Hi there! I’m sorry for the gap between posts, internet here is just far too difficult sometimes. I’ll tell you now that there is no organization to this post, so be prepared.
I’ve finally become completely comfortable here. Enough so that two nights ago I dreamt I was back home, my first day, and I said “asante sana” to my mom and she didn’t know what to say back because it’s swahili. When she didn’t respond, I just started sobbing and told her how much I wanted to go back to Africa. When I woke up I didn’t want to open my eyes incase I was actually back home...but then I did and was still in Africa :) So mom, when I come home and say Asante Sana, say Karibou. Anyways..I love everything about being here even more than before. The kids and I have an amazing bond now, Isaac and Elizabeth are so much more to me than the directors of Hill Crest, and Isaac’s sister is truly a friend of mine. She is 22 so we have a lot in common, and we really have a great time together. I can navigate the Dalla Dallas and conquer town alone. Via Via really makes the week, it’s a dance club we go to on Thursday nights and it’s so much fun. Of course I miss home, but this is a place I can see myself spending significant amounts of time in the future.
Isaac and Elizabeth are still the most amazing people I’ve met here. Going to their house every day after class went from being the polite thing, to being a favorite part of the day. Isaac gets so excited when I tell him everyone wants to visit Hill Crest. Elizabeth and I had a discussion about how we wash hair..she just uses a bar of soap and had no idea what shampoo and conditioner were. I’m going to get her some today when we go into town :)
The day before I left for Tanzania, I went to see Mumford & Sons with Lauren and Brandon. I got the deluxe version of Sigh No More which comes with the recorded album, a live album, and a DVD of their 4 short documentaries (Gentlemen of the Road). I was watching them Sunday night and Marcus said something that hit me pretty hard.. “When someone gives you something, you want to give them something back.” Sure, it’s a simple statement that anyone could say and probably does say, but it made me think about Hill Crest and Isaac and Elizabeth. They have given me so much at the school. Freedom to teach how I want, freedom to change their system, encouragement to improve the school however I feel is best, a “safe haven” (their home) that I go to every day to talk about anything and everything, and a real understanding of the culture here and how people live. Isaac feels so strongly about me knowing everything about daily life for most people in the village. So as I was thinking about what they’ve given me, I started thinking about the donations we’ve received. (Asante Sana, again!) And I finally decided exactly how I want to progress with Hill Crest and the money.
Before I leave, we will have land purchased in the village for a new Hill Crest. Now, I’m completely aware that in no way will 3 months be enough time to get enough money to buy land and build a school right now, but the cost of building will remain around the same while land will continue to rise which is why I want to buy it now. Hill Crest needs a real school building, not rental homes that we use as a school. There is one piece of land that I really really want and it comes with an old little building/shack thing on the grounds. Isaac met with the officer Friday and we’ll chat Monday to see how much it will be. There will be land for Hill Crest by the time I leave on November 7th, and some people from the group here now have even suggested coming back next summer to build it, all of us coming back together to do the dirty work and build a new Hill Crest. Yeah, next summer is far and a lot could happen but before I told anyone this, they had already said they’re coming back next year. From Chicago, Mexico, Australia, UK...all my friends here were so excited at the thought of doing more dirty work than teaching work.
Hill Crest is going to have a new school, darn it. And getting land is the first step. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far (and so much!!!) because you’ve given me such hope that this can happen. I wish everyone could come out here and meet Isaac and Elizabeth and the kids at Hill Crest because I know you would all feel as strongly as I do about everyone there, and what they’re doing. Elizabeth asked me Friday if I would be here in December, I said no, and she said “Oh no...I want you here for the baby.” Cue the sobbing, Elizabeth wants me here when they have their second child. I’ve thought on several occasions that I would like to be here for the birth, but more to make sure she gets good care at the hospital. So it was nice to hear that she wanted me there to be with them as they have their second child, and I so wish I could! But it’s okay, they have facebook and I’ll be back.
So incase I didn’t exactly say what my plan for Hill Crest is, here goes.
In the next 60 days, fundraise lots and lots so we can afford land to buy for Hill Crest. (So everyone, please share this! Spread the word! $10 is 15,000tsh!! That’s so much!) I’ll plan on coming back in June to start stage 2, buying supplies and building. (Mission trip, anyone?!) By the end of next summer, hopefully we can have a new Hill Crest for the kids!! Yay!! And maybe next time we can build a dorm for orphans (that’s Isaac and Elizabeth’s biggest dream- give orphans food at night and a place to sleep). So that’s that.
My friend just told me I need to update y’all on more than just Hill Crest, and that what I’m doing here for fun isn’t boring...sooo.. Yesterday, 5 of us went to a snake park just outside of Arusha. We held a little grass snake and a crocodile and rode a camel!! It was actually really scary..but I’m glad we did it. For lunch, we went to Shanga, a bead factory..the diamond in the rough. Oh it was beautiful. The bead factory was set up to give people with disabilities jobs, so everyone there was either blind, deaf, or had physical disabilities. There was a boy with Downs Syndrome working and he was just the sweetest. 15% of all the purchases go to a school they’re building for people with special needs, so that’s where I’ll be getting all my gifts. Part of the bead factory was the Riverhouse, this AMAZING restaurant we went for lunch. They bring around champagne and fresh squeezed juice as we wait, then we had soup, simosas, and a full salad and barbeque buffet, and dessert with coffee. All for 25,000tsh and it was the best afternoon we’ve had in a while. Even when we’re supposed to be separating ourselves from the luxuries of home, it’s nice to have a taste of the first world once in a while. I couldn’t help but think about my parents, knowing that they would spend every day there if (when) they came :)
That’s about all I got. Share the Hill Crest story!! The kids, Isaac and Elizabeth and I thank you all so much for reading and donating!!!
xoxox
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