I've Got Plenty to be Thankful For

(Warning: this post isn't a lovely tied up package of a post. It's slightly stream-of-consciousness.)

If you've ever watched Holiday Inn, you might remember the sight of Bing Crosby sitting alone at a huge table full of holiday foods, singing the song, "I've got Plenty to be Thankful for." The verses talk about all the things that he doesn't have... but he's still got plenty to be thankful for.

Today is Thanksgiving. In North America it's probably not 90 degrees at 8 AM, but you probably don't have fresh tropical fruit on hand for that fruit salad.

A couple weeks ago I ended up in a taxi with the mayor of the port town. One of the questions he asked was if I had any regrets. Ha. Well, what's a regret anyway? It's not like I would change anything.  It reminds me of quote I tried to live by in high school: "No reserve. No retreat. No regrets." That was penned by William Borden, a rich guy who gave away as much as possible, moved to a foreign place to share the Light, and died shortly thereafter.

Just because we don't have all the things we want doesn't mean that we have an out for being thankful. As I've been reconsidering the value of simple living in this context, one thing in my list of goals is that my contentment is not based on what I have but in knowing that the Father has placed me here. And because of that, I can be thankful to Him.

But just because I'm thankful doesn't mean that I have all my desires fulfilled. God knows the longings of my heart, He knows the desires which may never be met. Yet He promises to be there, to be with me in the midst of life. My attitude isn't based on what I have, but it comes from knowing the Creator of the universe.

But because it's easier to be thankful for things I have, than things I don't have, here's a list of things I'm thankful for:
-- a sense of humor. No matter what happens there's generally some way to laugh about it. And that makes everything better.
-- fresh food. Most of the foods in the market came from local farms. In fact, my next door neighbor has a great urban gardening plot going, with hundreds of hot peppers.
-- teammates. I so appreciate their involvement in my life and the great examples they set in different areas of life. And in the absence of my own family, they make pretty good subsititues.
-- music. After arriving here with a broken guitar, my soul started to ache to play music again. Now I have a new guitar and I've been blessed with a friend who has loaned me his keyboard for as long as I want.
-- the new house. It's amazing that, when the outside starts to cool down, the house doesn't still persist in its attempts to roast me alive. Having more space for hosting people and being right on the ocean are both incredible blessings.
-- neighbors, both new and old. It's been really fun to get to know my new neighbors here in M-town. I'm learning all of their names and the things they're good at. And my old neighbors are always happy to see me when I pop over to visit.
-- new sisters. It's so neat to see them learning and growing and excited to share with others.
-- Indzia. That kitty keeps me constantly amused (and sometimes annoyed) with his antics. And he totally loves curling up for an afternoon nap during the hottest part of the day.

So there you go. And on a practical note, yes, I did get an almost-traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Looking back

I've never been water skiing. But I watched  few videos on YouTube of people doing a poor job of it. And what I saw of their experience reminds me a lot of living in Africa-- which I've been doing for a little over a year now. Here's the process, from the observer's perspective:



1) You get ready. Water skis, swimsuit, life jacket, boat.

2) You get in the water.

3) The boat starts moving and, if you're still holding the tow line, you start moving too.

4) You get slapped in the face with water. Lots of water.

5) Eventually it gets too difficult (splits, tangled skis, too much water in the air you're breathing) and you let go.

6) Rinse, repeat.

But the interesting thing is that as a person learns to water ski, they quit getting slapped in the face with waves. Instead they ride on top of the waves and enjoy success through perseverance and honed coordination.

Twenty minutes later it was pouring rain

Here's what being in Africa is like:

1) You get ready: support, supplies, tickets, packing.

2) You arrive.

3) Life doesn't wait for you to be ready to move... it's already going and you get to join in.

4) You get (figuratively, I hope) slapped in the face by a new reality and expections.

5) Eventually something gets too difficult and tears result... or bouts of frustration and anger.

6) Rinse, repeat.

And just like learning to water ski, the longer you stick at it, the easier things become. Things like shopping and making phone calls used to seem incredibly challenging and now they're just another part of life:

Through perseverance and practice I'm riding on the waves. Here are just a few things I've learned about during the last year.

-- Language: this is a biggie, and I'll never stop learning language. Today I learned the word for handkerchief. Sometimes I have people tell me I know their language really well. Other times I have friends apologize for me, saying, "oh, she's just learning."
-- Living skills: I've revisited this in moving to a new house. I'm no longer close to a market and I'm having to learn a whole new set of shops nearby for buying things. A lot of what I do here is like I would in America, but some things are drastically different. Things take a little more time, and are sometimes incredibly frustrating.
 -- Teaching. I've done some English teaching before, but never in a context where my students only practiced speaking in class. I've never had a class of 34 students before. Teaching English as a foreign language is actually quite different from teaching it in an English speaking country. Don't get me wrong, I totally enjoy it. Teaching energizes me and wears me out at the same time. But it's another thing that I've had to figure out and learn to stay on top of the waves.

Each of these things has slapped me in the face at times, but I'm learning to keep my head above water. And I'm sure I'll take an epic fall or two still. But it's been neat to see where the ride takes me.

Men (pt.2)

Front door at high tide

It's not all bad news. Not all the men are terrible and inappropriate. And I know the problems here aren't unique in the world. Polygamy certainly accentuates the issue though.

Just as there are a lot of awful men here, there are also some really great ones. Since I gave you a rundown of some typical situations with random men last time, this time I'll give you the balancing side-- some of the men I know who are great to be around and whom I appreciate greatly.

Mwenye wahandra*: This man is connected. He knows everyone and everyone knows him. For our move to the new house in M-town, he rounded up a large truck and a bunch of guys to help haul things. Any time I need something in the community he knows who to talk to. He's a go-getter, a problem solver, and quite devout. A great role model for the young men of the community.

Mwenye wawaili: He's friendly, knowledgable, and helpful. Any language question I've got, I know he can answer it well.

Mwenye wararu: He's the fiance of one of my best friends here. When I first met him I didn't like him-- he seemed superior to others and standoffish. Over time, I've come to realize that he's actually really shy. He's shown himself to be a very caring man who is very protective of his fiancee. He looks out for all the women around him, but remains extremely respectful. Bonus: he's the only islander I've met with whom I can converse in Spanish. Big kudos to the man who continues learning languages after finishing school.

Mwenye wane: friendly but never overly so. He's a good friend and someone I know will do what he can to help others. Although I did get annoyed with him once when we were descending a steep hill and he kept telling me "pole mpole!" (slowly slowly!)

Mwenye watsano: A more recent acquaintance, he is one of my students and a pleasure to be around. He's dedicated to studying, a hard worker, and can often be found carrying a cousin or nephew around with him. 


So there are good men here. Don't get me wrong. No matter how much I may complain about all the issues there's a bright side as well. And I haven't become a complete man-hater yet.   :-)

Praise: 
-- We've moved into the new house! It's the second story of a house with roof access. Much cooler than our previous house and right next to the ocean.

Pray:
-- For developing relationships with the new neighbors and learning the resources in our new town.
-- Storying seminar this week: we're learning about how to take stories from the Book and tell them well in the local style. I'd like to put that to use with the new neighbors.
-- For the men I've listed: that they would come to know our Friend and Father.

*names changed