Safari and Sunset Lodge

Hey everybody its senja here! So recently we drove to Sunset Lodge in Ruaha National park. Alot of bumps in the road and alot of car sick people. it took a long time to get there. the cabins were little huts and there was like a billion stairs to the huts. they were pretty fancy umm the veiw was spectacular! ohhh the sunset was a blazing orange :] the weather was nice too. well heres jenna. so can’t wait to see you when i get home.

just so you know this isn’t senja typing but her words cause i was rushed. haha its jenna. :]

Heyy its jenna now. so yeah the safari was pretty cool. we saw giraffes, elephants, zebras, hippos, lions [yawning], gezelle, crocs, supposedly a cheetah but thats debatable. yeahh so we went twice and the 1st one was later so it was cool to see animals and the sunset. the 2nd day was cool too cause we got to see an elephant so close you could hear it breathing. it was so rad. well can’t wait to share the amazing memories with you guys when i get home. okayy heres alex !

hi its alex! okay so umm wow we ate breakfast and we are all completely sick of eggs. we didn’t really do anything except pack up and leave. the bus ride back was really quiet cause almost everyone was tired about alittle over halfway back to the lutheran center one of the vehicles ran out of fuel. most of us thought it was funny except miss abigail. she wasn’t very happy about it. once we got back we had lunch at the hasty tasty and now we are here writing this blog. this is going to be our last post we will be leaving iringa tomorrow morning and going to dar. then sunday morning flying home so will be back to share stories and memories monday. can’t wait !

Ihemi Farewell, Hiking, & Pommerin

Woo! The last few days have been a whirlwind of business for us. We’ve been driving around, visiting, and hiking for three days and now we finally have a spare moment to catch all of you up at home.

We found out about Todd and Barb on Saturday night. The news was devastating for the group and our hearts have been reaching out to the Bachman family and friends from Africa. It has been hard to be away from our family at Christiania at a time like this.

Here is Abbie’s update on the last few days…

yooo everyyoneee
okayy ihemi farwell was prettyy tighttt. they gave all the girls kongas and they wrapped us up for us so all of us had matching skirtss on.. pluss some fabulous head wear. we all lookedd hilarious. plus brian and theo got shirts made for them that look pretty cool too.. theyy sang tons of songsto us and gave us gifts then we gave them the gifts that everyone at home donated. and thanksss a tonn bo for the million pairs of shoes. :/ we had a gigantic garbage bag fulll of tennis shoee….. plus another bag. at the very end of the farwell everyone stood up, faced the front of the church and prayed…. for about what seemed FOREVERR! we probably prayed for about 20 minutes at a minimum. this might sound bad but when it got done it was a big sigh of relief for ALL OF USS… ha. the next morning we went hikingg at thee isamlia stone age site. it was absoultely beautiful… it was like a mini grand canyon you could say. we saw tons of cool rockss and stuff. and it was GOOD EXCERSISE too. ha. but everyone hated the big stone stair casee. but it had fun running up itt. then today we got on the bus at 9 am to take a 2 hour drive to pommerin secondary school. the bus ride became short from all the kidss playingg catch phrase and mad libs. the adults kinddaa got annoyed from listening to us scream out answers that wern’t righttt. that game get prettyy intense with us playing. ha.. mad libs were fun too. the themee was dinosaurs so they got prettyy interesting…. we got to the school and took a tour, we had tea in some room and taked about how there school system workedd. and its WAYY OFFF compared to our school’s systemm.. we also got to walk into a classroom and introduce ourselves. there were some people that laughed at us because our swahili isnt very good… lol.. then we saw where the girls ‘dorm’ was. the squeezed 12 girls in 1 room on bunk beds. that looks like a good party room. jkkk… then me, alex, jenna, senja, theo, and jessica walked with the tour guide’s assistant to the ‘playground’ you could sayy. but he showed us their soccer- ‘football’ – field, basketball court and volleyball court. and it like the old saying skin and bones. well they’re playing fields are basically sticks & sand. heheee.. then we took another 2 hour bus ride homee. >:/
i ended up ’semi’ falling asleep in the backseatt on top of all the sleeping bags. but it was pretty comfortable…so i was good. we also had p.b.&j sandwiches on the bus that were prettyyy good. and were pretty tired of rice and potatoes. … plus we had PRINGLES! theyy were deliciousss. we finally got to the lutheran center and chilled for a bit. then some of us came to the internet cafe which is where i am now.. tomorrow we pack up and head to rwaha for our 2 day safari.. whoopp whoopp. TONSS OF PICTURES WILL BE TAKENN. hope no one’s camara dies. lol. time has flown by and all our days are becoming a blurr. we cant remember if what we did one day was from the day before or last weekk. yeahh its confusing but weree good. we cant wait to come home but then again were sad to leave. we arnt sure if were gonna make it back to the internet cafe againn..? but we’ll try.
if not….
we’ll see you in minneapolis and at churchh.
loveee and miss you alll.
kisseesss. MUAHHH!
abbiieee;

p.s. yes deb were gettingg yourr comments so stop worryingg. take a chill pill.
BYEEEE>!

Sad News in Beijing

We heard today that two American tourists were attacked in Beijing yesterday. The news said that they were related to one of the men’s volleyball coaches. I don’t know who for sure, but we do know that Todd and Barb Bachman’s daughter is married to the head coach and that they were planning on traveling to Beijing. We are praying that they are all right and for the family of those attacked. Please keep them in your prayers.

A View From Above…

Mambo!

Seeing as today was a relaxing/shopping/hang out day, I thought I would take a moment to catch all of you up on what’s been going on with the group. It seems like we’ve been writing and writing about all the things we’re doing, but we forget to mention the small changes/accomplishments/funny moments that happen with all of us.

First, though, I’ll say a few words about yesterday. As Savanna mentioned, we visited Ilula Hospital and Barret’s Orphanage and then had dinner at a place called River Camp. The hospital was incredible–it was much bigger than any of us expected and all the buildings/functions there were quite impressive. Sue especially enjoyed the hospital, of course (she is a pharmacist). The orphanage was also incredible. It was immaculate for TZ (and maybe even US) standards and the girls there were great. They sang and danced for us after we arrived and absolutely blew us away–it was the best we’ve heard so far (in my opinion anyway). Barret, the woman who started and runs the orphanage, was great to meet and listen to. She is from Norway and says she ended up in TZ as a result of the girl scouts in Norway. All in all, it was a great day. And it ended with a fantastic meal at River Camp where we sat among a bunch of Brits that if not entertained, then at least made us feel at home.

OK, the view from above. First I will tell you what the Hasty Tasty is. It’s a little (er, tiny) restaurant in Iringa Town that is run by a Indian couple. They have great food and we’ve eaten there twice so far. It is difficult to find enough seating and it may take awhile to get our food, but it’s a fun place to be.

Here’s some tidbits about the kids. Jenna has adopted the name “Yesterday” because we found out her name in Swahili means “yesterday.” Jenna is also proud to report that she has tried–and even eaten–everything that’s been put in front of her in Africa. She says she is very picky at home, but I haven’t seen any trace of it from her yet! Alex has completed all her shopping, unlike the rest of us who can’t make up our minds. And, Sally, I believe she’s been sleeping wonderfully. Even if she is used to waking up at noon! We’ve found out that Theo can do an amazing Senator Tim Calhoun from SNL that makes us (or me) roll. Theo also has turned into a Massai warrior, thanks to his new shuka and the power stick you’ve all heard about. He carries his power stick EVERYWHERE with him. Savanna is our resident pro barterer–we are all so surprised at how tough she can be! Any time someone wants a good deal in the market, they make sure Savanna is along. Senja is our comedian and is always doing impressions from tv shows that make us laugh at all the right moments. And she is doing well with the food–we haven’t had any problems with nuts at all (thank goodness!). Jessica has been our wild woman (well, sometimes). And she has been really good at tying the group together so that everyone feels involved and important. We are so thankful for that! Nikki has already decided she wants to come back to TZ again–or travel the world, whichever. We told her to settle down and wait till the trip is at least over before she starts planning the next one! And last but not least, Abbie is our sleepaholic. She is able to sleep on the bus with her head against the window while we’re traveling down the bumpiest roads I’ve ever encountered. That’s quite a talent if you ask me!

Yesterday when we were walking through the market we were talking about how comfortable we are here. When we first arrived and were walking around in Iringa, we felt lost and had no idea what to do or where to go. But now we are beginning to learn the town and are able to navigate easily through it. We know enough Swahili now to have small conversations with people who pass us on the street and we know how to respond as we walk into shops. It’s a great feeling to be confident in a country so unlike ours and like we might even belong here. We are looking forward to the rest of our trip, but are also dreading the day we leave. Just a few days ago we couldn’t believe we had 14 whole days left of the trip because it felt like we had already done so much, but now it feels like it’s going WAY too quickly.

Thank you to everyone who has been leaving comments. Everyone appreciates it greatly. I don’t know when we’ll get a chance to write again in the next few days, but until then, kwa heri!

†peace.

Elizabeth

Preaching Points & Slumber Parties

Hello friends and family!

We had a wonderful couple of days and nights in Ihemi! We visited most of the preaching points and enojyed a variety of refreshments and singing and dancing. At most preaching points we were able to make connections on how or cultures are different and the same, how interesting that was! After a long day of traveling we would come back to the main Ihemi parish and play soccer or frisbee with the kids, they REALLY loved that! Sleeping in a small room with 13 bodies was another wonderful event we all got to experience. Overall, it was a time that I am sure that we will never forget. We got to Iringa this morning and were able to take our first shower in 3 days. I never knew that I would appreciate water so much in my life! While going down to the internet cafe, the president of Tanzania road by and waved at all of us. We were so excited that he waved at us, how cool is that? As of right now we are relaxing before lunch and traveling to the orphange and hospital. Keep your posts coming our way, all of us are always excited to see who has wrote to us. Peace!!

Savanna Anderson

Kangas, Carvings, and Power Sticks

Habari! Today was a really great day. Thankfully we got to sleep in until 9 o’clock. After breakfast we visited the diocese office and learned a lot about what they do to help the different churches. We were there for about an hour and then visited the market. Many people purchased kangas, carvings, bracelets, and necklaces. Theo bought a “power stick” which is used by the Massai elder when he is speaking and has the authority to tell people when they can speak. Theo is greatly enjoying it, he promises to keep us all safe. It was exciting to barder. A lot of us managed to get the prices down lower. I only had one successful barder out of many, but I’m hoping to get better over time. We went to the Hasty Tasty for lunch which was very good, but very busy. We spent a little while longer at the market but headed away from town to go on our rock climb. We took a wrong turn while on our way to the path, so we had a little bit of trouble We climbed (which was more of a hike) Gangalanga Rock. After about 45 minutes we reached what we guessed was the top, or at least as high as the path would take us. There was a gorgeous view of Iringa and the mountains. We took lots of pictures, especially of Theo and his precious power stick. On our way down we got a little lost, apparently we don’t have a very good sense of direction. We headed back to the Lutheran Center for dinner, which was also very good. Tomorrow we are leaving for Ihemi for 2 days and we will be staying at the pastor’s home. We apprecitate your comments and look forward to reading them. We are having a great time and hope that life in Minnesota is well.

Kwa Heri (Good bye)

Jessica Boerner

Ihemi

from the mind of Theo Hofrenning

WOW what a crazy day!! we got up and ate omelets in the Lutheran Center. hopped on the bus and drove the half an hour out to Ihemi. we missed the turn twice but when we did get there( half and hour late) they were still waiting on side of the road. they had tree branches in there hands and smiles on their faces. they followed the van down the road singing and dancing the whole way.  i will admit that my heart was up in my throat. when we got out of the van the whole town gathered and started singing and dancing. i got a really long hug from some guy who i later found out, from the pastor, thought i was Jordan Skillman. we got ushered in to the pastors house and had tea and medazies. they are a really good pastry. then we went to church. and holy cow what a service it was like 3 hours but it felt like 1. there was singing and dancing and preaching and everything!! the singing was amazing too it was sooo energetic and beautiful. then after that we had an auction out side of the church. Brian Smith bought a chicken and i bought a sack of potatoes (which we later had for lunch).  it was all very good. then we went to a cool choir competition it was really super awesome. after that we had another auction for some baskets which some of us will be bringing home. after that we met with the kids and sung some songs and got in the van and drove back to Iringa. we haven’t had dinner yet so i cant tell you about that so thank you for your prayers and keep up the comments we really appreciate it.

love from Africa,

Theo

Planes, Buses, and Jet Lag…

Jambo!

I’m happy to report that all 14 of us made it to Iringa in 14 very excited, very tired pieces. Our 12 hour flight from JFK to DXB (Dubai) went quickly thanks to the beautiful plane and incredible entertainment system. Unfortunately, though, not many of us got sleep so the second flight to DAR (only 6 hours) was much harder (and the plane wasn’t quite as nice…). Both flights were on time, though, and by the time we got to Dar we were all excited to be there. Pastor Tom met us at the airport with John and Haruna, our conductor and driver for the trip. We drove out to the retreat center we stayed the night at to drop off our luggage and then were swept away to the Sea Cliff restaurant on the Indian Ocean for dinner. It was a very, very nice meal on a patio right on the ocean and we had a great time. They told us that that would be the nicest meal we get here, but I have to say I am just coming from an extremely delicious dinner we had at the Lutheran Center in Iringa where we are staying so…

We got up early this morning to shower, pack, and eat breakfast before our long busride to Iringa. The 8 hour busride turned out to be about 11.5 per our short break down on the side of the road, but John and Haruna got us going in about 30 minutes so we were able to arrive here in Iringa just after dark. For lunch we stopped in a game park at a sort of safari lodge that was just perfect. Just as our seasoned TZ travelers at Christiania warned us, at the first sight of animals in the game park we all jumped out of our seats with glee. I kept telling myself that I wasn’t going to freak out about the animals, but there I was staring intently out the window, camera in hand the whole time we drove through it. The first animal we saw was a gazelle. Then there were giraffes, an elephant (that not many of us saw..), zebras, baboons, water buffalo, and wart hogs. It was quite thrilling, to say the least!

Tonight we settled into our rooms at the Lutheran Center which are VERY nice and had dinner at the restaurant on site. Pastor Tom requested a cucumber soup for our first course that was wonderful. Then there was chicken, potatoes, and vegetables followed by a piece of chocolate cake. Not to shabby, eh?

Tomorrow we go out to Ihemi to worship with our partner congregation. We are so so excited about meeting our friends at Ihemi. After church all the youth from the preaching points are coming for a singing competition that should prove to be a highlight of the trip. More on that later. I better get to bed now…I was having trouble keeping my head up at 7:30 PM and now it’s probably well after 9!

†peace.

Elizabeth

The Big Apple Conquered!

Well here I sit in the hotel lobby as we wait for our shuttle to the airport. Thankfully we all made it safe to New York yesterday AND we successfully navigated the subways to go exploring in Manhattan. We took a river cruise around the statue of liberty and up the Hudson a ways which was a highlight for everyone. We also walked to ground zero and checked out Times Square. While most of us were running on 1-4 hours of sleep, we did really well and managed to make it through the whole day. That goodness!

Our flight leaves for Africa at 11:20 this morning. We are all anticipating the long (18 hours!) flight, but all very anxious to be on our way. Hopefully the entertainment system on the plane will keep us occupied!

Here’s some comments from Theo:

Yesterday was bombing i loved it . i have already been to NY before but to see Times Square the second time was super cool. i cant wait to get to africa!!!!!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and comments and love that we all feel from you as we begin this journey. I’ll try to post again on the other side!

†peace.

Elizabeth

Orientation!

Hello readers! This is the first official post on Christiania Youth’s new blog. The purpose of this blog (as you may have read on the “About Us” page) is first and foremost to keep a log of our mission trips so people back home can read about our adventures. This blog was originally created to serve as a means for communication while 14 youth and adults embark on a mission trip to Tanzania, Africa which starts on July 30, 2008. I hope that the posts we do on this blog while we are away will keep us connected to our congregation and include our friends and families in on our journey. Because if it weren’t for the people in our community, this trip would not be possible.

In addition to serving as a trip log, this blog will also serve as a way to stay connected in community while we live our daily lives. It is my goal to do periodic posts authored by myself and others that will engage youth and adults in contemplation and discussion around a number of topics. But don’t get me wrong, this is not one of those serious, intellectual blogs that speaks only of important issues and news. This is supposed to be fun!

SO, here’s how it works. Blog posts will be displayed on the front page with the most recent post at the top (scroll down to see previous posts). If you feel so compelled to leave a comment or ask a question about the post (which is encouraged), you can do so by clicking on the comment link at the bottom of the post. Comments will be a way for us to discuss the blog post with each other or just a way to say hello–you can leave as many as you want. As you may also notice, there is a chat section on the right side of the page. This is a place where you can leave messages in an ongoing conversation with all those who visit this blog. You do not have to log in to leave a message–just type what you want to say in the text box and press enter! If you want to put your name on it instead of the generic one, you can change it in the space below where you type that says “edit nickname.”

I think that about covers it. If there are questions, leave a comment and I’ll try to answer them!

†peace.

Elizabeth