Part 1: Pungo (exorcism)
Immediately, I found Tanzania to be a much different place than India. The people smiled and quickly offered to help me, there were laughter and mangoes everywhere, and the air was relaxed. I was also frequently asked a series of questions, starting with whether or not I was born again and usually ending somewhere around the last time I spoke in tongues (the fact that I personally have not had this revelatory experience was often a large disappointment and followed by a repetition of the previous series of questions, to make sure I really did know Jesus).
To the Christian half of Tanzania (50% Christian; 50% Muslim), God is alive in a way very different than I’ve seen here. There, when one has simply a cooking pot, mud house, and friends, God becomes everything else. The TV, where there is one, is often set to the gospel music channel, and many (including the girls of Bethsaida) walk an hour each way to Sunday morning’s 3-hour church service.
My last day in Tanzania, I had the privilege of meeting the director of Olof Palme Orphans Education Center, the NGO which established and supports Bethsaida Girls’ Secondary School. Hearing of my sickness, he asked if I could set aside some time for him to pray with me, and I readily agreed.
When I went out to meet him, though, I found myself ushered into one of the school’s not-finished, concrete block buildings. It had its foundation and walls, but its doors, windows, and roof remain absent. Standing in the middle of this empty room, there stood 3 of the girls around a chair. Upon urging, I sat in the chair, and the director stood in front of me, completing the ring around me. I was told to close my eyes, relax, and focus on the thoughts that came to mind.
For the next thirty minutes, the girls and director proceeded to exorcise me – casting out the demons causing both my immediate illness and my multiple food allergies. The mood covered everything between quiet chanting, joyful praise music, and loud, angry shouting. Though I kept my eyes closed, as instructed, it was fascinating to take part in.
Disappointment set in when I did not have a visible, immediate, physical reaction or any miraculous vision to share; it quickly left, though, upon my thanks for their expression of love and care. Unfortunately, my symptoms have remained since my arrival home. I haven’t yet tried any of my allergens, though; I’ll be sure to let you all know how it goes.
Part 2: Pictures
As my internet connection was so poor in Tanzania and I didn’t take any pictures until my last night there, I was unable to post pictures while gone. I hope these few manage to capture my time a little more fully than my limited blog posts have done.
Though I never knew his name, this little guy (approx. 3 in. long) greeted me each morning on my mosquito net and said goodnight as he guarded my bathroom from mosquitoes.
Collecting wood for the cooking fire – one of three reasons to leave the compound walls (the other two are going to the hospital and going to church).
The garden is the center of the school compound. It is surrounded by dormitories, the dining hall/kitchen, classrooms, and laboratory. Everything grown is edible, and most is sold to cover the cost of the girls’ food.
The girls water the garden twice each day. Each girl assigned to watering is responsible for one plot. Duties for girls not in the garden include caring for the kukus (chickens), cleaning floors, and sweeping.
A few of the girls. Cecilia, sitting in the middle, loves music and knows a wide range encompassing everything from Swing Low, Sweet Chariot to Thriller.
This is Pauleta. She's 16 and the sassiest girl I have ever met. For some reason, she liked me, though. I would not want to get on her bad side.
The girl on the left wants to be a pilot (both her father and uncle were pilots) and is top of her class in both math and physics. Since the single afternoon in which she buried her father, mother, uncle and little sister (the only members of her family), however, the chances of her continuing past Form IV (secondary school goes to Form VII) onto post-secondary education and then being allowed to do "a man's job" are not high. She won’t let such trivialities stand in her way, though, and is doing everything she can to keep going.
This is Happy. True to her name, she’s the most smiley girl in Form I (she is also the best and most interested student).
My Tanzanian family, right before I headed to the airport.
Left to right: Sister Josie, me, Bibi (grandmother) Irafaye, and Mama Christina.
If you're interested in seeing more pictures that didn't quite make the blog, you can visit either of the India or Tanzania albums on Facebook.
Part 3: Reflection
Before this past week, I didn’t give much credence to the effects of culture shock. As I had been gone less than three months, I certainly didn’t expect to fall subject to it. I was wrong.
I’m not even really sure where to start – between standing still for minutes in a Kroger aisle, overwhelmed by the sheer number and types of toothbrushes; realizing that I don’t have to actively guard myself (preparing to hit any man that comes a little too close) as I walk down the street; and finding myself unable to eat or sleep due to feelings of guilt (How have I earned or deserved this food? or Why should I be so lucky to sleep in a bed with two blankets and many pillows?), it’s been a weird week.
Each day gets a little better than the previous one, as I realize more and more that living paralyzed by guilt does nothing for Vikas and his classmates or Happy and hers. Instead, as I came to understand so poignantly in India, I must simply do what I can in the ways that I can. I’m not yet sure what that means for tomorrow, let alone the more distant future, but it’ll be interesting to see how life unfolds.
Part 4: Health Update
I was diagnosed with H. pylori, a bacterium causing inflammation in the digestive system, the day I left Tanzania, in addition to the parasite E. histolytica and corresponding amoebic dysentery found the previous week. Upon arriving in Atlanta, I went straight to the ER, where my vital signs and liver function appeared strong. This past week, I’ve had some continuing symptoms; others have improved. I’m currently off medication, so that we can best assess what’s really going on and pursue the right course of treatment.
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