Pros and Cons and Pros and Cons and Proooooos

I wanted to name this blog "Everything is Awful and Nothing Ever Goes Right." But, O reader, I don't want to depress y'all so I sacked that. (Do I want some cheese with that whine? Yes I do.)

So, I recognize my last blog was uplifting and shining with new hope and justified faith. I wish every blog could be like that. But this here blog is for my truth bombs. It's not purely a "missionary blog"--- full of spiritual amazingness, but it's also space I've created to be real.

The last week or so I've been getting frustrated as there have been too many days full of disappointments piling up. I wanted to rant/vent. But if all I'm doing is complaining out into the internet air, what good is that?  So instead of a pure rant, here is my "pros and cons" list (à la The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon). *This is meant to be read in the voice of Jimmy Fallon-- not in the voice of me feeling grumpy on a hot afternoon.

Pros and Cons of Rachel in Tanzania
Pros	Cons
We have an Air Conditioner!!	But we can’t use it because the electricity bill is too high!
Thankfully, so far we have enough money to survive (despite still not having the investment money to start the business)	Money here flows like a leaky toilet! 💰💰💰
Experiencing a new culture	Also experiencing Guests coming over unannounced, at night, when we have no electricity No planning + Highly spontaneous culture = running out of gas multiple occasions at the most inconvenient times, running out of electricity, wifi, etc (because you have to prepay this stuff) & Ema telling me he’s on his way home— and arriving 5 hours later. 😂 Honestly I've discovered I'm shy when I am new in a culture and don't speak the language. I'm used to being able to at least somewhat communicate (like in Thailand), so I run away Etc....
Our house has Electricity! Running Water! And wifi!!	Rarely at the same time
English at church!	Still the center of attention
You can get western food!	Often very expensive and disappointing
We have a company car!	Which has been in the shop a lot plus burns about $15 of gas every 2-3 days 💰💰💰
Lot’s of Attention!	Way too much attention 😳

Indeed there are many more of these little gems. But I thought I'd stop while I'm ahead. (Like Pro: we bought a washing machine! Con: 2 weeks ago and it has yet to arrive at our house!! Meaning piles and piles of dirty laundry hoping that each day will be the day we get it.)

This blog could be entitled "Learning Patience" instead of "Mustard Seeding" because I know that all those little irritants are new opportunities for learning patience. And faith I guess too. And grace.

Y'all I'm gonna be AMAZING on the other side of this!!

Also, totally unrelated, here's a little nugget of a random story.
The other day a lady who lives here sent me a text because she'd gotten my number from another lady. She invited me and Ema to lunch at their house with a bunch of other foreigners.
As I began conversing with everyone, I started noticing that their accents were all a bit similar, and each person I met told me they were from Italy. I realized-- I was at lunch with a bunch of beautiful and nice Italians!
Picture it-- Beautiful cool day, eating at a table under their giant tree in the front yard, eating amazing Italian food (bruschetta to die for), drinking Italian wine with a bunch of beautiful Italians watching the monkeys take turns stealing mangoes from the mango tree. (Did I say "beautiful" too much?) So cool.
So I guess that story would be a Pro. 😀