HOW DO I RELATE?

How do I relate? I have found myself asking that a bit since I have been in the tribe. How do I relate to this circumstance, when I see someone steal out of someone else's garden? How do I relate to their culture when they believe in the power of white magic? How do I relate to their tastes when they hand me a yam and wonder if I think it is the best kind of food too? Or as of recently, since I have started studying genealogies, how do I relate to them, or how am I related?

Recently, I (Aaron) have been "adopted" into the Kabunglinges clan of the Patpatar. Now, I am to call everyone by how I am related to them, not by just their name. So, not only do I have to know who they are, but how I am related to them (and I have a hard enough time with my real relatives back in the States). I was introduced to a man and was told that I should call him "mama" because he was my father (yes, the word in Patpatar for dad is mama). I marked it down and continued through the clan. A little while later, a man was introduced to me and they said he was my father, so I should call him mama. I was a little confused but proceeded, only to find the same thing happened again and again. Well, come to find out, the Patpatar people have several people they refer to as their father. In fact I found out that I am supposed to use mama for my father, my father's brothers, my mother's sister's husband, my father's father's sister's sons, my father's mother's brother's sons, my father's father's father's father, my father's mother's mother's father, my mother's father's mother's father, and my mother's mother's mother's father. I was relieved when I was told that who I called brother, "tasin," was much simpler. Only to find out that I am supposed to use tasin, for my brothers, my father's brother's sons, my mother's sister's sons, my great grandfather's, and my great grandmother's brothers.

After all of that, all I can say is...how do I relate? You can pray for us as we continue to learn not only the language of the Patpatar people, but also their culture.

ALL for Him,

Aaron, Lori, Avalon, and Sierra

P.S. "Guess What it is" Recently one of the Patpatar men (my tasin) caught an animal and gave it to Avalon as a pet. Avalon named it Chocolate chip. After looking at the picture that is attached, send us your guess as to what it is. (Clue - The tail is not shown in the picture but it is long and has no hair on it.)