{siku mbili wa kushoto}

{two days left}

i have turned out to be a horrible blogger. turns out that posting every day seemed to be too much for me to keep up with. so out the window with that idea. oh well! i'll do my best to post a little bit each week while i am there if i have the time and ability.

as for now! i have all my bags packed except for the little things like my toothbrush, and ipod, things you dont pack until last second, you know? i am getting so thrilled and excited for my adventure! its almost makes me nervous that i'm not nervous...but i have complete confidence that everything is going to work out perfectly and that its going to be experience of a lifetime! i cant wait to get over there and meet all the children, and the people i'll be staying with at the hostel. i'll have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, in a foreign country, speaking a language i dont understand, eating strange food, yet all there for the same reason, to serve.

i have to mention the one thing keeping me from being completely excited about my trip. meet terra lee.

she's the blonde on the right, and also my best friend as of 13 years. yes, that is right ladies and gentlement, 13 years. we met in the 2nd grade when her family moved in across the street from me. she was a little girl, with a "funny accent" (seeing as she was hailing from Maryland, a town far far away in the mind of a 2nd grader), yet a very strong opinionated person at such a young age, and she seemed to correct my english a lot, "it's moutain! see how it has a 't' in it?" Who says mountain? It's moun'ain.

     we have claimed time after time that we are not the typical little girls who skip arm in arm, you know? the "typical best friends" but i have finally come to accept the fact that i'm pretty sure we are. we have matching everything--matching skirts, matching haynes obsessions, matching camera's, matching purses, matching backpacks, and this list could go on. we've done everything together. we played the flute together starting in 6th grade, we played lacrosse together in 9th, we got our first job together at jamba juice, and what do you know? we went to college together.

 it seems as if every memorable moment of my life involves this girl, which is why it may be easy for you to understand why this trip will be hard for me, not because i'll have to live without my best friend for two months, but because when i come home she will have moved out to college without me, and i will be going to a different college on my own...without her. we have been going through a bit of what some may call...separation anxiety for the past few months, but we've come to a good conclusion and i am comforted by what terra has told me.

       i found this wonderful note today which eased my spirits just a bit.
I have put a lot of thought into this following statement.... Kelsie the answer is Yes, of course I will wait for you while you are in Tanzania. I will be faithful and I will write, we will stay best friends when you come back. I don't care what odds are against us or what people may think. I won't find another 
- Terra Lee


terra has been blessed with a great way with words, and a great sense of humor in my opinion. we both agree that we are probably the funniest people in the world. 


most importantly, i want to thank you for being a great example to me all my life! one of my best memories will always be of our temple trip in which we attended 5 temples in one day to do temple work. you've always been a good example through the choices you make, the way you treat other people, the fact that you read your scriptures and said your prayers every night without fail. thank you! 

i'll miss you terra, but just remember, we'll always be best friends. thanks for all of the adventures, from playing the flute, to staying up all night long laughing at creeking sounds through the walls, or our petty little jokes, or building forts that take up our entire living room, kidnapping christine, to all of other crazy things we've done which might not be appropriate to share in a blog. i'll miss you

{siku kumi na}

{day twelve}

well, the days are flying by, but not nearly fast enough! 15 days until i leave for africa! way too long, but just about two weeks away. until then i'll be spending my time nannying, working, packing, cabin trip (which i am definitely looking forward to!) and wrapping up last minute things in preparation for my trip.

did you know?

Tanzania is probably one of the oldest known inhabited areas on Earth; fossil remains of humans and pre-human hominids have been found dating back over two million years. More recently, Tanzania is believed to have been populated by hunter-gatherer communities, probably Cushitic and Khoisan speaking people. About 2,000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people began to arrive from western Africa in a series of migrations. Later, Nilotic pastoralists arrived, and continued to immigrate into the area through to the 18th century.

Travellers and merchants from the Persian Gulf and western India have visited the East African coast since early in the first millennium AD. Islam was practised on the Swahili Coast as early as the eighth or ninth century AD.

{siku kumi na moja}

{day eleven}


here are the pictures of my many purchases from wednesday's adventures! 

 gloves, and ice packs...

 bandaids, gauze, tape....

 aspirin, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, tape, scissors, tweezers...

one of my all time favorite books life of pi to take with me to africa, along with my new leather journal to document the entire thing! only 16 more days!!


did you know?

The United Republic of Tanzania is a unitary republic composed of 26 mikoa (regions). The head of state is President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, elected in 2005. Since 1996, the official capital of Tanzania has been Dodoma, where parliament and some government offices are located. Between independence and 1996, the major coastal city of Dar es Salaam served as the country's political capital. Today, Dar es Salaam remains the principal commercial city of Tanzania and the de-facto seat of most government institutions. It is the major seaport for the country and its landlocked neighbours.

The name Tanzania derives from the names of the two states Tanganyika and Zanzibar that united in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which later the same year was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.^[8]

{siku ya tisa na kumi}

{day nine and ten}

due to my nannying a family for the week, i was unable to get on and update my blog yesterday. it was a very eventful day however.

1. trip to the medical supplies store.
thanks to wonderful amazing kim averett at stat medical supply i was able to get loads and loads of medical supplies. four box fulls to be exact. four boxs full of gloves, bandaids, gauze, sizzors, tweezers, tape, antibiotic ointment, etc. thank you again to all of you who made donations! they are going to a great cause.

2. trip to barnes and noble.
one thing you may not know about me is that i love good looking books. i go against the common cliche by juding a book by its cover. i love leather, i love frayed pages, and i love classics. one thing i really really wanted for my trip to africa was a journal to record all of my exciting adventures, and what do you know? barnes and noble had a beautiful leather journal just waiting for me! i love it already and can't wait to put it to use in only 18 days!

3. trip to walmart.
mosquito spray--a definite must! tanzania is infested with tons and tons of mosquitos, which carry malaria...which i do not want to get! i'm taking pills, but i figured that for my own comfort and extended safety i better get the best of the best bug spray. i got to the aisle of bug spray and had to choose from 10 different kinds of bug spray, 25% deet, 40% deet, deet free....how the heck am i supposed to know what is best? i decided to go with the sportsman MAX ...max just made it sound pretty grand. lets hope!

4. trip to smiths.
since walmart didn't carry it i had to make one more stop to smiths in search of a medicine called afterbite which is supposed to do wonders for itching mosquito bites! and seeing as how i'll get tons and tons of mosquito bites, i thought it just might be worth it to spend a little money to give me the slightest bit of comfort.

overall it was a very eventful and busy day! {pictures will come soon}

did you know?
HIV rates are falling? to find out more click here!

{siku ya nane}

{day eight}

to-do list:

1. pay for hostel - due feb 21
2. immunizations - check!
3. pack
-cash
-passport
-visa supplies
-first aid kit
-travel size blanket / pillow
-tennis shoes
-lock
-phone/charger
-ipod
-church supplies
-pass along cards
4. figure out cash (need bills printed from 2006-present)
5. TEAS test - check!
6. cabin trip - feb 18-21

did you know?
-there are 55 countries associated with the continent of africa {there are 50 states associated within our country}
-africa is home to the largest mammals known to man and an amazing abundance of animal life
-africa has the largest tropical area of any continent. the equator runs right through the middle of africa, and about 90% of the continent lies within the tropics.
-africa is the second-largest of the earths seven continents--covering about 3,330,000 sq km, which makes up about 22 % of the worlds land area.

{siku saba}

{day seven}

only 20 days left! can you believe it? today i had the fun task of deflating eleven soccer balls. you'd think it wouldn't be that hard, but lets think about this. do i play soccer? not really...have i ever deflated a soccer ball? no. luckily it didn't take me too long to figure out the tricks, and an hour later, i fit eleven soccer balls into my suitcase.

this morning i also had the wonderful pleasure of going in for a check-up with my dentist before i left so that everything was set to go and he was so amazing and donated tons of toothpaste and toothbrushes.

later today my sister, karianne was bringing out her creative side and wanted to make a fun sign and so i decided to join her. this is what i came up with! what do you think??

did you know?
tanzania is slightly larger than twice the size of california? and because tanzania lies below the equator, the coolest months occur during our summer, and all-year round the weather remains pleasant and comfortable. from december to march the days are hot and sunny with often not a cloud in the sky. clear sunny days are the norm in the northern highlands and the heat of mid-day is tempered by the golden light in the late afternoon and the especially striking sunsets. tanzania's eqautorial climate brings tow seasons of rain each year: the masika, or the long rains that fall from mid-march to the end of my {right when i'll be there!} and the mvuli, or the short rains, that come intermittently throughout november and parts of december.

{siku ya sita}

{day six}

can you believe i only have {21 days} left until i leave for africa?! in 21 days at 8:30 in the morning i will be boarding a plane with who knows how many suitcases headed for denver, and then all the way to amsterdam by myself! once in amseterdam i will meet up with m'liss and we'll venture the rest of the journey together, with only one layover in tanzania. it will be quite the trip. 29 hours + of traveling all in all.

i'm very excited for all the unique experiences, but most of all, i am excited to meet all of the children. there are so many wonderful kids out there that i know are going to touch my life and change it forever, and it cannot wait to meet them!

did you know?
tanzania is home to the largest peak in africa, mount kilimanjaro with an elevation of 19,340 feet. the meaning and origin of the name kilimanjaro is unknown. it is thought to be a combination of the swahili word kilima meaning "mountain," and the kichagga word njaro, loosely translated as "whiteness," giving the name white mountian.
kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in africa and fourth highest of the seven summits, is considered the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.
climbing kilimanjaro is easy and requires no technical climbing or mountaineering experience. the biggest challenge and danger is the high altitude. climbers die from improper acclimatization and altitude sickness rather than falls. it is not a peak you can climb on your own. it is mandatory to climb with a license guide and have porters carry your equipment.

{siku ya nne na siku tano}

{day four and five}
so yesterday morning my family went on a grand adventure of our own, to our cabin up in the uinta's near mirror lake!

it is our own sweet little get away. we enjoyed the weekend snowmobiling, reading, taking naps, and playing lots and lots of games of settlers of catan (our family's personal favorite).

anyway, enough about my weekend. the days are getting shorter and shorter. can you believe that i only have 22 days left until i leave for africa?! that is not very many, just over three weeks, with so much left to do! first off, i have 11 soccer balls sitting in the corner of my room waiting to be deflated and stuffed into a suitcase. i also have to get together all of my visa information, go in for my routine check-up's to make sure everything is set before i leave the country for a few months. there is much to be done, with no so much time. we'll fit it all in though, and i'm very excited to leave!

did you know?

Progress towards ensuring women equal access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, justice
and security has been uneven.  While countries such as Ghana, Rwanda and South Africa, have made progress promoting women to leadership positions (with the highest proportion of women legislators in the world in Rwanda), many countries in Africa have failed to address gender issues. Girls have a lower rate of
enrollment in primary school (86 girls to 100 boys) and secondary school. Women represent more than 60    
percent of the region’s illiterate population. The region has also witnessed high rates of violence against
women including rape and sexual abuse in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Liberia and Niger

{siku tatu}

{day three}

four shots, 1 prescription, and two very sore arms later, i am fully immunized for my expedition to africa! yesterday i received my typhoid, polio, yellow fever and flu shots, and got my malaria pills so that i am fully set and ready for anything that comes my way while i'm in africa.

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Immunizations 

Makes a Happier You

after my wonderful trip to the doctors office, i had an even greater trip to ROSS. thanks to many donations i was able to get 10 soccer balls to bring over to africa with me! while i was emailing the host of the hostel, she told me one of the main things needed was soccer balls. the kids of africa {love} soccer, they kick everything around, give them a baseball, they try to play soccer. so! i decided that since i found such a great buy, i'd get as many as i could. 

the lady at the store looked at me funny as i unloaded 10 soccer balls on to the counter and questioned, "you like soccer, huh?" i could tell she was a bit perplexed. i explained to her my adventure to africa and she asked whether i was from africa or just visit. i sure wish i was from africa!

did you know?

     Africa is home to 34 of the world’s 48 poorest countries. The average income (excluding South Africa) is only US$ 342 per person and more than 40 percent of the people in Sub-Saharan Africa live on less than US$ 1 dollar a day. Some progress has been made with South, East and West African countries experiencing their strongest growth in more than 30 years.

{siku mbili}

{day two} 


for all of you that don't know the story of how all this came about i'll tell you a little bit about how i got involved in this expedition to africa.

     meet my beloved cousin, and second half, M'LISS. last summer m'liss went to africa with the organization ccs {cross-cultural solutions} and loved it so much that she decided to go back. when things opened up for me--i had a semester off school, and the resources to go--i decided to join her. 
     we will be staying in the hostel hoff in the township of moshi, tanzania for 65 days. i leave february 28th for  a 27 hour plane ride until i reach my temporary home. we are going with two other girls from utah, making a grand total of four of us, each very excited for our adventure. 


during our stay in tanzania we will be working in four different orphanages, a women's center, and helping construct a new orphanage! needless to say, it will keep us very busy for the short stay of 65 days. i cannot wait to meet all of the lovely children out there, if only i could bring them home with me {we'll have to see how many i can sneak into my suitcase}


anyway, to wrap it up, if any of you are interested in how to get involved in a trip such as this, or even just donate to help the small ones of africa, i would be more than happy to help you. 


did you know?
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 24 of the 25 countries with the world’s highest levels of HIV prevalence, and the fastest growing proportions and absolute numbers of orphaned children. Between 1990 and 2003, the number of children orphaned by AIDS increased from less than one million to an estimated 12.6 million. Nine out of 10 children living with HIV/AIDS are African, as are eight of every 10 children who have lost parents to AIDS.

{help by donating supplies! first aid supplies, clothes, toys, books, etc. or make a donation through Path to Africa to help hundreds of children.}

{siku moja}

{day one}

did you know?
     there are currently 1.4 million people infected with HIV/AIDS in tanzania resulting in 96,000 deaths. that is five and a half times that of my lovely home away from home town of rexburg, idaho.
     for those of you less familiar with rexburg, that is about half the size of the provo/orem area. now that may not seem like a whole lot of people for an entire country. but remember that many of those 96,000 deaths are parents leaving their small children hopeless, and helpless.
     a child is expected to complete no more than 5 years of school, and that is if they are lucky. so, to all of you college students complaining about your homework, or to all of you parents complaining about your jobs that keep you busy all day long, remember to be grateful for the roof over your head and the food in your pantries, but most of all, for your families--for your mom and dad you get to hug each night, for your kids you get to tuck in bed.

{africa}

this is my new and first ever blog post!
up until this point in life, i haven't had a whole lot to share with everyone. but as of a month ago, i've got something to say! i am going to {tanzania, africa} in 28 days and would like to help everyone better understand how blessed we are to live where we live, and how we live. so, for the next 28 days i will try my hardest to let you all know a little something about africa and what is going on over there, and how maybe, just maybe, you could make a difference!