Our 2 years in Tanzania has come to an end, and we are now back home. Our time there was filled with incredible experiences and memories. Some (like the heat and humidity from January – March, bugs of all sorts, and late night calls at the clinic) we will not miss, but others we certainly will. Here are a few of them.

Faces of Gratitude
We know that thousands have been helped at the clinic. Though certainly not all come with life threatening situations, for sure many lives have been saved. For some it takes many visits (those with large open sores), but in the end when they leave healed there is great satisfaction. They go with gratitude in their hearts and sometimes even generosity towards us. We will miss that grateful attitude that comes from people being healthy again.

Challenges
Like most new jobs this work has been full of challenges: at the clinic, in our living situation and in outreach efforts. Taken the wrong way they can be destructive and discouraging, but in the right way their occasion and resolution become faith building experiences. We thank God for the way He has helped us (though we are not prefect) to overcome the many challenges we faced. In a strange kind of way we can say we will miss those challenges particular to our situation in coastal Tanzania.

Visitors
Sometimes it gets lonely, and we miss people from our own country. When we get visitors for a few days or weeks it is very encouraging. We made many new American friends while in Tanzania and will miss the joy of them coming our way.

Fruit
We eat healthier in Tanzania because the fruit is unbelievable. Mangos, papayas, bananas, oranges, and avocados are out of this world. We finished orange growing season recently and on most occasions I can truly say, you can’t eat just one. The produce is fresh, juicy and sweet. We already miss them.

The Ocean
We have never lived close to the ocean. We did not know how our bodies would adapt. Indeed, some parts for the year are very difficult in Tanga, but overall it has been an incredible experience. Especially we enjoyed the daily breeze, the sound of the wind and the waves, and the beauty of the Indian Ocean.

Friendships
Last and possibly most important are the friendships. They come on many different levels, and we will miss those we have made here. Of course more so, we will miss the deeper ones like that of Michele and her co-worker Agnes. They worked together, cooked together and prayed together. Without her our experience would not have been the same. We will miss her and others greatly.