OOPS!!! With no internet in China, I forgot to post this until now.
I can’t believe Africa came and went. I had anticipated this for quite some time. For some reason, I have had hesitations about coming to Africa. Why? I have no clue. Now that I have experienced it, I want to go BACK! Life there is so different than any other place. Life is so simple. Mud huts. Dirt roads. Potatoes, chapatti and tea for dinner. Limited options. Could I live there forever? Probably not. But, this does not mean that I don’t want to go back some time in the future. I loved seeing the faith of the people I met. Here they had practically nothing, but had everything because of their faith in God. It challenged me in my faith. It challenged me in many different areas. I know I have grown in many different ways because of my time in Africa.
Life was full of surprises in Africa. I made friends with countless people. I held as many babies as possible. I went to a wedding reception, which is a story of its own. I have never seen a production like that. Everyone was so fancy and we all sat in chairs watching the entertainment. I saw some super cool dancing and got to have a coke and cake delivered to me in our row. It was so nice to get dressed up for the night. I went to a graduation party where the graduate received cows as gifts. Sadly, they were not there, but still cool. I got to experience a night in the hospital. I have made great memories that I will remember forever.
Now month 10 is here. I am in Asia. Can we say culture shock??? I was walking in a mall with every store known to man…Gucci, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany’s, Armani, and countless others. It hit me as I was walking around enamored by my surroundings. Four days ago I was riding with Pam on a small motorbike down the small roads of Africa, seeing all of the open land, all of the kids barely dressed running down the streets, and all of the different types of housing. It is crazy to me how different cultures are. I want to embrace where I am, but I want to remember where I was. I don’t want to lose sight of all that I learned and experienced. All I know is that each place needs the love of Jesus…it just may look a little different.
I appreciate everyone’s prayers and support. I seriously would not be here without all of you. God has been so good to me and I am so incredibly blessed to be here. This has in fact been a trip of a lifetime. One that I will NEVER forget!!
