I'm an Overcomer

“I’m an overcomer, overcomer, overcomer.  I’m an overcomer in Bangladesh...”  I’ve been singing this Sunday School action song lately, with a few changed words, every time I overcome another hurdle of living life in Bangladesh.

 

First, there was the Asian toilet.  It was bound to happen sooner or later.  I managed to avoid the “squat” toilet the entire three weeks of my visit to India.  Two days after my arrival in Bangladesh, the dreaded moment had come.  Someone put it into perspective by saying, “It’s just like camping, Sis.”  With thoughts of camping, I did it!

The next hurdle was the cold shower.  This was the one thing I said I would never be able to do on the mission field.  I loved my luxurious hot showers back home in America.  But, I had to quickly adjust to the cold showers or remain dirty.  The trick is to take the shower in mid-afternoon when the water is the warmest and you are the hottest from the outside heat (it is 97 degrees these days).  I’m an overcomer!

I needed to purchase internet for my new apartment and no one was available to take me, so I decided it was time to attempt this on my own.  Sabrina and Jessica rode along with me on the rickshaw.  Prior to this, I was accustomed to someone else doing the haggling, giving directions, etc.  Sabrina does not haggle prices and Jessica had arrived in Bangladesh a few hours earlier, so she was clueless.  I meekly agreed to the rickshaw driver’s price of 100 Taka.  After we had ridden a few minutes, it dawned on me, “It costs 150 Taka to take a baby taxi to Mirpur all the way across the city and this rickshaw driver charged me 100 Taka to take me to Gulshan, which is close by?  Hey!  I got ripped off!”

After a beautiful scenic ride on the rickshaw, we arrived at the phone/internet store.  After an hour wait, I approached the customer service desk.  Thankfully, the clerk spoke English since I did not know Bangla.  I handed over my passport and the clerk in turn gave me a form to fill out.  Then, it hit me!  I don’t know my address or phone number!  At that moment, I felt like a lost five year old trying to explain to a policeman my information.  Luckily, I had my phone with me and a church card.  So, I wrote down the church address on the form and then handed the clerk my phone so she could retrieve the number from it.  Afterwards, I was so proud of myself!  I had just taken a rickshaw to another area of the city, purchased internet, and made it back to the guest house in time for church.  (By the way, I paid the correct rickshaw fare on the return trip!)

I was feeling independent and so happy.  The next day I moved to Mirpur and everything changed.  Let me explain.  Banani and Gulshan are the more affluent areas of the city with many international people living there.  Most of the signs are in English as well as Bangla.  It was simply easier to get around alone in these two areas.  Mirpur was almost like moving to a village yet still in the big city of Dhaka.  The streets were narrower and almost everything was in Bangla.  It was noisier and more crowded.  I could no longer walk to the Millers house down the street or ride Matthew’s motorbike to the Corbins house 5 minutes away.  Now, the Millers and the Corbins were an hour away by baby taxi….and I couldn’t speak Bangla to flag down a baby taxi, haggle the price or give directions to anyone’s house.  (Note: you can’t give taxi drivers an address and they take you there.  You must tell them the area of town, then give them step by step directions to the house.)

I was totally dependent upon others for my meals, water, shopping, transportation, EVERYTHING!  I hated it!  I had a near meltdown over this.  Sis. Corbin has a beautiful way of putting things into perspective.  She said, “Just think of it this way.  Your dependency upon others bonded you to them and vice versa.  You formed relationships with people that would have never been possible had you been independent.”  So true!  Now, I am truly thankful for those relationships and special bonds that were indeed formed from my need and their willingness to serve me.

Last week, I started taking Bangla lessons.  I bought a map and studied it.  Today, the Corbins invited me to their house for lunch.  Afterwards, they flagged down a baby taxi for me and I rode it home ALONE!  I had learned enough Bangla to be able to give the driver directions to my house.  Slowly, but surely, I’m an overcomer in Bangladesh!