Staying with us this month is a petite Tanzanian woman. She sleeps in a room the size of a medium American bathroom that also happens to be home to the kitchen. A Tanzanian kitchen consists of wood burning in a pile on the dirt floor, and a few shelves of fresh vegetables. There is a door, and two small windows on the small house. That means this room is always filled with smoke. Now, I know if I had to stay in this room, I probably wouldn’t be the happiest camper. First of all, I hate having my clothes full of smoke. I also am quite a fan of sunlight, and this room stays mostly dark because of the tiny windows.
The woman who stays in this room chooses to stay there. She has her own house about three hours away in a town called Arusha, but she desires to stay with missionaries and cook for them. A team from World Race comes to this location in Moshi a handful of times a year, always around a month at a time. So, she leaves her home, her job, her family, her comfort for a month multiple times a year.
Now, if this woman was me, I can honestly say that it would be super difficult for me to find joy and contentment in leaving my home to serve missionaries. But her contagious joy is exactly what I want to blog about today.
Mama is always smiling and always working. This month she is cooking for 16 women, not including herself and the other ladies who take care of the land. But whenever she has a free moment, she is always sacrificing herself to show love to others. I stayed back from ministry today because of a terrible stomach ache, and Mama – knowing I’m a vegetarian and how much I love fresh fruits and vegetables – came into my room with a plate of fresh fruits and veggies. She has such a servant’s heart.
She truly embodies the verses Paul wrote about contentment. Philippians 4:11-12 says “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
She has had a difficult life and makes choices to sacrifice herself for others every day, but she has more joy and contentment than most people I know. She trusts that the Lord will provide and completely relies on his promises. How much we can learn from her commitment to Christ and her obedience to his call for her. When she finishes making our lunches or dinners, she joins us for prayers and always adds in something about how blessed she is. She says that God has blessed her with 16 daughters. She is our beautiful African Mama.
