A World With “OUT”

Today we experienced being “out.”  Here in Africa, that is a normal part of life that most Americans find hard to understand.  Let me explain.  .  . 

Today we had the privilege of being driven to the store and not having to take the mini-bus (a,k.a. public smushed transport).  Well as soon as we left campus we were headed to the petrol station to get fuel for the car.  Well apparently, there has been an off and on shortage of fuel.  So the first gas station that we pulled into was OUT of fuel.  The second station did have fuel.  So we got the typical unleaded gasoline.  It was just $10 a gallon!  The couple that we were with said that it normally costs $12. 

In Malawi, the fuel prices are posted once a month.  They usually increase at the beginning of the month.  So stations actually try to run out of fuel so that they can get more money when it is the time of the month to buy fuel. 

Anyways, we got fuel and then went to a couple of shops.  We were excited because we visited one grocery store that sells cheese.  Yesterday, we went to two big grocery stores, and both were OUT of cheese—they had none of any kind.  Many stores here don’t even sell cheese, so we pay a premium when we can get it.  We love it though, so some things we will splurge on. J

Once we came home from dinner we began cleaning our house and making supper.  We had some yummy chicken that I had made a few days earlier. We were very lucky to have chicken, because Malawi has been having a chicken shortage and all the stores were OUT of chicken!  Today, they had small chickens at the store, so I bought three to put in our freezer . . . just in case the shortage continues.

After dinner, I was started to clean up and take the remaining chicken meat off the bones.  When I was finished I went to wash my hands . . . nothing.  The water was OUT.  The water shortages are a normal occurrence in Africa, but at that moment I was not happy about having greasy chicken hands.  Yet, at the same time I was grateful.  As I mentioned earlier we were cleaning before dinner, and I was finishing unpacking.  I had just unpacked my giant bottle of classroom hand sanitizer and left it by the sink.  I had thought that maybe we would need it.  Sure enough, I needed it less than an hour later.

I know, you are probably thinking “Who in the world would want to live in a place with no water, and no CHEESE?!”  Yet, despite the OUTS that we have and will experience in this place called Africa, we are happy that we came, and grateful to be here fulfilling the calling on our lives.

For a life without cheese is much better than a life lived without knowing Christ! 

(As I type this, we just experienced another OUT moment.  Our internet just went out! But, at least it wasn’t the electricity . . . that was two nights ago.)