You’re Going Where?

26 March 2010

It’s a trend in the mission community that isn’t going to fade. And I never understood it – in fact, I was always irritated by it – till I came here longer-term. It’s the “would you bring…” question that comes up whenever someone travels in the overseas community.

When I headed to PNG, someone asked us to bring a massive sleeping bag for their nephew. WHAT? We balked. We were already bringing sheets and towels for the guesthouse where we were staying, and lots of other supplies and things for the classrooms. A sleeping bag? That would take up half the space of one person!

When we got there, though, it turned out the guy was really cool. His job was to go out and investigate (survey) new areas to understand their languages, and whether languages were all the same or different, in preparation for Bible Translation teams. He slept on the ground for a few weeks at a time and could definitely have used a comfortable, waterproof sleeping bag (despite the heat!). We made up some lame excuses for why we didn’t have room, and he acknowledged them appropriately… but inwardly, I think we all realized we could have made it happen.

I learned something. And when I headed to Kenya a couple of years later, we each took one bag for ourselves and a Rubbermaid container of computer stuff (including CPUs and monitors!), school supplies, etc. as our other “bag” for the school. With 20 people, that’s a lot of "extra" stuff. But the people at Churo International Christian School were definitely blessed!!!

When my brother, Jeremy, came over Christmas, I tried to keep his trip a bit quiet. I knew what would happen – especially around Christmas – if too many people knew. Within the first week and after just telling my closest friends of his pending arrival, he already had a bunch of computer equipment shipped to his house (my friend is married to the IT guy at HOPAC.) :) I didn’t mind it, and by this point I was starting to understand the logistics of shipping options in the missions community. But I wasn’t sure how my brother would take it. I'd been in his shoes before, too.

He ended up bringing a bunch of stuff for me (like some amazing shirts from Anna and REAL KRAFT Parmesan Cheese from my mom, thanks!!!), so the few add-ons weren’t a big issue. Especially since many of them were for the school itself. Jeremy thought it was pretty funny when the airport security guys asked if he had packed his bags (well, not exactly; my mom packed a crate for me!), and whether he had a hard drive in his backpack (turned out he did, but forgot because it wasn’t his!). But all in all, the trip was successful. And he even got to bring packages back to the States with Christmas presents to send out from me! (What a nice brother I have…)

My friends (the IT guy and his awesome wife, Amy :)) who are going home over break, are bringing a massive crate of books back for the library. I’m sure they'll have more computer stuff for the school as well. But when you realize that there is a pricey import tax on all items shipped into Tanzania… how unsafe the mail is for electronic items… and how you really just CAN’T get a lot of things here (at least not for a reasonable price!), it starts to make sense of why physical hand-transport of certain items is in such high demand.

Last month, my roommate's camera got stolen. I lent her mine when she went on safari, and someone grabbed it out of her bag at the bus station. Bummer. I lent it knowing that could happen, so no worries on that. Life happens, and God is in control. But it turns out people in the States like seeing pictures of what Africa is like, so I borrowed from some incredible people. A lot. And I realized it would be nice to have one of my own again as soon as possible. I did some price checks, and realized that a comparable camera to the one I had costs about three times as much here as what it would cost in the States. While I contemplated having my mom send the new one via post (it was already insured and everything), I felt it was just asking for trouble.

So I found myself in the position of asking another member on the field if they could bring a "small package" (aka my camera) back with them from their recent trip to the States. It’s always funny how roles get reversed, and how much you learn from – and about – others when this happens.

One thing is for certain. When Brian came running across the HOPAC football field today with a package in hand, I was grinning from ear to ear with excitement. Not only did I have a real, working camera in hand, but God had brought his wife back two days early (thanks to the BA strike), which meant I got the camera the day term break began! As I’m leaving early tomorrow morning on a new adventure, this was definitely a gift and a reason for thanksgiving on my part.

This is all starting to remind me of a post I wrote soon after I got here, called “Loving Your Neighbor…” where I said the following: “I’ve started to realize it’s a two-way street – and that, in many ways, if we don’t depend on each other, we might survive… but will never truly thrive. Maybe this is what God meant, in some small way, when He said that we are the Body of Christ. In the physical, as well as in the Spiritual, we need each other – and were never meant to be ‘alone.’”

So, Karibu! I’d love to have you come visit for a few days or months!!! Free room and board for all! (or at least all who fit in our guestroom... :) ) But just be forewarned… you might be asked to bring something with you along the way. :)