After looking at my friend Natalie's wall last night and seeing her countdown to her Tanzania trip, I realized I didn't actually know how many days I had until I would be leaving to join her on our summer adventures. I checked my handy dandy countdown on my phone today and the number is 41. In 41 days I will be boarding a plane (by myself!) and flying off. That number may seem kind of big, but there is so much to be done in that short amount of time. I'm sure you probably have questions about my trip this summer, so let me tell you a little more about my plans.
How long will I be there? Who will I be there with?
I will be in Tanzania for exactly 41 days, at least I hope that's the number because that's what my visa says! I fly from JFK to Amsterdam on June 12th to meet a group of 16 people who are flying in from Minnesota and Pennsylvania. We will then all fly together from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro to meet Natalie (who will have already been there for about three weeks). 6 weeks later, I will board a plane in Kilimanjaro with Natalie (the others will be long gone!) and fly to Nairobi. We will then journey from Nairobi to Amsterdam, and finally from Amsterdam back to JFK.
Why am I going?
I have wanted to go to Africa since I was twelve. I couldn't tell you exactly why, but it has always been a dream of mine. I dreamed not only of visiting and doing the tourist-y/safari type things, but of going and living there for extended periods of time. Working, loving, and simply living a different kind of life and experiencing something completely different than what I'm used to.
I have also always felt a call on my life to help those less fortunate than me and to be a motherly figure, caring for others. This calling manifested itself in my chosen profession, teaching, but is also evident in many other areas of my life. Spending part of my summer working in an orphanage and helping those kids in any way I can just feels right. I know this experience is going to change my life dramatically and change my outlook on the world and I couldn't be more excited, or more nervous.
How did it all start?
Well, last semester I was walking around with Natalie, talking about life and she told me about a trip she had gone on in 2009. She went on a two week Vision Trip to Tanzania and said it changed her forever. I told her about how I had always wanted to go to Africa and how jealous I was that she had already gone. Natalie then continued to tell me about how she was trying to figure out how to go this summer for 2 whole months! I again repeated how jealous I was and said I wished I could go with her. To that, Natalie simply replied: "so come." I was sold.
Now the next step was to convince my parents to let me go. I realized I could pull the "I'm 18, I do what I want" card, but that didn't sound like the best idea. I put on my big girl pants and presented the idea as logically as I could. The response to my initial question was not "no." It was nowhere close to "yes," but as far as I was concerned, I was going to Africa for the summer.
My parents knew all the right questions to ask, and I had none of the answers for them. I realized that I had a lot more research to do before I simply flew to Africa by myself for the summer. I got in touch with Natalie and her dad (who both went in '09) and Pastor Chad. They all provided a lot of answers for my parents questions and I found out the trip was not as straightforward as I had originally thought.
Luckily, many months later, all of the plans are sorted out and I will be traveling to Tanzania in 41 days!!
What will I be doing?
So now you know where, when, and why. I'm sure you're incredibly interested in what I'll actually be doing when I'm there. The truth is, I'm not entirely sure. Here's what I do know. The first two weeks I will spend with a group of 19 people, all from the US. This part of the trip is called "Vision Trip 2013." Most of the people in that group will only spend those two weeks in Tanzania. The Vision Trip is organized and run by Pastor Chad Brekke of Prince of Peace Church in Minnesota. He actually organized my entire trip for me! :) We will be traveling around the country, spending time in the Kilimanjaro region and a little while in Bukoba in Western Tanzania. As far as I am aware, we will spend time visiting churches, orphanages, and the many friends and connections that Pastor Chad has around the country. "Rebekah," you may be thinking, "that only accounts for two weeks! What about the other four?" Well, my friends, I will be working in the Neema Orphanage Center which is located in Kalali, Tanzania. It is actually on the lower slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. This orphanage is run by the Northern Diocese of the Lutheran church in Tanzania which is known as the ELCT. This orphanage is basically five large homes and cares for approximately 50 children from newborns to 5-year-olds. I cannot tell you exactly what I'll be doing while I'm there, because I actually have no idea, but whatever it is, it will be wonderful.
Stay tuned for more updates as the countdown continues!
Also check out Natalie's blog for the trip here.
And Pastor Chad's blog for the trip here.
