Wadau Wangu Wapya

Nina furaha kama mwandishi kuwa nimejipatia wadau wapya, na ninawatambulisha hapa kama ilivyo kawaida yangu. Hao ni Brian Faloon na mkewe Kristin, wenyeji wa Rochester, Minnesota. Brian ni rais wa Rochester International Association (RIA). Kristin na mimi ni wanabodi katika bodi ya RIA, ambamo nilijiunga mwaka jana kama nilivyoelezea katika blogu hii.

Baada ya mimi kujiunga na bodi, nilipata fursa ya kutoa mhadhara katika chuo kikuu cha Minnesota Rochester, mada ikiwa "Folklore as Expression of Ethics," kama nilivyoeleza katika blogu ya ki-Ingeeza. Brian alihudhuria.

Brian aliuongelea mhadhara ule katika mkutano uliofuata wa bodi ya RIA. Baada ya muda, nilipata mwaliko wa kutoa mhadhara chuo kikuu cha Winona, mwaliko ambao niliuelezea katika blogu hii. Kristin aliniuliza iwapo itawezekana yeye kuhudhuria. Niliwasiliana na waandaaji, kuwauliza iwapo ninaweza kumwalika mgeni kuhudhuria, nikajibiwa kuwa ni ruksa. Nilimweleza Kristin hivyo.

Nilisafiri tarehe 27 Juni hadi Winona, mwendo wa saa mbili. Nilivyoingia ukumbini, niliwakuta Kristi na Brian wameketi, pamoja na wasikilizaji wengine yapata 50. Nilitambulishwa na wenyeji wangu, nikatoa mhadhara kama nilivyoelezea katika blogu ya ki-Ingereza. Nilivyomaliza mhadhara na muda wa masuali na majibu, Kristin na Brian walinisogelea tukaongea. Walifurahia mhadhara. Nilivyowashukuru kwa kusafiri mwendo mrefu na kuhudhuria, walinijibu kuwa wao ni mashabiki wangu. Walichosema ni ukweli, kwani walianza kuwa wadau tangu waliposoma kitabu changu, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences.

Tarehe 4 Julai, nilipata ujumbe kutoka kwa Kristin. Kati ya mambo aliyoandika ni haya:

We greatly enjoyed hearing your presentation and thought it was very good! Thank you for letting us attend! I believe it would be an excellent presentation to do in our community and schools here in Rochester as we have the same tensions between the two groups....I would like to coordinate something when we have time. We can discuss it at the next meeting if you're interested.

Ninajivunia hao wadau wangu wapya. Moyo wangu wa kutumia ujuzi wangu kwa manufaa ya walimwengu unaniletea fursa kama hii anayoongelea Kristin. Ninazipokea fursa hizi kwa moyo mkunjufu. Ninaamini ni mipango ya Mungu, wala sijali suala la kulipwa au kutolipwa fedha, kama nilivyoelezea katika blogu hii. Mungu ana mipango yake, na anasawazisha mambo.