July 17
Today I decided with Philberts encouragement to take a down day. Well it was sort of a rest day. I had been asked if I wanted to join a team that was going out to work with anther friend of mine I’m going to visit with--Steven. I’ll have more chances to connect with Steven. I really did need a day to sleep in and recharge a bit. I hung out with Philbert and Sophie in the morning. Philbert told us awesome stories about his first trip to the UK. I won’t share them because they are not my stories to write about. However, he really helped me gain insight into what it must feel like for people who come to the west from Africa for the first time. I never even thought of the things he described. I’ve had my own cross-cultural frustrations and learning experiences. But I’ve always lived in a developed world. It is my bathing experience at Caleb’s that gives me some idea of the radical shocks of experiencing life in a completely new way. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning and feel so humbled to be here. I have a ton to learn!
Sophie and I took motor bikes into town to get coffee, attempt accessing internet, exchange money, etc. I was able to do it all except for the internet part! This is one of the first overseas travel trips that I’ve not had really great access to internet. When we were at the coffee shop I called my travel companion, Saddie, from the bus ride to see if she wanted to join Sophie and I for lunch. I knew she was planning on going to the same mall center we were at. It turned out she was there! Saddie joined us for lunch. What great conversation we had. I find it so fun to be around people who have traveled. There is a special connection that we have because the places we’ve experienced and the people we’ve met along the way. The experiences change us and challenge our worldviews and I enjoyed talking about this. Nothing in life seems as simple anymore in terms of how we think about the systems of the world. Yet at the same time I saw in all of us this desire to create a more simple way of living. I have found myself writing down a list of books that I want to read when I get home. Both Saddie and Sophie had some great recommendations.
Tonight I returned to Reach’s Center for Unity and Peace. They call it C.U.P for short. We went to CUP for dinner with a whole host of westerners. Sophie’s dad and younger brother flew in tonight. Her dad is an Episcopal Bishop. The group of women meeting with my friend Steven today also joined us for dinner. We had a great time of connecting. I solidified plans to join Kelly Bean and the rest of the ladies to go out to Steven’s ministry tomorrow. I’ve been so excited to see Steven again. Like Philbert who I’m staying with Steven too made such an impact on me the last time I was here. This time I’m going to actually gain a broader sense for Steven’s ministry.
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