Veggie Tales

March 25, 2004

Hello Friend,

Today we had a very cold start to the day.  All the children came to the dining hall with their sweaters pulled up around their ears. The mamas say once you have malaria you feel the cold more than others do.  After breakfast got started,  I assisted Carolyn by going to the front gate to buy vegetables for the Children’s Center.   This was a first for me and I learned much!   Most of the time I am tied up with work at the village, so Mike has become our family shopper.  He knows the prices of everything and I certainly have not learned that to this point. 

Today was my day to begin to learn.  Once a week, about 11 women pick their produce and then gather at the entrance to the gate hoping to sell what they have grown.   They bring sweet potato, eggplant, greens, tomato, papaya, banana, pumpkin, fresh beans, zucchini, avocado and Ntuli — which is a bitter little thing that looks like a tiny green tomato.  I did learn that bargaining is quite fun. As they name their price, they start at about twice what the going rate for the vegetable is.  I am supposed to look shocked at this first price and say, “Ah, my goodness!  Why so high?”   They furrow their brows and shake their heads sadly, describing how dry it has been and how that makes each item more rare and precious. Their explanations are suppose to make me willing to pay the expensive price.   I counter with the argument that we are buying for many abana (children) and that we cannot afford to pay such high prices when we buy so much. With smiles they suggest another price for me to consider.  The cooks have directed me what the pantry needs are, so I move from person to person wanting to buy something from each.  It feels like such a ministry to the community to have this impromptu market at the gate.  We go back and forth and settle on a price that brings out the smiles. Today, I spent about $7.50 and had the whole back of the Prado stuffed full. Jane, there is one lady who lives across the road from Rafiki who is suffering from HIV.  She is the most stunningly gorgeous woman that I have ever seen — she has exotic features and such a wining smile.  This rare beauty has also been left in a desperate circumstance.  Like so many women here, she was used as a “wife” by an older man in the government and then abandoned. 

When I asked the aunties about this man they said, “JjaJa that man is not well behaved.”  That turn of phrase is used for anyone who lacks integrity or honor.   I would guess that this man was the one who infected her before casting her off to fend for herself.  Unfortunately, she now has children to care for — a very young child and an older toddler.  Whenever we meet she is anxious to talk about her faith and her hope. 

She is very bright and resourceful.  In our conversations, she discovered that we mzungus missed having good lettuce,  so she planted this lovely, tender, Boston-like lettuce at her place and she comes to sell it each week.  I buy more lettuce than I can ever eat just so she can have shillings to feed her family.  There is also a very enterprising Muslim woman who comes to the market and she too grows gorgeous produce.  She seems surprised that we Christians are open to buying from her and each time she listens carefully to what we need and the following week those items are there in abundance.  She is prospering for sure.  It was a good time. 

In Great Grace–lissa