yes!" This is classic Maasai land, and words can't describe how desolate and dry everything was. Within a kilometer or so of the campground was a large creek that provided water, but it's obvious how far people/animals would have to travel to get that water. This particular cattle herd was several hundred--you can see how far back the line stretches!

We hiked up the river until the scrambling started to freak me out with Ava clinging to a rock above the creek, then turned back while Max, Gina, and Cameron went up to the waterfall. We retired by the little swimming pool, a surprising bit of heaven in the middle of nowhere! Goats, sheep, donkeys, and baboons all wandered in and out, giving Ava lots to do as she tried (successfully as you can see) to catch a kid!

The big goal, of course, was climbing Ol Doinyo Lengai. We heard it was steep and knew we would start about midnight and climb all night. We hired 2 guides, one to carry Ava or help part of the group turn back if needed. We knew it was going to be really tough.

Ha! Here's a word not in the Swahili vocabulary--switchback. And, while the guides mentioned it would be a "little" cold, they lied. It was freezing. And windy. And unbelievably steep. So, after about an hour, Max and Gina forged ahead with one guide while the Hillmans stayed together. After about another hour, we realized that this was not going to be a family adventure, but we were stuck--Mark couldn't go ahead without a guide, and I couldn't go back with the kids without one. Aside from the very real possibility of being lost out there, there are leopards about. So the unfortunate choice was to all head back down to the car. Along the way, Mark decided that this mountain was a metaphor for all the challenges he's faced in Tanzania and by God he was not going to quit. So we got back to the car about 3:00 am and he turned around and went back up with the guide.

We were told it takes about 6 hours to climb. Max and Gina reached the summit at about 4:45 am (about 5 hours) and huddled in a tunnel soaking up volcanic fumes until sunrise. Just at that point, about 6:00 am, Mark showed up. Yep, he made the climb in only 3 hours. What a horse! Poor Max had been throwing up all the way up, Gina was spattered with lava, Mark was exhausted, but they all watched the sunrise from a place they all swear they will never go again! :-) It was good that even Cameron turned back, as the trail grew progressively steeper and more difficult near the top. The volcanic dust and the hard rock underneath made it almost impossible to grab any traction and very very difficult to come down.

The kids and I promptly fell asleep in the car until 6:30, ate some cereal, and marveled at the fact that no matter how far we looked, we seemed to be the only people in the world. The views were amazing--the mountain steaming, the escarpment rising from the plains below, the tiny dots of white (goats) and the solitary red dot (the Maasai) far in the distance. We anxiously awaited the return of the hiking heroes, and greeted everyone that came down. After the 3 hours up and down, none of us considered it a failing that we stopped early!

As we packed up, we were disgusted by how EVERYTHING was COVERED in dust--even things inside bags. There was just no escaping it but thrilled at the experience. We were actually surprised by how many tourists there were there). There's always talk of things being "colonial" and I suppose an upscale bush camp out there qualifies. But in an area where electricity is unobtainable, where supplies are scare, water is iffy, and everything must be trucked in, how logical is it to put in hotels or lodges, big buildings that are heavy/wastefull uses of desperately precious resources? A bush camp--canvas tents with beds/nets and hot solar showers, a small bar with great food and (warm) drinks--really is a great way to go. Yes, the idea was developed by the first Europeans who came out and hunted and explored and wanted to bring some of the comforts of home along. But we brought over 100 liters of water and ran out so having a bit of something out there was a necessity! Without ice we had to rely on foods that don't spoil and hope that others don't mold. It was much different experience than camping in the States!

Yet what a privilege to be able to see such a remote part of the world! To quote a comedian, if it's not the end of the world, we could see it from there. I felt like I was living a photo spread from National Geographic. All of us continue to develop such a respect for people that can live in such harsh conditions--watching them, knowing that they are basically unchanged for hundreds of years, was humbling. Amazing.

Reading and Writing.

Stephen King is one of my very favorite authors. I love horror stories but I've always thought he's excellent with dialogue. I like his pacing, how he takes his time to move the story along in the beginning, then race at breakneck speed and scare the pants of me. He's been given numerous awards, many somewhat controversial because "serious" critics have called him a hack.

One of my favorite books is "On Writing." The first half of the book are vignettes from his childhood and how he began the process of being a writer. The second half is about the actual writing process, the craft of writing. I'm fascinated by having a glimpse into what he considers important in terms of language. I think anyone who loves reading and writing would find his insights very interesting, even if you aren't a fan of his writing or genre.

So, given all of that, I'm thoroughly enjoying the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest--2007 Results, a contest where people send in their worst attempts at writing. You can read the results here, but I'm including a few of my favorites. They are not always the winners of each category, but they definitely made me laugh.

This one is my favorite:

Gerald began--but was interrupted by a piercing whistle which cost him ten percent of his hearing permanently, as it did everyone else in a ten-mile radius of the eruption, not that it mattered much because for them "permanently" meant the next ten minutes or so until buried by searing lava or suffocated by choking ash--to pee.

I actually liked this passage as it went on--it's got a bit of humor in the fact that everyone only has 10 minutes to live, but the last two words are the equivalent of hitting a brick wall with your car. Some others:

I'd been tailing this guy for over an hour while he tried every trick in the book to lose me: going down side streets, doubling back, suddenly veering into shop doorways, jumping out again, crossing the street, looking for somewhere to make the drop, and I was going to be there when he did it because his disguise as a postman didn't have me fooled for a minute.

There was a pregnant pause-- as pregnant as Judith had just told Darren she was (about seven and a half weeks along), which was why there was a pause in the first place.

Joshua was as dumb as a bunny and not at all like the egg-carrying one, more like the one who has never gone to middle school, or even the schools at either end.

The easy and comforting roll of the saddle was second nature to Luke, and as he gazed off into the distant setting sun, he wondered whether he had enough change for one more ride at the supermarket before he had to return to the home.

And because I'm a sucker for puns:

A rather youthful Billy Joel was fascinated when he entered the Green Room at the Tonight Show and saw a group of matronly nuns hastily applying hair color to the noggin of the show's next guest, Neil Young, whose agent offered an explanation from the corner of the room: "Only the good dye Young."

I was in a back alley in Fiji, fighting desperately and silently for my life, fighting desperately for oxygen, clawing at the calm and almost gentle pressure of the fabric held over my face by implacable, ebony thighs when I realized -- he was killing me softly with his sarong.

The droppings of the migrating Canada geese just missed the outdoor revelers at the inaugural Asian math puzzle competition, marking the first time that dung flew over Sudoku Fest.

Student Orientation

They're really coming! Today was our first official PHS gathering. The students and families came to learn about PHS and the details about getting started. 120 students were selected and 113 actually showed up! That's an astonishing number, given how many factors can impact a person's life here. They were photographed (again--to ensure that the person that took the exam and the person we verified in the home is the person that came today), measured for uniforms, served sodas and doughnuts, and introduced the families to PHF/PHA. Families watched a short slide show of pictures of the school under construction, learned a bit about PHF history, met the teachers, and got all the information about what to bring, etc.
You could tell that many of them wore their best clothes for the trip to town and to this meeting. Many of them that were so serious when we visited them in their homes broke into huge smiles when they were recognized and greeted by one of us. Even though virtually no one that attended spoke English (including the students) it was clear they were excited to be there and at the opportunities that await them. For me, it was a chance to see them as a class of PHS students, not just a bunch of people, and to imagine them arriving on the first day. I have never in my life wanted something that I needed in the way that these students and their families must want the education they need to be able to survive in life. It's so exciting to think about having real students at school finally!

The Family

Remember these guys? Well, here they are 9 months later! Moshi and Rugs (Rugby), all 75 pounds (each) of wiggly good-tempered adolescence. They scare the you-know-what out of anyone that comes in, which is what they are supposed to do, but really are quite sweet and good-tempered, which is great with all the kids that are around. They have these big deep barks, too, letting everyone in earshot know they're on duty. They also beat the poo out of a friendly neighbor dog that somehow ended up in our compound. We love them.

This summer many of the kids' friends were on home leave and they were forced to actually play with each other. I know, I know, the horror of it all. They learned some great habits and lessons about getting along with your siblings and spending time alone and enjoying it. Around the beginning part of July, however, a great family arrived for a month to do some medical work here. They ended up staying just up the road from us and Nate and Meredith hit it off with our kids. Noah and Nathan became instant soulmates, the way Noah does (Nathan reminded me very much of Noah's good friend Isaac) and Ava loved having an older girl to play with. Nathan spent most days here at the house and Ava up at Meredith's. They are a great family, and Noah is demanding that we promise him a trip to Nova Scotia SOON to visit him again. They are leaving this week and the house will feel empty without him here.

This past week the weather finally got warmer and we started hitting the pools again. Yesterday was a great day, with Meredith and Ava, Cameron, Noah, Nathan, Jacob and Aden (2 new boys from New York that will join them at school) and Charlie and Annie (from Arkansas, whos dad works for the Nature Conservency and who are here for a month) all running into each other at the pool yesterday and spending almost 5 hours playing together, while the moms chatted, American-style. It was heavenly!
The "event" of the summer is Ava on her bike sans training wheels. From what I can see, those training wheels were only slowing her down. She mastered it instantly and was off and running (well, pedaling) as fast as she could. We have terrible troubles with flat tires from thorns, but every chance they get they are zooming around the yard.

We have had, as I mentioned, several earthquakes in the 5-6 range on the Richter scale. Definitely big enough to give you a creepy feeling as you watch your living room sway! There is an active volcano about 75 miles from here called Ol Donyo Lengai (Maasai for "mountain of God") and when we arrived last February, it was spewing big rocks out. We are hopefully heading over there next week for a few days of camping with Max and Gina, and hoping to see some action. You can climb to the top, starting at midnight and arriving around sunrise (honestly, what is with that? I am sure sunrise looks just fine from down below and exactly how do you climb in the middle of the night?!) and we're hoping to be able to get all the kids up the hike. We'll see--if not, Cameron'll go for sure and I'll stay back (sleeping) with Noah and Ava. No baby carriers any more--it's all about real hiking now!

The Price of Inflation. And Back to School. And Observations.

Somehow this slipped past us last July (how cool is that that I can say "last July" so casually because I was here last July? Meaning I'm not feeling so new anymore!) but, like many governments, the Tanzanian government started its new fiscal year in July. This year our teachers and staff spent quite a bit of time talking about often dramatic price increases that happen as a result. In Arusha many dalla-dalla (minibus) fares doubled, for example from 200 shillings to 400 shillings. It's hard to imagine that increasing something from 20 to 40 cents is dramatic, but it really is. Some food products have almost doubled (bread, for instance). Yesterday, my housekeeper told us that in July he spent 40,000 shillings for charcoal and kerosene to cook with--which amounts to almost 1/2 his monthly salary.

Knowing that we have students whose lives are so difficult and often desperate, it's easy to understand why children don't attend school. It's easier to understand why people make decisions here that often seem short-sighted to our Western eyes. When you live so close to the line every day, how can someone ever get ahead or make provisions for the future? What's the good of planning when things change so suddenly?

Yasini is luckier than most. Working for us he has access to people who can help him if he needs it and help him figure out a solution to a problem. He makes a fair salary for his position, but still uses every cent every month with 3 children in school. He has a gas tank and has seen how long a tank of gas lasts us cooking the way we do. Instead of spending 40,000 for fuel, he can spend 25,000 to fill his tank and use his other cooker and the tank can last for him 2 months. We talked about how best to get the 25,000 for the first fill, which ended up being a gift from us, and then talking about how to set aside some money each week so that he can refill the tank when it's time, rather than wait until it's empty and then try to figure out how to get the money. It's a concept that's very basic for us, but not common and often not easy for Tanzanians. On our end, we feel lucky that Yasini will come to us and ask for help with a problem, but not automatically ask for money. It gives us a chance to talk about other ways to approach a situation and look at all options.

On another front, this is from a Peace Corps volunteer teaching in central Tanzania, about the start of a new term...

I showed up at 7 am last Monday morning (the first day of school) only to find I was the only faculty member there with 30 or so A-level students. A few minutes later the academic master shows up and opens the administration office. Not a single O-level student arrived for the first day of school. This usually happens - the students (especially at boarding schools) don't arrive until a few days (or weeks) after the term starts.

One of the reasons this happens is that students have to pay their fees for the 2nd term and don't come if they don't have enough money. Others can't get the travel fare together. As I said before, the lack of resources encourages people to use what they have right when they have it because there's always an immediate need. Setting money aside for a future event, like transportation money, just doesn't happen. Resources that are available now are used now. Future needs will be dealt with when the time comes. Which is why sometimes you can give someone money for something--a bill, school books, medicine--and then find out later that they spent it on something else. You feel cheated, because it seems like they misled you, asking for one thing, then using it for another. They don't understand your irritation or anger--you gave them money, they had a need. The decision on how to use that resource rests with the recipient, not with the giver. On a personal level that causes frustration. Imagine it on a level of NGOs where foreign companies and organizations are trying to allocate money here.

On the school side, it's interesting to note that neither students nor teachers appeared. So little schooling takes place even when schools are in session. Students are sent home to get more money for something the school wants to do. Schools are closed because it's too hot. Or too dusty. Or too wet. Or because they run out of food. Teachers don't show up because they work other jobs. Or because they are in the work room chatting. Or because everyone's spending so much time practicing mock exams instead of actually learning. It's easy to point fingers and say, "What a mess." And it is a mess. But if you have the ability to really look at everything that impacts learning, you find the same things impact schools in the States, too. Lack of resources, low teacher salaries, socio-economic factors that affect families that schools have no control over. It actually allows us to see education between the States and Tanzania as a continuum, rather than "we have all the answers and know the best way and we're here to show you." Believe me, there's puh-lenty for us to learn!

I Admit it. I'm a Fanatic

We started reading Harry Potter just before the first movie came out. Cameron was 6, easily able to handle the reading (we did read together) although (in retrospect) perhaps a bit young for that final scene in the movie between young HP and Professor Quirrel). We took to it right away and have loved every minute of reading and watching Harry. I think one of the appealing things for Cameron is that the story is non-stop action and humor. As the books have progressed to include much darker themes and some adolescent "snogging" they do become more difficult for the younger set. I think Cameron rereads them so often because he picks up on new insights each time.


For me, it's been such a great experience to share with Cameron. We have read and discussed all sorts of theories and possible endings, especially in this last buildup. They are an easy read for adults but not simple in their themes. There are no "good" and "bad" characters. People are complex and flawed, even the hero. There's a level of complexity in the situations the characters face, yet there's always an undergirding spot-on understanding of teenagers, too. Anyone who loves reading, and especially loves reading with their kids, knows exactly when an author succeeds in perfectly balancing the level of writing for a child and the sophistication required for adults. I think there are many books that fit that category. For me, these have been the best.

Then I read the "infamous" New York Times review--infamous because they posted the review 2 days before the book came out, causing a huge uproar about spoilers. Well, I read it and it's been great--just enough to pique our interest while we wait for the book. I thought the article was terrific in the description of the world and the characters Rowling created, a world that is fantastical but absolutely real, perfectly adolescent and terribly adult. I'm posting parts of it here, with NO SPOILERS--I took any possibility of those out.


J. K. Rowling’s monumental, spellbinding epic, 10 years in the making, is deeply rooted in traditional literature and Hollywood sagas — from the Greek myths to Dickens and Tolkien to “Star Wars.

From his first days at Hogwarts, the young, green-eyed boy bore the burden of his destiny as a leader, coping with the expectations and duties of his role, and in this volume he is clearly more Henry V than Prince Hal, more King Arthur than young Wart: high-spirited war games of Quidditch have given way to real war, and Harry often wishes he were not the de facto leader of the Resistance movement, shouldering terrifying responsibilities, but an ordinary teenage boy — free to romance Ginny Weasley and hang out with his friends.

Harry’s journey will propel him forward to a final showdown with his arch enemy, and also send him backward into the past… At the same time, he will be forced to ponder the equation between fraternity and independence, free will and fate, and to come to terms with his own frailties and those of others. Indeed, ambiguities proliferate throughout “The Deathly Hallows”: we are made to see that kindly Dumbledore, sinister Severus Snape and perhaps even the awful Muggle cousin Dudley Dursley may be more complicated than they initially seem, that all of them, like Harry, have hidden aspects to their personalities, and that choice — more than talent or predisposition — matters most of all.

It is Ms. Rowling’s achievement in this series that she manages to make Harry both a familiar adolescent — coping with the banal frustrations of school and dating — and an epic hero…This same magpie talent has enabled her to create a narrative that effortlessly mixes up allusions to Homer, Milton, Shakespeare and Kafka, with silly kid jokes about vomit-flavored candies, a narrative that fuses a plethora of genres (from the boarding-school novel to the detective story to the epic quest) into a story that could be Exhibit A in a Joseph Campbell survey of mythic archetypes.

In doing so, J. K. Rowling has created a world as fully detailed as L. Frank Baum’s Oz or J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, a world so minutely imagined in terms of its history and rituals and rules that it qualifies as an alternate universe, which may be one reason the “Potter” books have spawned such a passionate following and such fervent exegesis. With this volume, the reader realizes that small incidents and asides in earlier installments (hidden among a huge number of red herrings) create a breadcrumb trail of clues to the plot, that Ms. Rowling has fitted together the jigsaw-puzzle pieces of this long undertaking with Dickensian ingenuity and ardor.

The world of Harry Potter is a place where the mundane and the marvelous, the ordinary and the surreal coexist. It’s a place where cars can fly and owls can deliver the mail, a place where paintings talk and a mirror reflects people’s innermost desires. It’s also a place utterly recognizable to readers, a place where death and the catastrophes of daily life are inevitable, and people’s lives are defined by love and loss and hope — the same way they are in our own mortal world.


Wow. Who wouldn't want to read a book like that? Dickensian, Shakespearean, Tolkien-esque. Not to mention a review that can accurately use words like "exegesis" and "bildingsroman." It perfectly describes what I think the appeal has been for these books for the past 10 years for so many people. I am so excited to get the book in my hands, yet disappointed that the ride is coming to an end.

Now There Really is No Good Reason...

This from a blog a new Peace Corps worker just starting work in Burkina Faso:

Minnesotans live in a colder climate than 98% of the rest of the world.

This would seem to indicate that after 20 years of the kind of weather most people fear and most Minnesotans relish, I'd be able to take something in the upper 50s. And yes, if I were home in MN and the temp. cracked 60 in say, March, I'd be breaking out the shorts.

Somewhere there's some math that would also indicate that I'm wimpier than some percentage of the world's population. And I won't be able to dispute it; first of all, it's probably true, and secondly, I can't do math.

You know how you always see old people wearing a sweater and long pants in July? What's going to happen to me? I'm already at that point now, it seems. It did rain last night, just to add to the mix. And we've had at least 6 feel-able earthquakes this week, giving me something else to ponder.

Anyhow...the person I got the stat. from is a guy named Zach. His mom works for Peace House Foundation. I don't know him at all but it's always great to see someone's first impressions of life in Africa. Even though Africa is over 50 distinct countries, I think living here has a common theme no matter where you go. You can see what's up with him at Just North of Ghana.

There's just no good reason...

I mean, I'm at the equator for crying out loud! So someone please explain the fleece socks and blanket, flannel pants, and sweatshirt? And why my typing hand is freezing while the other is clutching a hot cup of tea?

Maybe it's because the temperature is currently 58 degrees in my house.

Sheesh.

120 STUDENTS!!!

Over the past 18 months I've chronicled the joys and challenges of living in Tanzania and in the work that we do. Living has become easier as we've adapted to the pace and lifestyle here. Work continues to be rewarding and very challenging. But by far and away the greatest joys have been working with people that convince us that we are answering God's call to be here. We have hired teachers and a headmistress that are strong, convicted, and committed to our mission. They are funny, enthusiastic, and we are so proud to work with them. They have been mentors and invaluable resources to us as we continue to learn about cultural beliefs and expectations and teach us with humor and patience at every turn.

We have built a network of friends who are often resources for us when we encounter problems. Most of them have been here for a long time and have seen it all. They have also been encouraging and I'm always amazed at their willingness to build new relationships each time people come and go in Arusha. We would not have lasted without them.

But PHF's mission, "educating Africa's orphan and vulnerable children", took an enormous step this week as we welcomed the last student for this year's starting class. It took 60 work days, hundreds of kilometers of driving, and uncountable interviews with students, teachers, relatives, and neighbors of some around some 160 students to finally conclude with the selection of Goodhope, our 120th student. The whole purpose of being in Tanzania, of course, is to provide a top-quality education to the neediest children, those that have no other chance. Everything else really pales in comparison when you consider those 120 children, many of whom are orphans, some who have lived basically as slaves, others raised by siblings who are barely out of adolescence but who have pushed aside any aspirations of their own to try to help their siblings get an education. All of them no different, really, than any of us. Who doesn't want the best for their child? Who doesn't dream of the things their child might accomplish? We often pride ourselves on what we've accomplished compared to others, thinking ourselves clever, often without counting the priveleges we take for granted; here nothing is taken for granted.

In the parable of the servants waiting for their master (Luke 12:36-48) Jesus says, "For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." The privelege of being a part of student verification will be one of the most humbling experiences I think I will ever have. For every child we rejoiced in accepting, I thought of the thousands that won't have that chance. We swept into a village or a home and changed the entire course of a child's life in less than an hour. Why that child at that particular time? Is it possible that we were seen as angels? As blessings from God? I'm more than willing to acknowledge the people that have played that role in my own life, less willing to accept that I may play that role for others. The realization that we have the power to effect that kind of change is in some ways a burden. We have been "blessed to be a blessing" and that entails enormous responsibility.

We don't have orphans and poor children any more. There's Stella and Marta and Johnson and Goodluck. There's Happyness and Neema and Martin and Stefano and now, finally, Goodhope. I could tell you about the events of his life, which are very bleak. But I'd rather you look at him and see his future, not his past. Each child is a name, a real person, not a statistic. Each one is full of potential. Each one is the reason we became teachers years ago. Each one is the reason we have come to Tanzania.

Each one is the reason PHF exists.

Words of Inspiration and Wisdom

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders.
We are ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

Amen.

Father Oscar Romero, Archbishop of El Salvador, who was assassinated in 1980 for his work in human rights.

We've Come a Long Way.

I have a new friend--she and her daughter are staying with us for a few weeks. Sherie and her daughter have just moved here for at least a year. The funny thing is we met via my blog, started "chatting" about life with kids here and I invited her to stay with us until she got on her feet. Normally I am not the kind of person who would offer her home to a complete stranger, and I'm sure she's not the type of person who would accept. But that's what Africa does to you, I guess!

I find I can hardly remember what it was like to arrive. When Sherie talks about the horrific stress of packing and organizing, I definitely empathize, but it seems like a lifetime ago that I was having my own nervous breakdown trying to fit my life into duffle bags that weigh not more than 50 pounds. I can see the excitement of being here giving way to the realization that everything takes so much effort and energy in these first few months, and that nothing moves smoothly or quickly. I'm amazed that what we are taking in stride now--because I remember how it seemed we would never accomplish anything in a country where checking off two errands was considered a good day! I remember wondering how we could do any work for PHF when we didn't know anyone and had not a clue about how to begin--not that we had the time, since just getting settled was taking forever. We got help from people who had been here a year or so when we arrived and I remember thinking how they looked so confident and comfortable. I was sure I was never going to feel that way!

And then last week at a friend's wedding, another friend who has been here with his family for over 20 years said, "these folks are here to stay. They're for real." Meaning us. I don't know if that's true. I don't know how long we'll stay. But I took that as a great compliment. Lots of people come and go. Lots of projects start and I suppose many of them don't succeed. For someone who has seen all that and considers us and our work a part of this community made us feel really good about our time here.

I think Sherie will find that as well, although I think she wouldn't believe me right now! We have enjoyed having her here and Ava has loved having a built-in playmate every day! I hope someday she'll have the chance to "pay it forward" to someone who's just arriving and see how far she's come as well!

Teachers ROCK!

Fourteen American teachers. 140 Tanzanian teachers. Two Hillmans and a Peterson. Put it all together and you have an amazing inspiring week! It's hard to put into words. Friday and Saturday our teacher volunteers worked with 140 teachers from at least 30 schools, both primary and secondary. Thanks to their fundraising, we were able to offer the two days of training at no cost to them. The turnout and enthusiasm clearly highlighted the desperate need for teacher training and the desire to want to learn on the part of teachers here. It's hard to describe the conditions the teachers here face--no materials, no supplies, classes of up to 100 students, a severe teacher shortage, a rigid and often unreaslistic national curriculum, a rigorous and do-or-die examination system. It's a system that does not encourage innovation or creativity and focuses almost solely on getting high exam scores, which have very little to do with actual learning. In fact, one teacher commented, "We are always talking about teaching, but no one ever says anything about students learning." It's true. Yet these teachers showed up and worked hard for two days, knowing that there must be other ways of teaching and wanting to improve.

They couldn't have found a better group of instructors. After watching each teacher for 5 minutes I was ready to quit PHF and head back to teaching. I would be so proud to call any of these teachers my colleagues and they are some of the best the teaching profession has to offer. They did virtually all of their preparation back in the States and spent 1 day refining their lessons based on what they had seen and heard their first days here. Lessons included sports and games in learning, math and science activities, lesson planning, differentiation, respect and trust, extracurricular clubs, and higher order thinking skills. The teachers all included hands-on activities as well as opportunities to talk about how to adapt the lessons/activities for various age levels, class sizes, and lack of materials. Anyone who teaches secondary school knows how hard it is to get it up several times a day teaching the same lesson--these teachers taught their one hour lessons 8 times over the two days! In addition, these guys managed a 10 mile hike (much of which was up through a river, and no, we were not exaggerating when we told them it was going to be rough, not that they believed us!) and are just now tucking into their tents somewhere up in a Maasai village, where they're learning about traditional Maasai culture as well as the issues facing them. They'll return for a farewell dinner tomorrow night before heading off on safari and then to various places around Tanzania.
One of the things I've learned to take very seriously here is a thank you from a Tanzanian. They don't toss off a "thanks" lightly like we often do. A thank you includes a hand shake that generally continues with hand-holding, full eye contact, and a truly heart felt expression of gratitude. The phrase "nashakuru" is a deeper expression of thanks than "asante sana" and was used over and over at the end of the session. To be thanked in a such a way is such a humbling experience. I came away with a deep appreciation for the teaching experiences I've been blessed to have and a renewed conviction that PHS must continue share its resources with other educators. Think what could be accomplished if we could effect change in other schools as well as our own! I am convinced that teachers here can be far more effective if they are given opportunities to learn and to experience a different way of seeing and doing things. What a blessing for all of us that these 14 teachers shared their enthusiasm, their passion, and their commitment to teaching with us here!

Glory and Happyness (and Marta)

The teachers are off and running! An absolutely fantastic group of 14--not all of them teachers, but all of them enthusiastic, energetic, and ready to experience anything Tanzania has to offer. I have to say that those that are teachers are very impressive...anyone who complains about the state of education in the United States just needs to get out and meet teachers! Just talking and listening to them for 2 days and I'm reminded why I loved teaching, why I often miss it, and really how many great teachers there are. We are so blessed to have them here willing to learn and share with their Tanzanian colleagues.

Today we sent 4 groups out--two groups on student verification and 2 groups to visit a local school. My group did not have a typical experience--one family had gone to a funeral and the other was found very quickly. They did get to see the teachers handing around the student pictures to see who knew them, but the work was done relatively quickly. Marta did not pass her primary exams, in part because she missed a lot of school taking care of her mother who has TB. It was quickly clear from visiting her house that she was a great candidate for our school and we were happy to say "HONGERA!" (congratulations).

The other group headed waaaaaay out by the airport in search of their students. They may have traveled the farthest in this selection process, but still had a pretty typical day when it comes to finding a PHS student. You can (and should) read the volunteers' posts on their thoughts and experiences here but I'm cribbing Rob's post to give you another impression of the verification process.

The Pursuit of Glory and Happyness

What a day! Terry, Ginger and Rob (that's me!) set out this morning with two Tanzanian teachers, Raymond and Nicholas, the project engineer Max, and our amazing driver Zach. We were off to find and interview 2 potential PHS students, and we knew the trip could be an adventure.

After a short trip east out of Arusha, we were disappointed to find that the road we wanted to turn onto was no longer passable, unless our van could float. So without hesitation we took the long way around - bumping and bouncing our way over smaller streams, by the Tanzanite mine, alongside fields of maize (very different from corn!), rows of sunflowers, a coffee plantation, flower farms and mango trees. We watched girls carry water or wood on their heads, and cyclists roll by on cell phones (they have a better network set-up here than we do in NYC).

Finally we arrived in the students' village. But alas, Glory was not to be found. She was in town staying with her aunt and taking classes. We did spend time with her family though, playing with the children and showing them how to use binoculars, but the decision of whether or not she would attend PHS would have to wait until she could be interviewed in person. Luckily, someone there knew the other student, Happyness, so we were back on track and hoping for better luck.

We wound our way through farmland, punctuated by small but beautiful homes and tiny shops or dhukas with shiny red signs made by Coca-cola (clearly the world's best advertised drink). Of course when we arrived at our destination, Happyness and her mother were not at home. It could not be that easy! They were off looking for water, so we set out looking for them. Chomping away on samosas and popmaize (very different than corn), we were already happy just soaking in the sites and enjoying the warm Tanzanian sun, but our day was to end on a wonderful upswing. We spotted a woman in the field who turned out to be her mother and with a cheerful mom in the van we were able to find her charming daughter in no time. Happyness ran to the van and jumped in, not hesitating to join all these strange wazungu and teachers. She was a born risk-taker and the interview at her home didn't take long. Happyness was coming to PHS!

So after an equally tiring and rewarding journey into rural Tanzania, Glory would have to wait but Happyness was here to stay. I must admit that we were all impressed with the amount of energy and dedication it took to find just 1 of these students. PHS now has over 100 students enrolled and that means an enormous commitment of time by the teachers and the staff who have set off to interview each and every family and student. It was wonderful to witness and I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store. Wish I was going to get to teach Happyness... Until next time. Rob

The Teachers Are Coming!

On Saturday night 14 teachers from Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, and California hit the ground in Tanzania (well, not literally, because they're flying in and that would be a disaster). They will be visiting schools, spending a day learning what it's really like trying to verify a student for PHS, and planning for a 2 day teaching seminar. We had hoped to get 60 teachers to attend, but we have 160 registered and have had to turn away even more! The larger numbers bring their own share of headaches, but they are welcome ones, believe me! The group has set up its own blog here where you can get to know them a bit more. They hope to post daily, although I wouldn't hold your breath for pictures (see my post below on Blogger woes).

Safari njeme na karibuni!

Safari Scenes--A Different Perspective

As I mentioned my mom, sister, and I spent 3 days on safari last week. If you come to Tanzania, I highly recommend purchasing a book on birds in Tanzania/east Africa. Everyone seems to come with books on how to identify elephants, giraffes, zebras, etc. I have one, too. But honestly, how hard is that? I've never been interested in birds before, but after this trip (our driver was very knowledgeable about birds) I am definitely investing. There are so many--and they are all so beautiful and interesting. We saw saddle bill cranes, marabou storks, kingfishers, weaver birds, pied wagtails, woodpeckers, guniea fowl, and ibis. I wouldn't be one to sit for hours and look into trees or bushes, but it really added a lot to the trip.

We also saw 13 lions which was great, but the highlight for me were the rhinos. We spotted 3--considering there are only 15-25 in the whole country, that was a real treat! They were close enough to see clearly from the road, another bonus.

We had a quick trip to Pangani where we were fortunate to see a pod of 8-10 dolphins near our dhow as we finished snorkeling--definitely a highlight!

A day trip for student verification--waaaaaay out to a village on very bumpy roads, crossing ditches and creeks and a washout--showed another side to life in Tanzania.

They left yesterday and we are sad. Good thing friend Karen is coming NEXT WEEK to give us something to look forward to!

By the way--I officially HATE Blogger. The only reason I'm still here is because I'm too lazy to change. And it wouldn't hurt them if I did because I'm using the free version anyway. I had a terrific post on birds with great pics even. And the rhino. And the lions. But nooooooooooo--after 2 weeks--no pics are allowed apparently. Stupid Blogger. Not me, the service.

Update on Life.

I'd be posting pics of our life lately, but as the previous post indicates, I'm having some trouble in that area, so I'm taking a short break to regroup (otherwise I might heave the laptop through the window). But an update is in order...

We are having a great time with my mom and sister here for 3 weeks--our first official visitors not related to volunteering! I spent 3 days on safari and had a great time (quiet, too, with no kids). Finally got to visit Ngorongoro Crater, which was spectacular. The magnitude of it is beyond description. I was sorry to realize it does have a bit of "zoo" feel, in that I think everyone feels guaranteed to see what animals they want and everywhere you look you can see lots of cars--at one of our lion "stops" there were 10, each holding 5-7 people. That aside, being that close to all the wildlife (including randy wildebeests, as mating season is approaching) was a fantastic experience. We were very priveleged to see 3 rhinos, one quite close to the road (for a rhino, who usually are quite wary of cars). We are hoping to head to Pangani for a taste of Tanzanian life on the coast before they head back to Montana (sniff).

We are also preparing to host 14 teachers who will be arriving on the 24th of June from California, New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis. They will be spending some time learning about our student selection work and education in Tanzania before planning and then leading a 2 day seminar for Tanzanian teachers. I had hoped to be able to invite 60 teachers to attend, and finally had to close the seminar at 150 teachers, which is a great response! The teachers will lead a 2 day seminar covering hot topics such as lesson planning, science/math activities, higher order thinking skills, cooperative learning, and extracurricular activities. They will also be spending 2 days in a Maasai village (including an overnight stay) and some safari time. Definitely busy!

Student selection proceeds on. On good days we see 4 students. On my last trip last week we saw 2. The student's house was about 15 miles out of town on a "road" that involved crossing a river (no, no bridge--you actually cross through the river), numerous irrigation-type channels all over the road, and an off-road stint through a wash-out that was very questionable. We have approximately 70 of the 120 students and are very confident that these students meet our PHF criteria of being orphans or extremely poor. While we have been frustrated at times by not being open officially, this time has proven to be invaluable in terms of building morale and a sense of pride and ownership among our teachers, who have really taken the lead in this process. Secondary schools will be closing for winter break in July so we will slack off a bit in the next few weeks to focus again on lesson planning and curriculum writing.

Construction continues very slowly and continues to be the frustrating aspect of the job. Max has been a tremendous blessing as he does so much coordinating and managing on this front, allowing Mark to focus on the operations. Max also takes his turn at student selection, though, too! The site is beautiful and far enough along to really get a sense of how the school will be. We are eagerly anticipating being able to be out at the site! The herb garden planted by P40 in February has taken off magnificently. When we look at it from the our house it is a beautiful addition to the dining area of the campus and will be place of learning for cooks and students alike!

Personal tidbits--last week my rental car had a boot locked on it because someone sometime didn't pay a ticket. Same car woke up with a flat tire that morning, too. The week before my family arrived we went 4 days without water and again last Saturday. My cat killed and disemboweled a mole in the clean laundry basket tonight--while the electricity was out so I could have the opportunity to manage angry spitting cat, mole parts, spatula, plastic bag, and flashlight all at once. No one helped. My sister and I went riding for a day and my horse laid down in a knee deep mud puddle. While I was on her. Definitely a first in my riding experience. The above-mentioned car now has 2 flat tires again. My freezer gave up the ghost and is getting a new compressor.

Just a typical week in Tanzania!

On the upside, the movie theatre is open and very nice, albeit loud. I'm not sure I can watch any action movies since we all had earaches from the sound for "Mr. Bean's Holiday." I need to remember to pack earplugs next time. And my sister brought a bunch of movies to watch while she's here so I've been catching up a bit. The best of the bunch has been "Casino Royale". Amazing opening chase sequence, so-so movie the rest of the way, but Daniel Craig...dang.

More later, including pics--I hope!

Doing What They Do Best.

Two boys. Two very different boys. Different personalities, temperments, interests, and talents. Last week we got to see the best of what they do and it was great.

Cameron's final project for phy ed., French, and DT (design technology) was a fashion show. They had to design an outfit for either a specific purpose or a specific time period and then take the design to a fundi and have it sewn. Then, they had to model it while someone read a description of their outfit in French. THEN, they had to perform an original dance. It was absolutely fantastic! Cameron made a shirt that had padded shoulders to help cushion a backpack. He also designed pants with zip-off legs. He really wanted camoflauge, but it's not legal to sell that material (something about impersonating military personnel). Undeterred, he made his own!

Benj (Mr. Disco), Jack (the black/white zoot suit) and Cameron choreographed and performed their original dance to Herb Alpert's "A Taste of Honey." If you know that song, you're dating yourself! I have no idea where they got it but they were great! All the kids were really creative and brave. It was a great end to the year.

Noah loves football (he doesn't want to call it "soccer" because that's not the "real" name). He plays every day at lunch and played in a club this year. The parents organized a tournament between the 3 international schools. Although Noah played a great game, their team lost, but he loved every minute. He has really enjoyed playing but did want a more competitive angle. Parents here were clearly not used to something like a kid tournament, something that was pretty routine for us. He's really quite talented!

We were so proud of both of them. They have had lots of opportunities to shine in so many areas and we've had such a good time watching them perform.

(I should note that this all happened 2 weeks ago. Which, coincidentally, is the amount of time it's taken me to get Blogger to let me post these pics. Sheesh.)

WHOOHOO!

We love Arusha. We love living completely out of our culture, often out of our comfort zone, and definitely out of our "convenience" zone. Living here has taught us to appreciate the blessings we have in our lives, virtually all of which have been freely given rather than earned. We have continued to learn to keep our problems in perspective, given what we see around us every day. Many of the things that had caused us to be stressed in the past are things that we can laugh at today.

BUT...I just want to make one thing clear. Life here is challenging. And it has been made all the more challenging because we don't have a movie theatre. Before I left, someone told that within 6 months, all that kind of stuff would be completely off my radar. Obviously that person did not know me. I love movies. I find bootleg copies perfectly adequate. Not the kind where they film them with a camcorder right in the theatre and the filmer has to drop the camera or cover it with a coat when an usher walks by and you can't really see or hear much. I'm talking about the bootleg copies. They're adequate-mostly clear, most of the time audio and video are in sync. No subtitles that are readable--they appear to be translated with some kind of computer program or by definitely unskilled English speakers. Ok, sometimes they freeze up and sometimes they stop working with only 15 minutes left, but hey. What can you do? At least you can get something eventually!

All that has changed. Mjiji Arusha is getting its very own CINEMA! A real movie theatre. With popcorn. And a big screen. And movies that aren't too old. The man who owns the Cultural Heritage center has been promising for almost a year that is was coming. AND IT'S HERE! I am very seriously thinking of becoming a very indiscriminate movie-goer...if it's there, I'm there (with the exception of those Bollywood things--I just can't into them). Case in point--Spiderman III. The first one bit, the second one bit x 2. But its goin to be playing and you can darn well better know MOI will be there. I may even throw parental guidance out the window if I can't get a sitter!

Ok, just kidding on that last bit.

But...dare I hope to hope that we will be able to see Harry Potter without having to wait for knockoff DVDs or for someone to bring us a copy? Be still my heart!

Here They Are...

Apparently some people have been wondering what we're up to here. Well, wrestling with Blogger for one (and it's not just an Africa thing--it's tricky loading pics for other friends. For another...right now life is not very dramatic...just the way we like it!

We had a great friend and former colleague of Mark's here for a month. Brad was absolutely terrific working with our teachers, giving them a great start on their work with curriculum planning. The curriculum is nationally standardized, without a thought, really, to what might really happen in the classroom. We want the teachers to rethink the curriculum in terms of how they might cover the subject matter differently. Brad has done work in Mexico, Romania, among other places and we enjoyed every day he was here!

We are continuing work on student selection. I described the process in a previous post, and things continue much the same way. It takes an unbelievable amount of time! On the first couple days we started in town and ran into several cheaters, so we decided to head out to the villages. Away from town, where people are more isolated, we had much more luck. Last week and this, we've been back in town again and once again we've faced more cheaters. Yesterday we saw seven students and accepted one. Today, seven students and accepted two.

I am thankful to report this pic is NOT from the road to the school! That road has been greatly improved this season and everyone is quite pleased. No, this is student selection in action! The helpful man shoveling in the rolled-up pants is Charles, one of our teachers. He's a man of many talents! Mud is not the only obstacle on the roads--and I use that term loosely as many "roads" were really not designed for cars. Big holes, huge rocks, and washouts are also part of the adventure!

After all of this, though, we have selected 40 students. Some of them have been able to scrape enough money up to start secondary school, and others have not. Some come from families who love them very much, but have nothing else to give. Others are cared for unwillingly and grudgingly by extended family members. Still others are little more than indentured servants.
These are faces of hope. This is what happens when you support Peace House Foundation. Within this country of tremendous need, there is a light of possibility. These are lives are forever changed. These are children who have been given a chance--for some of them, the first break they've ever had. I know if they could meet you, they'd say "thank you." They may give you a gift--a stick of sugar cane, maybe, or a couple avocados or mangos. They would ask if they could take a moment and pray with you. They would thank God for you and your generosity. They would thank God for the blessings they have received.

Every letter we can hand to a student reminds us of why we are here. When things are slow, or frustrating, or heading off-track, I remind myself of these faces. I remember that whatever I've had to manage since I've lived here (or at any other time, for that matter) is nothing compared to daily life for so many families here. These children are what matter.

Whatever delays or setbacks we've faced have not deterred us from finding and meeting these students. We feel a huge sense of responsibility toward them, to create a community that will support them and continue to open doors to new ideas, new ways of looking at the world, new lives of peace and promise. You have helped. Every dollar donated, every hour volunteered has made a difference. Never doubt that. As we "keep on keeping on" we remain grateful for your support and commitment tnat allow us to continue our work here.

Blood Diamond

We finally got a chance to see "Blood Diamond", a movie I strongly recommend. The title, as most of you know, refers to the selling of diamonds that are mined in war zones and exported/sold to finance conflicts. It is extremely difficult to determine after a point in the chain if a diamond is "conflict-free" so the burden rests on the consumer to ask the questions. Of course, the diamond industry has techniques that keep the flow of diamonds restricted, which keeps the price and demand high, which keeps the market open for the dimonds to be sold/exported to finace wars.

The movie is very violent and I've heard several people say they were put off by that. They were right--it is. But I can't help but think that the actual events were even more horrific than what gets portrayed on film. I don't believe that Hollywood movies should be where people get their history or politics. But the movie industry does have the ability to give us really the only glimpse into certain events that we can probably ever have, and when they do it well, I think it can be a powerful lesson. It's beyond my ability to understand how it could be to live under oppressive violence and fear every minute of every day, knowing what would happen to you or your family. The violence is so terrible to watch, but I found the brainwashing of the children into soldiers even more painful, actually--the process of destroying the human-ness of a child in such a calculating manner...

There have been several movies recently that portray these kinds of things in Africa. In all of these movies, the people, the houses, the markets, the villages, all look just like my neighborhood and the places I shop. It has affected me more because I can see what those kinds of events would do to people's lives here.

I asked the teachers at tea yesterday how it was that Tanzania is surrounded by Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Mozambique--all countries who have experienced civil wars, coups, or ongoing violence--yet Tanzania has had nothing remotely like that. Their only experience, really, was the war against Uganda, and the hosting of enormous refugee camps on the Rwandan border. They gave credit to Nyrere, the first president, who they said led them so strongly and so peacefully and who worked to keep one tribe from becoming more powerful or important. They also said that the colonial period here did not involve England or Germany playing one tribe off against another for their own gain, which happened in other countries. They believe that Tanzanians are generally inclined to avoid conflicts, personal and otherwise, making them less likely to be caught up in something.

I don't know--I do know that Tanzania, although poor and struggling in so many ways, is blessed beyond measure by having avoided what has happened to its neighbors. The devastation of war and hate can't be measured. Tanzania is an island of peace in East Africa.

At one point in the movie, Leo DiCaprio wonders if God will ever forgive them for what they've done to each other in Africa. Then he says, "God left Africa long ago." It's a bleak contrast to Solomon Vandy, whose son has been taken by the army, whose family is in refugee camp, and who says, "my son is good, my son will be a doctor." It's obvious throughout most of the film that DiCaprio thinks the guy is a fool for believing. But that faith is evident here every day in every aspect of life. People here who have so little, who have so little control over what happens to them, have tremendous faith that God will provide, will care for them, will deliver them--if not in this life, then in the next. They are a humbling example for those of us who have so much and who have lived in safety all our lives.

If you want to learn more about blood diamonds and their effects on African countries you can read more here.