While we were out, I bought a piece of fabric called a
‘khanga,’ which can be used in so many great ways…as a towel, a skirt, a
cover-up at the beach or around the house…the list goes on I’m sure. The cool
thing about the ‘khanga’ is its design and the message in Kiswahili around the
bottom. The one I just purchased includes the phrase (loosely translated): “God
gives us the love and peace.” Along with that, I also purchased some ‘kitenge.’
This fabric is different in that it is brought to a tailor for a custom-fit
dress or skirt and blouse.
More importantly on Christmas Eve, we went to midnight mass
and spent time with some of the Jesuits afterwards. Before mass, everyone
chipped into make a special, incredibly delicious meal. We had beans, pasta
with homemade tomato sauce, chapatti, guacamole, and mango salsa. Let’s just
say it was one of the best meals ever! Midnight mass was such a beautiful
experience and I left it feeling joyful…even though it was in Kiswahili and I
didn’t understand a thing anyone said. There is a stark difference between mass
here and back in the States; people here are not afraid to literally shout for
joy or loudly sing and dance to show their love for God. It was so beautiful to
witness and be a part of this kind of mass.
On Christmas Day, we visited the Village of Hope, which is
home and school for many children infected or affected by HIV/AIDs. It is run
by a priest and sister from Italy and is the worksite for one of the 2nd year
JVs. We started the day with them with mass and then played with them until
they went for lunch. We sang songs while Beth played the guitar, made music
makers with toilet paper rolls and rice, and drew pictures of things related to
Christmas. It was another joyful experience and a wonderful gift to spend time
with them. Although I missed home and could have been sad about that, these
kids brought only a smile to my face.
Another cool thing we did while in Dodoma was visit St.
Peter Claver, a Jesuit boarding school for secondary students. This is the
worksite for the rest of the Dodoma JVs and has only been open for a few years.
It was great to finally see it in person after reading about it and seeing so
many videos about it when I was still in the discernment process with JVC. Progress
there is slow but certain. We had dinner that night with the Jesuits and
sisters who live on the expansive school grounds. It was a night full of music,
laughter, and great conversation. I was lucky enough to speak with one
particular Jesuit from Uganda about LBGT and women’s rights in East Africa.
Without going into what could be an incredibly long discussion/blog post, let’s
just say I was very humbled by our conversation; I have in the past, more or
less, assumed that I knew what was best for women, regardless of culture. Well,
I was very wrong; it is so important to know the culture and context of various
traditions. He was able to explain some reasons for things that I had never
considered. It was a humbling learning experience that I am grateful for and
hope to have many more of in the future.
Well, we are now home in Dar es Salaam and still have a lot
of orienting to do. Over the next few days, we will visit more new places and
learn more new things. I’m sure I will have a blog about it all after the New
Year J
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