Our last week in Moshi for this Trip, and Amsterdam

Mehru at Sunset from Machame

The first thing that I have to say about this blog, is that I cannot compete with the bugs.  They were as far as I can tell a once in a lifetime experience, for which I am grateful forever.  Please refer to the previous blog for the purple legs of THE Bug, and you will know what I say.  This blog will include our last days in Moshi for this time.

It will not include my most wonderful experience, which was playing with Eija in Church for her last time (please say it isn't so) before she returned to Finland with Ric to seek new futures out of Moshi.  I cannot express my love of our playing together and my love of getting to know such a marvelous woman.  Not only is she a great musician, but a strong and brave woman, brought up by rigid Finnish Missionaries in Kenya, who eventually forged her own Christian path-- a far more peaceful and loving Christian who indeed pledged herself to an embracing wholistic church path that is far more difficult to follow than the rigid "good-bad" one.  Thank you Eija for giving so much of yourself to us, and allowing me to play and sing with you.

We did also have a fabulous picnic for Elizabeth and Coletta and children, and those pictures will have to follow as they seem to be missing tonight!  Suffice it to say that our team is amazing.  And though many are leaving nearly at the same time, Elizabeth has been the stalwart for 7 years in Moshi, the best learner in Kiswahili, and one of the most giving leaders we have ever had.  Her beautiful children ( will follow) and the rest of the picnic.  Wow.  What a great group.  We also lose Matt and Jess and the watoto watano.  I simply do not know what the compound will do without you.  Dr. John and Molly.... Alfred will really not know what to do., and Julia...gracious. It is a huge sad exodus of wonderful people.  Please come back . (Pics in next blog I promise)

As we wound down our trip, in addition to the best church service (only my note) and party (my note) we had the best hash (my note).  John and I scouted it the day before at our dearest friends Nic and Sylvie Emannual's house, and it was unbelievably beautiful.  When we set it, we knew that it would not be hard, it would not be long, but it would be so beautiful.  And that is what we planned. Most of the walkers knew the farm and most were grateful to be able to experience it one more time.

John scouting

John scouting hash

John walking cornfields

scouting near the cornfields

John Nikoli Bob

Kili after sunset

kili at perfect light

Tarija shares her hat

Trish and Terrie...best Moshi friends

So there we were.  We left the next day for Amsterdam, and had the opportunity to stay for two days.  Great times Rain, cold but the Riksmuseum was open for the first time in nearly 20 years.  Fantastic.  I had the great fortune to spend one day there and as well to get some good sleep at a great bed and breakfast.  What more can you want.

Newly renovated Riksmuseum

Three Sisters
 Surely these three sisters do not look like my own three daughters?

Issues about death and ressurection.... cannot tell what it means

Entrance Riks

My Fav Van Gogh....The Farm Cottages

My friend is very handsome and looks exactly like this pic

Delft ware mantle... I want one

So do you really want to see the Night Watch...Lineup

I do great selfies

Another good one

This could be my children feigning sickness before school

I have this print, but wept over the original
It is called St. Titus the Monk

Waterloo Picture

The beautiful Market (probably one of many)

Thank you for a wonderful time... Netherlands

And a very Happy Easter to all.  We can hope within the time of resurrection, that there is resurrection of peace and caring towards humanity, and at the same time a new care of our environment, our trees and animals and plants. 

Cancer Symposium, Bugs, and Makuru Farm

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The most amazing Bug

With our final days in Moshi facing us, we dodged our way into some chaos—definitely always, packed days.  We had massive rain on two days, which left things very very muddy, but also brought some of the most amazing bugs I have ever seen.

Amazing moth on our porch

The most amazing bug I have ever seen

flying moth

Honda Honda birds waiting to get avocados

The rains also brought down more avocados.  My highest count is 15 in one day.  We cannot eat that number clearly, but everyone in the compound is enjoying our fabulous tree! 

No way to show the avocados on the ground...just trust me!

Pauli and Lucy's Jonathan turned 3 months old this week.  Now all he wants to do is stand and is smiling from ear to ear.  Things change so very much with babies and so quickly.  Makes me miss my granddaughter and get more and more excited about our new grandchild to be born.

He is quite a little man now

We participated in a Cancer Symposium that was very interesting.  A group of MD’s from Minnesota is raising money to build a proper Cancer Center at KCMC.  KCMC was supposed to be one of the cancer centers in the country some years ago, but as politics are always complicated, so has gone the cancer center.  But these Radiologists are committed, and have been working for the past year to raise at least enough money to get a specialized Radiation Therapy project going and we all hope that they are successful.  John wound up being quite a bit more involved than he had first imagined.

Dinner with leads at Cancer Center Fundraising at A-5

Daudi talks about Alibinism and Cancer

Dr. Olomi opens the Symposium

Masenga talks about Skin Cancers

Note the bright colored flags.  The group climbed the Kilimanjaro carrying prayer flags.

Our very own Mzee Radiologist Helmut Difenthal discussing Retinoblastoma

My very own John talking about the MEPI, KCMC/Duke collaborative

Mark Jacobson speaking about needs for Cancer Care in this area

Our younger Masenga talking about Cervical Cancer (Tz highest rates in Africa)

The final part of the week was filled with our plans for setting the hash on Sunday, and visiting our friends Nic and Sylvie who, as I have said previously, have one of the most peaceful homes I have ever been to, and who are dear dear friends. Makuru Farm is stunningly beautiful with views of the Pare mountains on one end and almost bookend views of the two big mountains.  There is something about newly planted crops, corn, beans, and of course the older coffee plants, the smell of the soil and green that is magical.

John walking a trail

walking through beans and corn

Irrigation pond around which the hash was set

Honey boxes (I saw tons of bees--yea!)

Dudu meowing at birds that torture him flying all around at sunset

Hash group after running (3 cases of beer, 4kg of pork, 4 batches of cookies, 4 doz each samozas and spring rolls)

John, Bob Kassworm and a very gorwn Nikoli chat

Friends try on cute sun hats

Trish and Terrie lovin' our beer!

So, with the sunset on both Mt. Mehru and on Kilimanjaro, we face our last week in Moshi for this trip!

Kilimanjaro right after sunset

 

Mehru sunset