What Africa Taught Me

This summer has been a time of learning for me unlike any other time in my life!
I have learned a lot about suffering and poverty.
Poverty doesn’t mean that you live on less than two dollars a day, on an island in the middle of nowhere. It can be spiritual or relational, too.
I have also seen that poverty can be self imposed or made worse by what we do or don’t do.
(What am I doing that causes myself pain or ‘poverty’ in my relationship with God or man? What can I do to alleviate personal pain or poverty in those areas?)
Suffering may also be self imposed, or worsened by ourselves. Some people here seem content to suffer. They don’t want to work to better their circumstances.
I have learned the blessing of education. I have taken education for granted all my life. Here, people have to struggle to go to school.
I have learned the true value of family. Good family. I have always been close to my family, but being gone for three months, in a totally different culture, climate, people group, etc. has made me really appreciate each and every person in my family. Family life as we know it, is nearly non-existent in Africa.
I will never look at my family, and especially my father, the same again! Dads, in America, are those guys who go to work, lay the rules out, and generally oversee our lives. It can be easy to “blow off” their love and sacrifice. My Dad is a great man! I love him more today than I ever knew I did! I am proud to call him father and I finally see and understand how his choices have been made for my benefit, to his own sacrifice. I am proud to call him Dad!

I have really enjoyed my time here with the SHIM family. It has been a summer full of adventure, fun, and most importantly, learning. Teaching the kids at the primary school; watching their kitchen shack fall down; hanging out with the kids from the secondary school; the AMAZING birthday dinner and cake Keeky and Ruthie made me; the way everyone at SHIM made my birthday special; attending the SHIM prayer meetings; I could fill an entire book full of memories from my stay here.

But a few stand out: The hospitality and understanding of the Smiths, Ruth, Mama and Papa O, and the entire SHIM staff, especially.

I guess that the best way to sum this up in one sentence would be thus: I can’t wait to come back!
~Nate