The last blog post

Saturday, I am back home. Everything worked out great on the trip home. Thank you for sharing my experience by reading the blog.

Photos from Amsterdam

Am I at Disneyworld? No, but at the airport in Amsterdam you can sit in a teacup or a teapot and enjoy a snack.

You can also sit at a table shaped like a giant tulip flowerpot.

the plane that will fly me back home

Friday, to Amsterdam

Today was spent packing and visiting. S. Elise and I went downtown on local transportation to buy a suitcase. Dar es Salaam is a huge city with people moving everywhere. It was a successful journey. Traffic was fairly light coming to the airport and now I'm sitting at the gate ready to board. I'll get to Amsterdam at 7:20 a.m. (12:20 a.m. Central Time). More from Amsterdam when I arrive there.

It is hard saying goodbye to wonderful friends and to this amazing country.

Thursday in Buyuni

Today we drove to the school that the Sisters are building in a nearby town called Buyuni. Building this school has been a dream of the Sisters for a long time, and they hope to open the school in January. They have regional government approval and are waiting for the Tanzanian government to finalize their paperwork. 

The people in the town call often to register their children, and the town of Buyuni is growing up around the school. There are also many applications from teachers hoping to work there. People trust the school since it will be run by the Salvatorian Sisters. S. Mechthildis has worked tirelessly for 13 years to make this happen, and S. Elise will be the lead teacher when they open. It is very inspiring to see this dream close to coming true.

S. Mechthildis and S. Elise at the entrance to the school

S. Elise in classroom with desks for small children

stairway

the courtyard from the second floor

assembly room with waxed floor

classroom with desks

A quiet Wednesday

A quiet rest day here at the mission. I read and rested and drank lots of water after yesterday's long journey. Some great conversations as we share stories and understandings of life here and in the US. The purpose of the visit here in Tanzania is to teach English, but the friendships and the sharing of cultures is invaluable.

the guest house and kindergarten at the Uponga Mission

S. Mechthildes and S. Elise sharing an email on their cell phone

Dar es Salaam

A short message today, just to let you know that I am safely at Uponga Mission in Dar es Salaam. It's a long journey--11 hours on the bus and, due to traffic, 2 more hours to get to the Sisters' mission. The bus was comfortable and there were some beautiful sites as we drove north to Dar es Salaam. I particularly love the baobab trees. Must be my love of the book, The Little Prince. Tanzania is an amazing country. The changing scenery and the chance to see the variety of housing kept me busy during the long bus ride.

the amazing baobab tree

Somewhere I read that the baobab tree
looks like it is planted upside down--the
branches look like roots.

Metal roofs mean more time for other work,
since you don't have to replace them every year.
There are more metal roofs each year.

Many adventures and goodbyes

My last day in Masasi was full of adventures and goodbyes. We went to Nangose. Nangose is a large piece of land with cashew trees, many crops, and some pigs and chickens. The Sisters care for the groves and it can be a source of income for them. There were many goodbyes as I said goodbye to students and friends. 

Then later this afternoon the Encounter group arrived. They will stay here a few days before they head further west. It was a treat to be able to greet them and welcome them to this place that I have grown to love!

On our journey to Nangose
I met some pigs.

The Sisters own quite a bit of land
and a large cashew grove in Nangose.

S. Maxsensia and S. Yasinta were pleased
with the blossoms on
the cashew trees

harvesting a type of peas
on our journey

The Encounter group has arrived in Masasi.

First Communion

Today I went to Mass in a parish just outside of Masasi where Fr. Mukasa is the priest. He invited me so I could witness a First Communion Mass. It was very festive, with lots of singing, dancing, and incense. The pictures show parts of the Mass. There were 25 receiving First Communion. After Mass, S. Trojestina and I met with the women's group and distributed rosaries and medals.

First Communicants process to the church.

praying the Our Father

the choir

After Mass, S. Trojestina meets with the women's group to hand out rosaries and medals.

A busy Saturday

A busy day! We had our graduation with songs, speeches and certificates. After we cleaned up the classroom and packed away the books, S. Yasinta and I went to Makulani, about a 30-minute drive. This is the novitiate for the Sisters here. 

I am always so very impressed with the good works they do for the people in the village. They provide food and, more important, they teach them the skills they need to grow crops and raise animals for food. They care for orphans and the elderly. The women in the novitiate learn many skills so that, no matter where they are sent, they will have the necessary skills to provide for themselves and others. 

And for me, it was a treat to visit with my friend, S. Petronila, who knew the American Sisters who came to Africa in the 1950s. There were many special moments today that won't fit on the blog. I'll have many stories to share when I get home!

our class

S. Yacinta, S. Petronila, and S. Maxsensia at the door of the novitiate

neighbors who live near the novitiate

S. Maxsensia and the tractor

a visit with S. Petronila

Friday -- the last day of classes

Our last day of classes today. Each year we complete a written project that includes drafting, revising, and editing. We meet with each student to discuss their story and take pictures of each student to include in their report. Two of our class members were novices when they were first in the class, and now they are Sisters. They had fun comparing their previous work, and I enjoyed seeing their progress.

past years' projects

reading to each other

writing a final draft

sharing our final draft

Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July! We had class as usual, but in our third class we celebrated the Fourth of July. We sang our national songs and drew our flags and explained what the colors stand for. This turned into a lesson on colors. We also received a gift of some cards from S. Karlyn. After class, I met Fr. Mukasa and we celebrated the day with a beer at Rock City, a local place south of town. I hope you all enjoyed this day of celebration as we remember our country's founders and their wisdom as they wrote our Constitution.

The flag of Tanzania.

Madam Sue draws an American flag.

We receive cards, a gift from S. Karlyn

Fr. Mukasa and Sue enjoy a beer to celebrate the 4th of July.

Wednesday at the walls

When lessons are taught, we put the information on construction paper and tape it to the walls. It's a ready reference for review. We also have some maps of Africa and the world. We've worked with a lot of vocabulary and grammar. The Sisters are learning many things. I also believe that there is more than just English being learned. The relationships and new understandings of one another are priceless. I also can tell you that, over the six years I've been here, the ability level for English and the enthusiasm to learn English have increased by leaps and bounds.

We call this "reading the room."

studying the map of Tanzania

reviewing verbs

reviewing the wall charts and adding to our notes

a great way to review

Tuesday brings a visit from the women's group

Classes went well today. There's lots to learn and only a few classes left. Saturday will be our last class. 

Later this afternoon, the women's group from the parish church in Masasi walked over to the mission. I've gotten to know them over the years. Two years ago, I shared information about Lay Salvatorians with them. S. Trojestina works with them. This year, I had some gifts for them--rosaries and small medals with Blessed Mary of the Apostles, the founder of the Sisters of the Divine Savior, on one side, and the Teaching Savior on the other. Before I left Milwaukee, the Sisters at the Salvatorian Sisters Residence prepared them for me. The women from the church were very pleased and send greetings and prayers to you all in Milwaukee. 

Then we walked a short distance so they could show me their planned building site for their small pig farm. Everyone in Tanzania is involved with raising animals and growing crops. They eat what they produce. I am so impressed with the hard work they all do to live. It's a real lesson for me about what really matters.

A visit from the women's group from the parish church in Masasi

S. Trojestina working with the women's group 

The future home that the women's group will build for the pigs and the chickens

Monday morning tea

Our first class ends at 10:30 a.m., and the second class starts at 11:00. We have a half-hour "tea break." Today's pictures show us during our break. It gives us another chance to practice our English. We have coffee or tea. There is sometimes bread or homemade donuts, called mendasi. Notice the tray with water in it that holds our sugar, coffee, etc. Why put them in water? It keeps the ants out.

Candidate Grace is slicing bread for us.

pouring hot water for coffee

Leftover noodles from last night. They are good cold, too.

Water keeps the ants away.

candidates resting on the couch