Exciting news this week! Michelle and I found out that we'll be spending the next two years in a small village 30k outside of Mbeya. Mbeya, which is south near the border of Zambia, is alleged to have cheese, coffee, and some of the most spectacular views in all of Tanzania. Ours is a new Peace Corps site, meaning that since we're not replacing an old volunteer, we'll have to start everything from scratch. We're supposed to have a little house with a courtyard next to the Health Clinic, where Michelle will be working. I'll likely be working to develop a land management plan for the village and to educate folks on the sustainable use of the river that flows through the area. We've been given very few details about our site or our work, so unfortunately, Mom, I won't be able to answer all of your questions until we get settled in.

We're currently in Dar for a day, having spent the past week travelling throughout the country to stay with current volunteers to see what life in the field is like. Michelle was up in Moshi, and I was down near Njombe, only a couple hours from Mbeya. For me, highlights were learning to cook pizza on a charcoal stove and seeing elephants, zebras, warthogs, and copious girrafes from the bus when driving through Mikomi National Park southwest of Morogoro. Michelle ate well too, and caught a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro. I'm a little jealous, because since Mt. Kili is a three or four day trip from Mbeya, my plans to climb said mountain have become a bit more complicated.

Tomorrow, we'll travel back to Muheza for the final week and a half of homesay/training, before we return to Dar for the "swearing in" ceremony. Our final oral language proficiency exam is on Thursday, so your thoughts, prayers, and positive brain waves are very much appreciated!

Hope all's well back home.