Africa is not funny..

Misch and I keep getting asked how come we have not blogged about Africa. Well, this is a humor blog (so we think) and our experience in Sierra Leone was not, frankly, on the level of things we poke fun of here. It was magical, moving, spirit-filled, hard, hazardous, amazing, poignant, meaningful, and knock-you-to-your-knees-in-search-of-your-savior indescribable. It was a bonding experience between me and my 5 new best friends, plus our home team of support and prayer warriorers, the most beautiful country and people that God ever created, our amazing PEACE team, and the love and faith of our families. This is what lifted us up, and gave us courage.

That being said, Michelle and I WERE roommates, which often led to hilarity. (So we think.)

In the insanity that was traffic in Freetown, we saw many creative means of transporting unusual belongings. Seen: A young man carying a 12' wooden beam on his head. NO hands! Walking down a busy city street! Seen: 37 people in a 12 passenger van with no side door (public transportation) with a goat smashed up against the back window. No wasted space! In this same catagory, goat on a motorcycle, complete with two passengers, and goat on the top of a van. Three days later, crammed in a van with 11 people, all our luggage, and a homemade African meal complete with china and silverware, (ask us about this...it was an amazing experience!) when we passed the van with the goat in the back, someone in the van said "Look at how crammed in they are!" I said, What are you talking about, all we're missing is the goat!"

Michelle fashioned her skirt into a dress in order to get a good second wearing out of it. TOTALLY different outfit, y'all!

Stacey ate a double helping of "cake" that was at the bottom of a crock pot full of fish. (The funny part here was her expression when she saw where the "cake" came from. YUM!)

Me and Michelle, first night in our hotel room. Toilet does not flush. I call the front desk. "Oh hi, this is room whatever and I just wanted to let you know that our toilet does not flush." Front desk: "What?" Me: "Our toilet does not flush." Front desk: "You have been flashed?" Me: "What?" Front desk: "Flashed! Flashed!" Me: "No...toilet. Toilet. Flush. Flush!" Sigh. Communication deficiency brings out the idiot in me.

Krio Explanation: "How de body?" means "How are you?", "How's it going?" Friendly greeting. Well, a VERY sweet Sierra Leonian merchant says this phrase to me. A couple of times. (Obviously, I wasn't answering correctly in kind.) I continue to smile and say goofy things to him, and then go over to my team and happily anounce that that nice man invited me to a party! Someone says, "No, he said something about your body!" Me, embarassed, says, "No, I'm sure he invited me to a party." Susan: "No Dawn, he said How de body?" We laughed at me for several minutes.

On the way out of Sierra Leone we had to take a water taxi to where the airport is in Lungi. It will make the story funnier to know that I am deathly afraid of boats, water, drowning, and shoddy regulations on water transportation in 3rd world countries. After much confusion on the dock, part of our party went onto the boat and part of us were held back. While trying to communicate that we had to all go together, even if the ones on the boat already had to get off, we were sumarrily shushed and told to wait, wait, you are next. Not knowing if that mean actual next, or the next boat, anxiety began to rise in my heart. Also hilarious is the fact that I was "Security" for our team, keeping my eyes open and bringing up the rear. We were, gratefully, actual next, and as we scurried down the dock toward the boat, my sandal broke, COMPLETELY, and my suitcase capsized in the middle of the dock and passengers. I slipped off my shoe, righted my bag, and, sweating and hyperventilating, caught up with my team. I stepped onto the wrong area on the way onto the boat (dock buoy) balancing my freaking crappy bag, broken shoe, and purse, and very nearly went into the water next to the boat. A nice employee of the water taxi "company" grabbed my arm to keep me from collapsing into the bay, took my bag from me, fixed my sandal in 2 seconds, and shaking his head says, "How you manage?" Sigh. How you manage indeed. Dawn's next personalized license plate: HOWUMNG

Laura, Dawn, Michelle...3 to a bed night. I probably shouldn't even include this here because we were pretty much exhausted and mentally spent and ended up rooming together for the night. MINISTRY TEAM in da house!!! We had a king sized bed, and I'm pretty sure Laura and I were just glad we got Michelle because she was the smallest. Watching her get tangled up 3 times in the yukky mosquito net over the bed was pretty funny too. But then again, in our state of mind that evening, everything was funny! No, it was hilarious. We stayed up and giggled stupid until 4:00 in the morning.

At breakfast the next morning after 2 merciful hours of sleep: (Food being passed...) Person next to me plops a spoonful of fishricebeans on top of my bag. He looks down and says, "Oh I'm sorry." I say, "It's ok, it just looks like someone pooped on my bag!" (We laugh.) Denise: "What!! Someone pooped on your bag? WHAT? WHAT?!!" Hahaha! The fact that that was in the realm of possibility in Denise's mind....funny.

You have heard a fraction of the funny. Here is the short version of the joyful: Healing service at church for pregnant women and women who have recently given birth. Mercyship in Sierra Leone. The glow of joy and the Holy Spirit in the eyes and heart of the first lady, Worship service in Makeni. Smiling, beautiful children. Restoration. Rebuilding. Hope. Red earth.

If you asked each of my teammates to convey their take on this amazing shared experience, we could fill a book. Michelle, Laura, Denise, Stacey, and Susan...you make me laugh, and in our laughter, you bring me closer to God. It's not even close to enough to say I love you. (I could do a whole blog post on inside jokes. I won't. You're welcome. But if I should live to be a hundred, I will still laugh at BEN-jamin!!!!)

Team SL 2011
just Dawn

Cher Said it First

The other day, I (Michelle) was thinking about things I would love to tell my younger self. Not things like, Stop stressing over your math class; one day you'll have a calculator in your phone, or, Here's a tip: body suits worn with vests and palazzo pants are worth regretting.

No, I was thinking more along the lines of, Worthwhile Lessons I've Learned. (Such as, "Redundancy is often just a form of helpful clarification.") So, to quote a legend (or, whatever. People like to call her that. Fine.), "If I could turn back time"....I'd help myself out a bit.
Here's a few ways I'd do that....

1. Speak up. For yourself, and for people who can't do it for themselves. You'll regret it more if you stay quiet just so that everyone will think you're "nice and sweet." And on that note....
2. Not everyone is going to like you; stop trying to make that your life's goal.
3. Try eating things you're afraid of. You might actually like alligator. (Chewy, but delightful.)
4. You don't have to journal every day, but PLEASE, at least jot down a short bullet pointed list of events and experiences you don't want to forget. Believe me: you won't remember 1995's events when it's 2011.
5. Hang around with old people. The non-curmudgeons are precious and have a lot to say. (And even if that "a lot" is just a lot of talk about their trip to Lowes to pick up more perennials and tomato plants, just listen and smile.)
6. Don't just define yourself as a "non-risk taker." If you do, you'll never (wait for it)... take risks. And then you'll end up chastising yourself for missed opportunities. (Which will just make you look crazy - all that talking to yourself.)
7. Look out for yourself. Be "mean" if you have to. Seriously, younger self: don't give up control of your diginity for a dumb reason like not wanting to hurt and/or disappoint someone. Whose head do you have to live in the rest of your life? That's right: yours. (Or, mine. Yours then, mine now. It gets confusing. Stay with me, younger me.)
8. Don't miss a chance to affirm someone.
9. If people claim that you "have to" read the Harry Potter books or the Twilight series, and you already have too many books on your list that you actually want to read, stick to your guns. (Because, really: it's vampires and non-vampires. And unrequited love. With teen angst. Boom. Synopsis done.)
10. Send occasional notes, e-mails, texts, calls to your family and people you love and appreciate. It's morbid, but if you have something you want someone to know, do it while it's on your mind because - you know - death and all that.
11. Let people verbally slap the "crazy" out of you sometimes.
12. Don't take age into consideration: if you want to take up tap dancing or piano lessons or go to circus school, and you're 47, just go for it. (Tap shoes look cute at any age.)
13. Good story or not, some dates really are pointless.
14. Yes - buy that one amazing, stunning, sparkly, out of control piece of clothing.

15. Also, ask yourself this (frequently, if you have to): "Do you ever just let God love you?" And then do just that. Let Him do His grace thing for you. (It's okay, younger me - you and I will always be working on this. He gets it.)

And if I really could turn back time, I'd also tell myself, "Don't go with the permed bangs. Bad idea."

Just Michelle