A Guest is a Blessing

It has been a few days since I have written. Partially because we have been out in the villages but mostly because I have found myself caught up in some very interesting reading. Monday and Thursday we spent in class. Tuesday and Wednesday and today we traveled to three different villages. We have an extra group of girls here at LJS who are from Agustana in Sioux Falls who want to see some of the Maasai villages, so PH has asked Josh and I to join them. He says that after they leave on Monday, we'll be in class more often. I am excited for that because I really like learning Swahili but I also really want to be able to speak it well so that when we go to the villages I can actually communicate.
Our trip on Wednesday was a lot of fun because PH and Luca had to take care of some church business which meant that Josh and I and the three other girls were the target of attention. The Maasai wanted us to teach them english and in the process we were able to pick up some swahili. It's a lot of fun trying to communicate through a huge language barrier when it's just for pure entertainment. The church services themselves are pretty routine as PH gives nearly the same message to each village, performs baptisms, and gives communion. I should also correct a previous blog where I said that PH goes to 50-60 churches. It's actually more like 120 or so and they are wanting to build more soon. It's a good thing that the church we went to today didn't have any real walls because it would have been bursting at the seems. PH says that in the last ten years, there has been a huge response to Christian evangalists. I really enjoy seeing all of the time and work that goes into preparing for church and how special all of the villagers think it is when PH comes. It's quite amazing how they are so receptive and generous to us as guests. At all three villages, there was no warning about five extra guests showing up, yet they always make enough chai and fried bread for us before the service, and after the service, they feed us enormous plates of rice with beans and either chicken or goat. They give us a special table, feed us first and give us so much when they often don't have much to give. When we are done, they eat what is left over. It's so different than in the U.S. where we fear the extra guests because we aren't prepared for them or they sometimes seem like a burden. Here the guests are pure blessings and they thank us over and over for coming. I often don't know how to feel because I feel bad sitting in the nice chairs, drinking bottled water that they have purchased, and eating rice with beans and meat while they sit in the back on benches, drink unclean water, and essentially eat our leftovers of mostly just rice. At the same time, it would be an insult to them not to accept it. It's a very uncomfortable position for me, but my greatest fear is affending them, so I always accept what I am given.

As far as my reading goes, I just finished the book "The Desert Flower" about a young Somolian girl who runs away to escape an arranged marriage and ultimately finds herself in London and becomes a model. Her story about growing up in Somolia and all that she went through, including her circumcision, is heart-wrenching. I had a hard time getting through some of it, but it was too good to put down. I wouldn't recommend it for audiences of all ages, but it is certainly a must read for anyone who wants to understand more about African culture.
Tomorrow, we are going to climb the mountain right near LJS, so I should probably get some sleep as it is going to be a good workout. I'm not sure how high it is, but the peaks of the mountains are normally in the clouds so I'm going to say it is a fairly decent hike. Hopefully I'll have more time to write this weekend. Until then, usiku mwema (good night).