Swahili class today included some wonderful singing of Tanzanian songs, both gospel and secular. in return, the students offered a hymn or two from the Mennonite hymnal. Also as part of Swahili class, in small groups the students were asked to act out both inappropriate and appropriate cultural behaviors. …
As you have begun to gather from previous posts, the daily schedule for students goes something like this. Anywhere between 7-8:30 a.m. students arrive at Upanga Church and we have time to connect, compare notes, and make sure everyone is healthy and doing well. Ryan, Donna, Mara, and Isaac all…
Warm greetings again from Dar. Students are in the swing of things, arriving each morning at the church for Swahili class. Class begins at 8:30 a.m. and finishes at 11:00 with a half hour break. Today the group ate at the church canteen immediately after Swahili class in order to…
Swahili classes have begun! Yesterday and today, the students arrived at the church for Swahili class in fine fashion. In fact today, everyone was on time! That is a feat when one considers that students are learning how to navigate the daily commutes from their homes to town via daladalas,…
Many students and their host families attended church at Upanga Mennonite this morning. This afforded the opportunity for the GC students to check in with one another, compare notes, and process how the first weekend with host families is going. As part of the varied conversations we made some interesting…
This morning we welcomed Leah, Emily, David H., and Annika to our home in Mikocheni for a morning conversation/orientation. They were well rested after a night at the Royal Mushi Inn… with air conditioning! Together we had a refreshing lunch of mangoes, pineapple, passion fruit, and avacodo/tomato sandwiches and then…
Today was a full and busy day. After a morning orientation at the YMCA, students spent time downtown finding lunch on their own. Around noon Donna and Mara went to the airport to pick up Emily, Leah, David H., and Annika who now have arrived safely and joined the group! …
Today marks the beginning of the adventure. Due to some difficulties with visas for four students, we welcomed 19 of the 23 Tanzania SST’ers today. (The other four are on the way and will arrive a day later.) The students arrived in great spirits and were ready to jump into…
The last weeks have been a rich flurry of settling into our home in Dar es Salaam and preparing for the students’ arrival. Donna has been homeschooling Isaac and Mara, while Ryan has been meeting host families, visiting potential lecturers, and arranging a multitude of logistics. It feels good to…
