Hope and Joy Will Always Prevail

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41: 10

I hope you all had a safe, healthy, and joy filled Thanksgiving weekend! 

We ironically had no school on Wednesday and Thursday due to the fourth graders taking their national examinations.  I spent all day Wednesday preparing the traditional Thanksgiving dishes as best I could with the ingredients we have here.  It was a cool and rainy day, the perfect day to be in the kitchen with Christmas jazz playing.  By the time the sun set everything was prepped and in the fridge, ready to be cooked the next day.  But when Thanksgiving morning came, I didn’t feel the same excitement that I had felt just the day before.  Being surrounded by people just going about normal life, trying to convey our traditions to Joseph who has no context with which to understand them, and Facetiming with my family who was gathered together taking part in all of those traditions, I just felt sad.  I tried my best to stay positive.  I used all of my coping mechanisms, but by the end of the day I couldn’t hold it in anymore.  All of the food was out of the oven and ready to be served, Joseph was carving the chicken, and when he looked up to ask me how much I wanted I just burst into tears.  The expectations I had set for the day combined with the incredible homesickness I was feeling completely consumed me as I sobbed, I mean really sobbed, into Joseph’s chest.  Thankfully, after letting all of that emotion out, I felt so much better.  
The rest of the weekend was relaxed and enjoyable.  We worked around the house and ate lots of leftovers.  Saturday night we watched Miracle on 34th Street- our first Christmas movie of the year and Joseph’s first American Christmas movie.  As we were watching I realized how many things would be difficult to understand without the context of the American Christmas celebration.  Joseph watched, pausing the movie a couple times to ask questions, and by the end of the movie when the judge declares, “that Santa Claus does exist, and he exists in the person of Kriss Kringle” Joseph cheered and clapped his hands right along with the rest of the court room.  

Sunday was confirmation day for several of our fifth graders here at KEMPS.  They had been meeting weekly with Sister Fraisca, studying up on the bible and the teachings of Martin Luther in preparation for this day.  They were all dressed to the nines, the girls in beautiful white dresses, shoes, and socks, with bows in their hair and glittered sparkled on their faces, the boys in perfectly tailored suits with matching belts and socks, and freshly shined shoes.  After the church service, Joseph and I were invited by Teacher Laudia to attend a reception for her son Talemwa.  We followed a caravan of vehicles to a small hotel just down the hill from school.  The hotel had prepared tables, covered with bright tablecloths and decorated with flowers, and Teacher Laudia and Talemwa greeted us, both beaming with pride.  There had to have been fifty guests there- friends and family members, fellow teachers, and classmates of Talemwa.  We shared a delicious meal together before the MC for the event (Teacher Lucia, from KEMPS) shared the schedule for the celebration with us.  One of the pastors opened with a prayer before Teacher Lucia introduced all the guests and asked Talemwa’s aunt to bring out the cake.  Talemwa ceremoniously cut the first piece before his aunt helped him cut the rest into small pieces.  All of the guests processed forward to be fed small pieces on toothpicks.  After cake it was time for “cheers”.  We were all given bottles of soda to once again process up to Talemwa and offer him a congratulatory “cheers” before “cheers-ing” with the other guests.  The last procession was for gifts.  Every guest joyfully brought their gift forward, dancing to the music as they did. Some brought clothes which they draped across his shoulders, others brought money that they waved through the air and placed in front of him, his father gave him a new watch which he immediately placed on his wrist.  After all of the processing and dancing, Talemwa recited his chosen bible verse, Isaiah 41:10, followed by some words of wisdom by his father and his great aunt, both pastors.  We closed the celebration with prayer, asking God to watch over Talemwa and bless him forever and ever.  Teacher Laudia made sure to take pictures of Talemwa with all of the guests before we departed.  

As I sat enjoying the celebration, I realized how long it had been since I had been to a gathering like that, and how much I missed it.  Of course with COVID we have been limiting socializing in large groups, and for the most part I (an introvert) don’t mind, but, this weekend especially, my soul needed that kind of interaction.  I started imagining how wonderful it will be to be reunited with my family in less than a month, and how joyous the celebration of our marriage will be.  While I know there will still be days of sadness, I find rest knowing that hope and joy will always prevail.  

Mungu akubariki,
Allee

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Celebrating Talemwa!