For most of the first half of my trip here I got the chance to teach a weekly seminar to the women of Uswaa. Usually we would be about 40 in our Thursday afternoon gatherings. This will be one of my fondest memories of Uswaa. On that first day I had given them an assignment to get into groups and talk about something. Then I sat down in my chair and I just looked at those women and I scribbled the following down in my notebook:
To the women of Uswaa, I love that you work with such courage, laugh with such abandon, grieve with such intensity, gather with such purpose, sing with such energy, live with such strength, and love with so much of your heart.
This has not ceased to be true. I look at these women who have so much heavy, manual work to do, and yet they join together in laughter and sharing, with wisdom and song.
When the women gather, they have a lesson first. This lesson is usually a Bible Study or some sort of educational thing related to cooking, health, parenting, or gardening. Then they spend the bulk of their time working on craft projects. I love sitting and watching them work. I’m useful in helping to thread needles or the sewing machine, but I relish listening to them laugh and talk with each other. They really enjoy the company of one another.
If I could wish for one thing during the time with these women it would be that I could speak Swahili. There is so much that I think we would like to say to each other that just doesn’t translate.
Today after our farewell worship service so many of these familiar faces, Mama Ray, Mama Anko, Mama Ufoo, Mama Manda, Mama Neema, Mama Agape, Mama Sion … I could go on … came up to me and we couldn’t say much to each other, but our eyes spoke words of love and gratefulness.
I am in awe of these women and so thankful to have been accepted as one of them for these few weeks.
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