One of the exciting things I did was visit a Zulu village with traditional Zulu huts, dancing, and culture. Here are some of the pictures I took:
This is a traditional Zulu hut made of "ilala" which is a specific kind of tree, similar to a palm tree. Inside, there is a stone wall lining the edge of the hut for people to sit on. Men always sit on the right side and women always sit on the left. The reason for this is because men are always to be the protectors. If an intruder or wild animal were to approach the hut, the men would be able to protect the women faster and easier by grabbing their spears and aiming with their right hand. If they sat on the left side of the hut, it would be much more difficult for them to position themselves with their right arm to throw the weapon. All men are trained to use their right hand...so there are no lefty's :) One family will typically have at least 2 huts. One that is used for cooking and another that is used for dining, relaxing, eating, sleeping, and of course..partying.
These are the Zulu men wearing their traditional clothing, and demonstrating a proper marriage proposal. Men stand by the river, where women will commonly meet to do their washing, and decide whom they are most attracted to. They will observe the woman's personality, her interactions, her body and from there, decide whether or not to ask her for her hand in marriage. She may decline, but Zulu men are persistent. If they are able to persuade her, he then goes to her father and offers him a Labula, 11 cows, to buy his daughter's hand in marriage. If the father agrees, they negotiate a plan to move forward with the wedding.
Meanwhile, the woman goes to a fortune teller in the village and asks her to tell about her future marriage. The woman in the red is the fortune teller, and the woman next to her is the assistant, learning to be a fortune teller as well. The soon-to-be wife pays the lady and she puts together a recipe of dirt, plants, milk, fire..and whatever else her "mysterious mind" needs to predict the girl's future. If the fortune is good, the girl is pleased and moves forward in the wedding plans as well.
During the wedding ceremony, the woman receives a hat on her head that is shaped like a graduation cap, except with a round top. Beads line the outside of it, and it represents her commitment to her husband and the fact that she is now a married woman. It's the same idea as our wedding ring. During the ceremony, the men perform a traditional Zulu dance followed by all the women.
It's common that Zulu men have more than one wife. So this entire engagement process and wedding ceremony can occur multiple times for one man. But only...if he can afford that many cows.
For our team bonding, we all went to St. Lucia which is north of Durban. It's a beautiful place right along the coast, and our team of 8 had a chance to be back together again. It was a wonderful time connecting with the Pretoria and Johannesburg team, and hearing about all the wonderful stories God's blessed them with in their ministries. We had a great time evaluating the first half of our STINT year, reflecting on the things we had learned, and looking ahead to what God has stored for us as we finish the rest of our time.
We also had some great time to relax, enjoy the coast, and enjoy one another.
There were hippos and crocs everywhere!!
I made a solar system in the sand...
me and Amanda stood in the sun..
..and our team continued to look cuter every minute we spent together.
I am blown away at how fast the year has gone already! God has done incredible things and I praise HIM for His continued faithfulness. I am looking forward to all that lies ahead as we finish our Stint year strong.
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