You Know You Live in Africa When...

I love playing this little game. It's called "You know you live in Africa when..."

You know you live in Africa when...

...No one reacts when the power goes out because it's such a normal occasion.

...You shower in your pajamas. And then shower again four more times in the middle of the night. 

...Everyone oohs and aahs when someone announces they made cookies with chocolate chips from America. 

...You have to eat your fruit and vegetables within one day of buying them (because everything goes bad so fast).

...You check your towel for cockroaches before drying off.

...Your tan washes off in the shower.

...Taking a shower cleans the entire bathroom.

...Instead of waiting for the shower water to get warm, you wait for all the hot water to empty from the pipes so you can take a cold shower. 

...You get excited when Facebook loads or when a Skype conversation lasts more than 4 minutes. 

...You drink hot coffee even when it's 108 degrees outside.

...You are off-roading as soon as you back out of the garage.

...You check your spaghetti for fish bones and other fish parts. 

...Automatically wonder what in the world another white person is doing here.

...All your cleans clothes are crunchy after drying outside.

...Anywhere with air conditioning or working internet is automatically a resort.

...You can eat mangoes right off the tree. And all your fruits and veggies are ripe, fresh, and about ten times better than what comes out of Kroger's produce section. 

...You greet everyone that you see.

...Even the poorest of the poor have a bright smile on their faces when you give them a smile and a wave.

...The worship at church is filled with joyful music and dancing that lasts for at least an hour or two.

...Everyday is an adventure, and you are constantly learning and experiencing new things concerning God, his people, and his world. 

The list could go on and on, but let me add just three more things. 

You know you are in Africa when you know of a patient in desperate need of a blood transfusion. He will die if he does not receive one soon. The only compatible bag of blood that can be found has been marked with a special notation showing that it is infected with HIV. The patient can choose to reject the blood and die now, or accept the blood and die later of HIV. He chooses to accept the blood and his fate along with it. 

You know you are in Africa when you find a family whose mother and father are both mentally handicapped. One child has a severely burned foot that appears as if it hasn't been touched since it happened about a week ago, except for a thick paste-like substance that is caked with dirt and probably representative of some animistic practice. Another child around the age of two is so severely malnourished that his legs are like little sticks. His eyes are empty. He does not laugh. He cannot walk or talk, and when his mother tries to force his knees to lock so he can stand, he crumbles to the ground and cries, but no one picks him up.  His shirt is practically soiled solid. When asked, the family literally said they have no soap to wash. This family lives within walking distance of your house. In your neighborhood. Practically in your backyard. 

You know you are in Africa when you see these things and you want to cry and punch something at the same time. But you really know you are in Africa when you realize you can do something about it. These aren't kids on a commercial or in a catalog. These are your neighbors, your friends. You don't have to choose whether to send money out of your Christmas savings account or not. You get to choose whether you are going to look them in the eye or not. Whether you are going to touch them or pass by on the other side of the road. You are placed in a position where you can actually do something to make a difference in a life, and you realize that this is what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus. This is what it means to follow in his footsteps - to touch the leper, to talk to the outcast woman at the well, to pay attention to the bleeding woman, to let the little children come, to feed a multitude, and to be a part of seeing the dead come to life again. 

It makes all the cold showers, cockroaches, and fish bones seem completely and totally insignificant. People often say to me, "Thank you for your sacrifice." I quickly tell them, "Thank you, but it's not." With a smile I add, "It is a great joy." A great priveledge. Everyday is an adventure, an opportunity to see Jesus in the faces of the least of these, and to be a part of bringing the kingdom of God to the most desperate and beautiful people in the world. 

Please don't pass them by. You may not be in Africa, but you have the "least of these" in your neighborhood, too. Find them, see them, talk to them, touch them. Tell them about Jesus. And when you're ready, come to Burkina. This is how we bring the kingdom of God to the earth. 

Let you kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.