My Story (Part 1)

I am going to share my journey of the last three years, and the events that lead up to it. I am really excited about the places God has been taking me, and I find this is an easier way to share the intricacies of His faithfulness, as well as remember and reflect on the journey as I live it out.

There was something about African culture that always intrigued me growing up. I can recall three specific things that shaped a lot of my thoughts. In Sunday School at Maplewood Covenant Church we had some sort of VBS program when I was in elementary school, and the theme revolved somehow around African Safari. I remembering watching a video that was somewhere in Africa, and the cardboard display that was in the front of the fellowship hall. Jungle, lions, and probably more-but whatever it was it sparked something deep within me that told me I had to go there.

Not too long after that I started reading a series we had in our church library about a young girl whose parents were missionaries in Kenya, and the adventures she created for herself in that beautiful country. It was then I knew I had to go to Africa.

The time line is blurry, but at one point in my youth I read the American Girl Doll book series about a little girl named Addie, who was born into slavery. The books take you on the journey of her life as she escapes slavery and tries to begin a new life with her family as free people.

In my mind I didn't know the depth of the connection I was making with African culture and African American, but there was an excitement I had about African culture, and an profound sorrow for the state of African American's in the United States during and after slavery. My young mind developed an interest in the history of the oppressed, and I continued to read historical fiction that centered around slavery. Meanwhile, I imagined myself as Addie on her journey, as well as more lighthearted play with a rather diverse group of dolls and barbies I had collected.

Now, growing up I could count the number of black people I knew on my right hand. I didn't ever question why that was, or imagine that oppression could exist today in the ways it has in the past. I understood slavery as an event that already took place and was over and done. I also didn't know anything of the civil rights movement and how recent that was history. What I knew was what read-history. What I knew is what I saw-easy, "reconciled", rich diversity on television. The Cosby Show for one. I wondered how to get thick pig-tails like Rudy or long rope-y hair like Denise. LaVar Burton brought a great tapestry to my imagination on Reading Rainbow. The most poignant memory I have is of Sesame Street. There was one scenario where there is a little white girl who lives in the suburbs with a black friend. First, the black friend visits the white girl and they play at her house. I honesty don't remember what they do there. What I recall with distinction is the white girl visiting the black girl, who lives in the city on a busy street with tall apartments. The mom spends time rapidly braiding the girls' hair, they have black barbies to play with, and then they go outside and double dutch on the sidewalk. That is what I wanted. (Little did I know that in May 1970, a state commission in Mississippi voted to ban Sesame Street. A member of the commission revealed the vote to the New York Times, saying that "Mississippi was not yet ready" for the show's integrated cast.)

I am sure there was probably more, those are the instances I can remember that made me desire the justice for slavery, seeing the city, and going to Kenya. Traveling to Kenya was really high on my list, so when I had a chance to choose my own in adventure in college Africa made my list.

I went to Urbana, a mission conference in 2003, and was determined to find an organization to travel with to Africa. I went to all the booths that had Africa on the list, and one in particular stuck out to me. After meeting with a representative, I knew I could finally make my dream come true. I originally had plans to go for three weeks in the summer of 2005, but that didn't work out and I ended up making a 3 month trip in the fall of 2006. What was to come was not at all what I had anticipated or could have imagined.