Only a few days remain before we will be celebrating Christmas 2010. It seems like this year has gone very fast and soon we’ll be in a New Year once again. As I look back at this year and see that I haven’t done very many postings to this blog, I know that one reason is that has happened which I feared when I returned here to Tanzania in 2009. And that is that I have started to take things for granted again. These new eyes that I had when I returned and used to look at things, events, ways of doing, etc. when I have become so used to everything once again that I don’t see the uniqueness in them and so don’t remember to share that with the readers of these postings. But in contrast to that I can say that this Christmas I feel so much more at home here in Dodoma, know so many more people, know how to get around and not get lost, have made friends with the neighborhood, have discovered who to call on when needing help for repairs, and so many other ways that I now feel a part of this place. And so this year has been a year of settling in and feeling at home. And that has been nice.
After we closed school on the 4th of December I took a week off and had a retreat. I went to the convent of the Sisters who run the orphanage and school and they received me graciously, gave me space and food, and it was a very nice week. The room that I was given was on the second floor and I could look out the big windows on the flowers and trees that are so in abundance at the orphanage, and I could also hear the children as they played and sang and drummed, and sometimes cried. It was a good time for quiet and prayer.
In between this writing I’m baking some Christmas goodies to take along when we go to spend Christmas with our closest Maryknoll Sisters’ community in Morogoro (three hours away). Christmas sweet bread and molasses fruit cake remind me of Christmases at home, and they’re on the list of things to be baked. I’m praying that the electricity stays on. If it doesn’t I’m in trouble. :)
Christmas blessings to everyone. Let us pray for each other.
