There are certain things you just can't bring home. The bananas and oranges we had in West Africa were the best I've tasted. Great deals abounded in artisan markets on cool-but-questionable merchandise. Three specific individuals were guys I would love to open my home to; I would call them brothers.
Unfortunately, none of these sentiments is strong enough to override Customs and Border Protection.
Thanks to the Internet, I can keep in touch with our contact in the region. We e-mail back and forth in French; what I can't pick up or infer the good folks at Google Translate work out for me. When another team leaves later this year, I hope to send back a letter and some encouragement to my good friend a quarter-globe away. While these connections are nowhere close to my desire to see my dear friend again, they suffice to keep us in touch and in prayer for each other. I couldn't bring him home.
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| Plenty of unique souvenirs came home. Even better: memories and friendships. |
There is one huge thing, though, that I did bring home with me (aside from souvenirs):
Appreciation
There are so many things in life that you simply don't know should be appreciated. "Taken for granted" is a complete and utter understatement. Running water, heat and air, rarely-interrupted electricity, freedom to meet whoever and wherever we want, and commercial establishments to meet our every need all exist because of societal, technological, and economic development. But where we're born and who we're born to are totally outside of human control. By virtue of my birthplace, I am guaranteed an opportunity to make my life whatever I want it to be. Because of who my parents are, I was given an education not just in readin', writin', and 'rithmatic but also in how to treat others and how to view adversity. My country and my family are imperfect entities; they are easily-forgotten blessings.
Aside from an appreciation of the luxuries with which I have been blessed (for no good reason), I came home with an appreciation for the total power of God and His love for us. God illustrated both of these by revealing to our brothers in West Africa things they could not have known without his influence. As we were standing on the roof of our host's dwelling, we visited with a man who we'll call Makhtar. Makhtar had come to Christ two years prior, but had never had consistent access to the Bible and only learned more about his nascent faith through visiting missions teams that came perhaps twice or three times per year. God had been using Makhtar to evangelize in his village and a nearby city and he began to share with us the success he had. "It's like I'm throwing seeds," he said. "Some people do not listen. Some people have hard hearts. Some people choke it out. But some are hearing and accepting. So it will start to grow in their hearts." If that sounds familiar to you, it's because Jesus used the exact same metaphor in a parable that this man had never read and had likely never heard. As we continued through the week, a man began to join us for evening meals and to hear the Word who would not normally have been in the village. By the end of the week, he came to Christ and accepted Him into his heart. What courage! But it doesn't end there. As we were leaving, an influential member of the community confronted this new believer. "You cannot accept this belief," he warned. Undeterred, the believer, barely two days into his new faith, responded: "Now I know the truth; I cannot deny it."
Finally, I came home with an appreciation of the brothers I found on the trip. The Africans I met had incredible tales of faith and perseverance; I am inspired and challenged by their example. Earlier in the post I mentioned I couldn't bring them home, but I did manage to bring home some new brothers. They weren't smuggled in shipping crates or suit cases (a strategy we considered). In fact, they weren't even African. I won't say there was an instant connection between all of the guys on the trip aside from our commitment to the mission we were sent on. But I can say that a couple of acquaintances from high school became dear friends through the experience. Since we returned, we've started (and finished) a Bible study, attended a men's conference (more on that later) and encouraged each other in the faith. This new network was important for me. God started the engine in a man's walk with Christ while we were in West Africa; he challenged me to change the oil in my own.
Sure, I brought back souvenirs from Africa. Much more importantly, I brought back a spirit of gratitude and some tools and friends to continue the work God kick-started in me while I was there.
What have you brought out of an experience that you didn't expect? Are you committed to taking your experiences to your local community? Share in the comments.
