Getting ready

It's now ten days until I board the airplane to Tanzania. Preparations are more than underway -- I've gotten my shots (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, yellow fever and Hepatitis A), filled my prescriptions for Cipro (antibiotic in case of Montezuma's revenge), typhoid and malaria vaccines (I have to remember, typhoid, on an empty stomach, malaria, with food...). I've got enough Ambien to sleep for two weeks - and have figured out my sleep schedule for the trip over and back. My passport is up to date, I have the required number of US bills, dated after 2000 to purchase a visa when I get to TZ -- and I've borrowed a phone from one of our parishioners -- that gets activated with something called a SIM card - to be purchased in the Dar es salaam airport on my arrival. Deacon, my dog, gets transferred to my sister's care at Exit 90 on Route 85 - we figured out Gaffney, SC is about half way for us both. Whew! I still have some adapters to buy -- a few gifts for the folks I'll be staying with, and some items requested by Rev. Sandy McCann, my classmate, who is one of the priests working at Msalato Seminary. Did you know, for example - that it's hard to get Parmesan cheese in TZ?

I budgeted some time today to have a little panic attack - just had to get that out of my system, followed by a brief prayer that I will get done everything I have to do before I leave -- so now I have lots of room for excitement and joy!

One of the really cool things that has been happening, is that I am being contacted by many of the folks working in Dodoma -- the main reason is to request that I bring some stuff along - so far, some t-shirts, a bottle of shampoo, a laptop for the computer "fundi" (instructor) at the Seminary -- and some gifts for Sandy and Martin McCann from Rev. Eddie Ard - who just returned from 30 days there, on his sabbatical. I already have a wonderful sense of "karibuni" -- which means welcome -- and a small idea of who and what I will be interacting with! More on that later!

What has also been very wonderful is the interest of St. Luke's people in the trip and the many offers of help and support I have received. There's a group working on getting a laptop for me to take, which will be donated on my leaving -- the VBS kids raised $150 for carepnter's Kids -- and I have an additional $200 from some other donors -- $50 per year will buy clothes, shoes, books and breakfast each day for a kid who has been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. MANY of our folks have already expressed an interest in developing a mission trip for next year. I feel blessed and excited about this venture --which God seems to be in, at every step!