Almost ready to go!

Well here I am. Two years after I first heard my friend Alex talk about the people of a country in eastern Africa, I am finally ready to begin my journey. Exciting, right? Hard to believe it's here. Sheri, the lovely facilitator of my adventure has prepared me the best she can, sharing lively stories of a culture of people who believes caring for each other is their biggest honor and which values the concept of 'ubuntu'- which translates literally into "I am because we are". In Tanzania, even complete strangers are family. People who you've never even met will bend over backwards to meet your needs and you will do the same for them. Without even questioning it. It's amazing. As I was explaining this to my dad the other day, he mentioned how here in America, it is is much different. We operate on a quid pro quo system, where we only do things for people if we personally know them. Going completely out of your way for someone you don't know seems like an unfathomable concept in the US...in fact, Americans would find it downright WEIRD. But in many parts of Africa, it is like second nature. This beautiful concept intrigues me, and many times I have sat wide-eyed, trying to soak in every last moment of Sheri's stories as I sit curled up in a chair at Starbucks drinking a steaming latte.

There will be no extravagant food in Tanzania. No indoor plumbing or microwaved meals. Lots of traveling by foot. Little access to electricity (the familiar hum sometimes disappears entirely from the already sparse power lines for days at a time). Waaaay too many diseases, many of which even I as a traveler have little ability to prevent myself from getting. But as I was reminded after meeting Chambua (the adorable Tanzanian man who kindly met me for dinner the other night in order to orient me to what I will see in TZ), they have an almost unreal amount of hope, despite the hardships they face. It is truly admirable. They have a sense of community that is almost entirely absent from the individualized society of the west, in which distinguishing ourselves, privatizing our lives and effectively shutting off our livelihood and personal struggles to others is the status quo.

I am not trying to portray individualism as an entirely negative idea. Individualism and thinking for oneself has no doubt stopped wars, identified racism, and overthrown Hitler. Rather, I am trying to say that Americans have the tendency to take it to an extreme. Madonna (yes, the singer- who also happens to be a very prominent advocate for Malawi) said this- it is almost as if the more individualism we gain, the more humanity we throw away. There has to be somewhat of a balance- and we have swung far too much to one side. Not only do we as Americans (and I realize I am generalizing here) have a tendency to say "I don't need anyone else" and "I am not defined by others", but we have a HUGE commitment problem as a result that depicts this lack of unity in an embarrassing display.

Just look-
Fewer marriages, but more people living together long-term.
More people who deliberately & often desperately try to stand out from the crowd.
More dissolution of marriages, friendships, and other relationships are reported now by Americans than ever before.
And as a result, we STILL aren't happy- over 50% of CHRISTIANS consistently feel less connected to others and often feel lonely (Christians- ahem-aren't 'supposed' to feel lonely because we are 'supposed' to be entirely fulfilled by God- which again is mostly an American concept, not a Biblical one).

This is very disheartening to me. Why did I never realize this problem in our society before? And yet, I realize that in order to change anything in our own country, I must be willing to stand in the front line. So here I am, trying to absorb like a sponge.

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other"- Mother Teresa

Meanwhile, ubuntu quietly raises its voice to union. In the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, "my humanity is bound up, tied up, inextricably with yours. Think about it- I'm not defined without you." Right on, dude. Casting aside the Western comments about being too dependent and needy, Africa boldly maintains that unity is far more important than individuality and difference. As I read more, I become more and more thirsty to see the warm heart of Africa live out some of the purest love I have ever heard of and experience the most genuine joy I have ever seen.

Am I scared? Heck yeah. Ill be traveling alone, taken care of by strangers in a land that is so foreign to me that I don't think I could have even found it on a map three years ago.  But I know that I have God, I have an incredible support system through email, and probably most importantly- I will be in a place where people know what it means to take care of each other and stand in the trenches for each other- no matter how hard things get.

"Fear is a manipulative emotion which can trick us into living boring lives"- Donald Miller

In medicine, there is an official motto that is often symbolized by the Star of Life. It means "service before self". I believe in it so much it almost hurts. This is the least I can do for the Tanzanians, for I know they have taught me much and will teach me much more..

"For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win even more"- 1 Cor. 9:19

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."- 1 John 3:16-18

Here's to action, not just words.