Third Update From Tanzania

OK, this, the third update from Tanzania, made me a bit teary. What a huge few days the group has had. This update arrived early in the morning on July 28, 2017. 

 

Jambo Jambo!

We have realized that we are almost halfway through our trip and have said many times that we don’t want to leave yet. Every day we are impressed and proud of all of the hard work, care, and love that we have already for each other, the build site, and community members.

Every night we have a generator until 10pm, at which point we must use flashlights. It is our favourite time of the day because only then are we able to see the majestic, natural splendor of the night sky. Thousands and thousands of stars shine down on us, reminding us of home, keeping us company before we fall asleep. Scorpio, Virgo, and the Big Dipper are most recognizable, and the Milky Way is so very prominent. What a special way to connect with all of our family and friends at home!

 On our way to the build site on Wednesday, we were greeted by many of the school children we met yesterday afternoon – many smiles and high fives all around. Today was our big build day (a double build: one in the morning and one in the afternoon). Spirits are still high and the foremen are very happy with progress.

Thursday was Spencer West Day! Equally as important, though, we spent our morning with a few Maasai Mamas helping them with their Boma Smearing. We mixed together cow dung, ashes, dirt and water, and plastered the outer walls of their kitchen. It was a very cool experience and everyone delved deep into the project. When we arrived back to camp, we had lunch with Spencer West. We were ecstatic to spend time with such an inspirational person. He spoke to us about his personal story, and shared his documentary about his Kilimanjaro climb. We shared many stories and much laughter together. 

We’ve also forgotten to mention a very special competition that we have currently on trip. As many parents will recall, Kevin divided the group into four Pods during our first travel day at the airport. These Pods have now taken on a new life (thanks to Dayvo’s insatiable love of Harry Potter): Hogwart’s Houses. The Rules are quite simple: every time a house finishes a 10L bottle of water, they receive 10 points, and the group to complete three of them first receives points; acts of kindness also receive points. A healthy competition has evolved, but we are happy because water consumption is at an all time high.

 As always, love and positive vibes to all at home!