ok, I've put it off long enough…time to jump back in...!
School let out for the holiday at the beginning of December, so I didn't have a whole lot to do for more than a month…this meant lots of family time :) Pastor Eric got back from the U.S. a few days before Christmas, so everyone was reunited again. Here's my Tanzanian fam, eating out on Christmas Day -- basically the same format as my fam at home, except that trevor is switched out for a feisty girl. [left to right] Abraham (20), me Samuel (15), Mama, Pastor Eric, Miriam (19).
Our Christmas lunch consisted of 3 heaping platters of grilled meat (goat, cow and chicken), french fries ("chipsi") and soda! Pretty fantastic.
The church decked out for the holiday!
As people from home asked what they could send me for Christmas, it was hard to think of gifts I wanted or things from America that I can't get here. On a daily basis, it's not the most helpful attitude to always be thinking of the stuff you don't have or wish you have -- I have to wrench my head into a different mindset from the way I usually operate! I'm pretty sure the media and the people around us have the most to do with our conceptions of whatever we think we need or want -- if you don't have the media telling you what you need to be cool, or other people around you with cool stuff that you can covet, what else do you need than your daily necessities? Here I have WAY more than anyone else -- I don't look at anyone else and wish that I had what they have or that I could live like they live (ok…except for maybe cool African fabrics and tailored dresses…my fav! [right! -->])I realized the things I now wish for are so different…the extinction of flies, "unlimited nights and weekends" (oh America!), water fountains…some silence to record music, my brothers to sing with, the hug of a best friend…patience, humility, selflessness, to really look like Jesus… Nothing that fits in a USPS Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box.
It was actually a very difficult time for me. Compared to the faithful traditions and worship-like Christmas frenzy of America, the level of celebration here is almost indiscernible -- everyone decorated the church that week, and the family went out for lunch together, but mostly there was nothing to distinguish Christmas and Christmas Eve from any other day! Since in my mind the holidays are inextricable from family, Christmas Eve alone in my room was really hard to get over, and I was definitely way more self-pitying than I should have been! I was reminded that Jesus spent the first Christmas ever in a dark and dirty stable, not curled up by a fire sipping hot chocolate. Thankfully my room smells slightly better than that, and our electricity didn't even cut off that night. During that time, people brought gifts to Him, not expecting to receive any. He was our gift. He's always been more than enough. That was never more real to me than that evening, remembering the night He was born, on my bed with only Him and my tears, and listening to "I Celebrate The Day" by Relient K about 15 times…"I celebrate the day that you were born to die, so I could one day pray for you to save my life."
New Year's Eve, on the other hand, was insane. We had mkesha, an all-night church service/prayer/music & worship event. The worship team played [see above], all the choirs performed songs, individuals sang, etc. I got my earplugs out for the 6-hour service because Tanzanians like their music LOUD and I'm not a fan of hearing loss. Mostly Miriam and I and our other youthful friends entertained ourselves by making up ridiculous dances…by 11:30 the craziness had set in and we ended up outside to have more freedom for our dancing impulses.
At midnight (to my great astonishment) everyone started screaming and running back and forth in the church to find every single person they know to say Hongera ya mwaka mpya ("Congratulations for the New Year") leaping on each other, laughing -- I was literally physically injured by half a dozen people who either bowled me over while running by or 'congratulated' me a little too energetically. I seem to specifically remember an elbow to the face at one point… The following video doesn't come close to capturing the explosion of old people sprinting around, but you can get the idea. We kept this up for about a quarter of an hour before they turned on music and everyone that was left started dancing!
Being someone in thorough possession of the "Physical Touch" Love Language, dozens and dozens of people running to hug me was actually very moving, especially after the last week of feeling so lonely; there were definitely some tears threatening to escape. I realized how fantastic and loving all these people are and was so blessed at how they've accepted me into their family!
New Year's Day we had a bunch of people over for a small feast. Mama made me pray (in Swahili) for the food and actually I was pretty impressed with myself, for once it didn't end with the typical mortification I feel at the prayer's conclusion. Too bad it wasn't videoed…
me & Mama, dressed up on New Year's Day, in front of our house!
Yay! She re-emerges! Wish I could have been there with you to give you lots of hugs at Christmas. :( I'm so proud of you, though, Lindsay - you are strong. And I'm so glad you have a family there too that loves you. :)
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