As we waited in the Doha International Airport in Qatar, en route to Nairobi, I couldn’t help but smile at all of the colorful people we met: a Thai family with twin girls, dozens of Filipino and Indian service workers, a group of Kazakh young’uns close in age to our World Race crew who started an impromptu dance and singing party, and a Swedish girl on her way to South Africa to study English for a month. Different destinations, different callings, different purposes, and yet for a brief few moments, our paths all intersected at one unlikely place, and we were changed, albeit ever so slightly, as a result.
We’ve been in Nairobi, Kenya, for a little more than a day now, and even in our short time here I have been awed by the people we have encountered. Yesterday, while we navigated the streets, looking for a supermarket, I was surprisingly blessed by the warm, friendly help that others on the streets were willing to offer to the crowd of clearly lost Muzungus (white people). I was also surprised to see the diverse array of peoples at the supermarket… Would you believe that I was able to eavesdrop on a group of Chinese men and women trying to decide what type of coffee to buy?
Today, we met a wonderful, gentle spirited Kenyan, Onesimus, who has been serving as a ministry coordinator for mission teams for 16+ years. He gave us a cultural orientation with some of the do’s and don’ts of Eastern Africa, and I have to say that my favorite one he stressed was the importance of cleanliness and taking a shower when doing ministry. He mentioned that pastors will sometimes take two showers a day, if only to show honor to those they encounter. I know there might be times when we won’t have access to water, but for the times we do, I’m excited about being able to take my daily shower.
Perhaps one of the most interesting people we have met, though, is a Chinese man who is in the midst of traveling the world by bicycle. He left his coffee shop business in Shanghai two years ago and began the long trek from China, through Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and across the Arabian Peninsula into Northern Africa. After traveling through the rest of Africa, he intends to take the next eight years to continue bicycle riding up into Europe, and across the ocean (by plane, silly), before journeying through North and South America.
I think we (Y-Squad World Racers) all felt a little sheepish about our eleven month journey after hearing about his quest around the globe, but despite his travels and experiences, I was amazed by how humble this man is. I was also amazed at how much joy he has found in simplifying his lifestyle so that he can carry everything he needs in five little bags on the back of his bicycle.
I’m sure the Lord will call innumerable individuals into our lives over the next few months, and while we might not be able to count and remember every interaction, God already knows each individual, and I pray that He will show us how to love each person we encounter as He does, and to be able to celebrate the uniqueness of each person just as He smiles on each of His beautiful creations.
