1/2 way point

This entry is long overdue. I have not been able to get to a place where internet works well enough to update my blog. As a result, so much has happened in the past month or so. I don't even know where to start without this blog just becoming word diarrhea. I will try to categorize what I've been up to... bare w/ me

Village life:
We had orientation for 2 weeks w/ all the volunteers and teaching partners in a city called Babati. When I first arrived here, I thought this was rural. We stayed in hostels which still had running water and electricity. There was one internet cafe in the whole city, which was so slow it was more frustrating than helpful. When we moved into our villages 2 weeks later.. I was taken aback from what rural really is. No electricity, no running water, bucket showers, and bathrooms that are just holes on the ground. As I began to adjust, though, I really feel like I'm living a pretty luxurious life. At least my home has concrete floors and I get a hot bucket shower every night. The bathrooms I don't mind so much, but I can't manage to get the right position to minimize splashing. I share a room with Lilian, who is one of our teaching partners. We have our own bedroom and living room. My family consists of 2 mamas. Mama evans, whose home we're living in, has 3 children. Evans is 9, Doreen is 4, and Thea is 1. They're the cutest kids EVER, just really shy. Thea cried the first few times she saw me, haha. Mama Rashidi helps w/ cooking around the house. It's her food that is getting us FAT! So good though, so I can't complain. I'm learning a lot from everyone and even ventured out once to fetch h20 on my head. They make it look way too easy. I'm becoming pro at hand washing my clothes, using 1 bucket of water for showers, and eating w/ my hands. Life isn't bad. I can't complain.

Teachings:
I am very lucky and am in a group w/ Huan, Mary, Joy, Lilian, and Athumani. We work really well together, and keep ourselves BUSY!! We teach at the primary schools 2x a week for standards 4-5, and 3x a week for standards 6-7. We also go around the community doing impromptu teachings at pool tables, in front of the dukas, or just dropping by people's homes. We've also been invited to teach at a couple of churches and mosques. I really enjoy teaching. The community has such a strong interest in what we have to say and I love the flow we have going w/ our team.

Testing date:
Our village consists of around 1,200 people. We had our first test date last week and 102 people came out! We were very happy, since most of the people had never been tested before. Testing dates really help us gauge our effect on the community and is quite rewarding.

Swahili:
My swahili's getting pretty good! I'm managing to get by decently w/o translations. I even decided to brave it out to Kenya on my own (though I will be meeting up w/ a friend).

All in all.. Tanzania has won my heart over. The people really hook you in. Something about their way of life, their sense of community, and their empathy for each person just makes me appreciate the time I have here and the family I have back home waiting for me. I am happy here, but can't wait to return to the states.. ALMOST THERE!