Re-entry

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Our travelers have all been home for about a month now.  Since the exuberant hugs at the airport --




-- we have all gradually returned to our regular lives.  One young traveler put it this way: "It's so hard to believe it's been a week already! For me, so much has happened since then. Life seems to just pick right back up where it left off- busy as ever. I know I need to take some time to just sit and think about our trip and what I'm going to do now that I've gone and come back. "

Another traveler, in the week after arriving home, said, "The pictures online bring me back to our Tanzania family/friends in a welcoming, good way but with a sense that we are separated by such distance and culture."  The travelers set up a Shutterfly site where we are sharing photos and videos.  We are noticing that many of us took similar shots, each from different angles and perspectives. Some of the group gathered in person to share photos and watch videos together.

Adjusting to the time difference was the first challenge, each of us taking about a week to adjust to the 8 hour difference.  Some managed by catching naps, others by marathon sleep sessions, and others by adjusting day by day, trying not to mind waking at 3 AM for a few days.

The sleep issues gave us a few funny stories to tell....forgetfulness, like leaving the car running in the restaurant parking lot for 90 minutes...

A month after our return, we are still sharing photos on Facebook and Shutterfly, and we're still commenting on our favorite moments.

Some of the travelers have commented on how grateful they are for opportunities to show their photos  and share their stories with other friends and family.  In doing so, we often recognize how little we Americans know about life in Tanzania.  (This year most of us have been asked whether we were concerned about the Ebola outbreak -- which is on the opposite side of the continent, about as far from Tanzania as New York is from Anchorage.  Don't get us wrong -- we appreciate the expressions of concern for our welfare.)

Many of us are looking at our daily lives and our surroundings with fresh eyes and perspectives.  Some talk of tears when we walk into Target or our grocery stores and see the abundance (over-abundance?) of things in our lives. We try to come to terms with having so much that we don't even need, while our friends still need so many essentials. That leads many of us to identify things in our own lives we don't really need, and make a commitment to share resources more freely with our friends.

We long for news of our new friends....How is Frankie doing at the clinic?  Did P. get his college application in on time?  I wonder whether M. will be able to get a job now that his course is finished...

And finally, while we realize we have left a part of our hearts in Tanzania, we know we have work to do here at Shepherd of the Valley.  Our travelers go as ambassadors of the congregation, and come home as evangelists for the partnership and its work.  We've got stories to share, and we've got projects to support, so there will be funds to raise in the coming year.

Want to hear our stories?

  • Monday, September 22 is a preview meeting for those interested in traveling to Tanzania in July 2015; meeting starts at 7:30 PM; applications are due October 1
  • Sunday, October 12 and 26, our groups will be sharing stories and photos at the Adult Forum at 9:45 AM
  • Saturday, November 1, we'll offer a hands on exploration during the Saturday Sampler at 5 PM
  • November 8 is SOTV's Christmas Boutique and we'll be selling Tanzanian handcrafts
  • November 15/16/19 we'll be sharing experiences in all Godzone hours


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