I'm Back!

The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Exodus 33: 14
Moses
                               
                                 Venance, Deborah, and Eliya
Anitha
 I woke up for school this morning after a two week break feeling rested, reenergized, and so excited to see my students again.  I don't know that I've ever said this before, but these past two weeks off of school actually felt long.  Don't get me wrong, it was much needed.  Immediately after finishing the school year in Texas it was time to pack for Africa and immediately after the mission team left we started school here and it has been nonstop ever since.  Having two weeks to rest, be at home, go to town with Anitha, spend time with my friends, work on my Swahili- it was so good.  But I really missed school. I love seeing my coworkers and students every day and two weeks without their laughter, tattling, and hugs felt like much longer.
The highlight of the break by far was taking a trip with a group of my friends to Bagamoyo, a small town on the Indian Ocean.  We left early Friday morning and stayed over for one night in two story cottages right on the beach.  We had the whole property to ourselves, including the swimming pool.   Only a couple of us knew how to swim, but that didn't stop everyone from jumping into the pool immediately after we arrived.  These friends of mine, my Tanzanian family, they work nonstop.  Venance and Hobby driving the school busses from 5 AM to 7 PM, Venance's wife Deborah caring for their three boys and their home on her own while Venance is away working, Anitha constantly keeping busy at home from sunup to sundown,  Baraka watching over my home at night while I am sound asleep, Moses watching over the school at night, Joseph working construction jobs in town from 6 AM to 6 PM, Mathayo guarding the school during the day and preparing all of the music for church in his spare time.  For two whole days, these amazing people got a break.  There was no schedule, no one had to cook or clean, and the biggest decision we had to make was what restaurant to go to for dinner.  I spent those two days watching with joy as my adult friends played, swam, and laughed like little kids, completely relaxed, just enjoying time together.
The day we left for Bagamoyo happened to be Mathayo's 20th birthday.  We celebrated in the traditional Tanzanian way by pouring several buckets of water on him first thing in the morning along with dirt, soda, and anything else we could find.  We sang to him over and over throughout the day, Hobby taught him how to swim, he played soccer on the beach, and at dinner we ordered milkshakes to end our celebration.  On the way out of the restaurant he said to me, "You know, I've never celebrated my birthday before.  This is my first time.  So for me, this is like a miracle."  This is not uncommon here.  Many people don't know their actual birthday, and most of those who do know, don't celebrate it.  I thought about American birthday celebrations and how extravagant they can be.  Fancy dinners, expensive gifts and cakes.  Some people even celebrate "birthday week".  And for Mathayo, a day at the beach and a milkshake felt like a miracle.  After a few seconds of processing what he said, I told him that I was so happy he was born on this day because he is an amazing person and we love him, and that his life deserved to be celebrated .  He smiled at me and nodded.
Saturday morning everyone woke up with the sun and went down to the beach to make the most of our last few hours of "vacation".  After eating breakfast together we swam right up until it was time to check out of the hotel.  We spent the four hour ride home talking, laughing, singing, and sleeping as wind came through the open bus windows, blowing around the sand and ocean salt.  I looked at the eleven people surrounding me and felt my heart swell with gratitude.  God has shown his unfailing love, protection, and grace for me through everyone I've met in Tanzania, but especially through these eleven souls, my family.  
Since discovering my call to become a missionary in Tanzania, I have always believed that my most important job is to love.  Sometimes loving means hugging my sweet students at school, sometimes it means giving cookies to the kids in my neighborhood,  other times it means praying with someone who is facing struggles only God can fix, and sometimes it means taking two days away to spend with the people who mean the world to me.  But no matter your profession and the demands that go along with it, God is calling all of us to love.  While it is difficult in a world where the to-do lists are never ending, I challenge you to make loving your most important job.  Rather than feeling bogged down and defeated by things still unfinished, remind yourself, 'If I can just show love today, I'm doing alright'.  If you do, I sincerely believe that you will see a change in your world.

 Mungu akubariki,

 Allee   
Mathayo, Joseph, and Me
                    
The whole family (: 

       
Baraka and Me

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