Almost home...

My last week here has been incredible...and my legs are completely back to normal after the volcano summit, except for a new round of bruises! Tuesday was my last day at Eluai, the Maasai village I have been visiting once a week, that Kitumusote is based in. To say that it was the most perfect day would be an understatement. The weather was the best that I have had in the past 6 weeks here: beautiful sunshine and visibility for miles! Eluai is nestled on the side of a mountain as well, so you can see pretty far. Now my favorite way to travel the 2 1/2 hours to the village from Arusha has become what I lovingly call the "death ride," which is a rented pickup truck (picture a '57 Chevy that's been rusting for the better part of its lifespan and that requires a push to get started), in which we travel over hill and vale, past flat-topped acacia trees, herds of cattle and goats, waving Maasai warriors and kids that are tending to those same herds, holding on for dear life while standing in the bed of the truck, with all the bumps and ruts in the "road"...tough to fully describe the experience, but I tried. Once at the village, I had yet another intensive tutorial in Maa, waiting for the meeting to start, which basically turns into a laugh session every time as both they and myself get the biggest kick out of my feeble attempts at some of the pronunciations! I walked into the meeting to see my name last on the agenda. It was a fairly short meeting up to that point as they did not have much business to discuss, and even though I couldn't understand the language when they got to the last item of business, I couldn't keep the tears from spilling over as I knew it was to say goodbye and thank you. Crying is not very customary in their culture either, so I was very surprised and touched as they tried to comfort me with smiles, holding my hands, and hugs. They disappeared as a group, and then returned in a few minutes singing and dancing in unison as is their custom...the sound of their voices together singing a farewell is something I will not even attempt to describe as it is almost impossible to relate the effect the sound of African voices singing has on me! I could only sit and cry more as they broke out individually to shake my hand, give me a hug, and bestow either a necklace or bracelet from their own neck or wrist onto me as they continued to sing. I have never gotten so many gifts at once before in my life!! Then I got pulled into the dancing and singing!! Now, the Maasai jewelry has little metal doo-dads dangling from everything, which creates the most incredible jingle that I have also fallen in love with...hearing it in sort of a surround-sound effect every week is now one of my favorite sounds in the world. By the end of the meeting, there were smiles all around, I had pulled myself together, I was loaded to the hilt with so many tokens of their appreciation, and I was jingling too! After saying goodbye one more time, we loaded into the back of the death ride to head to the other side of the mountain to visit the director of Kitumusote's boma/village. Rounding the hillside my breath caught in the back of my throat as the Ngorongoro Crater spread out before us in the valley, the sun glinting off Lake Magadi in full glory!! I got to meet the whole family, and received a blessing from the Maasai "don" of the boma, which if I describe it here, would probably just gross people out, but at the time, it was one of the most incredible moments of acceptance and gratitude I have ever experienced! The ride back to Arusha was culminated by a beautiful sunset over the Maasai lands, and I tried to soak it all in as it would be the last time I would look out over it all (this trip).

I have since finished up all my project work at Kitumusote, met up with some friends from Nairobi here in Arusha, and also gotten to see my guide from Kili! After several trips to the market in town, one of which I was on the back of a motorcycle and a Maasai warrior was driving--still wish I'd gotten a picture of that one--I think I'm all set to leave here. All that's left to do is pack and then all I plan to do is relax by the pool at a nearby lodge until it's time to head to the airport. As of Thursday my blood was at it's thinnest ever, and after I put on my stylish compression hose, I should be good to go and spend the next 20 hours on a plane...have no fear, I will be doing ankle pumps and leg kicks till the cows come home, and sleeping is the last thing on my mind!! Really looking forward to seeing everyone when I get home...and please forgive me if I am a little late since my flight into Newark is now arriving an hour later...as they say here, "No hurry in Africa!"

So I picked the title of this entry for 2 reasons...first, I'm up at the crack of dawn writing this because I couldn't sleep due to the fact that I'm really excited to fly out this evening for home. Secondly, and on the other hand, I can't quite believe I'm leaving this place after 13 weeks here. It has become almost home for me, and I will miss it. To have the experiences that I have had, both in Kenya and here, has both reaffirmed what I believe in and also changed me in ways that I probably won't realize fully until long after I am home...it has been an incredible ride, filled with lots of ups and definitely some downs, but they all contributed to the most amazing journey and I wouldn't trade them for anything! Thank you all for your vigilance in keeping up with me through this blog...and for all the love, support, and prayers. I promise to post some pictures when I get home...tutaonana baadaye!!

Steph and the Volcano...

This past weekend was amazing!! Three other volunteers and I decided to hike a volcano!! We left early Saturday morning, and after a 6-hour drive, the last 4 hours of which was basically offroad and the roughest ever, we arrived at the base of Oldoinyo Lengai, a ~3000-meter active volcano that's part of the Great Rift Valley mountain range. The last really big explosion was in 1961, but the most recent was 1999. We arrived in the late afternoon, and were told we had the option of doing a small hike to a waterfall near our campsite, which I'm so glad we did...to hike alongside a small river with towering canyon walls made of hardened lava on both sides, and then to round a corner and see the most beautiful waterfall that you've been hearing for the past 5 minutes on approach, then to jump into the water and swim underneath of it, have it rain down on you, and then to swim a little bit farther upstream and see a huge gushing torrent coming out of a crevice in the rock wall, that pushes you away from 10 feet downstream, it's so strong...it was the most impromptu hike ever, but it was the most incredible experience!! It was quite a bit hotter in Lengai than Arusha, so to cool off in the river and wash off all the dust and sweat from the long drive, was so refreshing!! After a delicious meal that we scarfed down we were so hungry, we turned in around 8 to sleep for 3 hours, which I was not so successful at because I was so excited!! We got up at 10:30 pm, drove for an hour to the base of the mountain, and started hiking at midnight. The night sky was the clearest ever, and the stars were just awesome!! Our headlamps helped to light the way, as it was pitch black. We took a break about every hour, passing by the different zones of vegetation, then rock and hardened lava, smelling sulfur at about 100 meters from the top, and after a very steep 50-meter section that I sort of felt like Spiderman while scaling it, we arrived at the top at about 5:30 am! As it was very chilly at the top and still dark, we huddled together around one of the steaming fumaroles to keep warm while we waited for the sunrise, even though the smell of sulfur was a little much at times. At about 6, we climbed over the top lip and down into the caldera, which was sort of like stepping onto the moon. There were several pyramid-like formations on the floor of the caldera, and we had to walk through the soft ash, giving a wide birth around the opening that drops down 25 meters, to the east lip of the mountain to watch the sunrise!! To see the sky lighten and get highlighted with pinks and light blues, and then see the huge pink ball of the African sun come over the horizon, cast bright oranges and pinks across the sky and over Lake Natron, the lowest point of the Rift Valley, then slip under the clouds again, while we made our way back over to the west side to climb back down, was incredible--"...as I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, and hear the birds, and feel the gentle breeze...how great Thou art, how great Thou art." Now, when I say it was steep coming up, I mean we were actually dreading going back down...so when we crested the lip to head back down, we were all a bit scared...and when I say we went pole pole sana, I mean the slowest possible pace. We made it back down though, even though my legs and knees were pretty much shot after the first 2 hours of the descent, and I had a few hard falls, but we did it!! To look back at the mountain on the way down in full daylight, we were pinching ourselves that we were even crazy enough to do it in the first place!! We met a couple from Israel back at the campsite that attempted it but had to turn back after a couple of hours due to the grade, but I don't think it even occurred to any of us that turning around was an option! The drive back to Arusha was pretty long and even dustier than the ride in...needless to say, a shower definitely felt pretty good when we got back to home base. I have a lot of scrapes and bruises, and my legs are still sore today and probably will be for the next few days...I look pretty funny doing stairs, standing up and sitting down, and almost fell off the toilet the first time I tried to sit down on it...squat toilets are pretty much out of the question for the rest of the week. For those people that I did Kili with...I'm so glad we didn't do the Breach, summit, and then come back down in the same day...little too much!

So this is my last week here in Tanzania...can't quite believe I've been away for 13 weeks, but I'm really looking forward to coming home. Will try to update everyone at least once more before I leave here...thank you all for your love, support, and prayers...it has truly meant the world to me!!

Easter in Africa...

What a beautiful Holy Week here...from Palm Sunday where the street vendors that are usually selling batiks and bracelets were carrying around palm fronds instead, to Maundy Thursday when we went out to dinner as a house last supper style, to a drizzly and dreary Good Friday with cross walks being reenacted downtown and everything closing down at 3 pm, and then waking up on Easter Sunday with the bluest sky and lots of sunshine! I went to a community church in Arusha town on Sunday morning, and from the moment I walked in and heard “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” being played, to the time we processed out singing another familiar hymn, the tears didn't stop flowing! It was the most cleansing and renewing experiences, and I found myself reliving all the ups and downs of the past 12 weeks, knowing that God was with me through all of it, and feeling so blessed to be here, and to be living this dream and experiencing all the things that I have so far...it was awesome!
Some highlights from the past week...Thursday night, I got a glimpse of snow on Mount Meru after a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area, and then on Friday I got to see Mount Kilimanjaro at sunrise (yes, I was up for my daily run!) from our home base it was so clear!! I was able to make 2 trips to Eluai Village this week...one for the general meeting on Tuesday, and the other today! It was so amazing to hand out the indentification cards to each member that I had worked on, and I also got another bracelet as a “zawady” (gift)!! I think they're going to be up to my elbows by the time I come home!! We had a big group of volunteers go to the meeting on Tuesday, so we had a bigger vehicle, which was good, since it rained, and we were able to handle the mud better, not getting stuck—yeah!! I also got a hardcore Maa lesson on Tuesday, as there was nothing else to do because of the rain—I pretty much know all the body parts and pieces of jewelry now!! Today was a little bit more of an adventure, as it took 2 daladala trips, and then hitching a ride on the back of a truck, with 12 people jammed in the bed of the truck with 150 seedlings, 12 cases of soda for the store, and objects I couldn't even identify because there were too many people in the way. Driving 45 minutes from the village center like this was quite a trip!! The reason we had 150 seedlings was due to the fact that today Kitumusote had planned an “environmental day,” so we spent a few hours putting cages around each newly planted tree to protect them from the grazing livestock, and putting all 150 seedlings into the newly constructed nursery in the MWCS garden!! I definitely got a little too much sun today, but hey, we got a break from the rain! Another side note...I have been identified as “Hey Maasai!” on the streets twice now, and at the Maasai market yesterday, several people asked if I had married into the Maasai!! Don't ask me where that one came from, I think it may have to do with all the gifted bracelets that have become part of my wardrobe now!!

As for the blood, it's doing good...checked it this week and I should be good to go for my long flight home!! I had to refill my warfarin this week, as I had run out, which was another adventure...having to hit three different pharmacies just to find it took the whole afternoon!! So cheap here though, paying less than 2 USD for a month's supply of tablets, and I didn't even need a prescription!!

It's been a bit sad around the home base lately as more volunteers depart, however we're getting 14 newbies on Saturday! It's tough to say good-bye to people that have been your family for the past 6 weeks, and I find myself making a list of all the things I'm going to miss about this land that I hope to come back to some day...but on the other hand it's very exciting to think of the family and all those I love that I will be seeing in a week's time!! I'm also making a list of the things I'm mentally preparing myself to come back to when I get home...driving on the other side, cell phones, beef, just to name a few. As I experienced a culture shock when I first arrived here, I'm fully expecting another one when I get back home...I have become so accustomed to the “hakuna matata” way of life here!!

Rwanda in Arusha...

I finally got in. Went to the Arusha International Conference Center (AICC) yesterday, the convention hall built specifically to house the International Criminal Tribunals of Rwanda, handed over my passport to get my visitor's badge, went through security, waited outside one of the courtrooms for about a half hour, and then sat and bore witness to history. To be in the actual town where these trials are taking place, and not far from the country where these atrocities were committed, and to be able to see the justice system in process, was an experience that I still have not quite fully grasped. For anyone that was alive during the Nuremberg trials and was able to sit in on those trials, I'm sure they would have similar sentiments. For me personally, I am not familiar with the specifics of the tribal war in Rwanda...all I basically know about is the genocide, which is what the world heard about in the media. Not sure how much detail I can go into about the actual case I saw, (it was an open session, and the testimony can be found on the web somewhere) but it was definitely one of the higher-ups on trial as the defense's witness that was being cross-examined was the district commander of a main village in Rwanda. He had himself already been on trial and was awaiting the remainder of that trial to be completed in a few months. It brought my knowledge of the genocide to a whole new level, and to hear someone being questioned about a meeting of the top military and government officials believed to be the masterminds, around the same time that the bodies of 200,000 Tutsis and 10 Belgian UN bodyguards were found not long after the Rwandan prime minister was murdered, was unfathomable. The headphones we all got were very helpful with the translation, as the witness only spoke French. Was a bit frustrated with the prosecutor, who was quite arrogant and pompous, and tended to ramble on a bit too much...I can see now why the trials are taking so long and are expected to go on for a while longer. I don't even know anything about law, and I could have summarized in 5 minutes what took him 2 hours of questioning regarding a previous witness' testimony. I was also surprised that the judges were not more prompt in cutting the witness off, who also tended to ramble and not really answer the questions, especially after they explained to him several times the simplicity and appropriatness of a yes or no response. I'm used to, as are most citizens of Western societies, thanks to modern television, seeing a trial take place in an hour, and bing, bang, it's resolved, there's some sort of an outcome. So sitting in on only one witness only being cross-examined, also gave me an appreciation for the process involved here. It was a bit difficult to wrap my mind around how many individuals are actually on trial, as well as the extent of their crimes, that resulted in the deaths of millions of Rwandans. There was some sort of relief and feeling of closure/vindication hearing the prosecutor ask a question regarding a general that had gone to trial, was convicted, and is now sentenced to life in prison. The cost that these tribunals are incurring to the UN as well, I can't even imagine, as I surveyed the courtroom full of translators, 3 judges, at least 2 attorneys on either side, court clerks, and at least 5 people that I had no idea what their purpose was. The whole "internationalness" of it was also something to behold, as so many nationalities were represented by the big players in the courtroom...the bigger picture that the whole world was represented somehow and was bringing this horrendous occurrence in a small African nation to light and to justice was made clear. So it was an amazing experience that I actually got in to the trial in the first place, but to also be able to see the case I did, was something I will not soon forget, and I hope to return next week.

Some other highlights...over the weekend I helped a few of the other volunteers paint two classrooms at the primary school they're teaching at. Now, when I say paint, I mean washing the walls down that were caked with mud, sanding, priming, and then painting...just so you have an idea of the process involved. It was a team effort though, and many hands got the job done in record time, and the rooms look amazing! They said the kids came in on Monday and were absolutely thrilled with their new, bright, clean surroundings! We hope to finish the second classroom this weekend...although I still haven't gotten all the paint off of me yet, so we'll see what saffron yellow looks like on top of ocean blue!

This past Sunday I went with some other volunteers to a Lutheran church in Ngaramtoni, on the other side of Arusha. One of the volunteers works with TUPO (Tumaini Positive Test Club), the same group that we had the soccer game with a few weeks ago. TUPO has a choir that had been invited to sing at the church for Palm Sunday. The church was beautiful...and had a lofty corrugated tin roof that created the most amazing acoustics! My eyes were filled with tears from the very first verse of their song, it was just the most beautiful sound--all of their voices together, and their faces beaming with pride and glowing with faith. The service may have been in Kiswahili, but it's amazing how much you can understand just from tone and voice inflection, and of course watching those around us to make sure we bowed our heads at the right times!

This past Tuesday I got a chance to return to the Eluai Maasai village for the Kitumusote general meeting. I was again blown away by these women, who were initially going to give out 5 interest-free loans to women for the purpose of starting their own small businesses starting in June 2007. The majority of the previous meeting and also this meeting was spent discussing the logistics of this process, and there was much debate, until the chairwoman made the suggestion to table the loans and instead save the money that would have been given out in order to purchase a machine that would allow them to make their own flour, saving them a 2-hour trek to the village center each week, and providing them with the opportunity to begin a small business and earn some income! I know this probably sounds so simplistic as you're reading this, but to sit in on this meeting, watching these women, who have never before been able to make decisions for themselves let alone earn an income, discuss the issues at hand for several hours, and then come to a unanimous decision that was met with applause by all present, was absolutely amazing and so humbling. It makes me so grateful for all the rights that I do have and enjoy, that I just assumed when I was born and didn't have to work for. I'm learning so much from these people, and I will forever be grateful.

Now to the big invitation...my arrival home is fast approaching (!!!!!!!!!!!!!). For all those that I hold near and dear to my heart (aka everyone reading this blog), I invite you all to an open house being put on by my very gracious and generous parents, the day I get home, that will be held at my house. So Sunday, April 22nd, from 3-6 pm, all are welcome to stop in and give me a hug, eat lots of food, and help keep me awake so I can stay up to a decent hour in my anticipated jet-lagged state!! Please contact my parents at paulvarnold@mindspring.com to RSVP, or with any questions or directions if needed. Again, anyone and everyone is welcome!!

Happy Easter to you all!! Hallelujah, He is risen!!