For the First Time - Part Nane

Exciting firsts from May:

•   First time eating a grasshopper
•   First time to Mbudya Island
•   First time snorkeling
•   First time to Prison Island
•   First time touching a tortoise

Mbudya Island	Prison Island
Ready to snorkel!

Living On A Prayer

Part of the YAV experience includes growth in faith. There have been numerous times throughout the year so far that God has been revealed to me.

It seems that any time I've been struggling God has put exactly what I needed to see right in front of me. My church gave me a daily journal/devotional book, and there have been many times while reading that the scripture of the day directly corresponds to things going on in my life.

Through the bible study I attend I have also heard God speaking to me. One thing that has really stuck out to me is going to God first – always. When something is bothering me or annoying me the first thing I want to do is tell someone, but that’s not always possible here. I really need to let it out, though, so instead of calling a friend, I go to God. I always feel better just telling God what’s going on, and I know God is really listening too.

For the First Time - Part Saba

My exciting firsts from April:

•   First time in South Africa
•   First time seeing horses, flamingos, penguins, ostriches,
vultures, love birds, secretary birds, mongoose,
monitors, rock hyraxes, and seals in the wild
•   First time feeding sea turtles
•   First rugby game
•   First time sleeping in a tent

On the beach in South Africa.	Horses as Rooisand Nature Reserve.
March of the penguins!	A rock hyrax - the closest relative to the elephant.
With fellow YAVs Nicole and Catherine. (Table Mountain in the background)
Good to see other PC (USA) missionaries.	Rugby Game - Go Stormers!
My first tent camping experience was a good one, even though it rained.

For the First Time - Part Sita

My awesome February firsts:

•   First time visiting Bongoyo Island.
•   First time in Morogoro.
•   First time seeing hippos and crocodiles in the wild.

On the way to Bongoyo Island.
Mikumi National Park

Sunny Days

I have lived in four different places in Dar Es Salaam, and each time my daily schedule has been a little different. My current daily schedule looks something like this:

5:30 AM      Wake up 
6:30 AM      Leave for school 
7:30 AM     Arrive at school 
8:10 AM     School starts 
10:50 AM   Tea time 
12:40 PM    Lunch time 
3:15 PM      Leave for home 
4:00 PM      Arrive home 
7:30 PM      Eat dinner 
10:00 PM    Bedtime 

 The school day runs from 8:10 to 2:40 with two breaks, one from 10:50-11:20 for tea, and one from 12:40-1:20 for lunch. Each lesson block lasts forty minutes. This is my typical Tuesday through Friday schedule. On Monday nights I go to a bible study for women. I go into town early to sit at a coffee shop and read a little. The bible study runs from 5:30 to 7:30, then my roommate, and fellow YAV, Nicole, and I get a ride home with one of the women who live in the same area we do. On Mondays we arrive home around 9 PM, so we quickly eat dinner and go to bed. I know my dad will never believe it, but I actually consider sleeping until 7 sleeping in now!

For the First Time - Part Tano

January included some pretty exciting firsts!

•   First time eating ostrich, crocodile, chicken liver
•   First time riding an ostrich.
•   First time touching an elephant!
•   First time kissing a giraffe!
•   First solo Dala-Dala ride.

Riding an ostrich.	Giraffe kisses.
	Visiting the Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi.
I loved these baby elephants!

For the First Time - Part Nne

My firsts for the month of December:

•   First time seeing a sea turtle in the wild.
•   First time in Zanzibar.
•   First time eating barracuda, jack fruit, and star fruit.
•   First sunrise on the beach.
•   First safari where I saw many animals in the wild, including gazelle, bushbuck, hyena,
impala, waterbuck, warthog, buffalo, baboons, giraffe, rhino, elephants,
cheetahs, chimps, hippos, lions, and jackal, plus many kinds of birds,
including king crown, guinea fowl, and European heron.
•   First time petting a rhino!
•   First Christmas away from home.

My roommate, Nicole, and I after the Spice Tour in Zanzibar..	View from the rooftop of our hotel in Zanzibar
Sunrise on the beach near our house.	Baboons
Giraffe - I can't get over how tall they are!	We were lucky enough to see a cheetah!
The lions we saw.	Petting a rhino.
Some waterbuck.
	SO excited to see elephants, my favorite animal, in the wild!

For the First Time - Part Tatu

November Firsts!

First graduation party.

First birthday abroad.

First time swimming in the ocean.

  First time properly cutting a mango.

For the First Time: Part Mbili

My firsts for October!

First time drinking coconut juice, from the coconut.

First time teaching abroad!

First beach party.

First time living on the beach

First time riding a bijaji.

First send-off party.

First time adequately French-braiding my hair.

The beach near my house.	Another view from the beach.
Some teachers at the grade 7 beach party.	With Teacher Agness at the send-off party.