As I walk through the aisles at the
market, I smell something fishy. I look around the corner and theres
about 60 men selling fish, Women are selling fruits and vegetables.
I walk down another aisle and I see tons of vendors selling fabrics,
chopped wood, used clothes, used shoes and several other items.
Here in Malawi they don’t have
Walmart’s, Targets, Krogers, etc. All they have is the market! The
market is where you can purchase anything you need.
Used clothes….yeah I said it! The
only choice they have here in Malawi is used clothes…clothes that
have been worn by people in the states. They don’t want them
anymore so they send them to Africa. And the Africans sale them as
new. Back at home we would call the used clothes store the Thrift
store. But who shops there?
You see my family here in Malawi don’t
have much..but compared to who?
Compared to my friends that have cars,
that have money, that have 3 meals a day, that go on vacations, that
have ipods, xboxs, computers etc.
These people are happy with what the
have, they are happy with their maize that they eat 3 times a day..
because thats all they have. They don’t wash their clothes in a
washer and dryer…they are happy that they even have water that day
to wash them in. They don’t have cars…they are happy that they
have 2 feet to walk on. (and most of them don’t have shoes)
This is not a life style they choose,
this is a lifestyle that they were born into, and things just don’t
matter to them.
I’m not trying to give them a pitty
party I’m just explaining how good Americans have it and they don’t
even realize. But, Africans are just happy that they have enough to
get by.
I asked a question yesterday to about
25 kids that I was ministering to… “Whats kinds of gifts do you
get for Christmas?”
The answers were these… Pigs,
Chickens, Goats, Rice
I thought to myself If I were to give
my nephews for Christmas.. a couple steaks, some hot dogs, a chicken
breast, or a used shirt …they would think I was crazy.
But instead we give American kids a
new video game, a gift card, or a new pair of shoes…and your lucky
if they are happy with the choice you gave them.. Some kids might
even be mad that the video game wasn’t the coolest out, or the gift
card wasn’t enough, or the shoes were the wrong brand.
What If I was to give my African kids a
new video game, some money, or a new pair of shoes?
They would probably freak out….it
would be the best Christmas ever, and they would NEVER forget it.
So I’m challenging you to have a
African Christmas this year…. Don’t go stressing out over buying
everyone a present, or buying your kids over 3 presents…instead
give them a African Christmas…show them what its like to not have
much…show them a different culture this year. And I bet they will
NEVER forget it..
You see this year I’m having a African
Christmas, and yes I want to be home so bad with my family but
instead I’m sharing my Christmas with some Africans that I will never
forget!
I have a shirt at home that says I need
Africa more than Africa needs me, and I realize that much more
everyday…as I see how good America has it.
