23 Hours of Fun

Going back to work today, armed with 23 hours of mini-DV from my trip to Africa, a 1 TB external FireWire hard drive, and enough work to employ a small army. No wonder I woke up before 5:00 AM. Jet lag and a side of anxiety.

Initial Thoughts on My Trip to The Gambia

For many years, I have wanted to come to Africa. I have read about it, seen movies about it, heard songs about it, but it wasn't until I finally traveled to Africa that I realized that I really didn't know anything about Africa and why people end up living the way they do. Extreme poverty, health issues, hunger, thirst, all that things that can destroy an entire continent. Yet, these things ultimately don't stop the Gambians. They continue to live, to eat, to drink in the worst conditions; hot, dry, dirty, smelly. They work a grueling day for about $5, just enough to hopefully feed their families that night. If they didn't make anything, they would not eat. They devote themselves to a religion that doesn't help them, and they are surrounded by tourists.

In some ways, it could seem that they invite you into their misery so that they could have a taste of our good life. But what it comes down to is that they end up teaching you about sincerity, hard work, survival, contentment, and gratitude. All things that you can't truly know until you see their joy in life.

To be among the poor in America and come here, I realize that I am a "two-bob," a rich man, here in the Gambia. I make more in a month than they will in a year. And that makes me think, why does one human's life have more value than another’s? Is it only because of the country I live in, or is there something else that determines the worth of a human life?

All in all, this trip was life changing. It confirmed what I believe God has made me to do, and it showed me what contentment is all about.