A Very Good Day

Last Saturday proved to be a really great day. You may not know this about me, buy I am the most productive procrastinator you will meet. Hence, my Saturday. I had three lessons to plan and zero desire to start them, so, I began my laundry. I have devised a strategy for my laundry. The first load is underwear for which I boil water, the second is Khanga, the colorful and patterned fabric with which you can have outfits made and also use as a wrap for going around the neighborhood (which also bleed like crazy, hence their own load), the third load is everything else, shirts, leggings, and skirts. For each load I throw the clothes in a bucket, add water and soap, and let it soak for about thirty minutes. Then I fill another bucket with soapy water and, one article at a time, scrub out the dirt, throwing it into a third bucket to rinse. Once all the clothes are in the rinse bucket you wring them out and hang them on the line. The process is methodical and there is something incredibly satisfying about seeing how dirty the first bucket is to how clean (at least they smell clean and that is all that really matters) the clothes become.

After the three loads of laundry were hung I moved on to bathroom duty. The bathroom is not so big and therefore pretty easy to clean. I filled a bucket with soapy water and wiped down the toilet, seat and  also walls in the bathroom, scrubbed the bowl, and finally poured the remaining water onto the floor which I then squeegeed out of the bathroom down the hall and outside (as close as we come to mopping).

Still unwilling to start lesson planning, I began my chore of the week which was to sweep and mop the floors. Around two in the afternoon, Alyson and I headed to the Missionaries of Charity site about a thirty minute walk from our house. I was interested to visit this place that has been a source of real joy for her in the past year.

This home is caring for the poorest of the poor, in the spirit (obviously) of Mother Theresa. The sisters are caring for the elderly, crippled, disabled and orphaned. It was a beautiful place in more than one way. There is a large courtyard around which are couches for the residence to sit. Alyson and I made our way to each couch to greet the residents and hear how they are and what news they had. Let me clarify. While I am mostly able to greet in Kiswahili, I spent a lot of the time observing and smiling while Alyson, who is far more proficient in Kiswahili, talked with her friends and informed me how they are. It was a beautifully humbling moment to live out the JVC mission of sitting in solidarity with the members of the community. I could do nothing but sit, smile, love, and feel loved. We made our way back through the courtyard to visit with the younger residence who are somehow disabled. I really enjoyed myself playing football with them and throwing the ball around back and forth. Again, I was unable to communicate with them, but the universal language of smiles and gestures was enough. They generously gave me a gift of coconut biscuits, which are delicious. Those were the boys, then we went to visit the girls who were also excited to see Alyson. We brought books with us so we passed some around and I was reading a Kiswahili book to one of the girls. What a beautiful mission, to graciously and joyfully serve those who would have little to nothing otherwise. When we left, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. I had found God  and look forward to returning.

Our Saturday night dinner tradition is to buy chips mayai, essentially French fries scrambled in eggs garnished with cooked cabbage and veggies. We watched a movie and read “snaps,” a collection of affirmations for each other from the week. I felt both accomplished and graced at the end of the day. It is good to have a routine, to have things that need to get done and be able to accomplish them with out too much trouble.

In other updates, life in Tanzania is good. School is hard, really hard, but I have a supportive community at home, in the teachers at school, and in the Jesuits that I feel able to grow in the challenges instead of becoming stuck in despair. Yesterday I went out to buy vegetables and eggs all by myself, which is a big deal because I speak all in Kiswahili to our vendors.  I am happy and healthy and can’t believe I am coming up on two months in country! As always, please email me with updates and stories from your own life. Peace be with you.

Amani,

Allison