Sunday

We went to church this morning and it was so wonderful. It was an older gym setting, chairs with chipped paint in an older business area where many people gathered that love the Lord. I sat down in a chair in the back, and instantly a little girl in tattered clothes with a cough climbed in my lap. I held and rocked her for quite awhile, wondering which one the ladies was her mother. I found out later, while we were helping with the children's ministry, there are many orphans in that church. I would more than love to bring her home and surprise Bill! Wouldn't that be a surprise and wouldn't it be such a blessing to be that easy. To give a child with no home, a home with much love. I love the singing and listening to the language.

As I am typing this on Sunday afternoon, Georgia is giving a guitar to the worship leader that she brought that was donated for this trip. He is a man with a testimony that I want to hear, the Lord literally saved his life as a child through Christians. He and his siblings were severely beaten often.

Yesterday we went to a waterfall, and then to tea at a restaurant/hotel. The flowers and trees are so beautiful here, more beautiful than anyplace I've seen. Bird of Paradise, Angel Trumpets, Lantana, most of these grow wild. There's a tree called the Flame Tree, huge with massive red flowers all over. Here are some pictures of yesterday. I've tried making it easier to post comments.

Friday Adventures

I have definitely lost track of the date. It’s Saturday morning, sitting on Mary’s veranda. She made a huge breakfast for all of us, so sweet, and I slept until 10. Partly because of the hiking yesterday, and then waking up at 1 and checking Skype, hoping Bill was on it. He wasn’t, but I im’d Karen and spoke with Janice quickly before it was too loud in the house. Mary’s house is very quiet, no cars, no planes, no air conditioners, just quiet and an occasional neighbor noise or rooster, like I just heard. Her garden is beautiful, flowers all around. Africa is beautiful. I do really love it. I can’t say that I’ve felt afraid since I’ve been here. Even yesterday in the rainforest, climbing up the steep crevices, or walking in the creek for a little rest of climbing. I loved the experience. There’s a little red, orchid looking flower called Kilamanjaro flower, it only grows on the mountain. I took a picture. The villagers on the way up the mountain were so very interesting. I wouldn’t think they have electricity, but they could. They seemed content working in their community. The more we came down the mountain onto the street, it was quite different. Very much more worldly, discontent, dirty, surviving. The villagers are for the most part distanced from that, and the others see what they don’t have. When we went to dinner last night, it was at a local barbeque where they cooked chicken outside on the grill, with a few other things also. There’s were many people walking around, islam coming from the mosque a couple of buildings away. It was fun to be there with Alice, another missionary on Mary's team, and Gaudy, I can't wait to hear her testimony on how the Lord saved her life. She lived with Mary a few years.

We are going to see a waterfall today, can't think of anything much more beautiful than that. I found out this morning that on our safari in a few days, we will sleep overnight in tents, can you BELIEVE that! Ha, that will be very intersting to say the least. I am going to try to post a few pictures I took yesterday, one of a monkey, huge, black with white stripes down the middle of it's back.

Much love,
Cheryl

Kilamajaro

These past two days have been wonder-filled for me. The quietness during the day while at Mary's home is so nice. The weather is cool, the windows are opened. Very peaceful and serene. There's a fence around the yard and the gate must be locked at night. Hiring a night guard seems to be a normal thing. Not so much a guard in uniform, but someone to watch over the yard at night. We went into the market yesterday. It was like something from the discovery channel. Meat hanging from the walls in one area, men following us asking us to look at what they were selling. Lots of fresh vegetables to buy. I took several pictures and hopefully will take time to learn how to post them on this blog. It is 11:00 a.m. here, and 3:00 a.m. there. 8 hours difference. The roads are halarious, to say the least. The main road into town, which is very close to where Mary lives, is good, BUT any other road is like something out of a comedy. Calling the holes in the roads potholes just doesn't convey the deepness of them. Possibly small craters. Everywhere. Holding onto something while in a car is a necessity, but I love it because it is here and is part of this wonderful experience. Today we are going to visit Kilamajaro, driving up through some of the villages and then hiking into the rain forest. Can't WAIT! I will let you know what it is like. Thanks for reading this post.

Preparation Day

We are on the last day of preparation for our long trip to Moshi, Tanzania, Africa. We're getting all the loose ends tied up, a few more shopping items and to finish packing. There are many items we are taking to Mary and her family to bless them. Giving their lives to the Lord for his service in Africa is not a small thing. Mary and Peter have been married for two years, and have a baby, Hope, that is 14 mos. Hope is recuperating from Malaria as I write this, she's recuperating very well.

I have been reading about David Livingstone and his missionary adventures. He was an anti-slavery acitivist in Zanzabar, which we are going to visit the last week we are there. There is a church on top of the slave trade areas in Zanzabar built in his honor. He covered 29,000 miles during his lifetime touching many tribes for the Lord. He paved the way for missionaries in Africa. I will be reading more about him in the days to come.

Georgia, I and Lesli are very excited and somewhat apprehensive about our trip. Apprehensive because of not knowing what to expect, but knowing that we defintiely are in wonderful hands with Mary and Peter. I personally am looking forward to the new terrain, the plants, trees, animals, insects, and birds. I'm bringing a pair of binoculars which I'm sure will hang around my neck for most of the trip. We will find out first hand about Mary and Peter's ministry there, get to know the team they work with, visit the Massai tribe, orphanage, boys home, an overnight safari, and many other adventures.

I plan on posting more on this blog as well as a few of the hundreds of pictures that I take.
Until next time, thanks to all who continue to pray for our trip, that it would be all that the Lord has planned and that His purposes be fulfilled in it.