Lessons Learned from my Desert Swamp
I live in a breeding ground for wicked problems. My host country is in the Sahara. It is listed as the fifty-sixth poorest country in the World.[1] Limited resources are a daily struggle for everyone living here. Conflicting values in the country stem from topics such as slavery, ethnic conflict, and colonialism. The country receives foreign development funding, which brings expectations from the financial donors. With globalization and social media influence, the younger generations are trying to balance the expectations of the “outside world” with their traditional nomadic culture. The book Exploring Wicked Problems: What They Are and Why They Are Important seems like an autobiography of my life.
The authors, Joseph Bently and Michael Toth, define wicked problems as “ill-defined, ambiguous, complicated, interconnected situations packed with potential conflict.”[2] Wicked problems arise when “people compete for limited resources, hold conflicting values, and wrestle with diverse expectations held by others about what they should be doing.”[3]These are things I am faced with every day in the Sahara. Persevering through these wicked problems is what captured my attention in the book, particularly The Swamp.
The authors define The Swamp as the aspects of work settings, and I will add in life, that is muddy and unclear. The Swamp has no clear directions, guidelines, or answers. It is confusing, complex, and challenging.[4] The Swamp is unavoidable; we will all face it at some point. People find themselves in the Swamp because of unforeseen circumstances pushing them beyond their limits, an unfortunate choice or serious mistake that led to astray, a reckless decision causing self-inflicted consequences, or a deliberate commitment to work in swampy conditions.[5] When we find ourselves in the Swamp, we can choose to survive, thrive, or get out.[6]
God has called me to the Sahara. My arid environment is in a perpetual state of hypothetical swampiness. I have chosen to stay in this swamp because of my calling. One day, I will exit, but for now, I want to thrive while I am in these conditions. When I first landed here, I was in full “survival mode.” I had a lot to learn. Bentley and Toth say that for progress to happen when dealing with wicked problems, “learning to think differently and then to act differently is the only way forward.”[7] The Swamp was daunting as I learned through experience that I had to be the one first to change. Over time, I learned new skills, coping strategies, and creative ideas that have helped me thrive in my desert swamp.
Bently and Toth present Michael Seligman’s five ways to flourish as a tool “PERMA” to use to thrive in the swamp. Seligman’s acronym captures how I have learned to thrive in my desert swamp. In hopes that this may be helpful to someone else choosing to work and live in a cross-cultural swamp, here are ways I am learning to flourish using Seligman’s tool:
P: Positive Emotion
E: Engagement
R: Relationships
M: Meaning
A: Accomplishment[8]
Positive Emotion: Laugh at your mistakes. Some days, you will just pronounce “weather” as “diarrhea!” Create fun and joy. Remember that we always have hope in Christ. In the moments when things feel hopeless, I ask God to speak into the situation and help me see things through His eyes.[9]
Engagement: Take risks, be adventurous, and learn from the host culture. Drinking camel milk from a nomadic shepherd is a delightful, almost Biblical experience! Beerel tells us that great leaders are learners and seek out new opportunities to grow and explore.[10] Engaging and learning from host traditions and practices will help develop a love for them.
Relationships: Ask someone their name in their language. The smiles are huge! The phrase “build relationships” reminds me that connection takes active effort, it is not passively received. Be the friend you wish you had. Choose to practice building friendships to combat loneliness and to nurture connection.[11]
Meaning: Remember my call to the desert swamp. Rehearsing my journey to the Sahara reminds me of God’s provision each step of the way. Simon Walker encourages leaders to find meaning from the past to find freedom to lead ‘out of who we are.’[12]
Accomplishment: Look for the little wins around you. Wicked problems do not have “right” answers, which means many possibilities and opportunities exist.[13]
Wicked problems are a part of life. As leaders, we can model how to thrive in swampy territory while dealing with wicked problems. As I walk alongside others on their journeys, I want to apply the advice the authors gave: “When someone is struggling with a wicked problem, don’t give advice. Be present, listen, provide positive support, and if possible, join with them in their struggle.”[14] Who in your life needs you to come alongside them in their swamp? What are ways you have learned to flourish in your swamps? What have you learned through grappling with wicked problems?
[1] Luca Ventura, “Poorest Countries in the World 2024,” Global Finance Magazine, May 6, 2024, https://gfmag.com/data/economic-data/poorest-country-in-the-world/.
[2] Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems: What They Are and Why They Are Important (Bloomington, IN: Archway Publishing, 2020), 11.
[3] Ibid, 11.
[4] Ibid, 150.
[5] Ibid, 178.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid, 133.
[8] Ibid, 181.
[9] See Romans 5:5.
[10] Annabel C. Beerel, Rethinking Leadership: A Critique of Contemporary Theories (New York, NY: Routledge, 2021), 128.
[11] Dr. John Delony, Building a Non-Anxious Life (Franklin, TN: Ramsey Press, 2023), 117.
[12] Simon P Walker, Leading Out of Who You Are: Discovering the Secret of Undefended Leadership, The Undefended Leader Trilogy, Book 1 (Carlisle, UK: Piquant Editions Ltd, 208AD), 216.
[13] Bentley, Exploring Wicked Problems 105.
[14] Ibid, 201.
About the Author
Kari
Kari is a passionate follower of Jesus. Her journey with Him currently has her living in the Sahara in North Africa. With over a decade of experience as a family nurse practitioner and living cross-culturally, she enjoys being a champion for others. She combines her cross-cultural experience, her health care profession, and her skills in coaching to encourage holistic health and growth. She desires to see each person she encounters walk in fullness of joy, fulfilling their God-designed purpose. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12 ESV16 responses to “Lessons Learned from my Desert Swamp”
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This was a super fun post to read, and the photos are golden! How was the camel’s milk? What prompted the shepherd to offer you a drink? Your arid Sahara environment in hypothetical swampiness is a great analogy.
I’ll ask a question that Adam asked me — do you find value in knowing the difference between complex and tame problems?
You mention hope – there is a book you might be interested in called Hope Rising. Oklahoma has something called the OU Hope Research Center. The book has become a useful tool lately in my school and work efforts.
Thank you for your kind words and book suggestion, Jennifer! We were exploring the dunes behind the camels, and it was milking time. The shepherds milk the camels by hand and then sell them by the side of the road. They enjoyed giving the foreigners their “Mauritanian experience.” This milk was fresh, warm, and very frothy! It is also a bit salty. Fun fact: it has a lot of natural benefits and gentle on those with cow milk intolerance. (Camel urine taken orally is also said to have medicinal properties; I am not quite ready for that adventure!)
Knowing tame versus wicked problems, and especially how to tame wicked problems has helped drastically here. Elysse has taught me a lot about taming problems–she does it naturally.
Kari
I love the drinking milk photo. Camel milk is SO good! What has been the one biggest factor that has helped you navigate the longevity in the swamp? It truly gets tiring and yet it is always helpful to know how others are navigating the difficulty.
I just had camels milk at a friend’s house this week and it was cold! Delicious.
Learning to be OK with not having the answer or solution to everything and being able to say “no.” This has been my biggest tool in thriving here. Stemming from that principle comes weekly Sabbath, regular exits, and learning how to tame wicked problems rather than trying to solve them.
Hi Kari, Seeing you in your environment brings your life into better focus. Thanks for the pictures. Wicked problems are often best approached with others where give and take is possible. Do you find opportunities in your setting to engage with others on some of the things that feel like wicked problems to you and are you able to “slice a piece” of the problem to consider what positive actions might be useful?
HI Diane, Yes, I have enjoyed dialoguing with others in trying to find solutions. It can be very tricky (even a wicked problem) to find a give-and-take in our situation. Being a learner that does not have all the answers is where it starts. People love being empowered and asked for help!
Kari, I simply love your post.
In what ways do you apply the advice of being present, listening, and providing positive support to others dealing with wicked problems, and how has this approach influenced your relationships and leadership in the Sahara?
Thank you, Shela! It starts with being intentional and available. Here’s an example: a Muslim friend called that her son was having febrile seizures. I went, sat with her in the hospital, and was given permission to pray over him in the name of Jesus. In general, it usually means listening and than asking good questions rather than giving advice.
Hello friend, You forgot to mention that our city transforms into a neon green swamp during the rainy season, swallowing cars whole. I appreciated your reference to Martin Seligman’s PERMA model. One thing that seems to get lost in the swamp (besides vehicles) is the “A” in PERMA—Accomplishment. We don’t always take the time to recognize our progress and celebrate our wins. So, what’s one small victory you can celebrate in our desert swamp this week?
Elysse, Firstly, I try to forget the green swamp exists. You asked your question about victories on a good week! We have lots of them to celebrate.
1. I successfuly placed an order for garage shelves and navigated phone calls and direction for it in Hassaniya.
2. Peacefully intervened in an animal cruelty situation.
3. Together, we met the neighbors moving in the house behind us.
…the list could keep going on, but since you asked for one, I’ll stop at three! We should go celebrate over ice cream this weekend.
Kari, I enjoyed your article, which sheds light on your context. You describe how thriving in the swamp requires personal transformation, adaptability, and the PERMA framework. However, in a setting where external factors, such as systemic poverty, cultural expectations, and limited resources, constrain change, how do you navigate the tension between personal resilience and the broader structural challenges perpetuating wicked problems? Can thriving coexist with the inability to enact large-scale change?
Chad, These are challenging questions! For myself, I have had to learn that wicked problems do not have easy answers or solutions. That has helped me take off the pressure to “fix” the problems and rather engage with them and the people around me. This also always taught me to have the courage to say “no” to things and take time for resilience measures such as time for the sabbath and vacation. So yes, thriving can coexist, but it is hard and takes extreme intentionality to thrive and look for little results. It is even harder for those who live in the midst of this with even less resources.
Hi, Kari. Your post and your setting are always challenging. Thank you for sharing the concept of PERMA. I believe in the importance of celebrating even little accomplishment. It feels like the seventh day of the week. How important is celebrating even little accomplishment in your context? Thanks again, Kari!
Hi Noel, Celebrating even the littlest accomplishments could mean the difference between staying and leaving this context. Celebration brings meaning and hope to life. This is vital when surrounded by a swamp of problems and challenges.
Hi Kari, what are some of the wicked problems in your context that you have been engaging with? Do you see people mistakingly attack these problems as if they are tame? If so – what is the result?
Hi Christy, These are thought-provoking questions. The top wicked problems I engage with are childhood malnutrition, healthcare disparities, poverty (a major cause of the first two), power dynamics & inequality, and religious suppression. In my context, most efforts going into these issues are implemented as if they are “tame” problems. The results are that these issues are further augmented and complexified. The other result is isolation and lack of support for the efforts trying to address the issues as the “wicked problem” they are.