La Sonya

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'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 ...

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 ...

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

I've been traveling a lot these last few days. In fact all this week I'll be flying somewhere every three days. I've been in Collegedale, TN meeting with a professor in the Social Work dept of Southern Adventist University, seeing friends and being inspired by my cousin who was in Tanzania last year. I'm right now in Florida to meet with the board of Small Steps for Compassion to go over last minute details about work before I fly out on Tuesday next week. Then I'm off to Knoxville for a weekend retreat with a close friend and God before the games begin! I just can't believe all that is happening. I've been telling the story so many times these last few days. I need to sit down and write it all out so I can store it for encouragement later. I've seen God connect me with people left and right who are encouraging, wise and energetic. I'm excited for this journey. I'm done waiting and wondering because I know where I am called and am ready for actio...

I've got my plane ticket to head to my new job and home. On October 4 I'm boarding the plane for Arusha, Tanzania. Wahoooooo! I'm working for Small Steps For Compassion as the Children's Home Director. Wowza, I have business cards and everything. I've got a home to move into, a language to learn, a culture to adapt to and children to meet and fall in love with :) If you are interested in the organization feel free to check it out. If you have any questions feel free to email me. While I'm over there I'll have internet so don't worry we can skype, email and creep on each others pictures still :) We have a new video that has some updates, a fundraising event in Fl, pictures of our home and so much happening for the organization. So please keep me in your prayers over the next few weeks as I am getting ready to leave, meeting with people and packing my stuff. Also if you ever want to visit please do. I'm near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro , the Seren...

I woke up this morning in Auburn,Wa. to the light creeping in the windows of my friends motorhome. We are roadtriping home to Texas from Central California/Yosmite, 4 kids, 2, 6, 8, and 10, Shirlean and myself in a 40 foot motorhome with a 20ft car in tow. We went up to Redding,Ca then over to Eureka, Ca and the US 101. North on that till just inside Washington then east till we hit Auburn/Seattle. Which is where you find me right now. It is here that I find the sun squeezing in the closed windows. I knew today would be different, the sky would be clear and the sunshine warm. As the team ventures outside to head to the fresh produce places I see Mount Reiner, bolf and confident off in the distance. Then I realized in a little over a month I will be living in Arusha, Tanzania with another mountain standing bold and confidant in my horizon,Mount Kilimanjaro. I am excited and ready fo my next step in life. I will remember the excitment and love I feel this morning. The energy, the sunshin...