Oh I’m so excited to share this one! One of the most amazing things that has so evidently stuck out in North African culture is hospitality. Now when I say that, it means so much more than just inviting people over. I have truly been humbled, challenged, and blessed to just receive such authentic and relational hospitality. I have also been incredibly inspired and am already planning Arabic night for my family when I get home! So let me invite you into a quick picture of North African hospitality.
“You’re Invited!”
Who: In Islamic cultures, there is truly so much value placed in family and community. It is an honor/shame culture where the group or unit naturally takes priority over the individual. Thus, who is invited? The answer is truly everyone. Whenever two or so of us form a relationship it is not long before everyone on my team has an invitation. In this same way, whenever we meet or greet our Muslim friends, they are always sure to inquire about the entire group to see if everyone is ok. It is truly so beautiful to be in a culture where people—friendships and family—are at the forefront of our relationships.
What: This has taken many forms during our time in North Africa. My fam (team of 7) has been invited to traditional Kus Kus dinners, tea time, an authentic fish grill on the beach, cultural festivals, the market places, and one incredibly sweet trip to the capital city. As we get to know our Muslim friends, there is truly no time between meeting and an invitation to see them again. Us girls on the team have been invited to special girls days that involved henna and shopping for traditional African dresses, and the guys on the team have been invited again and again for basketball and football.
When: Timing in North Africa where we are at is definitely set on an Eastern schedule, which if you haven’t traveled might take you back a bit. This might mean saying meet at 5 for dinner and not leaving until 6 and not eating until 8, or meet at the train station at 11 and not seeing anyone until 2, or meeting at 8 for dinner and not leaving until 12:30 am. Yes, in fact these are all quite literal scenarios we have had. But the utter beauty of this time once you begin to live in it, is these people love well with their time! Every instance where we have been invited to spend time with our Muslim friends, they have blocked off their whole day or night just to spend be with us. Their time is truly a free gift in relationship, so you don’t worry about stopping for the bathroom or overstaying your “welcome,” when you are with someone you have their full attention.
Where: We have been invited all over, but let me paint the picture of the traditional home setting. In the home, there is one room with large flat couches on each wall covered in decorative pillows. In this way, it is essentially a circle or horseshoe of sitting space with one table in the middle. This is brilliantly transformed from a sitting room into the dining room by removing one tablecloth to reveal another lovely cloth covered in plastic for easy cleanup. The meal is highly communal and served on one giant round plate, where everyone eats using pieces of bread instead of utensils. You see on the huge plate of food you eat from the “pizza wedge” right in front of you with your fingers. It is brilliantly fun and so reiterates the cultural value of being close together around one table and even one common plate. In North African culture, food is the traditional love language so when you are hosted your host will most definitely say, “EAT. EAT!” many times in order to see that you are properly loved and full before the end of the meal.
Why: In this culture, it is very loving to host someone and it is equally as honoring to receive their hospitality and of course the big why is for relationship. During our time here, I have been so blown away at the intentionality and sacrificial love of our Muslim friends. They have loved us lavishly at great cost to themselves, whether it is providing for us a meal that they themselves rarely even eat, taking time out of their day to have us over, or messing around with Google Translate just to share a simple sentence; they have hosted us above and beyond what I ever could ask for or expect.
Overall, North African hospitality for me has been incredibly humbling and challenging in a way. It is humbling because the most honoring thing we can do is accept their hospitality, when all I want to do is serve them instead. It is challenging because these friends welcomed us into their homes when we were basically strangers and offered us their utter best in food, care, and time when how many times have I failed to offer even my full attention to my dearest of friends and family? How many times have I placed my desires over theirs when they were in my care?
It takes me back to the simple call of the New Covenant: Love God and Love people. So let us love well! Let’s invite people into our care and cherish those we know. Let’s love sacrificially with the love of our Savior in our daily routines.
Would love continued prayer over my team! Asking for prayers of unity and for those that we are encountering. Asking for Christ to continue planting and watering seeds here and praying boldly for entire families and communities to come to know Him. I would also love prayer to become fully funded! I’m in need of about $4,000 more to be completely funded for this whole year of ministry abroad. God is truly so good and I can’t believe how He has already so holistically provided thus far!
Thanks so much for sharing in this journey with me! It is a pleasure to share it with you. Please message me if there are anyways I can be lifting you up as well!
Blessings,
Breanna
(Pictures coming soon!! WiFi just hates me haha)
