She challenges me..

That Mama Jackson...she is something else!

She blesses me, encourages me, and challenges me! You gotta stay on your toes around her. I was supposed to stop by tuesday, but failed to as the car situation caused havoc on my day and prepping the interns to head home. I called an apologized, and she jokingly said, "Pam you gotta keep your committments!" I love that she feels comfortable enough to joke with me! I told her I would stop by on Thursday.

Thursday we had our budget meeting, it started 45 minutes late, and ran way over, so I reluctantly sent her a message that I yet again, wasn't gonna make it, but committed that I would be there Friday morning.

So this morning I arrive and she tells me that I missed out on a feast the other day when my car broke down. She had prepared a meal and she and the kids and I were gonna celebrate what God is doing in Unga. Celebrate? Wow! She is catching a vision! I apologized profusely, and was filled with deep regret over missing the celebration! We talked about the meeting on Thursday and why it was late to get started and why I couldn't come by. She voiced her frustation with late people (I took mental note) and I wondered, is she African? Cause really, it is normal here for people to show up when they can, not the time agreed upon. We had a really nice chat, and then she said she prepared some chai and sweet potatoes.

This right here, this conversation over tea like we were old friends blessed me. We talked about everything under the sun. My mom, my dad, my brother (I really should bring pictures to share), we talked about my wheat problem (this was brought up last time too, which she pointed out that she intentionally made the sweet potatoes cause she remembered I couldn't eat the bread that is usually served with tea.), we talked about CHE, about Katie, about the interns, about safari companies, everything we could think of. It was great fun. Another thing I really appreciate, is she has no qualms what so ever correcting my swahili, and not only did she correct my swahili, she told me that from today on out, when I am with her, I am gonna pray in swahili (we pray before tea, its customary) because she knows that if I just try I can do it! HA!

Starting today. She informed me of all this, and took the posture of prayer. Waiting. On me. To pray in swahili. HA!

I will spare you the details, but I immediately felt like a 3 year old whose mama says, "Ok honey, now its your turn to tell Jesus thank you." I am sure I sounded like one too. It was a riot.

Things in Unga are progessing. There are 3 ladies coming to the vision seminar with Mama Jackson, and we have a group from the HIV/AIDS project I visited last week. It is exciting and a bit overwhelming to think about it all finally coming together! Be praying for these ladies, that nothing would get in the way of their physically attending, and nothing would get in the way of their hearts catching the vision!