“As I Went Down by the River to Pray”

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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)

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?

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

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)

1. Learn how to (and possibly practice) strap an infant to my back with a strip of fabric.
2. Learn how to make the vocal trill that women here seem to use to express joy.
3. Figure out how the animals are killed here - I assume they do it in some humane way, but how?
4. 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

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

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

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.