The group arrived tired but excited to be in Tanzania late at night. More than 30 village elders drove for two hours to greet us personally at the Kilimanjaro Airport!

We woke up on Saturday morning to enjoy a visit to the Marurani Elementary School where we’ll be helping to build a kitchen over the next two weeks. Several students from the school showed us around the village. As we walked down streets lined with acacia trees, more and more children joined us until our group had quadrupled in size. We played games together until it was time to return to our home for an overview of Tanzanian history from teacher Madame Roderick.

On Sunday morning, we went to a local church for an introduction to traditional beliefs. We then drove close to Mount Meru (the second highest peak in Tanzania) for a “coffee walk” to learn about local coffee production, trade, and of course, tasting.

It’s been a full weekend, and we’re excited to start working tomorrow!

– Sarah & Emmett