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Posted in Expedition 3 by Megan Lee Esposito on 5/6/2012
I put together a mix of what I liked about each of the three countries we've traveled to as well as what I learned during my time there. Oh, and thankfully I was able to upload photos. What a surprise!
Uganda
What I love most about Uganda..
1) The sunset looks just
like the one in The Lion King! My eyes have never experienced colors
like these. Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable<3
2) The hospitality
of Ugandans. Not once has anyone turned us away. Regardless of what
they're doing (working, cooking, drinking) they ALWAYS bring chairs out
and welcome you with open arms.
3) The dancing! You can't just
acquire moves like Africans. This swagger is in their blood! Young or
old, big and small. Africans go hard and I love it :)
4) I love how
I've learned to appreciate so much from home. Things I would NEVER eat
back home (sausage, chocolate, Fanta, mystery meat) I gladly inhale
here. I quickly realized how picky I am. Thank you, God, for breaking me
of that.
5) The bat rat. Most adorable flying rodent I've ever seen. Don't believe me? Google it. 'Ugandan bat rat'
6)
African timing. "I pick you up at 9am" translates to "I will see you no
earlier than 1045." Its awesome! I'm never in a rush.
7) The
children<3 You know the pelican scene in Finding Nemo,"MINE, MINE,
MINE!!" Mhm, it sounds something like that. Once you get past the shock
of a trillion children grabbing at you, it's great. They migrate in
packs of 100+ so never travel alone! You will lose a limb! RIP Kendra's
arm.. Almost ;)
8) Most importantly, I love how God spoke to me here.
He used Uganda to show me love and compassion for my brothers and
sisters. He spoke clearly and I believe He had to bring me all the way
to Africa to get me to listen. Uganda shattered my world and I'll never
be the same.
What I learned while in Uganda..
1)God's love is real and unlike anything I've ever experienced!
2) Beauty starts from the heart not the head. Remember that..
3) There is more to life than ME and my 'needs.'
4)
Despite how difficult something may seem, power through it. God does
not promise an easy life but He does promise great reward.
5) There
is beauty in the broken. Although the destruction of my perfect little
world was devastating, the revival was great! God blew my mind in
Uganda.
This is Alan and I in Tororo, Uganda. We got a little crazy with stickers.
Kenya
What I loved about Kenya..
1) Chi! Yum! Fresh goat milk and boiled brown water! Haha seriously.. It was delicious (after a pound of sugar).
2) 10 mile walks that became second nature to me.
3) The voice of God becomes so clear and obvious in the middle of no-mans-land.
4)
Of course the animals! Oh bananas, how could I forget!? Wild giraffes,
zebras, baboons, ostriches, elephants and hyenas! Back home I'm woken up
at 3am by police helicopters. In Kenya, I was woken up by a pack of
hyenas that decided the fate of some unlucky mule-dinner. Kind of cool
in a sick way.
5) The Maasai tribe!
They are, by far, the greatest group of people I have ever encountered.
Not only are they unbelievably colorful but their spirits are so
welcoming. Despite the language barrier we laughed, danced and sang in a
way we have never and will never do again. Oh, the beautiful Maasai
tribe<3
6) Believe it or not, I love that I went 20+ days without
showering. That was such a big accomplishment for me. I was broken of a
crap ton in Kenya! I would also like to point out that you know it's bad
when Africans are begging you to shower haha! Congratulations team 3
for embracing Africa and then some ;)
7)The silence. Mm how I miss the peace and quiet of the African savanna.
8)Ladawma- the sweetest little boy ever!
9) I love how Kenya opened my eyes to how simple living can mean happy living. That was my shortest but best time on the field.
10) Prayer walks! Wow, God moments to the max!
11)
Dancing. Oh my.. The Maasai tribe has an interesting way of dancing and
I think I've mastered the art of the head bob. There has to be some
awesome team footage of our attempts to dance floating around somewhere.
What I learned while in Kenya-
1) The Holy Spirit is alive and living inside of me.
2) God gave me voice and there is power in my words!
3) I am victorious over the evils of this world because I fight in the name of Christ<3
4) God's strength is made perfect in my weakness.
5) Fasting is a powerful thing. Doing it with pure intentions of obedience and faithful prayers will produce amazing results.
6)
It's possible to get to a place in your walk with God where nothing of
this world will satisfy your soul. Only his great and faithful love.
7) I finally realized that I am a beautiful, precious and cherished daughter of God. He calls me daughter and I call him Abba.
I
didn't realize this at the time but my time in Kenya was wonderful. Out
of all three countries God walked us through, Kenya is probably my
favorite. God was present and almost tangible during our time in
Ngabolo. We made memories there that will never be forgotten.
This photo was taken at Pastor Dave's church on one glorious Sunday morning. That child hated me. She is the niece of our contact so she was around quite a bit.. long enough to realize she hated me. Also long enough to realize I dislike chickens. That's why she is on my lap with a flippin chicken. Funny right? No.
Tanzania
What I loved about Tanzania-
1) Bryson! For 4 short but wonderful weeks God allowed me to be in the presence of an angel.
2) Lohada orphanage- being able to do ministry at Camp Moses and Camp Joshua was a blessing.
3)
Mama Happiness and Pastor. Together they are a force for good! Mama has
such a huge heart for the orphanage and Pastor doing the work of God
with no questions asked. They welcomed 10 strangers into their house and
loved on us more than we ever expected.
4) Jacob. Oh sweet
goodness! He was a goofball and we loved every moment that we spent with
him. He's our African Wil Smith. The laughs that we shared with Jacob
still linger in my mind. What an amazing young man :)
5) Maasai
Camp! Our home base was amazing! Coming from the bush to this was
unbelievable. Hot showers..? Actual toilets..? What!? Too good to be
true! God blessed us more than we deserved with allowing us to stay at
Maasai Camp.
6) It's so green! Coming from Vegas I don't see a
lot of green so Tanzania blew my mind. Despite the ridiculously large
mosquito population, I loved the beautiful green scenery and humidity
that came along with that.
7) Let it rain! Funny story- Drayton
and I prayed for rain in Kenya like we getting paid! Sad to say the
flood gates didn't open while we were there BUT they flew open the
second we arrived in Tanzania! We both agreed we have to be more
specific about our prayers for now on ;) The rain here was amazing. It
made it impossible to allow your clothes to dry but on the plus side it
made for some awesome mud fights! Along with greenery, I'm also not use
to the rain. Needless to say I've never fallen asleep to sound of rain
on the roof. It was beautiful!
8) Swahili! I don't know why it
took us up until month 3 to learn how to communicate but it finally
happened. We have made Swahili our own. It's our African language with
an American twist. Everything is Hapana. Right guys ;)
What I learned while in Tanzania-
1)
Spiritual warfare is real and the battle is all around us. God has
allowed me to be more in tune with what's around us and I know, without a
doubt, that we were surrounded by angels every second of every day.
From the moment we all left our homes in January, God has commanded his
mighty angels to protect us from the evils of this world. Our stay in
Tanzania was wonderful but dangerous at times. God knew what we were up
against and already declared us victorious in His name!
2) Lukewarm is not a good place to be... Ever! Good read- Crazy Love by Francis Chan
3) My time on the field is not over. My Abba has more for me and I can't wait to see what it is :)
4) Loving someone means making yourself vulnerable and taking down your walls.
5)
I learned how to bargain. I am now able to, not only WALK into the
market area but, get a great price on whatever I need. Sometimes I
bargain so low I actually feel bad.. Nehh not really ;)
6) I don't know if I 'learned' this but I feel like I acquired the skill of discernment. You pick that up real fast in Africa.
7) 'Be still. Be patient.' God taught me how to do that while in Tanzania
Baby Joseph and I in Arusha, Tanzania. Words can't explain how much I love this child. He is filled with more joy and laughter than I have ever encountered.
I'm copy, pasting, resizing and editing this blog while lying in bed at a hotel in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. It's just Michelle, Sara Elizabeth and myself listening to, what we call, Jesus music and reflecting on the last four months. We leave tomorrow for Atlanta and then, of course, back home. It's been an AMAZING, INDESCRIBABLE, UNIMAGINABLE, BREATHTAKING, and LIFE CHANGING four months. I wouldn't change a second of it- any of it! I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend these amazing months with amazing people. I love my team more than I can put into words. The friendships I have made will last me a lifetime. If anyone who is reading this has an opportunity to experience anything like this, DO IT! Your life will never be the same. I promise.
You are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD,
A city on hill CANNOT be hidden.
Matthew 5:14
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Posted in Adventure by Claire Swarts on 4/28/2012
When I arrived at training camp at the beginning of the trip I absolutely loathed the scars that cover my arms. I had already paid $1,000 towards laser treatment.
I knew that it would only lighten them and that the scars were so deep that there was no way to take them away completely. I would have to live with them forever. What I hated the most about my scars was that people always noticed them and it would continuously remind my of the hurt I had been dealing with three years ago.
A couple of days into the trip when my teammates had seen my scars one of them told me that they were the fingerprints of Gods grace. When she said that, I blew it off and didn't really think anything of it.
Then when were we waiting for our flight to leave from Amsterdam I was sitting with one of the leaders from another team and she saw my scars, touched them and told me that it was awesome.
Later that night on the flight I spoke to her and asked her why she said that and how much I hated my scars. She then began to explain to me how my scars are a perfect picture of Gods grace and of how God can transform our lives completely.
A couple of days after speaking to her I could not get her words out of my head. Then it clicked that God was speaking to me and telling me to love my scars and to use them to bring glory to Him. At first I had no idea what to think about it, but then I started to get really excited.
Throughout my trip in Africa I have had more people feel, stare and ask about my scars then I ever have before. At first it was hard to explain in a way that they could understand, until I realized that it just needed to be short and to the point. So I tell them exactly how it is: "I was once sick but God healed me." And all they ever reply is, "Praise God. Amen". The perfect response.
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Posted in Expeditions 2 by Elizabeth Hanisch on 4/26/2012
Dear Mom and Dad -
I'm not a blogger. I struggle to actually sit and write out
my thoughts, ideas, and babblings on paper.
Maybe I'm just the more 'face to face type'. Well, I know
that I am more that type.
But I realize that
you are not here in Tanzania
with me to sit, drink some African coffee and talk and reflect back on the last
four months.
I could tell you about
the time when my team and I rafted the Nile River.
I could tell you about
hospital visits in Uganda
praying over precious souls that have been infected by AIDS.
I could share with you
the crazy experiences and stories of living in the bush of Kenya with the
Maassi tribe; carrying water from a creek, 3 miles away. Waking up at 3am to
elephants running past our tents.
I would love to share with you all these stories - and thousands
more.
But these stories are
not just mine.
They are the stories that involve some of the most
incredible people I've ever been around. They are the stories that have a voice
because of those who have given up the comfortable in exchange for the
uncomfortable - the known for the unknown - the safe for the potentially
unsafe.
These people are 20
somethings. College students. They are my
generation.
They are YOUR
sons and daughters.
They are the stories
of those that I have had the incredible honor
of leading and loving the last four months.
Dear Mom and Dad,
this blog is for you.
Thank you for
blessing Africa with your son or daughter.
Thank you for your
prayers and tears over us.
Thank you for the
investment you've made in her life.
Thank you for never
giving up on him.
Thank you for
releasing and letting go.
Thank you for
supporting and loving endlessly.
You have been the
ones waiting four weeks to hear an update, wondering when we've left one
country for the next- the ones who get that call saying that your 20 year old
baby is in the hospital with malaria - or that the ATM card doesn't work and I need
money wired to Kenya - and the ones that celebrate birthdays, weddings, and graduations,
and births apart.
Out here on the field
we can all be admired when we post pictures of us holding little orphan
children and when we're knee deep in dirt building a hut.
But there's something
to be said about how we, as students, got to this crazy place.
I read a quote a year
or so ago that sums up what I want to say -
"The
church in America
needs parents who are willing to release their children to the mission field. We need parents who love God more than their children. If we recognize the importance of evangelism, we will
encourage future generations to give their lives for God and enter the heat of
the battlefield even in the face of great danger."
No matter what your relationship with your son or daughter - you have
had an impact in their life - and not only in theirs.
But mine.
And Africa's.
Although I have been
their leader, I have learned beyond what
I could explain, from their lives. They have been daily reflections of
Jesus. Their willingness to learn and grow has challenged me. Their joy and
laughter has been contagious.
Their lives have
brought life to most dead and darkest of places.
So from the bottom of
my heart I want to tell you.
Thank you!
Every one of these
nine students that I have led are incredible. They are fantastic! They are ROCKSTARS. And I am humbled and
honored to have been apart of their lives; speaking into who they are - and are
becoming as Sons and Daughters of the Kingdom!
Devon,
Katie, Erika, LaDawna, Rachel, Jordon, Megan, Taleh, and Allie--
I love each of you like crazy and am so proud of who you are!
Thank you for your patience,
love, and grace for me as your leader.
I haven't always had it together - you've sure have seen me at my weakest
- and maybe a few times at my better. But through it all you've laughed with
me, prayed over me, and given grace and love. You are the best!
Much love from your team
leader and biggest cheerleader,
Elizabeth
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Posted in Expedition 3 by Drayton Garrett on 4/22/2012
Dear Drayton,
You are beautiful. You are a princess and I love you. There is no
power in heaven or earth that could ever separate you from my love. It
is higher than every mountain and deeper than every ocean. I have
trained you hands for war. I need you to fight for what I stand for, you
are more than capable. You have already won the battle, so keep
fighting for those I love. I am calling you to be a light by showing
unexplainable love. I want people to not see you anymore, I don't want
that to be the desire of your heart. I made you beautiful to bring
myself glory. People will be drawn to you so you can show them to me. It
will be hard, but remember, you are equipped. I want you to show love
everywhere you go, that is how your light will shine. It is going to
require sacrifice, putting others needs above your own. It is going to
take patience, and putting your worldly emotions on me so you can love
others. I have defeated all and have felt all emotions you will ever
feel. Love conquers all, it is bigger and better.
When you fully surrender and love the way I have called you to love
your heart will break for what breaks mine. You are blessed to serve me
in this way because I trust you, my faithful servant. I know you are
ready and willing to carry out my commands because you have felt my love
in your life. I have already shown you what it is like to love when
people do not respond. Imagine how I feel when my children turn from me.
Because you have experienced, endured and sought me through it, you
will be rewarded.
My love never fails, never gives up and never runs out on you.
Nothing can come between us. I am jealous for you. I am fighting for
you. "Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for
yours, because you are precious to me. You are honored and I love you."
(Isaiah 43:4)
Love,
Abba, Father, God
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Posted in Expedition 3 by Drayton Garrett on 4/22/2012
April 22, 2012
In 17 days I will be at home. Not just in America but actually at home. This time last year I remember getting ready for exams, from there the semester always FLIES by. This is out of control. In 27 days I will be leaving for camp. I will be seeing long lost friends for the first time in almost a year. I am so blessed to not feel far from them at all. In about 20 days I will see Kaitlyn and Drew. In 17 days I will hug the CRAP out of Sydney. In 17 days I will cry when I see my mom and dad and I will laugh at my sisters every word. In 27 days I start over with a new community. New growth. New trust. New faces. In 35 days I will start ministry again with these people. In 17 days I will say some of my hardest goodbyes of my life. I do not want to leave my family. In 15 days I will leave the place that changed me. In 9 days I will have to say goodbye to kids who have already stolen my heart. When you have not showered for 29 days the weight of how quickly this time goes by is a hard reality. We are working in a tangible time frame. In 17 days I will realize to what extent life didn't stop just because I was gone. In 16 days I will be able to reach anyone with the touch of a button. In 18 days I will cry, I know I will. But most importantly, in 17 days I will have a decision to make. What is my life going to look like? Saying that it will be different and living it out are two totally different things. And with the power of fire inside of me I can say with confidence that things WILL be different. I will be unrecognizable, unraveled and undignified. Even more that I already am, finally I will be able to live that out as an example to those around me in the place where my heart is,home. The place it is hardest to live it out. In 17 days I will encounter one of the hardest challenges yet. I have decided to follow Jesus. NO TURNING BACK.
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Posted in Expedition 3 by Megan Lee Esposito on 4/22/2012
Today, April 21, my team decided to dedicate the day to US MINISTRY. Instead of splitting up and going to the orphanages we chose to spend the morning ministering to each other. We started with breakfast and moved into worship. My absolute favorite thing in the world is worship! I may not have a voice that stops people in their tracks but my vocal cords work and you better believe I use them! During this time I found myself lost in the Spirit. I opened my notebook and began to write. This is what I wrote..
What if the only place you wanted to be was in the arms of God? What if you spent every day seeking out God? Running after Him- not walking but RUNNING! What if every second of your life you spent loving God so much that it made you love others in a way that can only be explained by the Holy Spirit? What would your life look like if you were late to work because you felt convicted to pray over someone or something in the moment and actually did it? What would people say about you if you boldly prayed before every meal despite who may be watching. I don't mean a 5 second, 'Thank you, Lord. I love you. Amen.' I'm talking about a genuine heartfelt prayer. A prayer that was so deep it left you lost in His wonderful presence. How would people react? Could you handle the stares from strangers and questions and comments from your friends? Will you actually follow in the footsteps of King David and praise God in a way that causes others to call you foolish? Are you willing to become even more undignified than your current state of faith? How deep does your love for the Father run? If the Spirit was speaking to you so clearly that you felt lead to drop to your knees and cry out to your Abba, would you? If God called you to leave your friends, family, and the comforts of home, would you say, 'Here I am, Lord. Send me?' What if it meant walking into a situation that meant laying down your earthly life for an eternity with your Savior? What would you do? It is easy to say 'Yes, I would do whatever God calls me to do' but given the opportunity would you truly say yes? What would your life look like if you obeyed God's every command?
How different would you be?
-Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, YOU ARE AMAZING GOD!
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Posted in Expedition 3 by Drayton Garrett on 4/22/2012
We want to be effective, we want to be productive, we want to take the burden and not be burdensome. This is the cry of the heart of someone who wants to serve, to be the hands and feet of Jesus. So we were told that we could help out by washing "a few sheets." This quickly turned into a soapy situation when this precious child named Issac put the ENTIRE box of detergent into the washing bucket. The few sheets turned into 20 bedding sets and 30 outfits of the children who live at Camp Joshua. We didn't care, we just wanted to help out. Six rinses and two hours later it was finished. And still I didn't feel the most effective that I could have been.
I have more to give than my excellent or not so excellent washing abilities, I thought. Who did we even help anyways? They probably could have done the task in half the time we did. But then I realized, the two hours I took out of my time is two extra hours those kids get to be kids. That was my way of serving them. That is something huge I have learned, when ministry gets tough the tough keep going. We are on the home stretch and this has been my prayer:
Dear God,
I pray that you would take control of this day, that my heart would not allow it to be a waste. Lead me to the child you want me to love on. Lead me to the teacher who needs encouragement. Lead em to the person who needs a helping hand. Light a fire in my heart that guides my every step. Give me patience and understanding in times of rest. I want to constantly be seeking you. Let others see that I am willing to serve and give me always a joyful heart.
Love, Drayton
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Posted in Expedition 3 by Jeremy Colquhoun on 4/22/2012
NO TURNING BACK
What if the moment Christ entered your life was the moment your life changed forever? What if when you decided to follow the King of Kings He asked you to do some crazy, epic, radical things? What if He told you to leave, never looking back? would you go without question? What if He asked you to leave your family, your friends, your job, everything that has been comfortable, gone in one instant. Would you do it? What if you followed The Great I AM, It meant you were risking your everyday, ordinary, livelihood to go into the literal unknown and unexpected? Would you turn back?
Following Abba Father means giving up EVERYTHING and also,
it means LEAVING EVERYTHING BEHIND, you wouldn't be able to turn back from the life that you were used to or the life that you were once living before. The King of Kings would make you a new person. Not just physically but mentally and most importantly spiritually as well. You would be transformed and would be made alive in Christ, made new in the eyes of The Almighty Father. To make that life changing choice to follow Christ you have to GIVE EVERYTHING AND LEAVING NOTHING BEHIND.
Would you do it?
Over these past few weeks of being in Tanzania, Christ has spoken to me and made me realize that even when I have nothing left I still have everything to give. All of these questions have been running through my mind and have been waiting to be answered. I finally found some of the answers to some of them when we were doing team worship. The song "No Turning Back" by Passion Worship Band came on. The song talks about having your heart cry, even when no one goes with you, your heart cry should be "The cross before me, the world behind me, I will follow you." This means just that. To give my EVERYTHING, making my deepest heart cry to have the cross before me each and every step I take, and leaving the world behind me to follow CHRIST each and everyday of my life.
This is who I am and who HE has called me to be. To GIVE EVERYTHING and to LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND.
I am not turning back to the life that I was used to, nor the life that I was once living before. The King of Kings has truly changed me and done an amazing transformation in and through me and I am now fully alive in Christ. In the eyes of the Almighty Father I am made new!
There's no turning back...
The cross before me The world behind me
I WILL FOLLOW YOU!
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Posted in Expedition 3 by Lizzie Burks on 4/17/2012
Radical
transformation. Two words that mean you've been changed forever. We've all
seen the shows on TV where someone goes in looking one way, and in a few days
or even some months later they leave looking like a completely different
person, inside and out. The reactions from others come in all different forms
they can scream, cry, jump up and down, or shower them with compliments. In the
end the person is always described in the same way: transformed.
The first trip I had taken with AIM was back in the fall of
2010 with the formally known 'Real Life' program. Our trip was to Kenya for
three months. To say that I went in one way and came out another would be an
understatement. The Lord wrecked my world, and brought me to life. I found out
who I was really in Christ, and who the Lord had created me to be. I went home
knowing that I would never go back to the person that I once was, but didn't
really know where to go from there.
Fast forward to this January when I left my home once again,
as a leader this time, to go back to Africa for four months. I knew that the
Lord was going to change/grow/mold me more this time, but I wasn't exactly sure
in what ways and how much. Can I just say that I love it when the Lord
surprises me? Because I really do... I honestly can't even pinpoint when the
transformation happened in my life because it has been so gradual. I do
remember when we came to Nairobi for midterm debrief (after being in the bush
for the past 27 days with no shower/mirror/clean clothes/running water) taking
my first shower and looking in the mirror not even recognizing myself. I have
to say, I freaked a bit. I was having my own identity crisis. It was really weird and unexplainable.
So, I did what every person would do, I talked to a few people about the
transformation going on in my life and they were super supportive and loved
what was happening. I however, wanted it to stop immediately.
When you've looked the same way for the past, well forever,
and suddenly you start to change, things get a little scary. It's a vulnerable
state to be at, letting people really see you and get to know you. Praying
through this the Lord continued to speak to me and let me know that more was
coming and that He was proud of me for allowing the change to happen. Not
knowing what all the meant I continued to pursue the Lord and ask Him what else
needed to change in my life. That, of course, is always a dangerous thing to
ask.
Arriving in Tanzania I had this newfound confidence in who I
was as a daughter of the Most High. I woke up and daily renewed my identity in
Christ and spoke truth into my own life. While I thought I was walking more
confidently in who I was, the Lord spoke to me, and told me that I was actually
hiding who I really was. Wait a second, I though I figured that whole thing
out. But, I was wrong. In this instance He was talking about my name. You see I've
gone by Lizzie since the 2nd grade, and never anything different
(unless it's my family talking to me.) The nickname stuck and I liked it. I
never saw myself as anything other than a "Lizzie." Short. Sweet. Easy to hide
behind. But it is time to come out of hiding! The name I thought I didn't
deserve, the Lord is giving back to me. So, no longer will I be a short,
simple, easy to hide behind 'Lizzie' but I will walk confidently in my
God-given name, Sara Elizabeth. Not
so short, not so simple, and definitely not easy to hide behind. I know my
radical transformation is a work in progress, but I feel like my identity
crisis is finally over.
First days in Uganda
A few days ago in Tanzania!
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Posted in Melody Brewer by Melody Brewer on 4/15/2012
Washing clothes takes a while. Especially when you are washing 40 bed sheets. By hand.
Working at Camp Joshua Christian School for the past week has been wonderful. On Friday, we asked the headmaster what we could do to help today. He asked if we would be willing to wash some clothes, "Sure!" was our response. We were told Isaac, a 12 year old boy, would help us begin.
The first step was to draw water out of the 50 foot well with a bucket and rope. It was exhausting to say the least considering we had to make probably six or seven rounds of drawing the water. When we finished getting water, Isaac had brought the detergent. He proceeded to take a handful of the powder and put it in the bucket. And then another handful. And then another. And then he just dumped the rest of the box's contents into the already sudsy water. I just looked at my teammates, knowing this was the soapiest water to ever be used. Isaac took his hand and mixed the water. Soap bubbles were flowing over the sides of the bucket. So we began to wash. One sheet at a time. The bright pink sheets are difficult to wash, not only because of their size, but because when they get wet it is very difficult to tell where the spots were to get them out, so you just kind of have to guess. Two of us were washing and two of us were rinsing. We realized that rinsing in the one bucket of clean water was not going to cut it considering the sheets were still slimy from the soap. So we proceeded to rinse again. And again. And again. After rinsing these 40 bedsheets (plus other clothes) four times we gave up. We decided to just hang them up on the line to dry, they were going to be starchy and stiff anyways.
So after washing for over two hours, we finished the laundry the headmaster had asked us to do. Jacob, one of our local friends, asked us why in the world they allowed us mzungus (white people) to wash clothes, considering all we do is "play with them" and not actually wash them. But, we did it. Forty bedsheets, numerous clothes, way too much soap, and four rinsings later, we finished. Welcome to laundry in Tanzania.
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