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.
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