Translators going to America

The two Bible translators pictures, Mussa (Ikoma translator) and Rukia (Ikizu translator) have been selected to go to the States for six weeks to do an intensive English course.  Out of a lot of applicants from around the world, these two were chosen to go to Orlando (along with 12 others from various countries) to improve their English skills, which will greatly help them in their translation work.

They are pictured here holding gifts for the families with which they will be staying in Orlando.  Their six-week course isn't just classroom work - they are going to have to use English at "home" the entire time, too!  I so, so, so wish I could travel with them from Tanzania to Orlando to see their first reactions at being on an airplane, seeing a country outside of East Africa, trying western food, and seeing crazy things like American kitchens and people walking their dogs on sidewalks.  And, for more practical reasons, I also wish I could be there to help them navigate airport security and customs just to make sure they actually end up in the right place.

Please pray for these two translators as they make this big journey on Sunday, Oct. 7.  Pray for them as they are far away from their families for so long and likely experiencing a lot of culture shock.  Both of them are quite near and dear to me and Andrew and we're so excited they have this opportunity, but we're also a little nervous on their behalf.  Making a huge cultural change isn't very easy!

3st Street (Thirst St.?)

For the sake of the dignity of the town in which this picture was taken, I will not state the location of this street sign.  It made us laugh and we wanted to share the humor with all the rest of you.  You never know what little treat you'll find when going for a walk in a new place!

Prego pic in Holland, MI

I'm kind of squinty in this picture, but for a very good reason - it was a gorgeous, sunny day in Holland, MI! Andrew and I walked out on the pier at Holland State Park and took the classic pic with Big Red in the background.  I was wishing I had my swimsuit and that we had time to stop and play in the water, but that treat had to wait a couple days.  We had other really good plans for that evening, though - going to The Gathering at Hope College.  Anyway, the whole point of this post is to show you all how absolutely huge I'm getting to be!  Zarya is growing fast.

Binder Park Zoo

Sara Zwart, me, Julie Esch

Andrew givin' a little love

The Tanzania flag and a couple Tanzanians

Giraffes at the zoo get a bit closer to visitors than ones in the Serengeti...

A weaver bird, a common bird in East Africa, making a cool woven nest

Chinese Red Panda

While we are in the States, Andrew and I are traveling around a good bit to visit people whom we haven't seen in years.  We're spending about a month in the Midwest, two weeks of which are in Michigan.  I went to Hope College in Holland, MI, so I have quite a few friends who still live in the area.

On the day these pictures were taken, we were in Battle Creek (think cereal) catching up with a Hope friend, Sara Zwart.  Julie Esch, who lives in Ann Arbor, was also along for the zoo trip (we'd spent the previous weekend with her and her family and we were sneaking in one more day together).  We all went to Binder Park Zoo, which was fun and interesting and the animals all looked happy and healthy (just look at that red panda - he's thinking life in Battle Creek is pretty good on a sunny afternoon!).  I wasn't sure how I'd feel about visiting a zoo after having been to the Serengeti (giant national park in TZ full of lions, wildebeest, zebras, etc.), but it turned out to be a great day.  After all, we got to walk all around the zoo instead of having to stay inside a vehicle all day!  I even got to rub a giraffe's nose (turns out they are kind of oily and might benefit from some facial cleanser).  And, of course, the very best part was spending all day with Sara and Julie (and Andrew).  There is something really wonderful about being together in person instead of relying on e-mail for communication.

Blackberry fever!

Berries are one of the foods Andrew and I miss the most when we're in Tanzania.  We can get all sorts of fabulous tropical fruits in Musoma, but there are NO BERRIES!  One of my highlights of being in the States (thus far) is that we're here for blackberry season.  Berries are dripping off the vines all along the road near where we live.  It's so fun to pick them, and I can't get over how nice it is to be outdoors without anyone noticing or bothering me.  And best of all, they are free!  Imagine: beautiful, ripe berries a mere 1/4 mile from your front door, just begging to be picked.  We're busy filling our stomachs and our freezer with blackberries and I'm having a terrific lot of fun doing it.  I feel so American!

Oh, and if you have a really good blackberry cobbler recipe, please e-mail it to me!

Baby registry

I've debated for quite some time about putting this post up here, because I don't want y'all to think that I'm getting pushy and asking for baby gifts.  However, I am aware that some of you are the type who would really like to give wee Zarya a gift and want it to be something I actually need.  So, in the interest of helping you be practical and knowing what sorts of things we would find useful and have to have before we return to Tanzania in January, this is the link to where I'm "registered".  It's not really a registry, but an online wishlist: www.wishcentral.com.  You can look up my list under the name "Michelle Sandeen".  If you decide you'll be getting one of the items there, you can mark it as reserved so that others know it's already been claimed and avoid duplicates.

Culture shock?

We've now been in the States for one month and during this month we've been asked pretty frequently if we are experiencing reverse culture shock.  I know that many people who have spent extended time away from their home culture have a time of transition and cultural readjustment after returning, but I don't think we are very much.  What we are experiencing is a heightened awareness of noticing things.  Things that seemed very ordinary to us before going to Tanzania, we now notice.  A few are good things and a few are bad things, but for the most part they are simply neutral, normal things that stand out to us a bit.

Things that catch my attention:

• The sun doesn't rise at 6:20 every morning and set at 6:45 every evening year-round like it does in Musoma!
• American people are all different colors.
• Drivers stop at traffic lights and stop signs even when there are no other vehicles at the intersection.  For that matter, there ARE traffic lights and stop signs!
• Americans are very focused on safety (or avoiding lawsuits, at least).  There are safety labels on nearly everything, warnings in all sorts of places about possible hazards, and hundreds of street signs noting upcoming curves, speed limits, and animals that might possibly be around.
• Weather is a common conversation topic here.  It's about the same in Tanzania every day, so why discuss it?
• You can recycle in the States.  Don't just toss that can in the trash!
• There is pavement all over the place!  I haven't driven on a dirt road yet.  Even people's driveways are often paved!
• Groceries are really expensive in America, and there are simply too many choices for everything.  Do you want 15-grain, 100% whole wheat, double-fiber, seed & nut, or honey oat bread?

And the big one...

It's so CLEAN here!!!  Everything is just fresh and spankin' CLEAN - where is all the dust?  Where did the bugs go?  How about the trash, gecko droppings, and critter crud?  I just cannot get over how very, very wonderfully clean American homes and streets are - I guess all that pavement has a purpose.