Adventures in Africa

Joanne had been a pastor’s wife for many years, but for the first time, she was now to venture into the unknown—the wild jungles of South Africa. Having worked for the convention for three years, her husband Bob had earned a three-month sabbatical and had chosen to spend it on a mission trip to Uganda during the summer. As the couple prepared for their journey, a missionary who lived there sent them detailed letters, advising them what to bring. He warned Joanne that the African women never dressed in pants and that it would be expected of her to wear skirts and dresses like the rest. While she packed, a twinge of fear rested in her heart, but nothing could have prepared her for what she would experience over the next few months.

Although Bob and Joanne could not speak the language, the villagers welcomed them with enthusiastic greetings, eager to befriend them. An interpreter allowed them to communicate with the people there, and Bob spoke at churches and helped train pastors. 

Meanwhile, Joanne talked with the women and learned about life in Uganda. One day, however, she was called upon to speak to the men. “Many here do not respect their wives,” the missionary there told her. Surprised and a little nervous, Joanne began to speak to large groups of men, imploring them to love and honor their wives, showing how women can serve in many ways, even if they are not to be pastors of the church. She began each meeting with a question: “How many of you, when you left your house this morning, told your wives that you loved them?” The men looked at each other, surprised. On the first day, not one of them raised their hands. However, as she continued to speak in different places, Joanne noticed that hands began to go up. Men from previous meetings had started coming again, just to be able to acknowledge that they had, in fact, told their wives they loved them. As Joanne observed their culture, she also began to learn more about the many other differences she encountered in Uganda.

One of the biggest changes was the food. Unlike grocery stores in the United States, the markets had very few options to choose from, and meat was wrapped in fresh banana leaves when bought. Most meals consisted of beans and rice, with sweet mangos and bananas plucked straight from the tree. Where the travelers were staying, a house boy cleaned, cooked, and ironed every article of clothing down to the last sock. Outdoors, he would set up a kettle to prepare black beans then kill a goat for its meat. Joanne remembers seeing a young goat tied up outside the house, waiting to be slaughtered. Had her conscience not already been unnerved by this image, her stomach might have been by the abundance of unclean foods. Anything bought off the street from a vendor was sure to disagree with the guests, who were unaccustomed to the cuisine. When they ate out, they brought their own plates and utensils with them, and they drank from a water purifier.  

Church services in Uganda also differed greatly from what Bob and Joanne were used to. Many churches did not even have houses to meet in, so they gathered under a huge mango tree to worship. The Christians there told their visitors, “When we get to heaven, look for the mango tree, and we’ll meet you there.” When they could congregate in a building, they danced in the aisles and sang out praises, their joyous voices filling the room. The women seized Joanne by the hands, entreating her to dance with her. She did, singing for joy despite her unfamiliarity of the words of the song, only knowing that she was praising God with the rest.

When they took the offering, instead of passing the plate, the Christians took their contribution to the front of the room, walking straight up to the offering box. One Sunday, Joanne watched as a woman approached the box, carefully cradling in her hand a single egg. Later, she learned that the woman’s offering was all she had, and it would have been her meal that day. Ever since then, Joanne recollects this tale whenever she hears the Biblical story of the widow’s offering. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21: 3-4

Looking back on these encounters, Joanne recalls, “It makes you realize how little some people can get by on, and how much we have in the U.S.—and how much we have to be thankful for.” Her travels to an unfamiliar land have taught her to be grateful always, especially in such a wealthy country as the United States. In Uganda, when many were victims of poverty and hardship, believers continued to rejoice and give thanks to God. No matter where we live, we too can give prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord who has promised us eternity. 

Picture Credit:

https://unsplash.com/photos/a-group-of-young-children-standing-in-a-window-7MD4DR9jbP0