An Account of the Activities That Have Occupied the Hours of My Time Through These, the Last Couple of Weeks of August, of the Year 2007, AD:
Fifth Post:
titled: 'An Account of the Activities That Have Occupied the Hours of My Time Through These, the Last Couple of Weeks of August, of the Year 2007, AD:'
Well, we've been to Dar es Salaam and back for our first 'town trip', and what a time we had! I trust you were able to see the pics of the beach we visited- yup, missionaries certainly live it up. Among the other things we did that made us cry the whole way back to Mzenga I'd include air-conditioned rooms at the missionary guesthouse we stayed in ($15/night), meals at a steakhouse and an actual, real Subway ($5-10/meal), riding a ferry ($3/ride), and high-speed internet (priceless).
Been back for several days now, and getting into yet another period of intense language study. We're really so handicapped without the language that most of the first couple of months are basically one intense period of language study. Great stuff. We can now not only discern when people ask us about the best way to raise chickens, but we can also look sad when they ask us why we have no chickens, and laugh with them when we ask them for one of their chickens (I really cry inside- they haven't even given me an egg).
I'd been asked before we got here what the villagers think we're here to do, and how, if we're basically practicing a language all day long, would they respect us/think we're gainfully employed? It turns out the socio-economic makeup of the WaZaramo is completely different from that of the average North-American. With very very few exceptions, Zaramo people just aren't bothered with the accumulation of wealth. The purpose of their day/month/life isn't to make money and to get ahead, but to have enough to live on. If they themselves have no source of income, it's no problem- someone in their circle of family/clan/friends will, and they can always 'borrow' until something comes along, at which time they'll start sharing. There's well over 50% unemployment, but no one's concerned, and no one starves. So in language learning, all we have to do is go to the town-center and spend some time with all the other men who have nothing better to do but sit and talk.
How we go about this is: we spend a part of our day learning a phrase, or a few phrases, and then a much bigger part of the day walking down the village practicing our phrase. I'm happy to say that even though all the ladies still laugh at me, the men have stopped laughing, and we can now actually have rudimentary conversations! Of course, werbs mine conjugate of order out is, nad words mixed down is all, und proonoonciashun ooheeble! so that I probably sound much like that last sentence, but they're gracious and get my meaning, and take me under their wing and teach me how to right my wrongs. And teach me the same stuff again the next day, and the next, and the next.
My friend Ali, who speaks English, left for a different village to go to school (grade 11/12ish), but I've made other friends like Moi, Dyumane (lit.-Tuesday), Daudi, etc, who don't speak any English, which forces me to learn KiZaramo faster, so that works out well.
Other than the language study and relationship building, we also have to do a good bit of reading and book reports and papers and whatnot for TIMO, which has also kept us busy. I started off reading Thomas Hale's 'On Being a Missionary', which is a fantabulous book I really enjoyed, and which is also thicker than your average brick. I recommend it to all missionaries, but since we're all called to be missionaries, that'd be us all. Following that, I read an amazingly applicable book called 'African Friends and Money Matters', by an anthropologist named David Marantz, who lived all over Africa for around 35 yrs or so. The book tries to explain the very vast differences between how money is viewed and handled in Africa and in North America/Europe; differences which have, in the past, led to many misunderstandings and much conflict between 'westerners' and Africans. Invaluable for anyone from the west visiting or living in Africa- or also for Africans who immigrate to North America (the book approaches the cultural differences from both angles).
After that, I was humbled by a book titled 'The Immitation of Christ', by Thomas A Kempis- a 15th century German monk in a Dutch monastery, who spent his whole life putting to death his selfishness, and trying to develop humility and true servanthood, while at the same time attempting to glorify God with his life. Very humbling to see how little I do. Not that I merit anything by what I do, but if what I do is a measure (being an outflow) of the love I have, then I could still have soooo much more love...
Lately, I've been working on a biography of the Puritan pastor Jonathan Edwards - another man before whose example one can but be humbled. Here are some of the resolutions he made when he was around 5 years younger than I now am:
-Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God.
-Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improive it in the most profitable way I possibly can.
-Resolved, To inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent - what sin I have committed - and wherein I have denied myself.
-I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, That I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.
-Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
-Resolved, to let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak.
(there's a bunch more- look them up online!)
Edwards went on to see a huge revival in his church and county (Northampton, in New England), with hundreds of nominal Christians truly turning to Christ. Among his many published books was also 'A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton and the Neighbouring Towns and Villages of New Hampshire, in New England' (I don't think they were very good at concise titles back then), which was possibly the most significant book to precede the great evangelical awakening on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1730s and later; deeply affecting, among others, John and Charles Wesley.
Between those, and various articles from the Perspectives compendium, and other loose articles, we're kept fairly occupied. So that's what I've been up to! Next on my respective lists is learning how to barter for a chick (the poultry kind), and the book 'The Spirit of the Disciplines' by Dallas Willard, I'll let you know how those come along!
titled: 'An Account of the Activities That Have Occupied the Hours of My Time Through These, the Last Couple of Weeks of August, of the Year 2007, AD:'
Well, we've been to Dar es Salaam and back for our first 'town trip', and what a time we had! I trust you were able to see the pics of the beach we visited- yup, missionaries certainly live it up. Among the other things we did that made us cry the whole way back to Mzenga I'd include air-conditioned rooms at the missionary guesthouse we stayed in ($15/night), meals at a steakhouse and an actual, real Subway ($5-10/meal), riding a ferry ($3/ride), and high-speed internet (priceless).
Been back for several days now, and getting into yet another period of intense language study. We're really so handicapped without the language that most of the first couple of months are basically one intense period of language study. Great stuff. We can now not only discern when people ask us about the best way to raise chickens, but we can also look sad when they ask us why we have no chickens, and laugh with them when we ask them for one of their chickens (I really cry inside- they haven't even given me an egg).
I'd been asked before we got here what the villagers think we're here to do, and how, if we're basically practicing a language all day long, would they respect us/think we're gainfully employed? It turns out the socio-economic makeup of the WaZaramo is completely different from that of the average North-American. With very very few exceptions, Zaramo people just aren't bothered with the accumulation of wealth. The purpose of their day/month/life isn't to make money and to get ahead, but to have enough to live on. If they themselves have no source of income, it's no problem- someone in their circle of family/clan/friends will, and they can always 'borrow' until something comes along, at which time they'll start sharing. There's well over 50% unemployment, but no one's concerned, and no one starves. So in language learning, all we have to do is go to the town-center and spend some time with all the other men who have nothing better to do but sit and talk.
How we go about this is: we spend a part of our day learning a phrase, or a few phrases, and then a much bigger part of the day walking down the village practicing our phrase. I'm happy to say that even though all the ladies still laugh at me, the men have stopped laughing, and we can now actually have rudimentary conversations! Of course, werbs mine conjugate of order out is, nad words mixed down is all, und proonoonciashun ooheeble! so that I probably sound much like that last sentence, but they're gracious and get my meaning, and take me under their wing and teach me how to right my wrongs. And teach me the same stuff again the next day, and the next, and the next.
My friend Ali, who speaks English, left for a different village to go to school (grade 11/12ish), but I've made other friends like Moi, Dyumane (lit.-Tuesday), Daudi, etc, who don't speak any English, which forces me to learn KiZaramo faster, so that works out well.
Other than the language study and relationship building, we also have to do a good bit of reading and book reports and papers and whatnot for TIMO, which has also kept us busy. I started off reading Thomas Hale's 'On Being a Missionary', which is a fantabulous book I really enjoyed, and which is also thicker than your average brick. I recommend it to all missionaries, but since we're all called to be missionaries, that'd be us all. Following that, I read an amazingly applicable book called 'African Friends and Money Matters', by an anthropologist named David Marantz, who lived all over Africa for around 35 yrs or so. The book tries to explain the very vast differences between how money is viewed and handled in Africa and in North America/Europe; differences which have, in the past, led to many misunderstandings and much conflict between 'westerners' and Africans. Invaluable for anyone from the west visiting or living in Africa- or also for Africans who immigrate to North America (the book approaches the cultural differences from both angles).
After that, I was humbled by a book titled 'The Immitation of Christ', by Thomas A Kempis- a 15th century German monk in a Dutch monastery, who spent his whole life putting to death his selfishness, and trying to develop humility and true servanthood, while at the same time attempting to glorify God with his life. Very humbling to see how little I do. Not that I merit anything by what I do, but if what I do is a measure (being an outflow) of the love I have, then I could still have soooo much more love...
Lately, I've been working on a biography of the Puritan pastor Jonathan Edwards - another man before whose example one can but be humbled. Here are some of the resolutions he made when he was around 5 years younger than I now am:
-Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God.
-Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improive it in the most profitable way I possibly can.
-Resolved, To inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent - what sin I have committed - and wherein I have denied myself.
-I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, That I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.
-Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
-Resolved, to let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak.
(there's a bunch more- look them up online!)
Edwards went on to see a huge revival in his church and county (Northampton, in New England), with hundreds of nominal Christians truly turning to Christ. Among his many published books was also 'A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton and the Neighbouring Towns and Villages of New Hampshire, in New England' (I don't think they were very good at concise titles back then), which was possibly the most significant book to precede the great evangelical awakening on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1730s and later; deeply affecting, among others, John and Charles Wesley.
Between those, and various articles from the Perspectives compendium, and other loose articles, we're kept fairly occupied. So that's what I've been up to! Next on my respective lists is learning how to barter for a chick (the poultry kind), and the book 'The Spirit of the Disciplines' by Dallas Willard, I'll let you know how those come along!
posted by dan at 9/08/2007 09:26:00 p.m.
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