Walking4Water

As we were walking (isn’t that how most of our stories start)  a car pulled over and a younger middle-aged guy with long dreads and a shirt that read “I have issues” hops out the back to come greet us. He tells us his name is Lima (like the capital of Peru) and that he is a teacher in the next town, and that we should stop to see him when we get there. We exchange phone numbers and the next afternoon we arrived in Manica. He brought us to an old garage on his brothers house that they had turned into a music school! We arrived at the perfect time because the kids were just getting out of regular school and coming to this music school. It looked like exactly what you would imagine if some kids in your neighborhood decided to start a band and took over your one car garage. Drum set, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboard, jembes, the works. The instruments were passed around the room and if you weren’t playing you would end up clapping or dancing or singing. We sang, played and clapped along to songs about not stigmatizing people because of AIDS but helping them; and about travelling brothers and sisters who come to visit Africa. It was a ton of fun. The school has gotten some grans and has worked closely with the Peace Corps volunteers; they will be building a stand alone school in the coming months.

After music school, we went back to Lima’s house and met his wife and 2 boys (who are 12 and 10) and enjoyed time with them, and they allowed us to camp on their land. There was a Massai warrior who walked 38 different countries in Africa and he had also stayed with Lima and his family when he travelled through, so it was neat to be in his footsteps in a way, and hear about his journey as well. We played music late into the evening with Lima and the next day he walked us down to the river to see it and the surrounding sugarcane fields. It was great to be able to stay with Lima and see the great things happening in Manica.

So since we’ve been “stuck” in PE this past week, Aaron has developed a daily routine of going to drum at the beach. He has met a friend that also plays guitar there and they jam together often. There are also a few street kids that hang out from time to time. Yesterday Marty and I went down with Aaron and we hadn’t been sitting long when 3 kids came up and sat with us. I had a stick with me, and the kids started to make instruments out of some of the objects around us. Coke cans, we invented at least 3 different ways to play a coke can, coke bottles, rocks, some to put in the bottle to make a shaker, some to hit against each other, the stick could be hit against the wood railing, a Simba chips bag could be crinkled to make a cool sound, and of course we had Aaron’s drum. We we’re JAMMIN! It was a ton of fun. My day was made. And then one of them, at that time I just knew him as the one in the black and blue checkered hoodie, started to sing, “My God is good….” and he went on, sang a few more. We ended our time together with him singing some of the verses from “Lean on Me”. I was amazed, for a few reasons. First, he had an INCREDIBLE voice, it was beautiful. Second, it was just totally humbling to hear a street kid starting to sing about how GREAT God is. This kid has nothing but the clothes on his back. 

Today I decided to take a walk to the grocery store to buy a few supplies, bread, eggs and what not. As I was walking, who do I see but the kid in the blue and black checkered hoodie! As I got close he recognized me and smiled real big, I stopped to talk to him and he asked where I was going and if he could walk with me. Of course! I said, and off we went. Over the next few hours I got to know my friend Luville. He said he was 15 years old, although you would guess he is 9, I told him he had a name like a famous city. He has never known his parents but has a grandmother and a little brother. Apparently they live very far away; he said cries for them sometimes. He told me his dream was to be able to share the love in his heart with the world. He would also like to play music. He was kind of upset sometimes that when he sang, people thought he only sang for money, and not because he really also loves to sing. But he knows that the people who give him money will be blessed because God said he does that. He also says he believes that one day his dreams will come true, that God will help him.

I was actually quite glad he was with me or I might have walked by the grocery store on accident. He helped me to carry the basket through the store and pick out the items at the lowest prices. :-) Smart kid. I bought him a meat pie and a fanta and myself a diet coke as well, and we sat and talked about life before walking back again. He asked me questions about where I was from, and told me more of his story. We laughed together and had a great time. I told him he would have to call me when he became a famous musician. He sang a gospel song and Rihanna’s “We found love in a hopeless place” song (which he didn’t even know, but its my favorite song!) today too as we walked around. Amazing.

I had a great day with my friend Luville, but please keep him in your prayers tonight because he is probably cold. And in the morning, that he might find food, because sometimes he doesn’t. And pray that all his dreams will come true.