The bush will try to beat it out of you. Beat out all the joy. All the memories. All the “worth it” moments. All your faith. Just like how the world will try to beat it out of you.
After returning from a 9-day excursion in the bush (3 days in 3 villages) evangelizing, preaching, singing, teaching, “giving an encouraging word,” and playing games, I came down with typhoid. If you took a roll call of the Rodeo and Team W.O.W. (we were serving together this month), nearly every one of us had a malady of some nature (typhoid, malaria, parasites – take your pick). But we are on the up swing!
Four days of semi-conciousness and I’d almost forget the bush and the month.
But thankfully God doesn’t foreget. And He’s faithful. And there’s pictures. I can’t forget that I loved my time in the bush.
So here’s to not letting the bush get the best of you – here’s to giving God glory in sickness and in health.
Friends of the road. You’ll never walk alone – at least not without
a dozen eyes on you.
Allan’s chicken. Allan actually received several chickens on behalf of our two teams.
Many families would bring us a live chicken and then according to African
tradition we would pray a blessing over them.
Door-to-Door. To meeting my new friend for the first three days. Although I can’t pronounce her name, she wasn’t afraid of me or shaking my hand – rare these days. Her uncle Jackson sits behind her with a careful eye.
Outside kitchen.
African Traffic.
Biking buddies. Nearly always ready for a smile for a muzungu.
The lone choo. This was our small outhouse in the bush (third village).
If you look carefully, you’ll see Amanda’s head peering over the top.
Just duck your head on the way out!
Laughter is good for the soul. One of my favorite ministry days was when we met a group of women. Lots of laughter and handshaking followed (something we all understood without a translator). Tanzania is full of a variety of fabrics and usually a woman has on at least two different patterns at once – and somehow she pulls it off.
(Did I mention we’ve been wearing skirts all month?)
Muzungu shy. He never warmed up to us.
But we sure did have fun playing “chase.”
Tent village. Our first camp, first village.
By the end we were pros and setting up and taking down.
Dusk falls.
Sunset….glorious.
I’m thankful for my time in the bush. Even after having typhoid, I’m thankful. It is a hard place. It is a beautiful place. It’s God’s place.
Our time is also setting rapidly on Africa. Next step – final month – India.
