comfortable with silence (aka: learning kiswahili)

Want to shout out to the degree in social work that has trained me to be “comfortable with silence”…it has been helpful when sitting with those around me these last few weeks…NOT that its ever really silent here, but the lack of English words at times makes it feel that way!

I have learned a litttttle bit of Kiswahili and am starting to be able to pick up on the flow of the conversations…otherwise I rely mostly on watching facial expressions, tones of voices and asking the person next to me “what are they saying??!”

Today I realized that though these times are hard, they are some I am definitely cherishing:

I love that no matter where you are, if you get a group of women together there is bound to be loud talk and lots of laughter. In the morning, before the babies wake up, drinking tea with the women of the baby house is fantastic. I am always greeted with a “HELLOOO SUZIE!” (especially from Eunice, the housekeeper who speaks very little English but loves to try to say what she can…aka: that phrase…another sidenote: I believe this is the ONLY time and place in my life that I have ever accepted and not minded being called suzie…friends at home: don’t get any ideas, you still can’t call me that) and then I sit down watch and laugh and try to figure out what they are talking about (usually talking about their husbands, trying to find a husband, or telling funny stories of the past..again: typical)

Then when sitting in the shop with the knitting group I often am trying to keep up which ends in lots of laughter. This group of ladies is SO animated: no volume control, hand motions everywhere and laughs that are very contagious. (today much of the laughter was towards me trying to speak Kiswahili…I have a ways to go.)

The Joy these women have is unhindered by many things that often get in our way in the Western world and being able to sit, unhindered by time, simply soaking in their Joy that the Lord has given them is very refreshing.

It is my prayer that I continue to recognize the beauty of their Joy and that I might reflect that same Fruit of the Spirit to others.