Into The Rapids

My next destination was to Kampala, Uganda. The Ugandan airport is 50 kilometers from Kampala in Entebbe, which is located on Lake Victoria. After I arrived at my hotel in Kampala, I still had a few hours of daylight left so I had a taxi take me to a shopping center. The shopping center was surprisingly similar to a mall that you would find in the U.S. I spent several hours walking around looking at all the different shops before the taxi returned to pick me back up. As we were leaving the parking lot, another car backed into our taxi. I spent an hour watching the taxi driver and the other driver try to come to an agreement about the accident while hundreds of people walked by the car staring at me, wondering what had happened. Welcome to Uganda.

Of all my activities that I planned during my time in Africa, I have been most excited about my whitewater rafting trip down the Nile River. The source of the Nile begins in Uganda at Lake Victoria and flows north to Egypt. The rapids begin 50 kilometers from Kampala in a town called Jinja. I was up at 6:30am ready to be picked up by the rafting company at 7:30am. Along the way, we picked up a large group that I spent some time getting to know as we made our way to the river. The group was from the United States and they had been in Uganda for a week doing a medical missions trip. They provided a free health clinic to everyone in a small village and surrounding area. By the third day of the clinic they had seen almost 700 patients, and they still had a week left.

When we arrived to the river they invited me to join them in one of their boats. They split their group up into those who wanted a mild ride, and those who wanted a wild ride. I of course got in the wild boat. We put on all our gear and headed down to the boats. Our group was asked for two volunteers, so I volunteered. I was put in the front of the boat along with another guy. Our job was to make sure we were paddling at the same time to keep the boat steady. Before we got to the rapids, our rafting guide, Ron, gave us an overview of some of the important things we would need to know as we went through the rapids. We practiced our paddling strokes and well as our "get down" position when we were in the rapids. Ron also made us practice falling out of the boat and getting back in since he knew it was going to happen to us all. He then showed us what we do when our raft flips over in the middle of a rapid and how we get it turned back right-side up.

As we were getting these instructions, I could begin to hear the sound of water pounding over rocks and it was growing louder as we drifted closer. We pulled over to the side of the river for some last-minute instructions. Rapids are graded by their level of difficulty. The last thing Ron told us before we headed into the rapid was that this was a Grade 5 rapid...it only goes to Grade 6. We began paddling as hard as we could with water splashing all over the place. Then, Ron yelled "get down," so we all got into our positions to ride the rapid. As we whipped down the first drop off, we were met with a giant wave. We crashed into the wave and were jerked all over the place. We continued paddling hard as we went through the next two waves. Finally, we successfully made it to the calm waters, but there was another right in front of us. We began to paddle to build speed as we entered the second rapid. The roar of the rapid was deafening and it was hard to keep focused. We hit the first wave and off I flew. The water sucked me out of the boat and I tossed and turned as I continued whipping through the water. Finally, I made it to calmer water where there was a kayaker waiting to pick up those who didn't make in through the rapid. The kayak dropped me back off on my boat and I joined my group.

The next leg of the river was a long pool of calm water so we spent time getting to know one another as well as taking breaks to swim in the Nile. We slowly made our way through the long pool for 45 minutes before I began to hear the roar of another rapid ahead. We started building speed again and then into the rapid we went. We were tossed all around and flew out of our seats several times. I was determined to stay on this time so I held on to the raft as hard as I could. The water grabbed me, but I held on tight. I made it through another rapid without going overboard.

The sun was already beginning to burn and it wasn't even noon yet. There was no safety from the intense heat as we drifted down the river. We pulled over to the bank of the river because there was a Grade 6 rapid that was too difficult for beginner rafters. We walked along the shore until we passed the wicked rapids and then jumped back in. Ron gave us another briefing on our final rapid before we stopped for lunch. We were heading for a rapid named 50-50. Ron explained that there was a 50% chance that our boat would flip and if it did not flip, there was a 50% chance that half our team would go overboard. If we went overboard, he told us to be prepared to hold our breath for 5-10 seconds before we would pop back up. I could hear this rapid before I could see it. It was a steep drop, so we didn't know what to expect until we were already in the rapid, but by then it was too late. In we went, and out I went. The water got a hold of me and sucked me into the roaring rapid. Five seconds seems like an eternity when you are tumbling violently through the water, but after five seconds I popped back up...but the rapid was not over. I had fallen out at the beginning of the rapid, so I went twirling and spinning through the massive waves until I finally made it to the calm water where I kayaker rescued me and took me back to my boat. I am pretty sure I got some war wounds from that rapid. I don't know where they came from, but I got some sweet bumps and bruises in some painful places.



The next leg of the river was a long pool of calm water so we spent time getting to know one another as well as taking breaks to swim in the Nile. We slowly made our way through the long pool for 45 minutes before I began to hear the roar of another rapid ahead. We started building speed again and then into the rapid we went. We were tossed all around and flew out of our seats several times. I was determined to stay on this time so I held on to the raft as hard as I could. The water grabbed me, but I held on tight. I made it through another rapid without going overboard.

We stopped along the riverbank and had a delicious catered lunch. The intense paddling really builds up your appetite. We met the other boat and shared laughs of our rapid adventures. I had really been looking forward to our break because that meant I could reapply my sunscreen. I've never used so much sunscreen in my life, but that sun really gets to you fast. After lunch we headed back to the boats for our next four rapids. I moved to the middle of the boat because the front didn't seem to be working out too well for me. It's pretty easy for a little guy like me to be sucked out of the boat, and as much fun as it is to fall out of the boat, it's much more fun to ride the rapids in the boat.

We headed into our first rapid after lunch, and this time I was going to fight to stay on. In we went as our boat turned every which way through the roaring waves. Ron yelled to paddle, so we paddle as best we could as we were sitting in the raft. Our raft hit a large wave and two of our teammates bounced out of the raft. We contented paddling hard until we made it though to the calm water and picked up our drifting teammates.


We managed to all stay on the raft during the next two rapids. After those two rapids was our longest calm pool of the day. We all took breaks and swam in the Nile and did flips off the front of our raft. We also played some games on the raft. We stood on the edges of the raft and hooked the ends of the paddles together. We then leaned backwards until someone fell into the water.

Unfortunately, our time was coming to an end as we neared the final rapid. Ron gave us another quick briefing and told us that we would be faced with a large wave...and then there would be another one twice that size. We geared up and we were determined to all make it through this final rapid. The water sucked us in and we paddle as hard as we could. One wave crashed into us and turned the boat. We continued paddling until we reached the first massive wave. Half the water ended up in our boat, but we managed to make it through. Then came the second wave. Somehow, we managed to survived the second wave and then I heard Ron yell "abandon ship." Now, "abandon ship" was not something we had practiced during our training at the beginning, so I didn't know what to do. Usually that means jump out of the boat, but we were still in the middle of the biggest rapid yet. He kept yelling "abandon ship." Ron had safely gotten us down the river this far, so I had no reason to not trust him. I chucked my paddle into the water and I jumped into the crashing waves. I have never had a more fun 30 seconds of my life. I tossed and turned as I rode the rapids up and down. It was like I was on a roller coaster. It was the best way to end the best day I have had during my time in Africa. Whitewater rafting is my new favorite sport.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Circle Of Life

My adventure began with a trip to Mombasa, which is located on the east coast of Kenya. Chloe accompanied me on one last weekend trip together. Since I will be making my way across East Africa, I have to take all of my belongings, which consist of a 60 lb suitcase, 25 lb travel backpack, 12 lb computer bag, and my camera bag. People probably think I'm moving to Africa. After my goodbyes in Tanzania, Chloe and I took a five-hour bus ride to Mombasa. Immediately when we crossed the boarder into Kenya, I knew I would love the country. They have paved roads! Kenya-1 Tanzania-0. I forgot what it felt like to not fly out of my seat every three seconds. We stayed at a resort 20 kilometers south of Mombasa in an area called Diani Reef. It was pretty surprising to see how wealthy this area was with all these fancy, luxurious beach resorts.

Our hotel was located two kilometers from the beach in a forest, hence the name of our resort-Forest Dream. It was another smaller, more private resort than those found along the beach. The best part of the resort were the monkeys that jumped from tree to tree as we swam in the pool. We spent the first evening relaxing by the pool and enjoying a break from our busy last few weeks.

The next morning Chloe and I walked down to the beach. This beach may win for being the most beautiful beach that I have seen thus far. The tide was out so there were miles of fine white sand beaches. As we began walking to the water we saw a man with camels lounging on the beach. I really wanted to ride one so we started walking towards him. As we got closer he began walking his camels down the beach. Like said, I really wanted to ride one so we followed him. We walked for 45 minutes behind this camel man until he finally stopped. We started getting closer and then he started walking in the other direction. My dream of riding a camel on a beach in Kenya was shattered, but we enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way.

That afternoon we had a taxi take us souvenir shopping. When I said I have a 60 lb suitcase, I didn't mention that the only things in the suitcase were souvenirs. I'm bringing Africa home with me. The taxi driver took us to several different wood carving markets that had literally hundreds of thousands of carvings that were locally made. He even took us to see some of the workers carving the animals. I bought several things...not quite sure where they will go, but somehow they will make it home. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing again by the pool and watching the monkeys.

The next morning Chloe and I departed for Mombasa to explore the city before Chloe and I parted ways. We had the taxi driver take us to a place to get henna tattoos. We ended up getting them in the middle of someone's living room couch-authentic henna. After lunch the driver dropped Chloe off at the bus station where we said a quick goodbye because if the busy traffic then proceeded to take me to the airport for my flight to Nairobi. One thing that I immediately noticed when I arrived in Kenya was the difference in development. Kenya is much more developed than Tanzania and there is a lot more wealth. By wealth I do not mean there is no poverty, but Kenya has many more resources. As I was driving through Nairobi on the way to my hotel, we passed many fancy well-kept office buildings and hotels. We also passed many shack homes. I spent the evening enjoying the large hotel and resting for my upcoming adventure.

I planned a three-day safari to the Masai Mara, which is on the southern boarder of Kenya that connects with the Serengeti in Tanzania. I took another small plane and landed in the Mara on a patch of dirt. A driver picked me up and we immediately began a game drive.

We began driving down the rocky road into the middle of the savanna. I was thinking that this would be a place where vehicles were not allowed off the pathways, so we would have to see the animals from a distance. Five minutes into the drive, the driver whipped over a bump and began driving through the bushes and grass. It wasn't even ten minutes before we found a leopard. It must have been my lucky day because I was told that leopards are the rarest animal to see in the wild.

We continued driving and suddenly I saw what I have always dreamed of seeing. A herd of elephants was grazing across the plains. I told the driver that elephants were my favorite animal and he immediately began to drive closer. I watched the elephants graze 30 feet away. You can believe I was smiling ear to ear.

Onward we went until we got to the plains and saw an uncountable number of wildebeests and zebras grazing. July is the time of the Great Migration where millions of zebras and wildebeests migrate from the Serengeti to the Mara. It was just like you have all seen on the Discovery Channel. Thousands of them in herds making their way across the plains. They will begin their migration back to the Serengeti in September where the cycle starts over.

We continued driving making our way to the hotel as we passed many more elephants, zebras, vultures, wildebeests, impalas, and hartebeests. From three football fields away the driver spotted something in the tree, so off we went through the bushes to get a closer look. If I wasn't lucky enough to see a leopard, I now saw a lion relaxing in a tree. It is another rare sight to see a lion in a tree because they apparently can't climb very well. I could have gone home happy right then, but I had barely begun.

I made it to the hotel for lunch and to relax before my evening game drive. I had no need to relax, so I went to visit a Maasai village. The Maasai people are 1 of 42 tribes in Kenya and they are by far the largest. These are the people you see in National Geographic where they live in mud huts, wear right red fabrics, and jump really high. I had a guide take me into the village and show me what life is like for the Maasai people. They kindly welcomed me and began showing me around their village. They invited me in to see their mud hut, which takes two months to build and last nine years before it is destroyed by termites. They then showed me their tribal dances and songs and taught me how to jump.

Maasai men (warriors) must kill a lion before becoming a man, a skill I would like to learn. My guide explained to me how he spent years training and learning about how to kill a lion. He then spent every day searching for a pride for weeks until he finally found a male lion to kill. As a representation of becoming a man, the warrior wears the mane of the lion around his neck and wears a necklace that holds the tooth of the lion. My guide gave me one of the necklaces to buy that he made from his lion. It was quite a fascinating experience to learn about these

people who live a simple, yet difficult life.

After my village visit it was time for another game drive. Like my first drive, I was the only tourist in the jeep, which meant I got to choose to see whatever I wanted. We passed by another herd of elephants and saw giraffes fighting amongst the bushes. We came upon another pride of lions and cubs. The driver must not have felt like we were close enough because he drove ten feet away from them. I was so tempted to open the door and go pick up and cub and take it with me. We then made our way back and saw another mother lion with three cubs that were two months old. This lion was not afraid of our jeep because she came five feet away from my window...which was rolled down. Had that lion come any closer, I would have just used my newly learned Maasai warrior lion killing skills.

One of my favorite holidays is the 4th of July and I am a little bummed that I could not celebrate it in the U.S. Since I could not celebrate in the U.S., I planned to celebrate it by watching the sunrise while floating 2500 feet in the air over the Mara and the Serengeti in a hot air balloon. Because it was a sunrise balloon safari, I was up at 4am to drive 90 miles to the launch site in the Mara. As I pulled up, this enormous balloon started growing.

We were briefed on safety and then into the balloon we went. The basket was on it's side so we had to lay down in the seats for take off. The pilot began using the massive torches to heat the air inside and as the air grew hotter, we began to move. The balloon dragged the basket along the ground until there was finally enough heat to lift us up. We soared over the thousands of wildebeests and zebras as their day was just beginning. I could see for miles in every direction.

About 20 minutes into our flight, the sun began to appear. It looked like the sun from The Lion King- a massive ball of fire slowly lighting up the sky as it awakens the savanna. We flew over hills, plains, rivers, and forests seeing everything from warthogs to ostriches.

We landed an hour later and were then taken to the plains to have a champagne breakfast. We made a toast to a successful flight and then feasted like kings. The table was covered with croissants, danishes, cheese, sausages, and quiches. It was the perfect way to celebrate Independence Day.

The rest of the day was spent on a full day game drive that took me to the Masai River where hippos and crocks lurk. We walked along the river, with a guide with a gun, and saw a one-ton crocodile basking in the sun. A little farther down the river we saw a family of hippos playing in the water. We continued spotting elephants, giraffes, lions, and water buffalo. A call came in on the driver's radio and you could feel excitement in the air. A cheetah had been spotted nearby so we raced to find it. You could tell exactly where it was because there were 15 jeeps in one area and 12 more on the way. It was finally our turn to get close to the cheetah and you could see its spotted coat peaking through the bushes. Another successful day on the savannah.

The next morning I began another full day game drive at 7am. The morning started out with spotting a mother lion and her cubs that were less than two weeks old. A little farther down the road we came across another leopard that was sleeping in a tree with a dead wildebeest hanging from a branch of the tree. The driver saw something in the distance, so we drove closer. It happened to be another cheetah sitting in the middle of an open field just relaxing. Next, the driver took me out to the savannah to see the wildebeests and zebras migrating across the boarder from Tanzania. More than two million wildebeest and two million zebra migrate each year to the Masai Mara. We also saw several herds of elephants grazing across the plains.

As the day was winding down, the driver took me to the airstrip for my flight back to Nairobi. It's like the song says "There is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done. There is far too much to take in here, more to find than can ever be found." Each day brings something new and exciting to the savannah. You could be here for a week and not see an elephant or you could see a lion catch a wildebeest on your first day. I could not have hoped for a more thrilling adventure in the Masai Mara. My Kenyan adventure will surely be a highlight for the rest of my life. Time to explore Uganda.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Unwanted Goodbyes

My time in Tanga has come to an very unwanted end. I have barely had enough time to appreciate all that Tanzania has to offer, but I have very much enjoyed getting to work with the 4H Tanzania organization and getting to know the people who are changing the lives of thousands of youth. I will greatly miss my 4-H family. I have had the chance to work with the best co-workers for the past six weeks and I want to give you a little overview of my relationships with some of my co-workers.

Joseph and I always had a great time together. Every time I saw him, he took the opportunity to give me advise about the ladies. From the beginning, Joseph has tried hooking me up with any single female we met...and a few married ones as well. He wants to see me take home an African woman...or two or three. When I told him we are not allowed to have more than one wife in America he said, "well, this is Africa, so it's okay." It did not matter what we were doing or who we were around-it was always a good time for lady advice. He would even take the time to give me advice during meetings. I will very much miss Joseph's oh so helpful advise on the ladies as well as his somewhat inappropriate, yet hilarious comments.

I did not have the opportunity to work with Alice very often during the working day, but I did get to know her during tea time and lunch time as well as the random times I went to go speak with her. I made it an everyday habit to make Alice laugh. Whether I had to sing her a song or dance in her office, I wouldn't let her leave for the day unless she laughed. I am going to miss shouting at Alice from across the yard and busting into song and dance just to make her laugh.


Eliza was a tremendous help to me during my time at the camp. She was the office assistant and was always there to take care of me. The first day I met Eliza, she told me that she wanted me to teach her English and I told her she could help me learn Swahili, so I taught her how to speak English slang. I taught Eliza how to say "what up" the thug way with the slight head nod. So, every morning when she came to greet me, we exchanged "what ups" with one another. I also taught her how to say "peace out" when she left, so she always went around saying "what up" and "peace out" to everyone. It was pretty entertaining and always put a smile on my face. She is a widowed mother and I will miss her caring and loving character.

Of my Tanzanian 4H family, I will miss Gudila most of all. I worked with her from the day I arrived at the camp and I couldn't have ever dreamed of having someone more fun to spend my time with. I usually busted into song several times throughout the day while I would be sitting next to Gudila. It wouldn't take long before she would laugh. I think my music habits rubbed off on her because she eventually started busting out in song. Joseph really worked hard to try to hook me up with Gudila. So, I of course played that up every chance I had. There would be times when I would propose to her in front of all our co-workers or times when I would shout "I love you Gudila," so everyone could hear. I will greatly miss Gudila's kindheartedness and how appreciative she was of even the smallest things.

It goes without saying that I will very much miss Chloe. Chloe and I have been together non-stop for five weeks. You get to know someone pretty well when you spend that much time together. By the end of our time together, Chloe and I were able to finish each others thoughts and sentences. I could not be more thankful to have had Chloe to keep me company during the week and during our weekend adventures through Tanzania. She was an incredible person to work with and I look forward to following her work during the next five months to watch how she makes a difference in so many lives. I take confort in knowing that once she has completed her time in Tanzania, she will not be so far away-just two states away.


Although my internship is now complete, my adventure still continues. I have 12 days before I come home and those 12 days will take me through three different East African countries. I will be spending six days in Kenya, three days in Uganda, and three days in Ethiopia. If you haven't caught on yet, I love adventure, so you can imagine that I have planned some pretty adventurous activities in these three countries. I encourage you to continue reading to find our where this journey takes me and what adventures lie ahead.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Unexpected Guests

Wednesday morning I was sitting in the office working on the grant proposal when Ben, one of my supervisors, came in and informed me that nine people from Finland were coming to visit. I was very excited to be having some guests that would be staying at the camp with us. I asked Ben when they would be arriving and he proceeded to tell me they would be arriving in three hours. One thing that I have become accustom to is finding out important information on very short notice. Whether it is taking a two day trip to visit clubs or having guests from Finland, we usually get no more than 24 hours to prepare.

Three hours later the Finns arrived. Ben informed us that the group would be students our age...and then he said some would be his age. That is quite a difference in age, so Chloe and I were very confused on who we should be expecting. Seven young girls and two adults walked through the camp gates hauling all their luggage. Chloe and I ran down to welcome them and I'm sure they were quite surprised to see other white people at the camp.

The Finnish 4-H club from Hankisalmi, central Finland, began their dream of visiting Tanzania over a year and a half ago. When they discovered that one of their advisors grew up in Tanzania and there was a 4-H relationship between the two countries, they decided they wanted to come to Tanzania. They worked for a year and a half to raise money by selling food, babysitting, cleaning homes, and inviting their community to Tanzanian Nights where they cooked Tanzania food and sang Tanzanian songs. This group of seven dedicated girls raise more than $30,000 for their trip. They will be in Tanzania for several weeks exploring the entire country from Kilimanjaro to the Ngorogoro crater to Zanzibar. They have a pretty incredible adventure planned, which has been well deserved.

After resting for a while, a secondary school 4-H club from Tanga came to welcome the Finnish 4-H club. They performed several dramas in Swahili for us all. They were quite depressing with everyone dying and killing one another. I'm sure there was a positive message somewhere in the drama...we just couldn't understand it. Next, the Tanga club invited all of us to dance and sing with them. We sang and danced and laughed for 45 minutes. One thing I have noticed about Africans is their personal bubble...or lack thereof. They love to hug, hold hands, dance uncomfortably close, and kiss foreigners on the cheeks. Regardless, it was fun to watch two clubs from distant countries interact with one another.

Thursday morning Chloe and I joined the Finns on a trip to the Amboni Caves ten miles outside of Tanga. The caves are said to have magical healing powers for those who leave an offering inside the caves. The caves cover ten square miles and contain ten networks of caves and passageways making them the most extensive known in East Africa. Some believe that there are secret passageways that lead to Mombasa, Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro hundreds of miles away.

As we entered the pitch-black caverns, you could hear the sound of thousands of bats soaring through the cave overhead. I felt as if I was in an adventure movie as we climbed and crawled through holes that we could barely fit through. Whenever the tour guide turned the other way, I took every chance I had to wonder away and explore the caves on my own. I felt like I was an Indiana Jones on an adventure in the caves. When one cave became too small for me to crawl through I turned and went another direction.

After exploring the caves for several hours we spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach with the girls. They were so thrilled to be near the ocean that they could hardly set their belongings down before jumping into the water. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing after a long and eventful day.

The next morning we went on a couple club visits in Tanga. We first visited a primary school. The schools in Tanzania are currently on holiday until the middle of July, so the only children at the school were a few 4-H club members. We had the opportunity to see their club gardens and trees. We then got to help plants some of the trees in the school yard with the 4-H members. It becomes a spectacle anytime a white person comes around. Children from all around the village came to watch us plant trees in the yard. They found it pretty hysterical as we tried to use a hoe to dig through the red clay and dirt.

We then got to visit another all-female 4-H club that focused on sewing. This was the first time that I had visited a club that focused on a single skill. The women were very excited to share their knowledge with us about sewing and making clothes. It was fun to be able to watch these two clubs share information with one another about what they do in their own clubs.

Friday was a very special day for Finnish people-the celebration of the midnight sun. On June 24, people in Finland celebrate the day/night that the sun never sets. They build large bonfires, sing songs and celebrate all night long. Since the girls could not be home to celebrate the midnight sun, they decided to celebrate here in Tanzania with me and Chloe. They spent all afternoon preparing the most delicious Finnish meal over the open-fire stove. We had an amazing Finnish soup with potatoes, carrots, and beef, as well as Finnish pancakes, which tasted like a piece of heaven. After our delicious meal, we head out to the yard to make a bonfire. I have never worked so hard to get a fire started in my life. It's rather difficult to get a fire going when there is 80% humidity and the wood is always damp. However, after a good 30 minutes, we finally got a fire started.

We spent the evening singing songs together and sharing laughs with one another. The girls would teach us songs in Finnish and we taught them popular campfire songs in English. Later in the evening, we all played a form of hide-and-seek with flashlights. During the celebration in Finland, it is customary for young girls to find seven different flower and put them under their pillow for the night. If they do, they are supposed to dream of their future husband. Since flowers are not a common item found around the camp, the girls decided to collect seven different types of leaves. They ran around the yard plucking branches from trees and pulling up bushes. It was an awesome experience to celebrate this holiday in Tanzania with these girls. As the night was ending, they all said this was one of the best midnight sun celebrations they have ever had, and I am thrilled I had the opportunity to partake in the celebration.

Saturday morning took us all to Muheza to visit an all-female club. It was the same club that I first visited five weeks ago and it was great to see all the women again. After the two clubs shared about their 4-H clubs, they sang and danced with one another. The Finnish girls learned several Tanzanian song, including the national anthem. It was pretty amazing to watch the Finnish club stand next to the Tanzanian club and sing the national anthem together in swahili.

After visiting the women in Muheza, we headed back into Tanga to visit some other members of 4-H and see their individual projects in their homes. We had the opportunity to see how the members keep and raise chickens, ducks, goats, and cows. One 4-H member pulled me aside and was very interested in the education system of the United States. I soon found out that he has been dreaming of studying engineering at a university in America. He wanted to know what he needed to do in order to study in America. He has thoroughly thought his plan through because he wants to find someone to sponsor him so he can afford to study engineering. It is pretty difficult when someone shares such a dream with you and you can only do so much, which isn't enough, to help.

Saturday evening was spent relaxing and playing card games with the girls. They taught me and Chloe how to play a Finnish game and then we all played Uno. They all wanted to teach my a useful phase in Finnish so with much practice I finally mastered the phrase. I can now go up to any Finnish girl that I see and tell her that I saw her in my dreams. Best Finnish pickup line ever.

Later in the evening it was "girl time" where all the girls braided one another's hair and painted each other's nails. Being the only male in the room, I just sat and watched them all have fun. The girls had been wanting to interview me and Chloe for a few days so, after "girl time," we had our interview session. They were interested in our work here in Tanzania and some of our best experiences. I mentioned that my mother is an author of several children's books and they all became very excited. So, I showed them "C is for Cornhusker," which is an alphabet book about Nebraska. The perfect book to show people about my home.

I have been wanting to go to a church in Tanzania since I arrived, but Chloe and I have been traveling every Sunday. This Sunday, I finally had the chance to go to a Lutheran Church with the Finnish group. We walked into the church and immediately saw the most colorful dresses and fancy hats/head wraps. Women wear their most fancy, bright, and beautiful dresses to church on Sundays. The women wore their African fabrics that were neon pinks, vibrant oranges, bright greens, deep blues, scarlet reds, and golden yellows. The men sat on one side of the church and the women on the other. I knew the service had begun the minute I heard the most beautiful African harmonies. Everyone stood as the pastors made their way down the aisle singing in perfect acapella harmony that rang through the entire church. It didn't matter that the service was conducted in Swahili because anyone, regardless of language, could feel the presence of God in the incredible music sung by the congregation.

Sunday afternoon was spent relaxing at the beach with the girls. You can imagine it is quite the spectacle to see seven white girls swimming in the sea. Tanzanians came from all along the beach to see the girls. Eventually, as I was laying on the beach soaking up some sun, all of the girls came to lay down next to me. Several Tanzanian men came up to me and asked me to share the girls since there were seven. I politely smiled and said "no, I don't think so." It was quite an eventful and enjoyable day with the girls.

Monday morning was the first day that Chloe and I had a chance to get back to our office work. While the girls went to visit some clubs in Korogwe, Chloe and I stayed at the camp to work on our grant proposal and some other paperwork. It was the last day that Chloe and I had to spend with the girls so, we put together a fun activity to do with the girls after dinner. We spent three hours laughing and enjoying one another's company during dinner. The girls were so excited about our surprise and talked about it all evening. Chloe and I created a jeopardy game that included questions about Tanzania, 4-H, me and Chloe, and a miscellaneous category. Within each category, Chloe and I put fun activities like singing my favorite song, carrying a water bottle on their head, playing games they taught us, and eating a surprise we prepared for them.

We laughed and laughed for hours playing the game. It was one o'clock in the morning by the time the girls started to fade. Chloe and I went into town during the day because we wanted to give the girls a gift that they could take with them on their adventures in Tanzania. We bought them snickers, Pringles, peanuts, cookies, chocolate, and other fun Tanzanian candies that they would enjoy. I also gave them one of my mother's books to take home with them. The minute we gave the girls their gift they started crying. We all were not looking forward to the following day when they would have to continue on their adventure.

Tuesday morning before the bus arrived, we spent every minute we had playing all sorts of games that they had taught us during their stay at the camp. When the time came, we waited along the road for the bus to pull up. Several more tears were shed as we said goodbye one last time. I loved every minute I had with the girls and it was sad to see them leave. I have never met a more fun group of happy, energetic, kind, polite, and enthusiastic young girls. I promised them that I will see them again, and it is a promise I will keep.