Thanksgiving and Advent in the Midst of Change

It has been a while since the last entry and more news from the field is overdue. In truth, the delay is in no small part the result of a pang of guilt I feel about writing and posting photos of activities we are engaging in that appear to flaunt all wisdom and common sense around protecting oneself and others from COVID-19, especially in this tragically fraught time in the US where our families are. But to date, we have not had any significant spike in cases in Arusha, which has remained at zero for about 5 months now. We warily wait for a change, as neighboring Kenya is spiking again, but also enjoy the small reprieve we have experienced here to live a more or less ‘normal’ life here.

 Normal might be a bit of an exaggeration at MCC these days as we are entering the final two weeks of our office being open. The last days have been very full with extensive interactions with the government revenue authority as we prepare severance for our national staff, and make sure we are legally fulfilling all obligations related to dissolution. We are also going through many old files to decide what things need to archived and what should be jettisoned. It is a melancholic process as we discover many interesting tib-bits, old letters, documentation of crises, strategic plans dating back to the 1960s that have formed MCC’s history here. A bit going through the files of a recently deceased grandparent.

Rebecca and I continue to active in church life here, as I have said before. However, because we have not reopened the Sunday School at church, we usually spend our Sunday morning time in different places. I have continued to go over to the kids’ school to teach Sunday School to the boarders there who used to come to our church, while Rebecca has been active in Sunday worship as music leader, and often helping with logistics of making sure the zoom link is working for those who are still avoiding the resumed services in the sanctuary. As of this week, the kids’ school is out so boarders have returned home, so I will be able to join the Sunday services for the next month.

We had a number of big social events as we come into the ‘holiday season’ (at least in the North American conception of the season). For us the holiday season really begins in the week leading up to Thanksgiving as we prepare for the annual feast. This year we celebrated on Saturday actually, since the Thursday of Thanksgiving is obviously not a national holiday here and everyone was at work and school.

In the past several years, we have enjoyed hosting and especially inviting Tanzanian friends to share in this unique cultural event. This year, however, we decided to invite friends from our Bible study which includes an American couple (Vance and Beth Marie), the Taylors, an Australian family with their 4 kids, and Ellen’s family with 6 kids. Ellen is American, but her husband and kids are Tanzanian, so we still had the chance to share the experience with those who have not experienced it most of their lives.

Oren and David participated in preparations more than they ever have this year. All of us worked together on an apple rhubarb pie. I made the crust, Rebecca and David cut up the apple and rhubarb and Oren made the crumble topping. Oren also prepared the sweet potatoes while Rebecca prepared stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy and other side dishes. I roasted 4 large chickens in our enormous oven.

All the other guests brought other side dishes as well including pumpkin pie, biscuits, mashed potatoes, etc. All in all the food definitely had the taste of a traditional Thanksgiving. Although eating in the warm outdoors of our back porch was definitely different from the cold weather we would be used to in the US during this season.

 As school drew to a close we went to a number of school programs including a swim meet, as David does swim team as one of his extra curriculars. He has become quite fast but this year was moved into a higher age group as he began lower secondary this year. Consequently he did not do as well as he usually does in his events. Rebecca went and spent the afternoon there. It was also a chance to see friends again as two of the Taylor kids (from our Bible study) are on the swim team from a competing school, and Katie, their mom usually comes as well.

I have been playing golf with Mike Taylor several times in the past month. We alternate between going to Gymkhana and the more exotic Kiligolf course. The last time I was there, I wrote that my caddie almost stepped on a puff adder. This time some gardeners near the 17^th hole were gathered around a 15 foot python that had a huge lump in it-- almost certainly a 'dik-dik' it had consumed, (one of the antelope that run around the course).

 David has been involved in a number of musical events as well as he is taking voice lessons at school. There was an end of term recital in which he sung Puff the Magic Dragon as a solo. He has a very good voice so it sounded good. There were a number of other pieces, mainly on piano, featuring music from John Thompson’s Piano book 1. (Swans on the Lake was performed at least 4 times--for those who used that book when they were young.)

David’s voice teacher is also one of the music leaders at church and asked David to sing on Sunday to lead congregational singing. It was great to see him willing to do so and he did it well according to Rebecca who was there. This also led to David singing two solos at a Lessons and Carols Service at his school. The concept was definitely better than the execution for this event. St. Cons. is a multi-faith school and they have made efforts to recognize a number of religious holidays including a week of Diwali celebrations last month. The Christmas event was held outdoors in the evening and featured traditional lessons followed by a number of carols, more about Santa Claus than the baby Jesus. Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah was probably the most sacred song after David’s two selections: O Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night. It was also quite long, but I do applaud the school for its effort to be inclusive of all faiths.

Life at home has been eventful as well, as we had an owl family, who have shown up every year about this time for the past 3 years, return once again. This year, however, one of the fledglings came out of its nest in a tree and ended up on our second-floor balcony outside our bedroom. We all enjoyed seeing him bobbing his head around as he stared through our glass door. Rebecca made some fun videos of him and posted them on Facebook. He hung out for about a week before disappearing. (I don’t think anything bad happened to him, but just eventually flew away.) Our cat took no interest, nor did the compound dogs. (Who continue to come to greet us every evening they are let out of the barn for their night sentry duty.)

Oren and David have also been making more effort to connect with friends. They had three friends over for a sleepover--Gavin, Harry, and Sammy stayed at our house a few weekends ago. We followed it up with an ultimate frisbee game the next day that was one of the most fiercely competitive I have played. There were far more kids than adults that day.  The next weekend all of us went to Oren's friend Harry's Birthday and spent time with the same group of friends again. It is great to see our kids making these close connections, even with the inevitable prospect of our departure in June. From my own experience as a third culture kid, these friendships can be maintained and continued for years into the future with reunions even decades later. 

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is also the day we traditionally set up Christmas decorations, so we got the tree out of storage and other decorations, set up lights, creche sets, hung ornaments, set up an advent wreath and our Advent devotional readings. We really appreciate Advent as a time or preparation and Rebecca and I usually fast during the week days until evening during this season. It is nice to use our lunchtime at work to take a walk together around the picturesque Gymkhana golf course just up the road from our office. 

We are also preparing for Christmas gift-giving and hope to go to some Christmas fairs that feature local arts and crafts this week. It will be a fairly sparse Christmas this year as no family is visiting from the US---A first since our arrival. (Rebecca’s parents have been here the past two Christmases). COVID has really changed the ability to travel this year as everyone knows.  

All in all the preparations carry a tinge of melancholia as we are aware this is our final Christmas in Arusha. Next year we will be celebrating in Addis Ababa (Mungo akipenda!—God willing! as we always qualify here in Tanzania) With the upheavals of the past year, it is good to take nothing for granted. 

Bonus Photos:

Mt. Meru with snow on it behind Gymkhana

Rebecca and David at Christmas concert