Ashley visited!

Posted by Ali

Ashley was the first volunteer I met in Tanzania. When I arrived at the Kilimanjaro airport I ended up last in line at the visa counter and was the last person to get my bags and leave security. I was tired and hungry as well as a bit dazed that I was finally actually in Africa. But the first person I saw when I walked into the waiting area had a huge grin on her face and gave me a hug, the first hug I'd received since I'd said goodbye to Jonathan in Boston 23 hours earlier. On the 30-minute drive to my new home in Usa River I learned that Ashley had just finished her nursing degree and lived in Seattle, a city I consider almost a second home. While squished between Max and me on the front bench seat of an ADRA Land Cruiser, she told me about her experiences in Tanzania so far, about the baby home, about life in the village, about volunteering in the maternity ward at a local hospital. Ashley had only come to Tanzania six weeks earlier, but to me it seemed like she'd been there a year. She had such a wealth of knowledge about the country and culture, about how to buy food at the market and take the local transportation. She seemed so sure of  herself. I doubted that in six more weeks, when Ashley would be flying home, I would know even half as much she already did. But somehow I did. And a good part of that was Ashley teaching me what she knew.

Earlier this week Ashley wrote on my Facebook wall, telling me that she and her boyfriend would be in my hometown this weekend visiting his family. She wanted to get together with me, and tonight we saw each other again for the first time since mid-October. And it was almost like we hadn't spent the last eight months apart! We talked for almost three hours. We shared pictures and videos of our time together in Tanzania, learned more facts about each others lives, shared dating stories. And then she had to leave. But I know that the next time I see her we'll still have lots to talk about. Because that's the magic of serving together; there's a bond that forms - even over a short time like six weeks - that can never be broken. Ashley, thanks for visiting, for talking with me and listening to me. I didn't know I needed it, but I did and it was extremely therapeutic. We only spent a month and a half with each other on the ADRA campus, but the bond of living and working together in Tanzania and sharing experiences at Cradle of Love will last a lifetime. I'm so glad to have met you and to have you as my friend!