I was sitting in church (local Baptist) this morning, and the woman next to me got excited about a special music presentation for Pentecost Sunday, so she let go with an ululation (I’m pretty sure that’s the word) that just about broke the sound barrier and my ear drum! The local believers, mostly the women, are very enthusiastic in their expression of worship, and it makes me smile to think how very different the Fulani women are. Fulani women don’t even go out in public much, and when they’re happy, they smile, and when someone in the family dies, they quietly cry. The other tribes here publicly dance in their joy and wail and flail in their sorrow. I somehow think that the outward noise and expression is the healthier road to take, especially in terms of getting through grieving. Maybe we should all take a lesson from the open wailers and those who dance with abandon before the Lord! But, as I visit with my Fulani friends, I have an easier time of it adjusting to their ways.
