Tip of the Week-- January 8, 2015

I recently had the pleasure of riding the bus to the capital city.  I was going to visit friends for Christmas, and it seemed like the right time of year with our cooler temps, plus it is much cheaper than driving (to say nothing of environmentally friendly).  The ride reminded me of all the things I like about the infamous buses here... and all the things I don't. 

If ever you are in West Africa, I highly recommend that you take the bus at least once.  It is a culturally enlightening experience.

And being packed in like sardines while you race down questionable roads at breakneck speeds in a vehicle that has a very questionable maintenance history is something of an adrenaline rush.  Well, I mean, it would be, if you could keep up the adrenaline flow for 6 or 7 hours.  As it is, you pretty much just have to strap yourself in and do what you can to enjoy the ride.

Now to do justice to the advice I could and should give about your upcoming bus ride, I would need to write a book, or at least a thick pamphlet.  Really, I think the Discovery channel should produce a show called "Bus Drivers of West Africa."  I think American audiences would find it enthralling.  (I mean, if you can get ratings for a show about pawn shops, I'm sure African buses could be chart toppers)  I can picture the monologues from the apprentices already!  But I offer you here some basics:

1. Seat choice is very important, which means that you'd better buy your ticket early, since you are seated in order of ticket purchase.  Once your name has been called and you squeeze yourself through the mob that is surrounding the bus door, find a seat just behind one of the roof escape hatches.  These hatches, in addition to being handy for escaping in case of an accident, are the only reliable source of ventilation during your trip.  Now, make sure your seat back isn't broken. No, seriously.

2. Controlling the space around you is also very important.  Put your bag immediately at your feet and as far under the seat in front of you as possible.  If you don't use that space, the person sitting in front of you will, which means you will have zero foot room. Then you need to start scouting out potential companions for the seat next to you.  What you are going for here is someone skinny with little-to-no baggage.  If you spot a candidate, smile invitingly.  You want to look as scary as possible to women that have children (as these will end up in your lap for the duration of the trip) and anyone caring large bags.

3. I suppose there is some logic and rhythm to when, where, and how long these buses stop, but I've 

yet to tune in to these.   This makes bathroom breaks a bit unpredictable.  Follow this general rule: The more people that get off at any one stop, the less likely the bus is to leave you behind.  Also, if you've chosen a good seat companion, they will make a racket if the bus starts to pull away without you.  Once outside, the world is your urinal: any bush, tree, or building that offers a modicum of privacy will do (sorry ladies, I have no wise counsel for you.)

4.  Remember that, as with so much in this culture, what makes the trip fun is the "together" aspect.  Strangers talk on these buses.  Kids, not having actual seats, get passed around to wherever they find a good seat, and if they aren't scared to death of your white skin, they can be entertaining riding buddies.  At stops, when the bus is suddenly flooded with people selling things, everyone helps everyone else buy what they want, so if the person behind you hands you money pass it forward and be ready to send change and the purchased item back to them.  You are packed in together, so you might as well enjoy your time.

Prayer Requests

1.  Praise the Lord for a good Christmas and New Years.  Our team, and I personally, had a good time with our different parties and get togethers.  I spent some great time with friends during the holidays for which I'm very thankful.

2. I hosted three different Christmas dinners at my place for different groups of friends, in which I had the chance to share the meaning of Christmas.  Pray that the time and words we share would continue to have an impact in the lives of these guys.

3.  At the hospital, we are preparing to do some outreaches into surrounding villages.  This year, we will do mainly health teaching.  Pray that all the details would come together well, that our teaching would be a blessing to the different villages, and that our presence would open a door to the Gospel.

4. Pray that the Lord would continue to empower my ministry among young men here in town.  Pray that I'd have wisdom and discernment to speak into their lives as I lead them towards grace.

5.  2015 has been dubbed the "Year of Excellence" at the hospital, as we seek to improve the quality of our care in several areas.  Pray that staff would buy into this vision and work towards it.  Pray that those of us in leadership would wisely guide these efforts.

Thanks for reading and for praying!