“Baba” means father in Swahili, “mama” seems pretty self-explanatory in any language, “kaka” means brother in Swahili, and “dada” means sister in Swahili. This month so far has been about family – transitioning into a new one on the Race, and becoming a part of our ministry contact’s family.
We have been partnering with Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Morogoro, under the leadership of Pastor Albinus Samson. He oversees several churches and teaches at a Bible school, when he’s not busy being a husband and father to six (?) children. As a result, we’ve been working heavily with one of the elders, Mr. Sanga.
It’s only been a week we’ve been in Morogoro but already Mr. Sanga has adopted team Lunchbox as his children. He has six children of his own, most of whom are grown – the youngest is in high school. His wife, “Mama Sanga” has been faithfully feeding us lunch and dinner everyday – except Tuesday, our Sabbath day – never failing to welcome us warmly, “Karibuni sana!” (literally, “welcome very much!”). Aside from coordinating and scheduling our ministry, he daddies (for lack of a better word) us.
Perhaps I’m still surprised by African hospitality, but Baba and Mama Sanga have become more adorable to me in the little things. “Are you satisfied?” they ask after a meal, and even as we reply a resounding yes, Baba Sanga insists that we take more ugali. “Yes, good, good,” he says approvingly as I fill my bottle with some water, then after I cap it off, not filled completely (we were returning to the YWAM base where we’re housed and have access to bottled drinking water), he asks, “please, take more.”
They had prepared to host us and have let us know that they are ready to accommodate any of us who want to stay in their home. Baba Sanga was ready to get on a dala dala (the mini-bus/taxi which is the main mode of “public” transportation) when we called him one night after a team dinner; there had been a miscommunication as we hired a taxi and needed someone to clarify and explain that we were not going nor had agreed to pay 20,000 Tsh (one way is typically 300 Tsh). He will ask twice if we are able to travel back to the base on our own, and has eagerly escorted us back.
We had the privilege of meeting one of his sons, Tim, who will be in New York to study acting, by next month God willing. We’ve only spent a day with him, but Tim has blessed us so much. He worked right alongside us, and even cooked a delicious dinner of sandwiches and pasta for us. He’s been living and working in Dar es Salaam for almost six years now and comes home once or twice a year; so for him to come home just to meet some foreigners that his dad has been hosting meant a lot.
The Sanga family loves their hometown. Tim’s program is a year-long one and wants to return to Tanzania better equipped to start and complete film projects that would raise awareness of the issues affecting the country. Baba and Mama Sanga want to build a school on their land.
I’m realizing that I’ve been blessed just as much, if not more so, by the people with whom we partner as we are by the ones to whom we reach out.
Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.
– Mark 3:35
