Finit!

About 10 pm last night, Emily and I put the last brushstrokes on the last two murals... And now they are finished! It was really fun, and I hope that God has more muraling planned for my future, but it's also really nice to be done! I've enjoyed working with the kids to design and execute these, and with Emily and all the people that helped us. Time for a Sabbath rest:)

Four Down, Two to Go!

1st Grade

3rd Grade

2nd Grade

4th Grade

These are the murals that my housemate Emily and I have been working on with a group of about 15 primary students. We started planning at the beginning of the year. We hope to finish the other two tomorrow! It's been lovely to lead the kids in this creation.

Aaa-Choo!

Would you believe it?; you can get a cold in a tropical climate zone. I am happily coming out of the fog of sinus congestion today, thanks to a bit of rest, tea, and time.
Yet what brought this on? Well, the night time temperature has dropped a degree or two below 80 degrees Fahrenheit lately. I went from sleeping with no sheet, to pulling up the fleece blanket a couple times last week. I think these drastic temperature shifts shook up my immune system.

Family Meal

Last weekend all my housemates were gone. I got invited over to the house of a couple along with a family of four, all whom I've known since my first day in Tanzania. The couple are long time SIL missionaries. They brought their children up in Papua New Guinea. There, Sunday dinner was always pretzels, because it's easy to make more dough for more friends to join. And, they're fun to create in all sorts of shapes, quick to bake, and yummy to dip in anything from cream cheese to jam. We joined in their tradition, making guitars, hearts, unicorns, spirals... and a gecko! It's fortifying to have family time, when I am far from my own. Sharing a meal and conversation with mixed age levels and people who know you pretty well is a welcome comfort.

Thinking Toward Easter...

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, 

but according to His mercy He saved us, 

through the washing of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out on us abundantly 

through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Titus 3:5,6

Quite a Lovely Week

 Left: Grade 1 mural in progress! Right: Two worlds collide in my girly girl (note leopard strappy sandals and hair style) who loves to collect natural wonders like dead butterflies and tad poles. Lower Left: I got to teach art this week, since the art teacher was out. The kids did a great job of designing ads for our
class newspaper. (Note the flower of kindness on desk... passed on from student to student in honor of kind acts.) Lower Right: Ah, the creativity! Left over paper strips become beards, headbands, and golden earrings for aspiring pirates. Lowest Left: The whole primary school picture. Lowest Right: A broken but beautiful butterfly... Like so many of us. It's amazing we can still fly, but we can, by Christ's restorative work.

House Life

Here are my housemates: Ali, Emily, Rose, and Danielle. They hail from TN, N. Ireland, PA, and CT. I'm very thankful for the humor, encouragement, prayer, good examples, fun, and family that God has given us in our Tanzanian home.
We are pictured with our new house shirts that I designed for Christmas presents. Each person is represented by their favorite produce: Ali=papaya, Emily=butternut squash, Rose=popcorn, Danielle=peanut (butter), and I=mango... Popcorn and peanut butter might be stretching "produce."