Cab Conversation

To get around Brazza I often take taxis. This morning my ride to church was very typical, so I thought I’d share with you:

Taxi: You are Swedish?
Me: No, American.
Taxi: You need to take me to America.
Me: It’s expensive.
Taxi: How expensive?
Me: $2000, just for the plane ticket.
Taxi: You need to have faith.
Me: What about all the other Congolese people who have already asked me this?
Taxi: What?
Me: You’re not the first.
Taxi: You need to have faith
Me: Why would God want you to go to the United States?
Taxi: Because it’s my wish.
Me: God doesn’t give me everything I want.
Taxi: Of course not. Only God is big enough to have everything. No one man can have everything. Isn’t that right? If someone had everything that would make them God…

At this point I checked out of the conversation while he continued sermonizing on having faith and how God is the only One big enough to have everything. He might have asked me some more questions, but I don’t really know. I don’t like it when people hit me up for a ride to America when all I’m doing is trying to get across town to go to church. Do they actually think they’ll get something from me? I think the principle here is always ask. Ask for more than possible. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get something out of the deal. If they find anyone handing out tickets to the United States, I want to get in on that deal too!

PS: It's not that I don't want to help people fulfill their dreams, but I think the dream to go to America is usually misplaced. People here don't realized how absolutely miserable they would probably be in America. They wouldn't be marketable, they wouldn't have family, they would find both the culture and the climate extemely cold. It's not a ticket to prosperity and happiness. I wouldn't wish America on most of these people.