TANZANIA,ZANZIBAR AND ANGOLA IN 10 DAYS

These past two weeks have been crazy busy. We have visited 3 countries, which brought the grand total of countries visited during our mission to 19!  

18 months ago if you had asked me why I came to Africa I would have said, "to help the missionaries and the African people to become better, to get baptized, or to teach them about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I wanted to make a difference in their lives.  Now I know the reason I went on a mission was to grow my testimony and to learn just how much my Heavenly Father loves me.

Tanzania was amazing.  We did a zone conference for the missionaries there and traveled to Zanzibar with the Broadbents.  Angola and Zanzibar were both places that at one time supplied most of the slaves to countries around the world.  The worth of a slave was often determined by their teeth. Many of them pulled their teeth or filled them down in order to have a lower market value.  Being caught was often not the worst  punishment they could get.  If they had more slaves than they could accommodate, they ate them.  So much suffering to be free.

All three of these countries are  definitely third world countries.  Women walking with huge jugs on their heads to get water, or loaded down with food to sell at the market was a common sight.  It amazes me how much they can carry - often with a child on their back and another one holding their hand.  They can be seen walking from who knows where to who knows where.  Often in the middle of no where.  

This is us in Labongo, Angola - on top of a mountain.

There was a whole valley of rocks stacked on each other.  I think God stacked them each individually - it was amazing.

Zanzibar is 98% muslim - the two pictures below were taken 

right outside the airport.  Everyone dresses like this on the whole island.

The pictures below were random pictures I took as we 

drove through the streets.

A little monkey in the tree and a millipede on the ground.

This picture was "cropped" by me to fit missionary standards.  She approached us with nothing on her top but the bead necklaces!

This is the entrance to the "mangrove" - just like in Harry Potter!

Ouch!  They climb the trees barefoot!

The Elder on the right and the one on the left went to high school 

with TJ!  It is always fun seeing someone from home!

In Africa you often hear them say " I am so much grateful for......"  I would like to say that I am so very much grateful for these past 18 months and all that I have been taught by these wonderful people and for the chance of a lifetime to serve my Heavenly Father full time. 

Another common expression in Africa is "I  can't trust my head to remember..."  That is so true for me ......that is why I have tried to write and take pictures here because I can't trust my head to remember all the adventures and experiences we have had.

We are leaving in one week.  I can't believe it has been 18 months. I am excited to see family again. TJ will be home in one month.  I have so much to be grateful for.