The sound of music hits my ears, the smell of weed slowly creeps into my nose. No, I'm not at a house party back in college. I'm sitting on the beach in Tanzania, surrounded by rasta Men in a drum circle, mostly faces are lit up as dark shadows surround our bodies from the light of the bonfire we are surrounding. How did I end up here?
-That's a good question, many of us were planning on going to Zanzibar at the end of this month for a little tourist action, but last week a ferry sunk and many lives we're lost…leaving us at a standpoint to decide to not go. So instead I ended up here at Sunrise beach resort where we will be meeting as a squad before leaving to Malawi, let's just say the capital city Dar Es Salaam isn't the safest place for 45 mzungu (white people) Christians to meet. So we meet up at the beach, can't beat it.
But let's get back to the drum circle. As Ive been here for a few days we met some people, two awesome girls from England who were taking a few days of rest after working at a hospital in Zanzibar and before returning back to school in England, we've met some awesome locals, ie. the men im hanging out with at this fire. Last night was the girls last night here so the men we met wanted to have a bonfire and drum circle on the beach for them for there last night. So we decided sure! It would be fun.
-As we finish up dinner we walk down the beach around 9 pm to meet up, we see the fire in the distance and Kevin (one of the locals) meets us and we head to the fire. We get there and it's amazing, a sweet fire, amazing music, solely from the drums they are holding. Songs are sung in Swahili, many of which I have no idea what they are saying. I come to find out that many of them are all about life, their struggles, celebrations, their country, their friends. As time goes on many of us head off to bed. I find myself at one point, "I'm the only mzungu left!" At this time, I've got a drum in my grasp, beating sweet sounds with these Tanzanians. A girl looks at me and says "Mzungu, you can play the drums!" I told her yes I could, that the one next to me is mine! She was kind of surprised. As I sit there, I look up at the sky, the beautiful stars shining bright, I look out at the ocean and see the lights in the distance from all the boats night fishing, I feel the beautiful white sand at my feet and capture this moment, when will I ever find myself here again? quite the time Im having with these men. You see, I've met two men here who God has put on my heart. Kevin and Steven, they run a little art shop where they make paintings and wooden sculptures. The last two days myself and Brandon have gotten the opportunity to share parts of our testimonies and past with them, share the love of Christ with them and tell them how much God loves them. Sitting by the bonfire and meeting these men right where they are at is what God is putting on my heart. Sitting with these men, who are in a way right where I used to be, stuck in sin and false fulfillments. Just about two years ago God met me right where I was at, with his love and pursuit of my heart he washed out and away all of my iniquities. I want these men to know the purpose God has for them, the love he has for them. Both of these men have questions, want to know more, they know there is something higher out there, I just know that "something higher" by name, Jesus.
