Kwaheri!

Dear Friends and Family,

    This is my first blog entry as I will be
flying to Africa tomorrow. I am really excited
to go because I have been waiting for this day
for months. I never thought it would really get
here and tomorrow I leave. I still have some
packing to do tonight and a few more goodbyes
to say, but then I will be ready for this adventure to
start.
     I will fly out of Minneapolis tomorrow around
3:15 pm to Amsterdam. The flight should take about
8.5 hours and it will cover around 4000 miles. I will
have a four hour layover there and then I will
fly to Arusha Africa. That flight should taken about
8.5 hours again, covering around 4000 miles too.
Arusha/Dar-es-Salaam will be about 8 hours ahead of
Minnesota time so we will get there at 8 pm
on Thursday.
     I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who
has sent me cards and money and helped me get ready for
my trip. I really appreciate all of it and everyone's
wishes and blessings. I am definitely going to miss
everyone alot but I know I am going to have the trip of a
lifetime.
     I should be flying with some of the other students
from my trip if they are flying out of Minneapolis, so it
will be fun to meet the other students not from Luther.
There will be ten students total in my group. We will spend
the first two weeks traveling and visiting a local tribe,
an orphanage, a hospital, some parks, and going on a safari.
Then we will travel to Dar-es-Salaam where the university
is located and we will be there for the rest of our trip.
I should be flying back to the states around December 19th
with my friend Miller who is in the peace corp in Namibia.
     I hope everyone has a great rest of the summer and a
great fall. I will be thinking of everyone alot. Please feel
free to keep in contact with me. I will have internet access
when the power and internet is up and running. I will also be
updating my blog when I have a chance. If anyone wants to send
me letters my address will be:

Amanda Rose
c/o Mrs. Mabel S. Kaaya
LINKS OFFICE
Box 35091
University of Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa

     Thanks again to everyone who has helped me with stuff
over the past few months! I will write again soon when I
have arrived in Africa :) Kwaheri! (goodbye)

Love,
Amanda