Appreciating the Important

I have gained much from my near 3 month stay in Rwanda. Of all the things that I have learned and experienced, my new found sense of appreciation for the many things commonly taken for granted is the greatest reward that I may take away from Africa. The simple life of an African farmer fighting daily battles for food and water for his family was more than humbling; it helped me to put into perspective the truly important things in life. In Rwanda, they have an understanding of what is important that we in America should long for.

I have learned to appreciate working electricity. This is a luxury in Rwanda, and commonality in the US.

Canned food packaged for quick and easy cooking is unheard of in Rwanda. We complain about its price in the US.

Water from the tap can make you ill and even kill you in Rwanda if you drink it (that is if you are lucky enough to have tap water.) In the US, we drink bottled water because the tap water isn’t flavored.

If you are hurt or sick in Rwanda there is no medical or social security to help you through times of need. Only the strong survive, and even then, sometimes the strong do not. In the US we go to the doctor to fight the common cold. People falsely make a living off pretend accidents and injuries.

We toss out more food from our refrigerators than entire families eat in Rwanda. We complain about the smell coming from our disease free, pre packaged goods stored at 34oF in an easy access refrigerator. The Rwandan farmer gives his child the last spoon full of sorghum mush hoping to find more the next day.

The Rwandan mother and father hope that one of their 3 children will live to be 25 years old. The American mother and father will spend more money than the entire income of a Rwandan village paying for training camps, lessons, and uniforms so that their son can play for the winning T-Ball team at age 7. They will yell at his coach for not playing their son while the Rwandan family cries for help as their 7 year old stops breathing.

The Rwandan family gathers together in their small hut to pray to God that they may have food and water the next day. They haven’t had any food in two days and are becoming sick. The US family curses God out loud because some vehicle cut their $40,000 SUV off on the interstate during their summer vacation on the beach. They speed around the other vehicle and attempt to cut it off for payback.

Most of my emails and blogs were light hearted as that is what most people enjoy reading. I wish all could be light hearted and humorous, but it would be a lie. I have found a very sad thing about our world versus their world. We want more, more, more. They want only their daily bread and ask for nothing more.
I am excited to come home to the many things that I miss, but I don’t know how eager I am to accept the selfish and unappreciative manner that will also come with these amenities.

I am ready to drink a glass of milk, but I am not prepared to see so many leave a full class on the table to spoil.

I am ready to watch television and college football, but I’m not ready to see 10 men drinking beer and yelling at the top of their lungs at the television cursing everything Holy. My mind will only remember the Rwandans who walked miles to see and enjoy a soccer game that they listened to from outside the stadium because they couldn’t afford the $0.05 entrance fee.

I am ready to talk to all my friends and call them. I will be bothered by the many college students with phones attached to their ears too uninvolved to acknowledge another human being. I’ll picture Rwandans saying hello to everyone, both white and black, every time someone passes by.

I can’t wait to enjoy a nice Texan steak freshly grilled. I may loose my appetite when I see someone send their steak back because they ordered medium rare and not well done.

I am ready to drive my pickup again. I will cringe when I see a 17 year old girl furious at the traffic and flipping people off because it will take 10 more minutes to get to the mall.

I am ready to get back to West Texas and see the green fields after this wet year. I will be disgusted when I hear the farmers complaining about the rain because they will make too much cotton to receive their insurance check. I will only be able to think about the Rwandan digging through the dirt to salvage seed so that his family may eat these seeds as the rains didn’t come this year.

I will be ready to get back to A&M and finish school. I will be tired of hearing about how much this person or that person hates their class and refuses to attend. Most Rwandans are starving for education because it is not available to them even in the most basic forms. My fellow Aggies whose entire college is funded by mom & dad or the State of Texas will complain more about school than the Rwandans complain about not having enough to eat.

Lastly and most importantly, I will be ready to return to family and friends. I love my family and friends just as Rwandans love their family and friends. I can’t wait to see them as they mean so much to me. This is the same in Rwanda except unlike most Americans, Rwandans don’t need a three month stay in a foreign country to realize what is important in life. Their struggle to survive allows them to understand what is truly important on a daily basis.

I have learned that it doesn’t take complex theories, self help books, therapists, or some organization for a person to find what is important in life. The answer is simple because it requires simplicity. It requires removing from life all the things that we are told are important and taking the time to really think about what we can do without. Try doing without those things for a short time, and the few things that a person realizes that he or she cannot do without become their focus. Our luxuries, cars, large homes, and repackaged foods are things that this life does not require. I have realized this and I hope that when I return I can keep my attitude of being thankful for what I have and not worrying about what I have not.

1Timothy 6:17-18
17Command those who are rich in the present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.