What TIA is all about!!!

Of all the mission trips I've been on and volunteer work I've done in the past, I can't say I've ever done anything quite like this before!! On Saturday, we partnered with some people from the city council and went down to the slums for a "city clean-up". Now, I've done beach clean-ups and street clean-ups before ...but NOTHING like this!

At first, we picked up trash around some of the little local shops. (A little different when there's no concrete, it's all dirt and mud that you are trying to pick trash up from). However, when we went to dump the trash bags into the compost(which basically sits in the middle of the slums)...it was disgusting!! The whole compost was overflowing...there was trash piled EVERYWHERE! We called and got the dump box hauled away and we then filled another box...using wheelbarrows and reusing large, thick bags. Then, one last dump truck came and we filled that one with the remaining trash until the place was clean! Spending nearly 3 hours literally standing on heaps of trash was a new experience for me! The smell was horrendous! Upon lifting the "make-shift reusable bags" onto the truck, there was trash that fell out and dumped all over you. At one point it was raining, making the smell and mud even worse. Then, it was humid and sunny, which drained our energy. The conditions were rough! I had to literally keep singing worship songs in my head and keep my nose buried in my sleeve at times, because the smell made me want to vomit. Days later, the stench is still in my fingers....I'm STILL trying to scrub it out! I haven't quite formulated all my thoughts about this whole experience, BUT it was a very humbling experience, and yes, I would do it again, despite the rough conditions!

This week I also got to teach a lesson to the academy class (kids who's parent(s) are in jail and have no other place to go)....which I LOVED doing!!!!! Plus my group's assignment at the Remand Home (the juvenile detention center) was a "special song" and we did a song in Luganda. My group took the time last week to teach me the song (not easy to learn the words, nevertheless sing them!) and I'm the only white person on this team! Sooooo, of course, all eyes were on me during the song (to see if I was really singing it, hehe)!! I looked at one of our 360 leaders during the performance (he's a Ugandan) and he was looking right at me smiling ear to ear....got the biggest kick out of me singing in Luganda :) I really enjoyed it and now can't get the song out of my head!


Ok, like I promised, I'll now explain TIA :) It's very simple, but used quite frequently..... This Is Africa!! Those who have been on mission trips to Africa know this acronym well and know how to use it :) Here's a couple of our examples so far:

1. We have a toaster at the guesthouse with 4 slots for bread (potentially cooking 4 slices of bread at a time), BUT only one side of one slot works. Soooo, you can literally only cook 1/2 slice of bread at a time, then have to flip it over and wait for the other 1/2 side to cook...TIA

2. We show up to small group on time and noone else is there yet. The host then tells us that she has to go pick up her husband and she leaves 3 muzungus (while people) just sitting in her house alone until someone else arrives....TIA

3. Anytime I try crossing the street in Africa, I always feel like I'm playing a human game of Frogger (remember the video game Frogger??). There are taxi vans traveling at high speeds going straight and diagonally, bikes shooting past every which way, boda boda's (the motorcycle-like things) going all different directions (including the wrong direction), people walking all different directions, traffic constantly stopping and starting....yeah, feels like a game of Frogger!! Take one step out....look out for the taxi....run to the middle...watch the boda from behind....look out for the boda beside you.....watch the 3 children that have now congregated around your feet and are following you....yep, feels like Frogger! In fact, I won't cross the street unless there's a Ugandan beside me, I just wait for them to cross and follow them...I cheat at the "human Frogger" game ;) TIA

4. You are peacefully sitting around having a conversation in the evening and suddenly see one of the girl's in your group jumping up shouting "Ahhhh, it's one of those flying grasshopper's with rabies...". You don't ask, just hysterically start laughing, make sure it's not on you, and reply "TIA"!

5. You walk through the village and literally get a mob of kids following behind you chanting "muzungu" (which again means white person) and you begin to get a taste of how Jesus must have felt walking through some streets, being seen for the first time, TIA!

6. When you actually start having your favorite potholes, TIA!

7. When normal conversations between you and your roomies, while walking through the streets is..."I feel like I'm swimming in my shoes"...."Yeah, I've got mud squishing between my toes all in my sandals"...."Oh no, look at Nina's capris, she's got mud all up the back of them". TIA!

8. There is a different time system here! If a function is supposed to start at 11, don't expect it to start before 11:30 or 12. In fact, the wedding that Sue and I got to attend...there were supposed to be 400 people attending and 10 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start, there were literally 10 people in the sanctuary (including us). We looked at each other and laughed and at the same time said "TIA"!

Now you know one of the most commonly used phrases among western teams that travel to Africa! You know how wonderful people are over here! There's obviously overwhelming needs over here! Soooo, what's stopping you from coming over here???? Come on, take that step forward, and come experience Africa...it will change your outlook and perspective on life FOREVER :)

Until next Monday!

Living to know Him more and more,
Michelle