It started out okay. I sat and chatted with a group of women under the shade of a tree. It's hard to "blend in" when you are the only white person, however, and I was soon "promoted" to the table of the wedding party. There I sat with the bride, groom, matron of honor and best man...sticking out like a sore thumb! The meal went off without a hitch. I chatted with the matron of honor and we exchanged phone numbers AND THEN it happened! The gift giving part of the celebration began!
I've lived in Mozambique for 6 years now and I KNOW what this means: Each family group presents the gift they have brought with singing and dancing. I had brought a gift, but was the only one from my family group there. I CANNOT TELL YOU the terror that struck me when I thought about the possibility of presenting the gift, the lone white lady, singing and dancing? I looked for an escape but I was quite literally backed into a corner.(See the lady in the background with the yellow dress in the first picture? I was sitting in the empty seat next to her.)
It was then one of the neighbor kids approached me and asked, "Tia Lynne, are you going to give your gift alone?" "I don't want to", I told her, "what should I do?" "Come with me," was her response. She proceeded to round up all her brothers and sisters and relatives, about 20 people in all. Much to my relief, they let ME carry the gift and THEY did the singing and dancing. Just when I stopped shaking and sweating, IT happened: one of the girls grabbed me and, in moves that I can only compare to "The Funky Chicken", she demonstrated how she wanted me to dance. It was do or die! I can only say that I am eternally grateful that there was no video camera. My neighbors and all 150 of their friends and family, however, were delighted with my efforts! After all was said and done, I received lots of smiles and warm embraces. Hopefully, I opened the door of relationship just a little wider. I firmly believe in what our friend Duncan once said, "Belief follows belonging."
Do you think this is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he said, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."? (I Corinthians 9:22) If so, I will say with him, "I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (9:23)
The bride and groom are 60 years old if they're a day! They have many children and grandchildren together. Some are pictured below. In Mozambique, most young couples cannot afford to get married. The cultural mandates make a wedding financially unattainable.
