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Hi- I just got home last night. It was a long couple days of flying! I couldn't figure out why people were staring at me in the bathroom in Atlanta (after 30 hours of travel) putting on deodorant, chanign my clothes & washing my face??? Anyway...It's good to see family and friends after what seemed like such a short 6 weeks, but I'm sad to be away from the girls at JBFC. I think I cried the whole way home! Thanks to everyone who read my blogs...I will be adding some pictures as soon as I can and I'm going to write more about my trip soon...the things that I just didn't have time to write while I was there. Thanks for reading!
Love, Sarah:)

Quahari=Goodbye

I have so much more to write about but so little time. I'm leaving in 2 days to head to Dar Es Salaam- the capital of TZ- for a little 2 day trip and then I will fly to Dubai, NYC, Atlanta and finally T-town! I'm sad to leave and can't believe that I've taken 1,500 pictures...yes- that's correct!!! I'll pick out the 'good ones' for you all to see...don't worry!

Since I last blogged...inspections were passed! YEAH! The girls have started school...they are very excited! I've learned a few Swahili songs. I had a fee traditional skirts made (and have been wearing them everyday...) ALSO...we (7 people total- all mzungu) went on a 3 day safari- amazing! We froze (in Africa) one night camping on top of Ngorongoro Crater. 2 elephants, 4 water buffalo & a couple zebras were all less than 50 feet away. The buffalo & zebras came VERY close to the tent! We went into the crater early in the morning & drove up seconds after a lion heard had killed a wildebeast and we watched them tear it apart and eat it! Great pics of that. We visited a Massai village and bought a few bracelets. They let us tour a hut made of cow dung...nice smell...and we videotaped a traditional Massai men & women dance/chant. VERY COOL! Then we spent our next night in warmer weather in the SErengeti where we weren't visited by such exotic animals as the night before- just mice, spiders and more bugs. We did take a solar shower- water in a bag that gets heated by the sun- my first time for that. We made a campfire and played games- 20 questions was my favorite until I didn't win. haha. Then we headed out of the park and saw more amazing animals. We stopped for lunch at a resort- which was the best meal I've eaten since I left America!!! What a fun experience!

Ok- I will write more when I get home about all the things I have journaled. Thanks for reading!
Love, Sarah:)

Hi guys! Everything is going well! Torie left this morning without any problems! We just stopped in for a little internet before heading back out the the village. Sorry it's been a little while since I last blogged...we have been really busy because inspections at the orphanage are this Monday and we had lots of work to do before it passed another round of "ok's". We put windows on the girls dorm house...which isn't what you think. We had to frame the windows that are ALL different lengths, widths, etc. because they were done by workers that were hired during the year...so "standard size" means nothing. Anyway, we framed all windows with wood and nailed in brackets to hold glass that we had to individually cut...that was my favorite part...that slanted into the window. There aer about 10 window panes per section of teh window and about 3 sections per 1 window! Wow...I know. So, it's hard to imagine (it was for me before I saw it on another house) that one lever pulls all the panes open and closed at the same time. I have plenty of pioctures of teh process! WE also had cutains made and are hanging those this weekend. We have a few moer minor details that need to be completed and then we all have to out of there for inspections. We are thinking of taking the girls to do something fun for the day and then when inspections are passed- it will all be worth it. Side note: It's funny that the government is so strict with this stuff when these kids were sleeping on the streets! I've come to the conclusion that I would rather it be this diffiult but right for these kids. Otherwise, anybody could claim an orphanage and who knows what would be really happening. So, I'm thankful that they are taking it seriously and not going off our word that it's a great place. I'll let you know what happens with inspections!!!