I usually start each fieldwork visit with a bit of a reality check. I’m effective in planning, managing the details, communicating to the collaborators, and yet, this is Africa (TIA)! There are so many ways things could go sideways or even flop. So, undergirded with prayer, and I start the day with a letting go to the journey of the day.
Last Saturday, I was at the base of Mount Ketumbeine, a 3,000 meter (around 9,800 feet) dormant volcano in the Great Rift Valley. (Anya and I hiked to the top and camped at the top of the mountain in 2016 with our missionary colleagues and daughter who is just a bit younger than Anya.) I had recruited my friend, Laurie (a former missionary who has moved back and retired in TZ) to drive us the 3 hours to the base of the mountain, where we stayed at a lovely little guest house with good food and gracious service. I know the owner a bit now after about 4 visits.
Saturday morning, I read Psalm 90, which ends with v. 17 “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; / establish the work of our hands for us— / yes, establish the work of our hands.” Then, I let go of the expectations that all the planning would go smoothly.
After breakfast (when I ran into the son of the former pastor of my late husband’s home church!), we—along with 5 cases of sodas in glass bottles (no plastic for an environmental project!)—are picked up in a rented Land Cruiser to be able to get up a bad mountain road. In our group is my esteemed colleague, Rev. Dr. Sululu, who will adjudicate the choir competition today. Sululu is a good friend who I have known since 2013, and I have gotten to know better as I supported him in his final phase of his PhD, and he is my neighbor at TUMA. Now, he is the world’s foremost authority on Maasai music—and is a Maasai originally from Ketumbeine. So, Sululu stayed with his mother (who I met on one fieldwork project with the women’s cooperative).
Today, my research project is sponsoring a choir competition. These are actually big community events! The focus is dissemination of creation care messaging through song in a culturally affirming way.
On 8 Feb., the first research site visit occurred in this Maasai village half-way up the mountain, when the Maasai pastor taught the 3 confirmation student lessons that he wrote in a 1-day workshop. Since then, the students have been developing lyrics to sing to a traditional Maasai tune. The 3 verses relate to the three lessons: 1) biblical creation care; 2) traditional environmental knowledge; and 3) climate science appropriate for Maasai pastoralists.
We started with a longitudinal follow-up survey for the research aspect of this project.
The follow-up survey
Then, we had the choir competition with 3 choirs with students from upper-elementary levels.
Wow! They really worked hard. I wish they could all win! Fortunately, I didn’t have to make the decision! Sululu is an expert at this, and he knows Kiswahili and Maa languages.
Sululu gives feedback to all the choirs and announces the winner
The lay pastor, Raphael, really is a gifted leader, and he brings joy to the events he has led. He will bring the winning choir to TUMA, where there will be a professional recording session in 4 weeks. Each student will receive a digital copy of the song, and it will be available online, while the local parish will be the owner of the song lyrics. This is a great way to get the messaging out beyond the local community.
As I was reviewing the day with Sululu, he said, “This was beyond my expectations!” Children’s choirs are sung by children with limited experience. However, it was obvious that this caught their imagination, and that they put in significant effort. It was a joyous day. This was one of the amazing days that are so rich in Africa!
Mikitamayana Engai! / Mungu akubariki! / God bless you!