Hakuna Mungo Kama Wawa (Second to Last Day)

This morning was our last recording day. I have about 15 songs now saved away to bring back. I don’t know the first thing about recording music, but I used Apple’s very easy software GarageBand and they turned out OK. As everyone sang and danced around me, I desperately clinged on to my last few minutes with my beloved friends and walked out of the office with tears in my eyes.

Right into a room filled with the entire TCHD office. TCHD surprised me with send off chai and cake time to say thank you. A few spoke about me and my time here and the impact I’ve had on their lives. And I just cried and cried and cried. I kept trying to say something back- but I just ended up crying some more. Eventually I did, but there was no way to explain how they have impacted me.

My time here has been short. Five weeks is definitely not enough time, but neither is a lifetime. I’m using some equation that might not make sense unless you’re in my head:

5 weeks = not enough time, a lifetime = not enough time. Not enough time= not enough time. 5 weeks = a lifetime = exactly enough time.

Do you get it? I learned a LOT, and I plan to go home and do a lot more. Although I do not know what the future holds, I would love to come back for a lot more than five weeks.

All that said, my work here is NOTHING compared to what they do every single day!!! I felt so unworthy of their praises. THEY are the heroes. Not me. I may have “magic fingers” that can connect them to people around the world and teach them how to reach more people with the use of technology but they are the ones devoting every day to improving others lives. When I say they are my heroes, I do not use the term lightly. I am going right to our best idea of hero. “In brief: a hero goes far and wide through great peril, achieves his goal and brings back with him the fruits of victory for the good of society or humanity. Often the journey entails a passage into an other-world in which the hero represents order amid chaos, virtue vs. vice, in short the culture of Man vs. untamed natural (or preternatural) forces.” I will not begin to shorten everything TCHD does into this “hero” formula, but if you’ve read anything about what they do- you will see how everyone fits the hero definition.

Jane had me crying the most. She spoke about my “freeness” and “openness” explaining how I have become a great friend to her. She said she would be honored to call me her daughter. Then, she asked me to be her first child. She already has four children, but I would be the oldest, or the “first born” as she put it. I gladly accepted and gave up on trying to wipe away my tears.

TCHD is a community that works to build up other communities. But they do it in such an amazing, beautiful way- by being a coherent community first among themselves.

The new covenant is a community-building, mustard-seed covenant of forgiveness, love and hope in which the temples are people and where God dwells in the midst of them during their gatherings for prayer, worship and mutual edification. In the new covenant people are taught by God and have the law written on their hearts as new beings and transformed creations who are connected to God in the depths of their spirituality (Hebrews 8:8-13).

Anyway, so, what have I learned? Well, I still have never read or seen the LOTR series, but again I will use Frodo as a role-model and quotes from the book (someday I hope to actually read it- I could be pretty wrong, but either way, just use what I am saying and not the rest of the story). I will put it in terms of a quest that I am on because it’s the easiest way to do it.

It’s a quest undertaken out of love. It is very simple really- to save the world. I see now how that can and probably will be at my own expense- even the expense of my life. I know that I am wholly inadequate for the job, but I will just do what I can, try to find a way, and go as far as my mind and body will allow. All of that I already knew, but now I know it more. Working with people here at Tenwek has shown me first hand that I am not alone on this quest- many have gone before me and many are with me now. I do not know the way, but I know there are many paths for different people to take.

A great dread fell on him, as if he was awaiting the pronouncement of some doom that he had long foreseen and vainly hoped might after all never be spoken. An overwhelming longing to rest and remain at peace… filled all his heart. At last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice.
“I will take [up the quest],” he said, “though I do not know the way.” (324)

And, I do not know how Frodo’s journey turns out, but I know I will fail. There is no way for me to “save the world” but that doesn’t change my quest to spread love around the world. This love is the divine energy source of the world- God. Knowing that I am devoting my life to a mission I can never accomplish could be considered daunting- but I think it’s more freeing.

The special morning was SUCH a humbling experience. I did not deserve the attention they gave me. I think that’s why I was really crying. Imagine Mother Theresa thanking you for visiting Calcutta during your summer break, or a prince washing the dirt off your feet. Okay wow, it’s 1am and I have such a busy day tomorrow. On to my actual day!

After that, Josh and I joined Reuben to first Jane’s home, then on to Kabosam in the Sigor district (about 40 km away- WE COULD SEE TANZANIA). First, we went to a school and met with the teachers and grandparents/adoptive parents of orphans. I interviewed them, and got to learn exactly how “Equipping the churches” works (they equip adults to take in the orphans- by giving a cow to the family or paying for school fees or uniforms). I met a grandfather who cares for eleven orphans. I met other grandparents who take care of two or three kids- but eleven, wow! And again, they thanked me for coming. From there, we went to a mama’s house and saw the cows and crops and stuff. We went to like 6 different places today, so I can really only write the most memorable ones. We stopped at Reuben’s village and met his father and family. His father has three wives, so it was kind of confusing to keep track of everyone- but they were preparing for a party and had just slaughtered a goat. They really do use EVERY part of it, and I looked at Reuben and was like, “Reuben, I trust you enough to tell me if it’s rude for me to decline this.” And he said, “yes I would definitely tell you, you do not have to eat it, someone else will.” I still TRIED because Josh was eating his. We sprinkled salt on it. My first bite (and it’s not like this is my first time with foreign food- it’s just I could actually tell what the intestines were and stuff)- felt like when you buckle in for a scary roller coaster (kind of what it’s like watching a baby being born). I chewed that first bite for ten minutes before swallowing, and then pushed my bowl in Reuben’s direction. From there we went to a few more places, then to a satellite office of Tenwek where they provide hospital care. It’s much smaller than Tenwek, but people can still receive care and emergencies are accepted at all times. Theeen, we went to an all girls school. I had such a great time getting to talk to the teachers and the girls, and Josh got to join in on a game of volleyball. What was supposed to be a “quick stop” turned into a two hour visit. We stopped for ice cream on the way home, AND at Reuben’s house by Tenwek to meet his kids and wife. Serious off-roading the whole day.

We got back around 8pm, and I headed down to the Gainey’s, but then left to go up to see the mothers. Sarah Baskin and Abby went up before they left this morning, but I hadn’t been up all day. I didn’t have anything with me (like my computer for music), so I just sat and talked with them. I really took it all in as we sang Hakuna Mungo Kama Wawa. I really wanted to stop in at the nursery, to say goodnight to the nurses and babies. I walked in and there was a new baby (just born) with fetal hydrocephalus. I have seen babies born and babies die, but I have NEVER seen anything like that baby. Daniel explained to me how it occurs because the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain do not drain. The brain then expands and expands and the bones grow with it- the only reason the baby is still alive is because he’s a baby. If that happened to an adult they would die almost instantly. To give you somewhat of an idea- this babies head is about the same size as the rest of the whole body. Anyway, I got to hold some babies that were crying to get them to stop crying (which they did). And I decided with the nurses that I should be a professional baby holder.

Okay, that’s just some of my day. And I don’t think I ever posted anything for yesterday. It’ll have to come later.

Please pray for my family.