A View into Tanzania

Enjoy Some Bongo

2009-01-04T02:31:00.002+03:00

TABASAMU - MR BLUE FT STEVE

I have finally found a place to listen to one of my favorite songs from Tz... Tabasamu by Mr. Blue and Steve.
It is nice to hear these little types of reminders that I can still be connected. I can tell that I miss being there... I often find myself on edge and incapable of thinking clearly. I think a lot of it comes from the fact that I am trying to figure out who I am here and at the same time trying to remain true to who I was in Tz. I just feel a little lost at times. There is a inner conflict. I feel so at home in Tz and now here things don't feel quite right. More will follow, in the meantime enjoy some Bongo flavor.

Time Goes On Whether You Ask It To Or Not.

2008-12-17T22:06:00.006+03:00

As I sit here alone in the living room of my rented house in Waverly I finally have an opportunity to just sit and think for awhile. It wasn't until yesterday that I realized that we are home.
Over the past few days, I have noticed that there is definitely a difference in me. I am not the exact same person I was when I left. I have grown and matured. At times I feel like I don't fit in here anymore. There are certainly people who understand the change in me and there are other people who either understand the change in me or turn a blind eye to it.
For several days I avoided unpacking and unloading the boxes I had packed my room into. It just didn't seem right to move back into a place where I knew things would be different and where I could risk falling back into old distractions. As I unpacked boxes and my luggage and, as my room started to look like it did before I left, I began to realize that I have really left Tanzania - I haven't just gone on a mini vacation or something like that. Then, to add insult to injury, the song 'Beautiful Disaster' by Jon Mclaughlin came on my computer. With lyrics like, "She hates the sound that goodbyes make" and "Caught in the in between, a beautiful disaster" it was a painful reminder that I have come back.
While I unpacked my clothes, I noticed that I have a bunch of clothing that I never wear. I was disappointed in myself and decided that while I unpacked clothes I would also sort out some that I can give away - there are other people who I am sure would enjoy them and wear them more than me.
Then, when I went to Target to pick up a few things, I was walking around the grocery section and was in complete shock. After three months of shopping at Pira's Cash and Carry, a grocery store about the size of my living room and kitchen at home, I had gotten used to stores that only have the items that are needed. As I walked around Target's grocery section I kept seeing so much excess (even in food choices) - there were several dozen different pastas and pasta sauces, and that was only one section of the store! I was in such shock.
As much as I like being able to understand everything that people around me are saying, it is weird and sad to not hear Swahili all the time. I miss hearing it and speaking it.
And I miss seeing the Masai walking around town in their traditional dress.
I miss our several hour church services with people who are genuinely interested in communing with God and with their neighbors.
I miss the warmth of Tanzania - both literal and figurative.
I am already sick... I woke up this morning with a head cold already. My throat is raw and my sinuses are going crazy in this weather.
I have already heard from Bariki since I've been back, which made me smile - it is nice to think that I will be able to keep in touch with people.
I will be interested to see what the coming days and weeks will bring. Stay tuned for the rest of my journey back into American culture.
Peace.

The Big Day.

2008-12-12T09:39:00.002+03:00

Today is the day. We leave Tanzania. I have been alright for the most part, which is surprising... I think I am starting to take the mindset that goodbyes are a part of life. I have come to realize that the cliche is quite true and there really are people who will come into your life and touch your heart and impact who you are and some will stay for a lifetime while others will leave after a short time - you just have to be thankful for their presence.
As much as I hate the false hope that it gives, Jimmy's saying keeps running through my head, 'Mountains will never meet but people will meet again.'
I suppose the tough thing for me now will be to find out how I can carry who I am and what I've learned here with me. It will be difficult to transition back to living in the States without falling back into the old habits and culture that has pulled me away from my dreams lately. But that is all a part of the learning process and it is the next stage of learning from this experience.
As Natalie and I said before she left, we are just moving on to the next stage of life. I am comforted by the ease with which I can communicate with people from here and the fact that I know I will return some day soon.
Peace out Tanzania... I will see you again soon. US, get ready... I'm coming back!

All Good Things Will Come Full Circle.

2008-12-11T20:25:00.002+03:00

Today was our final full day here. The day was a perfect culmination of our trip - we spent most of the day in a church service for the Morogoro Diocese's annual seminar. It was the trip coming full circle - we saw all sorts of different people who we had met throughout our three months here and some new people as well. By the end of our church service I had somehow acquired a small child. As I walked through the receiving/exit line with this little boy on my hip, I said goodbye to a lot of the people we had met (I also was given a hard time by a lot of them, asking if it was my child). I had prepared for the service to be a very difficult thing, since it was the very last and it was with so many people we had come to know. But I was quite wrong, the service was a blast... I got to spend time playing with some kids and talking with a young Maasai girl. It was the perfect way to bring the trip to a close.
I have noticed that I have spent time today making myself numb to the thought of leaving. Today has definitely had its ups and downs. This morning I got a message from Natalie and it made me break into tears but a few minutes later I was fine again. I was doing very well for most of the day until after super all of a sudden I got really mellow again. It doesn't help to think that we have about 30 hours of traveling ahead of us before we actually reach home.
It is very interesting to look at how people from here say goodbye. Perhaps a large part of it is due to the nature of this school and the fact that people are always coming and going. But I have even noticed it in people who have no real connection to the school. Goodbyes aren't things people get choked up over. Goodbyes just seem to be a fact of life - people perform them very matter of factly. We are always asked if we will return, to which I almost always answer 'yes' and then the follow up is 'when?'
I suppose if I follow my own title to this post, things will come full circle and my life will follow the pattern as well. As we prepare to leave, I ask for prayers of protection. I am starting to get excited to see people back home but the prospect of leaving people and the culture that I have fallen in love with here is too near for me to allow that excitement to take hold.
Peace.

Lessons Learned and Lessons Still Learning.

2008-12-09T09:19:00.004+03:00

As I begin to prepare to return to the States I find myself reflecting on a lot of the things I have learned here…

- People have a great capacity for love and compassion if you just give them the opportunity to show it - courtesy of various prison visits and visits with people whose situations could be considered very troubling.
- I have learned how to tie child to my back with a Kanga – courtesy of countless women throughout our time here.
- You can fit a surprising number of people and their packages into a mini-van sized vehicle – courtesy of many daladala rides crammed with easily over 25 people.
- Cars are not an absolutely necessary means of transportation – courtesy of a country where the majority of people walk or ride bikes to get to their destination, even if it is several miles away.
- Rain is a genuine blessing for which we should praise God – courtesy of a country where the primary source of income is derived from agricultural ventures so rain is seen as a great blessing.
- Power outages don’t mean that there is nothing to do, rather they signify a time to spend with friends and loved ones without distractions – courtesy of Anna, Flo, and Natalie and our power outage sing-along and hours of sitting in the company of friends.
- People and relationships take primary importance. Money and things can come and go but well nurtured relationships with people can last a lifetime – courtesy of a country where people are valued over possessions.
- Patience is really a virtue – courtesy of a slow internet connection.
- Allowing people to disrupt what you are doing is a blessing and it allows friendships to blossom – courtesy of hours spent trying to study/work in the common room only to find myself interrupted by teachers or new friends who want to talk or ask a favor.
- Simplicity, understanding, love, peace, and compassion – courtesy of this beautiful country.
- Life is what you make it – courtesy of many conversations with Bariki about the differences between life here and in the States.
- A smile can travel across miles and can cross any language barrier – courtesy of hundreds of little kids who have opened up to me, despite language barriers, through smiles.
- Blonde is beautiful and unique – courtesy of all the kids who have snuck a touch of my hair because it looked so nice and soft.
- The hippie generation had it right (before the drug explosion) ... love for all people, peace, and hope are concepts that are universal and could bring the world together – courtesy of this beautiful country and these amazing people.
- The US can make a decision that will make the world community stand up and cheer for us – courtesy of Barack Obama’s election and people here from all over the world who are happy for us and pleased with our decision.
- Conditioner leaves a beautiful, lasting smell in your hair that is often taken for granted – courtesy of a recent shower with my first use of conditioner in three months.
- Long hair definitely holds the heat in and warms your head quite quickly – courtesy of countless days spent in the beating sun with my head starting to sweat.
- I’ve learned how to hand wash just about everything article of clothing I own – courtesy of three months worth of washing jeans, shorts, t-shirts, a zip-up hoodie, etc.
- Solidarity and genuine conversation with people is the only way you can learn about their lives – courtesy of hours spent talking to people from all walks of life.

Clearly some things have a greater impact than others. And there are many things that I have only started to earn that I will continue to realize and learn once I return. This trip has taught me so much already and I know I will never forget this experience and it will always be a large part of who I am.
Peace.

**** As the days wind down, I ask that if there are any remaining questions you have that you would like me to address, please, please, please leave a comment and I will address them in an upcoming post.

People Will Always Be People.

2008-12-08T11:49:00.001+03:00

I was sitting outside today when a girl from the secondary school was walking around – I greeted her with ‘Mambo’ (kind of like ‘what’s up?’) and she came over and we got to talking. She had been out looking for roses to flatten and dry. Her name was Elizabeth and she 19 years old. She has two old brothers and two older sisters. We talked about all sorts of different things – primarily comparing and contrasting things from here to things in the States. It was interesting to hear how people think of the States here. Elizabeth told me that one of her friends, Nancy went to university in the States. She said that in Tanzania if you get the opportunity to leave and go study in the States, you take the opportunity. We talked about life here in Tanzania. She told me that things are so difficult here in comparison to life in the States. It was really interesting to hear her interpretation of life in the States and hear how she explained life here. I didn’t expect to hear people talk about how difficult life is – I guess I anticipated hearing that life is life and you get what you get. And that sort of what she said. She told me that life is so difficult here and education is very important and very difficult too. She explained to me that education in government-run schools is much worse than that in privately-run schools – and to top it off, LJS is one of the top schools. Right now there is a two day national holiday – today is Id al Had and tomorrow is the national independence day – so the students get two days of a break then they will have one day of studying and then the next day is examination day before they all go home for Christmas.
We got on the topic of religion and she explained that she feels like people in the States worship with their soul but people here just worship to go through the actions. It was really interesting because I feel like in the States people just go through the actions and people here genuinely put their heart and soul into it. But then again, her image of American worship comes from televised evangelical worship services, so that probably makes a big difference in her opinion. Then her friends came and told her she had a task to do over in the secondary school.
Our conversation cemented in my mind that people are people no matter where you go. Cultural differences will occur but generally, people are the same across the world.
I can’t explain how nice it was to have someone just to talk to who is a woman and who is around my age. I have gotten so used to sitting in the background to the boys. I have noticed that (in the villages especially) it is a lot easier for them to relate to the men who are a lot more outspoken than it tends to be for me to relate to the women who are usually busy cooking or off taking care of the children. I have come to fully understand that life here is very much gender-based. Earlier in the trip it was explained to me better than I can put into words… “Although there were female teachers at my school, most were also mothers and wives. The fact was, I was very much an anomaly – independent young female, no children, no family there, college-educated, and yet in a ‘man’s world.’” I have developed a friendship with the male teachers here (though it has taken almost three months) but I definitely noticed that the boys had an easier time developing friendships with the boys. But even that makes sense with my ‘people are people’ realization – it is human nature to stick to people that you have things in common with. Back in the States, men and women tend to have more in common at my age so it is easier to integrate. Here it is just that there is a little less in common.
I have learned a lot so far in the past three months and I plan on that not changing in the next week. I want to make the most of my last week here and I want to keep learning and keep experiencing.
Peace.

Picha kutoka Zanzibar (Pictures from Z'bar)

2008-12-05T21:31:00.015+03:00

The tide had gone out which exposed a great deal more of the beach.

The view out of my room on the beach.

Me with my crown and purse/basket from the tour.

Steve with his spice tour cap and tie.Peter striking the 'college president pose' with his cap and tie from the tour.

Never knew nutmeg looked so trippy.

Paintings off all different types covered the walls of shops throughout the tourist areas of the island.

The altar was placed right behind the old location of the whipping post (the circle in the marble).

What a beautiful statement... it was outside the doors of the Anglican church - the location of the old slave trade.

The Anglican Church - built over the location of the old slave trade.

Memorial to the slaves - the chain used is an original chain.

The view from the knife painter's apartment - the large white building was the Sultan's palace before he was overthrown.

Beautiful old buildings every where you look.

Welcome to Z'bar!

Tim with his spice tour cap and tie.

Walking down the narrow streets to the hotel.

Getting off the boat in Z'bar.

The first sighting of Z'bar.

Peter having some fun on the drive to Dar.

Walking on the beach.

It is difficult to express our four day journey to Zanzibar in a 'short' blog - I have about four written pages worth of memories in my notebook but I doubt that you would like to read that much here. So I will try to summarize as much as I can.

We left LJS around 9am on Monday and drove to Dar. Once we got to Dar we rushed about four blocks to the harbor. Our boat left Dar around 1 and we started by sitting in the VIP lounge... well it was really more like an area in the front of the boat with a bunch of comfy chairs. But shortly after the boat left, we realized that we had sat down in a sauna. After about an hour, Luka looked over at me and asked me if I wanted to go outside. We went and a short while later PH came out looking for us since everyone else wanted to leave the sauna too. Then we all grabbed our bags and went out to stand on the deck. Well we got to Z'bar safely and made our way down the narrow streets to the appropriately named hotel that we would be staying at - The Narrow Street Hotel. After that we met up with a Norwegian missionary/pastor who works with his wife to foster Muslim-Christian dialogue. They run an NGO called Upendo Shop. It is a place where Muslim and Christian women work together to learn sewing and other things. It is a beautiful venture and it seems like it has had its successes. We also met up with the knife painter who showed us around town and showed us his paintings of Zanzibar doors in a nearby shop and then he took us to his apartament which overlooked the old Sultan's palace (before he was overthrown) and the harbor. After that we went out to dinner and walked around like all the other wazungu (white tourists). Then we wandered around for a bit looking at shops and finally got lost in all the winding narrow streets on our way back to our hotel. [END DAY 1]
We woke up Tuesday and had breakfast at our hotel then we wandered around a bit and headed off for our spice tour. It was really neat since none of us really knew where or how spices grew (we thought most of them grew on bushes rather than trees). We went to a privately owned plantation (since they are more natural - like a forest - than the farms that are government owned) - our tour guide took us around and, despite the rain, we got to see a bunch of different spices (like nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, cinammon, etc). After the tour we were presented with hats and ties for the boys and a purse/basket for me - which I added to the bracelet and rings that I had already recieved. We then got a feast of fruits - jack fruit, papaya, pineapple, mango, etc. Then we went off to a local eatery for some spiced rice and our first taste of Zanzibar fish. Needless to say, we were stuffed. Then we were swept away to head off to the kisiwa (beach). We got to the beach Tuesday afternoon and it was raining off and on. We ordered supper at the hotel and started to go out and enjoy the beach. We ate the rest of our meals in a hut at the hotel on the beach - I had fish for every meal but breakfast. The fish was amazing - freshly caught according to what we ordered. We met a group of about 4 Masai warriors on the beach who turned out to be from the morogoro area and knew PH. It was a nice comfort to see the Masai since they have started to feel like family to us. [END DAY 2]
Wednesday we woke up and it was still raining on and off. We spent the morning walking around the beach and the boys and I went wading around for awhile. After lunch, it was still overcast but the boyys and Luka headed off to snorkel while PH and I stayed back. PH and i spent quite some time walking down the beach, collecting shells, and just talking about all sorts of different things. We relaxed around for the rest of the day and ran into out Masai friends again, who came up and talked with PH for awhile. I was given a bracelet by one of them with whom PH then started to joke about making a marriage offer for me (I should add, he wasn't bad looking - then again, not many Masai seem to be). [END DAY 3]
Thursday we woke up and it was a beautiful day - go figure. We ate breakfast together and then we packed up and started the trip back home. [END DAY 4]

It is tough to summarize the trip - I guess the easiest way to explain it is to say that we spent a lot of time relaxing. At the beginning of the trip, I was very frustrated by everyone always assuming that we knew no Swahili but it is a tourist spot so what shoul I expect? I suppose my constant frustration and disgust throughout the trip was the ignorant tourist. Zanzibar is a island that has about a 95% Muslim population yet people were wearing clothing that clearly would be seen as disrespectful and revealing to a Muslim. We were walking through Stone Town on our first night and saw a group of girls wearing micro-mini skirts and low-cut tank tops - I was ashamed of my gender. It is one thing to wear little clothing on a beach but it is another to wear it through the town where most people are covering the majority of their bodies due to religious beliefs. It made me really realize the importance of intelligent and informed tourism because clearly these people didn't know much (if anything) about Zanzibar and it's culture.
Peace.

Getting Mentally Ready To Move Onto The Next Stage...

2008-11-30T18:07:00.008+03:00

Today was a little rough for me... this morning I said goodbye to Natalie and Florian. I can't express how grateful I am that they have been here for the past five weeks - they have been like family to me. Evenings here at LJS simply won't be the same without them. I wish them both the best of luck. As I was saying goodbye to Natalie, we talked about how it is just that we are moving onto the next stage. I think that is truly an appropriate explanation of what is going on right now.
I feel like I am in an awkward transition right now - I have two weeks left in this place that has completely stolen my heart but I also have people back in the States who I am excited to see and talk to again. Tomorrow we head off to Zanzibar until Thursday night. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about the trip. I am excited to see what Zanzibar will be like but at the same time, this would be the last week that most of the teachers will be here.
Life seems to be in limbo... I am trapped between two worlds right now. The world in which I must live to finish my education so I am able to come back here and the world in which I want to spend the rest of my life. Right now I can't imagine what things will be like back home. I think it will take me a few days to realize that I have left Tanzania and that I won't be back for a little while. I have found my motivation and my reason for doing what I want to do. I have found my love and my passion again.
Peace.

Some people without whom this amazing experience wouldn't have been the same or even be possible:

Bariki.

Moreto.

Sylvester. Possibly the best resource I have consistently used here to practice my Swahili.

Anna.

Kidege. Always smiling and loves to say "My Mungu!"

Natalie and Florian.

Ancy.

Agnus.

Jimmy (and Catuk - the Indian couple's baby).

Luka Ramadani - PH's right hand man. Church builder, evangelist, driver, husband, father, family man, etc.

Me, Natalie, and Anna.

Florian - always one to make me laugh.

Natalie and I at the Orphanage. I felt like I could talk to Natalie about nearly everything... we bonded fairly quickly and saying goodbye to her was the most difficult thing I've had to do on this trip so far.

Time is Dwindling...

2008-11-29T18:02:00.001+03:00

As I woke up today I realized that in two weeks from today I will be en route back home. It honestly scares me to think about leaving here. People are starting to leave LJS… the long course students left about two weeks ago, Anne left last week, Natalie and Flo leave tomorrow, and Anna leaves to travel for Christmas break on this coming Friday. It is starting to feel like a lonely place and with so many people leaving, it is a reminder that we too will leave soon.
I’ve noticed that I am in a different place than the boys are concerning going back home. As the time gets closer, I don’t want to leave. I feel at home here and I feel like for once my mindset and way of living fits in with the people around me. I feel more at ease here than I ever have anywhere else. At times I feel guilty that I have ‘deserted’ the people in El Salvador, but they will always have a piece of my heart and they will always be in my prayers and in my mind.
I was talking to Bariki last night about how we have to leave soon – it has been a fairly common topic of conversation with people around here lately. Bariki started by asking me where I want to live if I don’t live in the States, I told him that I would like to live here. Then he asked if I’d want to live here for only a few years or for my whole life… I said for my whole life. We got to talking about why I like Tanzania – which I should add, is a very difficult question to answer. I explained that I feel more at home here than I do in the states because there is such a strong sense of community here and such a focus on relationships with other people. I tried to explain that in the States I don’t exactly fit in with the mentality of most people since I am a ‘hippie.’ I said how I love that people know that there might be problems but they push through them whereas in the States so often, people create problems for themselves.
I am so very appreciative of this trip because it allowed me to find my heart and the motivation I so very much needed to continue my studies and continue to work for the things that I am passionate about.
I suppose what scares me about going back to the States is that I am afraid of leaving the people here and loosing touch with these people who have helped me to grow. I am frightened that I might forget some of the things I’ve experienced here and I will get lost in the hustle and bustle of life in America. However, I am most afraid that for one reason or another I will not be able to return here and that honestly is the worst part about having to leave.
I have fallen in love with so many aspects of this place. I love the way that, despite the fact that I am clearly a foreigner, people will just talk to me and be patient with my language skills almost no matter where I am. I love how it looks when people here hold my hand. I love the idea that community is so important here. I love how people will give you all that they have – the hospitality and selflessness shown here is truly amazing. I love how people genuinely welcome us into their hearts and homes. I love how people don’t seem to create or dwell on complications in their lives as much as many people do in the States. I love the bright colors that seem to paint the country and its people. I love that I have made so many new friends here who have helped shape who I am and who I will be. I can say without the slightest doubt in my mind that I have fallen in love. I will never be the same again.
Peace.

Return to Maguha

2008-11-27T21:27:00.004+03:00

Fundraising auction.

Some of my choir girls.

PH preaching to the choir.

Mchungaji Dunia

Wednesday we went back to a village that we had been to much earlier in the trip and whose choir we had seen at a village or two recently. It was the Massai village atop a hill. It was a village I had fallen in love with before. It was the first village where someone pointed out that I was the only girl sitting, eating, and talking with the men. It was the village where one little girl flipped her eyelid inside out and made funny faces at us, reminding us that people are people no matter where in the world you are. It was Maguha.
Our most recent village simply solidified my love for this country. When we got out of the car, we greeted people as usual – but I got a pleasant surprise when several of the girls remembered my name and greeted me by saying ‘habari Sara.’ I knew at that moment that this was going to be a good day. The village was having a fundraiser to put in windows and floor so they had invited all sorts of elders from neighboring villages. We went in to have tea and some rice flour maandazi-type minicakes. Then we went out on a walk with some of the pastors and evangelists that had come to the village as well. When we got back from our short walk, it was just about time for church. We made our way into the church. As the service went on – which was long and hot, like all the others – I was reenergized when I heard little voices next to me calling out my name. I turned and some of the girls in the choir had been calling my name. From that point on I was almost inseparable from the choir. For the remainder of the service we made faces at one another back and forth across the aisle. When the service and auction (the church raised 2 million shillings for their projects) was done I went over by them and they had several pictures taken with me. They did the usual take/look at pictures and videos, touch the skin on my arms and feel my hair and time flew by. Before I knew it, Pastor Duniani came over and asked me if I was going to leave here today and told me that it was time for lunch (at about 5:30pm). After dinner/lunch I went back over by the girls and we were right where we had left off. Soon enough PH came over to tell me that we were going. The girls asked him if I could stay there until tomorrow. My heart absolutely melted. When I got into the car we waved goodbye frantically at one another and as we pulled away, they started to chase after the car. The choir will be at the KKKT (Lutheran Church in Tanzania) year-end seminar in two weeks. As we drove away, I started to think about how the day had an impact on me.
Today the last little bit of my heart fell in love with this country. It is so extremely difficult to explain what life is like here, but I will try so please bear with me. Life is simple. It revolves around relationships with other people rather than accumulating material possessions. It can be difficult at times but you are surrounded by people who understand your struggles and with whom you have the strong relationships that are able to be support through everything. Generally, life is communal – people live for and with one another. People will give you whatever little they may have. Hospitality isn’t just a kind thing to do, it is expected. People seem to trust you until you prove them wrong. Spirituality is huge and encompasses all aspects of life – whether it is formal religion or more loosely held faiths. People here live the message of the Gospels – love your neighbors above all else. People are patient with foreign speakers and will take the time to explain things in a different way/speak at slow pace just to be sure you understand them. People are welcoming and encouraging. Time isn’t something you race against, it is just there. Material possessions exist to help you survive – not to show some status. People always seem happy to spend time with one another.
Like I said, it is quite hard to express in words what life is like here because at times, it is so very different than life in the States. But I have most definitely fallen in love. For me, this hasn’t just been three months studying in a new, neat place. This has been three months of my life that I will never forget and that have motivated me to return some day soon. My heart is here with these people now and will probably always be. After this, I will never be quite the same and for that I am eternally grateful.
Peace.

Some Videos To Enjoy.

2008-11-25T06:14:00.002+03:00

The first video is of the Massai warriors at today's village dancing and singing for us.
The second is a video that Steve took of the killing of a cobra outside of the dinning hall here at LJS.
Peace.

Some Sights.

2008-11-24T18:47:00.006+03:00

Downtown morogoro... it is kind of a sprawling city. This is the heart of downtown - it is looking towards the daladala station.

From the last orphanage visit... she was such a cutie.

Tim with one of the crazy boys.

I just fall in love every time.

Natalie and another kid - we usually end up being human jungle gyms.

On the swing with Gifti.

Pretty sure this kid peed on me but cute nonetheless.

Kidege and Gifti (she was adorable and attached to him quite quickly).

On the swings... this kid had the cutest smile with huge dimples but I couldn't catch it on film.

Each and every sunset here is beautiful and different... as Barry (a new student from Australia says, 'it's just lovely.')

Luka's beautiful tiles.

My Travel companions monkeying around.

Florian with one of the kids.

Kidege pushing some kids on the swingset - they were almost all calling him Baba (dad/father)

Natalie and I hanging out with some kids at the orphanage.

Massai wire jewelry - usually women wear this wrapped around their arms or ankles.

A Weekend To Remember.

2008-11-23T20:19:00.001+03:00

Friday we canceled our afternoon Swahili class and Tim and I went with Kidege, Natalie, Flo, and Omega to the Catholic orphanage. Once again I have no words that will describe the experience except to say that the images will stay with me for a lifetime. (Pictures will come soon.)
Right after Tim and I got back, it was time to go to Luka’s house for supper. First, Luka’s house is beautiful – tile floor, blue and white walls, a chicken coop he just built that day, etc. We got to see the kids again and this time we were able to meet Rehema (Solomon’s oldest daughter who goes to a boarding school in the Kilimanjaro region). You could tell that Eme had been working for quite some time because we got a Thanksgiving-style feast. There was meat, fancy rice, small fish, sauce, cooked pumpkin leaves, jack fruit, pineapple, and mangos (and possibly more that I have since forgotten). As we were getting ready to leave Luka gave out a general invite for all of us to come back anytime. Then, as I was saying goodbye to everyone, Eme shyly said “Sara, karibu tena” (Sara, you are welcome to come again). It warmed my heart – each time we see Eme I can tell that, even though we can’t talk most of the time, that we’d get along quite well. Our feast was just that and it was a beautiful night in the company of new family here in Tanzania.
Then Saturday we lost power for most of the day/night. So Natalie, Flo, Anna, and I had a night hanging out by candle light, playing/listening to guitar and just talking. Several other people rotated in and out of our circle (Anne, Steve, and Bariki). It was a good time – we just spent the night as newfound friends and enjoyed each other’s company. I think that a big part of the beauty was that we didn’t need power to enjoy ourselves. So often in ‘developed’ nations we rely on electricity so much that we don’t know what to do with ourselves when it goes out and even though we are all from America or Europe (with the exception of Bariki), we had no problems finding something to do. I guess that is just one of the many ways that Tanzanian culture is wearing off on us – we place a greater value on human relationships than the ability to use electricity to separate ourselves and create barriers to relationships.
We went back to Mabugeri on Sunday (where there had been the violence against the Massai. This visit was much different from our last visit – you can tell that things have settled down quite a bit - on our drive into the village we saw Massai walking around and in town. When we got to the church, we had tea and maandazi (half cake). Then we hung around for awhile and waited for church to start. Church went along as usual and after church we went outside to shake hands. While we were doing this, one woman stayed inside and started to cry out hysterically. After the pastors gave their sending blessing, they headed back inside to see what was going on. Slowly we followed. When we got inside we saw a woman sitting on the ground crying out and almost convulsing. The pastors and evangelists began to pray over her – they shouted things like, “In the name of Jesus, leave her!” “Come Out!” and “By the blood of Jesus leave!” It took quite some time. A few minutes into this whole ordeal, Steve and I noticed the kids that were in the church were being shooed away from this woman, so we decided to keep the busy in the back. While we were playing with the kids, two mamas (probably about my age) came over and started to talk to me. They asked where I was staying, if I am studying, and welcomed me to visit again. Then they started to ask if Steve and I are husband and wife, I quickly told them no and they explained that I was by myself and there were three boys so they didn’t know. After the woman stopped, we went for lunch and then headed back outside to say goodbye and leave. Once we got into the car we asked PH what he though of what happened. He told us that he wasn’t sure if it was possession or if it was post-partum hysteria, since she done this before and had threatened to kill her child once.
Looking back on the day it is amazing to reflect on the hospitality we are shown anyplace we go. On our last visit, we brought them food to help them out and this time we were each given a plate of 5 or 6 maandazi, tea, and water before church and then each given soda, water, rice, beans, and meat/sauce for lunch. They are still in the process of recovering from everything that has happened but we are told that the school has reopened and half of the stolen cattle have been returned. But it amazes me how much people are always willing to give – even when they may not have much. So many times we have tendencies to keep the best things for ourselves and to keep to ourselves. That is hardly the case here – people will greet you and give you what they have to offer.
I have come to notice one difference between here and El Salvador that I think has drawn my heart even closer to this place … here I have never once felt unwanted. In El Salvador I haven’t really felt like this either but many times we get looks as we drive that are kind of saying ‘what are you doing here?’ But here no mater where we have gone people will come greet us, wave and/or chase the car as we drive past, or just send a genuine smile our way. It is a dichotomy at times – to feel like a complete alien but to also feel welcome and wanted. I love this place and, like I told Anne today as she left LJS for her home for the next 4 years, I will be back here someday, somehow. There is a beauty here that seems to find its way into your heart and it becomes a part of you that you simply cannot deny.
Peace.

The Powers We Deny.

2008-11-22T11:12:00.000+03:00

While we are here, we are all taking two observation/journaling classes – one about religion in Tanzania and the other looking at Contemporary Tanzanian culture. Last week Peter and I were talking about some of the challenges that these classes pose. The biggest challenge for us is that in Tanzania, the culture reflects a lot of the religious beliefs
(both past and present). Many times it is extremely difficult to differentiate between what is secular and what falls into the religious sphere. Since the country still is split about equally between Christianity, Islam, and traditional religions, it makes for a type of culture that encompasses and is tolerant of a variety of people and practices. Many of the busses and daladalas have some type of religious slogans written across them. It is interesting since in the US, while religion is important, it is separated from the rest of the nation’s (and many individuals’) lives.
One aspect of Tanzania that we’ve recently talked a lot about with Mchungaji is black magic. It is something that I think all four of us have some skepticism towards. However, at the same time, it is difficult to say that is flat out doesn’t exist, when someone you respect and know is deeply aware of the culture tells you that they believe these things exist. PH told us about stories of possession and curses. One he has told is about a Christian missionary family that lived in a very heavily Muslim area. One day some Muslim elders from the village came up to the mother and father and asked them, “What is your medicine?” They replied with, “Oh, if we are sick we get some medicine from the local store.” The elders didn’t like that answer, so they asked the question again. The Christians replied saying, “Well if we are really sick, we go to the local dispensary and get a shot.” The elders became furious. They asked what the family does each night and what time they go to bed. The family explained that each night they pray, sing, and then they shut off the lights around 8 or 9 since hey have small children. The elders told them that for the past few nights they had been trying to go and put an end to the missionary family but every time that they went, no matter what time of night, the light was on and there was singing coming from the inside. The elders told the missionaries that clearly they are protected by something powerful and they would be left alone from now on.
Another story we’ve heard is about Dr. Nyka – the woman who started Faraja Trust – and how she has woken up in the morning with little cuts all over her chest (a classic sign that you have been cursed and black magic has come to visit you in the night).
Finally we’ve heard about several spirit possessions. They are always women and when they are possessed, have raspy men’s voice that come out of them. I asked why women and why they are possessed by male demons. Mchungaji told me that it is because often times women turn to black magic to heal various (usually menstrual) ailments and when they do so, they are then kept in the hold of black magic by a possession. One story that PH had told us was of a woman who had gone to try and use black magic to heal something that was ailing her. She was supposed to bring a white sheet, a white chicken, and the hand of a child (meaning she had killed the child). She was at church one day while PH and Luka were there and Luka went outside with her for a little while. They talked and she explained that she had done the first two but was quite frightened to do the final task and she wanted out but she had drank a bottle of water with the ink of some verses and is now stuck. Luka (being the genius that he is) told her that drinking the blood of Jesus will save her and free her from the hold of the black magic. She agreed and went in the church to take communion and from then on she has been fine.
Even after hearing all these stories, I am not completely certain what to believe. Black magic traditionally goes along with Islam and Christians don’t really have a problem with it. But there are some things you hear that are just too odd to be a fictional story. And since I have been thinking about it for some time I have come to realize that if we accept the existence of a powerful, invisible being that interacts in our lives how can we also just blindly deny the existence of an evil invisible being?
Peace.

A Few Things To Keep In Mind With The Upcoming Holiday.

2008-11-18T21:24:00.004+03:00

It is almost time for a glutton’s favorite holiday in the States – Thanksgiving. Over the past few years I have become rather disillusioned with the basis of this holiday. What exactly is it that we are celebrating? Our ‘successful’ encounter with the Native Americans (which left about 75% of their population dead from war and foreign disease)? Our birth of our free nation (I’m pretty sure that holiday falls in July)? Or do we celebrate the harvest (while millions are unable to feed themselves and their families)? And why do we find the need to overindulge on this day when every single day there are millions of people who do not have that luxury?
As much as I hate to post a blog like this, it needs to be said and a lot of people need to hear it.
So as I sit here in Tanzania, constantly reminded of the need to live simply and of the importance of the people who we share the earth with, I’d like to share a few things that I hope you will keep in mind as you celebrate Thanksgiving this year. I encourage you all to take the time to really read all of this post in its entirety.
(The following facts and quotes were found at changingthepresent.org - a website that is aimed at changing the tradition of giving material gifts and moving towards giving donations to various organizations.)

“When I gave food to the poor, they called me a saint. When I asked why the poor have nothing to eat, they called me a communist.” – Dom Helder Camara

- In Sub-Saharan Africa, 200 million people go hungry every day.
- 250 million people have died of hunger-related causes in the last 25 years – roughly 10 million each year.
- 1 in 5 people in the world go to bed hungry each night.
- 30 million Americans – 13 million of them children – live in households that cannot afford an adequate balanced diet.
- Each day, 19,000 people die of hunger and hunger-related diseases. That is 13 people every minute of every hour of every day.
- The amount of grain produced in the world today could provide each person on the planet with the equivalent of two loaves of bread per day.
- The average American family throws away 14% of its food.
- 3.4 million people die each year because they lack access to safe drinking water.
- 1/6th of the world’s population does not have access to safe drinking water.
- A child dies every 15 seconds from water-related diseases.
- The average person in the developing world uses less than 3 gallons of water each day for drinking, washing, and cooking. This is the same amount used to flush a toilet in the developed world.
- It would cost an estimated $16 billion more each year to halve the number of people without access to safe water and sanitation. Americans spent $15 billion on bottled water last year alone.
- Women and children in rural Africa walk an average of 5 miles a day for water.
- 20,000 people die every day because they are too poor to stay alive.
- More than 1 billion people around the world live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1 a day.

“I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask: ‘Mother, what was war?” – Eve Mirriam
“Peace is not a dream; it is hard work, and there is nothing naïve, glamorous or simplistic about it.” – Dr. Oscar Arias, Nobel Laureate in Peace
“There will be no future without forgiveness. Any process of peace is bound to collapse if this is missing. There is no way to peace and stability can come through the gun of vengeance.” – Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu
“Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act on it.” – Pablo Casals

- War has killed 2 million children in the last 20 years.
- 90% of modern war casualties are civilians – mostly women and children.
- In the last 5600 years there have been only 292 years of peace.
- There are 92 known cases of nuclear bombs lost at sea.
- Every 30 seconds, an African child dies of malaria.
- Every year, more than 10 million children die before their 5th birthday from completely preventable diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia.
- Every day, 8000 people died from AIDS-related conditions.
- As many as 300,000 children currently serve in government forces or armed rebel groups. Some are as young as 8 years old.
- 1 in 4 victims of female genital mutilation will die as a result of the procedure.
- One woman dies in childbirth every minute in developing countries.
- 1 in 16 African women will die as a consequence of pregnancy.

You can help, if you look for ways to get involved you will find that they are staring you in the face. You don’t need to travel to another country; there are plenty of opportunities in all corners of the US.
Peace.

Prison Week

2008-11-17T22:17:00.005+03:00

Let's see, this past week we (well Peter and I) went to a total of 3 different prisons – the first was for the meeting on Tuesday, the second was a guard’s wedding on Saturday, and the third was a confirmation/baptism service at the youth prison. All of them were amazing in their own way. As hot and long as the day ended up being, Sunday would have to be my favorite. There were seven choirs – one Massai, one from a nearby all-girls high school, one Anglican, and the other 4 were local choirs of adults. It was great and each choir definitely had their own style of music and sound. Then of the two kids baptized, one was Waswahili and the other Massai. Finally, there were six people confirmed – one Massai boy, two prisoners, and three Waswahili. After the service there was an auction and then everyone was fed – which was a miracle in itself since the church was packed and then there were people sitting outside of the church as well.
I suppose, in retrospect, I loved this service because it showed some of the best of Tanzania – that people of different backgrounds are able to come together peacefully for a joyous celebration. I love that about being here – it is (mostly) a peaceful coexistence of different peoples. I think so often we get caught up in the little things that make us different from one another and we so easily forget that we are connected to one another and we are all human beings who deserve the same type of respect and compassion.

As the time begins to draw near for us to head back home to the States, I wonder how life will be different and I wonder how I will cope with it. I know that deep in my heart I will long to return to this place and reunite with the people who have been here with me through this experience. As I continue to talk to Godfrey through email (since he is studying at university now) we end almost each email with I will see you again. I will never forget the day I told him what I wanted to do in the future (work abroad in either the NGO sphere or in the religious sphere), he seemed to perk up and he told me that one day we might meet again if I return here. In our last email exchange (which was largely in Kiswahili, which makes me proud of my Kiswahili skills) I told him that I have fallen in love with Tanzania and I have decided that I would definitely like to work here, his response was ‘nasema karibu sanaaaaaaaaaaa’ (I say you are very welcome [to come back here]). In a weird way it gives me hope that I will one day return here. I don’t much want to come back to ‘save the poor Tanzanians’ I want to walk beside them and be here to support the people here. I guess it is all summed up in one of my favorite quotes…
"If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound to my liberation, then lest us move forward." - Indigenous leader
I think it sums up my experiences here – we are all bound to one another and we cannot go into another culture to simply make them like us, if we go we need to walk alongside them and let them lead through their culture while standing beside them and supporting our fellow human beings.
Peace.

Goats in church for offering again - it never gets old.

Preaching at the church door so the people outside can hear too.
- note the UNHCR tarp outside.

The six, diverse confirmands.

Choir at the wedding.

My travel companions climbing around.

The church at the youth prison all decorated for the celebration.

Praying with the couple before the wedding.

You Get Out What You Put In.

2008-11-14T21:24:00.006+03:00

Today started with us waiting for Mchungaji and Luka to return from Dar – they were picking up two of the pastors from the airport since they had visited Denmark. While we were waiting I ran into Sylvester, probably my favorite worker here at LJS. Him and I always talk and he is a great resource for practicing Swahili since he knows English so well but he always will try to make me talk only in Swahili (one thing that is especially nice since most people here at the campus tend to talk more in English). We were talking about the day and at somehow I managed to make it through the conversation in mostly Swahili (I broke into English once but caught myself and went back and translated it). At the end of our conversation Sylvester told me (in Swahili, of course), “now you are speaking beautifully. It is difficult to start, but now you are speaking like a Tanzanian.” Talk about a huge compliment!
Today we visited Konseli, another Massai village. Tim was unable to go today since he has Malaria (pole sana, Tim – so sorry), so it was just Peter, Steve, and I. It was nothing less than a beautiful day. When we got out of the car at the village people were singing and we were once again greeted once we stepped foot outside of the car. As we were greeting people, we were surprised to find that one of the young men, Michael, in the village spoke amazing English – possibly better than many of the teachers. We were quickly ushered into the church for tea (amazing, as usual) and maandazi (again, I love this stuff). As we waited for church to start, we talked with Michael some more and then some little boys came up and sat by me and started to feel my skin and hold my hands – it was so cute. After tea, some of the choirs started to come in and we moved to different seats. The service started and proceeded as usual – baptisms and all. One nice difference was that I was able to follow a lot more of the service than ever before. Like with every other service, it ended with the congregation going outside and shaking hands.
After we all shook hands and had the sending blessing, there was a healing service (like there usually is) and Steve and Peter went inside while I stayed out and talked to Michael. Another man came up to greet me and he told me that I was welcome to come back anytime and he pointed in the direction of where he stays and where there are places to stay in the village. He also told me that every Sunday they have service and that I should come back. I continued to talk to Michael about schooling and English. He said that many people, Massai in particular, have a difficult time obtaining education. For him, English is the language of the educated. He told me that many Massai weren’t able to start schooling until several years after the Waswahili people – much like many minority groups. He explained that he would have loved to go to university but he just didn’t have the money (1,000,000 shillings) and if he ever gets sufficient funds, he will try to go. He also told me that many Tanzanians would like to go to the US but it is so difficult to get a visa – they are able to get passports, but visas applications are so frequently turned down. He explained to me that he would love to go to the US just to see it and open up his mind (sounds a lot like the reason many Americans study abroad). Soon enough I wandered into the church for lunch (rice, beans, goat, pepsi, and water). After lunch we walked outside and hung around playing with the kids while PH, Pastor Paulo (one of the pastors who went to Denmark), and Pastor Malaki (the area’s pastor) talked with some of the men. At one point, two little girls came over to me and the older girl told me that she had brought over another little girl whose name was also Sara. When it came time to leave, Luka honked the horn and we had to break away from the kids. A couple of kids grabbed my hand and walked me to the car. As we walked, they told me not to leave – my heart just melted.
We drove out to one of the congregation members’ new house (very beautiful by the way!) and while we had some milk (Massai live by their livestock so milk and goat meat are food staples) Pastor Paulo joked around with me. Before I know it, all of the men were joking around with me that they had arranged my marriage and got a herd of cattle. This became the running joke for the rest of the day.
Finally, on to the lesson/realization of the day – you get out of things what you put into them. Today I went into the day with no expectations and with a confidence in my Swahili skills and I ended up having one of the best days yet – I didn’t want to leave the village today. A few nights ago my mom had told me that I might have found the place of my calling – part of this trip for me was to help me decide what part of the world I wanted to try to work in. When she told me this I felt like if I agreed with her, I would be abandoning the people that I love so much in El Salvador, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I am just drawn to Tanzania. I love living in community with others and the sense of people’s existence relying on one another and that is exactly how so many people here live. Then when I went into today with that thought in mind I could almost feel myself letting down a wall that I had put up that prevented me from fully falling in love with this place – I found myself trying to speak Swahili more, with less fear of making a mistake, and I let people into my heart. Being here has taught me that clichés become clichés since they are true for the most part. If you put good energy into something you will get good, positive things in return. I can truly say now that I am falling in love with this place and these people.
We leave in a month and I am already dreading having to leave this place. I can only hope and pray that I will be able to return here one day in the (near?) future.

Peace. (and photos :) )

Holding hands.

Smile!

Loving the cameras, as usual.

The first kids we've seen in the blue fabric... after asking both Moreto and Kidege, the color of a Massai woman's cloth is mearly a fashion choice.

This guy is deaf and despite getting him into two schools for the deaf, he kept running away from the first in Dar and couldn't learn in the second.

Through the looking glass.... or door.

The local choir... one of three choirs today.

Mchungaji Malaki .... this guy seems to be everywhere we go!

The boy on the left is Malaki's son... last week he swallowed a nail. He also responded to Luka's question of, "Who are you?" with "I am a child of father and mother."

The kid in the middle with the big smile just kept smiling at us like this pretty much the whole time we were there.

Mchungaji Paulo - one of the two Pastors who went to Denmark... this guy has so much energy.

No Words Can Ever Fully Describe - Photos From The Orphanage.

2008-11-14T07:52:00.007+03:00

*Most of these photos are compliments of our personal photographer, Steve.

Loving our sunglasses.

Natalie handing the baby over to Moreto for a little while.

Natalie, one of the Swiss students

He seemed to calm down when I held him and we looked outside.

This guy was clearly hungry but I told him that I couldn't help him with that.

Peace.

Watoto Katika Mahali Pote.

2008-11-12T21:25:00.000+03:00

(Children in Every Place) - Secondary title: Let the Children Come.

**Post #2 for today.**

Today after class we took a walk up to the Catholic Orphanage at the base of the mountains. The group consisted of Me, Natalie, Kidege, Moreto, Steve, Peter, Bariki, Omega, and Anne. It was a nice walk there and I got to talk with Natalie quite a bit. When we got to the Catholic compound, Moreto went and talked to one of the sisters and she pointed us in the direction of the children’s building. The compound was beautiful with plenty of trees and flowers and big, beautiful, brick buildings. The children’s building was in great condition – it wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t run down either. We walked over to the children’s building and walked up the stairs and when we walked through the gate/door we were met by children running across the center courtyard. Several kids came running up and hugged my legs – I was hooked. I picked up one of the girls and hugged her back. Before I knew it, I had one kid on each hip. After a good deal of encouragement, we went over to the office and signed in. We went in cycles into the room to sign in. I am fairly certain that I stayed outside with the kids as long as possible. I had been picking up one older girl and spinning her around and she followed me around a lot after that. Another girl came walking up to me and asked me to pick her up I did and from that moment on it was like she was attached to my hip. She had some sort of cream on one of her ears which smelled like zinc oxide and she smelled like she had soiled her diaper but it didn’t matter, she was adorable. I would lift her up in the air and I would tip her upside down and she would just smile and let a little giggle out. The kids loved my hair so I frequently shook my hair across their faces and they would just laugh. We had found out that the orphanage was running out of money for malaria medication and it was a pressing need for them so we decided to donate some money. Then after playing some more, we were invited to go on a tour. Our first stop was also our last – it was in the infant room. We walked in and the older kids that had followed us were sent out. There were about 6 infants in cribs. I quickly became attached to one little, two month old boy. He grabbed my finger and held on while he looked at me with a pleasant but confused look. He started to cry – I assume he was hungry since he kept trying to suck on anything in sight. But soon enough he calmed down a bit. Anne picked him up and I was able to hold him shortly after that. He was so very content being held and he loved to look out the window. Him and Steve also had several staring contests. We spent quite some time in there talking with one of the sisters about the children. Two of the infants were twins that had been born two months earlier. The sister told us that the kids don’t have mothers and that is why they are there. After the kids turn three their fathers, if they have them, are allowed to come pick them up. But all too often, their fathers never come. All too soon we left since we had to get back before it got dark and needed to get back for supper as well.
I can say that without a doubt that I left part of my heart there with the kids and hopefully we will get to return again soon.
To be honest, before we left today I was a little nervous that it would be too sad a sight – but once we walked through the doors and I saw the kids running towards us I knew that there was nothing to worry about. It was possibly one of the best experiences here so far. It was a nice reminder that even the orphanages here aren’t like you see on the ‘Save the Children’ commercials. The kids seemed happy overall and they didn’t appear to be malnourished or anything. Their genuine smiles and laughs were amazing to hear and there were so many smiles and kids laughing that it was almost overwhelming to my heart. Then when we saw the babies I was reminded of the frailty of life and how, as Natalie said on our walk back, these children didn’t choose to be born – this life was almost chosen for them. As I was looking out the window with the little boy I kept asking myself, it is such a big world out there, how much of it will you get to see? Will you get to see the good or just the bad? It is the difficult side of going to an orphanage. However the children’s genuine laughs and smiles will stick with me throughout my life. I pray that they get to experience the good and beauty in life and in the world.
(Photos will hopefully be posted soon.)
Peace.

More About Massai.

2008-11-12T20:37:00.001+03:00

Today we got to talk to Kidege about Massai culture – and we learned a lot, to say the least. I’ll start at the beginning…
Massai are divided into age groups which each have their own special responsibilities for men – a woman’s primary responsibility is to learn how to raise a family and cook.
Ages 4-8 are responsible for looking after the small animals.
Ages 9-14 fall into the lyoni category and they are responsible for herding goats, sheep and small cows nearby.
Ages 15-29 are the warriors or morani (this is what Kidege and Moreto are). They are trained by the elders. The warriors are primarily responsible for taking care of the village – they provide protection and they herd the cattle. Warriors are not allowed to drink alcohol – but once they leave the warrior age group it is allowed. Warriors are trained during a one or two month period in the forest by the elders. Their time in the forest is spent detoxifying their bodies and they eat only meat and drink tea made from the leaves of trees nearby which are said to have amazing medicinal powers. Warriors are trained primarily in defending the village rather than going out and seeking out fights. The warrior group has a leader for the region who is appointed by the elders who take into consideration a man’s family, history, etc. He then chooses five or so ‘cabinet’ members to help him. It is then his responsibility to keep track of the other warriors and call them to action if need be.
Ages 30-45 are responsible for helping the warriors.
Ages 46 to death are the wazee and they are the respected elders in the village.
Often times, if there is a conflict that the government isn’t paying attention to, the Massai will call in other Massai from another region to increase the threat (although they have no plans on physically threatening anyone) and put pressure on the government to intervene. It is a way for them to protect themselves nonviolently from the Waswahili people since there are so many of them and so few Massai.
Massai have an extremely rocky relationship with the Waswahili people – as evidenced by the violence in Kidege’s village in 2000 and in Kilosa a few weeks ago.
Having multiple wives is becoming less and less common among the Massai. People like Kidege’s father may have more than one wife but they discourage their children from doing it and they don’t take any more wives.
With those who have more than one wife it is a very peaceful arrangement. The women and their children respect one another. Usually each wife has her own home and the children sleep wherever they would like. The husband usually sleeps in the houseofhis youngest wife.

That’s all for now… stay tuned.
Peace.

A Church Meeting At The Local Medium-Security Prison.

2008-11-11T19:13:00.002+03:00

Today we split up into two groups - Tim and Steve went with Luka to start the building a church while Peter and I went to a church near a medium security prison with Mchungaji for a Bible Study with the evangelists. We left here around 10:30 and were at the church by about 11. It was a beautiful church shaped in a hexagon. After we got there PH found out that he had to go back to LJS to register a couple for marriage so he left us at the church with the evangelists. We got some time to talk between the two of us about religion, faith, reasons for coming to Tanzania, and things we've noticed here (all of which will probably be in an upcoming blog post). When PH came back, him and the evangelists (all people we'd met on previous village visits) talked about the news of their churches - Peter and I understood very little of what was actually being said - we could pick up words here and there but by the time we started to understand what they were talking about, the subject had changed. Then we ate with the evangelists and around 3 we started a Bible study of the upcoming week's readings. Peter and I were able to follow along a bit better (in part due to our English-Swahili Bibles). Some of the Lutheran prisoners (the ones that could get off of work duty) came to the Bible study too. We then had communion and headed back to LJS. Peter and I went up for communion with the prisoners and only after we got into the car did we find out that two of the men there were murderers. Apparently, these two men had killed an Indian Muslim, cut up his body and then used it for medicine or black magic. They were supposed to be hanged but President Kikwete, who is very against the death penalty, pardoned them and now they live in the prison since it is too dangerous for them to be released.
When we got back it was about dinner time and we had the pleasure of eating supper with PH - not a normal occurance, he usually only eats breakfast at LJS. We got a chance to talk to him about the final arrangements for our independent studies - one of the women who heads up the street children school at Faraja (a local NGO) comes to LJS almost every day so I will be able to talk with her sometime soon. We made plans to go to the orphanage tomorrow as well. But then I asked PH something that has been on my mind a lot lately - especially with me wanting to do a job like his. I asked him what he likes most about his job (a corny question, I know). But his response was the perfect explanation of why I want to do work like his - he said that he likes working with the people and he loves the solidarity here. He enjoys that fact that people here live in solidarity and that he is able to live here in solidarity with them as well.
Soon enough the subject switched to the use of black magic here. It is something that I have had some skepticism with. It is quite prevalent here and it is not uncommon for people who use it to put curses on other people. He told us that in order for someone to learn the secrets of black magic they must commit themselves to the evil and as a part of it they often are required to sacrifice someone they care about. Hopefully more will come about this soon, as PH hopes to talk with the language school students about black magic on Monday.
All in all, it was quite a day - communion with 6 prisoners, talk about black magic, a Bible study, and some time to finalize plans for our independent studies. I think that if today has taught me anything it is that even prisoners are just people who have made mistakes and that PH's job, living a life of solidarity) is looking more and more like the right job for me.
Peace.

A.M.L.N.F. (Asante Mungu Leo Ni Furahidei)

2008-11-08T17:52:00.005+03:00

Saying goodbye.

Learning the liturgy.

Hanging out with the neighboring village's pastor during the sermon on PH's chair.

The calves wanted to hear the sermon too.

Bibi wa Kidege (Kidege's grandma).

The choir.

The women singing before church.

So many funny face in one picture.

Newborn calf

Who would've thought that we'd run into camels in Tanzania!

Looks like a scene from the Sahara... except one the cisel plantation.

(note: a new blog was also added earlier this afternoon - check it out)

I would like to add to my last post before I start a new one. Sylvester (one of the maintenance guys here) is back after a break to take a driving course in Dar Es Salaam. I am so grateful for his presence here… not only is he always smiling but he also is so very patient and persistent with letting me practice my Swahili. I swear I could talk to him for hours. Today while I was talking with him, Cho (one of the Korean men) came over and started to talk to us. Cho is such a great person. One day I smiled and said ‘habari’ to him and since then he has always made a point of saying hi and attempting to talk to me. Today we were the only ones at tea so we talked about all sorts of things through a combination of broken Swahili and English. This weekend the long course students are finished so they will all be leaving and going out to their work sites – it will be very lonely here without them. But I am just grateful for everyone here who is patient and willing to help me practice my Swahili. Where I used to think only in Spanish or English, now every once in awhile I find myself searching my brain for the Spanish word because it has been replaced by the Swahili word. Granted this is only with very simple words… more complex words still come out before I can think of the Swahili equivalent.

This is where the title for the post comes from (Thank God today is Friday).
Now to the update from yesterday – we went to Kidege’s village. He said he went home about a month ago (he’s been home a lot more recently than the 4 months that is has been since I spent time at home). We were able to meet his father on the way into the village, however he had to take a child to the hospital so he couldn’t be in the village with us today. We got there and had tea and Cassava in Kidege’s home. Then we headed off to the tree under which church is held. We waited for quite some time and eventually the kids decided to go for a walk around with Kidege. We got a nice following of kids and just wandered. We stopped for awhile to look at a mother cow and her newborn calf that was learning to stand and then also at the building site for a water pump that is currently about half built. We slowly headed back and waited again while the women sang before church started. The service started and soon enough the sun had moved and the Americans were no longer in the shade so we moved. When we did that, one of the women came over and gave me her kanga to use to keep the flies away. She asked if I had bites all over my legs – my legs make me look kind of like I have the chicken pox since I have so many bug bites. It will be a true miracle if I don’t get malaria with how many bites I’ve gotten so far. The service continued and when it was done we did the usual circle for shaking hands. Then we headed back to Kidege’s home for some rice for lunch and then we came back to LJS.The visit made me notice how people practice religion here. PH had told us before stories that many people will sing religious songs at night as a type of devotion. But I noticed that when people go to church they take it very seriously, but not to the point that they don’t have fun with it. People don’t always know the liturgy but they sing out what they do know. When people pray they tend to fold their hands and bow their heads down – it looks like a very traditional, submissive posture for praying. The songs they sing are done with so much passion. People listen very intently to PH’s sermons – they aren’t sleeping or ‘resting their eyes’ during the sermons. And just think, services here last several hours!
Overall, I’ve noticed that religion is taken very seriously here and it is more than attending a one hour service. Prayer is done with purpose and without distraction. Religion is faith. It is real. And people embrace it. Amen.
Peace.

I Am The Wanderer.

2008-11-08T12:05:00.002+03:00

I went for another short walk to a small store down Old Morogoro Road today. It seems like every time I go i enjoy it more and more. Today, since I went on a Saturday at about noon, it was busier with more people walking to and from town, their homes, various tasks/jobs, etc. It was wonderful and I was able to meet a bunch of people again. On my way to the store (duka) I meet two people walking together in the same direction as me so we walked together for a ways and talked. I feel like there is less pressure to talk to people when I'm walking down Old Morogoro Road so I feel more confident in my aiblities and I tend to talk to more people. The man was a Catholic and the woman was Moravian. They asked where I was from, where I was walking, if I am studying Swahili, and told me that I was speaking well (a big compliment since I feel like I can barely speak). At the store I met two boys who had come to buy time for a phone. I talked to them for awhile and then we parted ways and I wished them a good day. Finally, on my walk back I caught up to a couple women walking with their babies. One of the women started talking to me quite a bit. We walked together and she told me her name was Angela or Mama Gladinus (women here are often called by 'Mama' and then the name of their first child). When it came time to part ways, we said good bye and she was telling her daughter (Gladinus) to say goodbye 'auntie Sara.' I love the closeness in this culture. It takes very little time to get people to open up to you, in fact they will often start up the conversation. I know that a lot of the attention I get from people and a lot of times people talk to me largely because I am a 'mzungu' (white person). And I know that people talk a lot slower to me because they assume that I won't understand them if they talk at a normal speed (which is a correct assumption and I am grateful for it). But nevertheless, it feels nice to feel included in the culture and accepted by the people even though I am clearly not from here. I got an email from Godi today - he used to be a teacher here (before we came) and would come visit every once in awhile, I met him only once or twice but I have a feeling that he is someone I will keep in touch with. A few days ago Omega told me that I live here now so I am no longer a tourist - at the time I didn't understand how that was possible, but as I build relationships with people here and start to feel at home here I can see that sense of living here coming through.
I can say without a doubt in my mind that I love this place and the people here. As a culture it is so communal in nature - everyone is called by brother (kaka), sister (dada), mother (mama), or father (baba). It is a more concrete way of expressing the sense that everyone is family and everyone depends on everyone else - much like family members rely on one another.
Peace.

To Kilosa and Back Again - All Systems Go. Part Two.

2008-11-04T21:20:00.004+03:00

The men gathering with the Bishop.

Saying goodbye.

Good turn out for church despite everything.

Kids napping on the church floor.

Women gathering in church.

Our donated food.

Moving the food inside.

Like my previous blog said, we headed off to Kilosa today – the Massai village that has been having all the problems recently with rampant violence. It was an exciting day, to say the least. Our day started with breakfast with Mchungaji, like usual. He gave us a brief overview of what our day might look like and then he asked us to pull together some of our money (if we wanted to) so we could buy food for the people since most are in hiding and they cannot go out to get food. Between PH, Tim, Steve and I we pooled together 240,000 tsh – a little under $240 USD. We were able to buy maize meal (used to make uji [porridge] and ugali [a thick maize meal] – two staples in a Tanzanian diet), cooking oil, sugar, beans, rice, soap, and potatoes. The food literally poured over the small trunk of the car and into the backseat – trust me, I was sitting in the backseat with all of it. We drove to the village and it was extremely eerie – usually as we drive to the Massai villages (which tend to be located a ways off of the main road and accessible only by dirt ‘roads’) we see many Massai intermixed with the Waswahili people and then out and about in the Massai territory. But this time we drove and saw no Massai. The Waswahili people seemed to give us looks of disapproval – a big difference from the smiles and waves we get as we pass through their village on the way to see the Massai. Once we got into Massai territory things got even more eerie – we saw no one. Sheep and cattle were grazing with no Massai herders, very few people were outside of their homes, and it felt like a genuine ghost town. We got to the church and unloaded the food into the pastor’s house. Then we took a walk around. Virtually no one was outside. We walked out to the school where they had stored anything they could save and hide from the police, Waswahili, and thieves – several families lost everything they had. We were told that when people ran from the police, who had come to ‘find the culprits and bring them to justice,’ thieves followed, knowing that no one would be protecting their homes and belongings. They took chickens, floor mats, and anything they could find. Then we walked to the water tank – PH and Luka hit it and we only heard a hollow sound (talk about adding insult to injury). As we were walking, we saw a truck drive past on the road into town. Everyone stopped and stared – it even looked like a bad truck. The evangelists and pastor told us that it was a truck that the thieves had been using for the past three days to carry stolen goods out of the village. We asked PH why the Massai don’t just slash their tires or something and he responded with, “The Massai are usually a very gentle people.”
We headed back to the church to sit and talk with some men. Still, very few people had come out and those who did, did so very hesitantly. It was obvious that people were still frightened. While we talked to the men you could see their appreciation for our visit but at the same time there was an underlying feeling of sadness. Slowly more and more people (mostly women and children) came and went directly into the church. After we finished our talk with the men, we got ready for church. As we walked into the church it looked like a place of refuge – children were sleeping on the floor, women were talking amongst themselves, and there was a hint of relief. We held a usual service but it was kept short so no baptisms. We finished the service, said our goodbye, and got ready to head off. When we got back in the car PH told us that they wanted the service short so they could get back to safe places quickly but they had stayed around for awhile with us since it felt so good to be together in community for a happy reason.
I think that this visit had a special meaning for me since it is so much of what I want to do with my life – I want to be able to provide hope for people when they need it, I want to be able to be there when times are rocky and when times are good, I want to live in a place where I can help with daily problems but also work with problems that arise from injustice and violence – I want to be able to help mediate and provide hope and happiness when people need it most. This visit also reassured me of the hope and happiness that can be found in a community of faith. I was amazed at the visit today and I am certain that the sights and sounds will stick with me for an eternity. These types of things are my motivation and my hope – motivation to work for a world of peace and justice, and hope that such a world is possible.
Peace (of every kind, for everyone, in every corner of the world).

All Systems Go. Part One.

2008-11-04T06:55:00.002+03:00

Well, today we are headed off to the Massai village where there is the violence. The theory we are operating under is that no one will harm 5 Americans. We will be taking food for the Massai since most are in hiding and food supplies are running low. Stay tuned... the next blog should be a good one.

I am aware that today is a big day in the States as well - election day! All I ask of you is that you go out and vote. When you are voting keep in mind that (as much as we may hate to admit it at times) the U.S. has a great deal of power in the world. So whoever you vote for, please keep in mind the people in the world who are suffering from war, poverty, injustice, etc.
Peace. (and happy voting)

A Day In The Life.

2008-11-02T10:38:00.002+03:00

*** now the third post in the past 24 hours or so... be sure you're up to date! :)

Now that w have been here for 8 weeks and have gotten into a definite schedule, I thought I should probably share what a typical week looks like around here.
Monday through Friday is usually the same (unless we go out on a village visit with PH)
I usually wake up anywhere between 6 and 7 and if I have time, I will do some yoga before breakfast. Breakfast is at 7 and I usually eat with PH, Anne, and Steve. For breakfast they have bread, uji (kind of like cream of wheat, slightly different), yogurt, granola, and eggs (although sometimes they have french toast or pancakes too).
After breakfast I usually shower and then head off to morning devotions which consist of singing two songs, a Bible reading, a reflection on the reading (depending on who did that day’s devotion), and announcements. After devotions we break off into our Swahili groups and head out to the huts for some learning. Lessons are comprised of reading the Swahili book aloud and then translating as we read. Halfway through each chapter there is an exercise to practice vocab and any grammar we learned. At the end of the lesson there is a dialogue that we read and sometimes answer questions about, then we read through the vocabulary list at the end of the chapter and then do a final exercise. Each day we go through about 1 or one and a half chapters. At 10 we have a half hour break for tea. During this time I usually head back to my room to do laundry or just relax and let my brain rest. We reconvene at 10:30 to continue lessons until noon when we have lunch, which usually consists of rice, beans, some type of meant, some fruit, and some vegetables. We then have free time, which I usually spend reviewing Swahili, working on research for my independent study, napping, outside reading or just relaxing around my block. Lessons reconvene again at 2:30 and last until 4. At 4 we have tea. This is usually when we go to town, if we do so. From 4 on the night is free. I usually relax for awhile (thinking in another language all day is draining) and then study (either Swahili or my independent study). Dinner is at 6, although people don’t usually go until about 6:20-6:30. Dinner is made up of a lot of the same things as lunch. After dinner I will study for awhile and then usually head into the common room in the evening to hang out with whoever is around. Sometimes at night we play board/card games other times we lounge around and watch tv and some nights, when nothing much is happening, I will just hang out in the common room and surf the internet or read the (English) newspapers.
Saturday and Sundays’ schedule changes depending on where/if we go out with PH. Saturdays lately we have had off. So I spend those days cleaning up my rooms or doing laundry. After those things are done I will have a mix of studying and just relaxing and listening to music. Sundays (and other days we go out with PH) we usually meet around 8:30 or 9 and wait for everyone to be ready and then leave around 9:30. We pick up any number of people along the way and once we get to the village we usually have tea (again, depending on where we went) Then PH organizes things for the service – registering baptisms, catching up on news of the village, etc. – while we sit around and attempt to talk to people (we’re getting a lot better). The service starts anywhere from noon to 3 and last several hours. All of the services consist of readings, a sermon, greetings and introductions of the Americans (us), communion, usually baptisms, offering, and lots and lots of singing. After church, if we are in a Waswahili village (rather than a Massai one) there is an auction of things people donated during the auction – things like crops, fabric, livestock, etc. After the service we have lunch, although it is usually more like dinner by the time the service is finished. Then we say our goodbye and head back to LJS. The nights we go out with PH and Luka are usually nights when we go to bed earlier.
But that’s pretty much what any day here could look like – each day still has its surprises but for the most part they all follow this basic outline.
Peace.

Existential Questions

2008-11-01T20:58:00.000+03:00

*** post #2 for today... don't forget to check out the previous one.

With all the village visits we do, and as a result, all the services we observe, I can’t help but reflect more on matters of faith. I have gained a deep appreciation for my faith and how it developed. I have come to the conclusion that a person’s faith is rooted in they way they were raised/came into faith. I believe that many people who have found their own meaning in faith, rather than blindly following the faith they were raised in, tend to have a stronger faith that is based in their own experiences and worldviews. Others follow the faith that has been drilled into their heads since they were baptized without question. I love that the people here whom we have met who are members of the Christian faith are so committed to their faith and I believe that it is the result of knowing what it means to struggle and choosing to enter the faith community and then letting faith develop through life experiences – both good and bad.
Part of faith comes from doubt or question. Lately I have been reminded of this, once again. Being in a place like this, a country that is so very impoverished and rampant with nutrition/health issues makes me wonder if there is a higher power. No one ever deserves to suffer so faith becomes tough to resolve when you are faced with suffering and pain. (Although people in places like this may be poor economically, they are rich in culture, compassion, and joy). I guess my struggle comes more from the violence that often goes hand in hand with poverty (and just all violence in general – go ahead, call me a hippie). How can a loving God possibly allow so many innocent people to suffer at the hands of power-mongers? Many people believe in the power of prayer to solve problems, but isn’t prayer just a passive way to pretend that you are helping, when in reality you are basically idly sitting on your hands? People of faith have prayed for the end of suffering and the end of wars every single day for hundreds of years but we have never once had peace in the world.
I suppose I am torn between faith and skepticism at times. There is so much hurt and pain in the world but at the same time, I can see here (and in El Salvador as well) how much hope and joy faith gives people. Is it just an ‘opiate of the masses’? Or is faith the means by which we face struggles trying our best to emulate examples of action set forward by our prophets and the Messiah?
I have realized that part of faith is applying it. It is one thing to be able to rattle off any Bible verse but if you don’t live out the message of Jesus then what good is your faith actually doing? I think that is where faith becomes the ‘opiate of the masses.’ This is where I think the hippies had it dead on (until the drug culture destroyed them) – they lived lives of peace and love for all. Anyone was welcome into the ‘family.’
In one conversation I had with my mom shortly after I got here she reminded me that I have always been more about living the Gospel than memorizing it. It is true, I would love to see people going out and being peace-makers, lovers of humanity, and people who have a genuine concern for all people of the world rather than sitting all pious and rattling off the scriptures but then turning around and contributing to the pain and suffering that exists.
So I will pray for peace and justice, but take action to help my prayers along – I suggest you do the same… sometimes even God needs a little boost; after all, taking care of all of the people of the world is quite a hefty job.
Peace.

A Day For The Memory Books.

2008-11-01T10:07:00.002+03:00

Yesterday proved to be yet another very interesting day full of quite a few surprises, some of which we didn’t find out about until today.
Thursday Tim and Peter went out on a village visit with Mchungaji and then Steve and I were supposed to go out to a village yesterday. At breakfast, we were told to meet at 9 am and Mchungaji and Luka would come pick us up after getting a new tire. Well at about 8:30 PH walked past my door and told me that we wouldn’t leave until 9:30 now because one of the cars that the group was going to take had broken. So PH and Luka left at 9 to get the new tire and around 9:30 Steve and Moreto and I were ready and waiting. We waited and waited with no sign of PH or Luka. By about 11 we went into the common room to wait. When PH hadn’t come by about noon we figured that we wouldn’t be going to the village anymore. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and doing a lot of nothing – which felt great after a week full of visits and Swahili class. I took a walk with Anne to go pick up the shirts she had made for her niece and nephew and then we talked again later last night. We probably talked for about 2 or 3 hours total. Like usual, it was nice to talk to her since it feels like I have found someone who understands me. We talked about all sorts of different things again – a person’s ability (or lack thereof) to heal completely after a traumatic experience, concern for others’ well-being, family, responses to people who may ridicule you, and faith and the practice of it. Then at about 7:30 at night the boys came into the common room and told me that PH had gotten back about an hour earlier. The pretty much concluded up the excitement for the day.
Then this morning I woke up and went to breakfast and PH told me, Steve, and Anne about his day. He apologized that we didn’t get to go with him and explained that the other people traveling with him had basically taken over the car due to impatience to get to their destination so he wasn’t able to come get us. They were going to a village were the lybone (Massai spiritual leader) was practicing black magic and putting curses on people. They took along a prophet who was going to tell the lybone that he needs to stop cursing people and hurting them or else he will face a lot of death.
The PH started to talk with us about the conflict that is arising between the Waswahili people and the Massai in one of the villages. Basically, some cows had been stolen and when a Massai warrior had gone to talk to the Waswahili, he was killed. From there the violence and revenge killings have only escalated. The police have come in to try and handle it, but they tend to only go after the Massai (the native minority group). But the situation here is very similar to one that PH said happened in 2000. One of the big challenges faced by people across the world is injustice and violence against the native populations. Tanzania is no exception to the norm. The conflict is still going on and many different people are working to try to resolve it. Interestingly enough, this is the village PH is supposed to visit on Tuesday (although he may not now since it might pose a risk to him as well, since he is a friend to the Massai). But when PH talks about this he always mentions a laundry list of people who are actively trying to resolve it – the church, people within the villages, the police (although they might be doing it unfairly and unjustly), and a member of parliament who had helped peacefully resolve the conflict in 2000 (which had been in Kidege’s village).
Does the situation sound familiar? The repetition reminds me of something I read in a book I have been reading in my free time here – “American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century” by Kevin Phillips (yes, I am aware that reading books like this for fun might make me a bit of a dork). The book says, “history repeats itself only in outline.” It is a lot like what happened in colonial America between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims. Can we never learn from the mistakes and bloodshed of the past? It breaks my heart, even after the early American took the land of hundreds and thousands of Native Americans and then killed 75% of them, we still have rampant killings of a land’s native population – something to think about with Thanksgiving coming up.
Until this is resolved, we hope for the best and I ask you to keep this community in your hearts in minds.
Peace (for everyone, everywhere).

Addition to 'I Like Your Face'

2008-10-30T19:01:00.002+03:00

*The last post was full of pictures so please check them out as well.

In our lesson today I asked Moreto why people said I had a nice face (uso mzuri). He told me that some said I had the face of a child that was just born. I asked why they say that and he gave a very lengthy response.
1) When children are only a day or two old, they have white skin, so people say wazungu (white people) look like newborns.
2) I have soft skin and hair like a newborn baby.
3) I apparently have the chin of a child - I'm not sure how, so I'm willing to accept any explanations of this.
4) Babies are always smiling and laughing (not that other people are angry) and I have a tendency to do just that while we are at the villages.
Guess that gives me a 'baby face' - but hey, not bad things so I'll take it as a nice compliment.
Peace.

Some Photos From the Past Two Villages.

2008-10-30T18:39:00.005+03:00

About one quarter of who would end up coming to church on Wednesday.

Hanging around on Wednesday waiting for church to start.

Waiting for church on Wednesday.

Mother who gave me her child for awhile during church Tuesday.

Tim taking a cat nap in the car on the drive to church on Tuesday.

Children at church on Tuesday.

Jimmy and Katuuk (sp?) - the Hindu couple's driver and their son (respectively)

PH and some Massai men on Tuesday.

I was decorated with all this jewelry but didn't know what to do next.

With the Massai men on Tuesday donning some typical Massai jewelry.

The boys and Moreto and the Massai men on Tuesday posing for the camera.

Photos with the Women from Wednesday

Outside the church on Tuesday.

Outside the church on Tuesday with the Massai men and Moreto

Even the men like to touch my hair.

Peace.

I Like Your Face.

2008-10-29T22:24:00.000+03:00

The past two days we have been going out on village visits and these two have led me to a long-awaited realization. Lately I have been feeling out of place when we visit the villages and it was the result of usually being the only woman in gatherings of men. I felt at times like I was breaking cultural norms and being almost offensive. I don’t want to send the wrong image of Massai culture though – from what I have experienced, women are just as important as men, they just tend to stay separated. Yesterday I spent time observing and making some observations on it all and then today I decided to try something new.
Starting with yesterday’s visit I tried to focus on where the women were in relation to the men and how the kids interacted as well. Grown women seemed to stay separated while the children seemed to gravitate towards the same gender but were not exclusive by ay means (not to say that the adults avoid the opposite gender in public). It furthered something I had noticed about Tanzanian gender dynamics – women tend to gravitate towards women and men to men (again, I do not mean to say that this is exclusively a Tanzanian thing – it just feels like it sticks out more here since I am not native to this culture). Even here at the language school, the boys seem to be able to get much closer to the majority of the men here. I think that since there are boys on this trip, it makes it easier for them to gravitate towards one another. It seems to have taken me longer to develop relationships with the male teachers here than the relationship that is almost assumed between the females here and myself. But back to the village visit yesterday. I noticed a greater ease of relating to the children than the boys did. During a great deal of the service I would make faces and smile at the kids, each one warmed up to me quickly. At one point in the service, one of the young women in the choir noticed me making faces and smiling at her infant daughter (which Tim had been doing as well) and this woman came over and handed me her daughter. By the end of the service, one of the little girls that I had been making faces at came over and grabbed my hand to walk out of the church together. Then after the service, I had several girls around me and some of the women came over as well. I should add that in addition to the pictures of me and Massai men/young boys that now are almost protocol after service, the older women asked for pictures with me as well. This ease of connection with women and their children seemed to be a theme that carried over from previous visits. If I had to guess, I would probably say that it hints at the women’s role in Massai villages in comparison to men’s roles. Women tend to be the ones we see caring for the children while men are the ‘bread-winners.’ The men appear to be great and loving fathers but the women seem to be the primary caregivers.
Then today I decided to try a little experiment. While we were sitting in the church waiting for the service to start I sat on the other side of the church from my male travel companions and Moreto (who came with us once again). Moreto asked me why I was sitting by myself and after guessing that I was tired he asked if it was because I was a girl. Once the women and girls started to trickle into the church they came and sat by me. Experiment successful! The women and girls started trying to talk to me almost immediately. One girl asked if I put special medicine on my hair to make it so soft. Then she brought a book over (it was a book to teach people to read and write in Kiswahili so they cold read the Bible) and she read it with me. One woman talked to me for a little while and asked where I was staying and showed me who (of the people we were sitting by) her daughters were. Another girl asked me if I had any children. When the service started, I sat with the boys and Moreto. About halfway through the service, Moreto leaned over and told me that the girls sitting by us had been talking about how I ‘have a nice face.’ Throughout the service, I would feel someone touching my hair and by the end of the service, she was sitting next to me. We walked outside after service and all the young women (most of whom were mothers) had gathered around me and were touching my hair, feeling my skin, and asking if they could trade bracelets with me. The bracelet trade never went through but the girl who had been touching my hair through the service gave me one of her necklaces.
So I guess the lesson of my little social experiment has no conclusive results other than my assumptions – women can relate easier to the kids (it takes a lot less work for me to connect with the kids than it seems to for the boys) because they are usually the caregivers; women separate themselves from the men, and vice versa, because they relate easier to one another than to the men; women appear to be just as highly valued (if not more) as men they just perform different roles. Oh, and apparently, I ‘have a nice face.’
Peace.

P.S. Stay tuned - Pictures will be coming soon.

Sometimes God Just Knows.

2008-10-27T19:20:00.000+03:00

We have reached the half way point in our trip – 7 weeks down (already!) and 7 left. It is a blessing as much as it is a curse. I feel like we have just gotten here but that is now how much time we have left to enjoy this beautiful place. On the other hand, it means that there is only 7 weeks until I get to see my family and friends again. I suppose this has been one of my biggest challenges here – I miss my friends and family. I have come to realize (mostly in the past couple days) that it is largely brought on by who my traveling companions are. I applied to this study broad knowing that I would be away from family and friends and I was okay with that, but I also didn’t plan on having three guys who were already best friends as my traveling companions. Don’t misunderstand me, the boys are fun and I enjoy their company. My struggle lies in the constant reminder that they are here with their best friends and they know and understand each other and each other’s pasts. It makes the trip difficult for me because I often find myself feeling like a fourth wheel (even though they sometimes try to make it not so) and then I am reminded that my friends, who know me and my past, are thousands of miles away.
I was talking to Anne (pronounced a-nn-ae), one of the Danish students here, about this feeling on our walk over to the seamstress and she echoed my feelings (she came with a newlywed Danish couple). Well, we went to the seamstress and, through broken Swahili, explained what she wanted to have made (some shirts for her niece and nephew). Then we walked back and headed to lunch, where almost everyone had already finished eating. Anne and I got to talk for quite awhile about some of the things that have been obstacles for me and my dreams. I should explain, Anne is an anthropologist who enjoys working for development (the same general thing I want to do). She spent some time in Ghana several years ago and at that point realized that she wanted to live and work abroad. We got to talking about life and dreams and love (like I said, a lot of things that have been obstacles for me). It was nice to be able to talk to someone who is farther in life than me (she is about 34), who shares my hopes and dreams, and who has experienced similar struggles. We talked for awhile about how, if at all, it is possible to have both love and still work to actualize dreams of peace, development, and justice. I suppose you could say that I found another hippie. We talked about past and present relationships. We talked about the human need to find love and companionship and how that balances (or possibly doesn’t) with doing development work. We talked about how it is so very easy to plan out the distant future and forget about the present or near future but how we need to remember to live and plan in the present and near future since you never know what the distant future will bring. We talked about how striving for development and peace is very much a counter-culture and how it is easy to lose that drive and passion by following popular culture but how it is so very important to maintain that drive and passion no matter what. We talked for almost an hour and a half and reached almost no conclusions but we found solace in our common struggles and in the fact that we are not alone in them.
I have been reminded more and more lately that a big part of living (or studying) abroad is that it teaches you more about yourself – it gives you and opportunity to step back and examine your life, actions, and inactions. I feel so very blessed for my conversation with Anne today – it reminded me that I am not alone and reminded me to reach deep within myself and work for what I want. Anne and my conversation was just another very-much needed reminder that God knows each of us and our needs and he has an amazing way of showing us his presence at the most needed times.
Peace.

Wow, That Was Random.

2008-10-26T22:41:00.005+03:00

Let’s see, over the past two days quite a bit has happened. Let me fill you in…
Friday two new students came to LJS. They are a young Swiss man and woman (both in their mid-20s). I have spent the past few nights talking to them about all sorts of things. We have talked about the lack of international knowledge on the part of most Americans quite a bit. Both have been very good about not just talking negatively about Americans, but being constructively critical and at the same time realizing that Americans aren’t the only ones who can be like that.
Yesterday we went to the Cattle Market again. I’ll just say that it is a lot more fun when you actually know some Massai. We kept having people come up to us that we had met on visits and they would ask us if we remembered them and then ask us the name of the village we met them in (quite a challenge when we barely find out the names of the villages). But it was really quite fun. We wandered around for a bit with Mchungaji and then we ate goat and while Mchungaji met with some men, we wandered around a bit more. The whole dead animal thing still is leading me towards being vegetarian… this time we got to the market earlier and saw the goats with their skin cut off and hanging (like last time) but many still had their heads and legs attached… not the most appetizing sight.
We got back from the Cattle Market around 4 yesterday and I went on a walk. I walked down the Old Morogoro Road, a minor ‘neighborhood’ right next to the school. It was really nice, I got the chance to talk to and greet people as I walked. One woman I walked with for a little ways was asking me about myself – in addition to making this place feel more like home, it boosted my confidence in my Swahili skills. But when I reached my turning point I saw a fruit/vegetable stand that had sugar cane. Since the boys really enjoy sugar cane I decided I would get a piece for them to share. Turns out the man who works there had worked here at LJS for two years. He was asking me about what I was doing in Tanzania and if I knew some of his friends who still work here. Then on my walk back, I heard a car honk behind me and all of a sudden Delta, Kidege, and Jimmy pulled over on the side of the road. They gave me a ride the rest of the way back to the seminary.
Then today we went to a harvest festival at a Waswahili (non-massai) village. First, the road (once we got off of the main road) was filled with little (but deep) dry water ravines so it was a good thing Luka drove us. The service was a Reformation Sunday service and we had guests from various Christian denominations (including several Catholics) and they all came up and shared in communion together… talk about not allowing boundaries get in the way of Christian fellowship! The service wasn’t too long but the auction afterwards lasted longer than the service did! It was the celebration of the harvest so people brought all sorts of different crops as offerings. There were also several chickens/roosters and a goat – which proved interesting when people take their offering up during the service. It definitely puts a new spin on the typical church send-off when the goat is trying to eat the string tying together the sugar cane and pooping in the middle of the church. The auction was fun since we now have enough Swahili to bid and have fun with it. There was a great deal of bidding between people and gift giving. I was given an orange and black kanga by one of the Catholic men. All I heard was ‘kwa Sara’ (for Sara) and then the auctioneer came over and gave me the kanga and then two women wrapped it around me!  And then Luka and PH bought all four of us baby coconuts. I in turn, gave a large majority of my coconut to some of the kids who were standing by me – don’t get me wrong, I love them. I just wanted to share the wealth. We ate as a community to celebrate the harvest and then we left.
Finally, tonight we went out to supper to celebrate Steve’s birthday (two weeks late – oops!). We went to a hotel restaurant that we had eaten at earlier for Kirsten’s birthday. As much as I enjoy the ooking at LJS, it was nice to be able to pick what I wanted to eat.
I almost forgot, I had two more shirts made – from a brown fabric with green butterflies and small flowers. I love them. And I bought some more fabric at the Cattle Market to have some more things made. I just can’t get over the fact that I pay about $7.50 USD to have a hand-made one-of-a-kind shirt made – and it supports the local economy! Life doesn’t get much better than that!
Peace.

Tim definitely loves when we have chickens in the car with us.

Goat in church.

The road... aka the real reason for having 4-wheel drive

Drawing in the dirt... it really is a universal activity.

Finally getting into the bubbles.

The stare down.

This little guy was so patient... he just waited until it was his turn... he also was crawling and 'posing' on the floor in the house for us during tea.

Took them awhile to open up to the idea of playing with the bubbles.

Tim modeling some massai beaded jewelry at the cattle market.

From the last Massai village... I was caught off guard when Moreto just handed me the spear for a picture.

Beautiful flowers all around... one of my favorites outside my room.

This tree is just outside LJS and looks like it is tying itself in knots.

Solomon's grave. RIP.

Tumemaliza Kitabu Cha Kwanza!

2008-10-25T22:13:00.001+03:00

As the title, suggests, we have finished the first book for our Swahili lessons already. There are two books, each with thirty lessons in them. It is exciting, in a geeky way. Since we are already half done with our lessons and we still have a little under two months left here, we decided to spend more time of our lessons each day just talking in Swahili with each other and our teacher. Today’s topic was largely political. We started the conversation by asking Moreto about what he will do after working at the Language School. He told us that he will go to university to study Community Organizing/Social Development and Politics (needless to say, I perked up… the conversation had just become one that was perfectly suited to my interests). He wants to eventually study law. We spent quite some time talking about politics here in Tanzania. Moreto explained the major political parties and explained to us why he likes CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi – Party of the Revolution). Towards the end the conversation turned to problems facing Tanzania and he said that the biggest problem is corruption.
With all that said, here is a little insight into the political system and its history in Tanzania:
Shortly after Tanzania gained it’s independence from the UN mandated trusteeship to Britain, the new president, Nyerere, combined TANU (the ruling party on the mainland) with Zanzibar’s ruling party, ASP (Afro-Shirazi Party) – the result was called CCM. From that point, CCM was the sole political party in Tanzania as ratified in the country’s constitution. After his termed concluded in 1985, Nyerere remained the chairman for CCM for the next 5 years.
Though Zanzibar and Tanzania are legally united, Zanzibar remains fairly autonomous – especially on matters that only affect the island.
Tanzania is divided into 26 administrative regions (21 on the mainland, 3 on Zanzibar, and 2 on Pemba).
The president and National Assembly members are elected to five year terms, renewable once. Tanzania’s current President is Jakaya Kikwete and Zanzibar’s President, Amani Abeid Karume (who is actually the son of Zanzibar’s first president) were both elected in 2005. The President appoints a prime minister and his cabinet members from the National Assembly Members.
The National Assembly is comprised of at most 325 members – 5 from Zanzibar’s House of Representatives, and Attorney General, the Speaker, 75 women’s seats, 233 constituent seats and up to 10 members nominated by the president. Currently, CCM (the ruling party) has about 82% of the seats in the Assembly.
In 1992, the country underwent changes that would allow for a multiparty system. The 1995 elections became the country’s first multiparty elections. However, CCM has remained in power.
In 2001 CCM and CUF (Civic United Front) signed a reconciliation agreement to begin electoral reforms and look into deaths that had occurred on Pemba earlier in the year. In October 2005, an opposition vice presidential candidate died and the mainland’s elections were postponed. That year, Zanzibar’s elections were viewed as irregular and possibly fraudulent – elections on the mainland, however, were deemed fair and Kikwete won with over 80% of the vote.
Early this year (February) Kikwete dissolved his cabinet after two ministers and the then-Prime Minister resigned following allegations of corruption.
The main political parties here are CCM (Chama cha Mapinduzi), CUF (the Civic United Front), and CHADEMA (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo) – among over 14 others.
Peace.

“Speak but a whisper, I’ll hear a sermon.” -Copeland

2008-10-23T13:56:00.003+03:00

I think that one of the most beautiful things about long-term immersion trips like this is the ability to learn more about yourself and how you view and experience the world around you. Over the past couple weeks, I have come to realize and love this.
One thing that I have realized recently (just from looking back, which has almost no connection to the rest of this post) is that when people who know me found out I was going to study abroad in Tanzania, East Africa no one really seemed surprised by it. It seemed like it was just a natural next step for me.
I have been told several times that I am an observer but I never really understood what that meant until I got here and started to live less like a tourist and more like a newcomer to the culture (which has been the transition over the past couple weeks). I was once told, “I love how much [you] watch people. [You] are extremely observant of this world and its inhabitants.” Even looking back at my previous blog posts, I can tell that I observe things and reflect on them. For example, rather than writing about the events of the day I tend to write a quick overview of the day and then I reflect and process them. I think it is a way of viewing the world that tends to be lost on familiarity – not in a bad way, but it can be difficult to observe the world when one is constantly surrounded by things they already know well.
I have also come to notice and embrace a person’s ability to break down barriers and find solace in uncomfortable situations through the use of a simple, genuine smile. It continues to astonish me how far a smile and gleaming eye can go in building the foundation of a relationship. I have recently befriended one of the Korean men who is a long course (4 months) students here. Shortly after I arrived here, I would smile and greet him anytime I saw him and by now Cho (spelling?) and I will talk anytime we see each other. I truly think that a relationship like this (and the ones we build at the villages we visit) are blessing that we both give and receive. Cho doesn’t speak much English (or so he claims, he actually speaks and understands quite well but doesn’t have confidence in his ability) so whenever we speak it is in simple Swahili and takes a fair amount effort on both ends but I notice a light in his eyes when he sees me and we talk. I am sure that glimmer in his eyes comes from the joy of seeing a ‘friend’ but at the same time he brightens my day and he reminds me of the power of genuine kindness.
I have learned how I learn. I definitely learn by understanding the premise of things – I need to understand why things are the way they are and then I can commit them to memory. My Swahili lessons have been instrumental in teaching me this. I can grasp the semantics of the language quite quickly and, as a result, I have almost no problem understanding and remembering verb conjugations and sentence structure. Conversely, I have a hard time memorizing vocabulary. I have also learned that I am horrible at making up sentences out of thin air – one of our exercises is to make up sentences using our vocabulary words… needless to say, I am horrible (not so much because of the language aspect, but because I have a hard time creating sentences off the top of my head using one common word such as ‘meaning’).
If for some reason I didn’t notice it before, I am definitely a free spirit who will just go with the flow. While the structure (or lack thereof) of a trip like this would drive many type-A personalities up a wall, I just do my own thing until I am told to be somewhere. And when timing is not quite as punctual as it might be back in the States, while others would get frustrated and impatient, I just take it as more time to relax. When we first got here, one American woman, Jody, who was a student here would always ask me what we were going to do the next day. My response was almost always, ‘I have no idea.’ It became our joke… that I was never the person to ask about our plans. But I guess that is just who I am, I don’t need to know where we are going or when – I trust that we will get wherever we are going at some point. But at the same time, when it comes to things like my schoolwork and important events (ie Luka’s wedding) I tend to get more conscious of the timing and I sit up and pay attention to the details.
But my free spirit carries over into how I express myself and I suppose that has been a difficult transition for me to make. It sounds terribly cliché but I like to express my personality through how I look. Back in the States, if it gets warm out (like it is everyday here) I usually can be found wearing some flowing tank top with my shoulders exposed and a jean skirt or a t-shirt and gym shorts (it is a bit of a dichotomy of dress styles, I know). But here I need to be more culturally sensitive and wear shirts that aren’t too low cut and cover my shoulders and anything I wear (skirts, pants, capris, etc) need to fall below the knee. In addition to the excessive heat in the afternoons, I find myself just wanting to ‘look like I usually do.’ I have also found that my tattoos are surprising to people here – which makes sense in a more conservative culture. I have always seen my tattoos (the heart with the word ‘peace’ written in it that is on my foot and the cross with my confirmation verse that is on my shoulder blade) as physical expressions of my values (love, faith, hope, and peace – yes, I am frequently called a hippie). And I don’t think people look down on my tattoos too much, I think it is just something different.
Finally, and probably the thing I am most grateful for, I have come to realize what and who is most important to me. I have found a renewed love and passion for the implementation of social change through faith and the church. I have been reminded why I could never work behind a desk… I am too much of a people-person. I have learned who is important to me and who isn’t quite as important. I remember what it means to have a passion to make a difference and to act on that passion. I know how to identify people/things who are getting in the way of my hopes and dreams (and I know that I am slowly learning how to not let them stop me).
I guess that most people (whether they acknowledge it or not) will learn and recognize a lot of these things through experiencing life and learn them over time. I can only thank God for this trip and the fact that I have been blessed enough to learn about myself at only 20 years old. It excites me to think that there is only more to learn as I grow and continue to experience more (both here and back home).
Peace.

'Proposals,’ Widows And A Reminder That Blonde is Beautiful

2008-10-20T17:48:00.002+03:00

I should preface this post by saying that I have now received a nickname from Omega – I am now Miss America (Tim is Obama and Steve is Mr. Mountain). Also, I never thought about how much my long blonde hair would be a hit here. It seems like everywhere we go, people want to touch it and just stare at it, even here at LJS Moreto commented on how he likes my hair. But that is all beside the point.
Yesterday we visited another Massai village - Moreto came with us on the visit since he is Massai and his uncle is the evangelist for that village. The visit started with a walk to the grave of the village elder who had died a little while ago from liver cancer. This particular village has had a rough patch with the church since their evangelist had left them and didn’t return after the elder’s passing. And in my opinion, Mchungaji did a great job at working to reestablish and strengthen the relationship once again. After our visit to the man’s grave, we had chai and maandazi (tea and half-cake) with some of the men in the village. Then Mchungaji had a meeting with some of the elders and Moreto took us on a tour around the village. It was really nice – we got a chance to see the inside of a house and a kitchen. After we had seen typical buildings and walked around for awhile, we sat down with some men and just hung out with them. Steve had brought some Barack Obama stickers so he gave them to a couple of the men, who in turn placed them on the two motorcycles. Then we had a church service with 16 baptisms. Finally, we ate some rice with more chai and we headed home – on the ride home, Moreto told me that some of the men had asked about marrying me.
For me this visit was a little different than others. I felt a little bit off – don’t get me wrong, physically I felt fine. I felt out of place. I realized that I am always the only woman when we are on the village visits. The elder at our previous village had even told me something along the lines of how I came and I sat and talked with the men. I don’t think it is seen as a bad thing necessarily but I still feel a bit out of place at times.
But on yet another unrelated note, there were two widows and their children who got baptized at the village. Mchungaji explained that they were so thin and that shows him that they are not being taken care of by anyone. He said that the elder who had recently passed, used to take care of them and make sure they had what they needed (usually the job for a woman’s husband) but since he was gone, no one was doing that now. They were the low level of society. I instantly thought of the Bible story of the widow who gave two coins for offering and Jesus said gave more than those who gave a great deal – because this was all the money she could spare. These women wanted to be taken care of by Christ and wanted their children to be protected as well so they chose to be baptized, then they gave offering, which I am certain is money they could very well use to purchase one necessity or another but instead they wanted to offer it to the church.
I guess all in all, this village visit opened my eyes to a lot. I saw the real life portrayal of Luke’s widows giving offering, I was asked to be someone’s wife, and I learned a bit more about the life of a Massai. Suffice to say, that this was a productive village visit.

Go Barack! They love you here in Tz!

Massai men and me... the one on the left is one of the men who asked Moreto about marrying me.

Widow being baptized.

This Massai and Moreto wanted a photo of my in the jewelry and Moreto with the spear.
(Reminds me of the photo of the farmer couple)

Massai modeling some beaded jewelry worn for special occasions.

Making some beaded jewelry... Moreto said it can take up to several months to make these.

Some animals relaxing beneath the motorcycle... they were under the car as well.

Peace.

I Feel Like I Can Almost Touch The Sky

2008-10-19T22:44:00.006+03:00

It has been raining a bit more over the past couple weeks (usually it downpours, out of seemingly nowhere, for awhile and then it clears up) – lately it has rained at some point on 3-4 days out of the week. With the increased rain, things have come to life and more flowers (which I didn’t think could even exist) have blossomed and things are getting a little bit greener. It makes it quite clear that water brings new life to everything.
I was once told by some very intelligent people (aka my pastors and church’s director of education) that whenever you are in the shower or it rains, it is an opportunity to remember your baptism. So I found out my baptismal verse, and it turned out to be quite appropriate for our adventure on Saturday.
My baptismal verse was Isaiah 26:4 – it reads, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is a rock of ages.”
I will start at the beginning, Saturday we woke up and, around 8:30, eight of us pilled into a truck and headed off to the village (kijiji) where we would start our mountain hike up the mountain range in our backyard. The group consisted of the four American students, the Danish couple, and three language school teachers (Omega, Delta, and Kidege). In total, the climb lasted about 5 hours up and then about 4.5 hours down. I had woken up with tight hamstrings so I had a feeling that the climb up would be rough – and I was right. I tended to trail towards the back (until Peter got sick and had to hold back too for awhile) and was keeping a fairly good pace for myself. But about 2 hours in my legs were sore and I started to get the feeling that a panic attack might be coming quite soon. (For those of you who don’t already know, I had what you might call a close call with a rip tide off the shore of El Salvador about five years ago, and sometimes I will experience something that incites flashbacks.) I had to stop quite a bit to allow my body to rest and remind myself that I was landlocked. But Omega, bless his heart, was a saint and he held back with me throughout the hike. We reached the pass that we were going to take after about 4 hours of climbing. Throughout the hike, we passed through a forest of banana trees and Omega was even given some bananas by a man whose house we passed. It was beautiful and truly breathtaking. We continued to hike for another hour on the inner side of the mountain range. Around one, we stopped to eat the sack lunch that the kitchen had given us (oranges, bread, peanut butter, jam, boiled eggs, and banana chips). After lunch we decided to head back down so we could get to the village at the bottom before nightfall. In order to hike back, we had to climb back up a little bit to get to the peak we had passed through. But my body had rested too much and climbing up was wearing on my body and mind. Once again, Omega (who was now quite tired as well) and I fell to the back. About a 5 min walk from the pass we were taking, I started to feel a panic attack again – I stopped walking, started to shake, and started to gasp for breath a little bit. My body was tired like I had been in the water and it was hot outside. Omega asked me a couple times if I was okay – pretty sure that I freaked him out a little bit. But after a couple minutes I pushed myself to start hiking again – I knew that we were close to the pass and then it would be all downhill from there (literally and figuratively). At the pass we met up with the group, who had waited for Omega and I – I am fairly certain that they all thought I was just tired from climbing all day (which is a lot easier for them to assume than have to explain the whole background of what was going on). I sat there for awhile and looked around at the beautiful peaks and earth that surrounded us.
It made me realize, once again, that God is an amazing God. He has created all of this beauty and he has created each one of us – and most amazing to me, is that he is there to protect and support each and every single one of us whenever we may need him. He created us and loves each and every one of us. He will be our strength when we cannot find it within ourselves. And that is exactly what happened for me… I found something to lean on and help support me through my mind attempting to control my body. And I think that is what allows faith to be such a source of hope for people who have difficult lives. I don’t think that it is so much the fact that ‘religion is the opiate of the masses,’ rather I feel like religion and faith give people a sense of support and hope when they need it most - it is something that is always there and can be seen in every living thing that comes to life after the rains.
Now I don’t want this to be a pity post – I actually spent quite some time debating whether or not to publish this post. But I feel like it is the easiest way for me to explain things. The hike was beautiful and I really did enjoy it – not only did it remind me of God’s amazing power, it was also a great relationship-builder between us and the teachers here.
The hike down took about four and a half hours. We kept a really brisk pace but were still passed quite a few times by running men who had harvested bananas and were carrying baskets full of them – each time they passed us, I was amazed at their ability to run downhill with pounds of bananas on top of their heads and either barefoot of in flip flops. It was a beautiful climb and descent and it was done in the company of some amazing people.

The group on the pass/peak - my theory on photos... if you're going to look bad in a picture... why not at least have fun with it?

(from left to right - me, Steve, Peter, Tim, Kidege, Delta, Heinrick, and Omega crouching)

The view from above.

Stopped for a minute or two to watch a soccer game on our hike back down.

Omega (and Delta laying down taking a nap atop the rock)

The group (plus our drivers) ready to go.

Still climbing...

Banana break.

The rest of the group stopping for a banana.

Still on the the way up...

Where do we go next? Aka which banana running path should we follow?

Taking a break atop a rock.

Peace.

Mid-terms and food for thought - be sure to check the previous blog for a video!

2008-10-17T22:48:00.001+03:00

*** please check the last post to see a video of photos, some audion clips, and videos from the first month here.

ID 373 mid-term
It amazes me to think that a new environment can feel like home after only a month or so, but that is exactly the case here in Tanzania. I feel like people here have been remarkably accepting of us and willing to work through the (slowly diminishing) language barrier. On each and every village visit so far, the people have been nothing short of welcoming and warm-hearted. But I have come to assume that the welcoming nature of this culture comes out of a much deeper sense of community and a connection between all aspects of live. Here it is not uncommon for neighbors to know a great deal about the people in their community. People rely on one another and everyone relies on the environment in one way or another. This idea of coexistence is reflected in countless ways.
Folk tales tend to be about animals that have human characteristics and they teach about the need for cooperation and fair treatment of others. Linguistically, any man or woman you meet on the street could be referred to in terms that in the States we reserve for blood relatives and they could be called ‘mamma’ (mother, any woman of child bearing age), ‘baba’ (father, any man old enough to have children), ‘kaka’ (brother), ‘dada’ (sister). Even the front page of our Swahili book quotes a famous Swahili proverb, “Mtu ni Watu” (Person is people). It appears as though the entire traditional culture almost revolves around this notion of community.
People realize that their survival depends on the survival of their neighbor and the health of their environment. Yes, part of the eco-friendly behavior has come out of financial necessity. But the overwhelming theme is a move for helping their neighbor or family member because, as the title page of our book explains, a person is not complete without the community around them. No one can be truly whole without people around them – no one can live a life of complete solitude.
It reminds me of the notion of passing good deeds and compassionate treatment forward to the next person you meet who needs it. Debt to a neighbor is not an issue, it is expected that it will be ‘paid forward.’ People typically do not try to overextend their reach and help those people they cannot reach – they keep aid within their communities, but as a result they are able to ensure that the aid is sent where it is most needed.
Another major difference that I have come to notice is that people are very conscious (partly out of necessity) of how money and resources are spent. And as a result, they are not very wasteful. Only necessities are purchased and used.
It is certainly a combination of realizations that has made me reevaluate the extremely consumer-driven culture that we subscribe to in the U.S. I have enjoyed life thus far in Tanzania. The hospitality that has been shown to us coupled with the apparent lack of extreme material greed would be a much needed lesson for many Americans. This is made so much more apparent to me with the focus on the upcoming election. In the States, we are so very focused on the economic policies of each of the candidates – because their economic policy will either help or hurt our pocketbooks - when in the States our percentage of people living below is 12% (according to the CIA World Fact Book) in comparison to half the world’s population (about 50% or 3 billion people) that lives on under $2.50 USD per day. Here in Tanzania, people are focused so much more on the importance of a candidate’s foreign policy than how he will enact economic change within the U.S. I think Tanzania could teach Americans and the international community a valuable lesson in priorities – people need to come first and communal living cannot be seen as a bad (‘communist’) concept that is to be feared. I think it is best summed up by the fact that Tanzania’s first president, Kikwete, had a very socialist, community-based image for Tanzania. And while he was criticized and seen as leaning too far towards Communism by Western critics, he was praised here and seen as ‘the great teacher’ – because in Tanzania, community, people, and relationships are put before financial gain.

RE 373 mid-term
In just a month here in Tanzania we have been blessed to experience a full life-cycle’s worth of religious experiences – we have been to three baptismal services (two of which were Massai services), two Swahili weddings, one cross raising, and countless ‘typical’ services. The thing that strikes me at each service is how important religion appears to be to each person. Life doesn’t seem to be compartmentalized like it is in the States, where faith is only a small very secluded portion of life. Here, faith carries over into everyday living. I suppose a great deal of the difference may lay in the fact that here most people have made a conscious decision to become a part of religious life – they typically have not formally enter a faith community until they are older - whereas, in the States, many people are baptized and enter the Christian community as infants. For whatever the reason, faith appears to be such a big deal here.
Unfortunately, we primarily see people outside of the LJS community on days when we are holding a service, so it is difficult to judge exactly how these same people carry their faith with them on ‘regular’ days. But from the services we have experienced, I can safely say that religion doesn’t appear to be constricted. Concerning Smart’s six dimensions, there is a much wider variety that can be seen and experienced here than can be seen or experienced at home. Services are days of celebration and rarely are constricted – life appears to often be put on hold for a church service. The physical structure is not always necessary; here the shade of a tree works just fine, as long as the people can gather and worship. The Bible, though it doesn’t appear to be very prevalent in print within the villages, is considered a holy book and people seem to know the stories quite well. The ideals set forth by the Bible are lived out in their fullest – community is seen as more important than individuals and people treat others with respect and compassion. Finally, religious ceremonies are important rites of passage for all occasions in life.
But the thing that I have found as most amazing (and often perplexing) is the ability of a variety of religions to coexist. At both Luka’s wedding and Solomon’s cross raising, the ceremony included Muslims and Christians. Neither faith appeared to carry the sentiment that they were any better than the other and they both respected each other’s faith. With the great deal of sectarian and religious violence that exists in today’s world, it would be interesting to find out more about how the various faiths in Tanzanian have managed to get along so well.

Peace.

Check it all out.

2008-10-17T19:50:00.004+03:00

A slide show of photos from the trip so far, complete with audio clips from village visits - the editing isn't the best but it gets the idea across.
Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytaxmDvhB1g

Peace.

Simple Things Taken For Granted

2008-10-14T21:45:00.005+03:00

Today was a special day for a couple of different reasons. First, today was a Tanzanian sikukuu (holiday). It was a day to remember Julius Nyere, the first president of Tanzania. Juluis (his baptismal name) Kambarage Nyere became the President of Tanzania in 1962 (following the country’s independence from Britain) until 1985. Not only was he the first president, Nyere had been the head of the Tanganyika African National Union in 1954 and through his leadership, he helped Tanzania gain their independence from the League of Nations mandate administered by Britain, through peaceful means (fairly uncommon in colonized nations). He grew up in a rural setting and through a devotion to continuing education and a love of politics he eventually became the first President of Tanzania. He is remembered as a great teacher (mwalimu) and leader. He believed in a form of ‘African socialism’ and one website (see below for the link) explains his socialism: “All rural development would be centered on villages. Private banks and many industries also were nationalized. He realised in the course of time that his policies of resettling millions of peasant farmers and of a one-party state had not worked as well as he had hoped, and had become more pragmatic.”
Although he was never jailed or persecuted (like countless other revolutionary leaders) Nyere had his share of critics. One of my favorite statements of his that I have found is this… ‘"I am a troublemaker, because I believe in human rights strongly enough to be one," Nyerere told a correspondent for the New York Times (March 31, 1957). He said that his movement would resort to civil disobedience if necessary to attain its goals.’
If you want to read more about Nyere and Tanzania’s independence here is one website that is pretty short and simple: http://www.nathanielturner.com/juliuskambaragenyerere.htm
But today was also special because we got to visit another Massai village. This particular village was where Luka’s most recent church had been built so we held its first worship service (which the people seemed very excited about). Before the church was built, worship was held under a straw-thatched roof and a wood stick-sided hut. It was an eye opening experience for me in a couple ways. I’ll explain…
Shortly after we arrived and exchanged the standard handshakes and greetings, a small boy started to follow us around. He was still quite young so he didn’t speak Swahili yet - many Massai speak only Kimassai until they go to school where they learn Kiswahili. But when we sat down in the church, to wait and find out what was next, the little boy came and sat next to me. He didn’t say a word, but he smiled at me and would touch my skin and just look at me and eventually he grabbed my hand. The elder in the village came up to me and told me that I had a child now. Little did I know that this apparent fascination with my skin would just be the surface of a theme for the day.
A little while later, a young woman came over and started talking to PH. We soon learned that her name was also Sara – PH told her that we shared the name. He then explained that she was married Sara and I was Sara ‘not-yet-married,’ – to which she responded with slight surprise and a quick addition of ‘I will find you a Massai.’ We later found out that one of the men in the village who had tea with us, was Sara’s husband (mume). If I had to guess there was an age difference of about 10-15 years. It took me by surprise when she was surprised that I wasn’t married yet and again that her husband appeared so much older. I knew coming into this trip that many women marry younger than we do in the States and that often times their husbands are older but for some reason this first-hand encounter with it still took me by surprise.
While we were having tea, some of the kids came over by the old church hut (where we were having tea) and they would watch us. One little girl started making funny faces and even flipped her eyelid inside out trying to creep us out – just goes to show that kids will be kids no matter what corner of the world you are in.
During the church service I saw the power and universal appreciation of a simple smile. Every once in awhile I would look around the church and catch someone’s eye. Often times they were looking at me in a very perplexed way. I would smile and almost instantly, they would return one of the biggest and most genuine smiles I have ever seen. It served to make my own smile grow.
Finally, after tea at noon, a baptism church service, and right before lunch/dinner around 5, we were leaving the church and a bunch of the girls in the choir came up to me and swarmed around me. I took out my camera to show them the videos I had taken of them singing. They all loved it! Then, as they were watching the videos, I started to feel people touching my arms and almost petting my hair. I glanced over to see who it was and I found the kids touching my skin and hair in amazement. I guess it is one of those things we take for granted. Massai (both men and women) shave their heads so long blonde hair was definitely a foreign concept to them. And then my skin was white and soft… probably something they don’t get to see up close all too often. As they were playing with my hair, they found my cartilage piercing (a common practice for married women in Massai culture) and immediately checked for one in my other ear. They also found the tattoo on my shoulder and thought that was pretty interesting as well.
Today really made me realize the simple differences that we often take for granted and don’t notice until they are pointed out to us – things like our white skin, hair, piercings/tattoos, and even how we view marriage. It also showed me the true power of a smile – even when you can’t speak very much with the people around you, remember that a genuine smile is universal and it might just brighten someone’s day… I know that their smiles today brightened mine.
Peace. (and smiles)

Waving goodbye.

Sara(h) saying goodbye.

Loving seeing themselves on my camera.

The choir singing in church.

The little boy that followed us around in the beginning of the day.

The village elder and Sara(h)'s husband.

The little girl who liked making faces and flipping her eyelid inside out.

Sara(h) sitting with the choir - in the blue.

Luka and PH during the Service.

The view from the village... simply breath taking.

The village.

Structure of a (more permanent) Massai building... how's that look, Lisa?

This is one from Luka and Emily's Wedding that somehow didn't post earlier, but I really like.

Dichotomies Abound.

2008-10-14T19:52:00.001+03:00

I went to town yesterday with Anna and, like most trips to town, it made me realize something that I had always noticed but never was consciously aware of. I noticed the clash between Western and traditional culture. Some of the Dala Dalas had pictures of Western pop culture icons (like Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Lakers) while other had religious slogans painted on them. People on the street wear everything from traditional Muslim, Hindu, or Tanzanian (skirts below the knees and covered shoulders, for women) dress to Western style clothing. Even the shoe shops in town demonstrate the dichotomy – stocking both Western ‘dress’ shoes and more traditional sandals. It made me think about what Abraham told peter and I one of the first weeks we were here, ‘one of the biggest problems in Tanzania is a gradual replacement of traditional culture for Western culture, among the youth especially.’ As I walked down the street, I noticed that the majority of people wearing Western clothing were around my age and the older people were in traditional dress. But even walking down the street, you can see a gradual change in how people act. There are groupings of older men sitting on the corners around tables talking and enjoying each other’s company while the youth tend to be shopping or rushing around in a hurry. I can definitely understand what Abraham means when he says that the shift towards Western culture is a bad thing. I can see tat Tanzania will be loosing its rich culture for the bland hustle and bustle of Western life. In a way, it pains me to see that loss. I love everything that I have experienced about traditional Tanzanian culture; it is such a friendly, welcoming mentality. But with even a slow movement to a Western way so much of that could very easily be lost.
I pray that this is only a phase that youth in Tanzania go through but then eventually realize the richness and beauty of Tanzanian traditions as they grow older. But I fear that this will not be the case and Tanzania will some (hopefully very distant) day water down their traditions and culture.
Peace.

The Big Moments In Life

2008-10-14T06:52:00.000+03:00

*Note: there have been three posts in the past several hours... one with primarily photos and two with some reflections.

Sunday we went to Luka and Eme’s wedding. It was simply beautiful. They had rented three Dala Dalas (the van-type buses that are used to take people into Morogoro) to transport people from town out to the church where the wedding was held. They decided to get married in one of the churches that Luka had built. We rode in the Dala Dalas with the guests while Luka and Eme went in PH’s car. By the time Tim, Peter and I got there, the church was already filling up and by the time that the service started, there was floor room only, and the choirs had to wait outside. But I am getting ahead of myself. The church was truly ecumenical – about 1/3 of the people in attendance were Muslim (primarily Luka’s family) and another 1/3 or so were Catholic (Eme was Catholic). Before the service, there was one choir singing almost nonstop – and there was one little girl in particular who was standing by her mom (near us) and dancing to the music. It was definitely one of those moments when you can feel the movement of the spirit throughout the room. Around 11 or 12, the service started. There were two couples getting married, Luka and Eme and an older couple. The service was fairly typical – it followed the same type of format as Western services tend to. The couples exchanged rings, and said vows, and then they were blessed by PH and the other pastor in attendance. After the service, there was an auction (like most other services we have been to). And then we all went back inside the church for the ‘reception’. It started with the choirs (there had been two or three that performed during the service and during the reception) singing and entertaining the guests while we waited for the newly weds to come back in. Once they did, the family and friends all gave blessings and words of encouragement to the couples. Then some goat meat was brought into the church for the couples to cut and feed to each other. Luka and Eme fed each other the goat and then fed a piece to PH also. They had decided, almost unanimously, that they wanted to go the more traditional Tanzanian route and cut goat rather than a piece of cake. Shortly thereafter, we were all fed and then given the opportunity to greet, congratulate, and present gifts to the newlyweds. All in all, the ceremony was beautiful and genuinely Tanzanian. Lucy and Baraka were both there sporting some new clothes. And when I walked out of the church for the auction, Lucy came up to me almost immediately and grabbed my hand to walk around with me for the remainder of the day.

But the service got me thinking about two things: the pull between traditional life and Western culture and the meeting of religions. (I will talk more about the former in another post.) There were three different religions (or denominations) present at this service and it was one of the most beautiful services I have ever seen. But that is the Tanzanian way – Tanzania is one country which has been historically peaceful among the different religions. For example (kwa mfano) in Morogoro, there are Mosques, a variety Churches, and Hindu Temples all on the same street. Usually, such close proximity would spell disaster or sectarian/religious violence (much like is happening in southern India right now) – but not here. People tend to respect one another. PH even told us today that Luka’s father, a devout Muslim, told him that Luka is his too and that he is so very proud of Luka. I truly wish this could be a view taken by the rest of the world (especially the Western world). People are seen as people, not defined by their religion, skin color, income, etc. It is a beautiful sight to see people of different faiths come together for the big moments in life and do it in a peaceful way, in which they are not trying to force conversion on the people around them.

I love that about Tanzania… religions can coexist without major disputes or animosity – it is the Gospel coming to life.

Peace.

Being blessed by Luka's father.

The goat being brought in to be cut by the couples.

The couples getting married.

Baraka and Tim

Baraka took this of Peter... makes Peter look like a huge creep.

Floor seating only.

Baraka in some of his new clothes.

Issaka having fun with Tim during the service.

Dancing around before the service starts... even a little girl decided to join.

Taking a break from dancing to the choirs.

Dancing to the choir music - she was adorable.

Safaris, Baptisms, and everything in between

2008-10-13T20:59:00.009+03:00

I apologize that these photos are in no logical order... I was just happy to have enough time to upload them, let alone have time to put them in order and group them by subject. So I put captions under each picture. Thanks for your understanding and enjoy!

Road/path signs in Mikumi.

Mti katika Mikumi (Tree in Mikumi) - I never thought trees could actually look this cool.

This one is from our first village visit (Twatwatwa) but I just got it from Steve and I LOVE it. (Tanzanians don't usually smile for pictures unless they are truly happy. This guy wanted to take a picture with me and when Steve got his camera ready he just grabbed my hand and started to shake it)

PH, Steve and Tim looking for crocodiles in the bushes.

The hippos in the hippo pond

Watering the cows. They get water once a day.

This one is for you, dad... its the original 'Norman'

On safari at Mikumi in front of the Hippo pond.

Massai man standing by his oven to make the bricks for the church he will build to be baptized in. (He doesn't want to be baptized until he builds his own church. But he still will worship with us.)

The water pump system used to water the cows (ng'ombe).

The water trough used to water the cows - It is very progressive for Massai to have a pump and cement trough, but that is how this leader runs the village.

(No special effects were used for this... it was just the lighting before it started to rain)

Driving through Mikumi

Another Giraffe :) clearly these were my favorite.
Zebra in Mikumi

Warthogs (or as we were calling them 'Wartburgers')

Impala in Mikumi

Peter and Steve on top of the car at Mikumi

Giraffe on the horizon

Tim by the hippo pond

Giraffe in Mikumi

'Sarah' (her chosen baptismal name)

Baptizing the baby

Massai area age leader getting baptised

Massai boys hanging out after church

Climbing out of the car by the lion.

In the restaurant/bar at the lodges in Mikumi

The lion in front of our car in Mikumi... leave it to PH to drive right up to it.

Crocodile in the Hippo pond in Mikumi

Peace.

Memories from Mikumi

2008-10-13T20:50:00.000+03:00

Last Tuesday and half of Wednesday we went to Mikumi National Game Reserve. Here are a few memories and sights:
- Seeing animals (up close) that we are only used to having seen in zoos/behind glass in cages. Like:
• Lions
• Giraffes
• Impalas
• Elephants
• Warthogs
• Baboons
• Jackals
• Water Buffalo
• Crocodiles
• A plethora of birds
• Hippos
(Just to name a few)
- Having a grand total of 13 Geckos around (both on the outside wall and inside) Ph, Kirsten, Anna, and my house.
- Watching the lions mate.
- Seeing the elephants at the water pond when we first arrived.
- Having countless animals right outside the car.
- The birds that ran straight in front of the car rather than running off of the road.
- Watching the Hippos and the Crocodiles in the pond.
- Taking countless pictures.
- Always being on the lookout for more animals in the brush.
- Keeping the windows shut as much as possible so as to keep the Tsetse flies out.
- Spending almost two full days bonding and getting to know my travel companions on a much better level.
- Finally getting to spend some real, quality time with Mchungaji and Kirsten.
- Getting fed more than I could eat in a week and having options like no other. (Fish last night and a cheese omlette this morning ... but not as good as the omlettes my dad makes ;) )
- Spending literally hours in the car but loving every minute of it.
- Climbing on the car to see the animals better.
- Always being poised to run/jump back into the car if we had gotten out.
- Getting pulled over by the Game rangers after only being out for 10 min. because we were 'off trail.'
- Seeing school children at the game reserve on a field trip – I wish we could have done something that cool in school. We just went to the zoo and saw a few animals locked up in cages.

It is nearly impossible to include every single memory. There was so much but I maintain that pictures speak a thousand words and they will be uploaded asap for you all. Stay posted.
Peace.

I hate October.

2008-10-11T07:46:00.006+03:00

I suppose the title of this post really says it all. The beginning of October has always been a rough time for me (and for many of the people I love). The last day of September through the first couple days of October mark the anniversary of Luke’s passing - this year marks two years – and I know that this particular event is more difficult for others, and it hurts me to not be in contact with these people, to lean on and to help support. The beginning of the month is also the time that would be my Opa’s (my dad’s dad) birthday. Finally, the 12th of the month is the anniversary of my Opa’s passing – this year made five years. The 12th is the day that tends to be the most difficult for me. In fact, every year around the anniversary of his passing I buy one long stemmed rose for each year that he has been gone and then I spend an hour or so at his grave feeling his presence and remembering him. But this isn’t supposed to be a ‘pity party’ type of post. As much as I hate being away from home for these events (especially when they are still fairly recent), being here has taught me and given me a slightly new and stronger outlook on life and death.
Being here – and having seen a cross raising – I have learned that life is worth living, we cannot dwell on the past. Here, people will always keep driving through life, rather than living in memories. It is important to remember the past and respect it, but we can’t let it pull our lives to a halt. Unfortunately, part of life is loosing the people we love. (Take Luka and the loss of his brother, for example. He lost his older brother but he is going on in his life, continuing his work because he has to and because his brother would be pleased by the.) But instead of spending the rest of our days mourning them and stopping everything we’ve worked for, we are meant to live on with them in our hearts. We carry on and live our life in ways that would please those we’ve lost, always trying to be people that they could be genuinely proud of. (I think Rascall Flatts got it right – “My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to.”) Let them be part of your motivation and your hope. I know I do. Everyday I remember the simple little things from Luke and my Opa that indicate how they would want me to live and it is never that they want me to spend my life wishing I could have them back. I can only hope that my Opa looks down on me and is proud of the person I have become over the past five years.
Rest in Peace, all of those we have loved and lost. You will always live on in our memories and hearts. We will always try to do you proud.

Peace.

Opa, Oma, Lisa and Me when I was born.

A tradition that will never go out of style.

Luke

The Distance $30 Can Go

2008-10-10T05:46:00.001+03:00

*note that there have been 3 new posts now in the past 12 hours. i apologize, it is just easier to write them in my room when i think of them and then come to the common room to post them. so be sure to check them all out when you get a chance.

After telling Mchungaji (Pastor) how much we love Baraka and Lucy (Luka’s nephew and niece) and asking if there was anything we could do to help them, Mchungaji told us that Luka had mentioned something about how he wasn’t sure how he would be able to pay for all their upcoming school needs this year. We asked Mchungaji for some more information and told him that we would love to help them out in any way that we could. Well today, in the wake of Luka’s wedding on Saturday, we all pitched in and gave about $30 USD (totaling $120) to Luka as a gift to spend on the kids and their schooling. Mchungaji told us last night that he had given Luka the money and he was so very grateful for our gift.
It is strange to think that $30 from each of us could actually make a difference – I mean, that is about the cost of a shirt at some stores in the mall. But here, it allowed Luka to provide Baraka and Lucy with some new clothes, books, shoes, and other supplies for school. In the States we take our education and our money for granted. Between the four of us we gave the same amount of money that many people will spend in one shopping trip to the mall (which they do several times a year). But for Lucy and Baraka it will mean money for a year of an education so they can have lives that will eventually give back to society. The last thing I want to do is ‘toot my own horn.’ I just am amazed at how easy it is forget how to give without expecting anything in return.
Peace.

P.S. I apologize for such a plethora of posts criticizing material culture. I guess it just reflects how trips like this make me really analyze American culture and our inherent ‘need’ for more. I promise posts like this will soon dwindle in number and be replaced with other subjects.

God Certainly Has Mysterious Ways… But He Knows Each One of Us And Our Needs.

2008-10-10T05:35:00.003+03:00

Delta, one of the Language School Teachers

Of course on the day that I needed to hear it most, Delta (one of the language teachers – who is actually hoping to attend Wartburg) gave a morning devotion about Isaiah 55:8.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.' Declares the LORD."
He had just watched a movie that used that verse in jest to poke fun at one of the characters, a pastor, who was not exactly good at preaching. But Delta took a very serious approach to the verse. He challenged us. Delta began his devotion pointing out that we cannot pretend to know God’s ways. Then he led into the challenge. He pointed out the fact that there are many people who do not survive to see another day. And he confessed that each morning he wakes up and asks God why he has made it to a new dawn. Delta then asked us, “What do you live for?” As an American my first thought was toward what I want to do for a career – but that is our financially oriented culture coming through – Delta was getting at a more meaningful purpose. He asked us if we are living our purpose right now or if we are waiting for the future to start. He finished his devotion and everyone went on their way to class – but the thought was still in the back of my mind… what am I living for. It is a question I have asked myself countless times in the past five years especially. (For those of you who don’t know, five years ago in August, I was caught in a riptide in El Salvador but a Red Cross lifeguard came out of nowhere to come out and help me ashore.)
Later on that same day, I was sitting and talking with Delta for awhile, and he asked me what I was living for. Blunt question but one that isn’t asked of people nearly enough. My first answer was that I don’t completely know and I’m trying to figure that out with every passing day – and Delta agreed. He told me that he doesn’t know exactly what he is living for but he thinks that his purpose is to make everyone he meets happy and to make them smile (which, might I add, he does an amazing job at). And then he made his question a bit more difficult, ‘how do you do that each and every day?’ After a few seconds of considering the new question, I elaborated and clarified my answer. I told him that I believe I was put on earth (and allowed to stay here) to make the world a better place one person at a time (be it through smiles, an open ear, a shoulder to lean on, or sharing my experiences and letting them share theirs). I told him that I am still trying to figure out how I can translate that into a career. But that question has stuck with me for the past few days.
‘What are you living for?’
I am currently here in Tanzania, living the dream that I have had for several years now – but furthermore, I am living my life’s work. I have the opportunity to experience what I want to do for a living (live and work in another country and live in community with the people to help find ways to encourage development in under developed countries). Yet up until Delta’s devotion, I hadn’t been giving it all of the energy that I should have. Yes, I was loving every minute, but I was living it like a tourist who would leave one day. In the days since Delta’s devotion I have found my way back to those hopes, dreams, and goals that once motivated my every action. I have since realized that, all too often I loose sight of this motivation and meaning in life. It is so easy to get caught up in the petty drama and chaos of life and living among people in a material culture and in those moments we forget our real purpose here. I am a strong believer that people were not put on earth to make money and spend as much of it as possible. We are here for something much more meaningful than that. Too often I think people get stuck in jobs that waste their talents on the desire to make a ‘comfortable’ living. When in reality, they are living well beyond their needs and in the wake of that, they forget that there is more to life than the money and a job where you can make lots of it. Granted, not all of fulfilling your purpose is through your job – but I think it becomes a barrier and excuse for all too many people.
It all reminds me of the Bible passage regarding the body of Christ. But it isn’t just a body of Christ in my mind… it is a worldly body that includes all people. We each have our own special gifts and talents that translate into different ways of serving others and bettering the world – it is just a matter of figuring out which part of the body you are.
So now I pass along Delta’s ever-pressing question…
What are YOU living for? How do you make sure that you are living that out everyday?

Peace.

When Modernization Goes Bad

2008-10-09T21:34:00.000+03:00

I apologize for the break in posts... I promise that the next few days will be filled with plenty to make up for my recent lack of updates. With that said...

I often find myself walking around the LJS grounds thinking, taking in the sights and sounds, and reflecting on what I have seen or experienced so far. One thing that has stood out for me is the amount of trash that is often over abundant. It is almost painful to see – trash is thrown to the side with nearly no regard for the earth. I doubt that it is a result of people not caring about the environment (since this is a culture that is so very tied to the land). But you can tell that it is modern things polluting the ground – walking around you can find plastic bags, bottles, and plastic wrapping.
When I was walking with Kirsten yesterday, she told me about her frustration along these lines. We passed a group of secondary school students sweeping the dirt paths (not an uncommon sight). She commented on how it is almost wasteful to have the students sweep the paths when they are only sweeping the clutter out of the way. Trash isn’t being picked up, only pushed aside. She made a very valid point that people cannot learn to keep clean and prevent littering when there are no trash cans nearby (I believe her direct quote was, “Are they just supposed to put the trash in their pockets?”).
Like I said, I highly doubt that it is a lack of concern for the earth. I am led to believe that the issue is a disparity in modernization. When people receive modern products in modern (not biodegradable) packaging but do not have the resources to supply sufficient recycling bins or trash receptacles, there becomes a problem with disposal.
… Just an observation that I keep running into.
But on the other hand, there are many things that are done well here – most of which, I think are almost accidental or due to financial restrictions. One of which is the use of recycled glass soda bottles rather than using cans for everything. Most of the time, soda is sold in glass bottles and then they are returned, washed, and reused – saving a great deal of money, resources, and cutting down on trash. But the other great thing (also out of financial restriction) is that the preferred mode of transportation is bike or foot. While there are still a great deal of people driving and PLENTY of people riding in the dala dalas (the mini buses used to take people into town), a great majority of people are either walking or riding a bike or walking most places. I can only imagine that Tanzania’s air pollution (at least from cars) is fairly minimal.
There is so much here that is still new and exciting but I feel like I am developing a better understanding of the people and this place that I can start to be constructively critical rather than only praiseful of the newness of it all. But I must say it is strange to think that we have almost been here for a full month. We’ve got three weeks of Swahili under our belts and are able to talk with people a little bit more each day. Things here are starting to become everyday routine and this place (LJS) is really starting to feel like home. I love the attitude that people here seem to have – that life is worth living to its fullest, no matter what and that people and relationships are of the utmost importance. But there are still things I see here that make my heart ache and motivate me.
Peace.

Another Day, Another Village

2008-10-06T18:59:00.000+03:00

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.

No Need to Buy into Consumer Culture

2008-10-04T19:36:00.002+03:00

As Americans, all too often we crave material things and are so very concerned about our appearances. I will admit I’m just as guilty of this as anyone else. In fact, I’ll let you in on a couple little secrets. 1) I have recently moved into a house in Waverly and I have a room full of ‘stuff’ (most of which I don’t actually need) in addition to my room at my parent’s home that is still packed full of trinkets, clothes, and little unnecessary ‘things.’ 2) I have this odd compulsion to have my things match – my pajamas even have to match. And I need to wear some form of eye makeup everyday (even here) - otherwise, with my blonde eyelashes, my eyes appear to sink in and disappear off my face. But that all said, being here has taught me that it isn’t necessary.
Looking at the women around here, it is immediately apparent that clothing patterns or colors don’t need to match. The important thing is that the clothing fulfills its duty of covering your body. Why must we spend such a great deal of time and money on clothing that most people will replace in a couple months (if not sooner)? Westerners (and Europeans tend to do it also, so I shouldn’t just say ‘Americans’), we accumulate so much ‘stuff’ – be it clothes, cars, homes, furniture, etc. We use our ‘stuff’ (and how much of it we have) to show those around us our status. We are always competing with one another – consciously or not – and we are always trying to have newer, bigger, or better ‘stuff.’ Many of us are blessed with money and the ability to live more than comfortably and we spend our lives striving for more. But somewhere along the way, we have forgotten to live. We have forgotten how to be in relationships with the people around us… relationships that don’t revolve around money and what it can buy. We keep our extra money to ourselves and hold our possessions close, so as to not loose our symbols of status. But we can’t take any of it with us and in the meantime, there are people all around the world who don’t have that luxury. I have this amazing book back at home that I absolutely treasure – I recommend that if you get the chance, to check it out sometime. It is called ‘Material World’ by Peter Menzel and it is a compilation of pictures; they depict families in different countries. Each family was asked to take all of their possessions out of their house and set them up in front of their home. It is amazing to see the difference between the American family and families in other countries. But what I find most important when looking at and hearing about things like this is that we are not to pity them. I think that what is more important is to look at it critically, which people have the things they need and who just has a pile of things that often go unused and gather dust.
One of our first weekends here, Peter and I were talking in the car about how we had already developed a new set of eyes for how we perceive the homes we pass. We joked about how when most Americans would see the mud-built, tin-roofed homes here they would feel bad for these people but we had already developed a sense of appreciation for these homes – we saw bigger mud and tin homes and thought, ‘gee, those people must be pretty fortunate.’ That conversation made me start to think… why do we need all the stuff that we have? Take my family for example (and I’m not picking on you mom and dad, I just know our family best). Currently, my mom and dad have a total of five cars for the two of them (one car barely works and two are convertibles and can only be driven in summer). We live in a two story house with three bedrooms for the four of us, three tvs, three bathrooms, and a finished basement filled with all sorts of ‘toys’ and entertainment. We have full closets and dressers full of clothes (most of which we never wear). I think the change in culture has made this even more apparent to me. Here, I have about 7 or 8 shirts, a sweatshirt, two pairs of pants and two pairs of capris – I have survived just fine. Perhaps I need to do some ‘spring cleaning when I get home. Rid myself of the meaningless clutter and be more conscious in the future of my needs versus my wants. I suppose that will be my (very) late new years resolution.
Peace.

One of my most valued possessions.

“As I Went Down by the River to Pray”

2008-09-30T20:07:00.004+03:00

Our reflection garden.

I find myself listening to this song by Alison Krauss (from O Brother, Where Art Thou?) quite a bit recently. I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately and today was no exception. Following our afternoon tea I took a walk out to the ‘reflection garden’ out on the edge of the LJS property. It is this little area with three benches forming a semicircle and surrounded by pink, red, and white flowers and a ‘fence’ of prickly pears. It gave me a chance to think and find my center. In the process I came to a few seemingly simple realizations…
- There are some things in life that we cannot change and others that we can. Sometimes the changes take a lot of work and other changes require minimal effort. But the things that we cannot change are just that – we have to find a way to live with them and work around them.
- Dreams are important and working towards them could easily see them fulfilled. But if something changes or doesn’t work out on the way, it isn’t the end of the world (or the end of a dream).
- Life is not always black and white, like we want to believe. There are loopholes, exceptions to the rules, and grey areas. You can’t compartmentalize life.
- There are people in your life that will hurt you when you least expect it, people who will cause you only stress, people who will abandon you, and people who will love and care for you unconditionally.
- Unfortunately, the world isn’t always fair. You might lose people you love. You may see or experience injustice or oppression. You could lose your job or have money stolen.
But what being here (and seeing how people live and react to life) has taught me so far is that you have to go with the flow. You just need to ride the rollercoaster of life. Yeah, it will have its ups and downs, but enjoy the ride - after all, we never know how short or long it may be. Things here are so different than at home that it makes these seemingly simple realizations stick out. Here death is a part of life and fairness and reparations for injustices are negligible, the importance is placed on living a full life. People don’t seem to get caught up in the little details – they see the big picture. They recognize what is important to focus on and what is not (and that is different for each person). So where do you stand in looking at life? Are you up front examining and stressing over the tiny brushstrokes? Or do you stand back and take it all in, appreciating the work as a whole?
Peace.

Saying Goodbye Is Never Easy.

2008-09-28T14:21:00.000+03:00

Today we went to church here at LJS (mchungaji – pastor) said that it was probably the first time he had led a service there in about 3-4 years. At a little over an hour, it was the shortest church service we have been to since we got here. It was beautiful. The secondary school choir sang and they sounded absolutely majestic – the acoustics in the chapel coupled with their voices created a heavenly sound. But after church got out we headed down to road to Luka’s brother’s house. Here’s a little background of what has been going on…
About 40 days ago, Luka’s brother, Solomon, passed away. He left behind two daughters (Rehema and Lucy) and one son (Baraka). His wife had left him and the kids a while ago, so when Solomon passed, Luka took on the responsibility of raising his brother’s children (in addition to his budding family). So Solomon’s funeral and burial was 40 days ago and the past month or so family and friends have been ‘mourning.’ The Catholic tradition is to wait 40 days after the burial to put a cross on the grave. So despite the fact that most of Luka and Solomon’s family is Muslim, they buried him according to Christian practices. Today was his cross raising.
We got to Solomon’s house and after greeting everyone and some final preparations by Luka and Mchungaji, we started the ceremony. It was simple and beyond beautiful. There was very little said. A man walked into the yard holding a white cross with Solomon’s name, birth date, and death date – it was simple but then again, there was no need for it to be gaudy. Nothing was said but everyone got up and followed the cross-bearer down the road towards the cemetery. Once we all got to the gravesite, a small service was held – Mchungaji prayed, Luka read some scripture, and then he prayed too. Then we all processed back and we were all fed (which was amazing since there was a pretty big crowd). I couldn’t look at Lucy or Baraka, Lucy was wiping her eyes a lot and Baraka was crying – it broke my heart to see it. They are both so young and even though it has been over a month, they still must be coping with the death of their father. We got to meet Luka’s father – he looks a lot like his dad. And it was amazing to see how well Christians and Muslims can unite and coexist.
(I apologize that this will be another novel…)
Today got me thinking about two things.
1) The deep-rooted sense of community that exists here.
There is an obvious (probably largely unspoken) understanding that everyone lives together. That’s not to say that people live as though they are in a commune. People know their neighbors and people in their community on a deep level. They recognize the importance of relationships with the people that surround you. Most importantly, they aren’t afraid to get close to people. In the States, if someone experiences a great deal of loss it is not uncommon if they become extremely distant, in fact it is almost expected. But here they will keep working to keep relationships strong and plentiful. Take Solomon’s kids for example, their mother ran out and their father has passed – but they still have opened up to all of us (Baraka even remembers all of our names). And Luka is perhaps an even better example. His mother passed away about 10 years ago and his brother and sister have both passed. But instead of secluding himself, he works as a evangelist and a carpenter where he meets and gets to know people throughout the region. It amazes me and I respect that mindset more than words can say.
2) The nature of religion here.
I have noticed today the extent to which religious practices are ingrained in people’s minds. A great majority of people at the services we go to don’t use the hymnals and they don’t print bulletins – but everyone follows along and participates in all of the service. Prayer is done in a very ritualistic way - heads are bowed (almost parallel to the ground) and hands are folded. And even today with the cross raising, the act of walking the cross to the grave was very symbolic. The community of people who cared about Solomon moved together to say their final goodbye. They walked with the cross - it wasn’t waiting at the gravesite - we all walked along with it. Almost as though, by doing so we were helping move Solomon on to the next life.
I love religion here. Everything is done with such purpose. People don’t seem to partake to be pious or uppity – they truly believe in what they are doing and saying. It is a lot more moving to see people practice their faith with purpose and passion.
Peace.

A Handful of Photos and An Apology

2008-09-28T08:18:00.007+03:00

First I was wondering if there is anything in particular that you want to hear about. I encourage you to post comments at any time with any questions or topics you'd like me to cover while I'm here.
Second, I apologize that there have been three posts yesterday and another today - power and internet have been pretty spotty so I've just been writing my blog updates as they come to mind and saving them to my computer until a later time. So they all were posted yesterday when we got power back. And the photos take so long to upload so I need a considerable amount of time to post them. I'm still hoping to post a video or two, but that will depend entirely on if I can get a fast enough internet connection. So here are the photos (I tried to keep the ones form the same days together, but they are in pretty much no particular order).
Enjoy.....

I wanted to find a tree like the one that Rafiki (meaning 'friend' in Kiswahili) in 'The Lion King' lived in. And here it is.

Some of the most majestic trees you only see in fairytales

Steve tree climbing

Tim tree hugging .... I'm starting to think this may be commonplace for Tim.

Our big backyardHomes around the church where the baptism were held.
Drummer wandering around at Christina's baptism

Playing with the cameras has been popular entertainment

Massai choir at Christina's baptism

The girl of the hour... or five hours

Baraka (Luka's nephew) - him and Lucy loved taking our cameras and being our personal photographers.

One of the four choirs at Christina's baptism

Lucy (Luka's 9 y old niece) - I love this photo because it is such a face I would make. :)

Cattle Market

In the cattle market.... not so sure I want to eat meat anymore.

Anna (the 19 yr old German Kindergarten teacher) trying on traditional Massai clothing

Sunrise over LJS

Peace.

A Prison Without Walls

2008-09-27T18:34:00.001+03:00

Today we visited the youth prison and the cattle market – they were two very different and very new experiences. The youth prison houses youth from age 16-20 and is nothing like the juvenile detention centers you find in the States. First off, there were no walls holding the prisoners in. They live in these open rooms with about 10-12 beds on the ground. During the day, they are outside (where, remember, there are no walls holding them in). The guards don’t carry guns, rather they carry sticks – big difference… they don’t seem to have the security issues that warrant the need for guns.
We were talking about why these differences might exist, and we concluded that if prisoners are treated like human beings and allowed to live like people (rather than animals in cages) then they will be more willing to cooperate. – Just think what might change if we applied this philosophy around the world.
Then (the big one) we went to the cattle market. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen – there were Massai walking around and selling things (livestock, fabric, knives, sticks, etc.). I could have done without seeing all the dead animals hanging around waiting to be cooked – but at the same time, that is beautiful to me. After wandering around for awhile, we went off to the side and ate some goat. I think it was a big adjustment for most of us since the meat was very pink still and it was very fatty. But that is where my observation for today comes in… I noticed a big difference in sanitary standards between Tanzanians and Americans/Europeans – and mind you, I am EXTREMELY hesitant to post this, because the last thing I want is for you all to think that they are any worse or less civilized than we are. We are different, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Back home we would be appalled at the thought of not always using soap to wash your hands, picking your nose in public, or eating with your hands. But here all of the above are routine. But they make a very conscious point of making sure that everyone has washed their hands before they ate – at every meal in the villages someone walks around with a bucket of water and pours it over people’s hands allowing them to wash them (both before and after each meal). It seems like the issue is not a lack of desire for sanitation, it just is a matter of availability and need. Money is spent on the important things – food, water, housing, church offerings – soap and Kleenex are not absolute necessities. It is interesting the accommodations that are made for the difference in sanitation standards. It seems like less and less surprises me here with each passing day. Things are never worse, they are just different.
Peace.

Walking Through God’s Playground

2008-09-27T18:33:00.003+03:00

I’ve now been on two walks around the LJS property and each time, though I’ve taken the same path, it has shown me something new and beautiful. This last walk was with one of the German students here, Bernard. When we were walking, I noticed the vast dichotomy among our surroundings – right in front of us was a dry, grassland and just a ways a head of us was a lush forest. But, for me, the best thing was walking and letting my hand grace over the plants along the path. I could almost feel the life between my fingers. It was beautiful, the cracked earth beneath my feet and vibrant life between my fingers. The plants are so much more than pretty things to look at; they support the life around them. It is a beautiful thing to see and definitely something I will miss when I go back home. Those walks were the classic times when you can see the fun God must have had in creating life.
Peace.

Recognizing Things We Take For Granted

2008-09-27T18:33:00.001+03:00

Friday was Simon’s (Tim and my Kiswahili instructor this past week) last day as a teacher here at LJS. He is starting university in Morogoro this coming week. On Friday he was asking Tim and I about the school system in America, and in return, he told us about the Tanzanian system (which is extremely similar to ours). Simon is going to study agriculture business – a phenomenal field of study in a country that is practically run by agriculture. He has attended LJS for most of his educational history and he is incredibly intelligent. I can see him going very far in life. I only hope that when he becomes successful, he chooses to stay in Tanzania.
The thing that for some reason really struck me was how proud and excited he was. And Simon is even attending university with financial help from the government and his family! University is a privilege here – you have to take exams in order to get through high school and more to get into university. Back home it is basically expected that you will go to college and get a bachelor’s degree at least, but here it is truly an honor to be able to attend university. It was amazing to hear the pride and joy in his voice and displayed on his face when he talked about his future studies at university. I truly wish him the best of luck and he will be in my prayers as he works towards his degree.
Peace.

Kiswahili ni lugha ngumu. - Swahili is a difficult language.

2008-09-26T19:09:00.001+03:00

Like every other weekday today was spent in Swahili class. The difference was that the past few days I seem to have slammed into a brick wall. Last week and even the beginning of this week, Swahili seemed to just come to me – the language made sense and I could catch on very quickly. But something changed during the week, all of a sudden I couldn’t just pick up the language. I quickly became frustrated during our small group sessions. I would be given a drill and the words just didn’t come out right – not to mention, the vocabulary was no longer sticking in my mind. I would ask myself every day, “What is wrong with me that everyone else can pick this up and I feel like I’m taking shots in the dark?” Well, I am slowly working my way out of the darkness (let me tell you, its not very easy work) and in the meantime, I have gained an appreciation for the other students here and our teachers.
Today especially, I have spent a fair amount of time just sitting around and watching the people from all different countries communicating. (It truly reminds me to the Tower of Babel story.) Here, we have to either speak Swahili or English in order to be able to communicate with the people around us. But the thing I enjoy most is watching two people from different language backgrounds (neither being English) speak to one another in English. Neither person is speaking in grammatically correct sentences - but they make it work and they understand one another. It just shows the capacity and need for the human sprit to have companionship.
The other thing that I’ve spent a fair amount of time thinking about today is the other students here. Today, two people left – Jody and Father Roy. It made me think about how I want to spend my time here. We are here for three months and then we get to go back home to familiarity. But everyone else here is staying for a year or even more – they will depend on their Swahili in order to communicate while they live here. I want to get the most out of my short time here. We are already starting our third week in the country and have less than three months left to experience this wonderful place. The downside of this, is that it makes me want to be done with the learning Swahili stage and move on to the talking with people and immersion stage. I am ready to be at the point in our studies where we are competent enough to hold a conversation with the people around us… not just exchange greetings. I know that a lot of that will come with confidence, and that is what I need so desperately to work on right now. I need to feel confident enough to just talk and let mistakes happen – otherwise I won’t learn.
Peace.

Moved by the Spirit

2008-09-24T18:47:00.002+03:00

I apologize that this is coming rather late, but I wanted to post about this past weekend. Saturday, we didn’t have anywhere to go so we just hung out around the LJS – I did laundry and then Hilary (an artist) came with some ebony carvings, postcards, and jewelry. The artwork was all absolutely beautiful and each piece seemed flawless. Then Sunday was a big day for us. We went to a village about a 45 min. drive away for Christina’s (Luka’s daughter) baptism. We crammed 11 people into PH’s 8 person SUV – thankfully the drive was a relatively short one. We finally got to spend time with Luka’s niece (Lucy) and nephew (Baraka) – he basically took over their upbringing after his brother passed away. When we got to the village there was already one choir ready in the church. As time passed, more choirs came and soon enough we had to move outside since 4 different choirs had come. While we were waiting for everyone and everything to get situated, I got to spend some time with Lucy – and adorable 9 year-old who embraces the responsibility of taking care of her new little ‘sister’ Christina. Lucy seemed fascinated by my hair – she loved playing with it, styling it, and even just touching it. But what I admired about her most was Lucy’s amazing maternal instinct, even at age 9. She loved holding the babies and knew exactly how to calm them when they cried! This came in handy since there seemed to be babies everywhere – I think I ended up holding a child for most of the service - which, by the way lasted 5 hours. With so many choirs, each one was given the chance to sing at any opportunity. It was amazing to hear the variety among the choirs – each was different and each one appreciated the music of the others.
Music has always been a big part of my life, so for many of you, this comes as no surprise. I love watching people sing – they move around (not like us Midwestern Lutherans!) and let the music move them. But sometimes I shut my eyes and just listen. Without fail, you can hear the passion and conviction with which everyone sings. Songs are not just a way to break up the monotony of a service, they are a statement of faith and they are the Spirit moving through and among the people. I love it. Too often, back home, we sing the songs (or don’t) simply because they are in the bulletin and that’s what we do. How often do we actually look at the words of the songs and let the words move us? I'll be the first to admit, I have made fun of the Christian Cd commercials where they show people dancing and crying to the music – but I’m starting to realize that perhaps they have the right idea. For them, the words mean something. I am developing a new found appreciation for music as a part of worship – perhaps there is more to connect with when we really get into the words of the songs we sing in church.
I challenge you, next time you are in a worship service or even just singing to God by yourself, to let the Spirit move through you and belt out the tune. Even if you aren’t the best singer, God doesn’t care, he cares about connecting with you and moving through you in everything you do.
Peace.

Some Very Overdue Pictures

2008-09-19T14:19:00.000+03:00

Massai kids in Twatwatwa

Communion in Twatwatwa (sp?) - our first village visit

Massai boy in Twatwatwa

They loved seeing themselves on the digital cameras!

Some kids near the Swahili village where the wedding was held.

In the Massai village we visited on Sunday.

A Lesson Learned

2008-09-18T18:29:00.000+03:00

If being here has taught me anything at all, it is that the simple things in life are the things that matter most. Between talking to some of the teachers here at LJS and going to town the other day, it has been cemented in my mind. Life isn’t about how much money and ‘stuff’ we can accumulate over a lifetime – we can’t take any of it with us. The important things in life are the relationships we have with those around us. We learned on our first day that, in Tanzania, greetings are never just an exchange of ‘hello’ – you always ask how things are going or something. It is about relationships and their growth and maintenance. Perhaps it is our need to accomplish so much in every day and the hustle bustle of our culture which impedes the importance of relationships. But being here, I have had time to sit and think, time to grow, time to really get to know the people around me, and time to analyze. From all of that, I have gained a much deeper understanding of who and what is important to me. I have come to realize who is (and should be) really important to me. They are the people who make me happiest no matter what else is going on, who believe in me and my goals, who can make me see things clearly and from a unbiased point of view, and who I can be away from but then pick up right where we left off – for all of these reasons, I miss these people the most while I am away. Maybe this is something that is obvious to most people, maybe others have struggled with it too, I honestly can’t say. All I know is that, in the past, I haven’t always made the best decisions with who I hold close to my heart. I feel like the time to think and reflect has given me the chance to identify who fits into this group of people in my life.
Here, relationships are key. The front page of our Swahili binder says ‘Mtu ni Watu’ – a person is people. It means that no one is a full person without the people around them. Our survival (especially for people here) depends so much on each other. We rely on one another both emotionally and physically – whether you want to admit it or not. We are made up of the people we are around and carry little bits of them with us everywhere we go. But at the same time we each are gifted in different tasks and by working together we are able to accomplish anything we may need.
I suppose this post was inspired largely by the abundant hospitality and sense of community that we have seen and experienced here. Especially at LJS, people are so very willing to help us learn more – even if they aren’t our teacher right now, they are giving us chances to practice and helping us when we get stuck. And even in our lessons, Peter and I have been able to ask any questions that come to mind. Today, our afternoon session was mainly Abraham telling us a traditional folktale and then giving us an opportunity to ask him questions. It is such a blessing to be able to get a first-hand account of life here (and all of the teachers are more than willing to share). But it all goes back to the sense of community here – sharing is a part of the relationship building and it allows us to take that knowledge back home with us and work towards creating a global community.
Peace.

Sasa najua kiswahili kidogo (Now I know a little Swahiili)

2008-09-16T19:45:00.006+03:00

Today was only day two of Swahili class, but I already feel like we are all learning so much. For the first half of the morning, we had a large group lecture-style class then in the afternoon we broke off into our partnership pairs (my group for this week is me and Peter with Abraham as our teacher). Most of our afternoon lesson was spent just talking with our teachers (in English, primarily) and getting to know one another. It was phenomenal. We talked about our families, differences between here and the States, religious life, politics, etc. It was especially interesting to hear Abraham say how deforestation is such a serious problem for them. Before this trip, social and environmental problems that I've heard about in my Poli Sci classes have been just that, abstract concepts that exist in far away lands - but now they are becoming a reality, they are things I can see on a daily basis. I took my first trip to Morogoro today with Anna. It was good to get off of the sheltered campus of LJS. The city is such a different feeling than the villages that we have visited. I saw so much that made me want to change the world - huge holes in the middle of the streets and sidewalks, mini buses crammed with over 25 people, and so much more that I know hints at a bigger problem of dire poverty.
But at the same time, Tanzanians amaze me with their endless hospitality and almost flawless ability to coexist despite huge differences and a history of oppression. The country has been relatively peaceful since their independence in the 1960s even though many of their neighboring countries have experienced genocide, dictators, and widespread violence – so they are obviously doing something right. We have been nothing but welcomed by everyone here. The people we meet in the villages have opened up their communities and their hearts to us without fail and the city dwellers in Morogoro were kind to us as well. When I think about the history of it, Tanzanians have no reason to trust white people or Arabs – there is such a history of oppression and slavery. (When telling us about the large Arab slave route through the area, Pastor H even told us about how he and Luka found shackles left on a tree here at LJS from the slave route – the Arabs would lock up and leave for dead anyone who could not keep up.) In the

U.S.

we ask for reparations and hold the history of slavery over the heads of the white majority. But here, people live together peacefully. Maybe that peace is a result of the dire need for development and a necessary cooperation to achieve it. Maybe it just comes out of a different culture that chooses love and forgiveness over hate (something the world could definitely use!). I couldn’t really say what causes it right now, perhaps I will gain a better understanding of it all by the time I leave. Either way, it is a hospitality that exists throughout. Even on the bus to Morogoro the man sitting beside me tried to strike up a conversation with me - which reminds me why I was posting this… my trip to Morogoro!
Well Anna and I took the bus (it stopped on the street outside LJS to pick us up and dropped us off at the ‘bus depot’ in Morogoro). After we were dropped off, the man who had attempted a conversation with me shouted goodbye to me as they drove past us on their way out of town – I never expected to hear my name shouted on the streets of Morogoro, much less after I’ve only been here a few days. We walked a couple blocks to the supermarket/grocery store to pick up a few necessities. The whole time we were out, men would call out to us and ask us to be their girlfriend or greet us as they passed. Then we went to the market so Anna could buy some shoes. The market was such an experience! We walked into what seemed like a hole in the wall – it literally was an opening between two stores that led to a three-foot-wide path lined with small stores. In the shoe store, the two workers were talking up a storm with us! When they found out that I was from

America

, they both said ‘President Bush’s country!’ – I initially responded with a small response of disgust but then I thought about it for a bit and realized that they were happy about President Bush (it seems as though Tanzania is one good thing he did in office). Then I mentioned Obama and they got even more excited – people here seem to adore Obama (many have told us that we can only vote from here if we vote for Obama). After talking with the men in the shop for a bit, we headed off to the tailor that Anna has gone to a couple times to have shirts made. Outside, the shop had two, old fashioned sewing machines (nothing like the computerized one I use at home) and the inside was filled with fabrics (Kangas and Kitangas). I was in heaven! Anna and I both impulse bought some beautiful fabrics. Then we got back on a crowded bus and headed home. When I got back I had an ‘appointment’ to teach Omega (one of the Swahili teachers) some Spanish. We ended up talking about languages and I found out that he knows 6 tribal languages, Swahili, English, a bit of Massai, and a few words in Spanish, German, and Korean. I was astounded! In the U.S. we think we know so much if we are fluent in two languages and here is a kid who knows a total 8 languages almost fluently and can almost understand about 4 more. Now that is amazing, to say the least. I understand that part of the wide variety of fluency comes out of a necessity for communication among the people here but even in the States, where we need to be able to communicate with our Latino neighbors and immigrants, a vast majority of our citizens don’t know or care to learn even the least bit of Spanish. But Omega and I ended up doing more of a language exchange than a teaching session – we swapped words, Spanish for Swahili. Tomorrow we will probably have a more ‘formal’ lesson. I apologize for the volume of my writing today. It seems like the more I am here, the more I notice and the more it makes me think. I honestly wish I could somehow write down all of my thoughts as they occur to me, but these thoughts just come and go so quickly in my mind that I find myself loosing my train of thought more often than ever before. So I will end this before it turns into a full-out novel. Tomorrow is a new day that will (like always) bring new adventures, I can’t wait.

Peace.

Asante sana squash banana - Thank you very much squash banana?

2008-09-15T19:56:00.003+03:00

We started Swahili class today. They actually changed the way they are teaching it for right now since a group of 5 new people also came to the school today, so we have lecture-style classes of 9 people in the common room every day. After this week, we will have one-on-one class for a week and then it will be back to large group lecture.
Today we only covered one lesson - greetings - and then our teacher gave us the afternoon off. :) So far the teaching style has been 'here's a phrase, learn the responses and memorize it' - rather difficult for an analytical language learner like me. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? It just gives me an opportunity to reinforce the language when I go through and put it all into a style I can learn better.
Other than the language class, nothing much is new here. Our daily schedule with language class is pretty simple:
7:00 Breakfast
7:45 Devotion
8:00 - 10:00 Class
10:00 Tea Time
10:30 - 12:00 Class
12:00 - 2:00 Lunch
2:00 - 4:00 Class
4:00 Tea Time
6:00 Dinner

Our nights are free and I have been spending a lot of my time in the common room - it almost always has someone in it so it isn't as lonely as my room can get.
But that's not to say that I am lonely by any means! There is a very nice German girl, Anna, who is 19. She took a year off before college and is spending the year working in the Kindergarten here at the language school. It has been really nice to have her here since I am the only girl from our Wartburg group. But I find myself separating myself from the group a lot and trying to get to know the rest of the student at the school, instead of spending all my time with the boys. They are quite the traveling companions. Each have their own little quirks. Peter likes the wildlife and is always on the lookout for animals, and when he isn't 'hunting' he likes to crack jokes at everything. Tim is usually very composed and serious about religion and politics but then he has this immature side to him that loves to make everything a joke. Finally, Steve is very quite but when he speaks up it is almost always the very last thing you expected him (or anyone, for that matter) to say. The most important thing is that we are all meshing really well - which is crucial to any trip. Tomorrow Anna and I are planning on going to Morogoro to buy some fabric. It'll be my first trip by bus to Morogoro and I can't wait.
I am surrising myself on this trip with my independence and willingness to go outside of my comfort zone. I went into the trip thinking that I'd be lonely and cling to the boys for companionship, but I've actually spent very little time with them outside of the village visits nd class, and as a result, I've gotten to know several of our fellow language school students. I honestly could not ask for more.
Peace.

Tim, Peter, Me, and Steve
(don't hold it against me that it is a bad picture)

A Wedding, Post- Church Auctions, and Chickens in The Backseat

2008-09-14T20:12:00.008+03:00

I encourage you to keep checking the most recent post I make... since internet can be pretty slow it might take me a little while to upload photos, but I will have them up before I get too far ahead in my posts.
Now on to what you're here for...

Here's a little insight into my to-do list before I leave... (I guarantee it will continue to grow as the semester goes on)

Learn how to (and possibly practice) strap an infant to my back with a strip of fabric.
Learn how to make the vocal trill that women here seem to use to express joy.
Figure out how the animals are killed here - I assume they do it in some humane way, but how?
Learn how to make the amazing Chai tea that we keep having on our visits.

But on a slightly more serious note, how can I possibly update the past two days without this post dragging on for days? They have been 2 completely different, yet absolutely amazing days. Yesterday, we visited a Swahili village for a wedding. It was beautiful. They had the most simple decorations (fabric strips, flowers, and toilet paper) and the bride and groom sat in plastic lawn chairs - but it was the happiest wedding I've ever been to. After waiting 2 hours, the bride and groom's cars each pulled up and when they did, the women inside the church broke out into beautiful joyous songs - everyone was singing and dancing throughout the church. (It was nice to see that people weren't all confined to their seats like they tend to be back in the States in a Midwest Lutheran church!) As a surprise (to us and Pastor H) there were also two baptisms at the service - but that didn't change a thing, Pastor H just went with the flow. At one point in the service the woman sitting next to me must have noticed that I kept smiling at her little girl, so she handed off her infant daughter to me to hold. The trust was amazing. (And her daughter was absolutely adorable!) It seemed to be a theme, pretty much anyone went and grabbed anyone else's child to hold for awhile and then gave them back to their mother or siblings. Luka, his fiance, and 8-mo. old daughter also went with us to the wedding. Both his soon-to-be-wife and his daughter are the sweetest people - his daughter almost never cried and just took in all the sights and sounds. After the service, we processed outside (which appears to be the tradition here) where they had an auction for items that had been donated at the wedding.
Today was another, very different, experience (once again). We drove about two hours out to another Massai village for a service which included a blessing of the church building. The service included three very different choirs (two that had been brought in for the service/celebration and the local Massai choir). The service lasted upwards of three hours and, thanks to Luka, I actually could follow along for most of it. Once again, after the service there was an auction (I bought a very nice Kanga that I'll probably have made into a shirt or skirt or something and Luka bought a chicken). Then Luka and the four of us took some bubbles over to the kids and we had a field day. Once again, I was able to see how digital cameras can be a universal bonding tool - all kids love to see images of themselves frozen in time! To finish off the day we had some spiced rice and ate with our hands - note to self, cut fingernails before any opportunity to eat with your hands! On the drive back we had the addition of one chicken to our passenger list - it sat beside Tim and they became quite close friends. By the end of the drive back to LJS, Tim was able to quiet the chicken anytime it got upset - a very useful talent if you ever find yourself stuck in a car on a bumpy road with a chicken for over two hours!
I've noticed that each of us are starting to pick up a few words here and there. Tomorrow starts Kiswahili classes for us - we'll be paired off (Steve and Tim, Peter and Me) to start and go from there. Now we just need to build up some confidence and learn a bit more and we will be set. Soon the Tanzanians won't be able to shut us up! :)
Peace.

Luka's daughter, Christina, and I

Karibu

2008-09-12T19:24:00.006+03:00

It has definitely been one of those days when it feels like the day has lasted forever but at the same time by the end of the day, you feel like there was not nearly enough hours in the day. Today was our first Massai village visit. All I really can say about it is... wow.
We left LJS this morning at about 9:30 and after some time on a bumpy paved highway and what felt like even more time on an extremely rough path through the wilderness, we arrived at the Massai Secondary School, which houses the 9th and 10th grades (after which they must take and pass a test in order to continue their education). There we dropped off a microscope for the school, took a picture with the head teacher, and got back in the car to continue down the path. After quite a bit more time with 9 of us packed in PH's car like sardines, we arrived at the Massai village. It was a lot more sparsely populated than I had imagined. In my head I had this picture of large groups of huts gathered around one central area. Instead, there were between five and eight huts in the village with the school and church. We got out of the car and got an opportunity to stretch our legs - we took a walk around the village and they showed us their water hole - most of the others had dried up - their church that John K. and Luka helped to build, and their school. The buildings (church, school, etc) were all cement/brick walls with a corrugated tin roof. Once we finished our walk, we sat outside the church and had chai tea (the best any of us have ever had!) and what Luka called 'half cake' (because it contains only half the ingredients of cake - no eggs or milk). While we ate Luka gave the four of us a very basic Swahili lesson and talked with us about people he met on previous Wartburg trips.
Then we were called into the church by the choir singing from inside. The service lasted a couple hours - but never got old. The choir sang, PH and some evangelists preached, and they served communion. During the service, I sat next to one of the elders in the village and next to another man from the village both of whom helped me follow along in the liturgy. Once the service was done we all processed out in a large line and shook everyone's hand and then joined the receiving line outside the church. Once everyone was outside, we sang some more and the pastors/evangelists dismissed us. Then we ate - large plates of rice with sauce and sodas. Finally, we took a ton of pictures with the villagers. They absolutely loved the digital cameras - the ability to see themselves in the photos and hear themselves singing in my videos just light their faces up. But the day had to come to an end... we loaded back into the car - this time only 6 of us - and drove back to LJS. Tim, Steve, Peter and I all slept for at least part of the ride back. So we got back around 7 tonight and now we have all retreated to our corners for rest and relaxation. Tomorrow will be another day and a new adventure - who knows what it will all bring.
Peace.

Our visa photos - clearly we are all very excited.

Tim looking off pensively ... or maybe he's just jet lagged.

Being summoned into church by the choirs.

Massai choir.

The post-church greeting circle - once the service is over, everyone processes out and makes a circle, shaking everyone's hand on the way.

Departures, Layovers, and at long last, Arrivals

2008-09-11T19:58:00.005+03:00

Well we're here, finally - after about 18 hours of flying time and over 9 hours of sitting in airports, we've made it. Last night we stayed in the Catholic house in Dar es Salaam. Then we woke up this morning had breakfast and left for Morogoro. Once we arrived here we had lunch and then had some down time to unpack and get settled in. All four of us ended up falling asleep at some point during our rest time. Then we had tea time where we basically just had an opportunity to stand and chat with other students here. After tea, Tim and I stood outside and talked politics, religion, and life with a woman from the midwest. She helped introduce us to several people here and orient us to the school culture. So far everything has been running really smoothly. I think I am still at a point of shock where i'm not really sure that this is all real.
Pictures of our accommodations will follow...

Peace.Goodbye Waverly!

What a beautiful message to see in the Amsterdam airport to start our trip.

On the road to Morogoro.

My sitting/'living' room at LJS.

My bedroom - not too bad - two beds w/ mosquito nets, a dresser, desk and desk chair.

The Time Is Near

2008-09-08T06:30:00.002+03:00

We are now down to less than 48 hours until I leave for Tanzania. I have to be honest, I'm starting to stress out a bit. Last night I went out for one last time with all of the people here at Wartburg who mean the most to me. It was pretty tough to realize that I will basically be cut off from these people for three months - these are the people who have supported me through everything, and I won't be able to just drive over to campus or call them up if things start to get rough. I think that, at this point, that is the most difficult part of leaving - the prospect of being alone and being forced to be on my own and deal with things on my own for three months. Granted, this will be the experience of a lifetime. I just am almost afraid to experience it without those people who have been there through so much.
I guess I'm just reaching that point where I want to be there and not feel as though I am stuck in limbo. I am just ready for this to start. I'm sick of goodbyes. I'm not ready for this. I feel like I don't want to go anymore. I just feel so discontent about leaving. I am afraid that I can't do this and I will let myself and everyone else down.

Almost....

2008-07-29T20:38:00.000+03:00

Things are finally coming together and my semester in Tanzania is finally becoming a reality. I've got my ticket information, visa, and I've received all of my shots (although I could have done without feeling like a human pin cushion!). Now it seems like it is only a matter of time before I am landing in Dar es Salaam! I think that it is sinking in... I am really going to be spending three months in Africa! The only problem is that now I feel like I don't have enough time to finish pulling everything together. I have a week left until I go to El Salvador and after that I only have three weeks until I leave on the 9th for Tanzania. So much is going to be packed into my last month in the States - I simply have to make the most of the precious little time I have left with all my friends here. Part of me is still anxious about missing out on a whole semester of events and activities on campus. But I suppose that my mind is calmed by the fact that this upcoming semester will provide me with the opportunity of a lifetime - the chance to spend three months getting college credit for learning about what I actually might want to do with my life, live abroad and work with local people for social justice and human rights. I can't say it enough... I am more excited than I ever have been in my life.
Here's to the trip of my life.
Peace.