First day back in Tanzania with the kids!

on sunday night I arrived in Kilimanjaro Tanzania. My friend Paul came to pick me up from the airport and drove my five massive suitcases and me to the Tuleeni Orphanage where I would be staying for 10 weeks. I called Mama Faraji and told her that I was on my way to the house and she said that all the children were awake and waiting for me. When I arrived at the orphanage, about 12 kids were waiting for me. As I got out of the car, they came darting at me screaming “NEEMA NEEMA NEEMA!!!”  and they tackled me. It was the most wonderful greeting. They helped me to carry all the suitcases inside to my room and we sat as I showed them some of the things I brought them. Everyone was so excited. I gave everyone a new toothbrush and toothpaste, which they were all so excited about that they all went and immediately brushed their teeth. We sat around in my bedroom and talked for a while… and laughed a lot. It was truly such a wonderful evening. I made all the children some juice and they prepared some rice and beans for me for dinner. I didn’t know that it was possible for me to be so happy…. The children all hugged and kissed me and then it was time for us all to go to bed. I crawled into my mosquito net and slept like a baby until the roosters and cows woke me this morning at 6:45am. The children were all already awake and preparing for school and for the day. They made me chai tea, and helped me get our baby twins Celestine and Hilda dressed. I put the twins in brand new clothes and they looked ADORABLE. I will post pictures of them later. I put new collars on the 4 tuleeni dogs and gave them flee and tick medicine. Hopefully this will help them get healthy because they are all so sick right now :(  Then around 9am Jonas and I went on a long walk to look for Mangos but we didn’t have any luck because mangoes aren’t in season right now. We returned empty handed and instead Hellen, Yusta, and I went into town to go to the market. We got mboga (vegetables) and matunda (fruit).  We also bought cooking oil, sugar, salt, and some other needed supplies for the house including soap, gas for the stove, and some medicine. When we came home, we prepared lunch.. which took a very long time. I don’t think we ate lunch until around 3:45pm. By that point I was so hungry, I inhaled my food and then was sooo exhausted that I passed out for two hours. It was a very short lived evening because I was so jet lagged. I talked with Mama some about the new orphanage and building as well as about some of the children. she informed me that about 8 of the tuleeni children have gone to live at a different new orphanage together in order to free up some space here at tuleeni. I don’t know if I will get to see them, which makes me really sad, but at least I know they are in school and are happy together. I still have plenty to keep me busy with all the other children here… after mama and I talked, I played with the kids and we read some books and listened to music on my computer. I went into my room at about 8:30 and read some of my book and then fell asleep. It was a WONDERFUL first day back in Tanzania.