Dalaba Vacation

December 28, 2012

     You know you’ve adjusted to missionary life when foreign, exotic experiences seem normal and no longer strange.  I realized this was the case when driving down a long, dirt road in the mountains of Guinea, headed towards another remote waterfall, we saw monkeys cross the path.  As fun and exciting as the experience was, somehow it felt normal.  I realized in the moment that the past nine years have been anything but normal.  Jen and I moved to Panama, a completely unknown environment, newly married and recently graduated from college.  We’ve had the privilege of hiking through jungles in Panama, wading through rivers in Costa Rica, and trekking up mountains in Ecuador.  Furthermore I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to travel to Thailand, Senegal, Peru, and Nepal.  And now we’re living in Guinea.

      I realize this is also due to the company we have kept.  For the past nine years we’ve been surrounded by people who regularly travel and live in extreme places, surrounded by foreign cultures, experiencing exotic things all the time.  So when you get together, swapping stories about recent trips and interesting occurrences, these adventures begin to seem like this is everyday life, nothing out of the ordinary, no big deal.  But then I remember what it’s like to be back home, to get the weird, nonsensical questions, to meet people who have lived their whole lives in the same country, or worse yet, in the same state.  Now that’s strange! 

     So when I find myself diving off cliffs and scrambling up waterfalls in the middle of the African Savanna, somehow it feels normal, even natural.  My only real question (other than whether or not there are any snakes nearby) is whether or not I’ll ever be able to adapt back in the U.S., to settle down and live amongst “normal” people.  That’s the question we’re pondering for next year, weighing what God has for us and seeking His will for the future.  It’s almost been nine years since we left the U.S.  We’re considering going back, but are unsure if we’re fit for that kind of life.  It’s strange that I would feel more fearful about living in my “home” country than moving to Africa, but I guess that’s what we’ve been talking about all along:   “Strange” is strictly a subjective point view.  Of course there are also the options of going back to Panama or staying in Guinea.  God has been so good to us wherever we go, it’s hard to discern and decide.

     Other than these ponderings, we’ve had a busy and fun Christmas.  Our gift giving went well.  The neighbors were very surprised and showed their gratitude through great, big smiles, telling us we were “welcome any time.”  Following this we traveled about 12 hours to Dalaba, stopping in Conakry midway.  Dalaba is a mountain town in central Guinea.  The region is the main producer of potatoes and produce for the country.  Similar to Panama’s Chiriqui, it is very prolific in oranges, avocadoes, tomatoes, and even some coffee beans.  But mostly potatoes.  Most of the vegetables get trucked out to Conakry, but they’re also sold at the Sunday market, which we made sure to visit.  We also visited several waterfalls, diving and swimming in them whenever possible.  I’ll spare you the details and try to include pictures, though I’m sure they won’t do justice to the incredible beauty and variety God has placed in these extremely remote, and difficult to access places. 

     In going to Dalaba we were hoping for cold weather.  The Galvez had visited this area in July and were forced to wear jackets and sweaters to keep warm.  They had been told December is even colder.  Unfortunately, this was not the case.  The climate was fresher and dryer than Boke, but not necessarily cold.  It cooled off enough in the evenings to warrant a fire in the fire place, but mostly this was just to pretend like it was cold.  Still, it was a really nice Christmas.  We were able to hang our stockings with care, we were able to see pine trees (as opposed to our fake Christmas tree at home), and we were able to celebrate Christ’s birth with loved ones and friends—speaking of strange, I lauged as we spent Christmas eve eating Mexican food with a Columbian family in the heart of Africa.  I’m sure it will prove to be a memorable experience.  On Christmas day I told Nico and Isabella, as we hiking to yet another diving spot, “next year you’ll be sitting at home, trying to remember what you did last Christmas and you’ll remember this experience and smile.”   Yes, a truly memorable experience.

    To top it all off, on the way home our car tire blew out.  There’s a certain sinking feeling you feel in the pit of your stomach when you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, in a country without tow trucks, wondering how on earth you’re going to get a replacement because the spare tire also has a hole in it.  Thankfully the Lord gave us peace, he provided help, and we were able to buy a spare tire at a little town down the road.  It was a great reminder that God is with us wherever we go.  Whether the road seems strange or normal, He is always there!

  Thank you, Lord for a pleasant vacation.  Thanks for the amazing world you’ve created, full of wonder and amazing things to experience.  I stand in awe at your glory, all that you are and all that you’ve created.  Thanks for allowing us the honor of experiencing your presence in these exotic places.  Please continue to guide and lead us wherever you would have us go.  Help us to follow you and serve you the best we can.  May you reveal yourself to us and be glorified us in wherever that may be.  Amen!