Ok really, I had to throw it in there that I have not showered in 8 days. The water went out a few days after I showered and I refused to bucket shower. Then yesterday when I was going to cave and take a bucket shower the water came on. Jesus loves me. This has nothing to do with the blog, well it kinda does, but I thought it would amuse most of you,,, and hardly be a surprise to others. xoxo
T.I.A – A little
saying we say around here, otherwise known as “This is Africa…” When does this
come out of our mouths? Well I am going to give you a few insights, life here
is far from normal. (All stories and examples are accurate and have no dramatic
effect on them… we just sometimes are kinda dramatic… thank you WR)
“Time to go, we
are leaving” means you have a good 12 – 45 minutes before that actually
happens, so yeah you can keep napping or finish that episode of Modern Family
you are watching on your computer.
You are sitting
on a stool listening to the translators not translate during door to door and
you notice baby chicks crawling out of your purse on the ground.
Fantas and cokes
from the corner market are $0.33
Mothers drop
their children off with you (never knowing your name) if you are sitting
outside on their way down to get water… yes even the babies who cry the whole
time, they come back, don’t worry.
You pray for
clouds to reduce the heat when doing door to door or sometimes (never that our
team did…) pray for rain so you do not have to go at all.
Electricity is
loaded like pre paid cell phone minutes and when the power goes out pastor just
simply says “sa-dy”
“sa-dy” means
sorry… and translates to “fail” in English
When you are comfortably crammed on a bus ride its nothing out of the normal to have a new
seated
pots and pan set, mattress or a few small children on your lap for the duration
of the ride
French fries and
avocados for breakfast lunch and dinner
You use your REI
mess kit bowl for a better covering of water on your body in your bucket shower
You always stick
some toilet paper in your bible before church
You don’t take
more than 2 seconds to think about spending a buck fifty on a snickers bar, but
you will spend 20 minutes arguing with the jewelry guy to get those earrings
for less than that
2.5 hour church
service is short
Whatever animal
you hear squealing at breakfast is what is for lunch
You bring ear
plugs to church so you do not go deaf during praise and worship
All you need to
make an African music video is a cell phone camera; bright clothing and some
willing to play it on repeat all day on their TV
People take
their goats and cows on walks
$0.05 for a
mango
Babies have
their snow hats on as you pass by dripping in sweat
You envy the
kiddos who are sleeping on the dirty cement floor in church
You get excited
every time you see chocolate cake on a menu, forgetting that every time you
order it you are disappointed, but you still do it anyways
8 passenger van?
Silly safety warnings and seatbelts, you can fit at least 20 people in there,
more when you open the roof up…
You get cut off
by your translator while preaching… and are almost positive they are talking
about something else completely different
Bathing 3 times
a week is… a lot
Kenyan sun is
better than a blow dryer
You don’t think
twice about sassing back when people grab your arm or try to rip open your
backpack a the bus station
Good internet is
when it takes less than 6 minutes for your Gmail to load
8 hour bus ride
is short, 26 hours is long
White T shirts…
rest in peace; you are now a dingy brownish pink
You wake up
freezing and complain of the heat by 10 am
“Mazungu” is
cute coming from those 8 and under… rude else wise
On your 5th
rinse of doing laundry, the water is still not completely clear… but you hang
it up to dry anyways
You pick up
babies to hold, place them on your lap and then realize they are soaked in pee
You count down the days until you leave, but
you know the second you do your heart will be broken.
*We are heading
back to Dar Es Salaam on Thursday and we will be on Zanzibar beach for a few
days before we fly out to Nepal. May be a week or so until I get in touch,
please keep our travel days and the few days we have for rest and relaxation in
your prayers. As a squad we are exhausted and excited for the new change of
pace that is coming with Nepal and India. I love you all.
Check back in a few hours for a video!
