You know you are in Africa:
When you eat sadza for every meal.
When you take the walk of shame to poop.
When taking public transportation takes too long so you hitch-hike.
When you have to watch out for dead animals.
When you have to play limbo with the thorny trees so you don’t lose an eye.
When you go to the port-a-potty and you have to check the lid for bats.
When a baboon aggressively steals your snacks from your hand in daylight.
When alone time equals having earphones in and being surrounded by your squad-mates and children.
When you are always wearing a skirt.
When you have to expect the unexpected for anything.
When you walk an hour to ministry–one way.
When a ton of kiddos run up to you.
When African girls younger than you judge you for not washing your clothes well enough to get the dirt out.
When your clothes turn red.
When you have to ask the question: Tan or dirty?
When electricity goes off frequently.
When being asked for your belongings whether it be skirts, shoes, hats, or your hand in marriage by strangers is normal.
When it is normal to kill an animal for the next meal.
When you are told a time and you expect it to be at least an hour after that (Africa time).
When worship alone in church lasts at least 2 hours.
When drinks come in a concentrated form–Just add water.
When there is a click in your name.
When you hold a pants-less baby.
When you see children wipe their butts with rocks after pooping.
When all Africans of all ages can sing and dance.
When you have to break into your own home because the gardener is in town.
When you see the little kids pee in sand and play in it.
When you are the only white people at a wedding and they ask you to dance–in front of the 500 guests.
When you take public transport and you put things on your lap that aren’t your own to help others out and there isn’t space.
When a strangers car may be a taxi.
When a dollar = an hour of maybe decent Wi-Fi.
When you cook over an open fire.
When you see the Milky Way with absolutely no light pollution.
When a 5 hour trip becomes 10 hours when your car breaks down many times and you have to go through police check points.
When you pull out your phones and kids run up to you and say “shoot”.
When there are dust storms and rain storms out of no where.
When you burn trash so kids don’t get into it.
When you freak out because you saw giraffes on the side of the road.
When you get to pet a zebra at the same place you get Wi-FI.
When you cook and eat by headlamp because the lights don’t work.
When roosters crow at 3 am and 5 pm.
When children are everywhere.
When you see kids gnawing on sugar cane.
When women carry children on their backs and jugs on their heads.
When instead of wiping of foundation on your face, you wipe off dust.
When the people steal your heart.
When you may be caught in a dust storm or rain storm.
