Arrival!

I'm Here! I made it to Dar, along with 46 other volunteers, last evening at around 8 pm local time. The flight were long enough, and I was glad to arrive. We all piled onto two buses, and after a 15 minute drive through streets lined with people, we made it to the compound. The compound is different than what I have expected, and I am not exactly sure how to describe it. It is nice but simple. It is run by a Catholic church, and has a hotel, dining hall, bank, internet cafe, and other stores located within it. I am in a single hotel room with running water (but no shower so I am getting used to bucket showers), electricity, a mosquito net, and a fan. It is quite humid and hot here, and I am told that this is about the coolest it gets in Dar. We had meetings for most of the day concerning community development, banking, and other topics to get us used to life here. We will start language training tomorrow, which I am looking forward to. I recieved a rabies shot today, and there are more vaccinations to come. I am taking malaria medication, which I will take every day while I am in Tanzania. Everyone has been extremely friendly so far. I will stay in this city until Tuesday, when we will travel to Morogoro. My half hour is expiring at the internet cafe, so I better run, but I am doing well, and I am looking forward to what will come in the next following weeks and months.

                                            Matthew