This is such a nice holiday, when we especially remember to be grateful for all our blessings. If you’re like me, the list is long and filled with blessings galore. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Our rain is having a rest but the clouds are a bit heavier today, the sun is beastly hot, the wind is slight – all signs that it will probably be raining again soon. There is a field that I walk by every day that has corn up about four or five inches and the farmer has already weeded it. Now it certainly needs rain again. But the ground is green all over, such a difference from just a couple weeks ago. And the baobab trees are all in leaf, and that is also a big difference. There are a lot of baobab trees around, and some magnificent ones. They have been absolutely bare of leaves but now are greened out really nicely.
Tomorrow is my last day of teaching, then I give an exam and the school year is over for 2009. I’ve enjoyed those kids very much and they’ve certainly kept me on high alert. There’s never a dull moment with them, and they never cease to amaze me with their good spirits and high energy. They are almost an equal number of girls and boys, and each group has its distinction. Most of the girls are dressed much neater than the boys, and there are a couple of boys who obviously come from very challenging households. One’s shirt is really thin and is split all the way down the back; he keeps it together with a huge safety pin. Another wears shoes but you can count all his toes, the shoes are so worn out. And the little they have they share. One day I was walking with a small group, and they had each just been given a little square of bubble gum by a teacher. One of the boys very simply tore his piece of gum in half and gave me a half. I know that bubble gum and candy are real treats for those kids and to have Joseph share was very touching. It’s always good to have an example of sharing, especially as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach.
Anybody interested in a longer account of the Final Vows ceremony that I talked about last week can read it on the Maryknoll website: www.maryknollsisters.org You can look for this one and others that I've written or about my work as well. There are other interesting things on this site also .... Yes, really, it's not all about me!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
12th November 2009 – The Rains Have Begun
The long anticipated end to the dry season has come and we are into the rainy season. We were away for five days over the weekend and when we returned we saw water sitting around in puddles, and so we knew that the drought was over. And when we entered the house we smelled rot – We had gone on Thursday and on Friday night there had been a big electrical storm that knocked out the electricity in this area, and so the kilo of meat and the packet of fish in the freezing compartment of our fridge had completely thawed and rotted. What a mess! By now the smell is almost gone out of the house, and the fridge is getting better.
We went to Moshi, on Mount Kilimanjaro, to attend the Final Commitment of Sister Magreth Mkenda, M.M., and it was a wonderful celebration. Connie and I taught and lived with her oldest sister many years ago in Nangwa, and she and I taught in Singida at the same time also. We have continued to be good friends throughout the years, and when her younger sister joined Maryknoll that only cemented our friendship further. Altogether there are 10 children in the family, and the parents are still alive and quite well while in their 80’s. The family, extended family, neighbors, parish did a fantastic job of preparing and executing the celebration and it was an inspiring and joyous time. The three-hour long Mass was preceeded and followed by singing and dancing, the Mass itself was full of blessings and deep significance, and the receptions (yes, more than one) following had plenty of food and drink and celebration. It was a beautiful expression of love and cooperation and celebration for the very special blessing of Maggie's mission vocation.
Now that the rain has started it has taken almost no time for green sprouts to appear out of the earth. No matter where you look there are very tiny green things peeking their way up, and I’m sure the landscape will appear very different in just a few days. The usual pattern during the rainy season is for rain to fall for a couple hours or so during the day, and then the sun comes out. Perfect growing weather. While walking to school I see folks out planting, and in these small plots they make rows by digging shallow holes in the earth with their hoes and then come back with the seeds, dropping in one or two and covering them with their feet. This is mostly corn I see being planted now but I’m sure that some plots have beans as well. Our neighbors have planted sweet potatoes and cassava in front of their house, and today we bought some tomato and Swiss Chard seeds, so we’ll be joining the farmers’ union before too long. We don’t have much area to work with but we won’t be doing large scale farming either.
The night sounds have changed as well. Before we left the wind was still howling around almost all night long. Now that is not the case, and instead we can hear all the neighborhood noises as well as some new ones, like frogs and insects. Everything comes to life with the rain and hope is so tangible at this time of the year.
We went to Moshi, on Mount Kilimanjaro, to attend the Final Commitment of Sister Magreth Mkenda, M.M., and it was a wonderful celebration. Connie and I taught and lived with her oldest sister many years ago in Nangwa, and she and I taught in Singida at the same time also. We have continued to be good friends throughout the years, and when her younger sister joined Maryknoll that only cemented our friendship further. Altogether there are 10 children in the family, and the parents are still alive and quite well while in their 80’s. The family, extended family, neighbors, parish did a fantastic job of preparing and executing the celebration and it was an inspiring and joyous time. The three-hour long Mass was preceeded and followed by singing and dancing, the Mass itself was full of blessings and deep significance, and the receptions (yes, more than one) following had plenty of food and drink and celebration. It was a beautiful expression of love and cooperation and celebration for the very special blessing of Maggie's mission vocation.
Now that the rain has started it has taken almost no time for green sprouts to appear out of the earth. No matter where you look there are very tiny green things peeking their way up, and I’m sure the landscape will appear very different in just a few days. The usual pattern during the rainy season is for rain to fall for a couple hours or so during the day, and then the sun comes out. Perfect growing weather. While walking to school I see folks out planting, and in these small plots they make rows by digging shallow holes in the earth with their hoes and then come back with the seeds, dropping in one or two and covering them with their feet. This is mostly corn I see being planted now but I’m sure that some plots have beans as well. Our neighbors have planted sweet potatoes and cassava in front of their house, and today we bought some tomato and Swiss Chard seeds, so we’ll be joining the farmers’ union before too long. We don’t have much area to work with but we won’t be doing large scale farming either.
The night sounds have changed as well. Before we left the wind was still howling around almost all night long. Now that is not the case, and instead we can hear all the neighborhood noises as well as some new ones, like frogs and insects. Everything comes to life with the rain and hope is so tangible at this time of the year.
Monday, November 2, 2009
2nd November 2009 – All Souls’ Day
First, Happy Feast Day for yesterday, when we celebrated all of our saintly examples, both recognized and unrecognized. It’s always good to be reminded of the Beatitudes and yesterday during the Small Christian Community meeting when we were sharing about the scripture reading of Sunday, the ones that people picked out to comment on were “Blessed are the merciful” and “Blessed are the meek of heart”. Those qualities are ones that I already find in so many Tanzanians, and they are nice ones to have.
And on Saturday evening I went to visit a former student who I happened to meet in town earlier in the week and who invited me to supper with her and her Mom. More about that later, but the taxi driver’s wisdom is what I want to share now. I took a taxi home because I didn’t want to walk from the bus stop in the dark, and as usual the driver and I started talking about life, about how long I’ve lived in Tanzania, about how I like living here. His comment was that, although most Tanzanians live a very simple life, they generally love each other and that makes for a peaceful and good life. That also is true; I never fail to get some insight in how people think from the taxi drivers around here.
Yes, visiting with Asha and her family was a real blessing. Many times it’s hard for us teachers to see concrete results or to know how we impacted the lives of others. It’s a blessing to have confirmation that I have been influential in her life and an example that she aims to follow. She has recently finished an education degree at the University of Dar es Salaam and left yesterday to report to the school to which she’s been assigned to teach. I think she’ll be a fine teacher (of Economics and Geography) and hopefully will influence her students for the good as well.
And today we remember all of our loved ones who have gone before us. I know they’re praying for us and watching over us and we can continue to rely on them for support.
And on Saturday evening I went to visit a former student who I happened to meet in town earlier in the week and who invited me to supper with her and her Mom. More about that later, but the taxi driver’s wisdom is what I want to share now. I took a taxi home because I didn’t want to walk from the bus stop in the dark, and as usual the driver and I started talking about life, about how long I’ve lived in Tanzania, about how I like living here. His comment was that, although most Tanzanians live a very simple life, they generally love each other and that makes for a peaceful and good life. That also is true; I never fail to get some insight in how people think from the taxi drivers around here.
Yes, visiting with Asha and her family was a real blessing. Many times it’s hard for us teachers to see concrete results or to know how we impacted the lives of others. It’s a blessing to have confirmation that I have been influential in her life and an example that she aims to follow. She has recently finished an education degree at the University of Dar es Salaam and left yesterday to report to the school to which she’s been assigned to teach. I think she’ll be a fine teacher (of Economics and Geography) and hopefully will influence her students for the good as well.
And today we remember all of our loved ones who have gone before us. I know they’re praying for us and watching over us and we can continue to rely on them for support.
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