Ethnocentricity

 First, I have to say that it is a pity that you didn't read my post from yesterday.  It was witty, cogent, and emotionally moving--and the pictures were all colorful and of Pulitzer quality.  It brought Africa to life as well as providing deep insight into the human condition.  Unfortunately, I noticed this morning, that I had deleted rather than posted it.
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It probably takes an experience such as the one that we are having to see just how ethnocentric we are (though that might not be the right word at all).

My background has thrust me into a fair amount of public speaking--including a lot of cross cultural interaction--so I shouldn't be a stranger to these issues.  But here, where the culture is so very very different--we find that the pool of common experience between us and those with whom we regularly speak and interact is very very small.

I love to draw parallels and parables, metaphors and mental images in my speech--and particularly in my speeches--or talks in church or even in counseling sessions.  Many is the time that Debbie and I have drafted remarks and then as we edit each others remarks, we will identify references or concepts, attitudes or objects, that will not be recognizable by a Mozambican audience.  For example--I couldn't refer to washing windows (because they generally have none made of glass), shining shoes, movies, entertaining, health insurance, or hundreds of other things and topics.  Perhaps the best example was a talk the Debbie was preparing for church in a far off city.  She was attempting to show how destitute someone was by referring to their inability to by gas for their car for a period of time.  Yes, you see the problem--any destitution scenario that would be relevant in American culture--would appear to a Mozambican to be a paradisaical condition beyond their wildest dreams. 

Unfortunately, the problem also exists in the church--which produces a worldwide curriculum.  I am certain that they make a huge and conscious effort to eliminate cultural inconsistencies--but for Eastern Africa--the gulf is just too wide and we often fail.   We often catch ourselves trying to say things that people here simply do not have the cultural context to understand--and it is our error, not theirs.  We were trying to find an LDS general conference talk suitable for sharing/discussion in a church meeting here.  The messages were beautiful--but each one contained subtle and not-so-subtle cultural references or implied norms that could make them shockingly foreign and bewildering to the people here.  When you thint about it, it really might be an impossible task to devise a powerful message where the images and examples that you call upon are equally relevant and comprehensible to a prosperous business manager or artist in wintery Duluth as well as mud-hut-dwelling rice farmer in Camaroon. 

Debbie and I taught "our own" pesquisador (one who is inquiring and seeking to be taught the gospel) today--rather than just assisting the young missionaries.  Not that we have lacked for teaching experiences--but the nature of the relationship is different--being primary rather than supplemental.  Good experience--I suspect that we will learn tons in this process. 

The mission president officially gave us the city of Marromeu to fall within our stewardship--this city had always been in the plans for us--and now it is ours.  It is way off the beaten path some 6 hours to the south--which makes now gives our area a span of about 14 hours on the road from north to souths.  We will try and spend time with the missionaries and leadership of both areas twice each in each six week period (how weird that in the Mormon mission field the predominate time periods are of six weeks duration--its like going to a distant planet where their day is 37 hours long).

Yes I look hot and sweaty and tired (and maybe a little old)--but I do like bananas.  I was told today by one of   my favorite younger sisters that I look like I have lost weight--not that I needed to of course.  I haven't ever seen a scale here, but it might be possible that a little has dropped off in the last months.

On the road yesterday, I negotiated for the purchase of this little gazelle--thinking that it would make a memorable dinner for the young missionaries if bbqd on the back porch.

Bikes transport everything.  We often see people riding with lumber stacked like this.  One has to spread his legs pretty wide to avoid the splinters.

Our living room--please note the spectacular floral arrangement on the newly constructed coffee table--proving to all that I did not entirely ignore Debbie's birthday--though I did get all the flowers from the yard.  I know that it the room doesn't look like much--but it is space that we call ours--and is relatively comfortable, if sparse, and we are so grateful to have it now.