Just Thinking About Things

The longer I live here the more I look at life differently. I have been here for almost a year and have been surrounded by so much poverty...at every turn there is a need. I can't help but begin to see so many of the "things" that were so important to me as insignificant. How much priority can I put on fashion and clothing when there are people here with only one set of dirty, worn-out clothes? How can I be picky about what I eat when there are people all around me who will not have enough food this week to feed their family?

I feel like I've gained a deeper appreciation for the things that I have. A friend sent me a package that had candy in it. I gave 90% of it away...just because I knew someone else would appreciate it so much.

It is interesting to me what I am looking forward to most when I go back to California at the end of the month for a visit. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss my church. I want to spend time with my nephews playing outside with them. I want to go to Santa Barbara camping with my cousins and sit around the campfire and enjoy their company. I want to return to the elementary school I taught at and thank them for their generosity. I want to visit my father's grave with my mom and clean up all the overgrown grass with her. I want to visit my friend Freya and spend time chatting together about "everything" and enjoy her beautiful baby Relle.

When I first moved to Tanzania there were days where I would think about visiting California. I'd think about the food, oh the food, paved roads, clean water, no mosquitoes, no bugs, and so much more. But now that I am leaving in a few weeks and have had time to think about my upcoming visit, I find my heart already misses life in Tanzania.
The pleasure of seeing my family and friends is what takes me to Calif.
The enjoyment of living here in Tanzania is not found in "things." It is something that I cannot explain in words on this blog entry, but it's what will bring me back to Tanzania after being in Calif for a month.

I feel like a completely different person since I have been living here. It is like I look at life with a different set of eyes...I like these new eyes.
Being here has caused me to want to be a better person. I want to appreciate all that I have and see the blessings of the Lord each day. I want to be a blessing to people in some way everyday.
I thought I came to Tanzania to start a school. I believe starting the school is the road I must take that leads to so much more. This is quite an adventure. :)