Dear Explore Africa 2013

Three weeks after we have left Cameroon, we as a team were busy with the debrief.  I wrote my team the following letter, I think it shows a bit of every day life as a team of Explore Africa and the challenges we were facing....enjoy!

Dear team,

While debriefing Cameroon I came to the conclusion that we had quite a bumpy ride behind us.  And by this I don’t only mean the road between Cameroon and Gabon.  All of us had challenges, personal challenges, team challenges, cultural challenges, maybe even God-challenges.  All of us learned lessons.  For most of us it was lessons we thought we have mastered a long time ago.  Clearly not.  I certainly though I had the whole submitting under authority thing well under control. I guess I was only managing it...not addressing it like oom Gerrie would say.

Do you remember the joy and excitement Wayne carried in his heart about that green-green country that for most of us were still very unfamiliar?  The heart-warming welcome we received in Arsene’s church after an exhausting and tiresome journey from Gabon to Yaounde.  The resounding welcome, welcome, welcome, from the youthful voices of fellow believers that lifted up our spirits. 

Ilene, do you remember that for the first time you were homesick, like really homesick.  You missed your house and your kitchen and your people and your food.  You were properly Africa-slapped! Thandie, even you who know your Africa calling so well, were missing America.  In fact, the majority of us were so homesick we found comfort in spending hours in a Total garage quick-shop, drinking a coke and eating KinderJoy chocolates. 

I Skyped with my mom one night...maybe over-exaggerating a bit but trying my best to give her an idea of the hardship we faced on our way to Cameroon and also the hardship of everyday African life.  In all simplicity my mom asked the very valid question “but is it worth it?” 

So team, was it worth it?  Being exposed to so much corruption, dishonisty and poverty that could last you a life time?  Travelling hours and hours at night on terrible roads with the end destination being unknown? I am quite sure that you will answer me, just as I answered my mom, without a doubt, Yes!  What we are doing each day involve a cost, it will ask something of you.  Like Wayne said, it must, it should.  Would we have chosen this route, this life if it cost us nothing.  I doubt it.  With the cost I learned my greatest lesson so far, we get to see the treasure of Gods faithful love to an unfaithful continent...and that for me is priceless.