“Be prepared to miss home”, “You’ll have to get used to the different foods”, “You’re not going to be able to use the bathrooms the same way”. Leading up to The Race I had many different people come to me with helpful advice and warnings. All of the tips, especially the one about not using the bathroom the same way (squatty potties come from a whole other world, friends), were helpful in getting me prepared to come overseas and live my life in a different way. There were, however, a few things no one warned me about that took me completely off guard. It started right away in Uganda and though it’s come in various forms since, it hasn’t stopped.
At first it was so random and new I didn’t mind. Strangers would come up to me and want to take a selfie or have their friends take a picture of us. Sometimes they wouldn’t even ask and just take a picture of me as I walked by. More so than picture taking was the local terms for us. In Uganda and Rwanda it was Muzugo (my spelling is probably way off), in Ethiopia it was foringee (again, spellcheck). These terms mainly just mean “white person” or “wandering foreigner”, nothing offensive. Yet something about a stranger yelling those names at me from down the road just to get my attention started to get under my skin. Particularly in Uganda it was consistent and expected every time we hit the street. In Ethiopia I began to expect people to take a picture of me as I walked by on the road. I stopped smiling for the pictures and at some points I wouldn’t respond to the names that were meant to get my attention.
I told myself it was no big deal and that I just needed to get over it. And in reality it isn’t a big deal, no one was being mean or trying to offend me. Even if they were it should be okay because I know Jesus went through a lot worse. So why did it bother me so bad? Even since being in Malaysia, an area that is crawling with tourists, I’ve had people sneak a picture of me or run up to take a selfie. I thought I would be done with that for at least a month or two. So I recently took a day to myself to be with Jesus and check myself in various areas of life. Most areas involved my attitude, my motives, and my heart. One question I sorted through was why this issue was lodged under my skin. And it came to me. I’m so used to blending in back home, not making a scene, that standing out and constantly being the center of attention was uncomfortable. Every time I walked outside to do anything I was in the spotlight. These times benefited me when I was in “ministry mode” and wanted to get people’s attention so I could share the love of Jesus. But when I just wanted to do “everyday things” like go get food or be a tourist, it annoyed me. And that’s where God checked me.
Why is it so natural for me to separate those times? Shouldn’t I always be in “ministry mode”? I heard God ask me those questions and my heart was slammed with the reality of where my mind has been. I have been overseas now for four months, on a trip that is all about doing ministry in everyday life, but I’ve been categorizing when and where I do ministry. If it wasn’t on my time and with my plan in mind I wanted nothing to do with it. But what people forgot to warn me about was this life, that I’ve surrendered to God, is by no means on my time, my schedule, or my plans. God actually usually vetos my plans because His are always better than mine. I’m still learning to completely give my whole life and mindset to God and His plans, but I’m growing in it and am thankful for His gentle teaching and reminders. So, here’s to a life of ministry just by stepping outside and smiling for the camera.
