Advent and the magic that children can bring!

As we enter advent, I’m sure the festive season is well underway back in the UK. It does feel a world away here.

That said, we had a beautifully surreal moment this morning that caused Kate and I to look at each other and smile from ear to ear. One of the hospital cars turned up to collect our water barrels for refilling (water issues persist). The sinewy older Tanzanian driver knocked on the door and as we were met with the usual morning heat on opening it, we were also greeted by traditional Christmas music blaring out of the car radio! The juxtaposition of songs stirring up images of snow and cold being contradicted by the physical environment our bodies were reporting, caused a sense of wonderful confusion. It was a beautiful moment and one that I will treasure.

Children add another very interesting dynamic to any adventure. I think it is fair to say that it has at times been challenging for them and us (as parents) alike. Kate has captured some of this beautifully in our family blog which is definitely worth a read for its insights into life for us here in Tanzania. It has at times been quite exhausting. I am immensely proud of my children and they have for the most part been genuinely amazing on this trip. But as anyone with children will understand, there are times when even the ‘best’ can be quite difficult. Coming back to the house from a challenging day in the hospital to be met with such moments can feel quite overwhelming! All you want to do is sit down, unwind and find a bit of peace. But no!

However, there is a wonderful beauty of travelling with them too. A real magic to experience when walking down the red, oven hard mud roads with them and seeing the reactions of the local people. They are like little celebrities (which they mostly enjoy) and when the numerous greetings are met by an appropriate Swahili response uttered from those little mouths, the locals are beside themselves with delight! 

Our Advent calendar brought from home - the chidlers loved it!

Furthermore, children open doors that would otherwise be overlooked and there have been many times when I have delighted in watching them play with Tanzanian children. It is also fantastic to see them grow and evolve into their new environment, not least in overcoming the barriers to begin to develop friendships of their own. And of course, having children means you remember things like advent (although as always, much of the credit for such brilliance lies with my wife!). 

We are in Tanga for the weekend, have located a new cooker to collect tomorrow and are enjoying some R&R (even with the occasional junior meltdown!).