Missionary Survivor

Living in Africa can be challenging at times, but we decided to celebrate those challenges by turning them into obstacles in the Missionary Survivor race held at my house yesterday.

The regular women's Bible study group usually follows a book or some kind of organized study, but we leave the last wednesday of the month open for some kind of creative activity led by whoever signs up for that day.

Thanks to the creativity of Katie Borchert, we had lots of fun and laughs as the ladies overcame the obstacles to win the race.

The 3 teams of 5 ladies are ready to go...

Sandra, Cathy and Sherry kick off the race at station 1
having to count 5,150 shillings (lots of small
denominations; Cathy won, of course ;)...

Sandra is doing well for having been here only 3 months...

Alissa is first to station 2 where they have to
stack 5 oranges in a neat pyramid
like the ladies in the market
(I wanted them to have to stack 10 but I was out-voted)...

Helen and Heidi R are working hard to stack their oranges...

Geesje is first to station 3...she has to tie
a Barbie doll onto her back with a
Kitenge cloth and then carry a basin
with a towel in it on her head
back to her team...

Pam and Kelli join Geesje and place their
Barbie dolls on their backs...

Geesje's got her baby and is now
getting her basin and towel...

All 3 are trying to walk quickly without dropping the basin
(they're not supposed to be holding the basin
but it slips off so easily on this mzungu hair)...

Pam gives up walking and makes a dash for it...

The 2 Marias and a visitor are at station 4:
they have to fill
3 small bottles from 1 big jerrycan
and find the matching lids...

Maria Fielder's got one ready...

Maria Knuepfer is working on hers...

There was a 5th station (that I didn't get any photos of) where the ladies had to grab a black plastic bag (kavera) and fill it with about 7 tins of canned food. Katie and I had booby-trapped the bags by slicing holes in the bottoms of them so that when the ladies ran back with the bags, all the cans would fall out and they'd have to stop to collect them. Unfortunately only one bag broke and we felt sorry for the lady (a visiting granny!) so we let her just leave the cans and run to her team so they could do the final challenge...

The final challenge was for the teams to work together

to light a charcoal stove (sigiri)...

Helen Fielder knew the trick was to light the coal

from underneath with dried grass...

The 3 teams huddle over their stoves...

The winning team!!

Thanks, Katie, for all the organizing and laughs, and thanks, ladies, for the good sportwomanship and team spirit!

After the race we brainstormed some of the many things we love about living in Africa, and then took time in triplets to thank God for all He is doing in this land, and to pray more of God's blessings over Africa.

What a privilege to live and serve here.

May God get the glory, because He, alone, is worthy.