It only took him 22 years

October 21, 2016

Upon arrival in Pebane yesterday, I was greeted by white sand and the gentle wave of palm trees bending underneath the rush of the ocean breeze. I had finally arrived at my home for the next two years. Ari’s host family added to the initial amazement Pebane brings by giving us coconuts to snack on after our 6-hour chapa ride from the closest city. After a little while, we took a sand rode to a water tower which was across the street from my host family’s white house with baby blue trim. My host dad is roughly 6 feet tall, a fairly large man by Mozambican standards. On first impression, his face reminded me of Morgan Freeman. Upon further consultation with the interwebs, I now believe that it was his nose that gave me this impression, because I don’t really think his other features resemble Mr. Freeman much at all.

My host dad is a pastor at the local church and preaches in the local language, Moniga, there. He ushered me into the little gazebo in the backyard where one of my 3 host brothers was sitting. My host father prayed before doing anything else. My Portuguese is still coming along, but I think the prayer was centered around giving thanks for safe travels.

Later that night, he called his wife who was still working on the farm to inform here that their (American) son had finally arrived. Translated loosely he said, “It only took him 22 years, but he is finally home.”

I don’t think he realized how much that simple sentence meant to me. In a single sentence, my host dad put to rest all the anxiety of not having a place to relax for the next two years. He made me feel as if integrating was going to come naturally. His words assured me that he was going to be there to guide me every step of the way. I felt safe. His smile gave me the freedom to feel like I could make mistakes here. Like I could grow here.

I’m not trying to say that it will be incredibly easy to adapt to this environment , but I am trying to express that I am so thankful to have a family to cushion this transition. The problem I am really having is finding a way to communicate to them how much I appreciate them with my lackluster Portuguese skills.