On Tuesday we took a road trip to Mosiro, deep into more traditional Maasai land. It was a long day. We left around 9am and got back around 9pm. There were 6 of us making the 3-hour trip, plus many 25 kg bags of uni mix (porridge) and sugar to bring to a primary school (which is part of the MCC Food-for-Work program going on currently). Most of the children attending this school and another in the area are the first people in their families to go to school at all. To get to the school, there wasn't really a road. There were 2 murran (warriors) who were chopping down bushes and clearing large rocks, so that we could drive wherever we could find an opening among the trees, bushes and rocks. One of our group asked us if this was our first off-road experience. We'd been driving on a lot of bad roads, but this definitely topped them all. 
When we got to the school, I was struck by the difficult conditions in which the children are learning. No electricity and few books, shared desks and notebooks, 1 teacher for as many students as show up (which could be as many as 50 in a class), walking long distances to come to school and no food to eat, except the porridge provided by MCC.
After visiting the school, we joined a large group of men and women gathered at the recently built, Mariani Water Pan (through an MCC Community Initiated Project- CIP). This water pan provides the only water available for hundreds of people. Today they were gathering rocks to lines the edges of the water pan. And by they, I should specify, the women were doing the labor, the men were hanging around talking to each other and relaxing in the shade. This is the norm in Maasai culture, women do the hard labor: chopping firewood, gathering rocks, carrying water, etc.
Matt and I split up. I joined the women carrying rocks. They loved that I was helping them! One of the women gave me her bag and taught me how to carry the bag with the strap hooked over my head as they do. I ended up mingling with various village groups, just spending time. They were thrilled to speak with me in Maasai. We even sang and danced (they loved that I've learned to do the Maasai neck dance, I don't how to explain it better than it looks like a graceful chicken).
Meanwhile, Matt was making new friends. One young man, attired in the traditional ilkarashe,(as most people were) asked Matt which age group he belonged to. On discovering they are in the same age set, Olmerwuesi, he was thrilled! He gave Matt one of his beautiful beaded bracelets and promised to give Matt 3 goats when we come to visit again. This new friend, led Matt around, asking him what things were in Maasai and was ecstatic that Matt knew the name of the Maasai walking stick (engudi), club (orinka), and many other things. Matt also ended up trading belts with another man, so he now has a beautiful beaded belt. (Even if Maasai men wear more modern clothing, they will always be wearing something with Maasai beadwork, a belt or bracelet. ) I was bit jealous, I didn't get any presents, until later.
On our way home, we stopped at a woman's homestead to pray with her and her family. I didn't really understand most of what was taking place, but I do know that she seemed very blessed by our coming. As we were leaving, she brought out a beautiful necklace and placed it on me, saying "Emayiani Enkai" (May God bless you). I was shocked, but felt so blessed by her gift.
We continued our journey home, stopping 3 times to gather firewood! Someone in the car would spot a dried out dead tree along the road, so we'd stop, break the branches, load them up in the back of the land rover and head out again. I was amazed. Did we really need to stop for firewood? It was already getting dark, with a long drive ahead. And yet, it was such a good idea. Why not collect a readily available resource that would otherwise have gone unused? They always need firewood... To pass the time (and keep ourselves awake in the darkness), for the last couple hours of our journey we sang song after song in Maasai. Singing praises together was a wonderful way to end the day.
I praise God for the gift of today.
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