Overheard in Africa...

"Oh, the kids will love those! It will be fun to visit them -- that is, if they don't get eaten halfway through ABO. That would be sad."
-- Carolyn (my supervisor) on seeing two baby goats grazing outside our dorm.

"Turn to the person beside you and say, 'You're a blessing to me.' If you don't feel like it, say it in faith!"
-- A deacon at church in Nairobi last Sunday.

"You cannot miss what you do not know."
-- A Kenyan friend on the poverty we observed among the Masai people.

"Look! A mzungu! I want to go to America!"
-- A random man on the street in Nairobi as I walked by with my Kenyan friends. ("Mzungu" is the Swahili word for "white person.")

"I'm one of the few people who loves driving in Nairobi traffic. When a crazy matatu driver passes and is taking over my lane, I love to see how close they can get. It's my daily adventure -- almost like a game. When I get back to the states, and all I have to do is stay between two lines, it's hard for me to stay awake!"
-- An American missionary as he drove me through Nairobi. While I was slightly disconcerted by the enjoyment he received from this hair-raising necessity, I figured that an adventurous driver is no worse than a terrified driver...

"A man."
-- A beautifully dressed magazine editor in the Schiphol airport, when I asked her what's in Tel Aviv (her destination). She smiled mischievously and added, "Proof there is life after sixty-five!"

"I just can't believe that you're a grown-up. You just don't look like a grown-up to me!"
-- Daily comment from one of my ABO students, a developmentally delayed thirteen-year-old. My youthful appearance has been a nightly topic of conversation. She's not exactly convinced yet.