Ice Cream in the fridge, Paper out the window, Dirt in the road

The African culture is quite a bit different than the American culture.  I know… understatement of the century.  But, it’s true. 

So, ice cream in the fridge… Pastor Carol asked me what food I was missing most from home, and I told her ice cream.  So, that evening as we were traveling home from the church, she stopped and bought Dawn and me little individual servings of ice cream.  She set them out on the table before dinner so they would warm up by the time we wanted to eat them.  Hillarious!  Then today for lunch, Mary set two more out for us to eat.  When I opened mine it was completely melted, and I said, “Whew!  This needs to go back in the freezer.”  Dawn looked at me with a deadpan face and said, “It came out of the fridge.”  LOL!  It makes me laugh!

Paper out the window… I’m not sure why, but everyone throws their trash on the ground here.  While we were in Mathare doing the crusades, Dawn and I gave out lots of candy…and I mean tons of it!  The kids and adults alike really enjoy sweets.  And every one of them tear into the candy with their teeth, then proceed to throw the wrapper onto the ground.  Dawn and I laughed when we noticed “Keep Kiambu Clean” receptacles in town the other day.  I believe the bins were completely empty.  Ha!  Well, today, Pastor Peter came to drive Dawn and I to the church, and on the way we offered him a piece of candy.  He tore into the candy with his teeth, and out the window went the paper.  Dawn and I couldn’t help ourselves but to laugh.

Dirt on the road… It may sound a bit common place; we are staying on a dirt road.  But, when I say dirt on the road, I mean DIRT on the road.  Someone had come and dumped a huge pile of dirt on our very narrow road.  What were they thinking??  Pastor Peter had to get out of the car and move some big rocks so he could maneuver over a low place in the pile of dirt just to get us onto the main road.  All I can say is, “I am in Africa”.

There are other things, too, like driving on the sidewalk, or in any lane of your choice, tripling prices when you see a white girl coming into your shop, and buying milk in a plastic bag.  I’m sure there is more, but that’s all I can think of now.

Oh, I know, wearing loose cloth around your waist and calling it a skirt.  Jeri, you thought I dressed “eclectically” before I came to Africa…you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!  Get ready, girl!

Dawn brought an amazing word tonight on praise as a weapon of warfare.  She had another message prepared to preach, but God had her change it only moments before she spoke.  And she was an amazing vessel!  God is so proud of her, and so am I!  Wow!  What an amazing woman of God!

Only a few more days left…See everyone soon!