It’s hard to believe that my time in Africa has come to an end. It seems like just yesterday I arrived. I was blessed to experience a special part of Africa, East Africa. As I left East Africa, I took with me many great memories and new perspectives.
Now I’m not saying that where we were was so primative either, all our meals were cooked over charcoal fires or by a gas stove top. And one nice thing was that if the power went out, you could just keep going about your day as if nothing had happened. (I mean that’s why we have headlamps, right?) There was no true need for electricity–that was more of a luxury. The first time the power went out, it made me think of what happens back in the states–it’s almost as if my world stops. You have to pick up water from your nearby grocery store. Instantly you get bored, because the TV is taken away and lights are gone. I would dare to say that’s how many people view power outages. WOW! But those used to be my honest thoughts. But now, those occurancies of the power going out were just a part of everyday life. And you don’t know when you will have power back because obviously, there is no one to call to fix it. So you make do.
Life is much simplier in Africa. People go at their own pace. There is no real rush. It’s been nice…at times. I actually found myself getting frustrated with this at times. I learned that as an American, I’m very accustumed to a time schedule. I’m a planner and these past three months I had to let that go. It was painful at first, I’ll admit, but now it’s very freeing. I’m hoping to incorperate some of this freedom back into my life when I return home, if it’s at all possible.
Another thing Africa taught me was to be thankful for the convenience of getting in your car and driving ten minutes down the road to pick something up at a store. I can’t even count the amount of times I wanted to go to a store and pick up things I needed. I was sick a lot of my last month in Africa and couldn’t go to ministry. Nothing too serious, but enough to knock me out and keep me down for several days. Everything within me just wanted to get medicine and orange juice at the store. But during my time of sickness, I really felt and understood, the desperation in people here. Going to a doctor is not the easiest of things, and they can’t just got to a store to buy medicine. I’m blessed to be able to afford doctor visits and medicine, but many people here can’t. My eyes were really opened to a whole other side of Africa through this experience. I learned the true meaning of GOD being the Ultimate Healer and in my prayers I asked that He would take the sickness away, as many families I met have also done. That is all the have. Their prayers. I once read on a poster in New Zealand, “When we realize God is all we have, we realize He’s all we need.” AMEN! God literally took me to that place to show me when He’s all I have, He’s all I need. And for that lesson, I’m eternally grateful.
Africa was hard, I’m not going to lie. It was a good-hard though. You know what I mean? You know that going through it, it might be tough, but you know that the outcome will be worth it, so you push through. I had a contact in Africa that would daily ask me if I was enjoying or enduring. How many times in life are we merely enduring, when God is asking us to just enjoy? I would challenge you to not just endure life, but also enjoy it! Enjoy the good, the bad…everything! It’s all there for a purpose, so just ask Him why and what He’s teaching you!
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be matre and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 You see, as we go through these trials, it’s only to make us more complete, because at the current stage we are in, we are lacking something and the trials are how God pushes you to your GREATNESS!
So for these lessons and my time in Africa, I will always thank God. I look back with fond memories and I look forward to the time when He calls me back, perhaps for a new set of lessons.
Blessings!
