The Question (Part II)

I just said so many good byes that were so heartfelt and teary, I began to wonder how blind (or forgiving) friends are to love me so much. Really, it was beautiful. And tragic. I'm going to miss my home here in Africa.

Six months, you better fly by like a dream.

I never thought I would put roots down here - I moved when I was twelve and it took AGES for me to find comfort on a continent I would always be a foreigner in. When I was fifteen, we moved to this town which, by the way, is perfect. It's a small town, but big for Namibia. Everywhere, the trees are a deep green ... except for early spring, when the jacaranda trees spread their lavender flowers over rooftops and sidewalks. The winding streets are peaceful and (frequently) quiet. In the center of town, the streets are lined with tables and stands covered in veggies, nuts, raisins, biltong, fresh milk and all kinds of wares. The churches are active. The people are varied and multicultural. I have a network of beautiful people here. I have a family. I have an American friend who bakes me good food.

And that's my little bit of Africa. (I could keep going.)

When I asked some of my friends about the question 'How's Africa?', more than half suggested that it was an annoying question. A few of them skipped the whole words-into-sentence-making-thing and gave me lists of particular adjectives. One girl wrote me a complete essay. None of them were able to answer it easily or in a single sentence. Here are their descriptions of the bits of Africa they have seen.


 I answer usually with "Its awesome!" and think about the rest of the answer and why its so awesome. This was Mikayla's answer. She's a friend a grew up with (in the U.S.) who recently went on a short term mission trip to Ghana. She went on to describe in detail. It was so great because of how free going they are there. The culture is different. I love how whenever we had church or worship, EVERYONE (not just the kids) got up and danced and worshiped.  I really feel like that is what its going to be like in Heaven. The faith of the people amazed me.


A friend of mine who's spent her teen years in Namibia told me that people ask her that question all the time.   I just say I love it!! And I always laugh about it later!!

Alanna has spent her childhood and teen years in a variety of African countries and has been asked 'the question' several times.  I always say it's hot and dry but now that I live in SA and RVA, it gets cold. It's very different to what people may think it may be. Like people think that lions live right outside my house.

 
My friend in town said,  I reply with "Oh, it's goooood. It's hot and stuff." And that's about it. There's not much else to say unless you want to go into writing a short novel of all the dramas of your life lately. Well. Said.

Tai, a short term missionary I met a while ago shared about her view of Namibia.  It's the most phenomenal experience I've ever had. The culture is so different from America; they value other people more than themselves. And I've also never seen so many stars in my life. (To the end she added, to my delight -) I can't wait to go back and stay for a VERY long time.

Hannah, a long term missionary on our Otjiwarongo Team, moved back to her home country last year. I found her response well-put and relatable.   I just got asked that just today! It's too hard to sum up really. I think also people say 'Africa' rather than Namibia, Kenya etc. as if it's all the same. (Amen, Sista.)
I suppose if I had to think of words to describe it I might use:
frustrating, beautiful, heart-breaking but also heart warming.  But, it's so much more than that!

Another lady on our team said the words to best describe life as a missionary in Africa would be 'it's great, it's horrible, it's wonderful, it's exhausting'

Abby, a MK who grew up in Southern Africa, is now living in the States, keeping busy with college. Her response was,  I would probably say that Africa is one of the most amazing places to live. The people are friendly, even though the culture is different - it makes it more fun. The scenery is stunning, and just being able to drive around and see a zebra makes Africa unique. Africa is one of the most diverse places both land and people wise. From the beach to the desert, there's not much to not love.

I also asked Lucynda about her life as a TCK in South America and how she responds to people's questions about the country she's lived in for so long.  It's very difficult to answer. I'd say I usually reply with a quick overview of the people who live there, as that's the most important thing to me. Then I add in cultural differences, or geography if people are still interested.


Last but not least, Carrie, a girl presently living in South Africa, offered her opinion. The depth of this message (*aghem* essay) says it all. Notice her use of the word 'we' - there's a certain point where you consider yourself one of the Africans.


Well, the first thing I say is "there are definitely no wild animals roaming around like you see in the movies! I do not have a lion or elephant in my backyard!"  And (depending where you live) there aren't bushman just walking around. Africa does have civilization. With high-populated areas like Cape Town & Johannesburg, we do have very wealthy countries & people do live a very well-earned life. We are not all dead trees and sand. We have major cities and we do have tarred roads & massive buildings. We may be behind in technology but we are still educated people.

The weather is nothing like it is in America - when we have the dry season, we sure mean DRY season. & when we have the rainy/wet season, we do have a WET season, though that still depends on where on the continent. It's a very beautiful place! With amazing sunsets and beautiful mountains. The landscapes and deserts are found in a variety of beauty. Truly a spectacular place!

But just as breath-taking as it may seem, there are still high-poverty stricken areas and people do suffer. Diseases slowly kill off the people  - with the lack of water and proper resources, our people are struggling to survive. A huge percentage of the people living in Africa, are not even aware of Christ! We need more trained missionaries to go out deep into Africa and we need those people to learn and hear the Word of God. Africa is really one of a kind, with a wide variety of different cultures and peoples, our history is not like any other. Our unique land is roamed by many different animals and people ... and it is called Africa.