I have heard people say that when they first got married they were poor but so happy. Many people tell me stories of eating their meals on the floor or having a single bed to share. Victor and I are not poor, but compared to American standards we would probably be considered poor.
The week before Victor and I moved into our house we realized we had a little animal problem. To which later we found out was a huge animal problem. The house smelt so bad, so we decided to find the source of the smell. Welp, we had bats. Yes, ugly, creepy, crawly bats. Not only did we have bats, but also tons of bat poop. We took down the ceiling tiles and along came the bat poop. After taking down the tiles in one room the entire floor was painted a brownish color from all of the poop. Yuck! And then we had to clean the second room!
So we partially got rid of the bats. We have quarantined our third bedroom and for now have allowed the bats to be at peace. Partially because we are so tired of cleaning bat poop. However, recently, I have learned that the bats do not want to live at peace. I woke up one night to go to the bathroom, which was located downstairs. Once I got downstairs, a bat flew over my head and headed towards our bedroom. Victor was upstairs waiting for me and saw the bat. He yelled at me to bring a broom. Then he winded up and BAM! The bat fell dead. Yes, my husband is my superhero. But now we have declared war and I lay in bed for at least ten minutes before finally gaining enough courage to go to the bathroom at night.
Whenever it rains we have a torrential downpour inside of our house. Our house has a courtyard in the middle of it, so we can’t go to the bathroom without getting rained on. And if there is wind, oh buddy, the second floor gets flooded. We have a rainstorm inside of our house! But at the end of the day we laugh about these things. We truly are blessed with the house we are living in.
Our courtyard
The highlight of my week was being able to sit in an air-conditioned car for a four-hour trip. Yes, four hours of comfortable, relaxing ac. This sounds ridiculous because almost everyone in America has the luxury of having ac in his or her car and house. But for me, ac is like a sweet treat I am only able to enjoy only when I visit the grocery story or local restaurant. Also, Victor and I cannot afford to buy a car so we take public transportation into town. Public transportation here is a pickup truck with a metal bar you can hold onto while you stand up. Here they pile so many people into the truck that people are hanging off the back of it. And this is my twenty-minute ride into town.
I know that I am not living in a hut in Africa… comparatively my living situation is amazing. But if you would ask any missionary what is the hardest part of living overseas, they wouldn’t say, oh you know the living conditions. I bet most of them would say, leaving their loved ones in the States.
I can handle the abnormalities of my life. I have it pretty good and I am beyond thankful for what God has blessed Victor and I with. But the hard part is the growing distance between my family, friends, and I. The longer I am overseas, the harder it is for me to relate to my family and friends. I cannot relate to someone that can spend $1,500 on something, which would be enough money for Victor and I to live on for three months. I can’t relate to people that complain about the small stupid things in life, when they are blessed so much.
It’s aggravating feeling distant not only by miles but now by life. It is sad to feel like my friends and family probably do not really understand my life anymore. The common ground is the past and the present is so opposite. The hardest thing is that I haven’t found people to replace those missing in my life. I have made new friends, but I feel distant from the locals because honestly, they cannot relate to me either. I am realizing more and more that the only person who will ever completely understand my situation, feelings, and life is Jesus.
Victor and I are poor and happy. We are living off of monthly support while Victor is finishing his last year of accounting. It is another level of trusting God to provide now that it is two of us instead of one, plus a house, bills, etc. But God has proven to be faithful.
How many things do you need in your life to be happy?
