Ashley and I have been in Tanzania for three weeks, but
today feels like the first day we lived here.
I say this because today we removed ourselves from the bubble of language school and entered into the home of a neighboring Tanzanian family, deliberating choosing to
immerse ourselves in the reality of life known by so many of the local people.
A family of nine – two parents and seven children – lives just down the road from our language school. We always pass by their home on our late afternoon walks. While still a long way off, the children often run to greet us. Children are great for practicing our KiSwahili language skills, and we spend about 30 minutes walking and chatting with them on a regular basis. Most of the time we don’t understand each other, but it’s still great fun.
Last week, we met the mother of the children and she invited us back to her home this past Sunday for a mid-day meal.
“Karibu nyumbani,” she repeated, which effectively means, “You are welcome in our home.”