Whatever Happens...Happens

Before coming to Uganda, I had heard jokes about “African time.” I assumed that it was similar to the “better late than never” rhythm of Latin time – which would have been to my advantage, because 9 times out of 10, I’m running fashionably late. (Emphasis on fashionably!) I was annoyed to discover within the first week of classes at UCU (Ugandan Christian University) that being late is, as it turns out, unacceptable here – at least in an academic setting. (The nerve of these African professors to actually be punctual!!) What, then, could “African time” possibly mean? I have pondered the question for two weeks now, and I think I’ve come to a conclusion.

{{My new 'do! :) Only took 8.5 hours and 5 packs of fake (BLONDE!!) hair!}}

The rhythm of life in Uganda is highly “in-the-moment” – something that many of us Americans strive to achieve, but are easily betrayed by our Western worldview’s favor of the future. From coffee dates to 401K’s, we like to have plans. We are asked from a young age what we would like to be when we grow up. We are driven by diplomas, deadlines, and dreams. What can we say – Jeremiah 29:11 is in our blood!!

But in Uganda, there’s no need for a 4-year degree plan, weekly organizer, or even a watch! (Okay…I may have exaggerated a little on that last one…but not TOO much!) Why? Because “African time” means that whatever happens…happens. “Plans” are held loosely, and thinking ahead only seems to be necessary for major events like weddings or special parties. (Case in point: one of my neighbors came over yesterday and asked my mom to help cook food for her son’s graduation party, which is in 5 days. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard her requesting something so far in advance!!)

While tasks generally remain the same from day to day (i.e. clean the house, fetch water, feed the pigs, etc.), the order in which they are done is not necessarily fixed, and they are subject to any number of interruptions. For example, it is common for visitors to stop by unannounced, the unpredictable weather influences daily activities, transportation is not reliable, and you never know when your insatiable hankering for graham crackers will cause you to make a mad dash to the local supermarket (not that I’m speaking from experience or anything).

{{The family pigs! Wilbur and Babe. :) (Just kidding...)}}

The result is that Africans are incredibly flexible human beings. Nobody gets mad over the “hurry up and wait” that often occurs here, and achievement is not measured by the tasks accomplished so much as the moments experienced. If the power goes out in the middle of ironing, it becomes a chance to go outside and enjoy the stars. If a friend desires your company when you’re just about to finish up a paper, the concluding paragraph can wait. If a taxi ride that should take 20 minutes ends up taking 80, the world keeps turning without apology. As the USP (Uganda Studies Program) staff says here: “Nothing is finalized until it has already happened.”

I find myself responding to this new concept of time in two ways. At school, I want to tear my hair out! (Which would be a LOT of work with these new braids…) For some classes, the meeting times are continually changing, which means that I can’t get into any kind of academic rhythm. In America, I’ve learned how to manage my homework/school time well, but those skills don’t transfer as much in a culture with such unpredictable timing.

At home, however, I enjoy the laid-back pace of life. I welcome the breaks for apple cinnamon tea, trips to the community well with my siblings, and conversation with mom. There is a certain element of surprise to the day that makes me smile! And there is no time to be preoccupied with the future when you’re still figuring out what’s going on in the present, which makes it a lot easier to live out this favorite scripture of mine:

“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” –James 4:13-15

{{My oldest brother, Rodgers, and me at a volleyball tournament
this weekend! He works as a doctor, fitness instructor,
and sports team paramedic.}}

I’m discovering that there are several benefits to this kind of mentality. For example, food has never been so fresh!! Lack of stable electricity makes long-term refrigeration impossible, so when it’s time to cook some chicken, you literally just go grab the chicken and slaughter it! (I haven’t done this myself yet, but I’m sure my older brothers will wrestle me into it eventually…) And meal times are like snowflakes – no two are the same! You eat whenever the food is ready…which of course depends on whatever else has happened in the day.

On a deeper level though, African time affects spiritual reality. In my devotional reading this week, I came across a quote that I think will help explain what I mean:

“Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you who He is…Let the attitude of your life be a continual ‘going out’ in dependence upon God, and your life will have an ineffable charm about it which is satisfaction to Jesus.” –Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

To be honest, I am accustomed to asking God what He is going to do. I know that the Psalm 119:105 says that God’s Word is a lamp to my feet, but I usually try to convince Him to be a floodlight to my highway instead!

“God, how do you want to use me today?

“God, what do you want me to focus on this year?”

“God, where should I go after I graduate?”

{{A misty view of Mukono Town from the top of "Monkey Hill."}}

While none of these questions are necessarily bad, they are certainly futuristic, and therefore add little value to my Ugandan life. Before coming here, I had challenged myself to be as present in the culture as possible, making the most of every opportunity to learn, grow, and experience new things. And to my surprise, it hasn’t been so challenging! Because that’s just how people live their lives here anyway. They seize whatever moment is before them like the gift that it is. As my mom shared with me the other day, “time is like a river – you can’t touch the same water twice.”

So while at times I slip into my American “effectiveness is next to godliness”  mode and become frustrated with uncertainty, at other times I feel that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing, at that very moment. Being freed from the demands of schedules and to-do lists here has made me realize just how much influence they have over my daily life back home. I mean, people have always been way more important to me than tasks, and I have no problem chucking my agenda to spend time with someone that I care about. But my experience here in Uganda is helping me to understand the concept of presence in an even deeper way. I am learning that presence – whether with others, with “the moment,” or with God – can be more important than productivity, and even that presence is productive in itself.

{{My USP friend (and hair twin!) Bethany and me. We got excited thinking
there were going to be actual zebras...turns out that's just the Ugandan
term for a crosswalk!}}

Wherever you are in the world right now reading this post, I challenge you to take the time today to be present, whatever that may mean to you. If you are courageous enough to set your big plans aside, even if only for a little while, you might just notice that the little things count for more than you expect.

Until next time, be good to yourself and be good to everybody else!

Thanks for caring,

Kelsey Jo