When there were enough people present, we formed a circle. Two by two pairs jumped, to the clapping beat, toward the middle and straight to the people across from them in the circle. Of course, they continued to choose one of us nyangangos (white people) to jump across the big circle. In the past, the jumping has gotten out of hand, and the worship time turns to play time (more on that soon). But last Sunday night, the worship jumping was worship jumping.
I, unlike the Toposa, do not like jumping, especially Toposa jumping. They jump very high and land flatfooted, with their heals touching the ground. I've been practicing every time someone takes my arm and commands me to jump, but my feet are just not made to jump like they jump. Anyway, my jumping self let go in worship and hopped across the circle more times than I could count! During the worship jumping, I was reminded of this song that my dear friend, Andrea, taught me on a mission trip to southern Mexico:
I will dance
I will sing
To be mad
For my King
Nothing, Lord
Is hindering
This passion in my soul.
And I'll become
Even more
Undignified
Than this
Some may say
It's foolishness
But I'll become
Even more
Undignified
Than this
Leave my pride
By my side
And I'll become
Even more
Undignified
Than this.
And all this is
For You,
My Lord.
To "korot" undignified. Now, that is a new picture. Not just dancing, but jumping for Jesus.
Makes me smile!
But Toposa don't just like to jump at church time. Right now, it is harvest season, and the men have returned from the cattle camps with all of their cattle. A common thing to see and hear during the day or through the middle of the night is groups of men koroting as we refer to it on the compound. Men, young men, sometimes young girls and women too, gather together in a large circle. One by one, they enter the middle of the circle and sing a song about their bulls or children or wives or village. Then, the group joins them in a very loud and deep sounding, "WHOA, OH, OH!" which then kicks off the group jumping. Two days ago there was koroting at night and then all day the day after that. Some of their favorite spots around here to gather and korot and celebrate are right by the compound, so my sleep and my teaching have been punctuated by "OH!"s.
From the high point in the compound, I could see them koroting in the distance. At one point, they stopped jumping and began some sort of adult hide and seek game while running around with giant sticks and whips and playfully beating each other. Carrie and I talked about how we will definitely never understand the Toposa. There is no way we will ever get how running around getting beaten softly after jumping and celebrating a man and his bull is fun and an activity in which one would want to participate often, or rather, at all.
But the beautiful thing is that God gets it. He understands these people better than they do themselves. And He desires that they know Him. He desires their celebrations to be for Him and for His Name.
He desires Toposa koroting for His glory.
So, I'll keep jumping undignified during worship songs that they may see, not me--tall, white, unmarried girl from America jumping around looking like a crazy, non-agile stick lumbering around--but that they may see Him in all the fullness of His glory and realize His desire for their hearts and their worship.
Here's some pictures from this past week:
Walker's classwork one day, matching colors and shapes to make an owl!
Me and little Lokinga
Me with some more kids while visiting friends (we are inside a tukel!)
My good friend, Natori, had her baby. She asked us to help name her. We chose, and she agreed with a huge smile even while lying down in her after-birth pains, to name her Nyarot, after Whitney!
Here I am with little Nyarot. She is adorable.
Yesterday I was cleaning and found a rat's nest behind a frisbee I keep in the corner on the kitchen shelf. It was composed of mostly pieces from my mop head (which now looks like it has bangs!) and the nice string that was the handle to this flashlight. Crazy hungry desperate nest-making rats!
Me making crazy faces with some visitors I had yesterday afternoon. These girls were so much fun! They are from Lucy's village and popped over to see me. We shared water and biscuits, and then I tooks pictures of them and with them to hopefully learn all six of their names so I can call them by them when I see them next!
Last night this big beetle found his way into my pot of pasta and boiling water. I scooped him out with my spoon. No, I did not eat him. Yes, I ate my pasta after removing him from it!
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