Good question.
In the last 6 weeks I have been to 4 different countries on 2 different continents. I left India just after the 1st of the year then spent around a week in Nairobi Kenya. Nairobi is a very modern city with some if the friendliest people in the world. Everyone wanted to sit down and have a conversation with me especially when they discovered I was an American. Then it was all about the election and Obama since his dad was born in Kenya.
After my time in Kenya was over I took an 8-hour bus ride to Mwanza Tanzania. (When they say 8 hours in Africa they really mean 24 hours with a 5-hour stop at the mechanic to make sure the bus will make it) Once we arrived at the pastor’s house it became clear that Tanzania would be a memorable month with many ups and downs. There would be 16 of us living in 4-bedroom house with no running water on top of a hill accessible only by walking. The 1st few weeks in Mwanza were a good time to settle in and see what sub-Saharan African life is all about. My teammates and I were the only white people for miles and we were always the center of attention. It felt like we were movie stars. We were so far out of our element that we would make babies cry because they had never seen white people before. Overall the first few weeks where eye opening but nothing to eventful happened until hospital ministry started. I hate being in hospitals but I thought it would be fun to check out an African hospital and it never hurts to pray for the sick. Once we arrived I was put into a group with a future doctor and another teammate that has a much stronger stomach than I do. We were directed to the most dismal room in the hospital the noxious infection room. When we entered the room I was overcome with the stench of rotting flesh. I looked around the room for about 15 seconds and I was sick to my stomach. I couldn’t handle it; I got out as soon as I could. After sitting outside the hospital for 2 hours on the verge of either throwing up or passing out I began to ask God questions that I will most likely never find the answer to. Questions like; how can God allow these things to happen and why am I so fortunate. Knowing that if any of these patients were in an American hospital they would be fine. That 15 seconds I spent looking around that room turned into 2 weeks of praying and searching for answers. I came to the conclusion that this world isn’t fair for anyone. We will all face insurmountable challenges. In our weakest hour will we rely on God as our refuge our place of safety our will we rely on ourselves and the uncertainties of this world?
P.S. Now I am in Kigali Rwanda and I will update you on what is taking place here as soon as I can.
