June 21
It is Mama Gayle again. The group returned from safari tonight. Some people wonder why do you travel way over to Tanzania to do your medical work. Through these mission trips it has become very clear to me why God has sent me. The need here is so great.
Here is a message I received from a young mother that we helped take care of her son and performed surgery on him:
“I don’t know where to begin but thank you so much for being there for me and my son during such a difficult time. Your support, kindness, and help with my son’s treatments meant more than words can say.”
“ You stepped in when I needed strength, and your love and generosity gave me hope. I truly don’t know how I would have managed without you. May God bless you for your beautiful heart. I love you! “
Now you know why I continue to do my work in Africa.
Mama Gayle
Jambo everyone! We are back from our safari and boy was it amazing. We had the opportunity to see so many different kinds of animals including lions, elephants, hippos, giraffes, leopards, zebras, wildebeests, flamingos, antelopes, ostriches, hyenas, baboons, rhinos, and so many more!
On the first day of the safari our most wonderful guide, Julius, took us to Tarangire where we saw multiple herds of zebras, a group of six playful elephants, two enormously tall giraffes, and majestic lion and his lioness. After driving around for a couple of hours we went to the hotel to get some much needed shut eye in preparation for our another adventurous day.
On day two of our Safari we went to Ngorongoro. This conservation spot (called “conservation” because humans, domestic animals, and wild animals live there) was definitely a group favorite. We had the opportunity to be able to get within two feet of a lion and about six feet of an enormous elephants; all within the safety of our vehicle of course. After the safari, Julius took us to a little family that grew and sold coffee and honey locally. It was so cool and interesting to see how the coffee making process was and how stingless bees produce deliciously sweet medical honey. After our lesson there, we headed back to the hotel to once again, get some more shut eye.
On the third day, today, we got up super early, had breakfast, and headed out to a tribe in the middle of nowhere where we went hunting with them. We got to see what their housing looked like, what they ate, how they clothed, and what they used to hunt. Unfortunately, on our hunt, we did not kill anything so we came back to the tribe empty handed. We then had the opportunity to shoot bow and arrow with the boys which was a group favorite. From that tribe we drove over to another tribe called the blacksmiths. These people showed us how to make an arrow out of a nail and what the inside of their homes looked like. After this tribe, we drove to our hotel, had a quick lunch, and was back on the road to drive the rest of the way to Arusha. On our way back we stopped at a Masaai tribe. We were able to sing, dance, and explore their living space and school. They dressed us up in their authentic garments, jewelry and showed us how to make fire with wood and straw.
Once our time with this tribe was over we hopped back into the vehicle and drove the rest of the way back. At the hotel Mama G was there waiting for us in the entrance. We said our cheerful “hellos” to her and tearful “goodbyes” to Julius.
Now that our restful break is over, we are more ready than ever to finish out the trip out strong. Only one week left 🙁
-Maggie