A long, bumpy road I will never forget...

Yesterday, I went with Grace, my friend from the story below, to take pictures of her daughter, Nancy's, school. Well, the journey begin bright and early that morning!!!
I met Grace and her son, Ben, at 8am at the USA River Market stop and we jumped on a big bus to head out to Moshi. As I was riding with Grace we were talking about her childern, life, God, what foods we like, etc. It was so nice! I enjoyed every minute of the ride!
We came to Moshi about and hour later to pile onto another bus to Rumboo village, where the school was. Ok, to say it was a LONG, BUMPY road would not even give it justice. The bus was packed with people standing up in the aisle and we were the last row that had 5 people jammed together. We were quite cuzy back there! I was flying off my seat most of the time, my knees kept digging into the metal part of the seat infront of me, and the dust was ALL over the place(think of how thick fog can be where you can't see a thing infront of you, multiply that by 100 and change the color to red and thats what we drove through) In fact, my gum started to taste like dirt, and yet, I was having a great time, thinking to myself "now, this is an adventure!!!" Sweet Grace gave me a conga(a piece of material all the women wear here as skirts) to cover my hair and face! She also kept saying "Polle DaDa", which means "sorry sister"...but, I was like "no problem, this is so great!!"
As we kept driving, the bus was flying!! I mean, I was praying the whole time as I was looking out the window at the edge of the ditch of dirt beside us. I was also looking at the faces of the people we were passing, the clouds, the blue sky, and the mango and banana trees. I saw two very small childern carrying a large bucket of water together, another one carrying their sister on their back, a goat that had its two front legs up on a tree standing up eating, which was so hysterical, and I saw many, many people covered in dust that it almost looked like their skin was a reddish/gray color.
Two hours later, we got to a market of Rumboo village, where we were dropped off and told to get a taxi to the school...sooooo, that is what we did, but it was not your typical taxi, it was a large truck with bars up above to hold onto. It was awesome! I climbed in, held onto the bars above me, along with like 30 people all crammed in, and tried desperately to keep my balance while standing up. I didn't fall, which was such good news because the ride to the school was bumpy and crowded, but so FUN!! I liked that ride the best!
We got to the school and I was FILTHY! I looked down at my clothes that had changed colors from the dust, my feet were dark brown, the creases of my arms, by my elbow, were lined with dark, sweaty dust that had compacted there, and sweet Grace had to take her hands and clean my face off because it was sooooooooooo dirty!!!! Again, I was laughing at all of this and thinking that it already was an adventure I would never forget!
The school was so nice! I was greeted with many "Welcomes" and "How are you?" It was lovely with large brick buildings and wild flowers all along the paths of the school. It was graduation day for the 4th year students and it was a BIG celebration!
I walked down the path with Grace and Ben to 5 large tents packed with family, friends, and all the students at the school. I was the ONLY white person there, among hundreds, and I don't think I've ever felt so many eyes on me as I did walking through that crowd in my life!!!!! We were late, so we had to walk through everyone to get to our seats!! I might have stood out just a bit!!! I did get lots of smiles, so that was nice! I just followed Grace and took lots of pictures. We were at this celebration for 4 hours and then we ate lunch. I was SO hungry! A nun, who are the teachers at the school, came to give me a plate of food, which was so nice. I thought the nun had forgotten to give me a fork so i got up and went searching for one, until finally I looked around and saw everyone eating with their fingers, oops! So, I sat back down and I joined in! I don't know if I've ever eaten that much food with my fingers!!! I loved it!!!
We headed home at 5:30pm and didn't get back to Cradle of Love till 8:30...it was a LONG DAY and SO WONDERFUL!! I had the best time ever and loved being with Grace and Ben, meeting Nancy, who is precious, and loving this adventure God blessed me with!!!
It was a 12 hour journery packed with new things and I felt VERY BLESSED to have made it to the village and back...
I will never forget that long and bumpy road...hugs and kisses, Hallie

A taste of paradise and small blessings...

HI!!!! I must apologize because i haven't updated in about two weeks now...the four of us were out of town this past week in Zanzibar, Tanzania!! A gorgeous island off the coast of Tanzania...its paradise there for sure...we stayed in little huts that were painted white with porches...pink and orange flowers covering the roofs of them and a big, beautiful rooster waking us up at the crack of dawn every morning. I think he was on our porch specifically to be our own personal alarm clock...
We had a beach water view and we went down to the ocean every morning for breakfast on the beach...we mostly stayed in the hammocks and read during the day, which was AMAZING!!
We did a snorkeling all day trip with Captain Tiger to the island of Memba, Bill Gates owns it, and it was one of the most BEAUTIFUL islands ive ever seen...we jumped off the top of the sailboat with our snorkeling gear and then we had fish on the beach for lunch...it was so nice to get away and have a short vacation from poopy diapers and screaming from 32 babies:) I must say though that Im so HAPPY to be back at Cradle of Love!!! I didnt know i would miss my angel babies SO MUCH!!!
When we arrived back to COL we went downstairs to see all the babes and they just ran full speed into our arms!! I mean, my heart lept like a thousand times every time i picked one of them up to plant on them 100 kisses!!! They are all doing so well!! I feel as if they grew up alot in only one week...
I had a precious moment with Salimu(he has mild Cerebral Palsy) this morning, one of our toddlers...he is learning to walk, which is so great! He sat in my lap today in the grass and we just were singing, smiling and i was kissing his chubby cheeks...we were looking at the sky, birds, and trees...he was pointing to them and i was telling him what they were in English...Im pretty sure im in love with this little boy:)!!!!
The week before we left for Zanzibar, we went to visit one of our nannys, Neema, families because her sister Violet is very sick. It was one of the most blessed moments to be at her house and just sitting there outside with this precious Jesus loving family! They offered us wooden chairs and Coca Cola. There was a young girl there, 9 years old, named Lightness. She is the nanny's niece. She prayed ot God in thanks for the cokes they gave to us and for a moment i thought about ALL of them MANY MANY BLESSINGS we are given EVERYDAY! She thanked God for my Coke!!! My eyes were opened a bit more that day to God's small blessings that i just look right past...Thank you Lord for revealing to me the smallest of gifts such as a cold beverage on a HOT day:)
When we left that day from that family, Christy and i walked hand in hand with Violet, who like i said, is VERY sick!! The three of us just chatting away. Violet talked about how she is suffering, but that she knows God is with her. She expressed MANY thanks to us for coming to visit her. Her eyes were so sweet and tired looking, but she did know her God was with her, you could see it revealed in her smile that was so heart-warming.
Please pray for Violet and for her to have strength every morning by God's grace alone...I miss ya'll SO MUCH!! MUCH LOVE, Hallie

"Jehovah Yire"

Jambo Rafiki's!!!
Ok, so I'm practicing my Swahili...that means "Hello friends" and the title of my blog means "God is the Giver", which I love and I will tell you why I named this blog entry that right now...
SOOOOOOOOOO...before i left for Africa, my friend Jim Bolton, told me about a woman him and his family had met named Grace. He gave me her email address and told me that I had to meet here because she lives in Arusha, Tanzania and that she is WONDERFUL!! So, i emailed her and got no response and to be honest, I forgot to continue to email her to try to get in contact...
sooooo, this is the FUN part...im at this huge market called the Massai Market where loads and loads of jewelry, anything carved you want, scarfs, bowls, baskets, you name it, they have it there and im just walking around looking at all the stuff, wanting alot of it, ofcourse, but feel parched so i stop to get a Fanta at this little shop next door...
i have a new love for FANTA by the way, anyway, a woman behind me randomly starts asking me where im from and do i know anyone from Tennessee because im from America and we just chatted for a bit, but i thought nothing of the conversation just that she was so nice and wanted to chat with a visitor from America.
Towards the end of the conversation she told me to come to her shop, #94, at the market to look at pictures of her friends from America. I told her i would go to her shop at some point during my stay here. I told her good-bye and i left to meet up with my friends at the market.
As i head back to the market to find my friends....i spotted Christy and she had just purchased a coffee bean bracelet, which for all of you who dont know, I LOVE COFFEE, ALOT, so, ofcourse i was like "where did you get that, i must get one!!!"
Christy takes me down a passage way to try to find the woman who sold it to her, as were walking a woman yells "DADA", which means "Sister", i turn around and its the same woman from the shop i was talking to while buying a Fanta. So, Christy and I went in her shop, she greeted us with LOTS OF HUGS AND KISSES and we dont know her, but thats the SWEETEST thing about Africa. The people LOVE on anybody and everybody just to be welcoming and kind, its AWESOME!!
well, we are looking around her shop and not even a few seconds go by when she shows me her album of pictures of her American friends and there it is, a picture of Jim Bolton and his whole family!!! IT WAS SO AMAZING!!! I couldn't believe it, God had GRACE AND I MEET!!!! IT WAS SWEET GRACE!!!! I was so happy, almost in tears, we just kept hugging and laughing because in a million years i would NEVER think i would run into Grace in Tanzania like that...
the craziest part about this is that she had seen me walk into the shop where i was buying a Fanta and she told her friends that she must go talk to me for some reason, that she just felt lead to follow me. i mean, that is AMAZING!!! WOW WOW WOW!!
Yesterday, we were at the market so i went to visit Grace's shop!! She was there and we chatted and i just LOVE her and she is such a lover of Jesus!! The four of us, Christy, Heath, Steph, and me were given a piece of jewelry by Grace herself, it was one of the nicest things EVER!! She just told us to pick out a piece of jewelry and that it was a free gift!
We are going to go cook with Grace in 2 weeks at her home!! The name of her shop is
"Jehovah Yire" and i must say that YES, GOD IS THE GIVER OF ALL THINGS and the giver of my new friend GRACE!!!

1 Month in Africa as of today!!!!

It is so strange to think I have been here 1 whole month today!! I can't beleive it. I have to say that there are days I feel I've been here for YEARS and then there are days I feel like I just arrived.
I do feel much more at ease here in Africa with going to the markets for fruit and veggies, riding in the Taxi cars(and not freaking out that they are driving too fast and praying instead:), the Dala Dala, hanging out my laundry to dry outside, dealing with the power going out or no hot water at times, realizing that things can always be worse and that I just say to myself TIA(That is Africa) to help me through!!
Today is our day-off work and were acutally staying here at Cradle of Love instead of zooming to the market or attempting to go to the Rwanda trials, which we all plan on doing next Wednesday and I'm SO thrilled to be able to expereince that!!!
We have been at the apt. all day. I would think I would feel confined and wanting to get out of there, but instead I made coffee, talked with Stephaine about the GA bulldawgs, had a bowl of cereal, read Upmost for His Highest, journaled, wrote down some quotes from the book I'm reading called Gracias, resting up for the work days ahead, reflect on what God has been teaching me here, hopefully watch Shrek later today, and realizing that a slow day here at COL was just what I needed...I felt a bit like I was in Atlanta on a Saturday morning with Erin and Becca drinking coffee and chatting on the sofa, it was so nice!!!
I have a few updates from COL...there is a tiny baby named Rebecca, who doesnt seem to be gaining any weight, but still continues to smile so big at you with her mouth that is the size of my thumb nail. If ya'll could pray for her health that would be just wonderful!!
The other babies are healthy and happy!! We do have a few leaving to go to homes and to transition into facilities for older kids, so prayer for their transition(Corey, Simon, Ben) would be awesome! WE will MISS them SO MUCH!!! Oh, its so sad thinking about losing them actually...
I had a treasured moment that I would LOVE to be able to watch over and over again with 2 babies named Hope and Martin. They both were in their high chairs waiting to be fed and I was helping Rachel, you can see her in the below pictures, drink her water. I looked over at the babies and Martin kept making the same silly face over and over again making Hope laugh hysterically!!! I only WISH I could show all of you this moment because it was PRICELESS! I absolutely loved watching them interact. It was so funny how they are only 1 or so and can make each other laugh like that intentianally...it was so sweet!!!
I got to go with Davona yesterday along with Heath and Christy to take 3 of our babies, Helena, Clinton, and Bahjiti to get their blood drawn for viruses. As we each had a baby in hand, loaded the car with no carseat, I felt so protective of these little precious angels. I felt like they were mine. Heath, Christy, and me held them so tight as we drove and arrived at the clinic. I was called by the nurse to come with Clinton first to get blood work. The hospital is nothing like ours at home, don't even try to grasp it because you can't. Eventhough the cleanliness or standards we have in the U.S. wouldn't even compare to this clinic I noticed something that was different. Heath and I talked about the love and attention each of our babies received from the nurses and Doctor. It was amazing to watch them all huddle around the baby you were with with smiles, funny faces, and touches of love. Clinton was so happy to have the attention of all the folks in the room until, ofcourse, they pooked him with a needle in the upper thigh and then he burst into tears with loud cries from his lungs. It was such a neat experience and I'm so thankful to have been there to take it all in!!!
I mentioned I'm reading a book here called Gracias, A Latin American Journal, by Henri Nouwen that Ali Dunagan gave me before I took off to Africa and I just want to say it is one of the most inspiring, heart-felt, honest, page turning books I've EVER read, thank you Ali:) for loaning it to me!!! I'm literally trying not to finish it, but its not working very well hahaha...I think the author sums up how children are the joy that life has to offer us in times that we see and/or expereince pain and poverty...I leave ya'll with this quote and hopes that all of you get to read this beautiful book...Much LOVE and KISSES and HUGS, missing all of you, Hallie
" I wondered how the poverty, the lack of good food and good housing would affect me; I was afraid of becoming depressed by the misery I would see. But, God showed me something else first: affectionate, open, and playful children who are telling me about love and life in ways no book was ever able to do. I now realize that only when I can enter with the children into joy will I be able to enter also with them into their poverty and pain. God obviously wants me to walk into the world of suffering with a little child on each hand."

Cradle of Love Photos

Rachel and Hallie

This is one of the sweetest girls EVER! Her name is Rachel and she is 2 years old.

She is from Burundi, Africa and I LOVE her!!! The first week none of us could get

her to smile at all. Now, she is a vibrant, loving, joyful little girl. She also loves to sunggle in your lap, which is so sweet.

This is sweet, baby David! He is the smiliest baby with chubby cheeks and SO playful!

I adore looking at him, saying his name and then watching that smile appear so BIG!! 

He crawls really funny too with one leg dragging behind him. We love him!

I have to be honest and say that this boy is my favorite!!! I know your not suppose to have favorites, but I just can't lie anymore!! I ABSOLUTELY ADORE this boy named Joshua!!

He is 2 years old and the cutest thing EVER! He yells my name at the

top of his lungs when he sees me and my heart feels like it will explode with joy!!!

He loves hugs, people, looking at you in the eyes, running laps around the kitchen area, playing with balloons, giggling, and jumping while holding your hands. He also will be a football player, I'm convinced, so that when I bring him home to America my dad can sign him up to play football for the bulldawgs!! SWEET!!!

This is one of our sweet nanny's Neema with all just a few of the kiddos. From left to right is Ben(we call him Benny), Simon, Salimu, Corey, and Joshua. The big boys are Simon, Ben, and Corey at Cradle of Love. They kind of run the place:) Corey, in the grey pajama outfit, is one of the kindest boys I've ever met. He is so nice to all the babies, such a charmer, and has stolen all of the volunteers hearts. Ben, who is leaning on Neema's knee is just a beautiful kid. He is so silly, playful, yet doesn't listen sometimes. Salimu is in the blue and is such a sweetie. He loves to sing the ABC's with Heath, point to monkey's, and be tickled on his tummy.

This is Christy, Me, and Heath with some of the babies

from Cradle of Love. Simon is in Christy's lap and he is one of the

big boys at Cradle of Love. He is silly, playful, clumsy, and rebellious at times. 

I'm holding Rachel, who I ADORE! She was SO quiet and reserved...

we couldn't even get her to smile at all the first week and now she is 

so happy, full of life, and a joy to be with. Heath is holding Neema, her favorite, and she

is just PRECIOUS! She is so loving, affectionate, smart, flirty, and can be sneaky at times.

 

Munkundee and her Family...

    I wanted to write a separate blog about the part of town I visited that is one of the poorest in Arusha. It is called Sokoniwon(that spelling could be real wrong)...As you drive through the narrwow, bumpy, dusty, crowded road of this area you see poverty. You see kids in dirty, ripped clothes, skinny dogs, people everywhere just sitting or cooking up corn on the cob on small grills, or these tiny little goldfish that get roasted as well. 

    There are kids not even 5 years old carrying babies on their backs. The streets are filthy, but the smiles are many. It truly is an amazing place beneath the surface of what you see with your eyes. You must meet the people that live there, be one with them, hang out with them at their homes, meet their children, eat their food, help with the cooking, scrub laundry with them, and that is exactly what i did.

  The mama's name was Munkundee and her daughter was Neema. The mama greeted me with a huge hug and kisses and we were off to eat lunch at her house that afternoon. There were 4 of us in this group. We all split up with the Younglife crew from Arizona and took off...

   I followed Munkundee through narrow passages and over wooden boards to get to her one bedroom home with a sofa and 2 chairs. 

  All 4 of us got to work. We were greeted so friendly by neighbors of Munkundee and they all got many laughs as we attemped to cook on the tiny stove outside, doing laundry with a bar of soap and a bucket(i wasn't so good at that), and just enjoying the time spent learning from these women and what their lives are like each day. 

   We all had the best time ever, it has been one of my most memorable times here in Arusha, but i dont think they know how much i truly was blessed by their presence. They all had big, gorgeous smiles, they shared their love, and their hearts for Jesus. They rely on Him for everything. It is amazing to see this with your eyes, to feel it, to see the overflowing love from these women who work so hard, doing so much everyday and do it with a smile.

   I was humbled. I was joyful. I was in awe of these followers of Christ. I was touched by them and pray that I will always remember my time at Mama's house.

   

Under the African Blue Sky...

The SUN is SHINING here in Africa and I'm so excited about it!!! It has been a bit gloomy in the mornings and cold most of the days, but today was just BEAUTIFUL!!!
I also have felt more love today then ever from friends and family with birthday wishes!!! So, THANK YOU for sending your love, i feel it even across the world...I feel so blessed beyond words, ive teared up many times today:)
For my 27th birthday, I did wake up to pancakes with sprinkles in them, fresh cut oranges, pineapple, and watermelon, and ofcourse, COFFEE!! it was a memorable breakfast in Africa with my new friends Hannah and Zac, full-time younglife staff couple here in Arusha. We all spent the nite at their house last nite after a great meal at Stigys and dancing. so FUN!!! I spent the rest of the day off lounging at their lovely home, playing Wii, which was awesome, and sitting in the sun talking to new friends...my roomies got me a bday cake, which made me smile so big!!
Tonite, we went to a yummy bday dinner and the woman who owned the restaurant brought me yellow roses, my friends got me Nutella, chocolate goodness in a jar, and i got happy birthday song to me by the kitchen staff from africa, i mean, it was such a sweet moment!!!

Now, an update about Cradle of Love...Just to let you all know, the babies here are healthy and fine...i absolutely adore them...each of them are so unique with their personalities that just shine through...the only thing is that almost all of them have ring worm and we are hoping this new cream we got will help that...they are too young to take oral medication, so we have to go with cream twice a day.
we work a morning shift from 9-1:30pm, afternoon from 3-5pm and nite from 5-7pm...we usually get to pick 2 shifts a day but sometimes more if not alot of volunteers are here.
the babies LOVE to do the hokey pookey we have found out and they dance all around in their pajamas, which is amazing to watch...they love to give kisses, "Buse" in Swahili, all the time. it makes your day.
i did spill passion fruit juice all over a baby while trying to help her get the holes in her sippy cup to open, that was hilarious!! i did feel bad, but it was just so funny. Her name is Agatha and she has some lungs to scream, one of the loudest babies ever here...but, she hung with me and i helped her drink the rest of her juice and then changed her...poor thing, we both had juice all over us...
A funny thing happened in the grocery store the other day, Shoprite, with my roomies...we were shopping at nite for our food and the power in the grocery store went out, ofcourse, i freak out and shove my purse under my t-shirt...REALLY HALLIE??? i am so ridiculous, but for some reason i felt it wouldve been safer there...anyway, the lights go back on and my friends are dying laughing at me. it was pretty funny!!!
ive had some funny encounters here in Africa and im still getting used to the culture with all its differences. I continue to fall more in love with the babies and nannys here at COL!!
Im thrilled about church at Vineyard tom. morning and Praise God for such a lovely place as Africa and a memorable birthday...love yall, hal