An African Evening!

Dear Family & Friends,

Tonight we are having a real African Evening. We think that someone in the neighborhood has died and we are in the middle of a HUGE African funeral. There are cars up and down our whole street and they have been coming and going this afternoon, but tonight they are all here and I wish I knew them well enough to go over, but we don't know them at all. Everyone here has fences; I'm not sure who ever thought of putting up fences anyway; I really don't like them at all and I'm certainly glad we don't have one at home. All it does is keep you locked inside and your neighbors outside and no one knows each other at all.

Anyway, they have been singing and preaching and praying (loud), complete with the drums and shaking beads and I'm loving it! I told Dad that I feel like I'm in the middle of an African War Dance around the campfire and the entire village is participating. The rest of the neighborhood is unordinarily quiet; I'm sure they all know what is going are and are paying their respects; but I'd like to go over and take some funeral potatoes and green jello! I actually thought about walking down there to pay our respects, but maybe that wouldn't be respectful in their culture. Isn't it amazing how far apart we get in our different lands and cultures and our religions. I wish we could pull ourselves all together and be one! I love these people here in Botswana; they are friendly and kind and almost without fail when I smile and say "Dumela Ma or Dumella Ra" they smile back at me and say Dumella Ma only it sounds so much neater coming out of their mouth than it does mine. They roll their tongue and I can't understand many of the things they say, but I do have that one down! Cindy, you can tell Bryan how good we are doing because we've only been here 8 Months and we've already got the greeting down in Tswana.

I thought I'd share my thoughts with you this evening as we've been working outside on a plaque building project for the Stake President and feeling very far from home. I'm not sure if this is going to go on all night, but I'll try to remember to let you know. I'm actually loving it and really wish I could be a part of the whole thing just to see how they pay respect to their loved ones when they pass on. It's kind of like knowing the Dance Festival is going on next door and I couldn't get a ticket to go inside. Don't mean to be disrespectful, just being truthful.

Have a great day. It's about time for us to go to bed! Good Night!

Love to all, I really do miss all of you so very much!

Mom, Granny, Lorraine