I shared this with some friends and thought it needed to be shared with a wider group.
Two days ago I was leaving my house for the "cyber" cafe and on the way was going to drop of clothes to be ironed (how nice is that, for the equivalent of about 3 cents per item I can have someone else iron my clothes - nobody walks around in wrinkled clothes here). When I got downstairs I saw my landlord and her two adult kids out front (the daughter is 20 and the son is about 19), so I stopped to chat. The mom, who speaks very little English, told me that her mom and brother were visiting and asked if I would I like to meet them. Of course I would like to meet them!!! It warms my heart to be invited to meet their extended families. The grandmother was so funny, cracking jokes, sharing so much and asking me a ton of questions - do I cook, what do I eat, am I married, do I want to be and then she invited me to her village to find a husband. :) Another family was over and their daughter is a principal at a school. She told me that their family is having a function at their house on April 12 (Easter) and would I come. Again, of course!!! Today I was asking my landlords daughter (Iffat, who just happens to be the cutest, sweetest thing ever) more of what it was. It's a prayer gathering but more. Because there are some family members coming to their house for the first time they are making a big deal out of it. I feel so blessed to be able to join them in this. Granted, a littler nervous, but so excited!
Another family has been close to me as well. One of their daughters has been busy with her exams and just finished, so she's been dying to come see my house. Today she and her younger sister showed up and got the tour. They are all such sweet kids. And the mother is bigger like me, so I think we've got a special bond because we aren't scrawny women. :) We joke around, even though we barely understand what the other is saying - her oldest daughter, who owns the cyber cafe translates for us when needed. :)
It just feels good to be welcomed by these people. I'm really started to feel more connected. Of course, I'm a long way from being there, my language is so horrible. Persistence is the key and each day it improves, even if only by one word.
3 comments:
Connection really is vital to your ministry, I would say! So glad to hear you are getting some good opportunities to do so. :) So are you going to that village to check out the "options"? haha!
Ah......I just LOVED reading that post! Soooooooo happy for you to have that feeling of starting to belong! Hugs!
"Language" is the easy part, Connection is the important part!! Don't worry so much about the language! It will come!! So glad for the warm fuzzes for you!!!
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