One of the most convenient things about being the only white people in town is that you can never get lost. We were in the village the other day and I had gone to meet with Jenny for a language lesson while the girls went to greet another family. When I finished my lesson, the girls were not back at our hut or in our compound, so I started walking…we live in a pretty big village. I greeted people as I passed by and they greeted me back and then started pointing. I realized that they knew I was looking for my friends. Where else can you wander around and people know exactly who you’re looking for and where they are? AND without speaking the same language? The village is pretty amazing that way. Well, it turns out the girls were wound way back through several compounds and pathways, but every time I passed by somebody they would greet me and point until finally I found them.
And, ANYtime we go ANYwhere, it never fails that a band of children will surround us and follow us. I mean seriously, like 15 kids following us around. And they all want to shake or slap your hand and carry your water bottle. In my head I call it the White Girl Parade.
Also, I like that everybody knows your name. It’s like Cheers.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Well, of course there was dancing.
I went to Jenny’s home on Monday for my first language lesson. I took some drawings of people and animals to work on some basic vocabulary and then we worked on some basic verbs…you know…sit, stand, walk, run, lay down, sleep, jump…stuff like that. To get those, I acted them out, then practiced having Jenny say one and I would do what she said. There were a couple of ladies sitting out under her porch with us and they were having a good ol’ time making me run and jump around the yard and pretend to be asleep. When we were done they were all clapping for me and I was clapping for myself, and then the clapping sort of turned into dancing…which was, of course, awesome.
I’m pretty pleased that during my very first language lesson, I not only learned the Sunny word for “dance,” but learned it because it spontaneously happened in celebration of my verb comprehension. We’re going to a wedding in a couple of weeks and I do believe there will be dancing. They’re gonna love the floor-slap.
I’m pretty pleased that during my very first language lesson, I not only learned the Sunny word for “dance,” but learned it because it spontaneously happened in celebration of my verb comprehension. We’re going to a wedding in a couple of weeks and I do believe there will be dancing. They’re gonna love the floor-slap.
Nighttime, My iPod, and Staff Lunch
At first, I really struggled with nighttime. Turns out it’s pretty difficult to fall asleep when you’re completely soaked with sweat…pretty gross, I know. But NOW I actually really like the nights. During times I can’t sleep, I take advantage of it and read my Bible or pray. I’ve also been listening to my iPod that Bear Creek gave me all the way through the night…and a lot of times it’s the only reason I can fall asleep with all the donkey noises, critters trying to get in my tent, and calls to prayer.
AND my iPod has videos on it, so that keeps me entertained during the wee village hours also. During my plane rides over here I watched the video Bear Creek made for me with families offering words of encouragement and support. It was amazing and just what I needed for the journey over! I skipped over one lengthy part in the middle, though, because I was having a hard time hearing it over the engine noise. One sleepless night, I remembered that I still had it to watch. It was a Bear Creek staff lunch…
One day while I was in Virginia, they set the video camera up in my usual spot at the table and went about a normal lunch…even asking me questions every now and then. (I know…it’s really sweet how much they miss me.) Anyway, it was so nice to get away from my sweaty tent and feel normal for a little while. Those guys are like my brothers and not getting to work with them anymore is one of the hardest parts of being in Africa. Even though it was just a normal lunch…they even managed to somehow pick on me…it reminded me of how they have walked with me through this entire process and of how many lunches we have sat in that very kitchen and talked about this very moment. Oddly enough, that staff lunch was just what I needed that night and God used it to comfort me and remind me that He called me to this and He is here, equipping me. Then I played some Bejeweled Blitz.
AND my iPod has videos on it, so that keeps me entertained during the wee village hours also. During my plane rides over here I watched the video Bear Creek made for me with families offering words of encouragement and support. It was amazing and just what I needed for the journey over! I skipped over one lengthy part in the middle, though, because I was having a hard time hearing it over the engine noise. One sleepless night, I remembered that I still had it to watch. It was a Bear Creek staff lunch…
One day while I was in Virginia, they set the video camera up in my usual spot at the table and went about a normal lunch…even asking me questions every now and then. (I know…it’s really sweet how much they miss me.) Anyway, it was so nice to get away from my sweaty tent and feel normal for a little while. Those guys are like my brothers and not getting to work with them anymore is one of the hardest parts of being in Africa. Even though it was just a normal lunch…they even managed to somehow pick on me…it reminded me of how they have walked with me through this entire process and of how many lunches we have sat in that very kitchen and talked about this very moment. Oddly enough, that staff lunch was just what I needed that night and God used it to comfort me and remind me that He called me to this and He is here, equipping me. Then I played some Bejeweled Blitz.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Getting the Oil Changed
The oil in our truck needed to be changed, so we asked our tailor…I’ll call him Sam…where we should go to get this done. Sam speaks some English and he makes all of our clothes for us. He has been very helpful to the girls and he takes good care of us. He said that he would call a mechanic and take us there on Saturday morning at 10. So this morning, Abby and I drove up to the market to meet Sam at his shop. He jumped in the truck with us and took us to the mechanic. Now, the mechanic shop looked like an American junkyard. There were cars and trucks all over the place in no apparent order. Men were standing everywhere. Old parts, bottles of oil, trash, lots and lots of grease, and various other articles were strewn all across the yard. I really wish you could’ve seen it. It was awesome and I loved it.
We all got out and I greeted them, which is the only thing I can do in the language. They started trying to say more to me and I just shook my head, made the universal “I don’t know shoulder shrug” and we all had a good laugh. They just appreciate the attempt. Sam started talking to one of the dozen or so guys/mechanics standing there who said I needed to move the truck around. So I jumped back behind the wheel and he jumped in the backseat and we figured out a system of various hand motions and noises to communicate where I needed to drive while Sam and Abby waited for us to pull back around. We got to the right spot and got out of the truck while 5 guys began the process of changing our oil. They set a bench out for Sam, Abby, and I to sit on while we waited. We ended up not having enough oil so another man who owns a shop sold us some of his. Then we paid 5,000 francs for the oil and the oil change (about $10 USD). I asked for a receipt and the man who sold us the oil said he would give us a receipt for all of it, but it was at his shop on another street. So Sam, Abby, the oil man, and I piled in the truck, drove to his shop, and got a receipt.
I just really love Africans. They are so helpful and so nice and so hospitable. My favorite thing is that when you’re driving they help you park without hitting the stacked piles of oil cans and then they help you back out while dodging donkeys, sheep, and motos. And they make mundane things like getting your oil changed an adventure. Sometimes these adventures can be extremely frustrating, but today it was just kind of entertaining and fun.
We all got out and I greeted them, which is the only thing I can do in the language. They started trying to say more to me and I just shook my head, made the universal “I don’t know shoulder shrug” and we all had a good laugh. They just appreciate the attempt. Sam started talking to one of the dozen or so guys/mechanics standing there who said I needed to move the truck around. So I jumped back behind the wheel and he jumped in the backseat and we figured out a system of various hand motions and noises to communicate where I needed to drive while Sam and Abby waited for us to pull back around. We got to the right spot and got out of the truck while 5 guys began the process of changing our oil. They set a bench out for Sam, Abby, and I to sit on while we waited. We ended up not having enough oil so another man who owns a shop sold us some of his. Then we paid 5,000 francs for the oil and the oil change (about $10 USD). I asked for a receipt and the man who sold us the oil said he would give us a receipt for all of it, but it was at his shop on another street. So Sam, Abby, the oil man, and I piled in the truck, drove to his shop, and got a receipt.
I just really love Africans. They are so helpful and so nice and so hospitable. My favorite thing is that when you’re driving they help you park without hitting the stacked piles of oil cans and then they help you back out while dodging donkeys, sheep, and motos. And they make mundane things like getting your oil changed an adventure. Sometimes these adventures can be extremely frustrating, but today it was just kind of entertaining and fun.
The Mouse in the House
One night, there were 5 girls staying in our house because our supervisor and another girl brought Abby up to G-Vegas. The first 2 nights after they got to G-Vegas, our supervisor, Sarah, and I had gone to Yosemite to spend 2 nights there. So it was just Abby and the other girl sleeping in our house in G-Vegas. Well, in the middle of the night, one of the girls woke up when she felt something running across her. She grabbed her flashlight and saw that it was…as you probably guessed from the title of this post…a mouse.
The next night, after we returned from Yosemite, we were all hanging out and I walked into Sarah’s room and saw a tail disappearing over a suitcase that was sitting on the floor in the corner. And then I saw 2 mice run under Sarah’s bed. I, of course, shrieked a little then went and told the girls. We came back in and the mice ran to another corner behind Sarah’s armoire. Those mice are sneaky and quick little boogers though, and they can squeeze through almost any opening. So we corralled them into the corner (behind the armoire) to make sure they couldn’t get out. We set a bucket up so that when we scared them out of the corner into the corral, we could trap them in the bucket and throw them outside.
Well, again, mice are sneaky and quick and they escaped from us into a different corner a couple of times. But we got them back into the armoire corner…until one of them made its grand escape out of the room. So we were down to one mouse…and we knew where he was…it was just a matter of catching him. I took the bucket to see if I could trap him when he ran out. One of the other girls started poking the broom back in the corner to scare him out…and when he came running out I got him!!! Well…mostly. I didn’t get him all the way in the bucket, but I had his tail and one of his back legs pinned. At this point, we were at a loss because lifting up on the bucket would release him and none of us wanted to grab him with our hands. Then my supervisor came in, took one look at what was going on, ripped off her flip-flop, and proceeded to literally beat the mouse to death while I held him down.
Traumatizing as it was, I’m not really scared of the mice anymore! We still have some so we went down to the market and bought some traps because the whole process of hunting, corralling, trapping, and killing the mouse took a LOT of effort…and about 2 hours.
The next night, after we returned from Yosemite, we were all hanging out and I walked into Sarah’s room and saw a tail disappearing over a suitcase that was sitting on the floor in the corner. And then I saw 2 mice run under Sarah’s bed. I, of course, shrieked a little then went and told the girls. We came back in and the mice ran to another corner behind Sarah’s armoire. Those mice are sneaky and quick little boogers though, and they can squeeze through almost any opening. So we corralled them into the corner (behind the armoire) to make sure they couldn’t get out. We set a bucket up so that when we scared them out of the corner into the corral, we could trap them in the bucket and throw them outside.
Well, again, mice are sneaky and quick and they escaped from us into a different corner a couple of times. But we got them back into the armoire corner…until one of them made its grand escape out of the room. So we were down to one mouse…and we knew where he was…it was just a matter of catching him. I took the bucket to see if I could trap him when he ran out. One of the other girls started poking the broom back in the corner to scare him out…and when he came running out I got him!!! Well…mostly. I didn’t get him all the way in the bucket, but I had his tail and one of his back legs pinned. At this point, we were at a loss because lifting up on the bucket would release him and none of us wanted to grab him with our hands. Then my supervisor came in, took one look at what was going on, ripped off her flip-flop, and proceeded to literally beat the mouse to death while I held him down.
Traumatizing as it was, I’m not really scared of the mice anymore! We still have some so we went down to the market and bought some traps because the whole process of hunting, corralling, trapping, and killing the mouse took a LOT of effort…and about 2 hours.
I live in Africa!
After maneuvering my way through 5 different time zones and 4 different airports in 3 different continents, my 4 giant pieces of luggage and I landed safely in Africa! I stayed in the capital, where my supervisor lives, for a week of orientation before heading up to the desert to meet my 2 more permanent homes. It is about a 6-hour drive from the capital to “G-Vegas,” the name my teammates have given the town where our house is. The town is small, but has most of what we would need. The house is great! There are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The kitchen has everything (except a dishwasher). There is even an air conditioner in one of the bedrooms, but we won’t use it much because it can be pretty pricey to run. I do have access to internet, but it is dial-up and a little sketchy, so just know that posting pictures will be difficult :)
On Monday, I got to go to “Yosemite,” the name my teammates have given our village. It is about a 40-minute drive through the desert, which is awesome! Driving through it feels like you’re on a Land Rover commercial or something! There are rocks and riverbeds, giant thorn bushes, shepherds with their flocks, donkey carts, and lots of sand. It is so much fun to drive our 17-year old truck out there! Yosemite is amazing. The people are SOOO welcoming and love having us there. We live in our own mud hut, which is part of a family’s compound. Upon arriving at Yosemite, we went to the mayor’s family’s compound so that I could be given my African name. The mayor was out of town, so his wife named me. It was so much fun…everybody was gathered around the mat where we were sitting and when she named me Nyame (NYAH-may), everyone clapped and all the little kids started yelling my name and wanting to shake my hand. She gave me the same last name as the mayor’s family and started pointing around to everyone in the compound saying the last name, then to me, and told me that we are one. I almost started crying…but that would have been bad, so I locked it up.
Every day, we walk across to the hut where our village “mom” is…I’ll call her H-Mama. We help cook meals in a pot over a fire then we all eat out of the same bowl with our hands. I’m actually not as good at eating with my hands as I thought I’d be…it’s kind of difficult! We help around the hut as much as we can and go out to “greet” people. Greeting people is a HUGE deal here. We go to the mayor’s compound a lot and to a few other families’ compounds which Abby & Sarah have made friends with. One of the ladies, I’ll call her Jenny, has already offered to be my language helper…which is awesome because I didn’t know how long it would take me to find somebody!
I hope this gave you a little bit of an idea of what my life will look like. It has already been an adventure and I really can’t wait to see more of what God is doing!
On Monday, I got to go to “Yosemite,” the name my teammates have given our village. It is about a 40-minute drive through the desert, which is awesome! Driving through it feels like you’re on a Land Rover commercial or something! There are rocks and riverbeds, giant thorn bushes, shepherds with their flocks, donkey carts, and lots of sand. It is so much fun to drive our 17-year old truck out there! Yosemite is amazing. The people are SOOO welcoming and love having us there. We live in our own mud hut, which is part of a family’s compound. Upon arriving at Yosemite, we went to the mayor’s family’s compound so that I could be given my African name. The mayor was out of town, so his wife named me. It was so much fun…everybody was gathered around the mat where we were sitting and when she named me Nyame (NYAH-may), everyone clapped and all the little kids started yelling my name and wanting to shake my hand. She gave me the same last name as the mayor’s family and started pointing around to everyone in the compound saying the last name, then to me, and told me that we are one. I almost started crying…but that would have been bad, so I locked it up.
Every day, we walk across to the hut where our village “mom” is…I’ll call her H-Mama. We help cook meals in a pot over a fire then we all eat out of the same bowl with our hands. I’m actually not as good at eating with my hands as I thought I’d be…it’s kind of difficult! We help around the hut as much as we can and go out to “greet” people. Greeting people is a HUGE deal here. We go to the mayor’s compound a lot and to a few other families’ compounds which Abby & Sarah have made friends with. One of the ladies, I’ll call her Jenny, has already offered to be my language helper…which is awesome because I didn’t know how long it would take me to find somebody!
I hope this gave you a little bit of an idea of what my life will look like. It has already been an adventure and I really can’t wait to see more of what God is doing!
Friday, April 9, 2010
I'm out.
Well tomorrow is the big day...actually it's after midnight, so TODAY is the big day! I will say goodbye to the USA for 2 years and take this adventure overseas...finally! While part of me feels like this all happened so fast, most of me feels like I've been waiting for this my whole life. I am definitely feeling the weight of this responsibility and privilege, but I know that my absolute, very first, number one, top priority every single day is to simply cling to the One who called me to do this. A good friend of mine...we'll call her Emsy-Pants...shared a good word with me the other day in a card and I've been kind of latched on to it ever since:
I Thessalonians 5:24
"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."
So. As I'm finishing up my packing, weighing bags, double-checking documents, and wondering what in the world my new home will be like, I am comforted immensely by that simple sentence found in Paul's letter to the Thessalonian church. And last week, another good friend...we'll call her Kristin...also reminded me that He's got it under control with this verse:
Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do."
It blows my mind a little bit to think about how He's already been at work...in me and in the people He's sending me to. He knows what's going to happen. He knows the best strategy. Again, all I've got to do is cling to Him and obey.
It has been a HUGE encouragement to know that many of you are praying for me...please continue to do so! Pray that I make it to Africa (via Atlanta & Paris) without any major snags. And pray that my first few days (and the rest of my days) are not so crazy that I neglect my first priority. The next time I write will be from the desert!!!!
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