This is just a test post to see if our internet connection at Banjika will work. This am, the whole school came out to greet us in a lovely flag raising and welcoming ceremony.
We had a great meeting with our TZ "team" today. We are 18 strong, looking forward to our adventure ahead, ready to lean into the new experiences. We spoke about our excitement, acknowledged our fears, got to know each other more, created group agreements, and researched a little about the beautiful country we are about to visit. I am already so proud of this group! John and I are here for them all along the way. I heard from our crew on the ground in TZ tonight and they can't wait to see us! See everyone at SFO on Sunday, 11am prompt, International terminal (KLM). Dress comfortable for a long flight, wear something Menlo, and bring passports please :) Tanzania here we come!
Welcome, parents, to student-written Tanzania Blog #1 (sorry for the delay; the wifi blinked out last night) Notable Events: It was Kilimanjaro day, and we saw multiple monkeys in the trees (apparently a rare sighting) en route to the mountain. We hiked around Mt. Kilimanjaro, starting at 10,500 feet and making around 200 ft of elevation gain. We saw some really cool animal tracks, and the view was simply amazing (although we could not see the peak due to clouds, and it rained on us a bit) Later we went to the home of Wilfred and Faith, a truly wholesome and welcoming couple who are two impressive Tanzanian leaders and elders. They taught us some very valuable lessons about Tanzanian history and culture. Lastly, we played many fun games together on the bus :) First Day Impressions: Amazing food! All the hosts were extremely generous, and we are all very well fed. We had breakfast and dinner at West Kili Lodge, boxed lunch on the bus after hiking, and a nice snack with Wilfred an...