November Highlights

How is it that November is already over!?!?

And now, it’s middle of December, and I’m just now getting this written!! Pole (Sorry!)

I think it’s still hard for me to believe that it’s December and Christmas is coming because it’s just so dang hot here!! And…the fact that the months are just flying right by… 2018 is right around the corner.. what?!!

So, November.. yeah, it was a busy one!!! The theme being wageni.. visitors, visitors and more visitors! I don’t think I had more than a day or two alone in the house!  I’m not complaining, especially because two and a half of those weeks, the visitors were my parents, and I’ll never complain about having them here!!

This will be a shorter-ish post since most of the highlights consist of my parent’s visit, and all the amazing things we did, saw, and experienced!! It is a post in itself….which will be written by them (yay!), so stay tuned for the Guest Blogger edition coming your way!! I figured it would be better.. and more fun.. to hear it from their perspective!!

Before their visit though, things were mighty busy around here, one being many members of FCCT (Foundatin for Cancer Care in Tanzania) were visiting the clinic, getting updates, holding meetings, and making plans for the coming months, and year!  It was good for me to connect with them, and discuss my role for the coming year.  It was also good to meet some new people that will be involved with FCCT leadership!  I felt very supported and encouraged by them, which is always a good thing ?!  It was just exciting to see and discuss all the ideas for the future, and to see that they will actuallly be a reality very soon.. a new inpatient cancer ward for both pediatric and adult patients, a care hostel (think: Ronald McDonald House), and even a radiation unit!! Big things are happening here, and I’m excited to be a part of it!!

What else.. well, I had my first expereince with being a part of a wedding committee!! Haha, I’m sure you all are wondering what the heck a wedding committee is!? Well, it’s just that, a committee for planning, raising money and putting on a wedding! In Tanzanian culture, the wedding is usually planned by the groom’s side… yes.. men planning a wedding!! A bit of a foreign concept for us! Haha!! Maybe Joel can explain more of the reasoning behind this in his future Guest Blogger post.. right babe ? ?! All I know is that the bride’s job is to throw a Send Off party a few days before the wedding.  This is to signify the “giving away” of the daughter to her future husband and his family.  This event is also planned by a committee..consisiting of women though, and is put on by the girl’s family.  I heard it can be quite the party!! The actual wedding though, is planned by the groom and his chosen committee members.  The members usually consist of the groom’s close family and friends.  The main goal of the committee is to raise money…basssssicallllly, your family and friends pay for your wedding, haha…the committee and other friends make contributions towards the cost, and if they can’t raise enough then they are given “contribution cards” to collect more money from the community.  So interesting, huh!? Sounds like a neat concept until you start paying money to every.friends.wedding…. those contributions could really add up!  Once the money is raised, the planning begins- the reception venue, food, decorations, music, dresses and suits, and even things like transportation is arranged.. yes.. by the men!  So, on the wedding day, the bride just gets to show up, and enjoy the party!  Haha!! Let’s just say I’ve waited a long time to get married, and to plan a wedding, so…. this girl isn’t giving up her wedding plans so easily!!

I can’t forget Joel’s Birthday!! We celebrated his 33rd Birthday (not 34… I have to remind him he’s a year younger than he thinks he is!!) with a weekend getaway to the big city of Arusha!! Ha, Arusha, actually, isn’t all that big, but it feels like it, compared to our little Moshi!  It was just great to get away for a weekend, and spend time just the two of us.  We stayed in the cutest little place, cabins tucked away in the trees providing some much needed peace and quiet! It’s quite difficult to get Joel away from work, so I will take any chance I can get to remove him from Moshi completely and force him to give up his (3!!) phones and just relax and not think about work!  We talked, ate good food, did some “big city” shopping, and sang (well, I sang..) Happy Birthday to this wonderful man!  His life truly is one to be celebrated!  He is a one of a kind person..so caring, loving, generous, selfless, positive, wise.. the list could go on and on!!  He has truly blessed my life and so many others!  Hopefully this will be just the beginning of many birthdays together!

I think that about covers it for November.. another month filled with new experiences and memorable moments!!  Stay tuned for the posts from my parent’s visit.. it truly was one for the books!!

Love you all!

xo, Liz