Service and Sightseeing!
June 11, 2025
WELCOME TO MY TABLE
Jambo! Jackie and John here with quite the update: we’ve acquired twelve of the most awesome humans in the universe and have started on the adventure of a lifetime. From the moment we picked everyone up from the airport, we knew this group would be special. The way everyone naturally came together so quickly was incredible to witness. After our first official morning post breakfast, we fought jet lag and traveled to Mto Wa Mbu, where we have called home for the next six nights. We arrived to our campsite after stocking up on snacks and were in awe of our accommodations: how many campsites have an epic mountain lake view, an infinity pool, and hot showers? We were in heaven.
After we moved into our tents and got settled at camp, we met Sheb, the Director of the Red Sweater Project, who gave us a brief orientation on our upcoming days working at the Mungere school. We then played countless hacky sack and soccer matches before ‘laying like lizards’ by the pool to soak up the remainder of the day’s sun. We capped off our first official day as a family with an epic sunset, a three-course meal, and an inaugural Moonup where everyone shared their nerves and excitement for what’s to come.
The next morning, we had a full breakfast spread of crepes, fresh mango, eggs, sausage, and of course, ‘drinking chocolate’ and coffee, which started us off on a high note for the day. Our first Leaders of the Day (LOD), Mason and Carly, helped us prep for our first day working with the Red Sweater Project. We got in our safari Land Cruisers and drove to the Mungere School, passing many wild baboons and monkeys on our way. Once we got to the school, we had a tour of the campus and met the students who would quickly become great friends. Our project for the next few days was digging a large hole in order to prepare for the construction of brand new compost toilets. John and I were so proud of the initiative everyone took straight away, especially Pace, who put his landscaping experience to use! After a morning of hard work, we had lunch and got to play an exuberant game of soccer with the RSP students. We headed back to camp and spent the afternoon hanging out by the pool, sharing stories, laughs, and getting to know each other.
We had a full night of rest and woke up ready for the next day of service. When we got to the school, we immediately jumped right in to work. Everyone had a good understanding of what we needed to do work-wise, which gave us more time to get to know the Red Sweater Project students. Mia quickly became friends with a wonderful girl named Glory, and their friendship remained constant throughout the entire duration of service. When we finished work for the day, we headed back to camp, where Mason (AKA Slayson) taught the group how to play ERS (Egyptian Rat Slap) and revealed his insane card-playing skills. That evening, after dinner, we had a campfire for Moonup, and we ended up staying up around the fire, and Carly told us a very entertaining ghost story (shoutout Penelope).
Before we began the next day of service work, we got to bond with the RSP students by sharing and learning songs and dances. We all gathered in a dance circle as Tucker taught the most iconic dance version of “Umbrella,” complete with a star jump at the end! We proudly finished digging that day and finished the day at school with a great game of basketball. When we returned to camp after a well-deserved ice cream stop, we played lots of games, including Pace’s favorite, Death Ball, and settled down for the evening. Lots of laughs were shared. Daisy’s natural ability to bring a group together through humor was evident during her time as LOD. After a three-course dinner at Samwell’s table, we had Moonup around the fire once again, this time playing a game of Duck, Duck, Goose to kick it off.
Lizzy and Jake led the day through our work clearing the landscape around the hole we had dug. Listening to music, both Tanzanian Top Hits and Billboard Top 100, we worked with the RSP students and made a big dent in our project. Once we had lunch, we got to explore the central market, where everyone had a chance to practice their bartering skills on souvenirs. Woods quickly proved himself as the most proficient negotiator. We got back and had our daily ‘Tea Time’ waiting for us, with sweet popcorn and various Tanzanian hot teas ready to warm us up on an uncharacteristically rainy afternoon. Lulu showed the group her intricate bracelet-making skills and started making the group some beautiful friendship bracelets. Lizzy and Jake led an incredibly intentional Moonup, and John and I were proud of the group’s willingness to share and get to know each other on a deeper level.
We were thrilled to celebrate Jake’s 17th birthday in Tanzania! We had a day packed with activities, starting with a challenging, yet stunning hike to a waterfall with the Mungere students. We walked back to school as a group and said very teary goodbyes to our friends at school. Back in our car, Brooke showed us her incredible taste in music with an impeccably curated playlist full of Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. We traveled to a Maasai village and got to experience some of their cultural traditions, including fire making and Maasai jumping. Spencer jumped the highest, gaining respect from the males in the village. We had a special pizza dinner and birthday cake to celebrate Jake and the completion of the first section of our trip.
Although it is bittersweet to leave this awesome campsite, we are eager to start our climb tomorrow (!!!). Today, we will travel back to Arusha and begin our preparation for Kilimanjaro. Anxious and excited, we’re ready for what’s to come. Next time we check in, we will have conquered one of the Seven Summits!
We are so lucky to live this life!
Until next time,
Jackie + John
Lulu: Hi Mother Lynna, Father John, and MylooooooOOoOo! I’m having a great time. Love you and miss you so much! PS I got my hair braided!😛😛😛 Happy Father’s Day!!
Woods: Hey Mom and Dad, I’m having so much fun. I can’t wait to share all the memories we are making. Happy early Father’s Day! Love y’all.
Daisy: Hey fam! Hope y’all are doing well. I love it here and love my group. Tell Maclean Sheb says hi and he showed me all the pictures of him. Happy Father’s Day dad!! Miss y’all lots love y’all!
Lizzy: Hey mom and dad, I’m having so much fun. I’ve met so many amazing people! Can’t wait to tell y’all all about it! Love and miss y’all + tell Liz I miss her! Happy Father’s Day dad!
Jake: Hi Mom, Dad, Gabe, and Ben, I’m having a great time here in Tanzania. I had a great time on my birthday! I’ve met so many great friends. Working at the school was so fun, and it was so cool meeting the kids. I can’t wait to tell y’all all about the trip. We start the hike in a day. Happy Father’s Day dad! Say hi to everyone at home. Miss y’all.
Spencer: Hey Mom, Dad, Ella and Lillian! I am having a great time and got a great group. I have so many stories to tell and can’t wait to start the trek in a day! Happy Fathers Day!
Mason: Hey mom and dad and any other family reading this, I am having a lot of fun here and my group is great. Happy birthday Abby and happy Father’s Day dad!
Carly: Hi everyone!! I’m having such a great time and my group is super awesome!! Can’t wait to tell y’all about it! Love and miss y’all see you soon! Happy Father’s Day padre
Brooke: Hi mom, dad, and ry! I’m having the best time ever. Working in the village was awesome and we start kili tomorrow (don’t worry dad I started my altitude meds today). Happy birthday and Father’s Day dad. Love you all so much. See ya soon!
Tucker: Hi guys, missing you a ton. Happy Birthday Mom, 45 doesn’t know what’s coming. I am healthy so do not stress at all. Hopefully some good news with Reed. Love you guys!
Pace: Hello family, hope everything is well. Volunteering has been amazing and we start Kilimanjaro in two days. Love you guys!
Mia: Hi guys! I hope y’all are having fun at the lake and Dad I hope you had a good birthday! Happy Fathers Day! I am having lots of fun here and am excited to start climbing! Love y’all!
John: Hi family! Missing you all and hope Kitty had a wonderful 16th! Heading up the mountain. Stoked for what’s ahead. Talk soon. Love y’all!
Jackie: Hey Mom! Having a blast – love my kids, love my co, love my trip, and love YOU! Thinking of you, especially tomorrow. ❤️
Jambo Bwana from Arusha - Day 1!
June 4, 2025
Hello Kilimanjaro Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Arusha and is enjoying well-deserved rest after travel! The trip is off to a great start, and we are so excited to hear more stories as they begin their service project in Mto Wa Mbu.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
