Just figured out your supposed title....so this is my title

Hey everyone! I am the third member of this awesome mission team to be taught/figure out how to post on this blog. Soon this wonderful knowledge that I have gained will be shared to everyone so that all our interesting missionary stories will be share to you all! Today we went to the beach to recover from our wonderful journey. it was very enjoyable and Jamie and I chased a sand crab and almost caught. for some odd reason Tanzanian Crows love Roxanne, she did not return there affection and they left a gift on her towel for her. We have been inside this computer room for less than 20 min and it went from bright afternoon sunshine to sunset darkness, so I leave you all to wondering what are they doing in Africa. :)

Amsterdam Airport

We're across the Atlantic. Happy Canada Day! There are wooden shoes and tulips aplenty. The excitement is slowing turning into jetlag. We met some people on the plane who are also flying on our next flight. They are youth volunteering as math teachers in Tanzania. Pray for us. The most painful flight is coming up. Eleven hours! We're on our way Vanessa.

Dar es Saalam

Hello, sorry for the delay, since my last post. Would you believe you have to pay for wifi in the Amsterdam airport. Anyhoo our trans-atlantic flight went well, and the flight from Amsterdam to Dar was long, but I slept most of the way. Danica says I was crossing on to her seat in my sleep but she doesn't have any photographic evidence so who knows for sure! The airport into Dar es Saalam was what I expected, there was that yellow tinge from years of cigarette smoke on the ceiling. and when we got into the main customs room the first thing I noticed was the smell. It was a dirty smell; dried urine, tobacco and body odour. Another thing I noticed was in France the airport was patrolled by soldiers with automatic weapons, the soldiers here carried long black batons. after we went through customs, we met Brother Anthony who led us to an army truck (i'll try to load pictures in the next couple days) and Paulo (our driver) and I loaded the luggage. Let me say this now, everyone (but yours truly of course) overpacked! I'm surprised the planes made it of the ground. oh yeah, i'll also mention this, no one lost any luggage. In fact the service on KLM was great. I particularly enjoyed a complimentary glass (in actual glasses) of red wine... for nerves of course.
Any way travelling in the truck to the compound was an adventure. Many of you have no doubt heard me complain of saskatchewan drivers, well... I now have a new low standard. the motorcyclists outnumber the cars three to one and zip through traffic like nobody's business. There are trenches on either side of the  highway to collect rainwater. and past the trenches are people gathered around little fires though the temperature is in the 20's, they are actually using it for cooking. Driving down the highway the smells hit you again sewage, pork, eggs, fish and people are out and talking and jaywalking like its going out of style. the compound we are temporarily staying at has a gate and the first time we go through it four or five german shepard mutts are barking at us and the girls are saying "Oooo Puppies!" we had a little bread and then went to sleep. I crashed under my mosquito net, which brings to mind the the curtains that draped a royal bed. I slept for eight hours, the jetlag not too bad. but in the girls cabin nobody went to sleep until Katelyne had killed every jumping spider in the room. This morning we had breakfast, toast and a juice made from hyacinth flowers, the tea is fresh and really great! Today is a lazy day as we recover from our jetlag. We went to the Indian ocean and some of us swam a bit. I sampled a local beer and it was very tasty. For those who are curious the legal drinking age here is 18.
Tomorrow we drive to Dodoma, I am excited and filled with a eagerness to get to work. We are Christ's workers and we are ready to work for his glory here. Pray for us.
 Wifi is sketchy here so bear with me if my next post isn't for a couple of days.
Mathew

Minneapolis Airport

We are one step closer to Tanzania! We've crossed into the US and are waiting are flight to Amsterdam. Celine and the Richards' got some shut eye on the airplane but I was too excited. There was a little excitement getting on board in Saskatoon. Jamie and Roxanne were asked to partake in a random search. Pray for us! The group is excited and nervous and tired and forming run on sentences.  

1 day 6 hours 36 minutes until...

In 1 day 6 hours and 36 minutes I will be with the Mission Team in Tanzania. For the past 16 days I have been in Nairobi, Kenya visiting my family. I have had such an amazing time with them and enjoyed every moment spent with them. It has been 3 years since I was last here and not many things have changed apart my little cousins, there are not so little anymore. My first days here where spent sleeping due to the jet lag and time difference, but once that was over I started to really enjoy everything. Africa is a place like no other, it is very unpredictable. Walking or driving down the streets you see cows chickens and goats roaming around. The other day as I was walking up the hill to go home with my aunty 2 cows were following us. I thought is was so cool at first until they started to got closer to us, but eventually they turned around down the hill. Also the food is so fresh which makes you want to eat lots. My favourite are the mini bananas they are so sweet and delicious, I can eat so many in one sitting oh and the meat is just scrumptious. My favourite places in Kenya are, my uncle home and the market. Being with my family brings me so much joy and only meeting them 2 times in my life we have so much to learn about each other and in the market they're so much things to see and buy and here you can bargain almost anything in the streets, but I notice for us foreigners everything is almost doubled. I have had a great time here with my family and I will miss them dearly but it is time to bring water to Tanzania. Preparing for this mission trip was kinda difficult even though I was born in Africa, my way of thinking, living and my body is all Canadian. I had a lot of guidance from my family and friends. The most difficult part for me was packing. I wanted to bring everything but I was constantly reminded that I could buy things there, once that was done I was Ready for a journey of a life time. My greatest hopes for this Mission trip are to be able to share and grow in my faith, help provide clean drinking water, bring hope to Tanzania and lastly my greatest hope is that  God opens my eyes to new avenues of services for him. 

Saskatoon Airport

Well, we're here. At the airport. A little groggy, a lot tired. Nina is sprawled out on the airport floor. We're saying goodbye to our loved ones and I'm on my phone blogging. It's exciting! It's delicious (our last timmies for six plus weeks) and we are ready to go. I love you mom. Minneapolis here we come!

Things I'll miss

Well the plane leaves tomorrow and I am so excited I can hardly form complete sentences. With that in mind bear with me as I list the top ten things I will miss in Canada.
1) My Mom
2) Everyone Else
3) Going up to Bosco
4) Canoeing
5) Fresh Pickerel (walleye)
6) Dad's Cookies
7) Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral
8) My library of books
9) Apple/Rhubarb Crisp
10) Playing Catan or Axis and Allies

I'll make sure that I post something early tomorrow. It is frantic in the house as we scramble to get ready.