Category Archives: Life in Africa

Prejudice and Pride – How Africa Has Changed Me

05 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Inspirational Thoughts, Life in Africa, My Journey

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ImagePhoto by Remick Lackey

In 1987 we had watched the newly released “Out of Africa” with Meryl Steep and Robert Redford. We had a dream that was about to become a reality. A culmination of many years of prayer and longing to “go”. We had said to God, like Isaiah, “Here am I Lord, send me.” Our ideas were so romantic. In fact, I was Meryl and Jerry was Robert and together, we set off for Africa!

We came to Africa to really make a difference, “to shake a nation.” Like the great Evangelist, Reinhard Bonke says, shaking his fist in the air with resolute declaration, “Africa shall be saved!”

But after living in Africa for almost 25 years now, most of my adult life, so far, we have experienced the richness of a culture and of it’s people. We now know that we really have not changed anything much. But one thing we do know, Africa has changed us! We are different people now from when we came! Africa and its people have taught us and shown us more about being people of honor and respect, which are the foundation and fabric of this culture. People come first. Period. My fast-paced, introspective, American life-style, my small minded-ness, my lack of a world view all had limited me as a life long learner on the field. Can you believe, I even thought God was American! Not literally, but certainly in my perception of how I thought He thought!

Seriously though, it has taken years for me to really understand that the things that were ingrained in me from my culture as an American up to the age of 27 when I came to Africa, were not necessarily the “right” way at all. Its all I knew. Here, in Botswana, to greet someone is fundamental to any encounter and conversation. If I greet you, I respect you. If I forgo that formality, simply because I am in a hurry (guilty-I am almost always in a hurry!), then I may as well turn around and leave, because I wont’ get very far.

We are sometimes embarrassed by our younger days here, and our ex-patriot counterparts who come over with the idea that we are better than someone because they can’t speak English, don’t dress as nice, or live in a hut. Don’t let that fool you! You never know who you will find in that hut, or in the yard. PHD’s, Ministers of Parliament, Diplomats, enjoying retirement. An elderly person who is looking after and providing for up to 12 children because their parents have passed away. A woman who lives with abuse. A smelly child who happens to come from a child led home because there is no one to look after them? Judgments and prejudices are in our lives and the back of our minds as ugly reminders of our inability to embrace, unconditionally those we encounter every day of our lives. You cannot judge a book by its cover for sure! You really never can.

What are some ways that you could see yourself letting down your guard to love the lovely, and the seemingly un-lovely? What makes a person worthy of your attention-or not? We all came from the dust and will return to it. Compassion is the essence of life-Christian or not. It is when Christ is the ruler of our hearts, He gives us the ability to see the person, to really SEE the person, as he sees them. That’s what it means to be his hands and his feet.

I wouldn’t trade a day I have lived in Africa for all the highways in Houston! Slow down, take it all in, the people around you, the task you thought you had to do at that moment, and savor the sweetness of another person, because they deserve as much dignity and respect as you do.

Hospitality

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Life in Africa, Love Botswana Outreach Mission

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Great two nights!  15 for dinner last nite and 13 tonight…sweet friends, family new friends, guests!

Being in a mission culture there always seems to be some coming in and some going out. They come, serve, put “bricks in the wall” of the work of Love Botswana. They pour out their lives while they are here, some for a week, some 3 months, some 8 -10 years! But they all have a kindred heart for this very special place that we are privileged to serve in Maun, Botswana.

Dirty boys, Drought and Desparate Measures!

08 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in Inspirational Thoughts, Life in Africa, Our Family, The Early Days

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Image1996-97 was a terrible season of drought in Northern Botswana. We lived on the Boteti River and the very last pool of water from the Okavango Delta was in front of our house. In that pool lived 32 Hippos who were hanging on to their last days of life. They were literally starving to death. Their home-the Boteti River was dwindling in the Kalahari sun by the day. The smell of death was all around and nothing could be done about it.

Water was hauled in the back of a Hilux Toyota pickup. Water rations were just a part of life. By this time I was pregnant with our 3rd son and we had 2 very active boys who loved to play in the dirt! “a dirty kid is a happy kid” one mama of kids raised in the Botswana bush taught me. So true. There was an old generator that we turned on in the evening for some lights and Video taped shows.

Bath time was especially eventful. We would fill the tub with about 6 inches of water that the whole family had to share. The cleanest person got to go first, which given the family dynamics, that person was usually me! By the time we got to the last bath, that water was black! We then dumped the water down the toilet. We used the “if its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down” method, to stretch the water we did have. Any other water was used to water what little green there was around the house.

The grand finale of this season was a mysterious fire that destroyed the house and all its contents, leaving us with a new baby boy and 2 sons-homeless. We wrapped up business and travelled to the USA to my mama’s place in Texas. We arrived exhausted from the journey. When I went in to take a shower I just stood under the water and cried. It had been a tough couple of years. It didn’t feel right to let the water flow like that. I felt guilty. But wonderful at the same time.

Eventually the rains came to our village and gave moisture and life to the dry land. Sometimes our lives are like that. We get dry-dirty-thirsty. We need the rain to come. God desires to pour out his love on us like that shower in my mama’s Texas home. So glorious, so, almost sacred, is that water. Refreshing and restoring my soul from a very difficult season.

The bible says, Revelation 22:17 (ESV)

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

We have all heard the phrase “water is life”. I can tell you I know it is true. But there is a river of water that never will run dry. And that is God’s love to his kids. Jump in, enjoy, let it wash you clean and be refreshed.

Baboons and Babies

06 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Life in Africa, The Early Days

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Image

My firstborn son, Remick, was less than 10 days old. Born near the farm at a small hospital in the bush of Africa, and 2 weeks overdue, our time was drawing near to travel to the USA. Jerry had to make one last trip up to the remote area in Botswana that we now call home. It was just me, my new baby boy and a whole lot of farmland and wild animals. The house had no electricity or running water. We were on our “african adventure” and roughing it was what we thrived on. At least till the kids started coming along!

A vegetable garden was my pride and joy, next to my new son of course! I heard a bunch of noise outside the window and when I looked I saw a troop of Baboons having a party in the middle of my -almost ripe-garden! Out of instinct, I grabbed Remick and put him on my hip and went back to the window to figure out what to do. If I went outside it could put us in danger. I am a person who takes risks for sure-but I decided to open the window and give the intruders a piece of my mind. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the whole house was surrounded!

The alpha male had the nerve to steal my long awaited, beautiful, plump, sweet watermelon and had it under his arm! I opened the window and with all I could muster up, began to shout at those baboons and told them to get out of my garden and leave my watermelon alone! They just looked at each other and kept on partying. They eventually left that evening, watermelon tucked safely under the baboons arm.

While I didn’t win the stand off, I am reminded of the need for us to stand our ground for things that are important to us. I tend to get myself in to trouble often. My wise, calm husband always reminds me to “choose my battles carefully” but I don’t always follow that advice. I thought I would get better with time but it seems I still have “passion” for some things that just seem to land at my doorstep or I my yard like the baboons. I have 4 kids now, 2 grown and 2 at home, but I have a lot more out there that consider me their “mom”.

I hope that I can, through this blog, channel some of that energy to do some good, even to ignite passion in people to make a difference with the influence God has given us, to protect the “garden” entrusted into our care. Baboons, babies and all, let’s give it our best shot!

photo: Copyright © 2012 Mary Robbins

The Angry Hippo & Andy the Invincible

05 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in Life in Africa, The Early Days

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Image The Angry Hippo & Andy the Invincible. There was once a black Labrador named Andy. He lived along the Boteti river in a place called Xobe, in Botswana, Africa. Andy had a brother who was a golden Lab named Barney, sometimes the owners would call them by whistling the tune to the “old black and white” TV show theme song to Andy of Mayberry. Together they were unbeatable for killing snakes. One would distract while the other would grab the back of the unlucky reptile’s neck and together they would rip it apart until the last writhing piece of flesh became still.

ImageThere was a drought and the last pool of water from the Okavango Delta was right in front of the house on the Boteti River. Around 30 hippos were camped there. One day, Andy got the bright idea that he would take a swim with the Hippos. Labs just can’t resist a good swim! So Andy jumped into the water and onto the back of one of the Hippos. There was such a commotion that everyone ran out to see what was going on. I don’t know if it was a stoke of luck or an answer to the prayers that were being screamed out by an onlooker but, eventually, Andy gave up and returned to the banks of the river. Miraculously, Andy escaped death that day. He had the time of his life and had no clue how lucky he was to be alive!

This is a true story. I know because I was the one screaming out the prayers for my dog, Andy!

Sometimes it happens like that in life. We find ourselves in the middle of a very bad situation, with no clue of how dangerous it really is. We normally find our kids in these kinds of situations and somehow, God delivers them. But sometimes, He doesn’t and bad things do happen. If only the dog would have listened to my protests. He wouldn’t have stayed in that situation for long. But he just jumped on the back of that hippo and hung on. The picture will be forever embedded in my mind. A dog an the back of a hippo, barking and holding on for dear life!

There are people in our lives who, whether we like it-or them-or not, help guide us and keep us safe, help us be productive and who just help us to be better than we are. Sometimes its a boss, other times a friend or a family member. I once read a book called “Irregular People”. It talked about that someone in your life that you can’t ever seem to get rid of, that gets under your skin like no one can! Even that person in our lives has a purpose. It builds character like nothing else can. I hope I can be someone who will listen. That those around me who can see trouble coming my way will be able to be heard-by me. And when I am in the “hippo pool” that I will have enough sense to get out fast and make it safely to the shore.