We Are All the Same

When I landed in Zambia, I knew that I didn’t have any time to waste. I had one week. Seven days. 168 hours to soak up every moment, every person, and every sight. Jet lag – all I can say is…

It was one action-packed week. One thing that Rachel loves to do is spoil her Zambian friends. She spoils them with things that we would see as ordinary, but are so special and rare to them.

After taking about 50 kids on a three-day camping trip, Rachel wrote in her blog, “We fed them and we played games and we fed them and we danced a lot and we fed them and we sat around the campfire and WE FED THEM. Thinking about full bellies and energetic high schoolers makes me smile.”

It was so fun to join Rachel in loving, serving, and hanging out with the people of Grippis. The first night, we took the 12^th graders—who will be the first class to graduate 12^th grade—to see a movie. Not just any movie, a 3-D movie! And not just any 3-D movie, but Captain America…which I found quite ironic to be watching in the middle of Africa.

The next day, Rachel and I woke up, ate breakfast, and then cooked for about four hours getting ready for the 8^th graders to come over for a cookout. I loved watching their confused faces take a Rice Krispy Treat from the plate wondering how to even take their first bite.

After driving down a long bumpy dirt road the next day, we finally arrived at   Kalimba Crocodile Farm to celebrate Maureen and her twin boys’ birthdays! They had never heard the birthday song so obviously after our burgers and chips, Rachel and I sang, “Happy Birthday” to each one of them. I think their bashful smiles were true signs of joy and maybe a little embarrassment.

One of my favorite things was taking two girls to get coffee one afternoon. We went to a cute little café, drank milkshakes, took pictures, and talked about boys. You know, typical girl stuff.

These were the moments that made me realize just how small this world is that we live in. Though we couldn’t live further away from each other, we are all the same. We are all humans. Not one of us is better than the other.