Its the Final Countdown... II

I woke up around 4:00 a.m. today and feel great. No stomach cramps, no other digestion problems, I'm definitely going to try to fly home today! My plane leave Dar es Salaam at 11:00 p.m. so I have all day to say goodbye and to pack.

Quite frankly I'm amazed I recovered so quickly! Every other malaria victim here at LJS was taken out for at least a few days. I seriously feel almost 100%! Thank the Lord!


Top 10 List of Things I'll Miss From Tanzania

10- African Time: I like the slower pace of life here. You take your time to do things that have to be done. I didn't even really need a watch while I was here. It is a drastic change from
American time, where I schedule about every single minute of my day.

9- Swahili: I really like Swahili and it is something I definitely want to pursue in the future. Its a fun language and useful everywhere in Africa.

8- The Maasai Village visits: The Maasai are so welcoming and friendly. Even though they don't have a lot (materialistically) they don't hesitate to make us feel at home. They always give us chairs to sit in, more food then we could ever eat, and they will walk or ride many kilometers just to give us the luxury of soda. They also don't hesitate to give large offerings to the church. There giving nature and humble spirit is very inspiring.

7- Morogoro: Its so weird going from 'the bush' to Morogoro. Its like a big city but you can still tell your in Africa. There are all sorts of different people, different shops, and new experience to be had every time I go into town.

6- The Animals: I'm going to miss all the animals. I loved going to Mikumi and will definitely come back to Africa to go on another safari. Just about every day while I've been here I've discovered a new and exciting bug on my way to the dining hall. I think I miss most of the bugs here... except the mbu (mosquitoes).

5- The Music: The music is amazing! I mean the native Tanzanian music, not the silly rip offs of crappy American pop (see 'I love the way you do me' for reference). But I will be able to take a small piece of it home with me, I'll be bringing back a Zeze, a sort of Tanzanian guitar.

4- Worship: I hope I don't get too bored with church services back home. The services here are super exciting and you can tell everyone is having a good time praising the Lord. I will miss the dancing, the singing, and the goats in church for the offering.

3-The culture: Despite what some of you think, I really do like Tanzanian culture. It has its downsides (like every culture), but it has many things I want to bring back to America with me. Respect for elders, greetings, closeness within the family, I could go on and on and on.

2-The Land: I love the mountains and the warm breeze, the rain and sunshine, the trees and flowers. Its going to be quite a shock going back to snow...

1-The People: Everyone here at LJS is amazing. I've made some really great friends (both Tanzanian natives and other students) and its going to be really hard to say goodbye. They are so friendly and genuine. I know I'll see some of them in the future.

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High: I feel really good this morning, I just hope it lasts for the next 36 hours as I travel.

Low: I have to leave Tanzania. Its going to be hard.

Well thank you everyone for reading my blog, e-mailing me, writing me letters, and everything else you have done to support me. I'll put a short blog letting yall know that I got home safely. Otherwise, I think this is just about my last blog! Thank you, its been fun.