Tortoises Can Be Quick (And Other Important Life Lessons)

A friend of mine encouraged me to think through some of the lessons that I learned throughout the many months I had in Cote d'Ivoire. Though this list is far from exhaustive, it's a start. Some of these lessons are sensible, others ridiculous. For you they may not apply or even be interesting in the least bit, but I wanted to share. 

1. Expectations for the future are natural, but it’s important to understand and evaluate them, lower them when possible, and remember that one will likely be disappointed (but delighted in unexpected ways).

2. Be realistic, with a bent toward optimism.

3. Grace is central to everything. Preach it to self, show it to others, especially teammates.

4. Sometimes it’s okay to sacrifice sleep to be with people. Often in looking back, one remembers the memories and fun times, not the sleepiness which one had in the moment.

5. But to balance out #4, one also needs a good night of sleep to have adequate energy and a keen mind to learn and serve well. Sometimes it is better to choose an early bedtime than a social activity.

6-9 relate to learning a new language:

6. Frustration is the best motivation to learn / advance

7. Spend time with children and be active with them. (I learned how to count in French throwing a ball back and forth with two kids)

8. Speak, as much as possible, ignoring mistakes (at least to some degree)

9. Once your mind is full for the day, go out for a run

10. Enjoy the people around you; regardless of who you are with, really see them. And, take note of what you learn from them about God and His character.

11. Everyone struggles with comparison, but it is truly the thief of all joy. The most freeing moments are when one forgets completely about self. These moments are scarce.

12. Everyone wraps up their identity in things that don’t matter. Confess these things. Remember you have a Master Artist forming you. And since He already redeemed you, that is your identity.

13. Pork tastes best when cooked underground for 24 hours.

14. A New Year’s party is never complete without a dancing.

15. Older Ivorian women are really quite funny. Don’t take them so seriously.

16. Little lessons I learned from my sisters:

• One shouldn’t wear the same pagne 4 days in a row
• There’s a difference between the two blue “tea kettles” … one’s for face-washing and the other is for the bathroom
• Don’t wear shoes while pulling water from the well
• Rinsing hands in a bowl of water, then passing it around to another 7 people, is sufficient for hand-washing before a meal
•  A cold bucket bath right before bed helps one sleep well on hot nights
• Mosquito-nets are unnecessary, until one kills a scorpion in the bedroom
• Roasting peanuts in red, sparkly sand is what makes them pretty

17. West Africa can be freezing at times. Just don’t be surprised when you need to pull out a sweater.

18. If there are aspects to your current situation that feel difficult now, wait a while. These things may become some of your greatest joys down the road.

19. In the village, if needing alone time to pray, go on a walk and talk to God on the phone. You can talk out loud and no one will wonder.

20. To avoid stomach issues and major illnesses, filter well water (I began doing this 2 months after I moved into my family. Oops.)

21. Give thanks for white bread, Nesquick, rice, and sauce.

22. Missions is simply daily life lived cross-culturally that Jesus would be known and praised. It can be domestic drudgery, but even cleaning, childcare, and cooking can be kingdom work.

23. Observe babies, and baby animals. See their innocence, dependence, and curiosity. Observe their fascination with life as they discover their environment.

24. Withhold judgment! This seems obvious, but it’s so important when entering a new place.

25. Don’t be afraid to dream, outrageously. And dream outside of the box.

26. The rule of thumb when preparing an Ivorian sauce: more oil and more salt. One can test-taste by putting a dab of sauce on one’s left hand and licking it off... But that is the only time the left hand can be used for eating.

27. There is consistency and synthesis to the stories the Author of life is writing in each of us. It is sweet to go back to places (physical) where significant memories were formed, praising God for His guidance in the past and promise of it in the future.

28. Laying between rows of eggplants at the garden can relieve all stress and can make the perfect place to nap. Until the ants find you. 

29.  You can’t convince Ivoirians that chameleons aren’t dangerous when they’ve believed it for years. So don’t even try.

30. Don’t dry laundry under the mango tree when the fruit is ripe, or you risk washing it all over again. Mango juice doesn’t come out easily.

31. Greet people (especially the elderly) in their mother-tongue. Even a poor attempt is better than no attempt at all, and you’ll see lots of beautiful, toothless smiles.

32. Tortoises have an aggressive side. Don’t be fooled. They may spring on your backpack. 

33. After 7 months in a village, one will no doubt pick up certain expressions and sounds that Ivorians make in conversation. When a new group of Americans (in this case, the new JourneryCorps team) arrives, they’ll point them out and never let them down.

34. Brushing teeth under the stars every night is the best way to wind down from the day. Looking up reminds one that God gave grace to get through the day and will surely do the same tomorrow. 

35. In leaving a place, the most common blessing a young woman receives is that God would grant her a good husband. 

36. “Halleluiah” has to be one of the best universally-understood words of worship.