Subiri Kidogo

(soo-BEE-ree kee-DO-go) Wait a little bit

In many of our updates, we try to give you some idea of looking at a different culture through our eyes. As we were burning our oil lamps this evening and waiting for the power to return, we were struck by the things we wait for, and that certainly seemed like an appropriate message during Advent, the season of anticipation.

When we first arrived in Tanzania, we were indeed warned not to expect too many things to happen according to the western timetable. Imagine receiving an invitation to a wedding when the date is listed, but the time is simply listed as "afternoon." What if you had an important meeting to go to, but a friend or another colleague stopped by your office and invited you for tea just before the time you had to leave? What if you were invited as a special guest to a church service? You know that church starts at 10:00 but at 10:25 you are still having breakfast with the pastor so he can get to know you better. You hear the children singing joyfully outside the church but you know that the service won't start until the pastor arrives. Would these situations make you uncomfortable? Weddings do not start until all of the guests arrive. Having an unexpected visitor is an acceptable excuse for being late to or missing a meeting. Church won't start until the special guest arrives with the pastor. How many of you would excuse your pastor if he were one-half hour late for morning worship? I think you might expect him to shorten his sermon!

The work days start and end fairly regularly at the same time. Businesses normally open and close within 20 minutes of their posted times. School hours are certainly predictable, but the only schedule that you can predict with precise accuracy here is the rising and setting of the sun. We find ourselves thinking "hurry up." But many situations respond, "wait a little bit." When we are told to "subiri, kidogo" we hope that we won't have to wait for long. We may have to wait longer than we expected. Depending on the circumstances, we might be amused, mildly annoyed, or even extremely frustrated.

Our calendar reminds us that we have four Sundays in Advent, and we celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December. In most examples that we can think of, the children are hoping that Christmas will come faster than in 25 days, while the parents are praying for at least 25 hours in every day so that they can be better prepared. Most likely, we can all think of times when we wished God would answer our prayers faster. Advent reminds us that we are preparing not only for the annual celebration of Christmas, but we are preparing for the second coming of Christ. In times of trials and frustrations we sometimes wish that Jesus would hurry up and get here. After all, isn't 2000 years long enough? We are reminded throughout the New Testament that it is only God who knows when the Son of man will come again. We are simply told to be ready, and wait a little bit. All things will happen in God's time, according to His will.

Dan and Cathy Smith

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Dan, Cathy, Sarah, Emily and Grace Smith
PO BOX 15128
Arusha
Tanzania
http://www.goodshepherdkettering.com/pages/mission.html
smithfam91@yahoo.com
or
missionaries@goodshepherdkettering.com
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