studying Swahili in the wild

Here's where we study Swahili every day.

Yes, our clasroom really is a thatched-roof hut.  Cool!



We love being in the same class together.



Sometimes we even have class outside on the giant boulder

but we are easily distracted by the fascinating lizards nearby.

We begin class Monday-Friday at 8:30am.  After a quick chai break at 10, we continue studying until lunch at 1:30pm.  After lunch we give the kids a nap and we start homework and review until supper.  After supper we finish homework and practice what we learned that day.  Then, after hand-washing some laundry and tucking the kids into bed, we're so exhausted we crash until morning.  Language learning makes our brains hurt but we already see significant progress in our ability to communicate.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn this beautiful language and culture. 

our mountain cottage

Welcome to our home for the next four months.  The kids call it "our mountain cottage."  (it really IS on a small mountain)

around here people call it "banda 4"

the kids love it

there's plenty of room to do pre-school

and lots of opportunity to be creative - she was making potato soup!

the view out our front door...we'd love to see you standing there :)

 

on the road to Iringa

Here we go to Iringa for four months of Swahili language study.  We boarded the bus at 6:00am.

Sit back, relax, and get comfy.  It will be seven hours!



we drove past the local Wal-Mart




beautiful scenery



Is that where we will live?

Yay!!!  We made it.  We survived the seven hour trip with only one 10 minute bathroom stop.  Thank you God for your abundant grace.


Stay tuned next time for pictures of where we live and study.

We like these critters

These critters are fun.  Here's some of the wildlife we've enjoyed in Tanzania.

hunting for bugs outside our door

resting before the evening meal

What's the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?

EEEWWWW!  At least we didn't squish it between our toes in the shower.

These are the "safe" critters.  We've heard rumors of scorpions and spitting cobras but we haven't seen any yet.  Pray that God would keep us safe.

the plan, roughly

Here's the plan, roughly.

{click on the picture to zoom}
(1) First we stay in Dar es Salaam for orientation.  (2) Then we move inland to Iringa for four months of Swahili language school.  (3) Finally we move to Musoma and begin the work of Bible translation.

Stepping onto another continent

We're in Africa!!!

After 16 hours in the plane over three days, we're finally here.  All of our 23 checked bags made it through Chicago and London and arrived safely in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

In the London airport, we made an interesting observation.  We had no car keys, no house keys, and no cell phone.  It was a very strange feeling.  Utter helplessness and complete dependence on God for everything.

In Tanzania, we began orientation right away with sessions on safety, procedures, and do's and don'ts of African culture, but we also started Swahili classes, took public transportation, and bought food at the local market.

Please pray for our health as we are still recovering from jet lag and the kids have all battled tummy troubles.

let the wild rumpus start

We really like books. 

I mean really really like books. 

Our kids sit and read books to themselves and to each other for hours.  Grandpa and Grandma have given the kids a library of wonderful books.  But now we have to choose.  Which books do we put in storage?  Which books do we give away to bless others?  Which books go to Tanzania?  We want to take them all.  (if only there were a way to teleport our books across the ocean!)  Unfortunately we can't fit all our books because we also have to pack clothes.  So either we leave some books behind or our kids go without clothes.  Hmmmm....