Visiting
I just got back from "visiting" as they put it. I went with Mature (which I
found out means Mathew in French) to visit people. We go every now and then,
always after we have eaten. I didn't really want to go tonight because I was
tired and had a headache. But I don't really feel like I can say no to going
and doing the cultural thing and visiting. Besides how often do some of
these people get to see a real live Nasara, Arabic for white person, in
there house. We went to this one guy's house first. Didn't know him but
guess Mature did. Anyway turns out he's been sick for the last two days with
some itchy thing in his armpit and two on his butt. I asked him if he had
been to the hospital yet and he said no. I sure hope he goes. We didn't stay
long there. As we were leaving the house we saw one of his kids on the mat,
they said he was the sick one, the handicapped one. He had a large growth on
his back. I don't understand why they haven't taken him in to the hospital?
In my family we would do anything if one of our children was sick. I was
going to say in America, but we all know that there are people in the US who
don't care about there children like a lot of us do. Anyway, I am not even
sure if they have taken him in, I can't just jump to conclusions, but if it
is TB they can get FREE medication and food for two months while they are
staying at the hospital and taking meds. Things are so different here.
Since we left that house early and still must have had time to
kill, we stopped off at our neighbors. They are the first house you see as
you get into Beré on the main road. They have the big pink house with a
satellite, both of which are very, VERY rare. Anyway this was one of the
rare times they had their mini generator on and were glowing like a
Starbucks at peak drive thru time. So we stopped there. First of all you
couldn't help but notice all the million bugs that are swarming all around
the outside lights, and then there were a bunch of people crowded around the
living room watching TV. Yup, good ol' French TV. First we watched a few min
of some strange French thing, with split TV and they were talking to each
other on the phone. I couldn't really understand it. Then they changed it to
GoAfrica station which was an African-American show dubbed over into French.
Nice to see America, sad to hear a door bell, sheesh it's amazing what you
miss :O) Then they changed it to a lovely Spanish soap opera dubbed over
into French. Aggg, nothing like a soap opera to make you ashamed of your
culture or neighboring culture. Nothing to bad happened because I would have
left, but I was very soon ready to go. I wanted to sit outside with my
family and watch the stars fall, to giggle with Gungadin, to rest my eyes
and know that I am looking towards the home of my Heavenly Father, my God.
Finally we got up to leave and I was more than ready to leave behind the bug
filled screen, the hot smelly room to reach the open air of my compound,
even if it is just next door and their house is still glowing like a 7-11
store at all hours of the night. I went to my hut and stepped outside to
brush my teeth before bed, how refreshing it is to be able to look up and
see millions of stars and catch a long falling star, I don't know about you
but I don't think my neighbors know what they've got. I'm glad I do. I've
got all of the sky for my nightly entertainment commercial free, because
Jesus bought all the air time for me :0)
found out means Mathew in French) to visit people. We go every now and then,
always after we have eaten. I didn't really want to go tonight because I was
tired and had a headache. But I don't really feel like I can say no to going
and doing the cultural thing and visiting. Besides how often do some of
these people get to see a real live Nasara, Arabic for white person, in
there house. We went to this one guy's house first. Didn't know him but
guess Mature did. Anyway turns out he's been sick for the last two days with
some itchy thing in his armpit and two on his butt. I asked him if he had
been to the hospital yet and he said no. I sure hope he goes. We didn't stay
long there. As we were leaving the house we saw one of his kids on the mat,
they said he was the sick one, the handicapped one. He had a large growth on
his back. I don't understand why they haven't taken him in to the hospital?
In my family we would do anything if one of our children was sick. I was
going to say in America, but we all know that there are people in the US who
don't care about there children like a lot of us do. Anyway, I am not even
sure if they have taken him in, I can't just jump to conclusions, but if it
is TB they can get FREE medication and food for two months while they are
staying at the hospital and taking meds. Things are so different here.
Since we left that house early and still must have had time to
kill, we stopped off at our neighbors. They are the first house you see as
you get into Beré on the main road. They have the big pink house with a
satellite, both of which are very, VERY rare. Anyway this was one of the
rare times they had their mini generator on and were glowing like a
Starbucks at peak drive thru time. So we stopped there. First of all you
couldn't help but notice all the million bugs that are swarming all around
the outside lights, and then there were a bunch of people crowded around the
living room watching TV. Yup, good ol' French TV. First we watched a few min
of some strange French thing, with split TV and they were talking to each
other on the phone. I couldn't really understand it. Then they changed it to
GoAfrica station which was an African-American show dubbed over into French.
Nice to see America, sad to hear a door bell, sheesh it's amazing what you
miss :O) Then they changed it to a lovely Spanish soap opera dubbed over
into French. Aggg, nothing like a soap opera to make you ashamed of your
culture or neighboring culture. Nothing to bad happened because I would have
left, but I was very soon ready to go. I wanted to sit outside with my
family and watch the stars fall, to giggle with Gungadin, to rest my eyes
and know that I am looking towards the home of my Heavenly Father, my God.
Finally we got up to leave and I was more than ready to leave behind the bug
filled screen, the hot smelly room to reach the open air of my compound,
even if it is just next door and their house is still glowing like a 7-11
store at all hours of the night. I went to my hut and stepped outside to
brush my teeth before bed, how refreshing it is to be able to look up and
see millions of stars and catch a long falling star, I don't know about you
but I don't think my neighbors know what they've got. I'm glad I do. I've
got all of the sky for my nightly entertainment commercial free, because
Jesus bought all the air time for me :0)
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