Sunday, June 01, 2008

Who needs WALMART!?

One of the things that I, Gary, get to do on a regular basis is to head up to the capital city of Angola, Luanda. Normally I must admit I sort of dread the experience, because Luanda is big, 5 million people, hot, humid, dirty, congested all the things that our little home town of Three Hills is not. This last trip was all those things, but I enjoyed the time that I got to spend with another MAFer, Neil Bittle, as we went around and met with different church groups, mission organizations and businesses and shared our dreams about the work of MAF in Angola. Unfortunately, this means spending long hours in the car as we try to get around the city. I'm not kidding when I say hours, think of a city the size of Red Deer with 5 million people and their cars and trucks and taxis all trying to get to the same place, or so it seems. I decided that to wile away the time I would make a list of all the things that I saw people trying to sell while we were stuck in traffic. The traffic moves so slowly in places the vendors just walk up and down the lanes between the cars seeing what they can sell. So without futher adieu, my list, which by no stretch of the imaginations is even close to complete.


Pants- Shirts- Electric fans- Toy Snakes- Candy- Cigarettes- Umbrellas- Dishes(complete sets)- Shower curtains- Bar Stools- Luggage- Soda Pop(cold)- Juice(cold)- Fruit- TV Remotes- Batteries- Phone Cards- Underwear- Towels- Shoes- Kleenex- CD's/DVD's- Sunglasses- Chiclets- Wallets- Cell Phone Covers- Pad Locks- Pots and Pans- Thermos- Socks- Perfume- Clocks- Extension cords- Trouble Lights- RCA Cords- Organizers/Calenders- Coveralls- Air Fresheners- Bug Repellent- Government Documents- Feminine Hygiene Products- Birth Control Products- Deadbolts- Paint Brushes- Nail Clippers- Rope- Windshield Wipers- Fly Swatters- Car Mats- Deep Fryers- Radios/Stereos- Peanuts- Seat Covers- Newspapers- Hair Ribbons and Clips- Buckets- Dust Pans- Dish Racks- Steering wheel covers- Mosquito nets- Strollers- Coffee tables- Tools- Exercise equipment(tread mill)- Clothes rack- Mirrors- Suits- Scrub Brushes- Bandages- Ash Trays- Electric Razors- Irons- Rechargers- Pens- Pencils- Belts- Carparts- Glue- Baseball hats- Carjacks- Dictionaries- Notepads- Car Side Mirrors(If you see how they drive, this one makes huge sense)- Electrical Outlets- Brooms- Mops- Clothes Hangers- Fluorescent lights- Machetes- Axes- Jumper cables- Camping Tents- Car Mats- Calculators- Toilet seats- Rat Poison- Bread- Toothpaste- Lanterns gas and electric- Electric Fans- Hammocks- Light Fixtures- TV Connectors- Water Purifiers- Air Conditioners- Vases- Outside TV Antennas- Bug Zappers- Planters- Bacalhau(salted cod)- Balls- Pet Leashes- Dog washes...

So, as you can see, who needs WALMART when WALMART comes to you!

It is an interesting thing to watch all of these people scrambling to survive and get ahead. It makes me wonder if they now that it is possible to more then just survive and to try to get ahead. Who is telling them that Jesus Christ died for them and that he loves them and wants them to be with Him for eternity? I hope that all of us, no matter where we are, if we have that relationship with Jesus Christ, will always seek to share about the fantastic news that Jesus died for us and that because of this we can spend eternity with Him in heaven. I am sure that WALMART can't offer that!