Hi! From Annica!

Hello everyone, it's Annica.

Tanzania is great! We come home very soon, so everyone is inviting us for dinner next week. We only have two dinners at our house! We have been doing this thing I’m sure my mom talked about Focalori.  Sharon and I, and sometimes my dad, have been working with the pre-schoolers. I have loved it, and made a little friend named Salina. She is seven years old but she looks like she is four because she is like three feet tall. She is the smartest in the class, very good at English, and she and I have made friends every week we have been there. And yesterday we went so they could sing for us because Monday was our last day till they are done with Christmas break. They sang and danced and we watched. It was really fun. They had a drum and used it when they sang! When we left, they all left too. They yelled good bye and chased our car and ran with us .It was cool! On the last day we did English with them, we did review. We would bring stuff every week and we would teach it to them in English. So on the last day we brought it all, and they remembered it all! I will miss them.

My students :)

At the ICF (Iringa Christian Fellowship), the English church, I have been helping my new English speaking friend Rachel, with the little kids during church. It's really fun there are always two twin boys who are about three years old and a little girl about two years old and I got to hold a little girl about one year old! Then after that service, we had an advent carol thing where we sang Christmas carols and made advent crafts. It was really cool. I made this weird star thingy that I never thought I would be able to make. It's AWESOME! And they had Screen printing Christmas cards and Christmas tree ornaments they had a big screen on the wall that had the carols on it and someone playing the keyboard. It was really fun!

We are starting to pack lots of stuff and deciding what we need and what we do not! It’s getting crazy around here! I am done with souvenirs I think? :/ So that’s what’s happing here with packing.

Here is what I will miss in Africa, what I will not miss in Africa, and what I am looking forward to in Minnesota.

What I will miss in Africa:
The friends I made here like Salina, Less, Sister, and Esta.  The mangos, Tuesday milkshakes, super cool trees, having people shouting WOZZOONGO at you all the time, safari and cool animals.  These are some of the things I will miss about Africa.

What I will not miss in Africa:
Having people shouting WOZZOONGO at you all the time, speed bumps everywhere (fourteen on one hill - it really gets old!), rice ,chicken and beans for dinner - everywhere you go! I sure am glad that when we are at our house here so we can cook what we want! These are some things I will not miss in Africa.

What I am looking forward to in Minnesota:
SNOW, Casey - my puppy, all my friends there, horseback riding more, my bed, all my family, cereal - not toast for breakfast, and being able to wear pants again whenever I want!  These are some things I am looking forward to in Minnesota.

Yesterday we went to the Orphanage again. When I got out of the car, Less, Sister, and some other kids were yelling "ANNICA! ANNICA! ANNICA!", and came running to the car! I got to see my friend Less that I met last time we went, and Doris ,but always called "Sister", and Esta, who I just met now. I will miss them. They love to draw, like me, so we always draw and sometimes I think they are better than me! This time we brought paper again, like always, but we also brought pipe cleaners which were a hit! Sister and Less made me many things out of pipe cleaners, and then they dressed me in them! Very scratchy! Then we started to draw. They are great drawers! They are better than me drawing many things! So, that being the last time we could visit them, we said good bye.

 

Less and "Sister's" Decorations

Less, "Sister" and me

Yesterday was also my mom’s birthday, so we went to Sai Villa - it’s a restaurant that sells western food that’s very good! So we got ice-cream for dessert and gave her her presents. It was very fun. I think I want to come to Africa for my birthday again.  My, and my mom’s birthdays, in Africa, were great, super fun! It was amazing! The ice-cream at Sai Villa is the best anywhere! It's great! YUM! YUM!

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Bye bye for now. See you soon!

Annica!