Africa Journal: Part 1

6.26.08: My first day in Africa:

On Tuesday, June 24, we spent a day touring New York City. This was my first time in New York and it took my breath away. The cityscape is incredible; the high rise buildings seemed to have sprouted up from the ground like wildflowers enveloping the island. We went atop Rockefeller Center and gazed at the monstrous Empire State Building and the beautiful Central Park. This city is truly a unique and special place; a city built on the ingenuity and greed of the most powerful nation on earth. The history and culture are interesting and I enjoyed spending time in Central Park, Times Square, and walking the streets.

In JFK airport, I met a man from Kenya. We were in the bathroom and it was under construction. I was waiting in line to use the only toilet and this man asked me if this was the only toilet. When I responded, he said, “How can this be? When I’m in Kenya, they always talk about The Great New York. How can there only be one toilet in The Great New York?” He was very funny and I enjoyed talking to him.

Then we left to go to Africa. Our flight from New York to Dubai was great. The airline had amazing food and great service. We were basically treated like kings and queens. Here’s how a typical flight goes:

-The moment the plane gets in the air, they hand out a warm moist towel to freshen up.
-Then they served beverages. You can order anything you want (including adult beverages) for free.
-Then they served a three course meal.
-Then another round of beverages.
-Also, the entire flight there are unlimited movies, TV shows, and music.

As soon as we got to Dar es Salaam, it was apparent that we basically went from one side of the world to the other in more ways than one. Not only did we jump 10 time zones, but we also went from one of the wealthiest cities on earth to one of the poorest. The difference was incredible. Dar es Salaam has 5 million people spread out over a city with a 30 mile diameter. The unemployment rate is about 40%. New York is quite the opposite.

We took a taxi from the airport to Gil and Amy Medina’s house. Our driver was named John Francis and he was so funny. Not only was he a great driver, weaving in and out of traffic and speeding, but he was also a creative mechanic. Still 30 minutes from Gil and Amy’s house, the shifter detached from the transmission. Ian and I found a piece of wire on the ground on the side of the road and John crawled under the car and successfully attached his shifter back onto the transmission with a 5 inch piece of wire. Quite possibly the best part about this whole situation was John’s cell phone. About every 10 minutes, John would get a phone call. His ring tone was “We wish you a merry Christmas”. That song will forever be stuck in my head.

Basically, Dar es Salaam is a unique place, but a shock is relation to experiencing New York for a day. To go from one extreme to another in 24 hrs is really a unique experience.


6.28.08:

Today we went to see the camp in order to be prepared for the next week. This was quite an experience. Buses and taxis are always interesting. Not only do the drivers rarely obey traffic laws, speed and proximity to other motorists and pedestrians is relative. Potential accidents were measured in inches, not feet. Although, I had a great time; I hung my head out the window and took in the sights with great joy.

We made a stop by K’s apartment in Dar. It was a suite in a brand new building in downtown. The view from her sixth floor balcony was incredible. Downtown Dar is a unique sight. The hustle and bustle of thousands of pedestrians, honking motorists, and run down buildings is like nothing I could imagine in San Jose.

The camp exceeded all of our expectations. I imagined concrete forms buildings with no running water and thin mats on the ground for a bed. Instead, there were concrete form buildings with running water and beds. The water pressure was enough to flush the toilets, but not enough to run a shower. Finally, after 3 days of showers and pampering at the Medina’s we will get to experience buckets baths and dirty clothes for a week. Now we’re on a missions trip.

On the way home, our bus had some problems. The rear dualy wheels on the driver’s side came detached from the axle and began sliding off the bus. With 17 people on board, this was a potentially a dangerous situation. The driver brought the bus to a halt and the on-board mechanic went to work. The wheel was inches from coming completely detached from the bus. If this were to happen, the bus would have tipped over with everyone inside. After some interesting techniques to jack the bus up, the mechanic attached the wheels back onto the bus and away we went. Praise God for keeping us safe.

6.29.08:

The last three days at the Medina’s have been great. They have a shower, hot water, comfortable beds, a ping-pong table, and power. Their house is beautiful; a well kept yard, washing machine, full kitchen, two bathrooms, and matching décor make us feel guilty. I thought we were going to rough it in Africa. We have been treated like kings and queens. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very thankful. Today, we start camp. More to come about our experiences after camp.