Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Africa From The Back Of A Mobilet


Today I had the privilege of going out into the bush with the therapists. It was an experience that I will not soon forget and could talk about for quite some time. There were two therapists who drove, myself, two girls going back to their respective homes from the handicap center, and six bags on two mobilets. To say the least it was crowded on my 125cc mobilet. A mobilet for those of you who do not know is a generic term the team uses for any scooter, dirt bike, or motorcycle used in Burkina Faso. When I arrived in Mahadaga I thought that there could not be a more rural place… man was I wrong! In America there is an expression saying one lives out in the boondocks if the directions to their house includes the saying ‘turn off the paved road’. However, were I went today the directions included ‘turn off the dirt road onto a side trail big enough for an ATV or four wheeler to drive on’ then ‘turn off that path onto a goat trail’. ‘When you see the dump truck stuck in the mud turn down into the stream because the road is impassible’ and finally ‘follow the man on the bike through the millet field because he knows the way’. Now that is true country living… and I loved every minute I spent on the back of my mobilet.

There where a number of things that stuck out to me as we drove along. The first was the beauty of God’s creation. To look up into a perfectly blue sun lit sky with the wind blowing in my face would have been enough by God did not stop there. Trees and bushes of every variety, birds singing and flying above, donkeys and chickens lined the road, and cows blocked it. Secondly, the people that we met where so generous and so inviting. In Africa it is customary when a guest arrives to offer them water, and with out fail every home we visited I humbly accepted the bowl of water, milk, or fermented toe set before me and graciously put it up towards my mouth and acted as if I drank some. The clients that we visited were so grateful for the work of the therapists and showered us with pleasantries and greetings, to which I replied “LAFIA”. At two of the home we visited we were give a chicken. What were we to do with two live chickens so far from the handicap center but to tie its legs together and hang them from the handle bars? The leg of the chicken that was given to me tasted amazing tonight just in case you were wondering.

One of the little girls we visited today had braces on her legs to correct her bow legged stance. When we walked into the compound we were greeted by the mother, grandmother, and the four bothers and sister of our patient. We were seated in the shade on one side of the circular compound comprised of six or seven mud huts with straw roofs. It was not very long until she walked out of one of the huts wearing her plastic full leg braces. She hesitantly sat down on the mat in front of the therapists and they started her treatment. They removed her braces and helped her mother rub oil onto this reluctant young girl’s knees. After the oil was rubbed in the therapists started to massage and stretch the muscles in the leg and knee. At first there were a few whimpers, but as the stretching became more intense so did the cries and tears. She was clawing at the mat and fighting the therapists who were trying to help her. Not sitting still when asked and rolling onto her stomach when she was placed on her back. Her cries intensified as the procedure carried on and she was not at all happy or pleased with the work that was being done to better her life.

I tell you this not to disturb you, but to try to paint a picture for you of what was happens daily in rural Africa and draw a parallel to a the Christian lifestyle. This little girl needed help from someone to be able to walk correctly. If she did not receive the treatment from the handicap center she would go thought her life bow legged and as one could guess that is not a good thing. We as sinful humans need help as well. It is impossible for us to be in community with God as a result of our sin. The Bible is very clear that the consequence of our sin is death. Something must die to pay for our sin. It is at this point that we are given help. Jesus, God’s son, humbled himself to be born a man, lived a perfect life, died a sinner’s death He did not deserve, and three days latter rose from the dead. In His death and resurrection Jesus took the punishment for our sins. Jesus helped us just as the therapist helped the little girl. Her life is going to be vastly improved due to the treatment she is receiving from the therapists. If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved and you can start a new and better life centered on a relationship with God. This litter girl is getting a second chance on life, a better life as a result of the work done by the therapists. In the same manner you have the opportunity to have a better life in Christ.

This relationship with God does not mean that life is going to be a cake walk. Just as the little girl was crying out in pain so to might our live be filled with pain as a result of Christ. However, we know that a life with God leads to an eternity of joy while the alternative only leads to eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth. We can find comfort in Jesus’ words in Matthew when he says "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…” Right now it might look like there is no hope. The pain of the therapy administered by God might be excruciating; however, rest in the knowledge that His will is perfect and He has your best interest in mind.

God Bless.

Your brother in Christ and a fellow child in therapy,
Charlie Kimpel

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