Introductions

I wasn’t sure where to start exactly, but since it’s been so long and we have a new addition to the family, I figured I’d start there!! And.. reintroduce myself for any new friends!!

As you’ve probably already seen, I’m Liz Mtunga ?

I’m sure you’re curious about my last name.. what nationality is that, and how do you say it?! Well.. first, it’s pretty easy to say.. say the sound of M (mmm), then -tunga (tune-ga). Easy, right? My husband is Tanzanian, so he graciously gave me this new surname! It’s unique (apparently 194,128th most common surname in the world.. according to Google!) and I love it!

I am a wife to the wonderful Joel Mtunga, and Mama to a wild 3 year old, Theo. I am American (Ohio, specifically), but have been living in Tanzania for the last 6 years!! (This post will fill you in on why I came out here in 2017). We live in Moshi, which is a small town at the base of glorious Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is a place filled with beautiful scenery, warm, welcoming people, plenty of sunshine and delicious coffee (a little plug for my husband ?) We live a simple, yet fulfilling life and I’m excited to share all the ups and downs of this life with you!

A re-introduction of the fabulous Joel, my hubby: he’s still the hardest worker I know, plugging away at now, let’s see.. 5 jobs (I lose count! Lol). He’s Pristine Trails’ officer manager extraordinaire, coffee business owner at KiliKafee, insurance company manager, pig/corn/chicken farm owner.. and on top of that, the best Daddy ever!! There’s never enough hours in a day for all the work he does, but he somehow manages.. and still finds time to go on bike rides, play football (soccer for you westerners) and work in the yard with Theo. He really is the best Dad and it’s been so fun watching him grow in his new role these last few years!

Joel and I have been married for 4 years now. Our marriage is one full of love, compromise, mutual respect and a lot of sacrifices. Being in a marriage with people of 2 different cultures, languages, countries and “norms” is not always easy and requires constant conversations and understanding. This kind of marriage takes a lot of patience, an open mind and willingness to be in uncomfortable situations. I’ve learned so much about myself in the last 4 years (some good.. mostly bad..lol) because I am constantly living outside of my comfort zone and doing hard things. Luckily, we are both willing to do the hard things and put in the work to make our marriage great. It’s not alway easy, but it’s worth it. We both know the vows we made to each other are forever and that with God, all things are possible.

And now the introduction you’ve all been waiting for….

The joy and light of our lives…
Mr. Theo Joel Mtunga!!
Born April 10, 2020

I could post baby pictures of him all day… but I’ll limit myself to a few…

I could probably do a whole post about our time in the states (yes, he was born back in the US) before/after Theo’s birth, but I’ll limit it to this: he was a Covid baby… haha. Enough said.

Seriously though, if I had written a post back in 2020, it would have had a completely different tone than writing it now. Looking back, I can now see so many of the things that happened, as blessings. We’ll call them Covid Blessings, and here are a few of them:

? Joel arriving in the states just in the nick-of-time before all travel was shut down
? Having a month together, just Joel and I, before baby arrived (lots of long park walks, outdoor picnics and him exercising with my dad!)
? Having 5 months together as a new family (no job interruptions!)
? Spending extra time with my parents (8 months total!)
? Being with my Mom during her cancer diagnosis and start of her treatment (she was diagnosed May 2020 with Lymphoma)
? Family vacation and seeing old friends (many of whom also had babies during that time)
? Grandparents having Theo around for the first 6mon of his life

I have to share this because it will bring you a good laugh..
One thing that we had to do right away was apply for Theo’s passport. Let me tell you, it’s no easy task trying to get an acceptable passport photo of a newborn, haha. I think we went 4 different times, and then found out 4 months later that the photo was declined.. talk about frustration! Anyways, we finally got it, but here are the attempts:

Thankfully everything finally came together, and after spending 8 months in the states (original plan was 4!), we were Homeward Bound!! It was a bittersweet goodbye, but we were ready to get back home and introduce Theo to his Tanzanian home and family! ???
Side note: Theo did awesome on his first flight!!

And boy were we welcomed home!! ?????

It’s hard to even put into words all the emotions I felt during those 8 months. From when I left TZ in February, to when I returned in October, EVERYTHING … the world as a whole, MY world… had changed. I came back to Tanzania a different person- now a mother to a beautiful baby boy, a daughter who just witnessed her mom go through the hell that is cancer, and someone who just experienced the world flipped upside down due to Covid! It was a wild time, for sure, but it is in these wild times where our faith is strengthened and we see that our trust and faith NEEDS to be in God alone! Romans 8:28 always comes to mind in these times of uncertainty: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
Sometimes it feels impossible to see any good in what is happening around us.. and I fell into this many times in 2020: Covid almost making it impossible for Joel to get to the US for the birth, or being a month postpartum while also not knowing if my Mom would make it out of the hospital.. I mean, where is God/the good in all that!?
But, we can have faith that God is always working things out for our good, even during the tough times, and even if we can’t see it in the moment. We must trust that God has our best interest in mind. He sees the big picture.. a future we can’t see.. and He is working all things out for our good.. even if we can’t see the blessings until years later (more on the continued blessings later…)

Back to our little guy, Theo.. well, now he is a big 3 year old and still the light and joy of our lives! How can I describe him.. haha.. he’s really quite the kid. He’s wise beyond his years, a born leader, intense yet sensitive, and talks nonstop. He’s a lover of all things music- especially the drums, is curious and likes to be involved in any and all conversations, loves his friends and family, has an amazing memory (he remembers everyone’s names and knows what kind of car everyone drives!), loves pizza, chips (french fries for you westerners, again), fresh juice and popcorn! He loves riding his bike “around the neighborhood”, pretending he’s a boda-boda (motorcycle) driver, and always seems to end up at our favorite restaurant, Jackfruit (where he knows all the staff and promptly orders his “usual” (pizza and juice). He is strong willed, not shy in the least (complete opposite of me at that age!), and loves being around people (and animals). He truly is a special kid, unique, yet confident in who he is and what he wants (always testing his parent’s patience haha) ! I can’t wait to share more about him and all his crazy antics!

I’ll end this here, but, as we go on, I’ll fill you in on some of the other significant events from the last 3 years.. the highs and lows!! So stay with us!

Enjoy!!
xo, Liz