mtv cribz: the (second) tanzanian house tour.

Is anyone else out there experiencing deja vu upon seeing that title? I sure am! How fast a year flies by… 

Earlier this year, we began to discern moving to a new area of Mwanza. Through the course of a few months, we felt solid in our decision: we wanted to move to our first actual “home” in Mwanza, a neighborhood called Mabatini or “The Place of the Tin Roofs.” Catchy, no?

When we first arrived in Mwanza in January 2014, we stayed with other Maryknoll Lay Missioners living in Mabatini. Just a short walk away from us was the Mabatini Parish, recently built with the help of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Over the course of our month-long stay in Mabatini, we had the opportunity to get to know the neighbors and their children. We loved the feel of the place. 

So we’ve taken the jump! And here she is! What a beaut, huh? All in all, she’s about the same size as our last home, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an office room, but 33% cheaper! Would you like a tour?

What we love most about this home is the yard. It’s smaller than our old one but covered in grass, trees, and beautiful plants. And we even have a small hydrangea bush! We haven’t been here for long, but we often find ourselves relaxing in the shade of the trees.

Upon entering the house, you’ll see this long hallway. Immediately on your right is our bedroom and bathroom, followed by another bathroom and at the end of the hallway, our office. 

Look familiar? There’s our bed, now just in a new room! You can’t tell from the picture but this room is huge compared to our last master bedroom! We were even able to fit a small couch in here. Yeah, we’re moving up in the world. 

Not very exciting, but here’s our master bathroom, if you want to get an idea of it. 

Our hallway bathroom is actually two small rooms. The first, as you can see, is a small area for washing hands. The next room has our shower (and instant hot water heater!) along with a more traditional Tanzanian toilet. 

Next door to this bathroom is our office/gym. As you can see, it houses all of our office supplies and work materials. Opposite of this is a small table that we both share as a desk. We are planning on using the rest of the room as a gym. Mum’s the word on whether we’ve started that habit or not… 

Across the hall from our office is our new guest bedroom. This was our first “room” when we came to Mwanza, when other Maryknoll Lay Missioners lived in the house! Thinking back to that first night in Tanzania is a bit surreal. Needless to say, a lot has happened since then.

The last room in the house is the biggest, as it holds the kitchen, dining and living room. Michael and I both really enjoy the feel of this room. When we have guests over, we’re not running back and forth from the kitchen. Rather, we can all be in one room, whether we’re cooking or relaxing. 

We still have a bit of decorating to do but it’s truly starting to feel like home, and we’re grateful. We’re thankful to have a place to come to at the end of every day that serves as a “retreat” from the craziness that lies outside our doors. 

There you have it, folks! Karibuni sana! You are most welcome at our home! If you happen to find yourself in the ‘hood, stop by and say hello. You’ll find us underneath our avocado tree.