YL

I spent this afternoon with Jackie and Alex. Alex is the area director of Young LIfe here in Arusha and so we got together to talk about, of course, Young Life. And they also answered my many questions about Swahili, how to get around on the Daladalas, explained the dowry system (they are getting married in a month), told me that American TV is setting the standard for dating relationships (Lord help us all), explained the political climate of various African countries and tried to settle the question of what, exactly, is the proper way to pronounce Tanzania. It was a great afternoon.

Young Life with the nationals in Arusha has taken off great guns. But the Young Life staff in Arusha has taken some hits over the past year. Both the North American females hired to run the International Schools YL Club have resigned. Alex was eager for me to jump in and get Club going again but after talking this afternoon realized that was not the best option. So, while I am here I am going to meet weekly with the newest YL staff member (another young woman from the States) who has been hired to do YL in a town an hour away from here. Here would be another opporune time to pull out a soapbox (this one being titled: "A Million and One Reasons Not to Send Young, Single Females to Start Young Life in Another Country All By Themselves") but I won't. Aside from spending time with Alisa, I am just going to try to support Alex in whatever way I can.

On another YL note, tomorrow I head to Dar es Salaam. It is about a 9 hour bus ride and I am not sure on the leg room situation. I am not even fully sure on the seat room situation! I am going to visit Nancy and Charlie Crane who became great friends while I worked for YL in the Dominican Republic. They housed YL Club every other week in the capital as well as housed me because I would commute down from Santiago to help run the Club. They now live in Dar and I am thrilled that I will get to be with them for a week. I am planning on spending a couple of days in Zanzibar (get out your maps) as well. Should be a good week.