Things are moving along out here in Tanzania....if anyone wants to escape the hurricanes, earthquakes etc., come on over! Plus, Ramadhan will be over tomorrow so all my favorite restaurants will be open again. AND, our power cuts are finally on a schedule so at least we know when the outages will be. I guess we can't complain!

Although I would like to post all the details about the work we are doing with the porters, for political reasons I don't feel comfortable doing so at this time. I'm becoming more and more aware of the difference between working with this organization and working somewhere like Amani. When you help street children, you bring in money and assistance that was never there in the first place, so everyone is happy; however, when you advocate for human rights in the workplace, the money is already there, it's just the division of it that changes. This shift in the balance of power and money can make people pretty upset, and unfortunately for us, these upset people are usually powerful people with powerful friends. That's all I can really say for now, but one day when I'm safely back in America I look forward to giving you all more details than you probably ever wanted to know.

Aside from all of that, there is some sad news to report from the Hippensteel/Drummond family. A couple of weeks ago, my "other grandmother" Snookie was taken to the hospital. A few days later they discovered she had cancer, and a few days after that she peacefully passed away. Although it was quite shocking to everyone and it has been difficult to be away from my family during this time, I think we are thankful that she was not in prolonged pain and that she was able to "go home" in peace. I was very thankful to be able to see the funeral via Skype. We will always remember Snookie's chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, colorful style, Christmas tree decorations, and crossword puzzles. We will miss you Snookie, but we know you danced all the way to heaven.