Some Nights

last week, bethany and i stayed with our friends, ngulu and linda. we spent 5 nights with them and their extended family, sharing a small part of their life and learning more about moru culture.

it’s a large compound with lots of children, teenagers, women, grandmothers. never a dull moment and always a chance to practice language and learn new words. 

everyone rose early each day to start their morning routine. the school-aged children helped in sweeping before walking to school. the women fetched water and began cooking. bethany and i were usually the last to wake up at 6:45. we’d shuffle to the fire, just in time for the morning song and prayer. 

after prayers, vida, one of the grandmothers, would bring out her bowl of supplies and begin making a very strong pot of espresso-like coffee, spiced with ginger and a very generous portion of sugar. we laughed to watch her serve a glass to someone, then take one for herself, serve another, then refill for herself... drinking 4 or 5 in one sitting. bethany became vida’s barista student and helped in roasting the coffee beans one morning. 

i loved hanging out with these kiddos. too young to walk to school, they stuck together during the day, eating mangoes, running around, being mischievous, posing for pictures, and making anything into a toy. after one all-day rain, i walked outside to find them making these animals out of mud! such creativity :)

we’d spend the days sitting and chatting with the women, shelling groundnuts, watching them make baskets, finishing our own sewing projects, digging in the garden, singing songs, asking lots of questions, and learning lots of language. 

each night, we’d gather outside, the men and older boys at one fire, the women and children at another. we sat together, cracking open more groundnuts, teaching the children songs, talking and telling stories. i told the story of the three bears (though i changed the characters to hippos). the kids loved it and asked me to retell it the next night. it was my first story to tell all in moru!!! bethany also told the story of cinderella, and the older women especially liked it. anyone who was working hard, they would give the name of cinderella. 

we had such a great time with our moru family. they really love us well, and i’m thankful for some nights to deepen relationships with my friends and community.