Livingstone, Zambia – home to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World: Victoria Falls.
Unfortunately, that’s what the vast majority of individuals think of when they think of Livingstone.
The reality of Livingstone is a lifestyle that is on the opposite spectrum than what myself, and most of my friends and family are used to. We live a life full of commodity, where as here, it is a luxury to have a flushing toilet, underwear, and more often than not, a shoe for each foot.
It’s been a challenge to adjust to this type of lifestyle. Teaching at the school and seeing kids you’ve grown to love and care for upset because they don’t have food to eat for lunch, seeing children with obvious medical needs and knowing the chances of them receiving the care they need are very slim, and seeing young single mothers struggling to make a living in a male dominant society. It has transformed how my mind operates and has limited my normal, and extremely shameful, day-to-day habit of complaining.
In the United States, it’s easy to lose sight of all of our genuine blessings because they are our normal. It’s easy to become isolated and selfish in our very fast-paced, competitive, success-driven society. We always want more, to be higher up and more powerful than our neighbor; here simply receiving an education is far more than many can even dream of, let alone make a reality.
Despite the overwhelming poverty, Zambians in Livingstone are some of the most welcoming, joy-filled individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in my life. It’s comforting to know that this lifestyle is the only lifestyle they’ve ever known; they have nothing to compare to. One of my team leaders, Evan, has reminded us numerous times thus far, “comparison is the thief of all joy.” Let that one sink in.
God sent us here. God is using US to transform the lives of the locals here in Zambia. We cannot do such a thing if we are constantly living in a mindset of comparison. This is where the greatest struggle for me stems from. I thought I knew what a better life looked like for these individuals, but instead they are teaching me what a better life looks like. A life with many less commodities, but a life rich of meaningful relationships and a life overflowing with Gods goodness.
As our first month of ministry comes to an end, I am humbly learning the challenges that come with false perceptions. Living like a local, amongst the locals, has proven to alter my perception of Livingstone, Zambia. It has broken down everything I thought I knew and has created something so much greater in the process. Yes, Victoria Falls is visual proof of how good and powerful our God is, but if you take a 15 minute cab into the heart of Livingstone, you’ll see how good and powerful our God is on a whole new level.
So, here’s to shattering more perceptions as we dive into the next ministry assignment here in Zambia and God using us in ways we don’t know we are even capable of.
