We made it to Zambia!!!!!
My team & I (now a whopping SEVENTEEN women. The Race is wild!!!) are currently living and doing ministry in Livingstone, Zambia. We’ll be here until November 8th, when we’ll move on to country #4, Malawi. It’s crazy to believe that we are this far along. Where have the past three months gone?! Time flies when you’re serving the Lord, let me tell ya.
We are living with our ministry hosts, Sanderson and Lweendo (loo-when-dough), this month. Bless their brave souls for allowing us all to live in their home for several weeks. We are so grateful for their generosity and hospitality.
Sanderson and Lweendo have already taught us so much about the Zambian culture, and we have only been here for a few days. One big difference I have noticed from South Africa & Zimbabwe is “African time”. It is a real phenomenon. Our team will be ready to leave for ministry at 8am, but we won’t step out of the door until 9:30. We are learning and growing in patience.
American culture teaches us a concept involving time from a very young age. If you are early, you are on time; and if you are on time, you are late. It’s a sign of respect to be on time. We waste no time in America. We have something planned for every second of every day. If someone is late to pick us up, arrive at our event, or meet us for coffee, we get frustrated. Annoyed. We feel disrespected. We assume the person who was late had something better to do and didn’t care about our precious time. How dare they.
Here in Africa, I’ve slowly but surely become accustomed to their concept of time. In South Africa, mostly everyone was on time. I assume that’s related to the westernized culture there. In Zimbabwe, about half of the time we were on time, and the other half we were late. Here in Zambia, we are late. Every. Single. Time. I laugh sometimes. “Be ready to go at 8am” for sure means we will be leaving no earlier than 9:30. I’ve had to give up a lot of control on my part.
But let’s get to the root. Why are the African people always late? Is it because they’re rude and disrespectful? Actually, it’s quite the opposite.
Time is not the master of life here in Africa, God is. Relationships with people are.
If I am driving to work, and I see my friend on the side of the road, I will stop and talk to him, no matter if I’m late or not. We will finish our conversation before I continue to drive. If I see another friend walking into work, we will stop to talk regardless of the time. People matter. Time does not.
Everything is slower here. We are not too busy to take time for each other. We are not too busy to have quiet time with the Lord every single day. We are not too busy to have prayer & worship sessions. We are not too busy to take care of our bodies. We are not too busy to be spontaneous and add more ministry to our schedule when it wasn’t planned. Our timing is in the Lord’s hands, not ours, like it should be.
This perspective on time, reverse of the one I held back in the States, has made me realize some things about myself:
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I’m too busy at home.
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I don’t take regular Sabbath rest like the Bible commands.
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I don’t read my Bible regularly and without rushing like I should.
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I don’t leave time in God’s hands, allowing spontaneity, like He wants me to.
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I hold tightly to time. I clench my fists around my tight schedule.
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I hardly leave room for the Holy Spirit to lead me where He wishes.
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I’m too busy for God.
Oof.
These are harsh realities I’m glad the Race has revealed to me.
I don’t want to live like this anymore.
This is not the life God has intended for me.
When I return to the States, I want to live my life in His hands. I want Him to control my every day. My every move. If He leads me somewhere I hadn’t planned, I want to follow Him. If He opens a door I didn’t expect, I want to walk through it. I want to obey Him at all costs, no matter the price. I want to live a life that reflects Jesus’. And that ain’t easy. But it’s precious. And it’s worth it. Jesus is worth it!!!!
I would encourage you all to take a step back and re-evaluate what/who has control of your life. Is it time? Is it your job? Is it your friends/family/spouse? Or is it God? Who/what is worth it? What will give you the best chance in living your life to its fullest extent?
SPOILER ALERT
It’s God, and only God. Everything and everyone else will fail you.
Reset. Rethink. Re-surrender your life to Him. He’s worth it.
Much love from Zambia,
Allison
