Sosi

As we close out 2008 I want to introduce you to our Tanzanian friends. Here Ron & I are with Sosi, Spora and their 4 kids. Before getting to Africa we prayed for national friends, and I believe this family is an answer to that.

Ron met one son, Job, along the side of the road asking for a ride to school. They exchanged phone numbers and here we are 5 months later after many meals shared since. We are learning so much from them about this land and these people.

Sosi, the baba (father), and the kids speak English but Spora, the mama does not. So we are practicing our language and getting to know them at the same time. Their home has been opened to us many times and it is always for a big meal. She cooks simple African dishes over a fire while we wait in the house talking with Sosi and drinking chai (tea).

They are always interested in us, our families, our customs. And they want to meet and share their home with all of our visitors. Recently we took them out for a Christmas meal, and had pizza which was a first for the kids and mama. That was fun to see them experience something new. We found out they like their sodas after the meal, and at room temperature not cold.

During our times together we talk about things much as we do friends in the states; the weather and God's praise when it rains, the politics and the new US president, the economy and price of gas which is about $5/gallon now, our kids and what they are doing, and how it seems we work all the time and do not sit back and enjoy our lives as we should.

But we also talk about differences.
~They think African friends do not last while they believe friendships with wazungus (non african people) are lasting because they say we think for ourselves and do not listen to what other people say about someone.
~Weddings are officially recognized when you have a very big celebration, lasting all day with bands riding in open trucks following the couple and pictures at the town square fountain and food and dancing. When people do not have the money for the party, they live together and have kids and a family while saving for the big official event.
~People are buried where their family originally lived, usually out in the bush, so you do not see many cemeteries here in Arusha.
~When someone needs money, the first people they ask is their friends. That is a foreign concept to most of us independent westerners.
~They like us visiting because we do not look at our watches and say we have someplace to go. Instead we just sit and talk and enjoy the time.
~One big part of their social life is their church so that is where celebrations occur, graduations and birthdays and Christmas and for New Years Eve they are at church all night singing and dancing and eating. It is a time to have fun and rejoice over the past year and look forward to the new one.

God Bless and where ever you are for New Years Eve, have a fun time remembering the past and anticipating what the new year will have for you!