What I've learned in Africa

Congo 13
Originally uploaded by wycliffeimc

I’ve never really been the homesick type (sorry, mom and dad). Don’t get me wrong: I do miss family, friends and the comforts of home, but I’ve always enjoyed traveling, visiting new places, and seeing just what God has created. I always enjoy returning home, but the time away is a great experience as well.

Africa is no exception. We’ve met some great people, and we’ve seen God at work on this trip. But, being in Africa has also made me appreciate the things of home. So, picking up on Borghy’s theme, I’ve compiled a Top 10 list of what I appreciate about America now that I’ve had a chance to be away.

What Africa has taught me to appreciate about home:
10. Charmin. I think I might start buying stock in the company. We’ve got to get these guys exporting to more places (Bunia in particular would be top on my list). There’s nothing like that soft, absorbent, comfortable feeling.
9. Washing machines and dryers. Let me begin by saying that we’ve been blessed to have a friend in Bunia who has graciously been washing our shirts and pants for us. But we’ve been responsible for our undergarments. Underwear is meant to be soft, and you just can’t capture that same softness by washing them in the sink and hanging them up inside to dry.
8. Water pressure and reliable electricity. We don’t have much of either one, which makes warm showers (or showers in general) tricky. But you can feel surprisingly clean after just a good rub down with moist towelettes.
7. Paved roads. I’m not sure we can fully communicate how bad the infrastructure is here. Think of the worst dirt road you’ve been on, multiply that by two, and that will give you an idea of the best roads in Bunia. Seriously. It’s an adventure every time we get in the car.
6. Favorite foods. Things like Starbucks and peanut butter M&Ms sound really good right now.
5. A government structure that I trust. At least in the U.S. you don’t get accosted for extortion by officials trying to get bribes out of you. No, I’m not joking on this one. (We’ll blog about this experience separately.)
4. “Morning manna” and early conversations. While I haven’t quite missed the commute to work, I normally have some great conversations on the way there (KL, this one is for you), and prayer time at the office is a treat. I’m looking forward to both of those again.
3. Comfortable connections with the people around me. As social beings, we tend to develop comfortable, reliable connections and interactions with the people we are around (family, friends and co-workers). Having to establish these relationships anew in a place like Africa makes those people back home seem even more valuable.
2. Daily routine. I’m a creature of habit, and I enjoy knowing what tomorrow will bring. I know that there isn’t a great amount of spontaneity in that, but it is comforting and it does keep things normal.
1. The people I’m close to. My family, friends and co-workers are all great people, and I love each one of them. Sometimes it takes a trip to Africa to make you realize this even more.

With that said, there are a number of things that I’ve come to appreciate about Africa. So, to contrast the previous list above, here’s another Top 10 list of the things that are great here in Bunia.
10. Toilet paper. Even though it isn’t the greatest, at least we have some. There are plenty of places in the world where this is considered a luxury. Thank God that we aren’t there.
9. New experiences. If I hadn’t come to Africa, I may never have had the opportunity to wash my underwear in the sink. I’m going to look at this as a blessing, because new life experiences are always valuable. (Or at least that’s the spin I’m applying to it).
8. The opportunity to learn to be flexible. While water and electricity are unreliable, at least we’re learning to deal with it and make the most of it. Once again, it could be far worse than what we’ve faced this week.
7. Having a car and driver. Even though the roads may be awful, there are scores of people that have no way of getting around, other than walking. Jon, our driver, has been great. We’re teaching him some English, and he’s teaching us some Swahili (when we aren’t trekking through the mud or nearly leveling pedestrians, that is).
6. The produce. Sure, there are things that I miss about the food back home, but the food here has really been great. The bananas, tomatoes and pineapple are the best I’ve ever tasted. And passion fruit juice is my new drink of choice.
5. Collecting great stories. I did think for a moment yesterday that we could, in fact, be thrown into a Congolese jail when the immigration official kept asking for our passports and why we were in the country. But at least there are some great memories that came out of it.
4. Mornings over Bunia and team check-in. The Democratic Republic of Congo, of which Bunia is the capital, is truly a beautiful place. From just outside my hotel door, you can see rolling hills and mountains, lush forestry and the town awakening each morning. I step out around 8 a.m. to some bread, jam, fruit, eggs and the best chocolate spread that I’ve ever tasted. Yes, it’s better than Nutella.
3. Christian love. The hospitality that our friends here in Africa have shown us has been remarkable. They are taking such great care of us, and they genuinely love having us around. They’ve kept us safe, fed and comfortable.
2. Relying on God’s leading. While I do admit to being a creature of habit, it has been awesome to see God work on this trip. He’s led us to the contacts and people that we’ve needed to talk to. He’s given us the time and energy to work as hard as we’ve ever worked, and He’s allowed us to be part of an experience that is so much bigger than ourselves. You really can’t ask for much more.
1. My team. One of the biggest blessings of this trip has been working with this team in Africa. I knew all of them well before we left, but I hadn’t had the opportunity to work closely with most of them. I’ve always said that you learn more about people when you travel with them than you do in any other social circumstance (NYC 2003, anyone? annual trips to Daytona with the Brooks’, etc.). We’ve each learned so much about one another, and Borghy, Jon, Sean and I all bring different talents and abilities to this project. It hasn’t always been rosy, and there have been frustrations and discussions, but I’ve loved the interaction that we’ve had together. From the conversations at night to the debriefing that we’ll be bombarding our bosses with (get ready, Scott and Kristie, we’ve got plenty of notes for you), I really believe that God orchestrated each one of us to be a part of this. And for that I am thankful.

We’re a little over half way through our trip, and it’s exciting to see what God has done already during our time here. I can’t wait to see what else is in store.