"Rafiki means friend," she told me.

As we gather for breakfast in the early morning, I turn to greet the woman who had our meal waiting for us: "Habari za asubuhi!" I say cheerfully (and somewhat confidently as I had practiced this phrase over and over this morning.)
"Mzuri!" she says as she smiles and shakes my hand. "Salama! Karibu!" she continues.
"Uh, Brother Mark?" I turn to him, and as my big smile becomes slightly awkward I whisper, "I have no idea what to say after that."

The simple, yet nervous, smile I returned to her seemed to communicate sufficiently: "I am grateful for you and the food you have prepared for us. Thanks for being patient as I work on my Swahili."

Today was all about encounters. It was a day of learning names and stories. It was filled with friendly handshakes. It was a day of looking people in the eye, even if there were no words. It was an opportunity for understanding when Tanzanians waited patiently for us to make it through new Swahili phrases correctly and when we smiled with encouragement as Tanzanians listed as much English vocabulary as they could: “Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, thank you, you’re welcome.” At one point, we received “Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening!” all in one greeting!

A young man, who is about 24 and known as "Mr. James," was quick to point out as he and I walked through the village together that his tie was exactly the same color as my skirt, and even further, that the color was the same in both English and Swahili: "blue."

A young girl stroked my hair as I sat next to her to take a photograph. After the picture was snapped, I looked over to her and smiled at her unforgettably inquisitive face that was carefully studying the unfamiliar color and texture of my blonde(ish) ponytail.

As we were leaving a faith-sharing gathering in a local community (a very touching experience), two women approached me and, in a combination of broken English and needed-to-be-translated Swahili, said to me: "You are a teacher. We are both teachers. Let's take a picture!"

Reflective of the words of these two Tanzanian women is precisely the message that sits with me as today ends:
"I see myself in you. I hope you see yourself in me. Let's recognize that and celebrate!"

And let me tell you, some Americans and Tanzanians (despite Ghana's loss in the World Cup) had quite the celebration today: simple, sincere...what I hope is the first of many.


(HAPPY 34TH ANNIVERSARY, MOM AND DAD!)


P.S. I am relieved that the mosquitoes are not nearly as brutal here as they first were in Dar es Salaam. Minimal bites, although highly-concentrated insect repellant has replaced my usual “So Pink” scent. Sleeping in pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and socks (while in the African heat) along with a mosquito net over my bed have taken some getting used to. Although out of the ordinary, these things are definitely worth it if it means protection from the bugs. So far, so good.