Who Needs Who?

Most missionaries get some sort of formal cultural training and orientation before they head to the mission field.  The better their pre-ministry cultural training the more they learn to value their new host culture.  Some training programs immerse missionaries from the outset into their new host culture.  To live in the village for a few months, without ammenities and modern conveniences, a person learns how difficult survival can be and how much others are needed.  It’s then that a person begins to learn to appreciate local wisdom, ingenuity and assets.

When I first came to Zambia, I had it drilled into my head that I wanted to embrace this ideal.  My goal was to become more and more dependent upon Zambia, because after all I came here to build relationships and learn.  But inevitably, I found myself falling back into my own world – to a zone of comfort.  Rather than putting myself forward I found myself withdrawing.  I’ve found that the more I withdraw the less I sense a need for other people.  And when life is lived too long like this, its a slippery slope towards thinking that Zambia primarily needs me and my help.

But self-dependence can also quickly disintegrate in Africa.  Life happens here in such a way that others have to be called upon.  Take for instance a trip our family made to Malawi and back.  The trip was a long one, driving long distances through seemingly uninhabited country.  Things were going great until we had car trouble… Pulled over on the side of the road in 100 degree heat, hours away from the next town, with little hope of help, gets your heart pumping fast.  To look around, there’s not much to speak of.  No convenience stores, cell coverage, water, repair shops, or towing services.  What can a family do in this situation?

Well, we started praying.  God seemed a lot closer when our machine of dependency was in need of repair.  Secondly, we started racking our brains together to isolate the problem – squeezing every last bit of auto wisdom out of each other – hoping collectively we might solve the problem.  Then, as a last resort, we consulted Zambians.  It was uncomfortable at first, but we finally asked around for help.

It’s amazing how willing Zambians are to help.  It’s part of their culture and values.  They are used to needing each other because unforeseen life situations happen and resources have to be collected to find a solution.  In our case we barely rolled into the Chipata AutoWorld where we talked to someone who called someone who called someone.  In no less than 30 minutes, two Zambian mechanics showed up out of the woodwork and diagnosed our problem.  I was soooooo relieved and endebted…

It was a good lesson that I needed to learn again.  Being in a tight spot where I needed others was really a wake up call about how we live our lives day to day.  The longer I’m in Zambia, the more I realize that I need Zambians way more than they need me.