Another Day, Another Village

First, I wanted to thank you all for reading this - whether you follow it everyday, or check in whenever you are bored/have time I would like to extend my appreciation. It makes me genuinely happy to know that you all are interested in following along in my journey. With that said, let’s continue on to what you are actually here for...

We visited another village yesterday (as we do every Sunday) – today it was a Massai village. Today made me really think about things. When we got to the village, we were taken to see the well that the progressive village leader had dug. Then he took us over to the river so we could see how they water their cows. It was amazing. They had a generator to pump water from the river into a water reserve and then into the cement trough they had built. They were so very proud to show us everything. We got to watch the cows come in very efficiently, in a specific feeding/watering order. The milking cows came in first and then the younger calves came towards the end and finally the goats and sheep get the last position – since by then the water is dirtier – and the youngest calves get water from buckets in the village. It was really neat to watch… and kind of reminded me of the State Fair back home in WI. But then we were taken back to the village for lunch and the church service. We ate some meat, crepe-like flat bread, bottled water and chai with the evangelists and pastors that had come with us. The rest of the men gathered around us had rice. Then, at about 2:30, we started the church service. 5 people were baptized – two young men, two girls and a baby girl (One of the girls even picked Sara as her baptismal name!). The Swahili women were finding humor in Steve’s ear piercings… they weren’t quite sure if he was a guy or a girl (since in Massai culture, men don’t pierce their ears – they gauge them after they are married). After the church service, we were fed again – this time we got rice with a thin gravy drizzled on top with meat chunks.
But this all got me thinking about the hospitality. We were given meat – a ‘delicacy.’ I honestly feel badly sometimes. I don’t want these people we are visiting to feel obligated to give us meat because we are visiting them. I don’t mind eating like people do everyday – no need to make a special feast. And I understand that it is how they show their appreciation for our visit and that meat and a feast is a sign of a celebration. But I don’t need the special treatment. I feel like we are the ones who are being blessed by the ability to visit and spend time in community with all of these people. They have such a rich culture and such open hearts. I just want to be able to visit them and learn about their lives without imposing or asking them to do anything special… the visit itself and the people are amazing enough and teach us enough.
Peace.