Many Are Left Behind

Small inconveniences seem bigger than normal, perhaps because we have not traveled in Africa for quite some time.

• Getting up in the morning and sweeping out the plethora of flying and crawling bugs that blew in under the door during the rainstorm.
• Balancing oh so carefully on the edge of the curb while walking to market in order to avoid the ongoing rush of traffic whizzing by your shoulder.

But small inconveniences for us westerners quickly become just that – small – when compared to the challenges of everyday life for so many people here. I was discussing the issue of rising food and gas prices with the uber driver who put it simply this way: “Many are now left behind.” Meaning that there are so many who do not have the means to keep up with the rising cost of living over this past year and they are falling into the growing chasm of deeper poverty where daily needs are not met.

It’s hard to believe that it can get worse for so many, but while the whole world feels the crunch of inflation and supply chain issues, the poor always feel it worse.

Still, we love being in a place where people take struggles in stride, trust God, and believe that if they have enough for today they can be content. It is a privilege to balance on the edge of the curb with them again for a brief time.