The Move

I have finally moved into the room where I will, Lord willing, be living for the rest of my time in South Africa! After three months of temporary arrangements, is was nice to actually unpack all my things.  It is a separate room behind a home (I will post a video on the facebook page soon).  I use the bath and kitchen in the main house, but the separate room allows me a measure of independence and, most importantly, silence.  I am a very light sleeper, and for the last two months I have been living in a home where an alarm goes off at 4:30 in the morning and people are up and about by 5.  While I love the family that I was living with and am very grateful for the way they took me in, cared for me, and made me feel like part of the family, I am also excited to be able to sleep better and have some personal space.  

I am a social introvert.  On the Myer’s Briggs test I always scored pretty close to the middle between I and E, but on the I side.  The last three months in South Africa have taught me that, in case there was any doubt, I am definitely an I.  I need to be able to have silence and alone time or I start feeling exhausted and ragged.  Before I moved in with Mama Jane and her family, my team leaders talked to me about different cultural considerations when it comes to living with a South African family.  South Africans are very concerned with being good hosts when they have guests.  So if a guest spends a lot of time in their room and not with the family, they may feel like the person is unhappy or does not want to spend time with them.  The concept of “alone time” is not big around here.  So it was difficult for me to get peaceful alone time, not because of anything my family ever did or said, but because whenever I was in my room I was worried that my family would be offended.  Maybe they were more understanding than I give them credit for; I fully acknowledge that my own insecurities and paranoia about offending them were the main problem.  But it was an issue, and the introvert in me is rejoicing to be able to be in my room without feeling guilty.  And the sleepy head in me is rejoicing in waking up naturally and not being woken up by alarms, crying children, and people calling to each other from across the house.

I am grateful to Mama Jane and her five children, who welcomed me without reserve, took care of me, treated me as part of the family, and loved me.  They are certainly the “people of peace” that we are called to seek out in our neighborhoods (Luke 10:5-6), and were a blessing to me.  Thankfully, they are just three houses down the road, so I can still visit and hang out with them.  And then return to my nice private room for a good night’s sleep.