Watch the Walk

Drinking from the tap is fun! “You must have really loved it to be going back!” I’ve heard that idea expressed countless times, yet I continue to take issue with it. Yes, there’s a part of life in Africa that gets me and pulls me back. But if it had to do with loving a particular place, I certainly wouldn’t stay on Clove Island. It’s not a very easy place to live. I dread the nosy questions of strangers, the weird smells, the inconveniences, frustrations, and being at the mercy of somewhat capricious authorities and seemingly capricious circumstances. I love the people, but not always because they're being lovely. “What a wonderful calling!” I’ve never felt like my calling was location-specific. I’m called to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow.” But aren’t we all called to that? I’m called to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and to love my neighbor as myself. But aren’t we all called to that? As a young, single person I’m uniquely capable of being mo...

One ocean to another-- Africa's far away! Long-distance friendships aren't always easy. When you're getting off work and want to connect, it may be 4 in the morning where your friend resides. Or you're good at making phone calls, but those are expensive, so you have to write emails. And writing isn't your favorite thing in the world. But you care about the friendship, so you try. Well, today I'm going to share some ways that help in staying connected even when sitting down for coffee together isn't possible. Figure out what works, and do it regularly.  Phone? Skype? Instant messaging? Handwritten notes? Don't diss it until you've tried it all. I've found that different friends are better at different types of communication, but if you care about staying connected, you need to find something that works. Listen to understand. Even if you can't relate to the scenarios, listen to what's going on and learn your friend's environment. It pa...

In case you haven't noticed, today's Election Day in America. You knew that? Okay, good. Just checking. But let's do a little compare and contrast between elections here and elections on Clove Island. Timeframe: Clove Island -- Candidates aren't allowed to start campaigning until a certain date, normally about a month before the ballots are cast. You know when the campaign has started by the deafening noise around town. You know when the campaign has ended (a day before the vote) by the deafening silence and the fact that you can hear other things again. Timeframe: America -- you think the election's over? Just kidding, let's start the next one! The sounds: Clove Island -- music in the streets. Candidates pay songwriters to put new words to old music and support their party. These songs are then blasted from loudspeakers. And where are the loudspeakers? EVERYWHERE. Empty storefronts become campaign headquarters and blast their music any time the power is on. Lou...

Okay, so I totally stole the blog title. Y'all should check out Rend Collective's album (and song) with that title. But that aside, let's talk about celebration. No, not parties. I mean the high-fives. The "way to go!s" The "you rock" and the "wow, you're awesome!" I think we miss out on a lot of opportunities to celebrate other people, both who they are and what they do. Celebrating others is a selfless act-- it's not asking for our own recognition, but rather giving that recognition to others. On my long road trip I saw so many things to celebrate: - The people who work low-paying jobs in order to meet the needs of their community.  - The church that teaches English to recent immigrants. - The drivers who pull over to let people behind them pass. - The parents who work hard and never stop caring for their children even when they're most tired and stressed. - The business owners who prioritize their employees and give up a little e...

Roadtrippin' USA ... you wonder randomly which state you're in. ... you close your eyes and still see road rushing towards you. ... it seems like a luxury to stop somewhere that's not either a gas station or a rest area for more than 5 minutes. ... you can go an entire day without greeting a single person. ... the types of beauty you encounter overwhelm you. You might be roadtripping on Clove Island if... ... you intentionally dehydrate so you don't have to look for a place to pee in the bushes or at a stranger's house. ... you give English lessons in the bus because the person in the back of the bus won't take "no" or "later" as an answer. motorcycle roadtrippin' ... you walk into a random village and discover a friend who just happens to be there the same day. Or a friend of a friend. Or someone who already knows all about you because you're a white girl on the island. ... you intentionally sit near the front and next to a window to...

As I was quickly peeling an orange for my anxiously waiting nephew, the other was so excited that he face planted into the as-yet partially-unpeeled citrus, taking a large bite out of it. Could he wait? Yes. Did he want to? Obviously not. Some things take time. I've driven over 4000 miles this month visiting family and friends, yet wishing doesn't make the 10 hour days on the road any shorter. All that makes it shorter is economizing on stops and staying on the road, yet the joy of the journey is often lost if I don't stop to see things along the way. And enjoying the things along the way is worthwhile too. Like signs in North Dakota that remind us to be nice: Or a bathtub in the woods:  Or hiking with a friend: Or sea glass from a lake: Or funky street art:   And as much as the destinations are great, the journey is beautiful too. Language learning takes time, but the process builds relationships and the product is worth waiting for. Teaching English takes time and student...

Have you ever had someone tell you that you had food on your face? It might be slightly embarrassing, but I'm always grateful for the people who serve as my mirrors and help me out when unaware. But sometimes the person trying to fix your look gets it wrong. You think there's a story in this? Of course! After about a month of living on Clove Island, I was walking away from my house toward a teammate's house when a neighbor waved me over to her shop. This baby has also had black eyebrows drawn on her. "Come!" she yelled.  Well, that I understood. I came over to her. "Come closer"  -- uh, okay. I was a little closer to her than I was comfortable with, but it's not like I knew the culture yet, so maybe there was something I needed to learn. Nope, it was too close alright. Next thing I knew, she was drawing on my face! "Ah, you're so beautiful!" she exclaimed, and handed me a mirror. Know what she drew? BLACK EYEBROWS. And then she gifted m...