One Year Later: What I've Learned Since Returning To My Passport Country
Twelve.
Twelve suitcases.
Have you ever tried to check twelve suitcases on to a flight? It takes a long time. Especially when it’s an international flight, the conveyor belt is not fully working, your flight has been delayed so you have to rebook your connecting flight in order not to miss it, and several of your suitcases are over the weight limit.
And yet that was simply the start to our transatlantic journey exactly one year ago today as we relocated our lives back from West Africa to our passport country of the USA.
It was a hectic day that was as filled with emotions as our suitcases were filled to the brim with all our earthly possessions.
And it was a day my family had not seen coming.
When we said “yes” to moving and working in West Africa in 2017, we thought we were stepping into a chapter of life and ministry that would last for several years. In private conversations with my wife, I wondered (and hoped) that we would be able to count our time in West Africa in decades rather than years. So we packed up some of our possessions, stored a few keepsakes, sold everything else, and moved with our 7 month old son to a new part of the world with new cultures, new friends, new languages, new opportunities, and new challenges.
And, to put it succinctly, it did not go according to (my) plan. We had amazing experiences, made awesome friends, and learned so much about missions, God, and ourselves. But the Holy Spirit also led us back to the United States on a much quicker timetable than we had anticipated.
So, one year ago today, we packed up our lives and returned to the USA not knowing what the future held.
As I have reflected recently on what all has transpired in the last 12 months and what God has taught me through this season of transition from West Africa to the USA, several different thoughts come to mind.
I’ve shared some of those thoughts previously in these blog posts:
I’ve also been reminded of so many of the great friends we made during our time in Senegal and Ghana, the wonderful church work that we witnessed, and the amazing cuisine that we were introduced to. From attaya to shawarmas and yassa poulet to fufu, we tasted some amazing food from across West Africa. And as for the friends we made and the leaders we served under? They have forever shaped how we view God, Christianity, and global missions. They were some of the best teachers I have ever learned from.
As I reflect back on what we experienced during our time in West Africa as well as what we have experienced in this year of significant transition called 2019, I’ve been reminded of one lesson time and time again.
And that main lesson is this:
We are who we are because of who we serve.
I was taught this lesson one day when we had lived in West Africa for about two months. Something had broken in our apartment and I went down to our property manager’s office to talk about getting it fixed and happened to walk in on what could be called tea time. Now in Senegal, they have this wonderful tea called attaya that is so much more than just a cup of leaf-flavored water. Attaya is a tea – but it is also an experience.
And my property manager invited me to join him and a few others for attaya. As we watched one gentleman go through the extensive process of brewing attaya, we landed on the topic of religion. Light conversation topic right? Our property manager was one of the most cultured men I’ve known: he spoke French, Wolof, English, Spanish, and Russian, watched Bollywood movies, listened to Jazz, and was a devout Muslim.
So he asked me what I thought of the culture in Senegal, and I responded by saying that it was one of the most hospitable, welcoming, helpful cultures that I have experienced – similar to my experiences with my wife Reetu in her home country of India.
To which he replied, “Yes, Indians are very hospitable people. And that is because they serve Krishna. We here in Senegal live our lives the way we do because we serve Allah. And you Americans live your lives the way you do because you serve Jesus of the Bible. We are who we are because of who we serve.”
WE ARE WHO WE ARE BECAUSE OF WHO WE SERVE
If our lives reflect who we serve and worship, who do those around us think we serve? Living in West Africa, I know how my property manager learned about American culture and people – Hollywood movies and US cable news stations. Think about the last time you watched the news. If that is the picture people have of Americans – of Christians – what does that tell others about our Jesus?
And I think my property manager was correct, our identity directs how we live our lives. For those of us who claim to follow Jesus of the Bible, our identity as daughters and sons of God will impact what we do with our lives.
We are who we are because of who we serve.
Since returning to the USA, I’ve had time to wrestle with what my image and understanding of God is. I’ve come to realize that how I answer the question: “Who is God?” significantly impacts my answer to the question: “Who am I?”
And you have to only take a cursory glance at our American culture - in person or online - to see how true this is. Our definition of God determines our definition of our own lives. Which defines what we do and how we go about doing it.
In the last 12 months, I’ve realized how some of my thoughts about God have been underdeveloped - or just plain incorrect. And, by God’s grace, I am making progress on developing a more vibrant, Christ-centered understanding of who I serve.
So today, November 5th, I am drinking some Nescafe in memory of our time in West Africa and saying several prayers for the amazing, uncelebrated heroes of the faith across that part of the world that I call friends.
And I’m also remembering how much I have to learn.
About others.
About myself.
About our global God.
Because - we are who we are because of who we serve.
p.s. - And yes, I will always remember, remember the 5th of November.
