May 10, 2008
Today we travelled from Kara, Togo to Accra, Ghana as we are on our way to WAMR (West Africa Missionary Retreat.) Something happens when you cross the border from Togo to Ghana that is really quite obvious just from observing the police officers and border officials. How can one country be so sloppy and inefficient and a few yards away, the next country be so well groomed?
In Accra, there stands a phenomenon that is unequalled anywhere in Togo, the Accra Mall. It contains Game (a walmart-like store,) Shopright (a clean and spacious grocery store,) stores that carry high end designer products such as Coach, a food court, and Mr. Price (kind of like Old Navy.) Entering the Accra Mall, especially when one has come straight from the Togo border, takes a bit of mental gymnastics in order to process what you are seeing.
As it happened, we went into Mr. Price with our children just to see what was there. I we walked around, Maddie started asking for things. Maddie has never been the kind of kid who walks around begging for items from stores while we are shopping, we’ve always kind of had the rule that if there is something you want you can bring it to our attention but it may be awhile if we decide to purchase it. She broke down into tears, and we had to stand outside of the store while our friends finished their shopping. Of course, she calmed down and we talked through things, yet it’s really a strange thing to see your child behave in a way that is so uncharacteristic of them.
I’m thankful for that small experience because it gave me a heads up on some things that I think my girls may feel as we go back to the States. Initially, I was worried about how they would handle coming here, leaving almost all of their toys behind, having a few clothes, new food and much fewer food choices, and MUCH less entertainment. They have done so well that I have been surprised and giving thanks to God for it. There has been almost no complaining and I have found myself taking hints from them to “be happy with what I’ve been given.” However, if the whole Mr. Price meltdown is any indication, dealing with the disparity between living with everything at your disposal with minimal inconvenience and living with the mindset of making do and being content is going to be something we all have to process. Keep us in your prayers as we guide our kids through the ups and downs of switching worlds several more times this year.
