What's Your Tribe?

During our Friday night movie Julitha, one of our students, asked us, “Bibi, Babu, what is your tribe”?  When Tom went to the hospital in Lushoto and again in Arusha for his knee, this was one of the questions on the registration form.  Friday night was the first time we were asked the question in person.  It gave us pause to think of what our answer should be.  We explained that the United States is a country of people of many nationalities, but that only Native Americans referred to their heritage a “tribes”.  Julitha persisted and asked again, so I answered Irish and Tom said Scottish.  

Going back into history, Tanzania has been made up of many different tribes or ethnic groups.  The first president of Tanzania, Julius Nyrere, established Kiswahili as the official national language in order to unite all of these groups as one people.  Today most Tanzanians speak Kiswahili, their tribal language, and also some English.

The Lushoto area is primarily make up of the Sambaa people.  Among those here at Irente Children’s Home, many are Sambaa, but also there are students from the Masai, Pare, and Chagaa tribes.  

When we returned home from the movie, I picked up a Newsweek magazine sent to us by our friend Kathy from Iowa.  I had been reading an article on the Titanic centennial.  When I turned the page, the next article was entitled “What’s Your Tribe?” by E.O. Wilson.  Mr. Wilson is a “renowned Harvard biologist” according to Newsweek.  The blurb after the title explains that Wilson “says our drive to join a group - and fight for it-  is what makes us human”.  Wilson says that “everyone, no exception, must have a tribe, an alliance with which to jockey for power and territory, to demonize the enemy, to organize rallies and raise flags.  And so it has ever been”.

This made me re-think my answer to Julitha’s question.  What is my tribe?  Looking at the question in relation to the Newsweek article, I am unsure.  The answer for Americans is more complicated than it would be for a Tanzanian.  I guess I would have to say that I am an American, a Christian, a Lutheran.  Politically, I am not a party-line person.  My sports affiliations are non-existant when it comes to professional sports of any kind, though I will root for the Phillies and “Go Navy, beat Army”.  (with apologies to our nephew Michael)

So, what’s your tribe?  Where is your allegiance?  Unlike me, have you ever given this any thought?  What does your answer say about you?  

A Tanzanian Wedding

We were very happy to be invited to attend the celebration of the wedding of Frida Guga and Alois Magambo.  Frida is the daughter of Bwana Emmanuel, who is in charge of the farm at Irente Children’s Home.  Alois’ mother is a Director at the Irente Blind School.  

Here in Tanzania there are several customs that are different from at home.  Before a wedding, the family of the bride hosts a “Send Off” for their daughter.  While it is a fun celebration, it is also the time that the family says good bye to their daughter.  When a woman marries here, she leaves her family and becomes a part of her husband’s family.

The send off is similar to a bridal shower.  Guests bring gifts to help the bride with her new home.  The is music, singing, and great food.  

At the send off on Friday, the 20th of April, the bride to be arrived with her maid of honor, both dressed in beautiful gold gowns.  They entered the hall, walking in that solemn step-pause that you see in very formal weddings and graduations.  The front of the hall was decorated beautifully.  Many speaches were made by the bride, her father and mother, the maid of honor and several members of the family.  The bride and the maid of honor also paid their respects to the family of the groom.  Then they cut the cake and served each other as the bride and groom would.

Later, the bride walked down the aisle of the hall, very slowly.  She looked to her left and right as she walked.  Mama Mdemu explained that she was searching for her groom.  Finally, she found him hiding near the back of the hall.  She presented him with a red rose and he escorted her back to the front of the room.  They sat together at the front of the room, but then he and his best man returned to their seats at the back.  The guests came forward to present their gifts.  

After that it was time to eat.  The bride’s family went to the groom’s family and escorted them to the serving line.  The send off is hosted by the bride’s family.  The room was packed with guests who lined up for the food.  Later there was more music and singing by the church choir.

On Saturday, the reception was also held in Irente Chapel next to our home.  Again, the room was beautifully decorated.  The wedding and reception are both hosted by the groom’s family.  There was a DJ who played music and also a woman who who served as “Master of Ceremony”.  The reception was very much like any we have attended at home.  The bride was dressed in a beautiful white gown and veil.  The maid of honor was all in pink.  The groom and best man were dressed in black tuxes with pink shirts and white satin ties.  

At the reception, only people with invitations were at first allowed into the hall.  Once all of the invited guests were seated, others were allowed in as standing room only permitted.  Many more people crowded at the windows of the hall to watch.  At the send off, the food was prepared at the Children’s Home.  The reception was catered and the buffet was presided over by a chef in full white uniform and chef’s hat.  When it was time for the food, the people standing in the aisle and in the back were directed to leave the hall.  Once the invited guests had gone to fill their plates, all of the others were invited in to eat too.  Everyone was served, even stray children from the next village who walked over to see the celebration.

We enjoyed being part of both occasions.  At one point at the wedding, the MC called Tom up to the front.  At first we thought they were going to ask him to speak, but she wanted him to dance with some of the women from the family.  After a short time, I went up to join them.  Later, she invited different couples to come up to dance, the bride and grooms parents, aunts and uncles, and then she called on Tom and I.  We did our best with an American style slow dance, which they all seemed to enjoy.  

We were very privileged to be included among the guests at these celebrations.   

Synod Assembly Meeting

What a joy it was for us to attend this year’s Synod Assembly.  We can’t help but thank God for the wonderful technology that made it possible.  

We traveled to Tanga on Friday the 4th and stayed at a hotel which includes high-speed internet connection with the room.  We checked in and immediately went to Noor Optics to order new glasses.  It is amazing what children can do to a pair of glasses in six months.  We had lunch and returned to the hotel to watch the Synod Assembly on U-stream.  We “arrived” just before the distribution of communion.  It was wonderful to hear the music and singing, and to feel like part of the gathering.

Since we had such a late lunch, we stayed in our hotel room and watched the assembly until it was very late.  During the assembly’s lunch break, we did a test run of Skype with Bob Fisher.  The connection was great and we also had the pleasure of seeing some members of St John’s and Pastor Lee Miller.  We are seven hours ahead of Pennsylvania, so we went to bed before any election results.  

On Saturday morning, we visited a “supermarket” in Tanga.  It is about twice the size of the standard Wawa, but with four actual shopping carts.  We loaded up a cart with items that are not available in Lushoto.  We found Ragu sauce, pickles, Kellog’s cereal, and cans of Velveta-type cheese.  We also stocked up on some canned goods in case we are unable to get to town with the rains.  This store even sells yogurt, ice cream, and frozen meat.  Unfortunately, we are not be able to transport these items back home and cannot depend on our electricity to keep them cold or frozen.

Saturday evening, we Skyped into the assembly.  It was amazing to see the people there and to know that they could see and hear us as well.  Even from thousands of miles away, we could feel the Spirit there.  It is so hard for us to believe that a whole year has passed since we stood before the assembly for our commissioning.  We are so blessed to have been given the gift of representing SEPA here in Tanzania.  

We are humbled at being called “missionaries”.     The following is a  quote from Buguruni - Volunteers in Mission by David Dunnill, an Anglican missionary who served in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:   “Working at soup kitchens and food banks in mission work.  All volunteer work in the community is mission work.  Knowing and accepting our responsibilities as good citizens, including our political responsibilities, is mission work.  All Christians are missionaries when they allow their professed beliefs to govern their daily living.  Mission is bringing into life Jesus’ command to Peter, “Feed my lambs..Tend my sheep...Feed my sheep”.  All of you who follow this command are missionaries with us, but just didn’t need a passport to reach your place of service.

God bless you in your service.

Grow where you are planted

One of my all-time favorite movies is Out of Africa.  We recently watched it again.  At the beginning of the movie, just before the music crescendos, Meryl Streep, as Karen Blixen, aka Isack Dinnesen, says, “I had a farm in Africa”.  These words came to me as Tom and I were busily digging the soil next to our house.

Mama Mdemu, the Director of the home, graciously offered us the use of the land for a shamba, a farm. Two weeks ago, we started the work.  First, we stopped by the Home and borrowed two hoes from the students.  By the time we got changed into work clothes and went outside, two of the girls, Paulina and Asha, were there to help us get started.  They wanted to be sure Bibi and Babu were not working too hard.  

We measured out a good sized plot to start with.  Paulina and Asha started digging up the ground, which is a deep orangish brown.  The area had been planted last season with potatoes, beans and corn.  The crops are intermingled in order to get as much as possible out of each square foot.  As we dug, we found potatoes that were left from the previous harvest.  Paulina told us to set these aside and they would be used as “seeds” for the next crop.  After finishing a few rows, we thanked Asha and Paulina and manned the hoes.  The work was hard, but very rewarding.  The soil here is unlike any we have dug before.  The clay content is very high and the ground is hard.  Digging turns over large clumps that almost look like broken bricks.  These need to be broken up with the hoe.  Also, we have only seen two earthworms after digging an area of about 60 by 100 feet.

Once the ground is completely turned, the area is mounded into “terraces” with a trench between each one.  Paulina instructed us on how to form the terrace and then showed that we would then dig holes in the terraces, put in some manure, cover this lightly and then put in a handful of potato “seeds” in each hole.  The work is very strenuous.  

In Tanzania, most people have at least a small shamba either at their home, or on land some distance away.  The students here and also our neighbors find it incredible that this is our first attempt at growing vegetables.  We showed them a postcard we received of the Philadelphia skyline and explained that there are very few farms in the city.  Even at our home in New Jersey, we always planted flowers.  With produce being so available, there is no need to grow anything.  

In America we have the blessing of fresh or frozen food at any season.  Here, they have the advantage of having weather that makes it possible to grow things year-round.  Anything that is not used by the family can be sold in order to buy the items they cannot grow.  Most of the corn grown at the Home is taken to Lushoto to be ground into corn meal.  String beans are left on the vine until the beans inside are very large and the plants are dried.  They are taken into a small area and beaten with large sticks.  The beans fall to the bottom and are dried.  The remains of the plants are used for compost.

We are blessed to be here and to be experiencing the life of the people around us.  Like our neighbors, we will be growing carrots, onions, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes and beans.  Unlike them, we have also planted zucchini and cauliflower.  

As the saying goes, “Grow where you are planted”.  

Easter in Arusha

After much consideration, we decided to travel to Arusha for the Holy Week and Easter services.  We had been invited to a get-together for mission personnel at the home of Barbara and Andy Hinderlie.  Barbara is the ELCA representative to Tanzania and her husband is a pastor and representative to Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and two other countries in East Africa.  They planned a combined BBQ and Super Bowl party.  

On Thursday, we left very early in the morning.  Of course, this was the day that the “rainy season” started in our area.  It rained all of the six and one half hours to Arusha.  Last time we drove there, we could see Mt Kilimanjaro for several hours.  This time the clouds were low and heavy.  The road to Arusha is one long two lane highway.  It passes though some very beautiful areas, as well as dry flat plains.  This trip, we mostly saw the windshield wipers smearing the rain and mud.

We arrived in Arusha at about 12:30 pm and checked into the Impala Hotel.  We had decided to stay there this time because of its “high speed” internet, four restaurants,  swimming pool, and best of all.....bathtubs!  We parked the truck and left it there for the whole five days.  Driving in Arusha is stressful and dangerous.  The traffic is crazy.  We decided to use taxis instead of trying to drive.  This was a good decision, since the driver we used for the whole weekend was excellent and knew where we could shop for the items we wanted.

After five months of services in Kiswahili, we needed some English services.  The Maundy Thursday service alone was worth every minute of the drive there.  Located on the grounds of Arusha Lutheran Medical Center is Arusha Community Church.  It is a non-denominational church founded through the auspices of the Lutheran Church.  The congregation is made up of people from all over East Africa, Europe, and America.  We had the pleasure of listening to the Passion read by teenagers with Irish, British, and American accents.  The leader of the service was a German Moravian gentleman.

Good Friday was observed much as it is in our home congregation, St John’s Lutheran Church in Philadelphia.  The rough wooden cross was laid at the foot of the altar with votive candles lit by those attending the service.  The readings and time for meditation were solemn and filled with the Holy Spirit.  

The Easter Sunday service was filled with great joy.  We sang some favorite Easter hymns and we were asked to assist with the distribution of Communion.  The music and choir were wonderful, but the best was the sermon.  Pastor Hinderlie was the preacher that day and delivered a great sermon.  The church was packed.  With a few dozen people still in the aisle, the bread almost ran out.  Tom and Pastor Hinderlie broke the remaining bread into smaller pieces.   The pre-poured wine and juice also ran out, and they were served common cup.  It was a joyous occasion.

At the meeting on Monday, we met people who are serving all over the area.  Besides the Lutherans present, we met people from other denominations including Mennonite, Presbyterians, and Catholics.  It was a wonderful chance to share our faith stories with each other.  We also learned about the many types of work that is being done.  It reminded us of the expression, “God’s work, our hands”.  We left there filled with the Holy Spirit as well as barbecued chicken and potato salad.  

On Tuesday morning, we left Arusha at 6 am, anxious to get home.  Our trip was just over five hours.  After we passed Moshi, we saw Mt Kilimanjaro in our rear window, shining in the sunlight.  As we climbed the mountain from Mambo to Lushoto and the temperature dropped, we were glad to return to our home.  We arrived home refreshed, rejuvenated, and thankful for our time away. 

(And for those who are wondering, the Super Bowl was sent to the Hinderlies on a disk from home.  Someone from the church brought a big screen and projector and the game was played from a computer.  Even though those who watched knew the outcome of the game, there was still a lot of cheering going on.  We left in order to be back at our hotel before dark.)

We wish all of you "Pasaka Njema" ....Happy Easter

Easter shoe shopping

Most people in America are familiar with the television show Sex and the City, even if they never watched it on HBO or the less risque version on another channel.  The show follows the lives of four women in New York City.  One of the results of the program was a sudden fashion emphasis on shoes.  We heard constantly about the outrageous prices Carrie paid for her shoes.  One whole episode dealt with a thief who steals her Manolo Blanco “strappy sandals”.  In Carrie’s life this was a disaster.

One evening this week, Tom and I took our evening walk and ended up as usual in the kitchen area of the Home.  Two women were there waiting for the students.  They had a very large black plastic bag with them.  It was about the size you might put in a thirty gallon trash can.  The women had walked up from Lushoto in hopes of selling what was in the bag.

When the students arrived from evening devotions, the contents of the bag were spilled on the ground.  It was filled with many pairs of used shoes.  It was like Christmas.  Like young women shopping anywhere, the girls all had to look at, touch, model, and dance in various pairs of shoes.  Most of the shoes were high heels.  Many were very fancy, with rhinestones, bows or gold buckles.  Some were made of satin, like bridesmaids shoes.  All of the shoes were in good condition, some looked like they had never been worn.  We have all bought a pair at one time or another that we never wore once we got them home.  The shopping continued until it was too dark to see, at which point one of the sellers brought out her flashlight.  Several pairs of shoes were sold that evening.  We look forward to seeing the new high heels walking down our dirt road to church on Sunday morning.

In Lushoto, there are no new shoe stores.  Most of the items of pre-made clothing are second hand, with the exception of underwear and socks.  The highest quality items are sold in shops hung on hangers, like at home.  On Thursday and Sunday, market day, there are vendors who lay out large mats or tarps and spread huge piles of clothing for shoppers to go through.  Great bargains can be found on market day.  Some items still have the original price tags from stores in Europe or the U.S.  

In Lushoto there are many Dukas (shops) where you can buy custom made clothing.  There you can pick the material you like and the fundi (craftsman) will make any thing you want from skirts and shirts to men’s suits.  The colors and patterns of the material are beautiful.  The result is wonderfully made clothing stitched on treadle sewing machines.  Women’s skirts are primarily at ankle length or just above.  Sitting at the hostel on Saturday mornings, we can watch a fashion show of women passing by on their way to market. 

Give us this day....

For us it is a good day when we wake up to electricity and see that the water filter has processed some water.  Not everyday is like that, unfortunately.  When we get together with our Peace Corps friends or meet other foreign volunteers, the topic of conversation always turns to food.  What do you miss the most from home?  Have you tried making this or that?  Do you have any favorite ways of preparing left over white rice?  (Our favorite is to turn it into fried rice, with onions, egg and soy sauce, which we found in a store in Lushoto).  Jonas, a volunteer from Germany at Rainbow School, told us where we could get popcorn!  On our way home from Pangani, we were given directions to a “supermarket” in Tanga.  We were very excited to find cheddar cheese, Ragu sauce and Raman noodles.

This fixation on the food we miss brings us to the realization of how fortunate the minority of people in the world are.  In our training in Toronto, we were given a new outlook on how to describe the people of the world...not “Third World” but “Majority World”.  The minority people, the “First World” have the luxury of money and the availability of many kinds of foods in all seasons.  In the US, we can buy tropical fruits all year round.  Grapes come from Chile and bananas from Costa Rica.  We can buy Maine lobsters, Alaskan crabs, imported cheeses from France, England or Italy.  

What is your daily menu?   As a child, my mother continued the schedule established by her mother-in law.  Chicken on Monday; fish on Friday; pork, sauerkraut and hot dogs on Saturday, and of course we had the weekly roast beef on Sunday.  And don’t forget that Wednesday was “Prince spaghetti day” ( you need to be of a certain age to get that.)  

Here, our main dishes rotate through white rice, brown rice (pilau), and chipsi’s (French fries).  These are accompanied by mixed vegetables, carrots, beans or fried cabbage.  We also enjoy fruit with every meal, mangoes, pineapple, oranges, or bananas.  Compared to home, it is difficult not to complain or feel deprived.  But we are among the few blessed people who have a choice.

At the home, the children eat ugi (porridge) for breakfast, milk at 10 am, lunch of ugali or rice with vegetables, juice at 4pm, and dinner of ugali or rice with vegetables.  The health care workers have something called Makande for dinner every night.  It is like a bean stew.  Sometimes the type of bean varies, but the dish stays mostly the same.  Back in the 70’s, I used to watch Julia Child on television and had one of her cookbooks.  Once, I made Cassoulet, a bean dish with pork, sausage and many seasonings.  The Makanda is like a Cassoulet without the meat and only basic seasoning.  It is very tasty, but would you want it every day?  People in many places are surprised to learn that in other countries, our meals vary from day to day.  

Lunch for the girls does change somewhat.  Some days they have ugali (think Italian polenta) with vegetables.  Sometimes the vegetables include daga (small dried fish) or powdered daga added for protein.  Some meals include mchicha, a spinach-like green, but bitter.

Our Pastor Patricia Neale, recently represented the Southern Pennsylvania Synod at an ELCA World Hunger Leaders gathering.  The focus of the program was the ELCA initiatives for World Hunger and Domestic Hunger programs.  In these difficult economic times, the need is great and the finances are hard to come by.  Feast of Justice is such a food program, located at St John’s Lutheran Church in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia.  It is supported by many congregations and denominations in the area. In our area of New Jersey there is the South Jersey Food Bank, which is a non-denominational program.  I am sure programs like these can be found all over. 

At each meal, we thank God for our white rice or brown rice, and for the hands that have prepared it.  We are grateful for what we have, even though we really miss many things.  As you prepare your meals, or decide what to order at the restaurant, please give some thought to those who are in need.  What can we do to help?

God bless you,

Susan and Tom