Mondays with Allee

I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 This Monday is a special one because not only is it blog day, it's my cousin Christine's 21st birthday.  Christine is one of those people that everyone likes just by being herself.  She is honest, kind, dependable, hilarious, and has the best heart of anyone I know.  I am lucky to call her my cousin and also my best friend.  Christine was one of the few people who knew, just by talking with me about my trip to Tanzania last year, that I would be coming back long term.  She gets it.  She has a passion for doing what is right and what sets your soul on fire, not just what is easy or what is expected.  We have spent countless hours commiserating over American norms, politics, navigating cultural differences, and the constant pursuit of what and who God has planned for our lives.  Christine has been atten...

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3: 22-23       As I write my post today, my little friend Abyudi is sitting on my living room floor using a toothpick to eat pieces of mango.  After every bite his eyes get big and he smiles and says "Tamu sanaaaa!" (very tasty).  At not yet three years old, he makes daily trips to my house by himself, knocks on the door and yells "Alleeee!" His smiling face and contagious laughter never fail to make my day.   We celebrated graduation for our seventh grade class at school this Saturday.  It was an all day event with dancing, singing, speeches, delicious food, and lots and lots of cake.  I wanted to wear something "Tanzanian" for the special day so I had an outfit made by Frank's uncle who is a tailor.  Having things tailored is a very common practice here, and after wearing my outfit ...

Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 Life in Morogoro is so good.  This weekend I had the privilege of attending a preschool graduation ceremony for a young girl in our community named Shadya.  My friend Raylee met Shadya when she came to Tanzania for the first time three summers ago and they formed an incredible bond.  As Raylee continued to come back to Morogoro over the past three years, their relationship grew stronger, and through our friend Frank, Raylee learned more about Shadya.  She learned that Shadya is an orphan living with her aunt and uncle.  She learned that she was not enrolled in school.  And most recently, she learned that her home life with these relatives was not healthy or safe for Shadya.  When Raylee came back to Morogoro this summer she was determined to find a way to help Shadya out of this situation.  With Frank's help, we found a Catholic boarding school here in Morogoro where Shadya could live and...

Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Psalm 8:2         I have always loved kids.   For the first eight years of my life I was an only child and my mom was a pastor so I spent most of my time with adults.   During those years I desperately wanted a younger sister or brother to play with and help take care of.   I can honestly say that the day my sister Lauren was born was the best day of my life.   Really.   There are pictures of me in the delivery room with her looking happier than I have ever looked before.   And her presence in my life and in the life our family has continued to bring joy since that day.   Of course we would fight like only sisters can fight.   Of course there were days when she irritated me like only a younger sister can.   But during those times mom would say to me, “Remember how long you waited for...

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 When I was little I had these “I Wonder Why” books- I Wonder Why Snakes Shed Their Skin, I Wonder Why Stars Twinkle, I Wonder Why Zebras Have Stripes, etc.  They were some of my favorite books to read.  They were full of all the questions you asked yourself as a kid that seemed so impossible to answer.  We included these books in the hundreds we brought for the library here at school and I’ve come across several of them over the past few weeks as I’ve been unpacking.  It’s been fun to watch the kids and adults here love on these books as much as I did.  Over the month and a half that I’ve been here, I’ve found myself asking “I Wonder Why” questions just like I did as a kid- questions about my life in America, about the choices we make as Americans and why we...

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.  1 Thessalonians 3: 12 Last week, just a few hours after I finished my last post, I started feeling sick to my stomach for the second night in a row.  My head was hurting which was making me feel more nauseous and I just wanted to go to sleep.  Had I been in America I wouldn't have thought anything of this.  I would've assumed it was something I ate or that I hadn't drank enough water.  I would've gone to bed and waited for whatever was bothering me to pass on it's own.  But...I'm not in America. When I told Anita, the young woman who lives with me, that I was going to bed before 8 PM for the second night in a row she went to tell my friend Junior immediately and within minutes he was in my room. (As I said in my FAQ post, I am very well taken care of here) Junior and Pastor Umba insisted that we go to the hospital the next day despite...