Wow, Jacob is now back in Africa to get married to Achel! This is such an exciting time for him and I can't wait to find out how it is going. Apparently he landed ok and that is all we know so far. Will keep all posted here as I find out.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Jacob's 120 Cow Dowery Dilema
It has been awhile since I updated the blog, and a lot has happened. While Jacob was in Uganda in 2009, his family arranged for him to marry a Sudanese young woman. He had to go meet her (we will describe the lengths he had to go to do this in another post) and let the family decide if he was worthy of her hand.
Since their initial meeting (when she was underage) she has been attending school in Uganda. She is now about 21 years old. This summer the competion was stron sSo, Jacob had to get an emergency flight over and settle things once and for all. He borrowed 3bulls as more proof he would come through with the payment and went through a tribal ceremony that made them officially married as far as the families are concerned. He was supposed to pay for the cows when he got back but has not been able to get that far ahead while taking care of bills here... now, the family wants/ needs to be paid for these bulls. Two of the bulls are a special omen for a new bride and groom- they are twins with no horns and a certain coloring that make them good luck for a new family. This will ensure good fertility for the family.
This is the way it is done in his tribe. Being a feminist, I had alot of misgivings about purchasing a bride, but I keep reminding myself that western people spend enormous amounts on engagement rings and weddings. It is his tribal way, and who am I to say... Jacob, if nothing else is a true son of Sudan. He is very loyal to his family, tribe and to South Sudan. He has had to explain alot to me, but I trust that he knows "the way". If you see the PBS documentary, "The Lost Boys of the Sudan" you will notice the elder women who are lecturing the boys before they get on planes to come to the US. He says they were telling the kids not to forget the ways of the Dinka, and also to help the rest of the less fortunate folks who were left behind. He took that to heart and that is why he has agreed to taking Sudanese bride. At that point, they didn't even know that some of their family members had survived and were living in refugee camps in Uganda and other parts. (The internet has come so far since then).
Since their initial meeting (when she was underage) she has been attending school in Uganda. She is now about 21 years old. This summer the competion was stron sSo, Jacob had to get an emergency flight over and settle things once and for all. He borrowed 3bulls as more proof he would come through with the payment and went through a tribal ceremony that made them officially married as far as the families are concerned. He was supposed to pay for the cows when he got back but has not been able to get that far ahead while taking care of bills here... now, the family wants/ needs to be paid for these bulls. Two of the bulls are a special omen for a new bride and groom- they are twins with no horns and a certain coloring that make them good luck for a new family. This will ensure good fertility for the family.
This is the way it is done in his tribe. Being a feminist, I had alot of misgivings about purchasing a bride, but I keep reminding myself that western people spend enormous amounts on engagement rings and weddings. It is his tribal way, and who am I to say... Jacob, if nothing else is a true son of Sudan. He is very loyal to his family, tribe and to South Sudan. He has had to explain alot to me, but I trust that he knows "the way". If you see the PBS documentary, "The Lost Boys of the Sudan" you will notice the elder women who are lecturing the boys before they get on planes to come to the US. He says they were telling the kids not to forget the ways of the Dinka, and also to help the rest of the less fortunate folks who were left behind. He took that to heart and that is why he has agreed to taking Sudanese bride. At that point, they didn't even know that some of their family members had survived and were living in refugee camps in Uganda and other parts. (The internet has come so far since then).
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