16 January 2017

remembering our year 2016.

I know what you're thinking. "Did those Leen's actually make it to 2017 in Tanzania?" Amazingly, the answer is, "Yes, we did!" And like years before, it's time to summarize what made this past year super awesome and super not-awesome, in some cases.


The end of 2016 is a tiny bittersweet for us. As many of you know, in May 2017, we will head out on a jet plane for our homeland of the United States. Although we are excited about the many changes life will bring, we're particularly aware of and grateful for the amazing opportunities and adventures we've had as a result of being Maryknoll Lay Missioners in Tanzania. Saying "It's been a wild ride!" doesn't begin to sum it up so we'll let the photographs below do the talking for us.

Oh, and if you want to relive the entire Tanzanian saga, be sure to check out ROY 2015 and ROY 2014, just for the fun of it.

05 January 2017

a babymoon trip to kigoma, tanzania.

It was early December and Michael and I realized how quickly Baby Leen's arrival was approaching. We had heard of this thing called a 'babymoon,' where a couple takes their one last opportunity to relax and travel before a loud, hungry, crying bundle of joy comes into their world. Given this impending reality, we didn't need to debate this babymoon idea too much.


But where to go? Luckily, we had recently spoken with friends who recommended Kigoma, Tanzania, a small town on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania. Knowing it would fit our budget and would be likely our last chance to see more of Tanzania, we decided to give it a shot.