Zanzibar!

Hello from Zanibar! Bill, I can't get into my email to write you and there is no wireless for Skype. Just wanted to touch base with you. I love and miss you. Zanzibar is wonderful, Stone Town so unusual and very touching and now we're on the beautiful ocean. It's so clear, you can see to the bottom, you would love it. Miss you much again, MUCH love, Cheryl

Food

I was reading my comments and saw Bill's question about the food here. That's one thing that I had no idea about before we came. Meat is very scarce and expensive. When meat is used in a meal, it's almost always chicken or a kind of stew meat. I cooked dinner for the team last night, and had to go to a special meat store to buy beef, there was only three containers to choose from. I learned from cooking last night that African beef is very tough, even if cut in small strips. I love the food here, I'm not a big meat eater anyway, I think Ottie, our new friend that is here also, is suffering a bit, ha. He's very large and was a professional basketball player in the U.K.. There are many vegetables, they are in abundance right now. Many bananas, people sell vegetables all through the streets. Rice is a very staple dish here, cooked in coconut milk, so very good. Avocados are abundant, and everywhere. Very good. We went to a very ethnic restaurant in the heart of downtown. On our plates were rice and meat dish, cucumbers and tomatoes, a small portion of watered down ground meat side, and french fries cooked inside an omelet. That was a very real dining experience. There were chickens running around. One thing a person does NOT want to do in Africa, use the restroom unless it's an unusually nice place away from home. For dessert, they brought us an avocado pudding, I ate the whole thing, it had fruit at the bottom. Our table was filled with food, and was only 18 shillings for all six of us, which is around 15 dollars.

The Massai Tribe's food was rice and meat dish, an amazingly good hot slaw mix, cut cucumbers on a plate, and wonderful avocados. It's so humbling to have others share so much when we know it's such a sacrifice for them. They also had cokes for us, which was also a sacrifice. Very loving and giving. Pastor Issac, he's part of the Massai's but became a Christian in Mary's ministry and has now moved back to the tribe and is their pastor. Very sweet man. He was so happy to show us his hut, made of mud but felt almost like cement. A thatched roof. Two very small rooms, one on the right with a baby sheep, and the one on the left with a small table that we ate around. We loved the experience.

I stopped taking Malarone yesterday, a preventative for Malaria. It's the cool season, 72 for the highs, misquitos are at their lowest. It has side effects of mouth sores, which are worse than the disease it prevents. Malaria is so treatable here.

Double Perfection 7/7

The Lord is so good, today is 7/7, double perfection. Today is also Mary and Peter's 2nd anniversary. Georgia and Leslie made breakfast in bed for them this morning, decorated with balloons and candles. It was a very special treat to wake up to. Mary and Peter are Blessings to many people here in Africa. They have a heart of giving, a strength from the Lord, and much love in their hearts for others. We've known Mary for around 6 years, and I'm so glad to know Peter now.

Africa is a land of hardship and beauty. Islam is the ruling religion in this area, calls to prayer are announced all over, it's unnerving for me to hear it. I would say that lawlessnesss abounds outside our protected walls here, but there are also many people of God. It's almost an instant thing to recognize it in a person's face. The roads are very hazardous. It takes alot of ability to drive here, alot of practice with no speed limits, winding in and out of people walking in the streets, cars stopped, trucks barreling through. Driving at night is perilous. Peter has a special ability to do it, possibly because of growing up here with missionary parents. We will be on a bus tomorrow to Zanzabar. This is another special blessing for our team. We will tour Stone Town, they are known for their spices, and I will learn more about David Livingstone. Peter and Mary will meet us Thursday and we will return Sunday.

I am going to try to learn more about posting pictures on this. There are so many from the safari.

Safari Pictures!

These pictures aren't quite in order.

This is our crew, Leslie, me, Georgia, Mary and baby Hope, Peter and his friend, and now our friend, Ottie.

We stayed at Tangarie Lodge in these tents. This is an actual picture of the first morning when we woke up. Elephants were everywhere! It was so amazing.

We saw so many animals, amazing!

Today is Friday, how time has passed so quickly. I haven't posted since the visit to the orphanage on Wednesday. It was not an experience that I want to remember in detail, or that I would like to relive.

Yesterday was definitely a day to remember. We visited a Massai Tribe in a very remote area. They loved our visit, we sang, danced and worshipped together. 28 of them received Jesus yesterday into their hearts, and some received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. They are known for their bead work and present me and Georgia with special necklaces representing their love for us. It was very touching. Issaac, the Massai pastor, invited us into his hut to eat before we left. That was so sweet and giving! Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday. Today we are leaving for Terrenghetti, don't know about that spelling, for a two day safari, and are staying in tents for more of an experience. It's a safe experience, Mary and Peter have done it a couple of times before.

I'm having trouble uploading images, and will work on that when I get back. I possibly will start using Picasa.

Emmanuel Center

We visited the Emmanuel Center yesterday, ate with them, played soccer with them, sang with them, danced with them, and watched their dramas. What a difference God can make in lives. Driving in different areas of the city, I can see hardness and pain in men and women's eyes, hardness that harbors injustice, false religion, racism. And then in God's children's eyes, there's softness and love. As it was at the boy's home yesterday. Even though they all come from extreme hardships as children, and still struggle with the pain, there is much love in their hearts for each other, (there are 24 of them), and for others that come to visit. They live a very meager existence, but to have food and clothing and shelter with love means the world to them. Life doesn't consist of what we have, but what is in our hearts to give. Today we are visiting the orphanage, Kili Kids.