Derek Russell
Contributing columnist
In October of last and this year, my wife and I have acted as hosts for a dear friend of ours from Zambia, Africa. Pastor John is someone that I met several years ago when I was leading a team from Ohio on a mission trip to Zambia to develop relationships and partnerships between Christians and churches in our respective countries. Being far away from home and in a different culture is always an eye-opening experience for anyone, but the opposite is true as well. When you have someone from a different country in your home for a significant amount of time, you have your eyes opened to what you have been taking for granted and have ceased paying attention to. We have had many good laughs and funny moments with Pastor John as we experienced things that are overly-familiar to us but are brand new to him.
Last year, my wife took Pastor John to UDF for some ice cream. There were many flavors that Pastor John had never heard of, so out from behind the counter came the little plastic spoons for him to try some new flavors. The thing that made the biggest impression was not the ice cream itself but when my wife asked him if he wanted some hot fudge. He did not know what she was talking about, so out came another little plastic spoon. My wife will always remember how Pastor John’s eyes lit up in that moment when he tasted hot fudge for the very first time. A bottle of it made its way in his suitcase back to Africa. The mistake he made upon returning home was that he let his wife try it, and it quickly became her possession that she then carefully rationed out for the next few months.
On this most recent trip, Pastor John had some articles of clothing to wash, so I showed him how to use the washing machine and dryer. After doing his laundry, he called his wife back home and described how easy it was to do laundry. She told him, “I wish you would carry those machines back to me!” Indeed, many things in America make living easier than in Africa.
Another difference is about how indulgent we are when it comes to pets (and in my case, dogs). Pets are part of the family here, and Pastor John has experienced not only in my home but other American homes how some dogs are allowed access to the whole house, furniture, and sometimes people’s faces. This is very different than most homes in Zambia where dogs are mostly kept outside.
Pastor John spent some time with my church’s youth group the other night, where he described how he was building a school in his village for the younger children to attend. He explained how not all children were able to go to school because their parents could not afford the tuition costs. Of course, our kids were surprised that school was more of a privilege (and honor) in his country rather than being a mandatory part of growing up. Our youth leader emphasized how easy it is for us to get so used to something that we devalue it and stop being thankful for it.
When our mission team was in Zambia, we saw how people had to walk to a water source with buckets to get water for the home. Often it is the children’s job to get water for the family. When we came home to our faucets in the kitchen or bathroom, we all remembered the little children carrying water long distances. Access to electricity is another variance. We are used to having electricity all the time unless there is a big storm with power outages. In Zambia, electricity is being rationed and it may be on for only a couple of hours a day. Some of the reason for this is that they are partly reliant on hydropower (Victoria Falls generates a lot of power for the country), but in a season of drought, the ability to produce electric power lessens. Imagine trying to store food, or use a computer at work or school, or get around the interior of your house at night when you never know if the power will be on or off.
The way time is viewed is another big difference. In Africa, we experienced vibrant worship services with dancing, singing, preaching, and testimonies. No one seemed to be concerned about the length of the service itself. As an American pastor, I know I am running the risk of a rebellion (complete with torches and pitchforks) if the service runs a few minutes over the hour mark. In Zambia, the focus is on the event, which may or may not start and end on time. In America, we like to know how long an amount of time something is going to take. We value starting and ending at predictable times.
In the midst of all of the differences, we have found a foundation that transcends the variances in our relationship with Pastor John. When we are gathered together as God’s people, we read the same Bible. We gather to pray. We gather to encourage one another. We come together at a common table to experience The Lord’s Supper. We believe in the same God who is Lord over Zambia and over America and over all the nations of the earth. It is a powerful thing beyond words to be in a culture different from your own and find people with the same faith and commitment to God. I am glad to be part of a movement of God that transcends all national boundaries and rivalries. I am thankful to be in partnership with Christians all over the world. Especially today, I am grateful for my friendship with Pastor John, his family, and his people.
Derek Russell is pastor of the Hillsboro Global Methodist Church. He loves Jesus, family, dogs and football.
