La Sonya

My list of 100 things I am thankful for.  It's tradition. You should make one too, it's good for the spirit. 1. Running, who'da thought I'd enjoy it so much 2. The rain  3. My friend Kimberly 4. Garden friends 5. Old university roommates 6. Good books 7. My brother, Christopher Reaves 8. My mom and her bravery 9. My dad and all his animals 10. Deli and her gift at helping me do my taxes 11. The Sierras 12. My Wawona family (even if I don't live with them anymore) 13. My Tchadian family, not a day goes by that I don't think about them 14. The ability to communicate with people in English, Spanish, French and a little bit of Kiswahili 15. Fires in the fireplace (even here in Tanzania) 16. Familiar fruit 17. Skype (sonyareaves is my skype name!) 18. Language dictionaries 19. My dog Tangawizi (yup, I got a dog and he's a beaut!) 20. Travel 21. The things I had to learn last summer 22. My summer camp families (Kulaqua, Alamisco, FLAG Camp, and Wawona)

Thanksgiving has always been just a regular holiday until I found myself for the first time away from home, America and everything familiar. It was when I was living in Honduras that I found such a deep beauty in the holiday. I realized what the beauty of the holiday was and that the people I was surrounded with could love me like family. Thanksgiving soon became one of the most important holidays of the year (right next to the 4th of July). Thanksgiving is more than a few days off from work or school, more than cooking lots of food and more than dumb American football. It's a day where we all pause, and evaluate life, we look at what God has given us, what He has blessed us with. This morning I read in Ephesians a perfect text for tomorrow: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think . . . be glory" Ephesians 3:20,21 Tomorrow I am going to visit with my new friends, some who aren't even from America but Germany and Canada. I am

My grandma used to sing a song about getting milk from a cow. I loved hearing her sing it, "again Grandma!" I would say, then I'd try and join in. The moo cow moo brings milk to me I don't drink coffee and I don't drink tea For milk is better for a girl like me This last week I milked a cow. I.Milked.A.Cow. Cool.

I love the smell of rain. I love how it makes things cold. I love how it fills the well with water. I love how it makes things green. I keep forgetting it’s fall where you are. I’m enjoying the spring and warm sunshine while you are getting snow. I love snow (I also love most things, it’s in my DNA to love things). I hope you are taking time to walk among the falling leaves, bundle up, wear a scarf, drink hot chocolate, sit by a fire, because fall is the time of year to slow down and be with people. I love fall. I love to bake. You can ask any friend who has lived near me in the last few years and they will verify those facts. Although flour is a bit expensive here I still buy it ($1 for 2lbs). I’ve already made some sugar cookies and cinnamon buns, which my buns are getting better and better each time. The tricky part with baking here is to I light the top of the oven or the bottom. We use kerosene and you can’t light both, so I’ve chosen the bottom. Any tips on that woul

[ Masi child going into his hut, Tanzania by Sonya Reaves, 13/11/11.] Teach me how to love I am a child in need of strength and hope. Love me for who I am, only don’t leave me that way. I am rude and loud and think of myself I stand up front and say what I want It’s almost to late to fix what you started. Love me and correct me with strength Teach me when and where to talk How to know my place. Show me what it is like to put others first Love me with the love from your deep heart. Allow me to fall, but not stay down Do what you must to teach me how to love Love me with confidence.

Gabriel, much like his Biblical namesake, is a guardian, a messenger and a friend. I first met him the night I arrived but I remember him best my first Friday night. I had only been at home for two days and was still very new to life here. Mary was at work and I was left to open the Sabbath alone. I remember opening the door to the porch off of my room and hearing beautiful acapella singing and sitting down on the porch to enjoy it. Then Gabriel came to guard the house, he turned on the porch light and sat down next to me. We discussed the beautiful music, where it was coming from and the local fruit trees. Thus began our friendship. Gabriel was the first person to sit down with me and teach me Kiswahili, mainly because he doesn’t speak much English, but we get along well with the words I’ve learned in Kiswahili. We patched together sentences in Kiswahili and English, using my dictionary and charades. It is Gabriel’s son, Onesmo who has also joined in the force to help me learn Kiswa

We didn't have electricity most of the second half of this week, I liked it except for the not being able to contact people I was going to call. However I embraced the quite darkness. Woke up this morning with this: Not sure what it was. I took some Benadryl and ended up sleeping all day from it. It's better now, tonight. I'm going to Sanya Juu tomorrow. I don't care if we actually see animals, I'm just excited to go to Sanya Juu. What a cool name.

Have you ever wanted to visit, thought of visiting, want to volunteer, know someone who has visited, lived, volunteered on the continent of Africa? Have you ever watched a movie about Africa, seen animals from the Serengeti, or animals that were from Africa? Do you know what simba, rafiki, asante sana or karabu means in English? If you answered yes to any of these questions you need to read 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa . There are 28 stories from different people and their connection to AIDS, whether they are HIV positive, all their children have died and they are taking care of their 14 grandchildren, they do research for AIDS, they are advocates or they are living with AIDS. I learned so much about this disease that is raping the continent of her people. I learned so much about the different mindsets people in the first and third world have about the disease and ways that people are working to open the eyes of the world to how they can help. The stories are easy to r

I figure I need to write about living here for one month now. To be honest I can’t believe it has only been one-month/4 weeks/720 hours, it seems like I have been here forever. Maybe it is because this life isn’t so new, and the people in it feel like people I was missing in my life up until now. I’ve laughed with Mary so many times in the weeks I have been here. She is patiently teaching me how to cook like a Tanzanian mama and we are sharing thoughts, not the loose ones that are floating around, although I do share those too, but we are sharing deeper ones. We are two women living in a house sharing the responsibilities of simple living yet we are growing and sharing. It is amazing. I honestly never thought I would connect this well with someone who is not from my country. This location; I feel as if I have always known these dirt paths, I’ve always known that turning left at the “Doors” would take me to Ngordoto Lodge or Maxi’s shop would sell me toilet paper for 5oo

Kellie (volunteer from nearby orphanage) did my makeup the other night. It was great, including a lovely unibrow. I don't think I'm ever going to be the same again. Ps. I gave her one too.

I went to Arusha last Friday. I discovered something that I had no idea I would find, ever in my lifetime. I found the Tanzanian REI, the Rock Creek of Arusha, the haven of all things outfitters. I found the market that sells American outdoor apparel. It was all there; North Face, Black Diamond, Keen, Choco, Teva, Marmot, Alpinist, H/H and many other brands. Can you believe it? And the price, oh, let me tell you about the price, I asked about a pair of Choco’s almost just like mine only they were a single strap and they cost around 80,000 Tsh, a mear 43 Usd, and even that could possibly be talked down. The backpacks that I saw were only 50,000 Tsh, 27 Usd, and like I said they might even be talked down. The isles were lined with all kinds of brand name hiking shoes and sandals, warm fleeces, backpacks, warm hats and wonderful dreams of adventure. The backpacks were hanging on their hooks waiting for a voyage of discovery on the Mountain of Meru or the peak of Kilimanjaro.

In moving here and taking the job of starting, from scratch, this home for children I have found the need to understand more deeply why I believe what I believe and why I follow the rules I follow. Are they rules simply because or are they based on the Bible? The first of many things I am evaluating is the Sabbath. What do I believe and why? Do I rest on the seventh day because I am a Seventh Day Adventist? Because it’s what I have always done or do I do it because it is what God has asked of me? This last Sabbath I took some time to search out the one true place for answers, the Bible, the word of God. In my reading I found several answers to what I should do on the seventh day of the week. I decided to read from Exodus, the book that explains God’s commands for us, the Ten Commandments. “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord