Arrival in Hedaru, Wednesday, January 25

We arrived in Hedaru around dusk, and there was a large crowd of children and adults eagerly waiting for us. As we piled out of the vehicle, we feverishly shook hands and greeted as many people as possible. After unloading our luggage from the van, there was a crowd waiting to carry our luggage into the hall where dinner was to be served. Once situated at the head table, we were all eager to introduce ourselves and to be introduced to the assembled villagers. We introduced ourselves first. When it was my turn, I introduced myself in some token Swahili; they really seemed to enjoy the effort. As we were introduced to them, we had a lot of great laughs, and they seemed genuinely excited and interested to meet us. When they started bringing out the food for dinner, we couldn’t believe how much food they had prepared. It was absolutely a feast, and all of it was delicious, as we’ve come to expect. Just when we thought we had things figured out in Tanzania, they brought out a goat that had been cooked whole! They explained that it is a tradition that they prepare a goat like this for very special occasions or for honored guests! Sheri went to the goat and was shown how to cut some of the meat from the back of the goat; then our host, Pastor Luhwa, fed each of us a small piece. After the host shared the meat with the guests, it was Sheri’s job to feed small pieces of meat to everyone in attendance. Finally, everyone had whatever they wanted. I never thought I’d ever be in a position where someone killed a goat for me! It was an incredible evening, and we were made to feel at home very quickly.

After the meal, we chatted for a while with various people there to greet us. While I talked to many people, a few are prominent in my memory, such as Clement, Eva, Grace, and Pastor Luhwa. I have been impressed with the hospitality shown by many people, but specifically, Clement seems to be very charismatic and makes us feel very comfortable. It’s exciting to finally be in Hedaru, and I look forward to building a good relationship with these people throughout the next few days!

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