Disclaimer: Although I am currently serving with Mercy Ships, everything communicated here strictly reflects my personal opinions and is neither reviewed nor endorsed by Mercy Ships. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.
The Amazing Race
If you have ever heard of The Amazing Race, then you know what I mean when I say it is an adventure like no other. Contestants race around the world accomplishing tasks in dozens of countries all for a chance to win one million dollars. The race takes them through the biggest and smallest cities; through the richest and the poorest nations. Viewers tune in every week to see where the teams will go to next and the things they will have to do when they get there.
Well, Mercy Ships saw this show and made up their own mini Amazing Race in Pointe Noire. This isn’t the first time they have done this and it definitely won’t be the last. Our adventure began at the train station at 8:30 in the morning. My team consisted of myself, Andrea, and Ibrahim. We called ourselves Steel Mercy because of the gray Mercy Ships t-shirts they wore which have an anchor and the word Mercy written across it. There were thirteen other teams there all competing to be the first to cross the finish line. We were given the rules, money, and essential pieces of paper we would need along the way. Once all the teams were set, we received our first clue and away we went. I am sure all of the locals standing at the train station and near the roundabout thought we were crazy. Forty some white people sprinting away from a building would make me start running too!
Our first clue took us two miles north of the train station to a street vendor. We arrived and there was already a team ahead of us. The competition was fierce. All jokes aside, we were having a blast so far. Back to the story. The first task. We were to make an omelette and sell it to someone on the street for 500 CFA (pronounced see-fa). Ibrahim took the lead on this one and Andrea talked to a few people around the stand until we found a nice lady who would buy it from us. Our first task was complete and we could receive our next clue. “Go the the Econo-Bank. There you will find your next task.” We started running further north.
After crossing some thick morning traffic, we ran a little ways more to the bank. A bright multicolored umbrella was propped up next to the bank and two girls from the ship greeted us with our next task. We were to enter the Grande Marche (Grand Market) for our next task. They gave us a pack of cards with pictures on them. Each card had a picture of a building and a question on the back of it. We were to write a number, a name, or whatever the question asked for with each card. At certain locations in the market, we would complete a set of cards, hand them over to one of the Mercy Ships Volunteers, and they would give us another set. We had to complete three sets of cards and return to receive our next clue. We took off running through the market. This market covers literally ten square blocks of city, if not more. We had to find street names, telephone numbers, and restaurants. For one task, we were to find a building and buy matches. For 250 CFA, we bought our matches and ran to the next building. On the way we saw another team looking for buildings. This motivated us to keep moving. By this time we were all drenched in sweat and had depleted our water bottles by half. People in the market caught on that there was a race going on and they were pointing us in the directions we needed to go. We did get misdirected once and actually were given police escort to the building we were looking for. They police man knew the market very well and identified the ‘under-construction’ building we were looking for. Praise God for helpful policemen. We were exhausted, but we did it! After bringing back the last set of answers and cards, the girls gave us our next clue. “Go to the Team House near the Radio Station for your next task.” We hopped into a taxi and sped away.
The Team House was tucked away in another part of the city. Ibrahim knew where the house was because he had been part of the Advance Team. The Advance Team consists of a group of people who go into the next country Mercy Ship will serve and they will set up all of the necessary accommodations the ship will need to operate once it arrives. You would be surprised at all of the prep work that is involved before the ship actually arrives. Anyway, I digress. We arrived at a side street and the taxi drove forward. The street was a typical Congolese street after a storm: mud and puddles the size of ponds. We saw a team ahead of us and knew we needed to pick up the pace. The taxi dropped us off at the Team House and we realized the team ahead of us didn’t know where it was. We got ahead of them just in time. This was the same team we saw wandering around the Grande Marche while we were looking for our buildings. We snuck into the Team House before the other team and were greeted by the volunteers running this task. The girl read our task and I laughed. “Your team must catch two chickens in the garden and place them under the baskets.” Oh my goodness. I strapped on my yellow gloves, you know, to protect myself from their large talons, and away I went. The chickens were hiding in the bushes in the corner of the garden. I have never caught a chicken before. The closest I came was when I was 5 and I caught chicken pox. The chickens were crouched together and I snuck closer and closer. As I moved in, they stood up and began running away. The chase was on. All three of us were trying to round these chickens up. I cornered one and then panicked. How was I supposed to grab a chicken? By the legs? By the body? How does this work? I hoped for the best and closed my hands around the chicken. Surprisingly, I caught the chicken! Showing off my trophy, I strutted over to the baskets and placed it underneath one of them. Not too long after, Ibrahim brought the other one over. Task complete! What a rush! We grabbed our next clue and exited the compound.
Our clue told us to go to the Mazra Club for our next task (a picture was provided for us to use when we asked people). The first thing we did was find a local and ask where it was. Andrea translated from a nice gentleman that it was down the road. I found myself in the back parts of Pointe Noire. Huts and grass surrounded us. We crossed a small creek, through muddy paths, and small bodies of water. With more directions from other locals, we walked onto the Mazra Club property. It was a boating facility on the beach. One of the day workers who worked on my ward greeted us. It was breath of fresh air! We paid 1000 CFA for our time on the property and were escorted to the beach for our next task. There were a lot of people there! Teams and volunteers greeted us with big smiles, pictures, and hellos. I cannot say enough how much fun I was having and how happy everyone was throughout the whole race.
At this time we were given our next task. “Take the canoe on the beach out on the water and paddle around the boat docked 150 meters off shore.” We had twenty minutes to complete our task. Now this may sound simple when you think about canoes and paddling. But let me tell you it is nothing like you have ever imagined. The canoe was made from thick, heavy wood. The thing weighed nearly five hundred pounds. Then we had the paddles which were long, thick poles of wood with a square paddle shoved diagonally into one end. It was like we were paddling with a road sign, but the actual sign part was much smaller. Ok, we were paddling with shovels (oh those paddles). Getting the canoe out onto the water was a very difficult task because it was stuck on the sand and the tide was receding. We enlisted the help of a bunch of people, including some local fishermen who knew what they were doing. After about fifteen minutes of trying we finally got her out on the open ocean, or bay; whichever is your preference. There were about a dozen large ships carrying tons and tons of cargo sitting in the bay waiting their turn to unload their supply. We continued to paddle with much difficulty towards the boat. Our poor coordination with the strength of the current and the wind caused us to spin around quite a few times. We eventually made it to the boat. Slowly, we creeped around the stern of the fishing boat. With a few bumps, thumps, and whoops, we made it around the boat. The way back was easier, but we still spun around a few times. The next team was already poised and ready to paddle out. We helped them push the canoe out onto the water. Success! We did it! The volunteers congratulated us on our accomplishment and gave us our next task.
“Go down the beach and find your next task” Easy enough, right? The walk was a good time to dry off and take it all in. I was standing on one of the local fishing beaches. Dozens and dozens of mammoth fishing boats were parked on the beach. Boats of every color lay dry docked until the tide came in later that afternoon. Fishermen were everywhere. Bonjour! Bonjour! I found out from Andrea that this area was populated by refugees from Ghana. They had come a while back and settled in this part of the Congo. We walked and talked. We had to wade through a few small creeks (which actually turned into large rivers four feet deep we heard from other teams). Eventually we found our next station. The task was simple: “Buy two fish for 1,000 CFA”. No problem! We tried to bargain the price down, but it was no use. We had so much fun joking around with the two volunteers from the ship. At this point our group had attracted quite a few fishermen to congregate around us. One poor gentleman tried selling us fish from his bucket, but we said no. We were in a competition! I could not tell what he was yelling, but I think he was upset because we were only buying fish from our people. Anyways, I put my shoes back on, we grabbed our clue, and we meandered our way off the beach by using a small walkway through the tiny village. I was in another world yet again and I had not even left the city. Our next clue told us: “Go to the Hope Center for your next challenge”. We walked and walked until we found the highway and there we caught another taxi to get to our destination.
Traffic ebbed and flowed with where we were in the city and the time of day. It was nearing lunch time and people were out and about doing their normal weekend errands. Our taxi driver maneuvered us onto the compound we needed to be at. The Hope Center is a former polio hospital which was transformed into our outpatient housing facility and dental clinic. We neared the gates and the taxi driver dropped us off. Au revoir, Papa! We crept through the large iron gates to meet our next challenge. As I stepped into the courtyard, I heard my name and turned. It was one of my former patients! Bonjour! Then as I moved closer to the hospital and large group of people shouted my name and a herd of children rushed to greet me. I guess I was pretty popular with everyone. This brought so much joy to my heart and a big smile to my face. I picked up one of the kids and met the girl running this station. She gave us our task.
“You must find a bag of charcoal hidden somewhere on the compound. Then you must take the charcoal to one of the fire pits, start a fire using the matches you bought in the Grande Marche, and roast the fish you bought on the beach.” Everything was coming together. We turned around and found our bag of charcoal almost immediately. Then we ran to the side of the hospital where the fire pit was and began starting our fire. We tore the paper bag the charcoal was in and turned it into kindling. Then we went to work. It only took a few minutes for the fire to start even with the wind blowing all around us. As we were preparing to cook the fish, the children gathered around to watch and play. At one point I had a kid on my back and my front and another running around my legs. This was too much fun! Another team arrived and we needed to hurry. With some haste, we roughly scaled the fish, made a few cuts in the sides, sliced off the heads, and started roasting. They were done in no time! Now it was time to enjoy our completed task. The fish was absolutely delicious even though we used no seasoning and it was from the murky waters of the bay.
The nice girl handed us our next clue after we extinguished our flames and emptied our fire pit. Wanting to keep an edge of competition, we decided to open the clue as we were exiting the gates of the compound. “Go to the Airport for your next task.” Great! The airport! This should be exciting! Would we have to fly somewhere? That would be cool. We flagged down a taxi and headed towards the airport. We were making great time and we felt confident that we would finish the race in a decent position. Then mid afternoon traffic hit. Everyone who had a vehicle in Pointe Noire seemed to want to go to the same roundabout as us. At one point the police actually stopped the flow of traffic on one side to allow someone of importance a smooth drive through the streets. Only in Africa, I tell ya. Twenty minutes into the ride I was getting anxious to get out. Our driver took us down another rode in order to make it a quicker trip, but that soon backfired. Thirty minutes in he was getting very frustrated with us. I was starting to feel uncomfortable being in the car because he was so upset with us. The traffic was not our fault and he took a different way. By the end of the forty-five minute taxi ride we paid the man the agreed upon amount of money and got out of there.
We had arrived! Planes flew overhead. Cars and taxis were everywhere. We looked around and thought “Where are we supposed to go?” Then we heard some loud cheers and saw a bunch of people under the billboards waving at us. There it is! We ran up and shook everyone’s hand who was there. I recognized another day crew who worked at this station. He smiled and laughed when he shook my hand. We found the two volunteers under umbrellas and they gave us our next challenge. “Your team must learn how to shine shoes and then shine two people’s shoes for 500 CFA each.” I got the quickest on-the-job training on how to shine shoes. A gentleman came up and we went to work. They showed me how to do it and then i mimicked it. It turns out that the owner of the sandals I was shining was named Benjamin. We had a lot of fun. After I finished shining Benjamin’s shoes, he paid me 500 CFA halfway there. As I paid my half, the other half came in from my other teammates. We had a quick photo with Benjamin and the others, grabbed our next clue, and away we went.
“Go to the beach behind the train station for your next task.” We negotiated with a taxi driver to take us to the beach and we were gone. The ride was a lot smoother than our last one. I was very pleased with it. We arrived at a part of the beach with tons and tons of umbrellas, tables, and chairs. Where was our next task and where were our people? We kept walking until we found some familiar faces near the edge of the umbrellas by the sea. There were too many teams there to compete so we had to sit and wait until we got our next task. A group shouted in relief and left in a rush. A girl walked over and read out loud “This is the brain game. You must use the codex to decipher letters and numbers from the answers to the questions below. Afterwards, you must find the corresponding cups with the answers to come up with a final answer.” It was all very confusing, but we eventually got into a rhythm. We answered, translated, and deciphered. Then we took our answers to the circle of paper cups in the sand to find the corresponding numbers. This was proving harder than we thought. We had to rework some of our answers and change the spelling on others. We were getting frustrated to say the least. Our time was running short and we did not have the right answer. The answer was supposed to be a bible verse but we had some of the numbers wrong! How frustrating. Tick tock ran the clock and we scrambled with words and numbers. Time’s up. What was our final answer? We were out of time and one answer wrong. We took the time to rework the word and found we calculated it wrong. That was frustrating. What’s done is done. We grabbed our next clue and walked away feeling defeated. The volunteers at the station told us half the groups got it and the other half did not. We felt a little better, but it still stung.
We hailed a nearby taxi and opened our clue: “Go to the soccer fields for your next task.” I knew exactly where we were going and what we were going to do. We sped away and I was feeling very fatigued at this point. Exhaustion became heavier than my backpack and I had to lug both around with me. Late afternoon traffic was thin and we arrived with little difficulty. The field is surrounded by a giant cement wall with a large iron gate and side door. This is the field we play ultimate frisbee in every Friday. I pushed through the door and we saw people playing soccer in the distance. I knew what our challenge was and I did not want to do it. The team who we were ahead of ran past us and said it was a tough one. We were exhausted and trailing in the team positions. Two girls with bright umbrellas greeted us with smiles and read us our next task: “You must play a game of soccer with some local children. In order to win the game, you must score three goals.” They told us that the score could be ten to three with us losing by points, but we would still win because we made three goals. Two teams were ahead of us and they cycled in and out. I noticed that another day worker from my ward was there and he was shouting at the kids. I knew what he was saying without needing a translation. He was telling them to pull back and go easy at certain points in the game so we could score. If he did not do this, we would have been there the whole day. We were up and we needed to play and win. I was hot and exhausted, but I still gave it my all. I think they scored three times as many points as we did, but we finished. I was so glad to be done. We received our clue and opened it immediately.
“Go to the craft market for your final task.” We were almost done! Just one more task and we would be done. I was so excited. The craft market is conveniently located next to the soccer field so we only needed to take a brisk walk around the corner and we had arrived. I took the lead and began looking for our spot. Craft stall after craft stall, I walked by. The vendors kept pointing us in the direction we needed to go. I finally found it! We walked in on another team just finishing. After they filed out from the back of the craft stall, we filed in to meet our last task head on. The girls gave us our task: “You must learn how to make a craft. The shop owner will teach you how to chisel a line around the circle piece of wood.” This task was the easiest by far. He showed us and we each took our turn chiseling. The owner was impressed with my speed and accuracy. Ibrahim finished us off and we were done. They told us there were no more clues so we were to race back to the ship to cross the finish line! A taxi took us as close to the port gate as he could go and we walked the rest of the way.
Ibrahim and I wanted to run it. The distance was only one kilometer, but we needed to finish as a team so we went at Andrea’s pace. We jogged and walked the whole way. We finally could see the ship. The finish line was so close! We could see the gate! Now we took one last walk and jogged in the rest of the way. People greeted us with cheers! We ran to the finish line and stood on the mat as a team. They congratulated us on finishing the Amazing Race in Congo! We found out that we were twelve of fourteen. At that point we just celebrated the fact that we were not last. What an amazing time we had and I would not trade it for anything else. I hope you were able to experience a little bit of what I went through while racing in the most amazing race in the world.
