La Sonya

The well where we get water from The life of an African is hard. We were spoiled in Tcad with having our own personal well at home –good for showering, drinking and everything in between. Here it is work. We need water to flush, wash—face, teeth, body, clothes, dishes, floor, hands, hair –everything! Where do we get it? We draw it from outside, from the well with a bucket. To drink we must “import” from a nearby drinking well. When I first arrived it was raining everyday, now I haven’t seen rain in a week or so and our well shows it. We haven’t been able to easily get more than two full 5 gal buckets out of the well in a day. (If we do it’s slow going and very cloudy) The water that’s down there is dirty. It’s not very clear and just now Mary called me out there to look in the well and I didn’t like what I saw, ants! Lots of them, small clusters of them floating together, individual ones swimming around, doing who knows what, ekk. This is a hard life. I already on...

I made friends with the ladies at the beauty parlor in Usa Town. They liked my hair and were more than willing to fix my hair and pencil in my eyebrows. Wasn't that nice of them?

Mary is 25 and has two beautiful children, Caren and Waren, whom they call Sharon. She currently works at the Ngordoto lodge a supervising waitress. She speaks English and Kiswahili, she is wanting to learn French and perhaps even Spanish. Mary came to us via the Ngordoto Lodge Hotel where Shannin, Paul Pickle and Ron (of Florida Baptist Children's Home) met her while they were in Usa River, Tanzania to secure property to start the home for children back in May 2011. In a short time of knowing her they saw in her a beautiful character and a kindness, and she was endeared to them which lead them to ask her to move into their newly purchased house and help Sonya adapt to the culture and language, with the hopes that once the home is filled with children she would become the first house mother. Mary is a kindred spirit in the few weeks that Sonya has been there they have had wonderful conversations together, discovering Mary's passion for God, the importance of ...

I signed on to work for Small Steps for Compassion officially right before I came here in October. But my heart was in it before that, I was just afraid to acknowledge it. All this last school year I had known I was to come here to Tanzania but I was afraid to leave all that I knew and the exciting, safe job I had.   You can ask most anyone who lived near me or talked to me, I was uncertain as to where I was being called, much like our friend Jonah. I looked around for signs that God was leading me to stay and continue working at Camp Wawona, after all city kids needed to see God in the nature and in the mountains, right? I tried to ignore the fact that I had wanted an opportunity to start and work for an orphanage for years (most of my college career), that all my college work and studies had lead me to this job. Instead I was stuck in a bad wash cycle; I just kept spinning and spinning and spinning. I would try and convince God of the other plans and that I could passi...

Dear Sonya of two-thousand and one, You have just entered a new phase of fun. The years will pass and crash but you’ll have a blast One day you’ll wake up and realize all the days have past In those days you will feel, Pain, joy, anger but in that you will be real. The pain will come but not move in, He’ll only come once in a wile, never to set up shop and win Anger, he’ll be there too, At people, yourself and God, but it will always just pass through. The heart will grow the most; Hold on to God, your safety post. In the times you don’t know what to do, In growing and changing, God will send you a working crew. They will teach you, correct you, love you -for you, Joke with you, laugh with you, and help when you are blue. These people will be what make the years worth the fight. Love them and trust them but don’t hold on to tight; For in the years that you grow You will move, and change for months in a row. I will tell you one more thin...

Mary is 25 and has two beautiful children, Caren and Waren, whom they call Sharon. She currently works at the Ngordoto lodge a supervising waitress. She speaks English and Kiswahili, she is wanting to learn French and perhaps even Spanish. Mary came to us via the Ngordoto Lodge Hotel where Shannin, Paul Pickle and Ron (of Florida Baptist Children’s Home) met her while they were in Usa River, Tanzania to secure property to start the home for children back in May 2011. In a short time of knowing her they saw in her a beautiful character and a kindness, and she was endeared to them which lead them to ask her to move into their newly purchased house and help Sonya adapt to the culture and language, with the hopes that once the home is filled with children she would become the first house mother. Mary is a kindred spirit in the few weeks that Sonya has been there they have had wonderful conversations together, discovering Mary’s passion for God, the importance of open communicat...

I signed on to work for Small Steps for Compassion officially right before I came here in October. But my heart was in it before that, I was just afraid to acknowledge it. All this last school year I had known I was to come here to Tanzania but I was afraid to leave all that I knew and the exciting, safe job I had. You can ask most anyone who lived near me or talked to me, I was uncertain as to where I was being called, much like our friend Jonah. I looked around for signs that God was leading me to stay and continue working at Camp Wawona, after all city kids needed to see God in the nature and in the mountains, right? I tried to ignore the fact that I had wanted an opportunity to start and work for an orphanage for years (most of my college career), that all my college work and studies had lead me to this job. Instead I was stuck in a bad wash cycle; I just kept spinning and spinning and spinning. I would try and convince God of the other plans and that I could passionately...

Onesmo, the neighbor kid who's my rafiki kidogo , little friend, and his dad is the gardener/guard, came over again Wednesday after I got back from the market, to finish coloring his picture I gave him on Tuesday. I had given him a blank piece of paper to draw on with my measly 8 off-brand crayons I bought at the airport on my way over. He asked me to draw him an ua , however he asked me in Kiswahili and I had no idea what he was talking about, I just heard sounds, vowels and consonants mixed together. Thanks to my trusty dictionary and me repeating some 'words' back to him to figure out the main meaning I learned the word for flower, ua. So today, he was back to finish coloring the ua I drew for him. What a funny little boy! The gate was closed and since he is only about 6 he couldn't reach the bar to open it he found an entrance for small people in the bushes. (I realized it when his mother was calling to him and he had to get me to open the gate so...

What a day, last Wednesday! I got my library card and check out the Kiswahili book. Now I have no excuses! So each AM three things to do: worship, check on work, and Kiswahili lessons. I also went by myself to the Tangeru Market, that's the bigger market and on Saturdays and Wednesday. What an adventure! It is very big. I first went to the clothing 'department'. It was like a giant flea market! Clothing everywhere. Each category was present, men's, women's, children and even sub categories; fleece sweaters, pants, skirts, ties, hats, there were even blankets, towels, rugs, curtains, material and heaps of household things, just a lot of everything. It wasn't the people who overwhelmed me; just the thought of everything I need to be getting for work. We are working on getting together a catalog of prices and pictures of things we need for the home/kids. I thought about getting prices from things at the market because that is where most things c...

Rejoice-- For the Lord has come down to bless us. He sent His messenger to dwell with us. Why the sorrow? Why the indifference? Look about you--He is here. If you are not joyful   the rocks will cry out. Show love, excitement For we serve a mighty, powerful God   who delights in us, His creation and masterpiece He does love us. Don't doubt His want of us, of you, of me. He gave the most prized possession in His life   to secure our freedom. Rejoice.

What a funny title? But really it's true. Here's the scoop: This last weekend I read in my Bible in Hebrews 13:2 about how we should treat those who come within our gates kindly and feed them and show them hospitality because we could in fact be entertaining angels. It made me think about the men who had been at my house working to make the topography map, I hadn't fed them or even asked if they wanted water and they were working hard all day long. So I thought to myself I want to be the kind of person who gives to people without asking for something back. I know that it's what God would want me to do. Then today I had the chance to do that, the men came back to finish working and I made rice pilaf for them. I cut and cooked the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, onions and green peppers to put in the rice. Then I brought out the water for the hands just like had been taught, and the only chairs I had (two big plastic ones) and I fed the 4 men who were working at my house all da...

I made a list Wednesday of things to talk about, while traveling with Mary back from Moshi, her families town. On the way home Mary bought some sugar cane. Yummy. As I was chomping, chewing and sucking on the sugar cane, it made me think that perhaps that form of sugar was stronger and made it faster into my system than perhaps sugar in chi or soda. In fact I was wondering if it was comparable to tobacco chew? It's got the same movements. . . . So I imagined it gave me instant sugar, instant rush. Ha that seems funny to me. Also I noted how in my few short years of existence/travels I've been called many things --- and they all seem to mean the same thing. They have different origins but still the same meaning, the same setting, the same method of sharing the word and the same effect on me. Gringa,          Nasara,                   Mzungu. On our way to pick up eggs Tuesday from the chicken farm (more on that later) we passed Maxi, he runs a local shack/shop on our road. As ...

I've been telling stories on here for awhile, since I first found out I was going to Tchad in 2007. Now here I am back on the African continent writing stories about starting an orphanage. Here's my 500th story. I walked to visit a friend and took a trail through the village. I went to Arusha town yesterday in a crowded dala dala (bus). I ate ugali with my hands (very similar to Tchadian buile). Today I washed my clothes by hand outside, I drew water from the well and I talked to a neighbor kid in English while he talked to me in Kiswahili. All these things are special. The funny thing is they make me miss home. You might be thinking my American home with my family and friends that I grew up with, worked with, and went on adventures with. That, however, is not who I was missing the most. I am missing my Tchadian family, mi famil. Because it was those wonderful people who taught me how to be an African, they taught me to draw water from a well, bathe from a bucket, eat with my ...

Check it out it's to the right. Or you could just keep reading and get it that way . . . Sonya Reaves c/o Juma Kitau PO Box 15098 Arusha, Tanzania Love via the post is one of the best kinds.

I've been taking melatonin at night to help me sleep all night and get over jet lag. It's been working fairly well but I think it's been giving me crazy dreams! On Thursday night I had a horrible, awful, terrible, scary, crazy dream. Now if I tell you, you have to promise to not laugh or tease, it's a valid fear and clearly it disturbs me if I dreamt about it. I dreamt that I was at a zoo or aquarium or something. I was looking at a squid in it's tank. Then suddenly the  squid got out of the zoo or wherever it was and it was flying around. It was all around the sky. It was so scary. I ran along with everyone else to the forest where we climbed the giant sequoia trees. Then the trees started to fall. So I some how jumped out of the falling tree onto the another tree. Then suddenly that tree started to fall. I didn't want to die by tree or by flying squid as others were, so as it fell I waited until it was at an angle then slid down the tree to safety. I'm no...

About my new Home  The house is bigger and smaller than I thought. My room is smaller, the kitchen bigger. My room has a desk build into the wall (pictures later) and two little shelves. I love the fireplace in the corner and my big windows along two of the four walls. They capture the morning sun nicely. I've unpacked all my things and just need to get a few things from the market to finish making it comfy. However it might actually take some time because I want to find someone who can make baskets and a house plant or two. I'll try and go to the market this week.   My first night home I arrived rather late and just had a shower before bed. The funny part was that we don't have any running water. . . so I showered out of a bucket. I am so blessed to have lived in Tchad. My family there taught me to be an African. I will forever be in debt to them for being patient with me, so now when I live in another African country I can confidently say, "I know how to do that, I ...

The mtoto was very hungry. As she was near the mzungu 's nyuba she decided to look around and see what she could find to eat. She was grouchy when she wanted chakula . Off in the distance she saw a tree with tiny little embe 's, they were not even close to being ripe, then she climbed a another tree and founds some small, green pere that wasn't even close to being pink inside and she decided to not eat those either. Then she walked back in the ndizi plantation to see if there were any in the tree, alas there was only a few tiny green bunches. Not even a tumbili would want them. Suddenly the mvoa started to fall and she ran for cover. While in the cover a paka rubbed against her legs and she decided to find chakula at nyuba . As she walked away the mzungo yelled after her, " Una kwenda wapi ?" and she replied, " Na kwenda nyubani to eat". The mzungu replied with a smile, "Come back kesho and I'll have a chungwa for you". So the ...

When I tell people I'm helping to start an orphanage I don't think they realize what that actually means. I didn't until the last few months, mainly this last week. I am arriving to my house this week. We don't really know what is at my house as far as furniture goes or accessories like plates, bowls and silverware. We do know Juma just bought my bed. We don't know Mary's (the other woman who lives there) schedule for work, does she work all day every day? I don't even know what food is there and what I'll need to by right away. But that makes it exciting for me. I get to frugally buy things for the house, table, bowls and perhaps some other things if funding is there. We are on uncharted waters, this is awesome. I learned that I get to work on relationships not only with the community, which I am really excited about because I can't wait to drink chi with people and chat and learn Kiswahili and make new friends, but I also need to build relationship...

People believe in me. People support me. People sacrifice for me. I am loved. To all those people, thank you . Thank you for encouraging me to do what I love, for listening to me talk with passion about life, for allowing me to be me. I don't know how I would have survived alone because you made life survivable, thank you . To all those of you I talked to this last week, whether for 2 min or for 2 hours, thank you . You are part of something bigger than yourself, part of something bigger than me, something bigger than starting an orphanage from scratch in Tanzania. You are part of the body of Christ. "In fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body" 1 Corinthians 12:18-20