"We're Building a Medical Clinic"

Something has been bugging me lately. It's the way I describe this trip. "I'm going to Africa in two weeks. We're building a medical clinic." It reminds me of that thing busy Americans do when we run into someone we know, maybe not that well, and we're kind of in a hurry to get somewhere. "Hi. How are you," we say. "Fine, thanks. How are you," is the reply we receive. What we've exchanged really isn't any information at all...not the true interest given or response we desire and expect from our close friends. But sometimes we even do this with them.

I realized, that's how I feel when I give the quick response, "We're building a medical clinic." It's not because what I'm saying is false. We ARE building a medical clinic. It's that it really doesn't capture the full purpose and meaning of the trip. Sure, it's a short description that everyone can understand the value of, but giving the "short explanation" gives the other person permission to nod and say, "Oh, that's great." Then they're off the hook. Just like the daily "how are you?" greeting, my statement never really requires me or the other person to engage, and we both walk away with very little value in the words we've just exchanged.

But there's so much more I could say about this trip. Even with what little I know of the country and the project. Why in the world am I giving the quick answer that gets me out the door without really having to invest (or captivate the other person) in a longer, more detailed conversation about why I'm going and what we're doing there?

Rather than answer the WHY question, I do want to share a few other reasons we're going to Africa.

1. It's not just a building we are constructing. It's going to be the only "modern" medical facility within an hour's walk for about 80,000 people who are refugees returning to their homeland after the brutal genocide that ravaged their lives, their families, and their neighborhoods more than 10 years ago.

2. Our trip is in partnership with ALARM - African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries - an African-founded organization by a dear Rwandan man named Celestin. He was in the States when the genocide began in Rwanda and his heart broke for his people when he learned that somewhere around 80% of pastors were either killed or fled the country. What this meant is that people who survived had no where to turn to deal with the deep pain in their hearts and minds after watching the murder of their friends and family members. God is a god of comfort, and there was no one left to be the hands and feet of Christ, to remind them that God loves them or to give them hope for a better future. Celestin's mission, through ALARM, is to train up a new generation of leaders in the faith who can fulfill this role and bring hope, leadership and reconciliation to their people.

3. The value of a child is very different over there. Families are large and even small children have great responsibility to care for the younger ones. Many don't go to school because their families can't afford it and/or they need to work to help support the family. Most children have zero exposure to biblical teaching...even in countries like Burundi where the majority of the population is Christian. Adults go to church for an entire day on Sunday and the children are sent into the field to play soccer and entertain themselves during that time. Many have never heard even the simplest bible stories and many just don't have adults in their lives who have time to nurture them, play with them or invest time in them. We are going to play with, love on, and teach the children we encounter. We are planning mini-bible lessons for them, complete with sock puppets and stories that will teach them of God's love for them.

4. We're going to learn something too. This trip is somewhat experimental in nature. These two groups of singles (one group in their 20s and one in their 30s) have been selected because of demonstrated leadership within the ministries of the church. One part of our mission is to determine the possibility of making this a repeatable trip in years to come for other groups of singles. We've been reminded over and over (and I remember so clearly from my trip last September) that nothing is set in stone. Just about anything could change once we get over there. And there are a lot of moving parts that our trip leaders are managing (not to mention all the intricacies each person brings to the trip just by being there...did I mention I'm a vegetarian!) :) So, we're going in order to figure out if it's possible for others to go later.


5. Life change. Going to Africa changed me. It didn't take long to settle back into American life, but having been there, having seen what I saw, experienced what I experienced, I don't think I will ever be the same. I'm going again because I truly value the changed perspective I gained last year from stepping outside my comfort zone and witnessing a people who love God in a way that I've only dreamed of. They also don't seems to carry the burden I do related to material possessions. Being around people who have very little--and are SO HAPPY--is a deep lesson for a girl like me. I want to continue to allow God to change me in this area.


6. Caring for the poor. As much as I was raised to help those who are less fortunate, I can honestly say that I've had difficulty most of my life connecting to the plight of the poor and less fortunate. I hate to admit that...especially so publically...it might ruin my image! But in the last year I've seen movement in my heart in this area. Part of that has to do with my last trip to Africa, part of it with reading the book Same Kind of Different As Me, and yet another part is my decision to volunteer serving lunch to the homeless in South Dallas. Before I knew Christ it was easier to turn away, ignore, pretend not to see and act as if it was someone else's job to help the poor. Even in the first few years of walking with Him I continued in this pattern. But lately, it's not as easy to do that. I can't say I have friends who are homeless, but I've actually begun to not resist the idea of such a thing. God has used my experiences to personalize poverty for me. And He's reminded me that I have my own version of poverty. And those things have made all the difference.

There are likely several more reasons to share...but I'll ponder those and write again soon.

Thanks to so many of you who have commented about reading my blog. How fun to know this isn't just sitting somewhere in cyberspace. :)