I Think Your Friends Are Coming...

For the first part of this story, be sure to read yesterdays blog, Buanassa & Binti.

Saturday morning came and I went to town with a friend for my weekly shopping trip. I picked up 4 small packages of cookies, thinking Nunu and I would eat 2 of them and then I bought 8 larger pieces of bread thinking either each family could share it or we could easily split it in half or thirds if we had a big crowd. I also knew that I had lot of drink mix at home, so I didn’t need to buy any.

I got home and Cifa was there. We had also invited her, hoping it would just speak some to the fact that I have relationships with other women. Latino and I also talked to Cifa about her future, but that will be a whole different blog =)

I had asked Binti to come around 2:00, knowing late is the norm.  I wasn’t surprised to look at my watch and see it was 2:05. As Latinio, Cifa and Bilitte (Cifa’s son) sat there waiting, I felt like a Jr. High kid whose birthday party happened to be on the same day as the coolest kid in school… I wondered was anyone gonna show.

Latino broke the silence saying, “Uh… Manamanda, I think your friends are coming.” He sounded a little stunned. The house was blocking my view, so I leaned over to see what he was talking about and just saw a line of people snaking their way down the path to our house… lots of people. We ran inside to get another chair, to start cutting the cookies in half and start making more juice and people just – kept – on – coming! Latino looked at me and said, “I don’t think that one more chair will make a difference” and we went outside to face the crowd.

To be honest a lot of this is a blur. I know at least once my eyes watered up… writing this now they do again. I’m in awe. I just laugh, if not I would probably cry. It's one of those moments that you look at and know, this is so much bigger than me-- God is IN this moment!

Latino, Cifa and I stand in front of this crowd of people, all eyes are on me and my eyes are on all the people who have showed up. Binti is working hard to give everyone some bread and juice... did I mention that there were only 12 cups?  =)

Binti filling juice cups.

Eventually Latino and I looked at each other and said let’s just say something and hope the rest just flows out. He introduced me and explained that he would be translating, since I'm still learning Portuguese and I don't speak Macua. He told them the reason I asked Binti to invite them out today was just so we could meet and so they would all know that while my language skills aren't perfect, I'm here and I'd like to get to know them. I also wanted them to know my name, so they could use it rather than just calling me “white.”

Having really sensitive eyes, it's not to often you will find me outside without sunglasses on. Today was no exception. I also have glasses and contacts but really the only reason I ever wear contacts is so I can wear sunglasses or go swimming. Until my dad introduced me to sunglasses that fit OVER your glasses... laugh all you want. They are to practical to say no to. Anyways, someone asks why I have on sunglasses and Latino tries to explain that I have sensitive skin and eyes. The same women asks if I can take them off and when I do, revealing my other glasses, the crowd collectively gasps! It was so funny. 

At one point when I counted there were about 80 people, at least 20 of whom were adults. But after I counted another group showed up and in the end I think there were over 90 people and at least 25 adults. 

Because the crowd was so large, it was hard to do much of anything. So I asked if there was anything they wanted to know about me or if they wanted to tell me anything about their village. One of the older women spoke up. Her name is also Cifa, but she says everyone calls her Entoto (meaning mouse). She basically said there is no point in telling us about yourself, because you could say things that aren't true; over time we will learn who you are and you will learn about this village. At first I was a bit taken aback, but once I realized she was just being blunt and not rude, I could see her point.

At some point I said to them that just like they are here living in this village, so am I. I don't work with the oil companies, I just live here. If you have met white people before and you didn't like them, remember, I'm not them. Try to get to know me. The same woman spoke up and said, “We have had white people living among us before, but none of them have ever invited us to their house to meet them and see where they live. You are the first. Because of this we know you are different and we appreciate this.” How I even made it past these comments is so far beyond me, my heart races just typing up the words.

That's me on the right, looking over all these people...
Probably wondering just how this happened. 

Have you ever had a decent idea and then you see it through only to realize that it was the perfect idea? Not to take full credit for this because it was a group effort, but I don't think any of us were thinking what this would mean. I think we all just thought this would be a good icebreaker. It would be a good introduction. We didn't think about it through the eyes of those who showed up.

I'm telling you... God is at work... I'm just an instrument, but I hope the beautiful music continues to play.

At this point, I'm just like, “Okay, now what?” I say to Latino something about learning the adults’ names and before I know it I am walking around asking the adults in Macua, “what is your name (en-chin-na-wah-na-nah-tee-pa-nee)?” And I'm writing them all down phonetically, there were 24 names on my list. 

Our intention was to do this every Saturday but with this large a crowd, it's just not possible to get to know anyone or anything about them. So we ask if it would be okay to go to people's houses to see where they live and try to learn their names and their families.... so that is our plan moving forward.

If the woman speaks decent Portuguese, then Nunu and I will try to go during the week. If not we will wait and go with Latino on Saturdays.

One year ago we were raising money to make the final payment on our land. I remember this mostly because we had the potential to have $6,000 of what we raised matched and the deadline for that was on Mother's Day 2014. The fact that our meeting was on the Saturday before Mother's Day 2015 didn't escape me. If anything it just left me even more in awe of how much can happen in a year and I burst with anticipation wondering what Mother's Day 2016 will look like!

Use the window on the house for reference to where one pic starts and the
other stops. There is some overlap in the middle and then the people on
the right of the table in the bottom pic are doubles.