Thursday, January 17, 2008

We are here!

Jambo!  We arrived late in the evening on January 15th at the Anglican Hospital in Buguruni in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  The medical hospital is located in the slums of the city.  Henry Ziegler met us at the airport.  He and his wife Priscilla are missionaries here with the Episcopal Church.  He is a doctor, she is a nurse.  They have done amazing things here over the past two and half years.  Check out the link to the MEA Foundation to learn more.  Share this information with anyone you know in the Anglican/Episcopalian Church so that they can share with their congregation!

There are many people working and walking about in Buguruni.  The streets are crowded with cars, buses, motorcycles, and bicycles.  There is a school on the compound run by the Anglican church (aka Episcopal Church) with children always playing soccer!

We have spent time adjusting to new sleep patterns, high temperatures and humidity.  We are staying in a very nice guest house on the medical compound here.  There is a full kitchen, full bath, running water, fans, a nice bedroom and living room, and internet access in the dining room! What a great start to Africa.  

We share this house with Matt, an aspiring undergraduate student from Seattle.  He is 22 years old and is wanting to go to medical school and is here to build relationships and get a taste for medicine in a developing country.  He arrived a week before us and has been teaching us about busses, currency exchange, and good places to eat.  

We went to the grocery store yesterday, very similar to home.  There are outside street vendors that we passed by selling much of the same food.  I would like to try that sometime and would prefer shopping there to going to the westernized store.

Danny is spending the morning doing rounds and teaching the doctors while I am doing housework.  I did join the medical staff for morning prayers at 8:00 a.m.  I think that next week I will begin to do some work at the school or with a ministry here working and counseling with sex workers, people who are HIV positive, and looking for new work and medicine.  This afternoon is the grand tour of the facility with an important donor from the states.  It is amazing the connections we will be making as we journey through this year!

We are 8 hours ahead of Ohio time.  Today it has been hot and sunny with a few rain showers.  

 

4 comments:

Picciano Family said...

So glad that you both arrived safetly! It snowed here....for southern snow that is. The kids had a ball and the whole neighborhood was out. Had their boogie boards out there going down hills (usually used at the ocean!!) wishing you guys the best there...you both have so many great gifts to offer and will do fabulous things in Africa! Blessings to you both and all that you are working with and for!
Love the Piccianos

John- Ohio CRNA said...

I am so glad to hear that you got to Africa safely. I wish I was there to experience some of this with you. I can't wait to see some pictures.
Love you both,
John

Andrea said...

Things Sounds Great! You are both so blessed and I am excited to keep hearing how things progress in Africa!! I love you both!

-Andrea Lee

Alison said...

Sounds so fun! I am excited that you have a blog so that we can feel like we are sort of there with you! I am glad we can share our adventures together! I think about you often! Are you eating rice 2-3 times a day? Its almost like you are in Korea... just kidding! Love you lots!