Bursts of Joy in the Heart of Tanzania (Saturday 6/6)

***UPDATE 6/6/2026! Previously I mentioned going back to Bukimau on 6/7/2026 or around that time. However, that is no longer the case. Due to the extenuating circumstances that caused us to leave Madisi and to keep things simple, Mzee and Jonathan gave us two plans with how things will work out.  We will either stay here in Madisi for two weeks or one whole month, and then return to Bukimau.  

While we’re here we will be focusing on remote work. Most of us will be creating educational videos of us doing our projects in order to teach the staff we would regularly be with in Bukimau. For me that means screen recording my laptop and showing the staff how Kolibri works and how to use it. It’s not ideal, we’ll make the best out of a bad situation. The time here allows me to have more time to develop guides that will be helpful. I’m still enjoying village life here and making sure I’m getting out to make friends while learning about their amazing culture!***

Waking up to Michael's alarm today was different! Paul was around (I don’t see him very often anymore for some reason), and that meant it was time for us to take our bucket baths! Wanting to stay in bed for just a little bit longer, I made sure Michael got the first round of hot water. Of course Micheal wanted to stay in bed longer too, but since he was the new guest it was an honor to be the first one to bathe.

Eventually it was my turn to trudge out of bed and take my own bucket bath. In the middle of my water heating up, the electricity cut out! Thankfully I had enough hot water to suffice a good bath. With no electricity that meant a dark bucket bath! 

After getting ready and going to the main office, our group waited for two hours for someone to show up! We thought that Mzee and Jonathan would be there at 8, but for some reason or another they weren’t there. Knowing the new time culture in Tanzania, we weren’t worried about it and decided to take the time to simply relax! 

With the free time, and considering it was the weekend, instead of doing work we played card games. I was taught by Henry and Eli how to play a game known as Euchre! It was pretty difficult to get a hold of but ended up being very fun. Apparently it’s a very popular midwest game! 

After two hours of playing, Mzee and Jonathan finally came! Today was our last day with Mzee and Jonathan as they were going back to the states for a wedding. Mzee told us it was to make up for the fact that he missed his sister’s wedding 40 years ago and that going to her sister’s son’s wedding would make up for it (Mzee was stuck in the Congo at the time)! Since this would be the last time we would see Mzee and his wife for two weeks and a whole month until we would see Jonathan again, they wanted to share with us their expectations and plans for us while they were gone. 

To make a long story short, Eli, Miraclin, and I are staying in Madisi for a minimum of two more weeks and up to a month if needed. I’m glad to finally have a concrete answer and not wonder if today would be the day we decide to pack all up and go to Bukimau. Granted it sucks that the stuff I left in Bukimau is still there (pair of flip flops, journal, water bottles, sleeping bag), but I know I’ll get it back eventually. This means I can settle in a bit more here and get closer with all of the friends I’ve made so far. I also really enjoy the beauty of this area and I’m pleased to explore it more!

With this unplanned and extra time in Madisi, we have to shift our project plans just a bit. Essentially us three who were going to be in Bukimau need to make videos of ourselves doing what we would be doing in Bukimau. For me that’s making screen recordings of my work on the computer for example. While this sounds like remote work we had to do during COVID, it’s actually very helpful for the organization as a whole. By making videos of what we’re doing, we’re creating permanent resources that can be used over and over again once we’re gone. If someone forgets how to work a router for my project, they can just reference the video that I made to get a refresher. 

After a very long meeting, as they always are with Mzee (he always has great stories and humor to share), it was time for tea. Mandazi and tea is a great combo. I discovered that dipping the mandazi into the tea tastes even better! When tea was finished, we said our final goodbyes to Mzee and Jonathan before playing some hacky sack. Many of the VST staff joined us and it was a blast. At one point they started hitting the hacky sack like a volleyball (the exact opposite of hacky sack) and we called it handy sack! Most of the VST staff played a ton of soccer so hacky sack came pretty natural to them. The fun had to end and we went back to work. 

The electricity must’ve disliked the Vinton family leaving as the power left with them! The power did not come back on for the rest of the day and most of the night. The electricity being out makes working on the computers hard so I spent most of the time organizing what the next two weeks or month might look for me work wise and doing some more generation. 

Throughout this entire time, Michael has been slaving away on his homework and was playing music for all of us to listen to. “I Wouldn’t Have Missed it For The World” was one of them and proceeded to get stuck in everyone’s heads! 

Eventually it was time for lunch and we had rice, beans, and cabbage with Luka. We just sat around and talked! Hacky sack followed lunch time and then it was time for a walk. During lunch Luka offered to take us on his favorite walk through the village and seeing the opportunity to experience more of Tanzania, Eli, Miraclin, and I jumped on the opportunity. The weather was absolutely beautiful as Luka led us through the village, down small paths, through corn mazes, and up steep hills. The views were amazing and there was so much wildlife to see. 

At one point the trail was swarming with more ants than I’ve ever seen in my life. We had to run through them to make sure they wouldn’t get onto us and bite! 

Luka showed us his house that he’s building on a hillside with a wonderful view. 

The hills here are scattered with trees and farms which make a wonderful backdrop to any window. There was one part of our walk that was through a bunch of thick brush full of burrs. I got a decent amount on me, but nothing like Miraclin who was wearing a cotton skirt that somehow picked up hundreds. The burrs were tiny which made them tedious to take off. We decided to wait until we got back to the office to deburr ourselves. 

Towards the end of our walk, we got to wander on a road that cut through a stretch of pristine rainforest. It was the best part of the walk! 

With everything said and done, it was a two hour walk in total and on the way the Vinton family drove by us unexpectedly and waved goodbye to us! Before taking our last turn towards the school, we spectated a construction site on the nearby primary school. The way they make bricks is oddly satisfying. They fill a mold with a concrete sand mixture and pack it down to a rhythmic beat before the mold pops up and out comes a perfect brick! 

During our walk Luka purchased us bananas which we decided to now eat on our walk. We got back and hung out for a short while before going to play soccer. Henry, Eli, and I were invited by some adults to come play at the field we walked to the day prior. We played for about an hour and a half (until the sun went down) on a smaller field with tiny goals (this makes the action quicker and doesn’t get everyone tired). All of the adults were very good at soccer and both Eli and Henry played extensively before. I was able to stick in there with everyone and still manage to have a good time! 

Whilst playing the sunset was gorgeous and filled the entire sky wonderfully. I wish I had my phone on me to take a picture! Michael showed up halfway through the game asking me where the laundry soap was at Paul’s house and I felt bad that I wasn’t able to give him any helpful advice. No one was at the house so he ended up using shampoo to wash his clothes which probably worked just fine. The score ended up 1-1. Besides wearing too hot clothes (pants and long sleeve shirt) and getting super sweaty, I’d love to do it again. Playing a sport is one of the few times we’re able to wear shorts but due to the short notice of the invite, none of us went to change into proper attire. Everyone else had on short sleeves and shorts, in fact some had nice cleats to play with too. One guy didn’t even have shoes and I’m still baffled how he was able to hit so hard without protection on his feet.

Back at the office we rested, hydrated, and cleaned up the office while I waited for Michael. He left all of his stuff in the office and I didn’t want the place to get locked up with everything in there. Michael finally arrived, half soaked from washing laundry, and got all of his stuff before we went to dinner. We ate ugali, beans, and cabbage. With the electricity being out, we had to eat in the dark which was kind of hard considering that you eat ugali extensively with your hands and have nowhere to put a flashlight to see where your beans are to scoop up! All of the dark combined with a clear sky meant that the stars were extremely visible tonight. I could see the milky way which was amazing! 

After admiring the sky, we went back to the house to write, relax, and go to bed. The WiFi came to our house randomly in the middle of writing this blog which meant Michael could put on some music. Michael mentioned offhand that his dad had a band so I asked for him to put some of that music on for fun. I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it! We listened for a while before eventually passing out and ready for a great day of worship tomorrow!