Real Africa

Turn left at “refrigerator corner” –- where appliances are sold right off the side of the road. Pull onto the street that’s not really a street –- just dirt and rocks that become a mess of swampy sewage after a hard rain.

Enter the bustling courtyard, with rows of laundry strung wall to wall amidst the smoke of the evening meal, which cooks in blackened pots over open coals.

Step into the cramped living room, where, incongruously, a large color TV is surrounded by shiny porcelain statues and urns of fake flowers –- indications the family has money for some luxuries.

The man of the courtyard has three wives, and the living room is a tangle of children crowded around the TV. The missionary colleague I go with had hoped the conversation would turn to spiritual matters, giving her the chance to share a Bible story, but the distraction of TV means the story won’t be heard today.

Later, one of the teenagers takes us to visit an aunt, who sells fish in an open air market. Dozens of flies swarm around the fish, whose strong odor wafts through the air. Music blares from a nearby radio, and we are forced to raise our voices above the noise.

The man in the adjacent stall uses a grinder to pulverize tomatoes and onions –- sauce, no doubt, for his customers’ evening meal. A woman passes, searching for a lost 100 franc coin. My mind converts its value to a mere 20 cents, but for her it is likely a significant portion of the day’s earnings.

This is the real Africa -– a chaos of sights, sounds, and smells that are a far cry from the quiet office where I spend most of my days. My time is consumed with projects of a more intangible nature – projects meant to encourage fellow believers to cry out heartfelt prayers on behalf of West Africa or to come and serve among the people here.

It’s necessary work –- work I pray will have impact for the Kingdom in the long-term, even if I am never able to demonstrate exactly how many prayers are lifted up or how many missionaries are called out because of the work I’ve done.

But what a blessing to occasionally get out and rub shoulders with real Africa -– to experience the fascinating culture and get to know the beautiful people who live here.

*Please pray for the family I visited with my missionary friend. She has shared the plan of salvation with the aunt and given the family some cassettes of Bible stories, but they remain uninterested at this point.

*Pray Deron and I will have more opportunities to develop friendships that will lead to open doors to share our faith.

*Pray we’ll spend our time wisely, concentrating on projects that have maximum Kingdom impact.