I knew that adjusting to life on the field would be a challenge to some extent. Culturally, I am 110% out of my wheelhouse. While preparing for launch, our leadership team kept stressing the idea of the varying cultural norms that we would encounter on the race. One of these that seemed to puzzle me was the concept of “Africa time.” They told us that nothing really happens on time in Africa. Buses will depart hours after they were scheduled to depart. Church will not start until an hour after the printed start time. What struck me as so foreign about this concept was just how okay EVERYONE here is with Africa time. There are countless situations in the States where punctuality isn’t just encouraged, it is expected. Failure to comply can result in being charged a fee, having an appointment cancelled, or missing the last train home. I am not ashamed to admit that I am someone that gets anxious at the thought of being late to work or an appointment. To me, I always felt that being late was a way of conveying that you simply don’t respect the time of the other parties involved. That or you simply feel that your time is more valuable.
One really beautiful aspect of African culture is how valued relationships are. I have learned that Cote d’Ivoire is an especially relational culture. I am not referring to romantic relationships specifically– I’m referring to relationships with everyone and everything around you. It is incredibly common for people to drop by unannounced at various times throughout the day. When they do, you don’t inform them of the fact that “now is not a good time.” You don’t tell them that you’re terribly sorry but that you’re in the middle of making dinner. You don’t give them a play-by-play of your next potential availability. You stop the clock, sit down, and be in the moment with the people around you. If you are in the middle of dinner or any other type of gathering, you invite them to join you. When people drop by unannounced, even if they are strangers, you acknowledge that they are investing in their relationship with you.
For example, our host brought us to the local medical center to learn more about their mission and possible ministry opportunities. When the medical director learned that we were on site, he dropped his entire agenda for the day. He instead spent hours showing us the grounds, introducing us to the staff members, and sharing the heart behind their mission. The coolest thing about it? He did this all unapologetically. He didn’t apologize for missing a meeting or excuse himself to go make some calls. He wanted to show gratitude for our visit, so he put business aside to invest in that relationship with us. I was honestly in awe and thought that this couldn’t possibly be normal. Spoiler alert: it is.
Last night, our hosts walked us around the community to visit their neighbors. We had not actually met any of the neighbors yet so my team didn’t really know what to expect. Although it was right in the middle of dinnertime and our visit was entirely unannounced, EVERY SINGLE neighbor immediately welcomed us in as if they had been waiting for our visit all day. Well, except for one little girl that was sobbing hysterically (apparently, she had never seen white people before and was terrified by our presence). Worry not, little one. I am also alarmed by the fact that I have been in Africa for close to a month and I am still pale as day.
In America, we are either chasing the clock or attempting to run from it. Here? They do not allow themselves to be slaves to their schedules or wristwatches. They feel that their purpose is to love, respect, and serve one another. That may result in you eating dinner two hours after anticipated or needing to push back a dozen meetings. No matter, because people are what matter here. So, my challenge for you is to be intentional with ignoring the clock at some point today. Give Snapchat the day off. Flip your phone upside down, focus on the people around you, and invest in those relationships. Allow your life to be a little more interruptible.
With love from Korhogo,
Alexis
