Hot Showers, Ugali, and Grace

This is Katrina, updating at Paul's request because he didn't have much time during his last town trip. Some bits and pieces from a couple of his last e-mails, re: life at Masumbo:
This week has been good, although classes are keeping me really busy actually here at Masumbo. My Swahili is coming along (slowly ;-) and I am trying to keep out of trouble as best that I can. :-) I am continuing to love it here and look forward to what each new day holds. I feel like I am coming alive again (maybe Africa does that to you, eh?)
Our group has gelled really well… [it has been] laid back and "chill". ;-) I am tenting with Ethan Stowell and [we are] getting along well. We are in the far banda closest to the river. The showers are INCREDIBLY hot (I love it) and the choos remind me of being at our house during a power outage, as dad always made us walk (even in the winter) through deep snow to use the outhouse. I like most all of the food (except ugali...hmm...i guess it's just really bland :-p). I have met Abas [the crazy cool cook]. He is really friendly and scared me the other day when he greeted me with a "Hey Mr. Paul...whatz up man?" :-)

And some of his thoughts:
We have been talking in class about grid-group, something that I have learned before and think is really insightful (but I wasn't that excited about hearing again). Then, Bwana was talking about the African conception of the gospel, and how very few African Christians feel secure in their salvation, because it is hardwired into their cultures that religion must be tangibly practiced, and not just thought about. They tend to want to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. That got me thinking. "What about grace Dr. A?" I asked. "Grace is an essential part of the Gospel message. How do they comprehend that?" He agreed that we can never compromise on grace. That [it] is not something that we can just weed out of the Gospel because it's not "culturally understood". Grace is central to the message...the lynchpin! And it seems to me that the early church may have had similar difficulties understanding grace b/c of their cultural background. I'm not saying that we have a great understanding of it ourselves in America, but I think that it is culturally more understandable from a idealogical perspective and not from a "fear and trembling" perspective...

They're off to Ruaha Game Park next week, then a Maasai village--but I'm sure he'll update again as soon as he can!
Let's keep remembering to pray for our friends as they head off on more adventures--that they will continue to grow in faith and in the ever increasing knowledge of God's sovereignty and love, through these new experiences. And that they'll continue to have a crazy good time. ;-)