Stories for buttons…Travel story contest

This weeks travel story in the travel story contest is from Jannie Ernst…

I am gladly sharing my story with you!

I traveled into several countries dark Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Madagascar, northern parts of South Africa) as a missionary – dark Africa where watches and clocks are almost nowhere to be found, and where there is no tyranny of the urgent: “I miss Africa this morning. Not modern, traffic-laden city-life Africa, but Africa in its rural riches. I long for the mingled fragrance of frangipani and hibiscus on a cool summer evening. I imagine the smell of fried plantain on the sidewalks and the sound of children playing awalé in a dusty front yard. I miss the monkeys stealing fruit from my patio table at the mission station.

From where I lived, I could see the fires against the mountain and hear the drums every night. On a clear night, I could even see the figures dancing around the fire. I would listen to their harmonious voices chanting polyphonic songs while the kenkeni and the dunun beat a steady rhythm. In the distance, the frogs in the dam would chime in and, if one had the stamina to wait until two in the morning, you could hear the king of the jungle grunt out his hunger pangs.

And during a power outage, I would play the piano in the dark with all my doors and windows open and just worship God with all my heart, while I listened to the rain and the thunder. In the mornings, long before sunrise and while the fog is still covering my mountain, I would watch hundreds of pure white egrets hunting for food on the grass carpet, waiting for Him to roll back the night like a garment.

Africa, oh Africa!”