Stepping off the plane on to the tarmac we were met with a beautiful breeze! Arriving in Tanzania shortly after night fall after 25 hours of travel, the breeze sure was refreshing. Our group of ten made our way into the airport, and after a short wait had our visas and luggage in hand. We made our way out of the holding area where we were greeted with many friendly faces, including a very excited Sonya (missionary with "Small Steps of Compassion") and Ksusha (a friend of ours who volunteers at another orphanage). Juma ("Small Steps" Director of Operations) kept all the people and our 17 bags organized and loaded us into a bus that drove us to our hotel, the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge.
As we pulled into the Lodge, we heard the pounding of drums and soon saw several dancers with torches who performed and sang for us. They put on quite a show, singing and dancing to the rhythm in traditional fashion. We made a toast for a successful trip with our fresh juice and made our way to our bungalows, a beautiful oasis surrounded by trees and a small stream. We dropped our bags in our rooms and then made our way to the dining hall where we feasted as the local dancers continued their show. The show continued through dinner and ended with all ten of us on the floor as they sang and guided us through their dances. We ended the evening on the back porch going over our schedule while we are here, and then sleepily made our way to our rooms for the night at one in the morning.
The sun came early as everyone enjoyed waking up and exploring the Lodge grounds. It is a beautiful facility with about 50 bungalows, a conference center and pool! The giant storks walk around the grounds, and birds fly in and out of the large back porch. Beautiful sounds of birds singing can be heard all over the site. Breakfast included fresh made omlettes, fruit and meats, it was much more then everyone expected and very delicious!
Sonya was in charge of our morning worship and shared her personal story of how she came to be working with "Small Steps for Compassion." She encouraged us all to wait on the Lord for His direction in our own lives.
Juma arrived with the bus, and we made our way to the property! Everyone was very excited to finally see the land most had only seen in pictures before. The home sits in a peaceful setting near the base of Mt. Meru. We got a quick tour of the two-bedroom house and went out to walk the property. The eleven acres has many fruit trees; banana, mango, lemon, orange, and also coffee bean bushes. We walked the perimeter and heard all the plans for the property and began planning for what projects will need to be addressed first.
We learned that Sonya has made arrangements for a local farmer to use the grass in one of our fields in exchange for pay. She has been using the money for small needs around the house and the electric bill. Much of the property has been neglected by the previous owner, and Sonya and Juma have been working with our neighbor Gabriel to get things in order. Gabriel and his family live right next door and have been a huge help in taking care of small repairs around the house and yard projects. His son, Enesmo, has also been great company for Sonya, as he and Mary (a local who has been helping Sonya get acclimated) speak Swahili with her, trying to help her learn the language faster.
When we returned to the house we began going over the list of needs Sonya wants addressed. Ron already had phone calls being made by Juma to get the work started on the completion of the fish pond. We are hoping the project will be done before we leave. There is a lot of shopping to be done for the house, and the women are planning to get started on that Monday when the market is open. The men are less excited about shopping and are planning to repair the gate and begin the clearing for the garden. We needed a few supplies to make sure we are ready to work on Sunday morning, so we went to the local "Home Depot" and got our tools and paint.
Jet lag was taking over the group as we drove through town in our bus on our way back to the Lodge, and many fell asleep. We enjoyed sitting in the shade on the back porch while waiting for dinner and visiting. The group is tired but excited for the adventures that will unfold during our time here in Tanzania!
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