We made it to Dar es Salaam yesterday, greeted by mellow afternoon sunshine and the first sounds of Swahili. "Karibu!" said the driver who helped load our many bags onto a minivan.
Before we even set foot in Tanzania, signs that we were no longer in Kansas were everywhere:
A man, kneeling to pray on a prayer mat at the very back of the Emirates plane. Two women, covered in black from head to toe, peeling back their face scarves to eat dinner. Watching deep blue turn to endless miles of desert tan as we flew over the middle east--including Iraq. The haunting call to prayer broadcast throughout the airport in Dubai upon our arrival. Arrows pointing to Mecca affixed high on the wall of the hotel room.
But even as we traveled further and further from home, unexpected familiar things made us smile--like having spatzle for dinner on the plane to Dubai, which is what Lois K cooked for our farewell dinner. And catching snatches of old-school Cantonese soap operas and ER on late-night television in the UAE.
Praise God, and much thanks to all of you who are praying for us--our travels have been very smooth thus far. Tomorrow morning we'll fly to Mwanza where the adventure really begins...
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"I do not pray for success. I ask for faithfulness."-Mother Teresa
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