Christmas in Tanzania

Well, I may not have gotten a white Christmas but it sure was still full of joy, love, and wonderful people! On the 23^rd, the Dar es Salaam and Dodoma JV communities traveled to Dodoma together from Morogoro, where we had retreat.  The next day, the girls from Dodoma showed us around the capital, which is much smaller and less crowded than good ol’ Dar.

While we were out, I bought a piece of fabric called a ‘khanga,’ which can be used in so many great ways…as a towel, a skirt, a cover-up at the beach or around the house…the list goes on I’m sure. The cool thing about the ‘khanga’ is its design and the message in Kiswahili around the bottom. The one I just purchased includes the phrase (loosely translated): “God gives us the love and peace.” Along with that, I also purchased some ‘kitenge.’ This fabric is different in that it is brought to a tailor for a custom-fit dress or skirt and blouse.

More importantly on Christmas Eve, we went to midnight mass and spent time with some of the Jesuits afterwards. Before mass, everyone chipped into make a special, incredibly delicious meal. We had beans, pasta with homemade tomato sauce, chapatti, guacamole, and mango salsa. Let’s just say it was one of the best meals ever! Midnight mass was such a beautiful experience and I left it feeling joyful…even though it was in Kiswahili and I didn’t understand a thing anyone said. There is a stark difference between mass here and back in the States; people here are not afraid to literally shout for joy or loudly sing and dance to show their love for God. It was so beautiful to witness and be a part of this kind of mass.

On Christmas Day, we visited the Village of Hope, which is home and school for many children infected or affected by HIV/AIDs. It is run by a priest and sister from Italy and is the worksite for one of the 2nd year JVs. We started the day with them with mass and then played with them until they went for lunch. We sang songs while Beth played the guitar, made music makers with toilet paper rolls and rice, and drew pictures of things related to Christmas. It was another joyful experience and a wonderful gift to spend time with them. Although I missed home and could have been sad about that, these kids brought only a smile to my face.

Another cool thing we did while in Dodoma was visit St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit boarding school for secondary students. This is the worksite for the rest of the Dodoma JVs and has only been open for a few years. It was great to finally see it in person after reading about it and seeing so many videos about it when I was still in the discernment process with JVC. Progress there is slow but certain. We had dinner that night with the Jesuits and sisters who live on the expansive school grounds. It was a night full of music, laughter, and great conversation. I was lucky enough to speak with one particular Jesuit from Uganda about LBGT and women’s rights in East Africa. Without going into what could be an incredibly long discussion/blog post, let’s just say I was very humbled by our conversation; I have in the past, more or less, assumed that I knew what was best for women, regardless of culture. Well, I was very wrong; it is so important to know the culture and context of various traditions. He was able to explain some reasons for things that I had never considered. It was a humbling learning experience that I am grateful for and hope to have many more of in the future.

Well, we are now home in Dar es Salaam and still have a lot of orienting to do. Over the next few days, we will visit more new places and learn more new things. I’m sure I will have a blog about it all after the New Year J

Feel at Home & a Day at the Beach

Feel at Home

As I spend more time in this country, I have begun to feel more and more at home. And what’s a better way to feel at home than to stay with a Tanzanian family? So, on Thursday afternoon my communitymate Cait dropped me off at my host family’s house. I instantly felt at home. I was told to call the parents Mama and Baba (mother and father in Swahili). At every single meal, Mama encouraged me to “eat more,” “feel at home,” and “feel free.” On Friday, I went with Mama and her niece to her store, and at one point she introduced me as her daughter. I have never been so quickly welcomed into a family or a different culture. It has put my mind and heart at ease about being and living in Tanzania. I will always be American and a foreigner, but the Tanzanians are so welcoming that I know I will be able to feel comfortable living here for the next two years.

On Saturday, my community mates picked me up from my host family and we spent the rest of the night at home, just hanging out and getting to know each other. Some of our friends from the neighborhood, who are close to us in age, also came over to hangout. They helped me with some Swahili homework I had to complete for my next lesson. My house here is beginning to feel like home too. I’ve been in this country just over a week and I already have two homes! It’s pretty great.

Beach Day!!

So yesterday, my community and I went to the beach and I touched the Indian Ocean for the first time! It was a long ride to get there; we took at least two different dala dalas (the public bus) and a ferry but it was totally worth it. It was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited. Along with my community, Cat (the outgoing JV), brought her homeroom class from Gonzaga (they will be in Standard 7 starting in January) so we got to hang out with them and even teach a few of them how to float and swim. It was really wonderful to meet some of the students in my school (even though I am not teaching them) and start to build some relationships. The best part is that they, more or less, instantly like you. This makes relationships easy and instantaneous. One of the girls is super sassy and fun…she walked right up to me (keep in mind we never met before this moment), took my hand, and said very confidently, “Teacha Kathleen, teach me to float.” So, we went in the water and she was so determined to learn. She aced it pretty quickly. It was such a great moment and makes me feel good about starting to teach in January.

Christmas Time in Tanzania

On Thursday, I will go with my community to Morogogo, which is a few hours west of Dar es Salaam. We will meet up with the JVs from Dodoma and have retreat for a few days. Then we will go to Dodoma (another few hours west) for Christmas. So, I am sure I will have more updates and pictures after that. I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years. Look for another update in 2013! J

An Introduction to Life in Tanzania

(written Dec 10)

Well, I arrived safely in Tanzania yesterday (Dec 9) around 7 am. The moment I stepped off the plane I knew I was no longer in the US…I left a cold, wintery country for a hot and humid one. Despite the heat, I was immediately enamored by the beauty of this country and its people. In fact, I even welcomed the warm air which quickly thawed me out from the short winter seaon I experienced. From the airport we went straight to our new home in the neighborhood of Mabibo. I was so lucky to be able to call home to let me parents know I arrived and even checked in with Jon to let him know I got here safely.

Our wonderful and awesome community mates already cleared out two bedrooms for Katie and me to move into. So, of course, I do what I always do the moment I have a new room…I put up pictures of all of my friends and family. The room instantly felt like mine and I knew I would soon find it easy to call this place home.

We rested for a while…the 8 hour time difference between the east coast and here has been one of the greatest adjustments. But I am feeling great! After my nice long nap, we walked over to the church for the children’s mass. One of the Jesuit priests presided over mass and at the end, called up all of the JVs. We introduced ourselves to the children and others at mass. Afterwards, we went to the Jesuit residence, which is on the Loyola High School campus, to visit with the priest who had just said mass. He offered a lot of great advice regarding Tanzania and had many stories to tell of his own adventures. We took a short tour of Loyola and then made the short walk back to our house. We ate our first dinner together as a community…beans, cabbage and veggies, and chapatti (flat fried bread that is super delicious). We spent some time talking but called it an early night.

This morning Katie and I were able to sleep in a little bit and the extra rest was much welcomed. I took my first bucket shower which was incredibly refreshing. Then Beth, who just started her second year and also teaches at the school where I will be, picked us up to take us to Gonzaga Primary. We met many of the administrators and teachers. Then we visited each of the classrooms and the children were very happy to greet us. Beth informed me that starting in January I will be teaching English to Standard 3, computer class to Standard 4 (I think?), and a values/wellness class (I can’t remember the official name) to Standard 6. School goes from 7:30 am to 4 pm and has ten 40 minute periods with time for tea in the morning and lunch. I will only be teaching 5 periods out of the whole day. Needless to say I am so excited to get back in a classroom and could not be more excited to be at Gonzaga. I have already fallen in love with the school, my fellow teachers, and my future students.

After lunch of rice, beans, and cabbage, which was soooo good, Beth brought Katie and I home so we could rest some more. Walking home at 12:30 in the afternoon was enough to make one tired…the sun is scorching! So after a longer nap than I had anticipated on taking, I woke up to find Beth doing laundry and visiting with a Standard 7 student, Joha. With the help of Joha and Beth, I learned how to do laundry using what I can only describe as a “multi-bucket system.” There is one bucket to soak the clothes, another to scrub them with soap, and two more for rinsing. Then we hung them on a line inside out to avoid fading in the sun. It was a great experience and although I’m no expert, I am excited to try it again soon.

Although there is still a lot to adjust to, I am beginning to feel like I could easily make this place my home. I am a little homesick but I guess that’s pretty normal. I will have more updates soon!

Also!! If you do plan on sending packages of any kind, please be sure that they are under 4 pounds. This way they are delivered directly to the Jesuit Residence and I don’t have to go into town to pick them up or pay to receive them. Thank you! J

Today's the Day!!

Well, today's the day! In less than 12 hours I will be on a plane heading for my future home in Tanzania. I can't believe this day is finally here....I've been dreaming about this for so many years now and I just feel so blessed that it has become a reality.

I don't really have any last thought-provoking, especially interesting or deep things to say. I could list all of the wonderful and generous words of love and encouragement that I have received over the last few days from friends and family but that would be a very long list of things. If I got a dollar for every time someone told me to "be safe," I'd be a millionaire.

...but what I do have to say is that this crazy dream would not have become a reality if it weren't for all of the people in my life. The last few days, as I become anxious to leave, all I could think to comfort myself is that there is no time during this whole journey that I will ever be alone. I've been blessed with friends and mentors in Scranton who cheered me on from the beginning, a family, that though they think I'm crazy, knows that this is what I'm meant to do, and a boyfriend who has selflessly and patiently listened and comforted me through all the ups and down.

I guess now that I think about it, maybe I do have just two pearls of wisdom that I can't stop thinking about (are you really surprised? haha). Both of these things I learned in Scranton. The first is something a friend used to say, "God is love. And love is real. Therefore, God is real." (..or something like that, I always mess it up a little haha) And I have to say that since graduation, my relationship with God was put on the back burners...or so I thought. I wasn't incredibly active in my relationship with Him/Her and didn't think about it too much. But through that phrase, God is love, I've realized that even though I didn't see it, I have been strengthening my relationship with God this whole time. Let me explain: I have been nothing but showered in love from the important people in my life, especially as I get ready to do this. And their love is God for me. So, thank you to everyone for being God for me when I was too stubborn to see Him/Her directly. I know for sure I'm not alone in this...because even when I don't see God specifically, He/She is there through all of the other people in my life.

The other piece of wisdom is something one of my mentors shared on Senior Retreat with me and my classmates last February. It was 5 simple words..."Show up for each other." And I can tell you that for the last 6 months people have absolutely shown up for me. I am SO blessed. And even though I'm going all the way to Africa, I promise all of the people in my life that I will find ways to show up. I will still be there for my loved ones... maybe not in person, but that's just geography. I will be available for my loved ones just the way they have been there for me since the beginning of my journey.

Basically, all I can say is THANK YOU! I would absolutely not be getting on that plane today if it wasn't for all of you that love and support me unconditionally.

Next time you hear from me, I'll be in Tanzania! :) So until then....know that God is love and don't forget to show up for the people you care about most.

Amani na upendo (Peace and love),
Kathleen

Unexpected Blessings

As my departure gets closer and closer, I am beginning to realize more and more how thankful I am for the awkward transition period I've been in since graduation this past May. As I have said before, it has been tough sometimes...too many minutes spent bored and unproductive or thinking about the 'what ifs' and not wanting to say the difficult goodbyes (or rather, the 'see you laters'). But along with each of these moments where I struggled, I also received an even more incredible blessing.
 
First, I have been able to spend a significant amount of time with my family...especially my Mom, who is slowly but surely warming up to the idea of me being gone for two years. It will never be easy for either of us, but I know how much she loves and supports me and that alone could get me through the rough days in Tanzania. Second, I have been able to read so many books! That might sound trivial and is totally unrelated to my experience as a JV but it's something that I have always loved to do but never had enough time for, especially in college. I feel like it refreshed me a way I was needing badly and I also learned a lot of really cool things. I've also felt so blessed to experience just a little bit of cold, winter weather! As much as I love the summer and a nice warm beach somewhere, I also enjoy snuggling up with a mug of steaming hot coffee and a good book under one of my mom's big quilts...or snuggling with my boyfriend, Jon, at the best (yet probably coldest) Penn State football game of the season!
 
Speaking of Jon, I think he may have been the best and most unexpected blessing of them all. When I was thinking about applying to JVC this time last year, one of the reasons I felt so confident in being gone for two years was because I wasn't in a serious relationship; in fact, I had pretty much written off the idea all together during senior year so I could focus on my friends and figure out what I would be doing after graduation. I thought that not being in a romantic relationship would make leaving easier...as if it was one less thing I would miss or feel like I was selfishly leaving behind. It turns out that I was totally wrong! First of all, the saying "Wanna make God laugh? Tell him your plans" comes to mind. I think God bringing Jon into my life when He/She did was His/Her way of laughing at my plans. I thought I had it all figured out and that it would be easy to just up and leave with JVC after Scranton if I wasn't in love with someone. Well, I was just plain wrong.
 
Actually, having Jon as my best friend and boyfriend has made this process much easier. Not to say that saying 'see ya later' was easy by any means...but I find comfort in knowing that he's there for me through all this. Being with him hasn't just meant adding another person to the list of those I will miss the most....but adding another person to the list of people who love and support me unconditionally. Jon reminds me (more often than I think he realizes) why it is that I feel so called to do this and that I should never, ever give up my crazy big dreams for anything. He has been nothing but selfless when it comes to listening to me constantly talk about (or more often than not, freak out about) my soon-to-be future. His patience, kindness, and love go unmatched by anyone. Whenever I talk to people, they always mention how much I am sacrificing and changing in my lifestyle to do this but I want to take a second to thank Jon for doing the same. This situation is so unique for a couple of 20-somethings and I fall more and more in love with Jon every time he tells me he wants to do this...no matter how crazy other people think we are for trying. I am the luckiest person in the world to have a best friend willing to 'give it hell' to make this work...I couldn't have asked for anything more. There really are not enough words to express how thankful I am for his love and friendship.
 
I'm not really one for too much PDA but I wanted to recognize and thank Jon for all of the irreplaceable things that he has given me over the last nine months...his ear to listen, his shoulder to cry on, a heart filled to the brim with joy, a new skip in my step, unending support in everything, a friendship I want to hold on to forever, and for teaching me that I really do deserve love.
 
Saying 'see ya later' at 5:30 this morning was one of the most difficult things I've done in a long time...but the blessing that comes from that is knowing how much love I have in my life.
 

I love you, Jon Michael Galante, to Tanzania and back.

You can take the girl out of Scranton, but you can't take Scranton out of the girl.

Well, I've been trying my best not to count down my final days at home too much. I want to be present with the important people in my life and soak up all the time I have with them now, without worrying about my soon-to-be future thousands of miles from home. But time seems to moving more quickly now as we are already halfway through November. How did that happen?!

...the official count is three weeks from today. Wow!

Speaking of being present with the ones you love, I spent Tuesday and Wednesday in that magical place in the mountains where my wildest dream grew from simply an idea into reality. I couldn't have asked for a better way to gently turn the page from my Scranton chapter to the next unwritten one.

Since May, I think I've been pretty good about not going through too much Scranton withdrawal. I've been describing the last few months to everyone as this strange balance...I am so excited to go and sometimes wish I was just there already and other days I can't seem to find that spark I used to have for being an international volunteer. I think the reason I sometimes don't feel that spark is because I'm not surrounded daily by my peers and mentors who understand why I am venturing on this awesome journey. The friends that I made over the last four years are where my inspiration comes from...they are literally all over the world now (Nashville, San Diego, Micronesia, Philly, South Korea..just to name a few) making a true difference in their own unique and beautiful ways...AND I MISS THEM!! They have always challenged me to be a better version of myself and work harder for the things I'm passionate about. It always helped that we shared many of the same passions and could spend hours over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine thinking of ways to make the world a better place (and figure out where we fit into all of that). That is what I miss about Scranton...the people who kept my spark lit and shared their own light with me when my own path seemed a little dark and uncertain.

I learned something valuable during my time there earlier this week, I don't need to be in Scranton to have Scranton with me. The community that I was a part of for the last four years doesn't exist exactly how it did when I was there and that's comforting...I know I'm not missing out on what it is that made Scranton so great for me. But I also find comfort in knowing that even though the Class of 2012 is no longer on campus, the spirit and the love that we experienced while we were there lives on. Every single person (even individuals I didn't think knew I was doing JVC) was excited for me and expressed their unending love and support as I get ready to leave. Goodbyes are tough and walking away from a friend or mentor not knowing if I'd ever see them again really sucked, but now I know for certain that the spirit of Scranton that I love so much lives on in all of us. That is something that will always be with me; knowing this gives me a great sense of comfort and peace as I move forward from my life in Scranton and transition into my life in Tanzania.

Thank you to my Scranton family for reminding me why it is that I want to do JVC and that I really am capable of doing it well. On those tough days, I will be sure to remember that there is an army of people clad in purple cheering me on from that magical place that I called home for four love-filled, faith-forming years.

Bring it on, Tanzania :)

YOLO!

Welcome to my blog! So today marks exactly one month until I leave for Tanzania and start my journey as a Jesuit Volunteer...and I haven't even thought about packing yet! I've spent the last few months preparing myself for this crazy, awesome journey, visiting friends and family that I will miss dearly, and eating lots of cheese (because I know I'll miss that just as much as I'll miss all the people in my life). Although it was sometimes frustrating and difficult, I have realized how important this transition time has been to my experience. It’s given me a chance to think about a lot of things I don’t know I would have considered if I had left immediately after Orientation in July. Here are some of my (very unorganized) thoughts:

I’ve been thinking a lot lately that Drake was totally onto something with that whole YOLO thing. I know it seems obvious and cliche…of course you only live once (unless you believe in reincarnation, I suppose). But lately it’s the only thing really keeping me calm and open-minded about this move to Tanzania. At least once a day I freak out about leaving my amazing family, my wonderful boyfriend, and my inspiring friends for two years. I know that they will be there for me in a new way throughout my time there and that they will certainly welcome me home with open arms in December 2014. But see, here’s the thing, that sounds sooo far away. I keep telling myself that 2 years is “a drop in the ocean compared to the rest of my life.” This is true but in a time when I don’t really know what the next two years will look like or how they will pan out, it’s not incredibly comforting. But for whatever reason, YOLO totally is…

Along with freaking myself out at least once a day, I also look at the pictures that my future community-mates post on Facebook. Often times I end up looking at the same pictures every day for a week or more but even if I’ve seen them 100 times, they still give me comfort. At first glance I tend to think, “Oh my goodness, what am I doing? Am I going to be as happy doing this as they seem to be? Am I going to be able to jump right into my new life there and embrace all of the new things?” But then I stop myself, I really look at the pictures and tell myself that I can, in fact, do all of the new, cool things too…I just gotta remember Drake’s motto: YOLO. Why not just dive right in?! And why not be happy in this challenging and awesome adventure? ‘Why not?’ is right! For goodness sake, YOLO!

When I first thought about applying to serve internationally with JVC, I was even more nerve-wracked than I am now. But I asked myself last December, if not now, then when? And the truth of the matter is, I couldn’t think of a legitimate reason for not jumping right in, so I applied and the rest is history. It seems YOLO was my motto from the very beginning. I hope to remember that during my years abroad and for the rest of my life…I mean, I do only get to do this life thing once.

And so, just as I took the plunge, filled out that application over 9 months ago, and gave everything I had to become a Jesuit Volunteer (JV), I guess I am more ready than I might realize to take this even bigger plunge, apply all of the wonderful things I have learned in my four years of Jesuit education, and give everything I have to being a JV (a dream come true!)

With every fear that passes through my thoughts, also comes a great sense of joy and anticipation as I get ready to leave. I know everyone uses YOLO jokingly, but the fact of the matter is it’s true and I intend to live that way during my time in Tanzania. I want to try new things…all of the things!

And maybe to make it just a little Jesuit-esque, it should be YOLO: GFASTWOF (Go Forth and Set the World On Fire). No, you’re right….that’s probably too long. But the point is, with this one life that I have been given I know I am meant to go to Tanzania at this time in my life (no matter how nervous I am) and hopefully make some kind of impact. So remember, YOLO, my friends, YOLO…so GFASTWOF!

Amani na Upendo,
(Peace and Love),
Kathleen

...well, I might be a little rusty with the whole writing thing but it will get better with practice, I promise. Plus, things will be much more exciting once I actually get to TZA, haha. So, if you're interested, come back in a month and I'll have a fresh update straight from my new home in East Africa!