So Long, Zanzibar!

Well, this is my last full day on the island! Part of me is very sad, as it has been a wonderful visit. It is a beautiful island, and Bob and Rachael have been so easy to be with.

Yesterday I went to the beach early by myself. It was low tide, and the mangrove trees were out of the water. There were many shells, and I nabbed all the good ones that I saw. A woman was on the beach when I got there, and after some time, she sidled up close to me. She had been watching me, and as I made eye contact with her, she handed me a couple of shells. I asked her if she spoke English, and she said, "Some small." So we walked and talked and picked up shells and coral. She has two children, a girl and a boy, 3 and 5 years of age, she works in housekeeping at the nearby hotel, and she's Muslim. And her name is Aisha. And she's beautiful. I took our picture on the beach. She left me after we both left the beach. I loved the encounter.

Then Bob took me and Zawadi and Gilbert to a private spice farm. Oh, the spices! I got to see so many different species of flora, it was incredible! And we actually didn't cover that much ground. The tour leader spoke excellent English, and this was the way he led the tour: he described what we were seeing, and then waited to see if we knew the plant. It was so much fun! At the end of the tour he asked me if I was a farmer! I laughed. I can hear Beth laughing, too. No, not a farmer. But I do love the good plants of this Earth. I got to see (big breath; are you ready?) castor, cilantro, aloe, cardamom, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, vanilla, cocoa, coffee, jack fruit, giant passionfruit, soursop, starfruit, cucumber fruit, bush chili, neem, turmeric, mangosteen, and a man who climbed the coconut tree to throw down some coconuts for us! I will post that video when I get home. Film at eleven.

After the tour, we sat down to eat a meal, included in the priced of the tour. We had rice pilau, two kinds of sauce for it, red and yellow, and barracuda, and cardamom tea. I was hardly hungry, since on the tour, we had jack fruit, soursop, starfruit, and coconut milk and coconut. It was so amazing!

After the meal, I was able to purchase some spices at very reasonable prices. And just when Jackie didn't think I could enjoy anything more on the island....

Then last night we had some company come. They were Hussein and Inez. Hussein is Tanzanian, Inez is from Vienna, Austria. Inez has been living with Hussein on the island for the past five months, volunteering her time at the local hospital. She's an occupational therapist. She left today to go back to Austria, and will be there for at least a year. But of course she is now tied to the island, and said she will return. I was able to pray for her last night. And she is a wonderful person, having given five months of volunteer work to work with disabled children on the island. I really enjoyed meeting her.

I weighed Wilberforce just an hour or so ago. And he's already gained one or two ounces, even though he's just five days old!! He's thriving. Just wanted especially Grandpa and Grandma to know that.

I will leave tomorrow at 2:45 pm. I will fly to Nairobi, Kenya, arriving there about 4 pm. I have a long layover there, not leaving until 10 pm. Then I will arrive in Amsterdam the following morning about 8 am, and will leave there at 12 pm. I will arrive in Dallas on Sunday, Dec 14, at 2 pm, after about 30 hours of travel. Jackie and Emily will meet me to take me home. I know I will be tired, but very glad to see them.

Thank you all for sort of going on this trip with me through the blog. It has been so heartwarming and good. God is good. Please keep praying for Bob and Rachael. Their work is already good. And their God is faithful.