Day 3: A Day of Warm Welcomes

Today was a long day. Everything felt stretched out. Everything took a little longer than what I expected. We began with breakfast together, and we spent a good amount of time just sitting around talking to each other. We then moved on to a stop in a nearby mall where we pulled cash and meandered. We then made our first school stop at St. Ignatius College, a local secondary school. Where we shared mass, a meal, and music. I had my favorite meal so far on the trip. The food was good, it included a traditional corn paste dish shima, but the company was better. We ate and talked with the teachers and administrators of the school. I met two of the science teachers who reminded me of the wonderful teachers I had in middle school. The highlight of the day however, was our rehearsal with the Sacred Heart Choir. The members had voices as warm as their hearts and they gave me my first true view into life in Zambia. In this choir there are doctors, engineers, mothers, sisters, brothers, businessmen, and many more that I did not have a chance to talk to. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I could understand and converse with our new comrades. I loved listening to their stories. Sitting here writing this, I finally have a chance to sit down and reflect on all that has happened today. I realized today, that I am the farthest from home that I have ever been, and I am just about as far away from home as I can be. But, the people who I have met here have been so understanding and welcoming. I was talking to some of the members of the choir and they talked about how their family is all over, that many people, regardless of blood relation, are their brothers and sisters. I mentioned that this system of extended community was something that is very rare in the US. It was strange to think of home as a place where I am not as immediately welcome. The US is a very individualized culture. It is more focused on each individual getting ahead than betting those around them. My family has "adopted" many people along the years. We have invited in friends of my siblings and mine for years. Some of those people are now some of my closest friends. I really enjoy being in a place where such relationships are commonplace, and the initial stance towards strangers is care and welcome. Back home, strangers are often met with suspicion and general negativity. We could learn from these peoples' compassion. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone was family?

-Aiden Brown
 Class of 2020

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