Village Visits part 2

June 26-27

The last two days were spent in a village about 30 minutes (on foot) from Namwianga called Tomongo. Kamri and I spent two days and one night with Ba Edinan, one of the night aunties. We met her at 7:00 in the morning when she was getting off work to go to her home. We walked with a couple of the other aunties and passed many people who Ba Edinan said were her friend. It didn’t take long to realize that she is a friend to everyone! They love her, and she dearly loves them. Over the next two days we saw how she helped teach and care for her friends, including us. Once we arrived, her nieces and nephews and their friends were there to welcome us. They were definitely shy at first. Looking away, pointing, hiding behind one another saying, “Makua” (white person in Tonga)- but it didn’t take long before they were sitting with us playing and singing. We first shelled and roasted ground nuts- they were good! Then learned to cut rape. It’s a green stalky leaf that’s very commonly grown and eaten with out favorite nsima. You hold the stalks in a fist in one hand and cut across your thumb down to your pointer finger shaving off thin slivers of rape. Don’t worry I only nicked myself about six times but thankfully never drew blood! We sorted good and bad beans then put the good ones on the open fire to cook. Kamri brought some coloring books and, boy, were those the hit of the visit. Everyone, including Edinan, wanted to color, or paint as they call it, and it was precious. 

The school that these children went to was boys in the morning and girls in the afternoon. So right before lunch the girls left, and the boys came home as we were finishing lunch. Nsima with beans and rape. Portion size makes all the difference for me! I really do like nsima, as long as I don’t have to eat a wicked huge hunk of nsima! Especially the beans because we cut tomatoes and let them simmer in. SO good. Kamri and I were getting ready to wash pots and plates, Edinan had taught us how to wash with their water buckets and scrubbers of rope which worked very well, when she said, “Too much nsima. Rest now.” So we laid down on the tarp made of feed bags in the shade of the tree and rested. Perfect. Then washed dishes.

Our next big task was getting water. There’s a pump about a 3 minute walk from the house so that was super convenient. We had a 25, 10 and two 2 liter buckets that we filled. Edinan hoisted the 25 L one on her head like a pro. Over the two days, we went to get water 3 times. Kamri and I switched off with the 10L and small buckets. We both tried carrying the big one on our heads. Kamri took it like champ. I was drenched by the time I got back to the house… and did I mention there was a lid on the bucket?! HA! It’s definitely a developed skill that I do not have!

The rest of the visit was similar in schedule. Prep food. Play. Cook food. Sing. Eat. Wash dishes. Sing and play. We ate dinner by lamp light, since it gets dark before 7:00pm. Then waited for the kids to come back after their supper to sing some more. These kids can sing! And they love it. They also love when we teach them new songs, so we sang the new Awesome God that starts with, “He is faithful.”

My time in the village was so special. While we were normally preparing something, we still had more time to just rest and reflect. It was so easy too look around and see God. To see his beauty in the creation. To see his love in the people. To see his faithfulness through the providing of food and shelter. I want to see Him clearer every day whether I’m in the African bush or American suburbia. Praying that you can too.