just because you live in a house that has the ability to have running water & electricity doesn’t mean you have running water & electricity
you’ve perfected the use of a squatty potty
you always have TP (toilet paper) & hand sanitizer on you
at any given moment you can give a song, skit, or message
1 hour of Internet a week? watch how much we can get done
long gone are the days of washing machines (on the rare chance you find one, you NEVER see a washer & dryer together)
you don’t think twice about picking up and playing with children on the street
people put crying babies in front of you and say “look, mazungo!” to get the baby to stop crying
you forget what beef taste like but sure know the taste of goat
you chew food (especially meat) extra slowly in fear of bones, unidentifiable objects, or having someone put a 3rd helping on your plate
short/long, near/far are redefined
short = 10 hr bus ride long = 28 hr bus ride
near = distance between Kenya & Somalia
far = distance between Kenya & Russia
you know way more about your teammates than anyone probably ever should
you’ve gone to bed at 9 PM and been okay with that
a typical Friday night is preaching at a church
you wash your hair 2 times a week tops
T.I.A. (this is Africa) is an excuse for everything: like when power goes out at a restaurant but they’re still open for business only they’re selling a quarter of their menu
you can sleep anywhere, anytime.
finding a coffee shop is better than finding $20 in your pocket
staying with other teams is like a free shopping spree
what is pulled off as “cute” is still semi hideous back home
you wear ear plugs in church
you talk about food equivalent to how much you talk about God
you wonder if the song you just bought genuinely sounded descent or if people are just being polite and smiling
cutting hair is something you do without a license or training
you’ve shared Jesus & lead someone to accept Christ while they were breastfeeding (T.I.A.)
finding steady, fast Internet is better than Christmas morning
you know to pack a toy bag for church/long outings
you’re feet are always dirty
you eat all meals with a spoon
have no problem when complete strangers ask you if you’re married & have children. “No, why not? you broken?”
giving lice checks to each other is no big deal
don’t know the day, date, time, language or country you’re in
at any given time your wallet has 5 currencies in it, and you’ve accidental (or at border crossing bathrooms you’ve purposely) paid with another currency
explaining to others that freckles are part of your body and won’t rub off no matter how hard they try is normal
seeing who can catch a goat/chicken is the new entertainment
you don’t think twice about wearing your teammate’s dirty t-shirt or leggings
when microphones stop working at church you pray they won’t come back on; everyone can still hear quite well when the screaming isn’t amplified
you’ve prayed for rain to get out of door to door evangelism
a bad day means diarrhea, evil encounters, and potentially loosing everything you own because the shower overflowed and there’s a flood in your room
same same is really not that different
you’ve had chickens interrupt a classroom teaching when they run across the room
there’s no such thing as ‘too many people’ in a car/van.
you’ve perfected the art of how to take a good bucket shower.
Africa is your excuse to live out dreams of singing like Whitney Houston
you’ve walked out of the house with chicken feathers stuck to your shoe
your heart skips a beat every time you hear a chicken or pig squeal in distress because you wonder if that’s dinner
Talking about bathroom functions is normal conversation all the time
your teammate is vomiting profusely 2 feet away from you and all you can do is eat chips and pray
packing a van with bags is an art the men excell at
The power goes out for hours at a time and no one bats an eyelash
You can navigate your way around a new city like a local
You wear the same outfit 3 days in a row and no one cares
It takes all of 8 minutes tops to pack up your life into a backpack, and you know the trick to get around weight regulations at airports
Dirt, bugs and sweat are constantly on/around you and you don’t even notice anymore
“I’m having a moment,” “just need some alone time,” “walking in freedom,” “speak life,” and other WR lingo is part of your normal vocabulary
Your teammates have become family
