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What is Tanzania Africa. Moshi Tanzania... t0 me, an American? I am going to try to share this with you... I will fail in describing the depth of beauty and understanding and human-ness here... but now that you know this, just multiple my meanings by one million trillion and think JESUS and then, maybe, just maybe, you'll get it. The streets in Tanzania are dirty with the redbrown dirt- It has rained every day since Ive been here, which is a blessing because that causes the dirt to be heavy enough to not litter the air and also because it fills the streams enabling the power to stay on and the vegetation to grow. Life here depends on these rains. Simple- Raw- Hard- Beautiful.
Tanzania is people. They are black and beautiful and have a culture, a way of life very different from yours and mine. THey are quiet and super respectful. Greatings -entering and exiting- are hugely important. I am learning the Swahili... but slowly. Everyone here speaks English... well, many do and so I could get away with using it alone... except that lessens the experience and I think it respectful to learn a strangers language when in a strange land. So Jambo- Welcome!
Beauty here is not about the details of ones face or the style of clothes one wears or how wide, thin, tall, or short one is. Beauty here is found in existing... Everything here is beautiful because God made it and it moves and breathes and loves. It is strong and weak, lost and found. It is beautiful because it is alive. I love this land and these people... and it's only been four days. No wonder the hidden ones are God's favorites! There are the Massai tribal people. The men wear bright colored clothes wrapped all around their bodies- the colors are fabulous. The women are wrapped just as beautifully, but they wear less vibrant colors. I am told the bright colors are purposed to scare lions. It is custom for each Massai male to kill a lion with his bare hands at the age of 15. It earns honor and respect. I would sit and take photographs of only these people for my entire three months, if permittable. The Massai people are private and it is custom to ask permission before capturing them in photographs. Often, there will be a fee for the priveledge! They are friendly and have smiles that steal your heart. They live simply-
Life here is raw and hard. It is hot and there is not much work. Most Tanzanians work selling fruits, vegetables, herbs as medicine, meat (that's a hard scene), watches, second hand clothing, and other various items- all on street carts... in 90 degree weather! They earn maybe 1000-2000 shillings per day. People, 1000 shillings is equal to about $0.70 (seventy cents)! It is all relative so the earnings provide for life here, but that means living in a mud or cement hut, with little room and very few ammenities, walking or biking everywhere, growing most of what you eat and eating very little. The meat here is walking , clucking, mooing, bleating one minute and headless and hanging the next... and that's exactly how they sell it. Every animal you see throughout the day is for a purpose- to protect or to feed. The goat living on the grounds where I stay, yeah he's super cute and the main course for Jill's wedding in May! This is life here. My heart is to feel for the animals but life here laughs at me in this regard. There is no pittying Bambi (eat that yummy little animal, George!) Actually, more accurately, there is no pittying Mr. Tumnus.
One thing that I knew to expect but still, had no understanding of is how our Western culture truly touches the entire world- everyone carries a cell phone! and the clothing that the Tanzanians wear are all second hand, sent here from America. All of it! Just in case you have ever doubted- We, America, are the Superpower and we are blessed-blessed- BLESSED! Thank Jesus right now for everything you have and then ask Him to take it away from you so as to free yourself from the burden of being "the rich man"... or at the very least ask Him to allow you the experience of living life for a short while with those who dont have in order that you may feel the easy yoke and light burden He speaks of in HIs word. Our things add responsibility to our lives... when we get, we become responsible to not let those things become important to us, to not let those things become idols, to not let those things get in between us and Gods perfect, simple, forever, complete (with nothing else needed) Love. I have nothing here... but God- which is everything. He is my every answer. I have never know Him like this. Truly, as I walked away from all my things... from even my heart loves- my people, I found Him... more and more and more of Him and I fall more in Love every minute, every moment.
I see things, hear things, touch things everyday- over and over again and I think of how desperately I want for you all to know of where I am. "I will journal about it" I think to myself and then on my way home, I see fifty other new wonders and by the time I am typing, the details of my day have vanished leaving me sitting in a fog of wonder and wander and newness and joy and warmth, but no way of verbalizing it to you. Thank you for accepting my weak attempts. I have so much more to share but let's take a break... I will write more on another day. These writtings are long, I know and it must get hard to read through them. I write them for you, but also for me as my journal which I will print out and read when I am no longer in this land. Also, there is just so much new and you know so little of it and I want to give it all to you with all that I have- All that I have are words. As time goes on, they will shorten a bit... For now, push through. God is in the words, I believe.
I love love love you.