“Make sure you get on the Jeep with the animal lover”
“Make sure you sit in the back so you can listen to music and sleep”
“Make sure to intermix so you don’t sit with just your teammates”
“Do NOT sit in the front!”
These are all pieces of what I would NOW call CRAPPY advice that I was giving to myself on the early morning of March 1st. We were getting ready to leave for a two hour drive to the African National Park. This African Safari adventure would take the WHOLE day.
So yes, it was safe to say that this early morning decision was about to affect my entire day since we were going to be car-couch potatoes from dawn till dusk. I tried to go get in the car with the animal lover and some of the funniest people on our squad. However, the car was full before I could get there. Shucks, to the other car!
“Try to get there fast or you’re going to be stuck in the front talking to the driver all day while everyone GETS to go back to sleep!” I told myself.
Whelp, the Lord had another plan. I reached the Jeep and quickly saw that the entire car was full BUT the front seat. So, I aggravatingly got myself up and into the seat. As our driver got in, I reflected on the estimated five minutes of seeing parts of his character. He was a good man,a kind person, gentle, and understanding. I felt guilty for not wanting to sit next to him, but I still strongly struggled with the desire to sleep. I mean, I WAS up late talking to Europeans in my hostel bunk about my president and my views on being pro-life so I was understandably exhausted.
He sat down and before we even started the jeep, we had already started talking, which is typically never a short process. I found a break in the conversation. I put in one headphone in the ear away from him, and yes, I felt ashamed of my desire to want to sleep when I knew I could talk to this man all day. Plus, it was dark outside and he had to get up early too. He was probably tired and needed to talk to stay awake. I ignored these thoughts and tapped him on the arm
“Hey, I’m putting my headphones in for a little. You just tap me when you want to talk!” I said.
Safe – I thought. That was kind wasn’t it? I was letting him know my availability while also informing him that I wouldn’t be able to hear him for awhile.
“I have a radio; we can turn that up too.” He said
I panicked.
I nodded and just put my headphones in.
Guys, I lasted maybe three minutes. There was an accident on the road from a drunkard that Deo had CALLED IN on his way to come pick us up. The Lord knew how I feel about accidents so I took my headphones off and we began talking.
We didn’t stop talking throughout the day. We had moments of silence but they never lasted more than five minutes. Even after he dropped us back at the hostel at the end of the day, after 9 pm, we STILL continued to talk.
Friends, we need to allow ourselves to be interruptible. To allow ourselves to stop being the boring people we lazily desire at times. Deo and I talked ALL day. I found out he is a Pastor. He desires to make YouTube videos about different people’s testimonies that he knows, has heard, and has lived out. He shared many of these testimonies with me during our adventure and I was flabbergasted by them. I knew that the spiritual warfare here in Africa is much greater than that at home, but many of the things he has seen and experienced are things I’ve only read about.
Deo struggles with desiring to spend more time serving his Lord and less time worrying about work. Work doesn’t stress him; he just wants to make sure that he never runs out of time to serve his Lord. He volunteers and pays to be a part of a radio station near Kigali that shares the gospel and people’s testimonies. He loves it, and he said he had to do it because it’s open at all hours and so he can go in and pay and go on air whenever the Lord calls him to do it. No matter what time he gets off work.
It seemed as if Deo and I had talked about EVERYTHING that day, yet we still continued. We talked about the freedom to focus on God during my singleness and that he envied that in many ways. He came to know the Lord after he had married his wife. Then, we talked about a lot about his son and just when I thought I wouldn’t hear of his son again, he’d slip his son in there casually ha-ha. His son is around my age and loves the Lord. He is currently in University. Here in Rwanda, they have a dowry where they pay for the bride in order to receive her. It shows dedication and passion and respect. He asked how much the dowry was in my homeland. I HATE getting asked this question because of course my response is “Where I’m from, I am free. Just a ring and a promise of life together forever is all my family and I receive”.
He LAUGHED. Guys, he laughed so hard and I’ll be honest, it felt like the jackpot was sitting in front of him and all he had to do was convince me to give it to him. Not only am I free, but I could also bring his son to America. We were friends enough that he didn’t stress it at all like strangers tend to; instead he would just raise his eyebrows and continue to slip his son into our conversation.
We talked about how culture affects the acceptance of Christ here in Africa. Africa as a whole has a culture that everyone respects and goes back further than anything we’ve kept in America. Some cultural things have changed, and in many areas murders and body manipulations have decreased and these practices have stopped. However, in some very rural areas they are still very prevalent, and so is the enemy.
Deo brought a new perspective to my life, to my future, to my desires, and to the way I can view spreading the gospel back home in America. We’re different; it’s simple but complicated. But, we’re all the same. Same, same – but different. He left me encouraged, VERY encouraged during a tough week of my journey. He left me feeling loved and cared for. I had developed not only a new friend, but a new family member in the Kingdom of my Father. He shared his happiness in our day together and received my email address so that WHEN he makes those YouTube videos, I can receive them. Sadly, I wasn’t thinking and didn’t receive his information. So the hunt for Deo is ON!
Here is a video of our journey. You’ll quickly learn that there is a lot of driving and greenery. This just shows that a majority of my adventure WAS Deo and our conversation. The slide offs and animals were AMAZING, but my heart lights up way more when I speak of the day that I got to spend with Deo Gloria. God is a funny creator indeed.
Life with Him is anything BUT boring.
