June 17, 2016: Work Permit Approved!

This means that Anya will leave directly from Tanzania for Sweden on July 31 in order to save on one ticket. I will return from Tanzania to Bellevue and pick up more luggage (which we didn’t want to have in a less secure environment in TZ and have to pay 3 extra luggage fees per bag).

I also have to think though the half-a-bag of gear I left in Tanzania from my April trip. What do I need to bring back–and how!?! Fortunately, I did make an inventory of what I left. (Yes, this has been a unusual year of travel. Last year at this time, I was in Norway and getting ready for a week in London before a couple weeks in Tanzania.)

I’ll arrange to fly out from Bellevue to Sweden the next day and try to stay on a similar time zone. Tanzania and Sweden are only one hour difference now.

I will ship a crate about the size of a refrigerator box, but that will take 2 months to arrive by container ship. So, we need enough gear to last until it arrives. We’ll also be in a host home the first month as our school-owned apartment is not ready until September 1. While this will delay getting settled (though we won’t have much to get settled with), our host family should help us get oriented. Our hosts are the New Testament instructor, and American, and his wife, a Swede.

Another providential connection is that the theology instructor has a daughter who just graduated from high school and has been on the track and field club. She will help Anya get connected with the club, because Anya wants to continue pole vaulting. Anya’s savvy Internet research skills found the data for the highest vaults for the club and for the year. She was feeling good that she can vault in this league. She isn’t clearing that height yet, but for a first-year vaulter, she is well on the way.

So, the speed of life has turned into hyper-drive!