East Africa can be a hard place to survive for those of us who grew up with the common American comforts.
For this month, I live in a lizard and spider infested mud hut with my teammate,Tyler. We get electricity about 3 hours a day (solar powered) in order to charge our electronics, and in most circumstances around here, even that is unheard. The water has to be hand-pumped out of the well, and it’s not potable, though, it’s good for bucket baths and hand-washed laundry. And, we can cook our daily meals (usually rice and beans) with it as long as it’s boiled rapidly first. Malaria spreads like a common cold, but it kills like cancer because of the lack of medical resources. Also, war and the threat of war is a common occurrence. Africa is hard.
I would argue that most Americans cannot relate to the East African lifestyle, and only recently can I relate to such a lifestyle. Here is why I bring it up:
Now that I have experienced such a stark contrast against my native culture, it is confirmed in me even more that one of America’s base spiritual problems to date is idolatry, idolatry in the form of physical and emotional comforts. It is the same sin I continually call out against my nation and myself on a regular basis, but only now can I see the problem in high definition. It has to stop. Be assured, I’m not shedding light on this sin from a state of strength and power because I know my own weaknesses and idolatries. But, we as Americans need to call on the Holy Spirit to be our comfort and guide rather than counting on nice living conditions and positive emotional stimulus to satisfy us. Could we really be completely content in the experience of the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father, or do we need electricity, clean water from a faucet, a mattress, nutritious food, ect. to truly satisfy our souls? To me the answer is blatantly obvious, but the flesh wars against the Spirit.
God, help me. Help my nation to find all its comfort in You.
