THANK YOU!!!

On behalf of Kingstar Schools, and Sophia's Journey. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. God has blessed Kigamboni with a beautiful kingstar schools primary building! 

They Still have some work to do. Like play equipment and painting the outside of the building, but the students finished the last three weeks of the semester in the new building! They are so happy to be in the new school, and I am so thankful for Sophia's Journey supporters! 

These are pictures from June! 

 

 

And these are photos from Graduation in November! 

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all 

things at all times, having all that you need, you will 

abound in every good work! 2 Corinthians 9:8

Thank you lord!! 

God always knows what we need!

God never stops amazing me! and the story I have for you tonight... I would have NEVER seen coming! 

So today I found out the hard way how sharp my apple cutter really is. I sliced a pretty good size chunk off of the side of my thumb, that continued to bleed for several hours, until my parents and I decided to make a trip to the ER, hoping they would have a way to get my blood to clot! After a couple of hours in the waiting room I finally made my way to the back, Dr. glued my finger and I was all ready to go home. I know I know, "Is she seriously blogging about her ER experience?" But just give me a second God is about to show up!!! 

So my discharge nurse comes back in and starts going over the things I need to do. "Don't get it wet, don't do this don't do that.." Then I jump in and begin asking questions that I have about the protection of it while in Africa in 3 weeks. My nurse's whole manner changed, and with tears in her eyes began to tell me about her experience in Ethiopia in the past. Sitting on the side of the bed with me, exchanging contact information she then says "You don't know how bad I needed you tonight." 

I honestly know those words all to well. I like to call those state of minds "just one of those nights" When everything inside of you just aches to be back where your heart is, to be back with those people and back to where God is working moving and breathing! That state of mind for me is some of the hardest moments for me, and I can tell you from experience, only GOD can pull you out of that place! 

But see that Is what I love the most about our relationship with God! HE ALWAYS KNOWS what we need and he will do some of the coolest things to give us what he need. He will allow things to happen, put people on our path, to warm our hearts and show us how much he loves us and that he is still in control! 

Although I would have rather meet Melissa any other way then going through that pain, I am so blessed that God used me in that ER room to be the light in her night! and I am so thankful that God continues to put me in situations where he is able to show me that this path he has me on is full of exciting twist and turns and that It is going to be a fun ride, and I am going to meet some pretty amazing people along the way!! 

So take a second to remember GOD KNOW WHAT WE NEED!  No matter what you are going through in this very moment ! GOD has something in the future for you that is going to blow your mind! He loves you so much and is ready to romance you through this struggle, you just have to trust him! :D 

Good night All 

Love you! 

Clay Can't Mold Its Self Into Something Beautiful

God has been showing me something lately that I think is time I share!
It all started when I "Lost" My "Best Friend" a few weeks ago. After a small argument of Facebook I was deleted from his friends list, and we haven't spoken since. Before when I have "lost" friends I would sit and sulk for days, cry and think back through everything trying to find what I did wrong, all while doing and saying anything in my power to get them back. I have never been good with change, and or losing people out of my life!
But this time... I simply took it to the lord, laid it at his feet, and he showed me this.
God uses different people, at different times in your life as tools to make you into who he wants you to be.
When you are doing pottery, you don't just use your hands the whole time. Sometime you use some tool to add the designs and detail that you want. Well the friends, loved ones, and really any relationship you find your self in, those people God uses as the tools in your life to create your beauty. Each of them, God brings into your life for a certain purpose. Some tools he uses everyday, and some are only for a short period of time. BUT that does not mean when God is done using them for that purpose at that time, that he will not use them again. You do not lose them like I used to think but instead they just get set to the side until God is ready to use them in your life again!
Clay can not mold itself, it needs someone to take control and create what it is supposed to be. GOD is the potter and the people he brings in and out of your life are the tools to help make you beautiful!
Love and be thankful for those people, because they truly are the ones that have made you to who you are!
I know I do!

Education is the key to life

"We give them God, for a better eternity and English for a better future"

I can't even begin to count how many times I have heard, "Reba, why are you helping them when their are poor, and poverty here in America" or "Why are they so behind, they have access to the same things we do" or the one that kills me the most, "Reba, it's there fault they are in poverty." (Yes I have heard that many times) To be completely honest, in the beginning of this journey... I asked myself the same questions. BUT God has recently answered these questions, and I am now here to do the same, and show you the IMPORTANCE of the sponsorship needed for Kingstar school!

I want you to think really hard about this question, "what is the one thing in this world that it is impossible to go your life without?"
While most of you probably thought food, water, or maybe even a material thing.... Your wrong!"
Okay, maybe water is the number one thing besides air. There is something that you have to have in order to get food..." That is an education, in order for that food to be grown/Made/cooked how ever you want to look at it, someone had to learn and then teach someone else that process.

In America, we have lost the importants of education because it is a natural thing. It is extremely rare for an American to not spend years 3-18 in some type of education system! Public school, Primary School, Home School. An American child/Teen spends at least 13 years in some type of school. That is just what happens, no questions about it. Why? Because we know(subconsciously) that if we do not go through school, we will not EVER be able to be successful in life.
In Africa, it is not the same case. For years Africans have lived "normal"(in there culture) without attending any type of education what's so ever. And in earlier times, this might have been okay. But this is the 21st Centerury, and lets face it.... Education is what makes the world go round!!
Although some of these African parents realize the importance of education, there is also issue number two... They just can not afford it. Some of these parents make barley enough money to put food on the table, much less be able to pay the school fees that are required at ANY school in Africa.
Again you ask, we'll why can't they afford it? Because maybe they have not had any education, therefore they do not have a job, or anyway to send there child to a school.... Thus adding another generation into this devistating cycle, that unless fixed will continue on for years to come.

In life, American children, African children, Japanese children, British children ALL children MUST learn how to read, they must learn how to write, add, subtract, multiply, divid. If they do not know how to do this, then there is NO way to live a successful life! This statement is true for any country,race or culture! Education is the key to life.

So Reba, why are you helping them when their are poor, and poverty here in America" Because Americans are given the ability to go to school for free. Yes I understand that there are MANY American families who unable to buy school supplies,clothes,food. Just like Africans, But a child in America will NEVER be turned away from receiving an education, education is free! 

This is why finding sponsors for these kids is so Important. There are tons of kids sitting in Kigamboni Tanzania Africa right now who are not in school, they are sitting some where not in a class room, and right now they have no hope at ever getting out the cycle of poverty. 
Deuteronomy 24:19-22 
When you harvest your grain and forget a sheaf back in the field, don’t go back and get it; leave it for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow so that God, your God, will bless you in all your work. When you shake the olives off your trees, don’t go back over the branches and strip them bare—what’s left is for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. And when you cut the grapes in your vineyard, don’t take every last grape—leave a few for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. Don’t ever forget that you were a slave in Egypt. I command you: Do what I’m telling you.

If you go back and read my blog titled "YoU own nothing" it talks about how God is the owner of everything, he gives you the clothes you wear,  the job you have, and the money you make! It is HIS!!
Now I want to ask you a question..  Do you really think that it makes God happy to see his beloved children suffering, hungry and living life without any hope of success? Because God is the creator of all things! And he LOVES ALL of his creations!

I ask that you will take this time to pray about your leftovers, and ask God what he wants you to do with them.

If I had a teleport!

If I had a teleport... I would not be sitting in my bed right now, I would be standing here

 At the morning assembly of the first day of the last semester of 2013 of Kingstar School!! 

Laying in my bed tonight I received a photo of Seba, one of my students, my little brother, my sweet boy! 

Immediately a smile comes across my face! 

I asked, "did he know you we're taking his picture for me?" My friend says "yes!!! I told him teacher Reba needs your photo, and he asked me if you were inside or if you would be at school today, and I told him no, she is at her home!" After already feeling my heart break he sends "Seba misses teacher Reba" 

Yep, my heart now lays here shattered into a million pieces!! And by looking at this photo my biggest fear is coming true!! He has grown soooo much! Seriously it's only been 54 days since I left... He is going to be HUGE by time I get there in November!! Ha If I had a teleport, I would have at that moment jumped out of bed and been at his side in minutes!! 

I then began to left up all my students in prayer, and I ask that if you are reading this I ask you to do the same thing!!
Following my prayer time I  called my dear friend, teacher Terry! She didn't make it any easier, she just told me that she wishes I was there with her! :( ME TOO!!
With tears streaming down my face I hung up, with a heavy heart I lay here. BUT although I do not have a teleport to rush to my babies! I do have hope and thankfulness!
I mean it could be worst... I could have never meet these sweet kids, I could have never been blessed to have this connection to people 10000 miles away from me!! So although I lay her with a heavy heart, it is heavy because of the most amazing blessings God could have EVER given me!!

80 more days. And I will be back at that place, back where my heart is! But until then, I must remember why God has me here in Gun Barrel City Texas.. Living at home, going to school to get my teaching degree, so that one day, I will be standing in that place! Getting ready to teach those kids!! And THAT is the ONLY reason I am okay with not having a teleport!! :) hahaha

Gods plans for our live are RIDICULOUS!! if you just submit EVERYTHING to him, give it all back to him! He will one day give you back MORE then you could ever imagine!!

YoU Own Nothing!

Tonight Im reading Job 1. I have read this book many times and it is one of my favorite stories in the bible! I remember the first time I read it, thinking " wow! I want to be JUST like Job! So faithful and trusting in God that even when he allows the hardest challenges to face me, and I lose everything.. I will be so in love with him that I am able to still praise him!" I knew at the time, I was no where near that. And even now to this day, I am still not like job. I mean come on guys! He lost EVERYTHING all of his flock, all of his Harvest, all of his children! Everything that mattered to him in life... It was gone! But instead of sobbing and saying why me why me, he fell on his face and praised God! 

We truly become blessed when we realize we own NOTHING we have NOTHING, it is really all Gods! Everything you have, car, house, food, job, Family, bed, phone, computer, eyes, hands, seriously EVERYTHING belongs to God! He had given this two you! There is not one thing that is or has been made, that is not from God! 

And as it says at the end of Verse 21 "The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away" The Lord gives and The Lord takes away! He is in control! And when he takes it away, you have to remember that it is him who gave it to you in the first place, so praise him for the time and the blessing it was on your life! :D 

Be like Job! 

I know it's hard, just recently I have had to deal with this all myself. I went from Talking to Max everyday, to only getting to talk to him on Saturdays(so I thought) Really I don't know when we will get to talk, he is so busy working and studying for school that he really never has time to talk.. At first I was heart broken! Honestly mad, because this is not what I expected our relationship to be like! BUT then, I realized, how lucky and blessed I am to even have him in the first place. I mean think about it, the number of Africans that go to college is very small! But he is now in that number! And his dreams are so big! But not too big for our God, and he trust and believes that he will help him reach his dreams! With realizing that, on the days I don't get to talk to him, I am able to joyfully stop and praise God for even bringing Max into my life as my best friend!! 

So the next time you feel like you are losing or have lost something, think of Job and how he reacted! Then do the same! 

 Bwana Asifiwe

Praise The Lord! 

He never gives up on us!

Do you ever picture your life as an actual race? Watching yourself run up hills, rush through valleys, fall down, want to give up? 

The race of life is not easy, at all! But we as Christian are promised a partner to help us run. Our Partner is strong, he has ran this same race before and he has conquered it, he has defeated it! This partner is God! But we also have an enemy who is constantly throwing rocks at our feet, making us trip and stumble! 

Today if I could sit and watch how I ran today, I would be pretty embraced. Starting out good, a steady pace. But when I began to speed up the enemy began to throw rocks at my feet. He threw sorrow, and fear. And I quickly fell to the ground crying in pain, feeling unable to breath my partner ran up beside me, took my hand and helped me back on my feet. He spoke words of encouragement and strength. I stood up, taller then before and began to run again, with a look of praise across my face. But of course my enemy could not allow that. So he through the rock of insecurity, and this time I nose dived into the ground. I did not want to get up, I just laid there in despair. But my partner again, he ran up beside and pulled me to my feet, discouraged I fell back to the ground, and I knew my enemy thought he had me! But my partner would not give up. He told me I could do it and all I had to do was trust him. Unwillingly I stood to my feet and began to run again. Time passed and my enemy continued to throw stone and each time I would fall and just like before my partner rushed to my side for comfort and strength! But then my enemy knew he could make me fall and not stand again. So he began to throw more stones of impatience and insecurity. I began to fall but this time my partner caught me early, he grabbed me and said "no Reba your fine! Do you not see that I have a plan for you, and while these rocks and falls are painful, these struggles seem not worth the pain, I have a reason for the struggles! I allow them to hit you to make you stronger!" I stood back up right and smiled in victory as I began to run to the finish line of today! 

You see, no matter how many times I fell, how many times I just wanted to give up. My partner never let me! He never gave up on Me and continued to love and give me the strength I needed! 

Remember this Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)

Yes I've changed... No I'm not sorry!

Today, while talking to a friend about an issue in my life I have been struggling with, she said the words..."he said you've just changed" those words are words that in my past have made me really think about how I was living my life, and the actions that caused the words to become true. But this time they hit me straight to the heart! The one who made the comment, at one time was the only one I really wanted to please, my partner in crime, the one who I would listen to for hours and them tell him my deepest thoughts. I learned his life stories, and considered him one of the greatest things to ever happen to me... I knew, he was the one I would miss the most while miles away! 

Before I left for Africa I had a ton of friends, I was a people person and I loved people! BUT I was also a people pleaser, even if I knew it was wrong and it wasn't what I wanted to do, I would partake in it because the fear of losing people in my life was horrifying! I was not living my life, with God as the focus, with God as the center of every moment and every thought! And let's face it, life in general but defiantly 10000 miles away from the only thing you have ever know, with people of different culture and a different language... God becomes the ONLY familiar part of life! 

You guys to be completely honest, there is no way I could have done what I did with out the strength of God. Period!! 

Anyways those first days I spent every free moment I had, on my face or with my face in the bible searching for peace, guidance and strength! Not only was there nothing else to do, but it was the only way I was going to make it though! It was in those moments of brokenness that I was truly restored! God stole my heart and I literally fell in love with him! 

He changed my heart, and with that of course it changed the person inside! 

Yes where I used to never talk about The Lord, it is now my FAVORITE thing to do! 

Yes where I used to be driven off of the friends and people around me my FAVORITE  moments of my day are the ones spent alone on my face before The Lord! 

I understand I am not the girl I used to be.. BUT for the first time in my life REBA is the happiest girl alive!! 

Today God showed me that although I do miss the people in my past, more then anyone would ever understand. And I go every single day of my life, wishing for the moments I would spend with the ones who used to drive my life. I have been given this new life, and am being driven by something more greater then anything I could ever dream up!! I am not the same girl who used to enjoy those moments! It does not mean that I am done with those people and I will never enjoy those moments again.... I just have to choice, rather I become the person that they miss.. Or I stay the person I now love, and miss them and my past... And The choice is mine! 

I post this blog to say... For once in my life I am going to make REBA happy! I am going to be the REAL REBA, that has always been inside... I just compromised to make other people love her!! 

THIS is the Reba, God created! Say goodbye to the old Reba, who was created for a human, sinful purpose! And say hello to REBA the girl that God created for HIS purpose! :D 

When God shows up and shows off!!

SO I went to bed this last Sunday night, heart broken and worried about the coming week. I was afraid it was going to be difficult and honestly depressing because I knew that Monday would be the last day for a week that I would be able to talk to my best friend. Max is now attending classes at a school 7 hours away from home, and was unable to take his smart phone, and due to his schedule we were only going to be able to talk on Saturday and Sundays. I knew it was going to be hard going from talking to him everyday for 3 months to not talking to him for 5 days... I was sad, and feared the feelings that would come with the new changes. BUT Monday morning, instead of rolling over to call him, I simply stopped and prayed that God would give me the peace I needed to adjust to the plan God had placed before us. I got up and went along with my day, having an okay day at work and going to bed exhausted wishing it was Saturday already! Tuesday morning I woke up with my last text from Max, saying he was leaving for the school and would talk to me on Saturday. All though I did feel sadness, I still felt this peace, knowing that it would be okay. Tuesday came and went and although I missed him, that peace was still there. I went to work Wednesday morning counting down the days, but also feeling this joy that lite up my face. All of a sudden, God decided to give me a reason(or 5) to smile!  I opened my email and read an email from one of my board members John. He began to tell me how he had 10-12 people, interested in taking a mission trip to Kingamboni Tanzania and minister to Kingstar school. Reading that was a dream come true for me, and something I had been prying about ever since I had returned home from Africa. That night we meet and discussed some plans  that we wanted to do while on the trip. I left that meeting grinning ear to ear thanking God for answering this prayer and showing me a door leading to my dream! But God was not done yet! Thursday I received a very sweet email from Christine and that made me miss her and started off my morning on a great note! But later that day I hit a bump in the road. The band I had scheduled for the next nights event at work, I spent all night trying to find a replacement, but went to bed praying asking God to provide! Its Friday morning and of course my God provided and I was given a replacement, following that I had a great time at the Cedar Creek Chamber New Teacher Lunchin and was able to have lunch with a Christian Couple who are now teaching in Mabank. While talking with them I learned that they were once youth pastors, and after I began to share with them about my mission and work in Africa, that is when God did something cool! They then expressed to me, that just the week before they had talked about how cool it would be to take a mission trip over seas to teach in a school. I just love how God randomly does stuff to show his power and control! :) After lunch I then headed back to lunch to prepare for the Back To School Bash, I put together at work for some local youth groups in the area! God Showed up, big time and a total of 2 students were saved! Amen! Praise the Lord!! :) Saturday morning finally came and I was able to talk to my best friend and tell him all about my amazing week!! What I thought was going to be a horrible, very difficult week turned out to be an amazing week, BECAUSE OF MY GOD!!
My God showed up, and really showed off in my life!! I just said goodbye to my best friend for this week, and am now so excited to see what God is going to do this week!!!

When Sophia's Journey Becomes YOUR Journey

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. Proverbs 3:13-18

        Sophia is the Latin word for wisdom, and that is the journey I am on. As an education major, working towards being a teacher, as a Christian and Missionary walking in God’s wisdom and leading those to his wisdom, and as the founder of Sophia’s Journey as my team and I work together to provide educational wisdom and God’s wisdom to children all over the globe. 

         This is the journey and the path God has brought me to. As a 19 year old sometimes this path can be very difficult. I am 3 years away from getting my bachelors, I have two part time jobs that makes me just enough money to save for Africa and get me down the road. I am in a daily struggle just to be patient with where God has me and what he is doing. But never the less God has me on this journey, and all though it is a struggle it is the most rewarding journey I have ever been on. I will continue to work as hard as I can and do close to anything, until I am here 

back here in this moment with my boys again. 

and Here, holding my Babies 

 Here with my Dada, my sister. 

here with my Baba my African Father 

and here with my Best friend my Max! 

But everyday God teaches me that sometimes the journey is long, and it takes a while to get to our destinations. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 

And that right there, makes the waiting on the Lord, the struggles and the patients, WORTH IT! 

I am Reba and I am on Sophia's Journey  

So whats next?

I have expressed to you all about my love for and desire to help these people! Well here is the door that God has opened!!!
With the help of my Father, My Pastor, and a Family friend, We are starting a non profit organization! Our Vision is To help provide Christian education, in foreign countries by raising awareness, funds, and student sponsors across the globe. And I am so blessed to have an amazing team who is so on board and ready to help! The are Awesome!! Our Mission is Transforming the lives of students by facilitating education through an active support network of relationships, community, and sponsorship. With this awesome support system I will begin to travel to churches telling my story and working to find sponsors for these kids. We will also be hosting fundraising events to raise money to send to the school when they need it. We had our first board meeting Monday night and we have decided on a name! Sophia's Journey.... Sophia meaning Wisdom. We believe this fits our mission in many ways as we help these kids in their journey through learning, and also as they find the TRUTH that is Jesus Christ!

Be looking for more blogs as I continue to share more information in the future!

And continue to pray for the school and this organization as well! :)

WHOA! REWIND! Recap of my WHOLE Trip!

DFW-London Gate 25, This is where it all began 

This was my gate in 2012, and again in 2013! It was reassuring to see. Like a sign from God

"Your going to be fine!" 

This was my view for 9 HOURS, It was a long fight, But I like my long flights because it gives me time to humble myself before the lord and before my trip! 

The London air port is like a MALL!

Sending pictures to my friends so they know I am alive! Text 

"Hey it may not be a real guard but I think hes way cuter then any "real gaurd" Hahaha " 

With 9 hours of wait time I did a lot of sleeping...

and a lot of just staring at the next picture.... 

This was my terminal, Those chairs... NOT comfy! 

This place was literally like a Mall! To bad I couldn't shop! 

This was leaving Ethiopia..Talk about AFRICAN 

TIME.... That flight was delayed an hour!! 

My favorite thing about night flights is watching the sun come up from the hair! It is so very HUMBLING, and so BEAUTIFUL! 

While spending close to 48 hours traveling it is 

These moments that I love. When I can just look out the window and see the creation of my God! 

I spent the first day working with Glens team. We went to one of the public schools and told bible stories. 

I can not even begin to talk about this Guy!           

Pastor Duce, was our translator, I promise I will           

tell you more about him later!

The kids singing their National Anthem! I love love love listening to them sing! 

          

Introducing.... CLARENCE AND SEBBA! You will see a lot of pictures of these kids! They are my boys! 

Each picture has a funny story that makes me love and miss them even more! 

         

Sweet Girls! These two little ones lived across the street from the church and spent a lot of time on the front porch just smiling at me! So sweet. 

But I do want to tell you a story about the one in the blue. I took my iPad with my pictures from last year on it, and one night I was looking through them and saw this little blue dress.. and realized it was the same little girl, wearing the same dress. I don't know why, but it hit my heart, and was really eye opening to me. No that is not the only dress she has, but who knows how many years she has had and will have to wear it. 

The 3 stooges! Sebba, Daudi and Clarence! :) 

I have COUNTLESS(and deleted a lot) of Videos of these boys,

 the LOVED dancing for me, or doing flips so I would record me!They would then stop whatever it was they were doing and run over to watch it on my phone! Kids are kids all over the world!

The first Sunday morning I had the privilege to sit next to this little beauty! She is the girl from the little blue dress. But she is also the little girl who is in one of my favorite pictures from last summer.-the one on the bottom. 

This moment last year was one of my favorite moments from 2012. So when God put her next to me on the first Sunday of 2013, my heart was so happy, I realized at this moment that I was home, I was back, back to the place where I left my heart, back to the place I was in love with! 

They are so beautiful, inside and out! <3 I love it! 

 My Dada Nemah and I at the beach! 

The Indian Ocean! I love getting to go to the beach when I am here! 

Godmaximum We had fun listening to music on my Ipod! 

This is one of the only pictures I got of my room. I promise it did not look this way all of the time! This was the day I unpacked and got all of my teaching goodies organized! I want to say thank you to all of the people who donated supplies! 

DAY ONE IN THE SCHOOL

We made Lions Mask and talked about Daniel,  

In Africa, they do not have copiers, so the teachers have to hand write all of there work into their students journals. This made me respect these teachers even more. I cant explain what it was like to sit and observe that class room for the first time, the differences were many! But it also made me fall more in love with the idea of me one day being a teacher in that school! 

 They also do not have a black board, so the teacher write on paper and glue it to the wall. Again we would see this as a struggle in america... But here they are happy to do it! 

These Kids were so smart, and such a joy to be around! 

There were are only 7 students in the grade on class, they can be a hand full but they are also a joy! 

My sweet little Daudi! :) That face and that smile just makes me want to steal him and keep him forever! :)  

This is George, My Buddy, my special baby. After observing him work, in the pre-unit class I began to realize he had some very evident learning disabilities. Now I'm not a Dr. but I could tell he needed help, and so I discussed it with the other teachers and once or twice a week for the whole time I was there I would take him off, and work with him one on one! I say so much improvement with in the three weeks I was there! He went from thinking every letter was A to knowing and recognizing all the letters but 5! I was so proud of him, and can not wait to see where he has improved now!!  

 My Baby Babies!! At first they were not to sure about me, and my color skin. ahaha But soon they grew to love me and I grew to love them! :) 

My church kids! These are the boys that go to the school from our church! I'm not going to lie.. It was hard not showing them special attention at school...Those were my boys! I couldn't help it! hahaha 

A day at the beach! It was so beautiful! 

I truly believe that one reason God brought me here this summer was so that I could get a break from life at home. I had gotten so busy and never had time for myself, and was defiantly not giving him enough time! He supplied MANY moment where I got to just sit, and think. Think about him, think about my life, and look at his beautiful creations! 

  This is where I spent a lot of my time! In Max's studio watching him work!! God amazed me by giving me some pretty great friendships in that room. As Max's clients went in and out of that room, I heard stories, made jokes, and built friendships that I truly miss! Although they picked on me like crazy, and never let me go 5 minutes without reminding me that I was a Muzgu! I love those guys so much, and miss them like crazy!! :) 

 
And OF COURSE! My boys were always in there or trying to get into the studio to be with me! <3 Always making me laugh some how!

I had the privilege to go eat dinner at a few church members houses during my stay! The first one was Mama Nemah! :) She was so sweet and made the most amazing rice I had ever tasted!! :) She also showed me a home video of the church from several years back! It was awesome to see Max, Nemah and Pastor Duce at such a young age!!  

This is Alpha! Let me tell you about this kid! He is not even 2 years old yet and literally acts like he is 4! He was always sneaking out of his baby class and coming into one of the older class rooms and asking to write with the big kids!! So smart, and so sweet!! :)  

I just wanted to make sure I added in some credit to one of the main reasons I was able to go this year! Whatz-Up Family Fun Park! God has blessed me with an amazing Job and a great source of Income at such a young age! And it is because of this that I am able to do what I love to do! 

My beautiful Nemah! My Dada! My Girl! She was the one who lived with me in my room, helped me go shopping for the things I needed and cooked me some of the most delicious food! We spent a lot of time together and I got to just poor into and minister to this girl!! I am so blessed to have built this sistership that I will never lose!! <3 AHHH I miss her so much! 

My Boys My Silly Silly Boys! 

As you Can see... Sebba Is my Baby boy... I grew really close to this kid in the few short weeks I was there. He always wanted to be playing with me or my phone and always wanted to be the one I was showing my attention to!  

And just like kids in America, when he didn't get his way... he showed me!

He did this sad, but cute thing where he would literally distance himself away from me and just stare at me and whine to make me feel bad! AT FIRST I would give in, But later after i realized what he was doing I would tell him to suck it up and stop crying.. that never worked he just started crying more! hahahaha 

HE DID NOT LIKE SHARING HIS "Teacher Liba!" 

My Baby Babies! hahaha I'm not lying when I say it took about a week before they would even let me play with them! But by the end of my trip they all loved me and I had a lot of fun with them! 

Adrian 

Goodluck 

Zadia 

My sweet Independent Alpha who NEVER took naps!  

But Instead wanted to help mop! hahah :) Such a wired kid!  

I LOVE LOVE LOVED watching them dance! 

Always had so much fun! 

They always had a smile on their faces when they were dancing and praising our lord!  

This is Hannah! She has a heart problem and is always getting sick! Please please please be praying for this sweet angel! She is so smart and although she misses a lot of school she is excelling in all of her classes! 

This little punk! Hahaha Juniour, Such a sweetheart but defiantly the trouble maker of the class! Him and Dominic where such a hand full!!

Two school buses BOTH PACKED FULL with kids everyday! 

Above is a picture of what most of the roads looked like! Talk about off roading! Hahaha 

But below is Ellius! King of the Road! He drove me around like a pro! Love and miss him SO much!  

 Like I said.... ALWAYS making me laugh!!

Another one of the houses I had the privilege to eat at! Mamma Jaqulynns house! She was such a sweetheart!! 

Above I my Sweet Herbert who NEVER left my side during the morning assemblies! 

And Below is my Beautiful Selina! 

I love the her story! At this time Selina is not being sponsored to go to school because her sponsorship was dropped. She lives with her single mother who barley makes enough to live. When she first started in the school her mother was muslem and Selina was being sponsored by a muslem couple in DAR. Last summer her mother converted to Christianity, and gave her life to the lord. When the sponsors found out about this they dropped her sponsorship. I know it is a sad story, But it also shows that Gods love will shine through this and his glory will shine on the day she gets sponsored!   

My sweet Herbert! 

And my sweet hand full called Dominic! Such a trouble maker, but I loved his smile! 

Another Picture of me and my buddy George! I love this picture!! 

I had the opportunity to go to borgomoro and see the museum and the place where christianity entered into Tanzania. It was also a slave port and I was able to learn about African slavery. And just to brag on my God and his prefect plan! The night before we left to go to borgomoro, I had decided that I was going to preach on slavery to sin, that next morning in Church... little did I know God was going to take me to where Slavery existed and let me learn about African slavery and give me tools to use in my Sermon! That is just how my God works!! :) 

And again! MORE BEACH! <3

DaDa Whitney! :) Such a sweet spirit! 

DaDa Nemah! :) 

My Best Friend, My Favorite, My Max! :) So blessed to call him my best friend! He helped me so much while I was there and even today while I am at home,still acts as a support system for me!  

My Girl My Beautiful Selina! 

MOVIE NIGHT!!! :) 

Everyone knows the Lion King is my FAVORITE movie! And the night I got to introduce Max to the greatness that is The Lion King was one of my favorite nights ever!! 

He then bought me RED BULL!! Seriously he is the bestest friend ever!! 

My sweet Sweet Mwinyi! 

The photo above is Little Hannah and the one below is sweet Imoni, her big brother! 

Such sweet kids! I would have brought them home with me if I could have! hahah :) 

Got to love COW CROSSINGS! :) 

One thing about Africa.. is that you never know when then power is going to go out! So one night I got to spend the evening eating dinner by candle light at Dada Nemahs house! It was honestly a really good experience! Very humbling! 

The last Saturday  I was there I got to go meet and pray with all of the pastors families.

 Pastor James Family 

This is momma! Pastor  Duces wife and my second Momma! She is such a sweet lady, and a great mom to me and my brothers and sisters! :) <3

Bellow Is my Baba Pastor Duce. Never once did he let me do anything that might put me in danger, He was always looking out for my safety all while making me feel 100% like his daughter! 

I love and miss him so much! 

Pastor Micheal and His family! 

And the beautiful gift they prayed for for 4 years. 

Their son! :) 

This is Pastor Abraham's church and below is him and his Family 

This is the church that our team helped pay for the bricks to build last summer! 

So blessed to see it finished!! 

Pastor Amos!! <3 Careful girls hes single!! 

He is such an great guy!! 

 After visiting the Pastors Baba and Mama took me to see my baba's garden!! He grows everything you could ever want! He told me that his garden would supply enough food for them for 6 months! So cool!! They will not have to go to the market for 6 months!! What a blessing! :)

 I love these two beautiful people! 

On Sundays I had the privilege of leading the children Sunday school! 

They were such a joy and we always had so much fun!! :) 

I love this picture of my Best Friend! God has blessed with so much Talent and I love that he uses it for the LORD!

Let me tell you more about this little cutie in my lap! 

Clarence was one of the kids of the church who was on the waiting list to be sponsored. When I found this out I immediately started praying about the opportunity to be his sponsor! 

After a few days of prayer I realized I would be able to do it, and I am now sponsoring him to go to school starting this September! Being able to tell Pastor Duce this and after be thanked over and over again by his parents, I couldn't help but be humbled by my God! He has blessed me so much and I am blessed even more now to be able to use my blessing to bless someone else!! So thankful!! <3

 

The day I left was honestly the hardest thing ever! This place had become my home, and I was not ready to leave. I had become a Tanzanian! <3 

As I said goodbye to my Best Friend, My Dada, and my African Parents, My heart was heavy! 

BUT BUT BUT I am so glad to make an announcement coming soon about my future! 

I WILL BE GOING BACK!

you can not keep me a way from my FAMILY! <3 

It is not Goodbye... But see you later! 

The End 

The Beginning!

<3