Despite my natural Pollyanna tendencies, my heart sank pretty deep as my new home whizzed by the car window. I had never been to Africa, but because of a passionate conviction that this was where God wanted me to live this year, I had accepted a job, hopped a plane and was determined to set up camp.
As the car jostled over pockmarked pavement, first impressions of my new home flickered through my mind. Dirt. Goats. Trash. Oh look, a tree! More dirt. Sheep. A few of the impressions were more exciting. People in brightly-colored clothing. Camels. Beautiful Arabic lettering.
That first drive through the streets of the capital city is burned into my memory. I wasn’t trying to be judgmental. But the reality of what I had just done – moved thousands of miles away from everything familiar and comfortable – hit me upside the head as strongly as the beggars and starving children plastered themselves over the windows of the car every time we stopped at a light.
It was heart wrenching. All of it.
I don’t want to sound pretentious, like I was doing something super hard. People live there their whole lives, and it’s a rich, beautiful culture to live in. I feel like most of that year I was just a scared ignorant foreigner, stammering in the local languages and doing the best I could at my job teaching missionary kids. People do much harder things than that all the time.
Many people in Africa struggle to feed their families every day. And many people in Africa have plenty to eat. Many people in America struggle to feed their families. But most of us eat just fine.
Living in Africa revealed some things about myself that I had never realized, and some of those things fit right in with what I write about here. A couple of you have asked several times that I write about food-related lessons I learned, so over the next few weeks I’ll be unpacking some of those with you.
I’ll also be opening the comment sections for you to share any similar experiences or lessons you’ve learned through cross-cultural situations. I’m looking forward to reading your stories, and I hope you enjoy reading a little of mine.
Cheers,
P.S. I haven’t forgotten the giveaway I mentioned! It’s coming, and I‘m stoked about what I’ll be giving away. Right now I’m trying to get some things set up that will play a part in the giveaway. Look for it in the next few weeks!
P.P.S. This post is being shared on Frugal Friday. Go there for a boat load of frugal inspiration!
9 comments
2 pings
Martha
01/12/2012 at 11:02 PM (UTC -6)
I spent a month in Guinea West Africa, and came home feeling so rich. I cried the first time I went grocery shopping…and whenever I turned on the water. Fast forward a few years, and my family is eating much more simply and closer to nature, our food budget has been slashed by 2/3 and we send the saved money to build wells.
Steph
01/13/2012 at 8:17 AM (UTC -6)
Wow… that’s amazing! Way to go, Martha!
Trish
01/13/2012 at 5:59 PM (UTC -6)
there was a show a few yrs ago produced by NatGeo, called worlds apart. A suburban family, very electronically dependent, was sent to live with a family in a developing country – several times in Africa, for about 10 days. The start was very rocky, but all the families were transformed by the experience. It was a great show.
Steph
01/13/2012 at 8:57 PM (UTC -6)
Wow that sounds amazing! I think that would be a great experience for many of us.
Rebecca Burgener
01/13/2012 at 7:57 PM (UTC -6)
I’m gonna love this series!
I’ve never had such cross-cultural experiences more extreme than marrying my husband. (His parents and mine are definitely from opposite sides of the fence. My dad actually told my husband that I “married up.” Ha!)
At any rate, I have never gone hungry or homeless. We truly are blessed in this country.
Rebecca Burgener recently posted..My Name Is Stegasaurus – #Blessings365
Steph
01/13/2012 at 9:00 PM (UTC -6)
Aw, how funny. We don’t always think of our home country having different cultures, but it really does.
Athena
01/13/2012 at 10:25 PM (UTC -6)
I can’t wait to hear about Africa! I spent two deployments in Iraq and learned something different each time. One thing food-related that I really noticed was that every meeting, every conversation, every gathering began with tea and/or food. My favorite was the dolmas, vegetables stuffed with meat and rice and baked underground. I was humbled and warmed by their willingness to prepare what little they had for a complete stranger. On my first deployment, I was there during my birthday and on of the local businessmen’s wife baked me a cake. It was hilarious and ugly, but it was the best birthday cake I’ve ever had, it meant so much to me. It was three tiers and the “cake stand” was sheet metal and plumbing pipe with cake on each level (tier). It meant a lot how kindly I was treated and how easily I was accepted by them.
Steph
01/13/2012 at 10:43 PM (UTC -6)
Sheet metal and plumbing pipe? That’s awesome!
Mary
01/21/2012 at 7:50 AM (UTC -6)
What a great series, Steph. I’m looking forward to reading more of it. I love that you have lived so many places!
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01/19/2012 at 11:43 PM (UTC -6)
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Lessons from Africa (Part 3): Simple Food » The Cheapskate Cook
02/10/2012 at 9:09 AM (UTC -6)
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