Life is Hard, but It Can Still be Fun

Life is hard in Mokanji. Before the war, this village had a lot. It had good schools, electricity, and a healthy population. The war destroyed a lot. Life is hard here, even for the "wealthy." Basic chores here consist of walking to the well with a 5 gallon bucket and carrying it back home on their heads, cooking a meager meal over an open fire, doing laundry by hand and hoping it doesn't rain long enough to let the clothes dry. It is hard for people here to afford school for their children (there are 3 terms, each term costs about 35,000 leones, the equivelant to $8.75). It is hard for people here to afford food as well. Life here is hard and I have great respect for the men and women who are able to keep their families and households running.

On the other hand I am very blessed here. I am staying in a house that is very safe with locking doors. I have electricity, running water, and one of the only refrigerators in Mokanji. Heck, even the toilet flushes. The worst part is that there have been many times I have caught myself thinking, "If only I had this or that…" Seriously, I am disgusted (and to be honest, pretty embarrassed) with myself. How selfish my heart can be. This is why I need Jesus. I need Jesus to continually show me how great he is and how I am not.

I will be honest, even with the "luxurious" house I get to stay in, it is still Africa. I still come home to find lizards and many insects in my house. In fact there are so many insects I have created a few games that I get to play every night. The first is simple - how many ants can I kill in my kitchen. The tricky part is as soon as the light turns on they run. You have to be ready with weapon in hand, whether that is a cup or shoe or book. My record is 9. The second is also very simple - to shower before I count 10 bugs. The first few days I did not do very well at this game and often lost. However, I have now gotten quite good at showering in 5 minutes or less and can usually win. I have not been able to win the nights I have to shave, but I will keep practicing. :)

Just because life is hard, does not mean life is not fun! This is what I have learned from some of the poorest of the poor. Life is fun, but sometimes you have to get creative!