Settling

Things have been a bit of a whirlwind these last few days. I am so thankful that I had roommates when I arrived, girls who had somewhat of an idea of the area and/or how to get around. We made our first trip to Arusha (the nearest town to us, about a 20 min drive). We took the dallah-dallah. Which is absolutely crazy/cramped, 25 people together in a 10 passenger van. The driver played Kanye West(!) which led to a conversation with a student who loves P. Diddy, lol. Town is very crowded and busy. I was able to get groceries at a supermart, money from an ATM, and a piece of chocolate cake =P

We also walked up to USA River last night (a 15 min walk) to find a few stores who have basics (eggs, bread, toilet paper). So, it is good to know I won't always need to go into town for food. The plaza also has a coffee place (yea!) and a restaurant, which I hope to try at some point.

Besides the trip to town, my day has mostly revolved around taking care of the babies. There are about 25 babies right now. It is a little overwhelming at times. Today, at one point, I was in a room by myself with 10 babies. 2 little ones in my arms, a few in swings, a few crawling around and I think 3 toddlers. I have yet to figure out when I can take breaks for lunch, etc. I hate leaving babies crying and keep turning back to hold them a little longer. They want your love and affection so much. Feeding time is pretty intense. They have a table that holds the 10 little babies, then there are around 7 high chairs, and a table for the toddlers to eat meals. Yes, ALL the babies are fed at once. You basically walk down the line feeding one baby to the next. I am slowly learning the art of the cloth diaper. I have failed quite a few times (which at least makes the nannies laugh) and poked my finger a few times with the pin. Today, I put a nappy on a little girl (Hope, she is precious). 10 minutes later she came up to be with her pants and nappy around her ankles, half naked. Ooops. Nannies got a kick out of that one. So, I am learning!

I hope to attend a church this weekend. I would love to meet some Christians here, so please pray that connection would happen! Love to hear from everyone, please feel free to e-mail me.

Hugs and kisses,
Jess