It seems as if a lifetime has happened since I last blogged... I will have to wait until I have my journal around to be able to do this effectively.
But a quick catch up is in order I think....
So I went to Shanga River House and Bead Factory which was pure luxury. It was incredible. Shanga is a unique community of disabled persons living in Tanzania who have used their abilities despite their disabilities to create incredible pieces of art. While my visit there was by far one of my most expensive adventures so far, a large part of what I spent goes directly to helping disabled persons in Tanzania who are so sorrowfully neglected.
The next day I went on a 5 day safari which was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! A much needed break. All of my pictures are on Facebook soo feel free to take a peak. That story will have to be told another time. Too long for right now.
I went back to school which was also a much needed return. I am falling more in love with my kids everyday and I want to take them all home! (Don't worry family I am not actually going to despite how much I want to!)
Tomorrow I am taking Dennis out to lunch. Dennis is a 5 year old boy who goes to my school. He is very neglected. His mother ran away when he was a baby and his step mother hates him. She does not care if he gets fed or bathed and in the month that I have been here he has never changed his clothes. His father is an alcoholic and is very unsupportive. He is so damaged by his experiences at the young age of 5 that he shudders when I attempt to give him physical contact, he runs away when I try to hug him, and eye contact is almost unheard of. Dennis is in an incredibly difficult situation so tomorrow I am taking out to lunch and buying him some new clothes and shoes. I know that it isn't much and that it will do very little to ease his suffering but I hope to build a friendship and trusting relationship with him. It is going to take a long time, and it will be very difficult but this boy needs some serious love and I can only hope that I can supplement some of that which is missing.
My director Selestine and I are also getting everything together to launch our fundraising campaigne; so keep an eye out for our newsletters and facebook page!!! This weekend I am going to church with him, his wife, son, and mother, and after that we are walking around Uswwahilini to look for land to purchase once we have raised that which is needed.
Thank you for all of your support. I love you all and I miss you even more!
God bless!
