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Thursday
Dec062007
When you go to West Africa
December 6, 2007 
You may find yourself in a small village market far away from any evidence of the twenty-first century. You might take photographs of women more beautiful than any you have ever seen, women who have never before seen a photograph of themselves. You will bless your digital camera again and again, because you will witness the disbelief and hilarity of women who find an image of themselves for the first time. They may grab you, grab their friends, laugh uproariously, direct you to the next person to photograph.
You may find yourself feeling completely, purely happy.
You will be invited into every village with hospitality that exceeds all limits. Your hosts will look for something for all the people from your carload to sit on- in the shade you will simply sit, and, not understanding the language, you will listen to the customary blessings with a smile on your face, because everyone understands the rhythm of speech, and everyone understands kindness.
You will see many, many, many children. You will exclaim over tiny babies on the backs of women, you will make toddlers cry with your strangeness, you will make the older kids laugh and shriek when you show them photos of themselves. They will yell out names as you flip through photos, and find other children for you to photograph. They will lift up the small ones so that you can reach them.
You may find yourself drinking gin in the morning, the tiniest sips of something you would never in your life drink at home, because you can't drink the water and your hosts must offer you something. You wouldn't dream of saying no. It tastes horrible and wonderful, because you are being honored. You will, however, draw the line at more than a few sips.
You may meet the kindest people you have ever met. You may realize all over again that possessions mean nothing, and that true joy is found in love and brotherhood. You may feel honored beyond what you deserve, again and again. You may share food with people who bring you their best, who bring you the rabbit because rabbit is the best meat they could find. You may close your eyes more than once, rather than looking at what you are eating. You may wonder more than once, what exactly you are eating.
You may have the best traveling companions ever; women who don't blink when asked to use a hole in the ground as La Toilette. Together you will laugh and laugh and laugh, almost more than you have laughed ever in a five day period. Because these people who are hosting you sure do believe in laughter.
You may arrive home and be incredibly sick, running to the bathroom more times than you can possibly count. You would go back to Burkina Faso again if you could, sixteen times if you could, even if you had to be sick like this every time.
You may arrive home and wonder who those kids are, and then realize with a shock that they are yours! And that though ten days is not a long time, you have traveled light years away, and coming back is like coming from a long, long distance. You will hug them and cuddle for hours. You will look around at your incredible wealth and feel undeserving. You will never be the same.
Reader Comments (20)
I've been waiting anxiously for you to post. Wow. I'm so glad you were able to go, and that you're back, and I hope you get well quickly. Enjoy your precious family. Blessings! Rebeca
Beautiful!
Wow. That's all I can say right now...wow.
Wow. Cant wait to hear more. Hope your tummy settles soon!
oh I'm glad you're back. Can't wait for more.
i think i will go with you....i think i hacve to. amazing.
I'm crying. beautiful. (and it all sounds so like "if you give a mouse a cookie", i'm sure you knew that) you're amazing.
Dang. Welcome home.
You captured it well. Tears running down my cheeks. Thank God for the gift of writing he's given you.
Oh Rae. You have brought so much beauty to my day, which before was a day of sorrow.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful spirit through these words.
So much love.
Rachel, beautiful
wonderful to hear about your trip.......sounds like a fabulous time. can't wait to talk to you
becca
what a sacred journey! thank you so much for sharing it's depth and beauty!
Beautiful! You captured the experience of being in another culture with open arms and an open heart. It is a gift to be able to do that, to go expecting to receive and not to just give. Your writing makes me miss sitting around fires in remote Chinese villages, eating God knows what and listening to laughing voices, communicating without words.
You captured it so well. I am missing the people and the laughter so much.
It sounds like an amazing trip, and that is a beautiful picture! I look forward to hearing and seeing more.
Oh so beautiful. I'm sorry that you got sick, though obviously you consider it all a part of the experience!
Beautiful woman and beautiful photo.
"...because everyone understands the rhythm of speech, and everyone understands kindness."
I've tried and tried to explain that to these folks I hang with who have never left the panhandle (when they ask how do you communicate). Wonderful!
Umm Rae. It is good! It is very good!
Oh good, I'm so glad you loved it and it helped you grow.
Ah. So lovely and beautiful and touching. Thank you for such a lovely portrait.
-HH