Piga Stori

It has been a LONG TIME since I've written here, wow. Instead of
taking a lot of time apologizing and explaining, let me just jump into
the post I've been dying to share with you all! enjoy :)


 In Swahili to "Piga stori" is to share time together while throwing
around stories, news and happenings of life. Teachers will invite me
during breaks to slow down and Piga stori. Friends around the
neighborhood always encourage me to Piga stori before I continue on my
way. Fellow parishioners at church will keep me, often longer than i
thought possible, to Piga stori. There are innumerable stories from
each day, and I'm blessed to be able to share them with my community
mates, fellow teachers, neighbors, students, religious Fathers,
Brothers and Sisters, as well a some people back home. I wish I could
share every story with you, but your time and mine limits us to a few
stories here and there. But for this post I want to share some
snapshots, accompanied by their stories, to Piga stori with you.

 

  Saturday mornings are the key meeting time for our parish's weekly
neighborhood prayer groups, called "jumuiya". There are dozens
jumuiyas in our church of 1000+ families, each consisting of a nook of
town. Our jumuiya consists of a section of Area C, and our patron is
St Gabriel the Archangel, so I feel especially at home considering my
home parish back in Neenah bears the same namesake. Since I went for
the first time a few weeks ago I've been warmly, if not aggressively,
welcomed back. One morning after a late night I was woken up by knocks
at our gate and, sure enough, it was a concerned neighbor wondering if
I got the news about where jumuiya would be held that morning. I
shuffled my way out of the house and did my best to join in prayers
and rosary, but I have to admit that most of what looked like deep,
contemplative prayer was actually snoozing. I was made wide awake by
the announcement about where jumuiya would take place the following
week; our house! This picture is of our jumuiya--thirty
strong!--praying on our front porch one early Saturday morning. It was
a beautiful thing to welcome our neighbors and friends, including our
pals Aloyce and Edwardi who own nearby shops. Everyone, from bibis to
watoto were there; grandmas and children alike sharing in a morning of
prayer and community.

 One evening I was doing some laundry outside when I looked across the
street and saw a beautiful golden glow on the treetops. I knew the sun
was setting so I finished hanging my clothes, grabbed my camera, and
climbed on to our roof to see if I could enjoy the view and capture a
photo. Unfortunately the trees had grown too leafy to look west (last
time I was on the roof was before the rainy season) but looking north
I got this beautiful view. Our beloved rock-hill in the distance is
about to be doused with rain and my neighborhood friend Deriki is
finishing playing before he gets soaked. Sure enough, as soon as I
climbed down from the roof the rains came in buckets, quite literally;
we try to save extra water in buckets from showering, laundry and rain
to flush the toilet. That evening our community shared a yummy dinner,
prayed with a relaxing spirituality night, and slept deeply as the
rain gushed over our tin roof.

 At school, sports is a much-needed release from the daily grind of
lessons, exams and maintaining discipline where nearly a thousand
students can easily overwhelm about 100 teachers and staff, and vice
versa. Lately I've been trying to make more time for sports with the
students; once a week I try to either join in for basketball,
slacklining or badminton. When I play basketball we usually pair up
and play winner-stays in short games. I enjoy setting up my slackline
behind the barbershop hut, utilizing the only two trees on the
compound big enough to support a slackline (the school is so new the
rest of the trees are more or less saplings!). This picture is of a
fun day of teacher-student badminton games. I joined some students in
a round of quick winner-stays games and soon other teachers wanted in
on the fun too. My teacher friend Ogola (far left) recommended we play
teacher vs student; winner stays and loser switches out for another
teacher or student. He dominated the court for a long time, calling
out "next!" as he swept the court clean of unworthy opponents from the
student side. After he lost, it was my turn so I did my best to hold
my own for a long time, bringing great cheers from the onlooking
teachers. We teachers had to catch our bus into town, but we decided a
badminton tournament would be in order for the coming weeks.

 Damien and John are tailors in town who I visit when I'd like a shirt
made from Kitenge fabric. They don't only make clothes, they create
wearable cloth masterpieces. I've visited Damien (at the sewing
machine in this piture) MANY times because I really love the culture
and process of finding a beautiful fabric at a shop in town, thinking
about how I'd like to design it, bringing it to Damien, and having him
use my measurements to create something that is super-comfortable and
very stylish (here in Tanzania, anyway). It is a spectacle to watch
Damien and John at their work; Damien carefully measures, cuts, sews
and stitches while I usually find John pressing clothes with a
charcoal iron to add a professional touch to dresses and slacks.
Watching them work reminds me how much our societies are moving away
from personal, fairly created and traded clothes. So much of this
local industry is going out of business because of the influx of
western fashion and throw-away donations from the US and Europe; these
clothes from second-hand stores and organizations are well-intentioned
but they oversaturate the market with cheap clothes, leaving those in
the textile business struggling. Because of this situation, I am not
hesitant to use a chunk of my monthly stipend to support my friends
and the industry as a whole; and it's a win-win because I walk away
from the deal with an awesome shirt!

The giraffe is the national animal of Tanzania; it shows up on
government logos, currency, and it is something of a national symbol
as well. Its gentle silence is like the country's tradition of peace.
Its strength and height is like the strong values of the country,
helping it see into the future. The giraffe is also very social like
Tanzania's cooperative efforts internally--among many tribes,
religions, and ideologies--and externally--with other nations. I am
continually amazed by this animal; I have seen them in many national
parks and even outside of reserved areas where they live freely near
highways and farms, but their graceful composure and unique patterns
never get old to me. Likewise, Tanzania's peaceful coexistence of
Christians and Muslims, all coming from 130+ tribes, never ceases to
inspire me. I see so much hurt and conflict when I catch any
international news; terrorism, angry shootings and stabbings, hateful
speeches, and so much more. All these things make me wonder "why can't
we all get along like Tanzanians do?" Of course there are arguments
and differences in creed, but here in Tanzania no one is complaining
about the Muslim's call to prayer at 5am or the Evangelical worship
that is blasted all weekend or the bells from the Catholic Cathedral
because everyone respects each others' beliefs even if they don't
agree with them. We all recognize Eid as well as Christmas, Ramadan as
well as Lent. And we celebrate these times together because we realize
that we are stronger and happier when we are together; the promises of
fear and division are shallow and short-lived. I pray that more of us
can learn to live with and love our neighbors like Tanzanians do.

 This is the view of the sunrise from the peak of Mt Meru. Mt Meru is
not far from Mt Kilimanjaro, the peak behind which the sun is rising
here. Jack, Sam, and I climbed for three days until we reached the
peak, and although the journey to this place was long, tiring, and
treacherous, beholding God's creation in this moment washed away all
the aches and pains. I really can't begin to describe the joy I felt
when we summited and looked back on the steep, rocky path we climbed
in the dark hours of the morning--we were happy to have made it and
even happier to have made it together. I love my brothers and their
adventurous spirit.

 Thanks for sharing time with me, I've enjoyed "piga stori"-ing with you!
Peace & love,
-Ryan-

Heri ya Mwaka Mpya!

Happy New Year! Merry Christmas! All the greetings and blessings of the holidays to you. I pray you've been well and you're looking forward to many good things to come in 2016! Since I last wrote there have been many changes in routine but what remains is a sense of peace and belonging here in Dodoma. Mary and Victoria returned to the US and Katie entered into our community; we are grateful for memories of the past and excited for the time to come! Our community dynamic shifted as Becca and I put on our 'second-year JV' hats. And life continues! 

The new school year just started and I am in full swing with lessons, new student orientation, and extra curriculars like Campus Ministry and German club. The new term brings a breath of fresh air; new students, new courses, and a new look on life as a volunteer teacher. I'm still loving it although every day has it's challenges.  I think I will do more writing in my next post, but here I wanted to share some pictures to give a view of my past few months. I hope you enjoy!

AND if you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering with JVC please see this website or let me know directly, I'm happy to answer questions and help in any way. Although the experience is different for every volunteer, I honestly recommend this program more than anything. The deadline for interested international volunteers is soon (January 27) but US applications are taken on a rolling basis.

http://jesuitvolunteers.org/howtoapply/

Peace & love,

-Ryan-

Cheesin' with Mama Mary on retreat

Pre-Christmas Eve Mass photoshoot with Dodoma and Dar Es Salaam volunteers

Tunes during Chistmas supper

Mr Ryan MC's the trivia completion!

New student orientation--I think they had fun!

Staff seminar on Jesuit education

Our seminar facilitator, Mr Chikaka

Teacher-friend Milly feeds me cake on her birthday

Happy birthday Milly!

The rains bring new life to St Peter Claver High School!

Mwisho ya Mwaka

It's been a long time, folks, and I'm reaching the end of my first of two years in Dodoma. It's very strange how quickly the time goes by, especially when we always seem to be engrossed in our work at school and life in the community. Since September life has had many gifts and joys along with struggles too. Let me start with those struggles. Working in the computer lab sure has its challenges; it's always an uphill battle to supervise students and keep enough computers working when the students are sneaking in flash drives and downloads full of viruses. Luckily I have the best coworkers imaginable; Faith and Cleophas are fun, hardworking computer masters and we work really well together. We dream of a networked lab system where all the computers can be connected to a server, but for now we are making do with the stand-alone computers we have. It's been a hard lesson to accept the slower pace of work and life, but I know it's forming me in a way that no other experience could. Other struggles include taming my "inner-bear" which can be grumpy and nasty if I let it, especially early in the morning. During our October retreat we assigned each other spirit animals and mine was, indeed, a bear. My community mates noted how I'm often a caring, cuddly, easy-going guy but I can also be a growling grizzly if I don't express myself in a healthy way. Practicing healthy, open, vulnerable expression with an entire community is tough but I'm finding it a good exercise in self-awareness. 

Being goofy on our October retreat in beautiful Rhombo, near Kilimanjaro

September, October and November has flown by, I can hardly believe it's December already! These months have been blessed with retreats with the community, lessons with the students, and lots of exams at school. I added to my teaching load when a new class of students arrived for their two-month orientation; Becca and I have been teaching them English lessons. I've really enjoyed these courses because it's with a brand new set of students with a new subject other than what I've been teaching before. It's funny how teaching something really helps to understand it on a deeper level; I've never thought so carefully about grammar and structure as I do when I'm teaching. The same goes for music; I've started teaching trumpet to a few students and they're picking it up so quickly. It's exciting to see them improve and I enjoy sharing my love for music and trumpet with them.

The students in German club have really stepped up their game lately. We meet two or three times a week and they are really mastering some topics like greetings, telling time, and some basic sentences. I enjoy these lessons so much because they're so informal; we meet when we can, students come because they want to learn, and we chat and joke a lot throughout the lessons. They organized an AMAZING end-of-the-year party that sent us home looking forward to continuing after the December holiday. 

Dancing at the German club party 

Again, the link to our German club video! https://youtu.be/E13gUJkQgu0

I've been celebrating the end of the year in many different ways. Besides the German club party, there have been lots of other parties at school to celebrate with staff and students. The school held a massive talent show where students sang, danced and acted their hearts out. Graduation for the fourth-years was a lot of fun and a big success and the year closed on a good note. These days we're saying goodbye to Mary and Victoria with many lovely meals, parties, and nights out with friends and communities. It's sad to see them going but we're also looking forward to a new year with a new volunteer, Katie, who will be joining us in just a few weeks! We'll be leaving for Dar Es Salaam soon to accompany Mary and Victoria on their way home and to pick up Katie, Rob and Patrice (new volunteers to Dar Es Salaam). I'm looking forward to the holiday, resting at home after our trip to Dar and spending time with my host family, religious community friends, and teacher friends. I think some students will visit too, so it will be nice to see them outside of school. Next time I write will probably be once school has started in January, so let me wish you a merry Christmas, a happy new year and any other holidays you might be celebrating these days. I pray you see the blessings of every day and embrace the joy of the season! Be well and God bless

Peace & love,

-Ryan-

One of my favorite views of Dodoma, overlooking the stadium, mosque, and the rock-hill near our house

Habari za Siku Nyingi

Greetings from Dodoma! I need to apologize to you all for taking so long to update my blog, it has been over three months but it’s better late than never, eh? Luckily the reasons for delaying have been good; staying busy at school, enjoying some travel opportunities, and feeling very alive and full in my life here.

Speaking of greetings, I thought I would share with you a little bit about the Tanzanian culture of greetings and how it is so important to greet people well. Unless you are on a bike speeding through town, it’s polite—almost expected—to greet people you see with as little as a smile or as much as a long conversation checking on news of life. We volunteers laugh when we translate the shorter greetings from Swahili to English; they literally mean things like “news?” (what’s the news?) “things?” (how are things?) “well?” (are you living well?) and “whole?” (are you whole?). More extensive greetings will go into one’s health, work, and family; if it’s been a while since you’ve seen someone, they’ll ask about where and why you’ve been “lost”.  Before arriving I considered myself a fairly thorough “greeter” but folks here blow me out of the water; as common as it is to greet well it’s never a matter of course but rather a very intentional check-in with you as a friend and companion in life. I appreciate that.

Likizo

Soon after my last post we began the mid-year break where the school closes for the month of June and students (and us teachers!) enjoy a well-earned break. I enjoyed this time to rest in Dodoma, see some friends around town, and take a week to explore the neighboring country of Rwanda. The other volunteers (Mary, Victoria, Becca) and I took a two-day bus journey to arrive in the capital of Kigali. Rwanda is simply beautiful; rolling green hills, lush forests, perennial rivers and clean lakes were a sight for sore eyes coming from dry, deserty Dodoma. The country is also very well-developed, clean and safe; we enjoyed feeling comfortable wherever we went. We met some great people as we stayed at the Christus Spiritual Center including a young Jesuit named Theo who was kind enough to join us for a day exploring the city. Visiting the Genocide Memorial was certainly a moving experience as was hearing Theo’s experiences and reflections of the country’s dark period of history.

From Kigali we bussed west to the coast of Lake Kivu where the city of Kibuye is nestled in those lush hills that push right up to the lake. Settling at the Home Saint Jean—recommended by my friend Paul—was a great choice; we were able to swim in the clear lake, enjoy the view, and truly relax far from our work at school. I took a solo kayak/hike trip for most of a day, getting totally lost in nature and feeling free as a bird. Something about having freedom to roam really puts me in my happy place.

After Kibuye we travelled south to Kamembe to visit Claire--Paul’s sister who finished Peace Corps in Rwanda and stayed to work in Kamembe—after she invited us to her home to see the area and enjoy her warm hospitality. We swam in the lake, took a dip in a natural hot spring and even took a quick hike in the Nyungwe rainforest. Although our time with Claire was short we were very blessed with her insights about the country’s history and culture as well as her warm welcome into her home.

Our trip in Rwanda ended with a short stop in Kigali and the long bus ride home. It was 100% worth the long trip, Rwanda is breathtakingly beautiful and I felt so refreshed coming back to school for the second semester.

Shuleni

The second semester of school is very different from the first at secondary schools in Tanzania. Teachers are expected to cover the year’s syllabus in the first semester (which I worked hard to do) and use the second semester to revise, review and test the students to reinforce the material. I’ve been enjoying the freedom in my computer classes to revise with fun activities and work on typing skills since the required syllabus is covered. Recently my efforts to get textbooks has been rewarded; the students now have a Tanzanian textbooks that cover the topics of the national syllabus for Form One and Two very well. We’ll use the textbooks, previous exams, and typing practice to prepare for the comprehensive exam at the end of the year.

My Ignatian Values class has been just as fruitful and fun since the new semester started. We are learning more vocabulary and discussing the values we prioritize according to our opinion, family, culture, etc. I look forward to diving into a new unit where we’ll learn more about the life of Saint Ignatius and connect the values of his life and ministry to ours.

Work outside of the classroom is just as blessed as it is inside; every day I am growing ever closer with my students and fellow teachers. The school really feels like a family and as the year goes on, we all get more and more comfortable being our true selves. Many students have opened up to me about problems and concerns, whether from home or from school, and they are just as open to listening to me about my experience as a volunteer teacher from the other side of the world. After school, on weekends, and even during breaks we have the chance to chat and enjoy activities like basketball, Scouts, volleyball and even slacklining!

German club continues to be my favorite hour in the week. We have been learning a lot each week; topics like greeting, numbers, months/days, time and adjectives are getting familiar as we review and improve our language skills. They even led their own session while I was on retreat; I’m really proud of these students and their inspiring zeal to learn a new language during their free time. It has been really cool to teach each other simultaneously; using English as medium, I try to help them learn German while they help me with my Swahili.

Before the semester break, the German club students organized, prepared, and filmed a video showing various scenes from around the school in German; we worked really hard and we are all proud to share with you our final product, enjoy!

https://youtu.be/E13gUJkQgu0

Mafungo

At the end of August we Dodoma volunteers took a few days to retreat with the volunteers of Dar es Salaam. We made our way to a spiritual center near the coast of the Indian Ocean and enjoyed swimming and runs on the beach between self-led sessions about our experience as volunteers, children of God, community-mates, teachers, and guests in a foreign culture. These retreats are a pivotal part of our JVC experience; three or four retreats a year keep us grounded and able to keep a better perspective about who and where we are

Sherehe Nzuri

I just celebrated my birthday with some of the people I love here in Dodoma. I have been visiting my host family regularly and on Friday they welcomed me to the graduation of Debora, the oldest daughter, from grade school. The celebration lasted from mid-day till evening, we ate cake and drank sodas at the school after the ceremony and returned to their home to eat, relax and enjoy the company of family, friends and neighbors. I stayed the night with the family and made breakfast with mom in the morning before joining some of the Jesuits to the Saturday meat market. We ordered freshly-slaughtered goat and pork and shared beers to enjoy the day together. On the day of my birthday I went to Mass, baked cake and bread, and welcomed my whole host family over for a lovely get-together to celebrate not only my birthday but the beautiful friendship, love, and welcome we all share. That celebration, along with chats with Sara and my family, made my 24^th birthday very blessed.

Asanteni Sana 

I want to finish by saying THANK YOU for reading my reflections and sharing in part of my life in this special way; as much as I would rather chat with each one of you personally, I think a blog is a great way for me to reflect on my life and for you to catch up with what’s new here. Please feel free to reach out to me any time through my email or Facebook. Be well and God bless!

peace & love,

-Ryan-

rknotttza14@gmail.com

ps I hope you enjoy the video showing a bit of our high school, I hope to include pictures on my blog soon once I find a good way to upload them to blogspot

Heri ya Pasaka!

Greetings and welcome again to the latest edition of my long-overdue blog. Since I’ve last written Lent has come and gone, my students have taken mid-term exams, and we’ve celebrated the glory of Easter. I truly do apologize for taking so long; as much as I love taking time to reflect and share it’s sometimes hard to use a few free hours to write instead of exercising, planning lessons, preparing exams, visiting a friend, or simply resting for a while. I’ve been lucky to feel lots of consolation and confidence lately that this is where I am meant to be and this is what I’m meant to be doing. I feel at peace with my surroundings, friends, students, and work while still looking for ways to understand the culture, language, and challenge of teaching on a deeper level. In this post I’d like to share some updates and reflections on the last two months while trying to affirm that life is good and God is great.

As the first mid-term period came to a close at the end of March, the students at St Peter put on a talent show to show everyone their skills in dancing, singing and different club activities like fashion, art and, yes, German! I’ve been leading the German club this year and we’ve really enjoyed ourselves, growing closer each week as we learn greetings, songs, numbers and phrases in German. Our talent show presentation was simple but fun; we introduced ourselves in German and sang a song for beginners in the German language (“ich bin Auslaender und spreche nicht gut Deutsch!”) which is the first song I learned in German class at Seton Middle School (Vielen Dank, Frau Koskinen!). Now we are writing, planning and recording a video project where students play out scenes they wrote about life at the boarding school (dorms, chapel, computer lab, discipline office, football pitch, clinic, etc). It has been a lot of fun so far and I will definitely post the link to the video once it is finished.

Morogoro na Arusha

Once students were done with their talent show and mid-term exams they packed up and headed home. That meant we had two weeks of break to travel and visit some old and new places here in Tanzania. Becca, Alison, Barbara and I returned to Morogoro to visit our teachers and friends at the Swahili school there. It was so nice to be have the confidence to travel on our own and reflect on how far we had come—in terms of language and cultural know-how—since we were last there in December. We enjoyed seeing our teachers Chuma, Beno and Bestina while also spending time with neighbors and fellow students around the beautiful, lush town of Morogoro.

After just a few days in Morogoro we left for Arusha where we would meet the second-year volunteers to celebrate Easter with the Jesuits at the East African novitiate. There we were able to reconnect with a few novices who spent time teaching with us at the high school in Dodoma. The atmosphere with all of the novices is very fun and real; we all enjoyed sharing fun stories, skits, performances and impersonations while also engaging in deep conversations about life and faith. These men are remarkable in the way they are following God’s will and working hard to become Jesuits; their daily schedules of work and prayer are demanding and they do it with a smile, knowing it is bringing them closer to the level of discipline and obedience required to live life as a Jesuit priests. We spent two days with the 17 novices in Arusha and whether we were cooking, hiking, chatting, performing or praying with them, we enjoyed every minute of it.

Tafakari Kwaresima

After our time with the Jesuit novices we crossed the road to stay at a Conossian Convent where we stayed a few days on retreat to reflect on a number of things: our Lenten experience of Passion, our experience of Resurrection over Easter, and how this sense of struggle and triumph can relate to our experience as international Jesuit volunteers. Father Jim (from Wisconsin!) was kind enough to come up from Dodoma to lead our retreat, helping us guide our reflection and offering daily Mass. He did a remarkable job of offering sessions to give us things to chew on while also giving us free time in silence to rest and reflect. One thing I’m still chewing on from that retreat is a paradox Fr Jim presented as the theme of the week: God loves us into life—God created the universe out of nothing such that we could come to be—and, at the same time, God loves us to death—God came to earth in the form of a servant and died out of pure love for each of us. These ideas are past, present and future; God is continually creating, evolving and loving us. Fr Jim’s expertise in astro- and geophysics really gave us some unique insights into the science behind the creation and evolution of the universe and mankind’s role in it. The fruits of that retreat have changed me and given me new appreciation for the God that gives and forgives while all I do is get and forget.

Shuleni

Coming back to school after the holiday had its ups and downs. It was so great to see the students again and reconnect with all the teachers. On the other hand, some unexpected guests to the school—government inspectors—caused a lot of stress and really threw off everyone’s focus on teaching and doing what’s best for the students. The inspection week was probably the toughest time I’ve had since coming to Tanzania because of the external pressure to conform to rigid syllabi and handling their skepticism about having foreign volunteers and teachers working at the school.

After that week I have been more and more at ease and finding my groove as a teacher and member of the St Peter Claver community. Speaking Swahili is a real joy of mine, I love to greet and chat with the teachers, neighbors and fellow parishioners. At school we speak only English with the students but last week the parents of my students visited campus and we spoke mostly Swahili. I got to visit with the parents all day and update them on their childrens’ academic and personal progress while also learning about their family background and dynamics. Most of the students were surprised that I could speak Swahili and I’ve noticed a lot better discipline and focus in class since then. The parents’ visitation day was really special to me; using the local language to connect with the students’ parents and bridging the home-school gap that is so vital to a solid education.

Famalia ya Upendo

Before I close, I’d like to tell you more about my host family. Since I wrote last I’ve visited for Sundays here and there to attend their Pentecostal church service (4+ hours of beautiful singing and passionate preaching) and enjoy the afternoon. This past weekend I visited for another overnight, the first since my initial visit in early January. During this time together we really solidified our bond and communicated so well; it’s amazing how much I’ve learned from them in terms of cultural values, language, and being present to people in the moment. Naftali and his wife Ester are like parents to me, giving me so much love and support in my ministry here and their kids are like my little brothers and sisters. Freddy, Baraka, Deborah, Dorkas and Seleman are so fun to be with and they let me be free and happy. Seleman is a new addition to the family; he is the family’s four-year-old cousin who stayed with Grandma until she passed away in February. He and I get along great and I’m so happy to be with little kids like him from time to time after spending week after week with high schoolers. The neighbor kids are also great; they range from newborns to teenagers and they are great teachers of Swahili because they never get bored of teaching me how to say things they see around their homes and neighborhood. The level of welcome and generosity this family shows baffles me every time I visit; they open their home and make me feel like part of the family while asking for nothing in return. We did show our appreciation and friendship to the family before the break by having everyone over to our home; we shared a big meal and played with the kids and chatted with the parents all day. I really appreciate how the Tanzania people and culture appreciate presence so much; it is a huge gift and sign of friendship simply to come to one’s home and spend an afternoon or evening (most often, both). Simply sitting and chatting about the news of home, church, work, family and life are the most cherished gifts, far beyond any material things one could give.

Asanteni Sana

I’d like to thank you again for keeping in touch with my life through this blog; I hope it’s helpful in understanding where I am, how I’m feeling, what I’m doing, and why I’m here. Please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email or connect on skype or Facebook; it makes me so so so happy to hear from people from home. I pray that you are well and aware of God’s blessings, especially the ones that are hidden or disguised.

Peace & love,

-Ryan-

p.s. for my next post I will be sure to include some photos and maybe even links to videos! For now you can check facebook for snapshots of life in TZA

Learning to Teach

Thanks for keeping up with my blog! I'm sorry it's been more than a month, the transition has been very intensive (in a good way). Every day I'm growing more and more into my roles as a teacher, mentor/counselor, community member, neighbor, friend and guest of Tanzania. I'd like to reflect on my first month of teaching with you to see where I started, where I am, and where I am going as a teacher at St Peter Claver High School in Dodoma.
Kufanya tayarisha
The teachers and staff started working a week before lessons began, a time for kick-off meetings and lesson planning for everyone else, but for Becca and I it was also an opportunity to get to know our coworkers and practice our Swahili. We became accustomed to the routine of catching the teachers' bus at 6:45am, break for tea at 9:20, lunch at 12:30 and taking the bus home at 5pm. It was very helpful to know faces, schedules and the setting of school before the students arrived on campus and lessons started.
Siku ya kwanza
The first day of lessons began with a pleasant surprise; my dad contacted Becca and had her prepare something very special for me to wake up to. Becca created little paper footprints leading from the door of my room out of the house; this was just like my first day of kindergarten when my dad let me follow the footprints to my first day of class. It was such a thoughtful gesture and it gave me the confidence to seize the day.
My first class went more or less how I had planned. I was able to introduce myself, take attendance, explain the meaning/importance of the class, hold a short interactive lesson about the difference between data and information, and close with a prayer. When it was all said and done I left the classroom feeling like I had learned just as much from the students as they learned from me.  I have had this feeling each day since; that I am working hard to learn their names, backgrounds, previous knowledge, behaviors, and learning style while they learn from me not only about computers but also about my background and personality too. This two-way relationship between teacher and student is something I am so happy to experience and develop.
Magis
Becca, Mary and I organized an orientation weekend for the first-year students titled 'Camp Magis' after the Ignatian idea of being "Magis" (Latin for "more") for God and others. We led team-building activities, trivia challenges, a sports tournament, and a skit competition on the lives of saints. All in all, Camp Magis served as a time for the students (and us!) to have fun, get to know each other, and feel at home at St a Peter Claver. The seeds of friendships, life-lessons, and respect we sowed that
weekend are blossoming now and will continue to do so.

Kufundisha Computer
Teaching computer class is about the last thing I expected or desired when I came here, but I've found it to be a remarkably rewarding experience so far. I arrived not knowing the resources of the school or the students' familiarity with computers, but I've slowly come to realize that, like anything in life, it's all about attitude. If I arrive to a lab with broken/disorganized computers, it's a chance to fix what I can and provide some organization. If some students have never used a computer before, it's a chance to introduce them in a constructive way. So far we've covered the basics about data, information, communication, technology and processing; we are right on schedule now as we start moving from the classroom to the computer lab to begin applying what we've learned. The students have shown great effort, improvement, interest, humor and curiosity both in and out of class (they ask the BEST questions, such as "what was the first source of information?" and "where did the word 'Magis' come from?") The joy I'm experiencing with the work of teaching is completely one-of-a-kind, I am so happy to be learning and growing with these students in an environment that fosters faith, self-discovery and cultural exchange for the students and teachers alike.
Faith
When I arrived at the school in January the administration was still searching for a second-year computer teacher. I was sort of alone in the computer lab, not sure how to move forward in a way that was helpful but sensitive of my role as a foreign volunteer. Then along came Faith, a fun, confident, joyful Kenyan woman who really knows her computers. She has brought new life to the computer department, fearlessly leading us into a new era with what seems like infinite possibilities. Together we have figured out ways to fix and organize the lab, acquire necessary resources, manage the students' computer use, and work with students with computer skills ranging from beginner to expert. I am so happy and grateful to be working with Faith, she brings hope and laughter to the office each day.
Kufundisha Values
Along with teaching computer lessons for the entire class of first-years, I am teaching half of the first-year values lessons. Values is a new course developed by the Jesuit volunteers and priests to offer each student an opportunity for self-reflection, character development, discussing transition/life issues, etc. So far our lessons have focused on identity; we've made creative projects and texts about our names and what they mean and we've explored the 'layers' of who we are on the inside and the outside. Next we are making skits about good and bad examples of values like honesty, respect, generosity, compassion and justice. I'm so excited to continue with these lessons as we build each other up in fun, creative ways. These lessons are a nice compliment to the computer lessons; whereas in computer class I need to be sure to cover certain topics in the national syllabus, in values class I have absolute freedom to shift and shape the syllabus in values class to fit the needs of the students and their lives.
Exploring Vocation
For some time now I have been feeling drawn to teaching as a vocational direction that might foster a way of life that brings joy and fulfillment. Finding myself here at St Peter Claver is absolutely a confirmation of that tugging I've been feeling in my heart; the work of teaching is both 100% challenging and 100% a blessing. I really look forward to my lessons and preparing for them doesn't seem like work, it feels like one of those projects that suck you in and hours go by without you realizing it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've fallen in love with the entire concept of teaching because it is so immersive and real with opportunities for critical thinking, reflection, hard work, building respectful relationships, discussion, finding God in challenges, building character, and learning from our mistakes.
Next post: I will do my best to write another post soon, I look forward to sharing about Lent and the development of my realationship with my host family. I am doing my best to balance writing too much and too little as well as posting too often and too infrequently; I hope you understand and support me in my effort to live in the moment while taking time to reflect with you through my blog! Thank you for taking time to read and walk with me, it means so much. Be well and a God bless during Lent and always.
Peace & love,
-Ryan-

PS we did it! We reached our goal for my fundraising campaign! I am so happy and grateful for your donations, it blows me away how supportive everyone is. But I was thinking, why stop here?!? If you have been considering a donation now is a great time to add to the many generous donations that support the work of the Jesuit mission and us volunteers. Check out the fundraising page to see how much we've raised and add your part, thanks!

New Year, New Home

Having been in Tanzania for just over a month, I thought I would take the opportunity to reflect and share with you some of the sights, lessons and encounters I've experienced since being here. I hope this message finds you looking at the new year with hope and reflecting onthe blessings of 2014 with gratitude. Thank you for taking time to read about my transition into my new home!
Karibuni Tanzania!
     After a long journey across the Atlantic and the African continent, we found ourselves in the bustling city of Dar Es Salaam. Besides having a rich native and colonial history, Dar has the longest history with Jesuit Volunteers in Tanzania so it was a good place to visit first in order to "see where it all began." The veteran Dar volunteers Erin and Alyson did an amazing job of giving us rookies a glimpse of life as a volunteer with visits to the schools and shared meals. Everywhere we went, starting with our arrival at the airport and continuing with our walks in the neighborhoods and schools, Tanzanians told us "Karibuni Tanzania"--we welcome you all to Tanzania.
Kujifunza Kiswahili
   This year was the first time the Jesuit Volunteer corps was able to send Tanzanian volunteers to a language school to take two weeks of Swahili lessons. I was extremely excited about and grateful for this opportuinity to get a jump start in the language that is quickly becoming my means of communication with neighbors, friends, coworkers, and fellow parishioners. We found the lovely school campus in Morogoro to be the perfect place to adjust to the jet lag and climate, meet other international volunteers and, of course, work hard on improving our Swahili. Morning grammar lessons and afternoon conversation drills gave us plenty of new phrases, vocabulary, and grammar rules to digest. These two weeks also gave us four new volunteers--Becca, Barbara, Allison and I--the chance to bond, laugh at our linguistic and cultural mistakes together, and build the relationships that will support each other for the next two years. After our two weeks of lessons and a few excursions into town, to the market, up the nearby Uluguru mountains, we were amazed at how we could begin to comprehend conversations and partake in simple greetings and introductions; I am so excited to continue to build on this great foundation provided by the language school.
Karibu Nyumbani
     During language school, Becca and I--the new volunteers to Dodoma--started to wonder if we would ever have the chance to settle in our new home. Almost three weeks of living out of our backpacks and suitcases was rather exhausting and unsettling; we craved a sense of true arrival and belonging. We were so happy and relieved when we arrived in our house in Dodoma to find a lovely home full of warm and welcoming people. Roxanne and Jamie, the outgoing volunteers, graciously shared an evening of stories, reflections and words of wisdom on the eve of their departure and Mary and Victoria, the remaining second-years, have shown nothing but hospitality and genuine friendship since we arrived in community. Our church and school communities have welcomed us with open arms, eagerly finding ways to get to know us and get us involved. The church and school includes many Jesuit priests and sisters from a number of congregations; they are all such interesting and holy people with whom I am very blessed to have the chance to befriend, teach and worship.
Yangu, Yako, Yetu
     Following our arrival in Dodoma, the Dar JV community joined us for an Advent community-building retreat. We found a lovely convent where the Ivreya sisters welcomed us with delicious food and a quiet space to reflect where we explored the theme "mine, yours, ours" and how introspection of ourselves, appreciation of others and sharing our gifts and struggles will help us form a strong community. Discussions about spirituality, personality, privilege, and prayer helped us begin to unlock our potential as an intentional volunteer community. It is such a blessing to live with Mary, Victoria and Becca and to share the experience as JVs in Tanzania with Barbara, Allison, Erin and Alyson; the retreat allowed us all to bond and start the new year on the right foot.
Heri ya Krismasi na Mwaka Mpia!
     On Christmas Eve we returned to Dodoma from retreat and met Benedict--the German volunteer who lives with us and also works with Jesuit programs--with whom I am happy to speak German and become pals. That evening was the highly anticipated Mass at 9pm, complete with lively music, children dancing in unison in the aisles and loud trills from the women. Our parish also held a late-night Mass for New Year's Eve; it was so special to bring in the day of Christ's birth and 2015 with such lively and beautiful celebrations. Both holidays were followed by fun socials with the Jesuit and sister communities who offer amazing hospitality and a joyful spirit. And soon after the New Year began our house community became complete with the return of the British Jesuit volunteers Tom and Isaac. All of us together form a lively, diverse, fun and intentional community that I'm so glad to be part of.
Upendo wa Familia
     This year the JVC program organized the possibility of a home stay for Becca and I in order to build relationships, practice Swahili, and learn more about the day-to-day life of Tanzanian culture. I was blessed to stay with the family of Naftali, the school's head cook. He lives close to our home with his lovely wife and four beautiful children. We spent the weekend sitting, praying, cooking, chatting, eating, relaxing, and doing our best to communicate with my limited Swahili. Somehow we managed not only to communicate but form a strong bond which I see growing into a beautiful friendship.
Mtu ni Watu
     The past month has revealed many realities and lessons which I never could have foreseen. The shock from the difference in culture and lifestyle was almost overwhelming at first, but soon enough the reality of cold showers, flooded dirt roads, power cuts and relaxed schedules became less shocking with time and the realization that one can be happy with simple things like community and respect. Although preparing for school is a busier time, I very much enjoy the slower pace of life and the freedom to greet and chat with people.The importance of seeing the beauty and worth of each person is evident in how people greet one another here; you greet everyone and take time to ask about the news of their day, work, family or health. Although the response is always "nzuri", the response of "good" is far from shallow or thoughtless; it shows that I appreciate you asking how I am and that life is good and too short to complain. The appreciation of greeting everyone is a factor in the culture of impunctuality; time with people in the here and now is invaluable but planning and being on time for other things take a lesser priority. These things and many others are elements of the East-African proverb "mtu ni watu"--a person is people. The way I treat the person with me now is how I treat the entirety of humanity. I look forward to learning from it and living this interconnected way of life. Please wish me luck and keep me in your prayers as I start teaching at St Peter Claver High School this week; next post will include reflections on teaching! Be well and God bless
Peace & love,
-Ryan-
PS I'm so happy and grateful for the $2803 that's been donated toward my fundraising campaign! Thank you so much, I appreciate all the ways you support me; prayers, reading this blog, and making donations to JVC. We are just $530 from my goal of $3333, it would be so great to make that goal soon; thanks for contributing here!