Getting used to.....

It's been nice to be home after almost a year away.  But I've also had to get used to a few things.


The first day back from Africa,  I went to the cabinet to get a glass for some Texas Sweet Tea, which I had missed a whole lot.  My parents have had the same drinking glasses for about twenty years.  As I picked up a glass; I screamed in surprise at how my parents' drinking glasses were so huge.  The glasses (they are called French Jelly glasses) are heavy, about 16 ounces, with a 3  inch circumference.  My parents reacted: "WHAT? What happened?"  I yelled, "Your glasses are HUGE!"


And, African standards, those glasses are huge. Most of the drinking glasses I've used in Tanzania have a 6 oz capacity.  And not only are the glasses smaller, but the majority of Tanzanians prefer their drinks to be room temperature or hot--even in the heat of the afternoon. For example, back in February, when I was visiting different homes around the village of Kasikizi, I was offered chai tea. Of course, the word chai just means tea.  But this tea was served scorching hot.  I had to blow on my cup for at least ten minutes before I felt that I wouldn't burn my mouth  I later asked some Tanzanian friends, "Why do you like warm or hot drinks?"  "Because it is hot outside", they said.  I told them it doesn't make sense; "why wouldn't you want to cool down from the heat?" I asked.  But they just looked at me puzzled. They do that a lot.


Another big difference: I'm from Texas, and we use our air conditioner constantly because our summer temperatures range from 90-110 F.  In Bukoba, where I live, the temperatures range from high 70's to 90's. And much like the northern part of the United States, there is no central air conditioning.  We do sweat, and sometimes the temperature gets very uncomfortable.  But I must be getting used to it, because, since I've been back home, I have to carry a coat around because the air conditioning just gets way too cold.


Be Free,


kt

Satellite Map of Our Home in Bukoba!

Our Home in Bukoba!

Our house is between "Lina's Night Club" and "Orthodox Church" (Twelve Apostles).

What the past few weeks have brought

The past few weeks have been filled with doctors visits and tests.  But this past weekend was special because Fr. David Rucker, associate executive director of the OCMC, came to spend time with me.  I hadn't seen Fr. David in a long while, and it was a great blessing to welcome him back to Texas. What made his visit even more special was that a year ago he had come to Texas for my  missionary commissioning service.  So much has happened since a years ago.  It was a huge blessing to spend this special anniversary with Fr. David!
I've also discovered that there is an Anglican congregation in Austin that has services in Kiswahili. I've spoken with the pastor, and he says that they would love to help me practice my language skills. I'll be checking out that community this coming Sunday afternoon.

Be Free,

kt

George and Push

In Bukoba we don't have the big five safari animals (African elephant, rhinoceros, Cape buffalo, lion, and leopard), but we do have George and Push.  George and Push are my dogs, and I love them.  My sixteen year old dog, Shelly, passed away a few years ago, and I decided not to find another dog because I knew I would be leaving for the mission field soon.  And, what do you know? When we arrived in Bukoba, Tanzania, we were welcomed by two dogs. They  had been hanging around Fr. Spyridon's family and the church property. So I decided to adopt them.

One dog has black hair; his name is Push.  As you 

might guess by his name, he likes to run into people 

and "push" them.  I think that is how he shows his 

love--either that, or he has a really bad balancing

problem.  I would like to think it is because of the 

first reason.  

Then there is a multicolored dog named George.  (Shikido is the name he had when I arrived, but he looks like a 'George' to me).  I am so happy to have dogs around, and I try to care for them.  But, apparently there is no such thing as dog food in Bukoba.  I get puzzled looks even from other foreigners when I ask store owners if they carry dog food.  So, I have to feed 'the boys' white bread. (We eat brown bread).  Who could have guessed that I would have two vegetarian Tanzanian dogs. 

Of course, Tanzanian dogs are not like American dogs. My mom recently sent me a photo of my brother's dog laying comfortably on my parents' couch.  I showed this picture to my friends in the village of Kasikizi last month.  They looked at it and spoke to each other in Kihaya (their tribal language). Then Richard, who spoke English, said: "We just have one question. What is the purpose of this animal?"

I didn't know how to answer the question.(And I thought that telling them that, in America, dogs are often dressed like humans would push them over the edge.)


Be Free,


kt

Love, Laughter, and Family

I had mentioned in a previous update that one of my favorite phrases in any language is 'I love you'. Fr. Spyridon, our parish priest in Bukoba, has a daughter named Sofia. She is four years old. When we first met Sofia, she did not talk to us at all. Even if we spoke to her in Kiswahili she would only nod her head for yes or no. At that time, my Kiswahili was limited, but that doesn't matter; I knew the most important phrase. So everyday when I saw Sofia, I would whisper into her ear, "Ninapenda Sofia." Just those words. At first she didn't respond--probably because she didn't know what to do with this white person speaking to her in Kiswahili. But it only took a day or so, and then, when I whispered in her ear, she responded, "Ninapenda Katrina." 
Ever since then Sofia and I exchange this greeting every day when we first meet each other. It has been said over and over, but the best way to learn a language is to become as a child--and, you can ask anyone, I usually don't have a problem with throwing myself into this role. Whenever Sofia sees me coming her way she runs to me and stops just short of me, and I spread my arms way out, and she does the same, and we embrace. I have also taught Sofia how to blow kisses, and that's what we do when we say goodbye. 

Sofia always attends the daily services.

Speaking of kisses and saying goodbye, when I learned that I would have to travel home for a while, James Hargrave escorted me to the Nairobi Giraffe Park. The big attraction at the park is that you can feed and pet the giraffes--but, the best part of all is that, if you put the maize pellets in your mouth (that's what they give you to feed the giraffes) and pucker up, you have the once in a lifetime experience of getting a (very wet and sandpaper feeling) giraffe kiss. I can't think of a better way of leaving the continent of Africa than to be kissed goodbye by a giraffe.

James also arranged another blessing for me. The day before I was scheduled to leave for the States, I found myself in the Nairobi Hospital as a patient. I was diagnosed with a kidney infection, and I wasn't able to leave the hospital until three days later, on the Tuesday of Holy week. James had been attending the daily services, and he spoke with Metropolitan Makarios of Kenya. When James mentioned that I was still in Nairobi Hospital, His Eminence offered to come to my room to anoint me with Holy Unction oil. That afternoon His Eminence came by, and he even brought his own photographer! So I can't wait to see my picture in the Newsletter for the Nairobi Diocese.

Differences in Babies

While I have been in Tanzania, many of my friends from home have had babies. As you can imagine, there are quite a few differences in American babies and Tanzanian babies. In Tanzania for example, it is very rare to see a child younger than two to be carried on their mother's hip. These children are always transported on their mother's back. Usually two pieces of cloth called kanga are used to support the child. The mother leans over, keeping her back straight, and places the child on her back. As this is done, the child actually balances itself on the flattened back as the mother ties the child in a sling with the two kanga (it's pretty amazing to watch). 

Once a child grows out of being carried on their mother's back, they are expected to walk everywhere. One last difference is that my friends have lots and lots of gadgets and toys for their child and themselves. One gadget has a timer to tell you when to feed your baby, which side you breast fed on the hour before, and how many diapers were changed. It is very uncommon for a woman to have a baby in Tanzania without a whole lot of support. Even if the woman doesn't have family, her neighbors, the neighbor's family, and the neighbor's friends help the woman especially if she is a first time mother. Community, relationships, and families are not just an idea - it is a lifestyle.

It is hard to not feel like part of some sort of family in Tanzania, which is really great when you miss your biological family. 

There is no shortage of love, laughter and the feeling of belonging to a family in Tanzania.


Be Free, 


kt