Joy to the World

Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

Psalm 8:2

        I have always loved kids.  For the first eight years of my life I was an only child and my mom was a pastor so I spent most of my time with adults.  During those years I desperately wanted a younger sister or brother to play with and help take care of.  I can honestly say that the day my sister Lauren was born was the best day of my life.  Really.  There are pictures of me in the delivery room with her looking happier than I have ever looked before.  And her presence in my life and in the life our family has continued to bring joy since that day.  Of course we would fight like only sisters can fight.  Of course there were days when she irritated me like only a younger sister can.  But during those times mom would say to me, “Remember how long you waited for a little sister? Remember how happy you were when she was born? She is a gift from God.  Don’t forget.” 

        Every day when I am greeted by happy, smiling children here in Tanzania, I am reminded of my mom’s words and I am reminded of the joy I felt upon first meeting my sister.  It makes me laugh when I think about the ads shown on television of sad African children in need of help because, in actuality, the children here are so happy.  Yes, there are children suffering from disease who are very sick and yes there are children who are homeless and starving.  These children exist everywhere and we as people of God are called to help them.  But the children here in my community do not allow their need to hinder their joy.  They sing and dance and laugh and smile so much more than they cry or frown or complain. 

        Last year I took some time in my music class to share my experiences in Tanzania with my students.  I showed them pictures of the school and the children and we watched videos of them singing and dancing.  The kids recognized their joy immediately.  We had conversations comparing our school to theirs and about what brings us joy.  I asked my students how children with so little can have such joy and all of my classes understood.  They explained to me that you can’t miss what you don’t know you’re missing.  That they are happy with what they have and that is enough.  My elementary school students got this.  And when I asked them how seeing the pictures and videos made them feel they told me that it made them sad because they are going without so much, but also happy because they saw the joy in these children.  That pretty much summarizes the mental struggle I face here daily.  There are so many things that I think of doing or buying to make the school “better” for the kids and then I am reminded of my former students words.  Would doing or buying that thing really improve the quality of my students’ education or their lives? If the answer is yes, then I will pursue it.  But if the answer is no, then it is probably just something that seemed so necessary by American standards, but isn’t really all that important.

        I made a new friend this past week named Abyudi.  You may have seen the video of him and me on Facebook eating tacos and giving kisses.  He is two and a half years old and lives with his mom who works as a cook at the food stand next to my house.  His father passed away two years ago from Malaria.  He spends his days with his mom helping fetch water, carry plates to customers, and playing with his friends (Yes, he’s two and a half). He is smart and funny and sweet and he loves spending time with me almost as much as I do him.  One day this week he was walking with his mom to the store and they passed by my house.  I called his name and he smiled at me, starting to fall behind his mom.  She continued to walk as he stopped, just staring at me.  Sure enough, he started walking to my house, all by himself.  We sat on the porch eating fruit snacks and laughing until his mom came back from the store.  She wasn’t worried at all.  She knew he would come to see me.  Children here are raised to be extremely independent, even as babies.  They know their environment and are able to navigate it on their own.  I often see young children walking down the street and playing together with no parents.  While this seems extremely dangerous, when you consider the community-centered lifestyle these children are raised in, it makes sense.  Everyone looks out for children here.  You’re probably thinking, “Hey we look out for children in America too!” and yes you are correct.  But here, when a mother gets on the bus with her child, someone on the bus picks up the child and carries them up the steps.  Someone gets up from their seat so that the child can sit by their mother.  And when it is their stop someone helps the child off the same way they helped them on.  Here, when a child is crying and their parent is not around, someone picks up the child and consoles him or her.  And here, when you are eating or drinking and a child around you is hungry, you give them food and drink.  It doesn’t matter if you know the child or not, and there is no such thing as ‘stranger danger’.  Here people love and take care of the children in their community as if they were their own flesh and blood.  And isn’t this what Jesus calls us to do?  To love God with all our heart, soul, and might, and to love our neighbors as ourselves? 

        I don’t want to diminish the needs of the children in my community, because there are many.  But I do want to acknowledge their joy.  I want to share it with you so that you can have that joy too.  It is in loving these children and witnessing their love for life that I fall more and more in love with my creator. 

Mungu akubariki,

Allee