I SAW THE POOR LAUGH
First , I want to extend my apologies for the gap in writing from Burkina Faso. This was a third world nation that we were in and we experienced some days with no internet capacity. Thus the silence from Africa.
Let me try to fill in the gaps….
We got home early one night to our hotel from some Compassion projects. Some of us decided to walk the streets of Ouagadougou, the capital city. We walked 4 blocks to a market. We were rushed upon , as we were everyday from our hotel entrance, those trying to sell us everything from fabrics, to phone cards, African masks, and trinkets. They would wait everyday for the Americans to come out. As we walked the 4 blocks , the whole entourage followed us and asked us for 30 minutes to buy something. They smiled but persistent and at times irritating. We could not even discuss with each other what we were seeing on the streets because we were in constant “no thank you” mode to the sellers. People smiled and were kind to us but no one laughed. There was no joy in this third world nation which is now the 3rd poorest in the world. They smiled because we were foreigners. They smiled because the Burkina Faso are kind. But no one laughs. BECAUSE POVERTY DOES NOT LAUGH. They are trying to survive and very little brings joy to them.
My hotel window overlooked 2 significant things.
A Muslim mosque and a dump.
One morning, my time in prayer was interrupted by a screaming man. When I looked out the window, there were some 40 muslim men, beating, whipping with a whip and kicking a man on the ground. I don’t know the reason and I don’t know why, but it was a disturbing site.
But the man that would distract me the most was the same man that I would see every morning in the little pile of garbage from the hotel , dig through to find food to survive for the day. That disturbed me. He was trying to survive, to live, to make it till tomorrow.
Where would you find joy in a devastated nation like this?
The world food crisis has tripled the prices of food. A bag of rice normally costs $20 now is $60. Many families now eat ONCE EVERY OTHER DAY……did you get that?
We made home visits to families with HIV and would bring a giant bag of rice , a gallon of oil and soup for washing. This food will last them a month. When we would show up , you would have thought we were Ed McMahon with the clearing house publishers check. Our visit would add 30 more days to their living. They were happy but laughing was not present.
My final day is what I will never forget. We went to our final Compassion project about 2 hours outside the capital city. The church we were working with had about 4000 people and a great site for Compassion.
We came into their old sanctuary where the workers were teaching the women how to use Malaria nets that they were providing.
This is the stage they did the 20 minute seminar from
During the presentation, one of our leaders asked the question to the 300 attenders…..”have you ever had Malaria?” The crowd burst out laughing. It was like asking if we in America ever had a cold. They all raised their hand and looked at the questioner as if he was making a joke. Malaria is the number one killer in Africa and especially in Burkina Faso. Compassion was giving out malaria nets and educating them how to use them or they would usually come back and see them fishing with them if they did not have this seminar.
But something happened in the presentation constantly that made me see the power of the Gospel. No Scripture verse was mentioned, no hymns and no sermons, but a flannel graph presentation on how to use a net. Kevin our interpreter and teacher that day was very humorous. He would say things and the whole room would errupt in laughter. The ladies would then giggle and talk among themselves at his comments. Then I realized, I have not heard this sound yet. It was laughter. It was joy. Even in the midst of poverty and what would see as a dismal future. But most importantly , these ladies were christians and part of the church. That means they had joy. I SAW POVERTY LAUGH. I saw hope in their eyes. In the most abject circumstances, the gospel brings hope. IT MAKES PEOPLE LAUGH AGAIN.
It wasn’t their free net from Compassion that gave them hope but something on the inside.
It was Jesus on the inside.
I sat there speechless as the women filed out orderly and joyful to go home.They got on their bikes, motorcycles and some walked home.
The message of Jesus makes people laugh again
No matter your circumstance or your background or your future
The gospel brings joy
I saw it firsthand
I need you to pray again.
I go back to Africa in just 4 days.
I am taking about 12 pastors to Rwanda with Compassion International. If Burkina Faso wasn’t so life changing and monumental in my life, the turnaround would be very, very difficult. To get the opportunity to see what will happen with these 12 Detroit pastors, is worth all of the little inconveniences that is experienced on overseas travel.
Please pray as we leave on Wednesday for this nation that was ravaged 15 years ago with a genocide that took the life of 800,000 Rwanda people.