I feel like I've been here for so long but it's gone by so fast!!  It's been over three weeks now since I left the USA, and I love it here.  It's such a crazy adventure!  The family I'm living with is such an awesome family, and I feel right at home.  The girls are like little sisters already and we've shared many a giggle.  Alicia, the mom, is a wonderful woman who is also a wonderful mom and Calvin, the dad, is a wonderful example of a God-fearing father.  The girls are all wonderful and funny and so eager to please and love.  It's so cool being here with them.

As for the rest of Africa... My whole life I've grown up seeing ads about the starving children in Africa, and commercials about AIDs.  I've participated in the 30-Hour Famine and experienced a little of the hunger that effects so many.  But it was never really...real.  I knew it was happening, but I didn't see how it effected me. It was sad, but I didn't know what I could do to help.

Everywhere you go here, you see it.  You see the little kids with only a shirt or the girls walking miles to get water.  It's very, very real now.  Just like in the pictures the youth group painted last 30-Hour Famine, a starving child can sit right next to a huge Coca-Cola machine, but still starve.  It's heartbreaking; which is why I'm so excited to be a part of making a change.

The Tanzanian culture is VERY different from our own.  Everything is loud and over-the-top.  It's hard to get used to!  Also, there's no such thing as personal space, and staring isn't rude!  It is so weird to just be stared at everywhere I go.  But I'll have to get used to it!  The little kids smile and wave at us all the time, so I wave back.  They're adorable.

Anyway.  School started today!  I'm a teacher now. :)  I'm enjoying the girls very much, and their passion for learning is inspiring me, too.

I will keep updating as more exciting things happen!  I love and miss you all!

Kelsey

I'm here~

It seems like weeks ago that I left home!  My plane left at 2:30 on Wednesday, and I had a 3 hour flight to Dallas, and a 9 hour flight to London.  In London I had 7 hours in the airport, and no wifi.  So that was a long 7 hours!  There were tons of shops and things, but they were all designer brands.  And a venti Starbucks drink was 8 dollars.  It was insane.  But anyway I had another 9 hour flight to Dar Es Salaam, and then a 2 hour flight up to Mwanza.
It was really, really cool because on the flight to Dar I looked out the window and saw Mt Kilimanjaro above the clouds. It was beautiful.
The Dar airport was pretty weird, especially coming from London.  It was confusing and I couldn't understand anyone!  And the airplane from there to Mwanza was tiny and it bounced a lot.  But I made it safely, and Calvin met me at the airport.  I got to eat lunch with the work crew from the Groen's homechurch in Tennessee before they left, too.
Tanzania is...a whole different world.  I don't even know how to explain it.  It's amazing and frightening and weird.  But I'm going to get used to it, I'm sure.
Some different things I've noticed:
Little kids run around completely unwatched.
Guys hold hands as a sign of friendship.
There are a ton of Coke advertisements everywhere.
It's very rare to see a woman in pants.
The dirt doesn't really come off.
So anyway, that's all I have for now. I'm still pretty exhausted.  I'll update again as soon as I can.

A week and a half left!

A week and a half left before I leave!  That's not much time, is it?

So close!!

My departure date is growing closer and closer!  Only three weeks left in the U.S.!  I should receive my visa soon, so that'll take some stress off my shoulders.
I've finally got most of my supplies pulled together, but it feels like I'm bringing my whole life with me!  Granted, I will be there for almost 9 months, but the amount of stuff I'm bringing feels like a lot.  Shampoo and conditioner in large quantities can weigh a ton!
Anyways, thanks for following the blog!  I'm about to post a picture of the Groen family, so you can see them.
Love you all!
Kelsey

Update

Hey!  So I have my plane tickets!  I leave September 5!  I have a layover in Dallas, and then SEVEN HOURS in London!! Then on to Dar!  I'm so very excited.  Keep me in your prayers!

Hello!

Hello everyone!  This is my blog, where I will keep you updated with everything that happens related to my trip to Tanzania!!  Thanks to your donations I have almost $2,500 dollars!  So keep coming back here and I'll keep you updated!