Some thoughts from Colleen Last as we get ready to begin our journey:

Tuesday, July 6, 2010: 11 days until our flight to Tanzania. On our first trip to Tz (2004) I wrote in my journal “It is midnight, we’re under a mosquito net and we can’t sleep. Our body clocks are in the western hemisphere. Dar es Salaam has continuous sounds of birds, sprinklers, bells, traffic and people.”

July 7, 2010: I also commented in my journal at the end of the trip, “are we help or hindrance?” And again I lamented that when we were with other Americans we talked louder, laughed louder and took up more space!

And so as I prepare for this trip I want to keep the aforementioned in mind and remember that the sounds became quite routine. I want to gracefully travel with our hosts and remember I am a guest in the Tanzanian culture.

I hope to find the smiling caring friends and meet new friends. I can’t wait to see ILGSS (Igumbilo Lutheran Girls Secondary School) and see the additions they’ve made to the campus. AND I imagine shopping in Iringa will be just as fun!