Mozambique

I have decided to not attend the Holy Given School of Missions... as in I am coming home in early May and have begun to plan my summer. However, as with everything, I remain open and willing to have my plans changed. For now, my peace lies with coming home and getting some things in order. I love love love your prayers towards me and this situation. You have blessed me beyond words through your prayers and words of love. Thank you for standing by me in whatever decision I make.
Love love love
CaitLin

Eli plus plus plus... plus

Meet Eli, I did... on Monday, 26 March, 2007. He is thirteen. He speaks remarkable english... says his father taught him before his death- he cannot remember how long ago the death was. His heart is to go to school, but here in Tanzania school costs much more than any child can afford. When asked what he wants to be "when you get bigger... when you grow up... when you are a man???" (this was a complicated concept for him to get but once he understood...) he says he wants "to be a doctor." I said "that's perfect! Go for it. You be a doctor!" He sleeps outside on the street, on top of any broken box he can find. He eats anything compassionate people feel like feeding him. He wears these same shorts and this same shirt (with his name on it's shoulder) everyday.

"Caitlin, we are supposed to get one more boy into the house... well, along with the two others I told you about. Guess what his name is? ..."
"No way... Eli!!!?!!!!"
"Margarette was like, Jill, there's one more boy. His name is Eli."
"Praise Jesus! I knew it was Him."
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow. Tears. It's so real. It's so God.
"We arent sure because we are already two boys over what the house is supposed to hold... but we're going to do what we can.
It's cool because in the... it doesnt make sense ... but He'll take care of it."
"Yeah, in the natural, it doesnt make sense, but that's so God!"
"Yeah, it's cool. God is cool!"

So God, do Your thing! Praise You.... oh God, praise You... and bless Eli as he cuts his box open to create a surface large enough for himself to lie on tonight...
"Sleep sweetly, Eli"
the next day...
I just got back from the center- teaching, meeting and photographing the new boys, and a very Tanzanian lunch (rice, beans, meat, greens, and cooked banana).
The boys are beautiful! They are four very close friends.
When children live on the streets it is because their families have forsaken them. For protection and companionship, they make their own families.
At first meet, the boys were quiet and watched me very closely. I had some walls to break through. After class, however, I went out to meet and greet all over again. It was slow-going at first and then I brought out my magical black 'click' clicking box that always seems to make me rafikis (friends)... and the doors flung wiiiiiiiiiide open. Immediate posing, singing, balloon music, smiiiiiiiiiile, nani nani- who who... let me see it! let me see it!
By the "bye" but really, "kwaheri", the black clicking box had done it's do and I was a rafiki... huuuuuuuuge smiles, high fives and handshakes all around... "badae"- later and "ndio"- yes!
It was a total demonstration of God's mercy and glory and great Love to see these boys safe, running, playing, acting like children, eating, and smiling really real smiles.
"We're off to our new life!" is what they shouted from the truck to passers-by as Jill, Imkia, and Margarette took them from the streets, towards their new home... towards their home... home.
Awe-some power of God!
I Love this God... who LOVES these boys, his boys!
When I arrived in Moshi, the Emmanuel Center boys were already in place... in home, dressed, bathed, fed, and educated. I've spent much time in town, but experienced little of the street children. After yesterday's divine appointment with Eli, my eyes were opened... and after today, with our four new brothers- saved from the streets, welcomed into a new home, a safe haven, a hug of love... I was finally- after exactly eight weeks- introduced to the saving grace of this place- these missionaries, these hearts, this center, which I am blessed to give into and grow my heart through.

Update: Today, Thursday, Eli came into the center! Praise God! Praise Him for the power of prayer and faith, in His Name! So now, our numbers have been all sorts of messed with. There are six new boys... which is glorious... but brings a need for a new center. We are now four over capacity. Pray pray pray and believe believe believe that all needs are met and His will is done.


The stud to my immediate right (your left as your looking at this) is Atanas. He was given to me as my fourth pupil... student... heart. The two boys to my left (your right) are two more of the four. Yellow shirt with truck below is Richard. He's the fourth. The only one missing is Eli... But I have faith for him to come. a few more introductions...
This is Isabella (below)... a new volunteer, teacher. She arrived two weeks ago from England... but she's Argentinian. Twenty years old, incredibly friendly, looooooooooves africa and all it's newness. She is adjusting beautifully, learning the language at least one trillion times faster than myself. Im not jealous... Bless her, Lord.
She is a welcome addition to the house and the center.
Coolest part is that God is streeeeeeeetching her....
it's like watching a bud blooming into a most beautiful flower...
in His time...
as it should be!
Yeah, she really is super beautiful!

This is Kev. He teaches too. He's American and super rad! ... maybe twenty years old-- came to give of himself and to get to know more about the world. I love seeing his face every morning. You know how some people just make you smiiiiiiiiiile... well, Kev makes me smiiiiile.
and we all remember Fwank, right. Fwank is pretty much his...

vroooooooom

vrooooooom vroooooooooom vroooooooooom ...

another big happening in Moshi...

a race car rally (not Nascar)

cars... of any make, model, color, size, style... drive really fast (but actually seemingly slow-ish, if you ask me)in the red Africa dirt.... and it flies- the dirt it flies, it scatters, it spreads, it coats, it filthifies, it tints, and paints red-brown the entire surrounding world.

I shot some short video clips that ill youtube....(cjoypritch)

what's here is not much but it's all that i click clicked.

a little bit of me and my africa friends... ummm, watching a rally

...............................................................................
me -caitlin, and my beautiful africa bff, lis. suuuuuuuuuuper dusty. dust everywhere... and this is why kongas rock! i love love love my kongas... today it served it's purpose perfectly.

this set of photographs is about attempting to capture a moment ...a race-car-rally dust wind africa-hot africa moment, while avoiding dust in my eyes and the wind's insistance on taking control of my konga.
ngomi. he has a very shaved head and forgot his hat... not good for direct contact of afria sun. davin made him a box covering. he's ngomi so he rocked it.
Philip's legs... feet... toes. as he watched the vroooooooooom pass by.yup, some cars- vroooooooooom, some dust, some africa hot, wind wind wind, more dust, ngomi and his box hat, phillip's legs feet toes, and .... yup, that's it!

President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete

President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete was in town today to celebrate WATER IN TANZANIA. Water is available (not for consummption) in most houses, but not at all in the metal and wood huts that a majority of Tanzanians live in. It is made available to everyone, however, gathered out of wells and transfered by buckets.
A huge occassion is the design and construction of fountains on a round-about in town. There are four fountains, three small structures surrounding one large central structure with a big-*** soldier, posed to shoot-and-kill, adorning it's top. (please forgive the ***, I deemed it necessary to make my point). It's... well, an odd choice of visuals. There was an attempt at making these fountains beautiful with the addition of blue-tiles as their outer layer, and then, of course, water shooting from their centers. It's... ummmmm, not like exactly like what you'd see at home, but it's a big step for Moshi... and thus, President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (barely distinguishable, sitting behind the blue table, in the blue suit and sunglasses.)

miss cait-a-lin, kelvin, and micah.
these are two of my three boys... pupils... students.
they are perfect and yes, i am in love!
this was yesterday
after class
i hugely promote art in life... and very much so in the classroom...
"be creative... let it flow... release the inner you" and so on and so forth...
apparently im rubbing off...
as they take the initiative to tatoo the "teacha"s arm.
my boys