journal entries: my first trip (2007)

--May 4^th--

I woke up on my last day in Nairobi in slow serenity. Exotic birds were chirping; I got a cup of African coffee and stood on the back porch to soak up the morning. Some of the other SP workers and I had a Bible study about 8:00 and after that I retreated to my room to do some reading. Before long, jetlag set in and I knocked out. Just after I fell asleep, a loud knock woke me up and I was surprised to see that it was 1:00 in the afternoon. Mark, the guy who was showing me around and explaining my job to me, took me to a coffee shop for lunch. We talked about what to expect in Sudan and sipped our Kenyan tea. Afterwards we decided to stop by an outdoor market to get some cheap sunglasses and a quick Kenyan experience that I will never forget.

I have been on Canal Street in New York City a few times and experienced the street vendors bombarding me with counterfeit goods and trying to squeeze every tourist dollar I had to offer, but these guys in Nairobi put those guys in NYC to shame. When we got to the market we told a few people we just wanted sunglasses and within ten seconds a few men were there with racks full. People were crowded around us trying to shake our hands and direct us to their shops. They were so eager to sell or trade anything. It’s a good thing Mark was there to lead or those people would have gotten everything but my underwear. I tried to be polite and shake everyone’s hand and look at their stuff. But, I learned from Mark, they don’t really want to be your friend as much as they just want you to buy their stuff, so you just have to say NO. We stood and bartered for a while. It was fun at first but after about ten minutes I just wanted to go to Wal-mart where prices were set, and honest. Mark did most of the bartering and I only spoke a few times. That was dumb. I should have kept my mouth shut. If they sense any weakness, any amount of sympathy for them, or any amount of desire for the product, they’ve got you. You have to act like you don’t need it and start at a ridiculously low price. Mark told me I went up too fast on my price and showed how much I wanted them. I couldn’t help it they were nice, fake sunglasses. I’ll be ready for them next time, but I pity the next loving American who walks blindly into that ruthless world.

Later, we met some girls that Mark knows and when I told them of my trip they said, “Wow! Two months. You sure are jumping into the action for your first time in Africa.” That has been a typical response. Everyone looks at Mark and smiles like there’s some inside joke about Sudan. “You’re definitely in for an adventure,” they say. I hope they are right. I have learned that things can get messy very quickly in Sudan. It is important that I am patient with people, especially ones with guns. Needless to say, I’m doing a lot of praying tonight. I leave tomorrow at 8:00 in the morning. I am not afraid. After learning more about the Church Reconstruction Project, I am excited to have a major role. I am ready for the challenge of my job and the country of Sudan. But every now and then I get this feeling in my stomach; it’s the same feeling I get when I'm jumping off a waterfall in Boone; when I’ve leaned a little too far over the edge and there is no going back; the thought comes to my mind, “What are you doing, Billy?” And then I close my eyes, hold my breath, and jump.