Men (pt.2)

Front door at high tide

It's not all bad news. Not all the men are terrible and inappropriate. And I know the problems here aren't unique in the world. Polygamy certainly accentuates the issue though.

Just as there are a lot of awful men here, there are also some really great ones. Since I gave you a rundown of some typical situations with random men last time, this time I'll give you the balancing side-- some of the men I know who are great to be around and whom I appreciate greatly.

Mwenye wahandra*: This man is connected. He knows everyone and everyone knows him. For our move to the new house in M-town, he rounded up a large truck and a bunch of guys to help haul things. Any time I need something in the community he knows who to talk to. He's a go-getter, a problem solver, and quite devout. A great role model for the young men of the community.

Mwenye wawaili: He's friendly, knowledgable, and helpful. Any language question I've got, I know he can answer it well.

Mwenye wararu: He's the fiance of one of my best friends here. When I first met him I didn't like him-- he seemed superior to others and standoffish. Over time, I've come to realize that he's actually really shy. He's shown himself to be a very caring man who is very protective of his fiancee. He looks out for all the women around him, but remains extremely respectful. Bonus: he's the only islander I've met with whom I can converse in Spanish. Big kudos to the man who continues learning languages after finishing school.

Mwenye wane: friendly but never overly so. He's a good friend and someone I know will do what he can to help others. Although I did get annoyed with him once when we were descending a steep hill and he kept telling me "pole mpole!" (slowly slowly!)

Mwenye watsano: A more recent acquaintance, he is one of my students and a pleasure to be around. He's dedicated to studying, a hard worker, and can often be found carrying a cousin or nephew around with him. 


So there are good men here. Don't get me wrong. No matter how much I may complain about all the issues there's a bright side as well. And I haven't become a complete man-hater yet.   :-)

Praise: 
-- We've moved into the new house! It's the second story of a house with roof access. Much cooler than our previous house and right next to the ocean.

Pray:
-- For developing relationships with the new neighbors and learning the resources in our new town.
-- Storying seminar this week: we're learning about how to take stories from the Book and tell them well in the local style. I'd like to put that to use with the new neighbors.
-- For the men I've listed: that they would come to know our Friend and Father.

*names changed