We are back from Africa, and have resumed the daily tasks we so happily left behind. To say that all is back to normal, however, would be quite a stretch. I am now acutely aware of the fact that the rest of the world is very different from the one in which I currently find myself. For example, if you tell an African you'll meet them at 9:00, you should plan on being the lonely awkward white person in the corner, until about 9:30 when they arrive. For some, this tardiness would be highly irritating. Personally, I love the "go with the flow" attitude, and now resent having to be on time here in America.
On a more serious note, my heart is now broken for the continent in a way that I have never experienced. Having trekked through houses in Belize built on two-by-fours so that they would stand up over the swampy land-fill, I thought I'd pretty much seen the extent of poverty that I would ever see. However, nothing I've seen in this or any other country could have prepared me for the extent of physical needs which need meeting in Africa. The most angering and heart-breaking part of it all was the realization that feeding them would only leave them hungry the next day. Taking them to the doctor would not fix the fact that they would just drink dirty water again and be sick again within the month. I found myself overwhelmed with a sense of utter helplessness. Even more frustrating was trying to see past their physical needs and recognize their ultimate need for Christ. In some ways, this, for me, was the hardest thing I did while I was in Uganda.
-Lauren
No comments:
Post a Comment