Chipo

Pronounced almost Cheap-O... This is my Shona name, it means Gift. Chandi got Chido..Desire. 

Culture here is soooo strong. Their way of thinking is so different then back home, it's refreshing yet madding at the same time. The brothers are doing better after years and years of Jehovah's direction but it's quite ingrained. The idea of being single here is not favorable, I can't even tell you how many people have told me they were going to get me up with a chieftain so I'll have a ton of little kids and hundreds of cattle... Haha .. Then live on a mountain in the rurals where I have to draw water from  well..yeah thanks but no thanks. 

There is a lot of pressure to have kids, even within the congregation, to the elder women here it means you're going your job as a woman. The babies normally stay home with the nanny while the mothers go in service, sadly, Tracy is trying to get them to bring the little ones in service more. You call the sisters by their children's name, so an example is mi Kiki.. Said like my Kiki.. Meaning Kikis mom. 

The oldest daughter of the oldest son in a family is the TayTay..which means what she says goes..always. If she tells you to move you go, that's why the part at one of the conventions about the aunt telling the couple to move to make more money was so important. It doesn't apply to our way of life but here it's the norm.  If you like someone and she said no you are now crush-less... Going against the family is ticky business, and against the in-laws even harder. If they think the wife is not doing her job they get the man a 2nd wife...of course not within the Christian congregation but there have been brothers who've come home and..hey theres another woman in his home all of a sudden. Having a whole family in the truth is a luxury most are denied here. 

We're getting use to the Shona greetings, slowly. Each time you meet some one you cup your hands clap and do a small courtesy, do it the wrong way and you disrespect the one you're talking too.. Talk about pressure. Plus the wording is different from one situation to the next, super confusing. Like if we may see a person more then once a day the greeting is not the same as if only seen then once a week. 😩

It's the rainy season right now but light in the water department while we've been here, which has made walking much easier. The trails are dusty as are the kids but it's screams Africa so I won't complain. We just bring our zambias, small tablecloth type things, and find some shade to start reading. Strangely zambias are normally cloth from Tanzania sold in Zimbabwe.. Haha

Bethel trip will be the next email sent sometime Tuesday or Wednesday after we settle into our next residence. Much sisterly love from here all my family & friends.