Africa Story #7: Lightness

After getting permission to go into Ngorongoro Conservation, where we would help to plant and encourage churches among the Maasai people, we loaded onto a bus with all of our bags and headed toward the conservation. Just when we got beyond Karatu, our bus broke down. We were already late and had to make it into the conservation by a certain time before the gate closed for the evening. Quickly, we split up into various land rovers and threw some of our stuff on the top of the cars. The rest of our bags were to follow later on other cars. By God's grace and provision, we (and our bags) made it into the conservation just in the nick of time.

Because we were late, the little over two hours on the windy roads in the mountain to the place where we would be staying ended up being mostly in the dark as the sun set just as we entered the conservation. The curves were a little nauseating. The air was cool. The scenery breathtaking. Right now, I cannot think of a more beautiful place on this earth.

When we made it to Jehoshophat's church (where we would be staying), we unloaded our bags and tried to get situated in the church. All of the men (pastors, national missionaries, and members of our American team) slept on the floor of the church, where the chairs are normally set in place for Bible study and services. The women from the American team (aka me!) slept on the stage just behind the podium where the pastor stands. The Tanzanian women, wives of some of the men, and the cooks slept inside Jehoshophat's home.

As we waited around in the dark for dinner to be prepared (by the way, the precious cooks provided delicious, filling, wonderful meals for us everyday--praise God for them!), some of us realized we needed to, how should I say, relieve ourselves. Jehoshophat led us into his home and told us that the women could use his bathroom in his home for the week! The men had to use the outdoor bathroom, a hole in the ground outside in a dark little outhouse which was near an area that was often frequented by huge wild hogs and cape buffalos. :)

It was when I went into Jehoshophat's home that I met his granddaughter, Lightness. She was precious. I think she is 11 years old. She spoke English beautifully. After meeting her, she took my hand, and we walked back to the church together. She started telling me everything about the church. And then I asked questions. And she would answer. And then she led me up onto the stage, my soon-to-be bedroom for the next week, and showed me the drums.

I have learned that the most precious moments in life are the small ones. Memories are treasures to me, and, looking back on my life, I realize that I treasure small specific instances, those that maybe other people who were there with me may never remember.

I will never forget Lightness. She demonstrated her drum playing and then asked me to play. She would tap out a rhythm, and I would mimic her. She said she could sing too. She sang a beautiful song in Swahili and beat the drums in a rhythm at the same time. And then we pulled out a second drum, and we sang and drummed together to a Swahili song that I knew.

After a while of drumming, Lightness told me a little more about her life. I am pretty sure that her mother and father passed away when she was young. She told me that she knows and loves Jesus very much. She also told me to pray for her sister, Lovegood, who had ran away. Please pray with me for her.

This story is not too involved, but it is one of my favorites. A lot of things happened in the two weeks while I was in Tanzania, but the moments in this late evening with Lightness and the drums are ones that I will remember always. Throughout the week, Lightness would find me or I would find Lightness and would talk about our days or just sit and hold hands.

I have a friend, rafiki yangu, in the middle of Ngorongoro, Tanzania. Lightness was a light in my life, and I pray that she may continue to be a light to every one she meets.

Love in Light of the World!

Lightness and me...