Hello from Arusha!

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me during my travel here. The trip was very long, yet good. I had no issues throughout the trip, it seems that everything went as smoothly as possible. The only almost incident was in customs when I arrived in Tanzania. The customs officer was trying to be nice, however, I had to prove to him that the food in my luggage was not for anyone here in Tanzania!

To understand how I was feeling at this point…. I had been up for 2 days and nights… I was exhausted… but more importantly, I had put so much time into planning, shopping and packing this food! I didn’t say anything because I remembered at the airport in Amsterdam when they made me check the carry on bag that had all my medicine in it, that I clearly understood the Lord saying to me, it’s fine to let them check it Joy, I promised you I would take care of you!

Now I am telling the truth… spiritually I knew the Lord was going to take care of it, but my flesh was thinking many other ideas! Ideas like… go ahead Mister, you try and take my food and you and I are going to battle! I wanted to say, I am exhausted from lugging these 50 pound bags from place to place…I sacrificed shampoo and conditioner (HA HA) to have space for this food and you think you are going to take it!!!!!!!! You are crazy!

I’m sitting here laughing now at how funny the whole thing was. The custom’s officer was only doing his job and after I produced paperwork to prove why I was here in Tanzania, he lightened up. His whole attitude changed when he learned I was here to learn his native language in order to go and help orphans.

The school sent someone from a transit company to pick me up from the airport and the 30 minute drive to the school was very pleasant. You know that you are in God’s hands when you get into a car with a man you’ve never met in a place you’ve never been and drive out into the darkness of night, yet you have the most amazing sense of peace and you feel completely safe.

I could tell immediately when we left the airport that this part of Africa is very different from Uganda. In the 30 minutes we drove, we didn’t go through a single village of huts, everywhere was mostly block structures and all had lights on inside.

The drivers English was pretty good and we talked all the way. He told me alot about Arusha and the area around the school. When we turned off the main road to head towards the school we passed a large fenced in compound. I was pleased to learn that this compound is for orphans. If I understood correctly the orphanage is somehow tied to the school. I am excited to learn more about it and hopefully visit the orphans while I am here.

When I went to bed, I thought that I would probably not wake up in in time for breakfast because I was so tired. You cannot imagine my surprise when I woke up and it was 2:30 in the afternoon. The school campus is so quiet, all you can hear is nature outside. It is nothing like sleeping in Busia.

The school is very nice. The student rooms are very clean cottages with 4 rooms per cottage. Each room has it’s own entrance with a separate key. Inside there is a closet with a separate key for storing valuables. The landscape is beautiful with all varieties of trees, bushes, flowers and birds. My room is nice with a bed with misquote netting, a desk area and a bathroom. I must give a praise to the Lord because I have hot and cold water in the shower and there is no electrical wiring exposed like we had in Busia, so I am not going to die while showering! Of course, I can’t imagine using the hot water, the cold feels great because it is so hot here. In the cafeteria they keep a cooler filled with water that has been boiled so it is safe to drink. The Lord has provided just as He said he would.

To be honest, it is so lovely here that I feel as if I am at a resort. Now, not a resort like we have in the states, but a resort for Africa. I truly serve a wonderful God. This is far more than I ever thought possible.

I don’t have much more to share at this point as I have just been awake a couple of hours and wanted to to come here to the computer room and write home so everyone will know I am safe and sound. I have been able to access Facebook as well as e-mail and of course this blog, so please send me messages whenever you’d like. I do not have phone access however, so just know I will be making contact via this blog and e-mail.

Thanks again for keeping me in your prayers!

Love to all,

Joy Breedlove

Missionary – East Africa

2:50 a.m. and I find myself double checking making sure I haven’t forgotten anything! (Okay, that wasn’t exactly a true statement. I’ve been triple and quadruple checking). It is a very unusual time of packing, much different than any I’ve ever experienced before.  I have found that having to pack for 9 months in the approved airline luggage capacity is almost impossible!

God continues to stretch me in this process. From the beginning I have been content knowing how little I would have on the mission field, yet, there was just one little luxury that I thought surely would come along, my favorite shampoo and conditioner! Yet, when the luggage is bulging and the weight limit is over, that luxury became a ridiculous choice over some of the basics like vitamins and things that are necessary. Who knows, Africa might just have the best shampoo and conditioner known to man!

Had a wonderful night with my children and their families. Without a doubt we could feel the power of the prayers being lifted up on our behalf. Those last hugs and kisses came with lots of tears, but it was a very peaceful time together. Peace that comes from our Heavenly Father when He hears and responds to His children praying on behalf of a brother or sister in need. We sat around the kitchen table and laughed until our sides hurt. It’s so amazing how God puts the most unusual things on our minds at times like this. Trust me on this, there will be a joke at my expense from now on about shampoo and conditioner! The children have it all figured out. ¦..but since they will be reading this, I will go easy on them and not share their suggestions of new bathing practices for me!

From the depths of my heart, I am thankful for every prayer that is being prayed over our family during this transition. Please continue as the next few days bring adjustments to all of us.

Love to all,

Joy Breedlove

Missionary – East Africa