Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Well today when I headed to the worksite I must say I was looking good. Dirty capris, a blue shirt with paint and grout on it, tall socks, work boots, and a lavender chitenge wrapped around me. Once again I am sure I brought joy through laughter to all who saw me. I did pray on the walk over that I would be willing to do whatever they asked and “do it their way” without hesitation.

I lose the chitenge, the two and half yards of material they wrap around themselves, when I enter the worksite. I got to grout the kitchen walls – floor to ceiling eight inch tiles and I was prepared to leave the gout on the wall. By the way the floor I did last week still has not been cleaned. I think they just keep walking over it and the excess grout wears off.

I was just grouting away when a man passed by with a rag and wiped a little grout off; I guess he was just checking my work. I told him if he would get me a bucket of water and his rag I would clean it all off. He did it!!! So now I was a happy camper.

Six hours later with a cut finger from a jagged piece of tile, pruney hands from the water, and aching arms from grouting above my head, I was ready to go home. Plus there was no place to go to the bathroom. It is all men and I knew that I could not go wherever it was that they went.

I told the boss I was leaving so he told another guy to finish. I know enough Tonga to know the guy did not want to do it. Since I had cleaned the tile as I went he thought he had to do the whole room. I guess the boss told him I had done three wall because the worker said, “No!” and then went to check it out himself. All I can figure out is that they have never seen someone clean as they go because he called several other guys to come and see. They were caressing the wall and I heard one say, “Wow!”. I asked if I had done it wrong and one said, “No, no it is wonderful.”

I did not press my luck by saying they could do it the same way and I would be glad to show them how. I just said “Thank you” and left.

God is good all the time.


Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Last week in town I purchased some snappy chitenge material ($4.00 for 5 yards) to have an African outfit made. A lady next door makes them by just measuring you. I told her I wanted an outfit that would make me look thin. She just laughed – it is so easy to bring joy. I showed her my material and she looked confused. She looked at me then at the material, so I figured she needed more material to make me look thin.

I had gotten two different patterns with the same colors that I thought were very complimentary, and by the way so did the students that saw my material. I told her I wanted the top out of one and the bottom out of the other. She put her hand over her mouth and her eyes got real big and said something to the fact that I must not do that.

What it boils down to is that you cannot put two large prints together. I asked if the Zambians would laugh at me and think that I was a clown. She said, “Oh no they would not laugh at you they would just think you were very funny.” The seamstress told this story I guess to everyone, so I am spreading the joy faster and faster.

The truth be know the Africans quite often put two different prints together that are not nearly a complimentary as mine, but I decided to stick to one pattern. I do not want to be the talk of the town.

Thanks for your prayers and support.