Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Toilet Paper
In my time in other countries I have had my fair share of toilet protocol. In Honduras I had to put my used tp (toilet paper) in the trash to burn later. When I first got here, to Tchad, I was very excited to learn that I did not have to. Then I found out I was going to use a hole in the ground, but now I have come to enjoy the squat position ;o) But as of most recently I have not enjoyed the rationing of tp. I am quite frankly sick and tired of having to ration two squares for one event and a few more for the other event. We four SMs having gone to Cameroon brought back with us a nice lovely souvenir, Gerardia. Hans first, then shortly there after Esther, then after they were done Liz (#2 for her) and with each case a lot of tp has been used. Poop! That means we need more! But being the bush where nobody uses tp on a regular bases, when they can use the mango tree or water, we have to go to a neighboring town to get some. I just want to be able to pull the tp and not feel guilty for using more than two squares! Is this to much to ask!!!! I wouldn’t even mind if I couldn’t flush it or if it felt like construction paper I just want more squares! I long for the day when I can go to a bathroom and use without thinking about it. I know that when I get home I will have to buy for myself and to me tp has always represented being an adult because of the importance of having some in the house. You can go a while without having food in your house, just go out and eat, but if you don’t have tp and you gotta go, well you gotta go! So being here in Tchad I know that I am an adult because I must buy my own, but I am adult who just wants some tp! I know I am ranting and raving for nothing and I am just wanting to express myself but I have my own reasons – because now I have Gerardia and I just want more squares to use!
Dehydrated and Re-hydrated
Rated PG-6th grade
We’ve had lots of re-hydrated things here. From amazingly tasty blueberries that we have used in smoothies, to cherries that I want to make a glaze out of to put in doughnuts that Wendy makes, to even wham that has been dehydrated and it like jerky. I enjoy our dehydrated soup that Liz’s mom has sent us and we all enjoy the dehydrated refried beans and black beans that we use to make our Saturday lunch with. With all of it all you have to do to make it ‘normal’ again is add water –quite amazing if you ask me! Of all the dehydrated things I enjoy I do not enjoy dehydrated boogers. Let me explain . . . I’ve had a runny nose lately because of all the dust and allergies and what-not. And due to the toilet paper shortage, which I will address in another blog later, I’ve had to resort to a hanky to blow my nose in. I haven’t quite mastered the outfielder’s hanky (blowing my nose in the air and using my hand to fling the snot off.) and so I resort to the blue, red, purple or polka-doted hanky/cloth that I normally use on my head. Well after filling the sides and middle of the hanky I find that it is time I wash it. So I saved it to wash with the last ‘load’. Good thing too. I rinse it first, as I do all my laundry, and then proceed to put the soap on it, only thing is I seem to have found some re-hydrated boogies . . . gross . . . how do you get those off? It’s exactly like a fresh booger . . . only in my laundry and sharing space with my other clothes. So like a normal person (?) I wipe it off with my hand and delicately put it on the ground with a leaf, all the while trying to not show my reactions with my face – a difficult feat for me :o) All in all that is the grossest thing I’ve seen and had to do in a while. But it’s true to dehydrate something all you need to do is dry it out then to re-hydrate it just add water!!!
We’ve had lots of re-hydrated things here. From amazingly tasty blueberries that we have used in smoothies, to cherries that I want to make a glaze out of to put in doughnuts that Wendy makes, to even wham that has been dehydrated and it like jerky. I enjoy our dehydrated soup that Liz’s mom has sent us and we all enjoy the dehydrated refried beans and black beans that we use to make our Saturday lunch with. With all of it all you have to do to make it ‘normal’ again is add water –quite amazing if you ask me! Of all the dehydrated things I enjoy I do not enjoy dehydrated boogers. Let me explain . . . I’ve had a runny nose lately because of all the dust and allergies and what-not. And due to the toilet paper shortage, which I will address in another blog later, I’ve had to resort to a hanky to blow my nose in. I haven’t quite mastered the outfielder’s hanky (blowing my nose in the air and using my hand to fling the snot off.) and so I resort to the blue, red, purple or polka-doted hanky/cloth that I normally use on my head. Well after filling the sides and middle of the hanky I find that it is time I wash it. So I saved it to wash with the last ‘load’. Good thing too. I rinse it first, as I do all my laundry, and then proceed to put the soap on it, only thing is I seem to have found some re-hydrated boogies . . . gross . . . how do you get those off? It’s exactly like a fresh booger . . . only in my laundry and sharing space with my other clothes. So like a normal person (?) I wipe it off with my hand and delicately put it on the ground with a leaf, all the while trying to not show my reactions with my face – a difficult feat for me :o) All in all that is the grossest thing I’ve seen and had to do in a while. But it’s true to dehydrate something all you need to do is dry it out then to re-hydrate it just add water!!!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Nice insults and odd flattery
It all started back in April when Liz and I met James and Sara at Southern Adventist University in the lobby of the conference center. . . Sara told us that she usually ‘stocks’ up on weight in the states because she looses so much while she is in Tchad. Yippie I thought and so during the summer I ate my fair share of Moowalla’s ice cream and my fair share of sweats, all because I was going to loose weight when I got to Tchad.
Then once I arrived at my new hut I was greeted by my family and treated like an important guest from far away and given all sorts of good and expensive things to eat, such as what I call a cup of warm creamer and sugar. Yes, that is right I was given a cup of fresh milk with sugar that had been heated up over the coals to make a nice afternoon snack. Don’t get me wrong either, it was very yummy. But after checking my self on the hospital scales and seeing how much I weighed in kilos, which at first sounds great, then translating that to pounds I realized this cup’o’creamer every day has got to stop! So after a month of adding on the pounds I put my foot down. And when I did we all sat around and discussed my current weight and how much I weighed when I got there. IT was all nice and culturally entertaining.
Since that time I have been working hard at exercising more and trying to eat better, which can be hard because I don’t cook for myself. But my famil has been great and they fix me tasty tomato salads and I don’t drink anymore cups of creamer :o) I also walk more especially when I go visit Gary and Wendy or Anne and Rich. I ‘work’ in my garden and I water my flowers. Which here requires that I draw water from the well and carry a 5 gallon bucket around a couple times every day. All said and done I have gotten past the extra African weight. Which leads up to the title of this blog. . .
I was in the compound the other day when a neighbor girl was talking to Twi over the wall by my hut when she made the comment to me saying I was looking smaller than when I arrived several months ago. Oh, thank you I thought in my head. That’s a good sign. Then she continues on to say, I want to be big like you one day! Well, I guess I can’t complain with those kinds of insults and flattery. Tis’ better to smile and be happy then try and explain our odd American culture. But next time I talk to you don’t get mad if I ‘insult’ you or give you ‘odd’ flattery :o)
Then once I arrived at my new hut I was greeted by my family and treated like an important guest from far away and given all sorts of good and expensive things to eat, such as what I call a cup of warm creamer and sugar. Yes, that is right I was given a cup of fresh milk with sugar that had been heated up over the coals to make a nice afternoon snack. Don’t get me wrong either, it was very yummy. But after checking my self on the hospital scales and seeing how much I weighed in kilos, which at first sounds great, then translating that to pounds I realized this cup’o’creamer every day has got to stop! So after a month of adding on the pounds I put my foot down. And when I did we all sat around and discussed my current weight and how much I weighed when I got there. IT was all nice and culturally entertaining.
Since that time I have been working hard at exercising more and trying to eat better, which can be hard because I don’t cook for myself. But my famil has been great and they fix me tasty tomato salads and I don’t drink anymore cups of creamer :o) I also walk more especially when I go visit Gary and Wendy or Anne and Rich. I ‘work’ in my garden and I water my flowers. Which here requires that I draw water from the well and carry a 5 gallon bucket around a couple times every day. All said and done I have gotten past the extra African weight. Which leads up to the title of this blog. . .
I was in the compound the other day when a neighbor girl was talking to Twi over the wall by my hut when she made the comment to me saying I was looking smaller than when I arrived several months ago. Oh, thank you I thought in my head. That’s a good sign. Then she continues on to say, I want to be big like you one day! Well, I guess I can’t complain with those kinds of insults and flattery. Tis’ better to smile and be happy then try and explain our odd American culture. But next time I talk to you don’t get mad if I ‘insult’ you or give you ‘odd’ flattery :o)
La Bic
Working pens in Africa. That is non-existent here. I pick up a pen to write out my blog before hand so that when I get to the computer I won’t use all the time working on a draft, but it takes about 100000000 billion pens to actually write something out! We’ve got all types, inky, gelly, expensive, cheap, free, old, used, red, blue, black and even the trusty Southern Adventist University pens. I write one word and start on the next, then it only gets out the first two letters so I squiggle it on the top of the paper and get it working again, then start to finish the word and . . . nothing but a hard pressed line of where the letter would be if the dumb pen worked . . . so I pick up another pen and start the same crazy process over again!!
I think that even Shakespeare had it better then this! What would our jolly John Hancock say to all of it? Or how about our beloved Edgar Allen Poe? How could even he come up with something to say about this! So DOWN WITH PENS!!!!!!!!!! Long live pencils, unless you don’t have a sharpener. . .
I think that even Shakespeare had it better then this! What would our jolly John Hancock say to all of it? Or how about our beloved Edgar Allen Poe? How could even he come up with something to say about this! So DOWN WITH PENS!!!!!!!!!! Long live pencils, unless you don’t have a sharpener. . .
A trip to the hardware store.
Breathe in deep, ahhh, that’s the smell of a hardware store! Each time Hans and I give out food to the TB patients we take a trip down memory lane, for me it takes me to the time when I was a little girl and on Sundays I would go to the hardware store with my dad, or last year when I would be working on my car and have to take a trip to the trusty O’Rilley’s auto parts store in Collegedale. But here after we take a big whiff and open our eyes we are in all reality staring at the insides of a long container that once, long ago, brought hospital items from America to the far away country of Tchad and now is being used to hold some medical equipment scraps, extra OR gloves and what used to be a few bags of rice for the TB patients that now has run out.
We like opening the container, it reminds us of America, but we also like to open it because it offers us a chance to help out the TB patients that have to stay at the hospital for 2 to 3 months, by giving them a small amount of food to help them survive the wait. Like I said, we’ve run out of food to give them, BUT that just gives Hans and I something to pray about and go wherever God is leading us to find the resources to stock back up again on food. So the next time you have to stop by the hardware store take a minute to pray and ask God how you can help someone out, I know I will.
We like opening the container, it reminds us of America, but we also like to open it because it offers us a chance to help out the TB patients that have to stay at the hospital for 2 to 3 months, by giving them a small amount of food to help them survive the wait. Like I said, we’ve run out of food to give them, BUT that just gives Hans and I something to pray about and go wherever God is leading us to find the resources to stock back up again on food. So the next time you have to stop by the hardware store take a minute to pray and ask God how you can help someone out, I know I will.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
We Need Power
Hey ya’ll here is another one of those funny emails that says I won’t have a lot of power for a while. Since our big generator is broken we have been using the little one, and since we ‘have’ one our Admin hasn’t wanted to worry to much about getting the big one fixed in a timely manor, so James is not using the little one to make power each evening as we did before. . . hence the not having to much power. Anyway, we have it finally for about an hour tonight (just power not lights, still a bit of protest :o)
So more blogs out the wazoo when we get regular power. Until then, know I love you and am surviving.
So more blogs out the wazoo when we get regular power. Until then, know I love you and am surviving.
Another Perspective
“Ladies, do you remember the light headedness you experienced after seeing his smile light up a room? Men, do you recall when just the thought of her holding your hand caused shortness of breath and a queasy stomach?
In some countries they call this malaria.” (27)
from Focus on the Family, from the Aug 07 issue.
In some countries they call this malaria.” (27)
from Focus on the Family, from the Aug 07 issue.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
I wanna go home.
14/1/08
Last Tuesday, the day after getting back from vacation in Cameroon, it was morning and I found myself sitting in the back room of the American house alone and quietly crying to myself so not to be heard by others. I wanted to go home. I wanted to pack my bags and go home to America. I never get homesick, never want to give up and never cry to go home; but I was. I was deep in the pit of despair. I felt so alone and felt as if I had control over NOTHING in my life. I didn’t feel connected at the moment to any of my other SM family, to work at the hospital, to life in Africa. It was awful. After falling over on the bed I was sitting on I curled up and slept. I awoke to feeling no better only groggy and as if I was alone in the world. I decided to text Andrea that evening and have her call me because I new she had a calling card to call me with.
I was walking home from meeting Clarice as she walked home with all the merchandise the famil sells in the market, when Andrea called. It was so nice to hear the outside world. I had begun to think that the trip to Cameroon had been to similar to the world I once knew but I was glad to be back with my famil and talking to Andrea was good. I liked being able to hear a familiar voice from America. After our conversation and prayer while I was still walking around our field in front of our compound with Mowgli at my feet I was reminded by Andrea that I am supposed to be here and its okay to wait for God to show me what to do next. I looked up at the constellation Orion and prayed silently that things could change and I told Andrea that I’d prayer for her whenever I saw Orion and she said she’d do the same for me.
Wednesday morning didn’t offer much change, I still wanted to go home and after giving the TB meds I left to go check my email and use my computer time to upload my new cd’s I got for Christmas. Before I checked my email I watched a home video that Aunt Jo sent me. It was of my family back home acting as goofy as ever. It was just like I was there. “Oh, I wanna go home”, I thought to myself yet again for the millionth time. Then I checked my email. I had a lot of emails since it was the first I’d checked it since Cameroon. But it was the ones that were sent the day before that got to me, but not in a way of wanting to go home. They were emails of love, prayers and support. Support for me and prayers for the darkness that had come over me. I was reminded of how God wanted me to be here, how a friend who had been here understood where I was coming from. Then that same friend pledged to pray for me every day until I came home. My cousin emailed me and reminded me of what I do and can offer the hospital. –Love, I felt love pouring out of the computer. The desire to go home was diminishing but I still felt aimless and alone in that fact. Then in my worship, which I had started having again, I read out of a book called Waiting on God, about the beauty of what God has planned if we can only wait for Him.
On Thursday I got tested for malaria and giardia and sat alone and didn’t move much. I found out I had malaria, .10% higher than before which didn’t help my spirit because with malaria you blood count is lowered so my energy was depleted, just one more thing pulling me down. That evening after days of self imposed solitude I started to emerge and talked to Liz, thank God for a kindred spirit, and she also helped me realize that I do make a difference and what we’re all really here for is to please God not man (including myself). Over the weekend I didn’t’ move much because of exhaustion but I started to think less about going home, which was never truly an option for a stubborn girl like me especially when I new God wanted me here, and I started to think about all the love and prayers that are pouring out and how blessed I am. All weekend I saw it everywhere. The packages I opened from people who know and love me, emails of support and prayer, money spent call a friend in distress, the promise of packages to arrive soon and the understanding ear of an African sister SM.
I still wanna go home, but not till I’m finished waiting on God here. I know I’ll make it because I am loved by friends and more importantly God.
Thank you to those of you who responded to Andreas note or sent up a prayer for me. I know He heard and sent help because He gave me all of you.
Last Tuesday, the day after getting back from vacation in Cameroon, it was morning and I found myself sitting in the back room of the American house alone and quietly crying to myself so not to be heard by others. I wanted to go home. I wanted to pack my bags and go home to America. I never get homesick, never want to give up and never cry to go home; but I was. I was deep in the pit of despair. I felt so alone and felt as if I had control over NOTHING in my life. I didn’t feel connected at the moment to any of my other SM family, to work at the hospital, to life in Africa. It was awful. After falling over on the bed I was sitting on I curled up and slept. I awoke to feeling no better only groggy and as if I was alone in the world. I decided to text Andrea that evening and have her call me because I new she had a calling card to call me with.
I was walking home from meeting Clarice as she walked home with all the merchandise the famil sells in the market, when Andrea called. It was so nice to hear the outside world. I had begun to think that the trip to Cameroon had been to similar to the world I once knew but I was glad to be back with my famil and talking to Andrea was good. I liked being able to hear a familiar voice from America. After our conversation and prayer while I was still walking around our field in front of our compound with Mowgli at my feet I was reminded by Andrea that I am supposed to be here and its okay to wait for God to show me what to do next. I looked up at the constellation Orion and prayed silently that things could change and I told Andrea that I’d prayer for her whenever I saw Orion and she said she’d do the same for me.
Wednesday morning didn’t offer much change, I still wanted to go home and after giving the TB meds I left to go check my email and use my computer time to upload my new cd’s I got for Christmas. Before I checked my email I watched a home video that Aunt Jo sent me. It was of my family back home acting as goofy as ever. It was just like I was there. “Oh, I wanna go home”, I thought to myself yet again for the millionth time. Then I checked my email. I had a lot of emails since it was the first I’d checked it since Cameroon. But it was the ones that were sent the day before that got to me, but not in a way of wanting to go home. They were emails of love, prayers and support. Support for me and prayers for the darkness that had come over me. I was reminded of how God wanted me to be here, how a friend who had been here understood where I was coming from. Then that same friend pledged to pray for me every day until I came home. My cousin emailed me and reminded me of what I do and can offer the hospital. –Love, I felt love pouring out of the computer. The desire to go home was diminishing but I still felt aimless and alone in that fact. Then in my worship, which I had started having again, I read out of a book called Waiting on God, about the beauty of what God has planned if we can only wait for Him.
On Thursday I got tested for malaria and giardia and sat alone and didn’t move much. I found out I had malaria, .10% higher than before which didn’t help my spirit because with malaria you blood count is lowered so my energy was depleted, just one more thing pulling me down. That evening after days of self imposed solitude I started to emerge and talked to Liz, thank God for a kindred spirit, and she also helped me realize that I do make a difference and what we’re all really here for is to please God not man (including myself). Over the weekend I didn’t’ move much because of exhaustion but I started to think less about going home, which was never truly an option for a stubborn girl like me especially when I new God wanted me here, and I started to think about all the love and prayers that are pouring out and how blessed I am. All weekend I saw it everywhere. The packages I opened from people who know and love me, emails of support and prayer, money spent call a friend in distress, the promise of packages to arrive soon and the understanding ear of an African sister SM.
I still wanna go home, but not till I’m finished waiting on God here. I know I’ll make it because I am loved by friends and more importantly God.
Thank you to those of you who responded to Andreas note or sent up a prayer for me. I know He heard and sent help because He gave me all of you.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Outside my hut
I feel the urge to write, I’m just not sure about what. There’s a lot in life to think about. I texted Andrea last night to call me. I ended up talking about me but I know she’s got struggles too. It’s the whole waiting on God. It’s so hard. I trust and I know it’s worth it but what do I do while I wait? How do I get past this rought part? Help me Father. I don’t know what I’m to do and every idea I’ve had I don’t feel any passion for. Please show me what to do.
My mood really matches this rare gloomy weather today, just a sleep dull and lifeless day. So this 5 months I’ve been here has been great but what do you do in marrage when you get past the honeymoon stage, that’s where I am now, the novelty has worn off and now I realize I’m here to stay.
Purpose, must find purpose.
Perhaps this is my purpose, to sit and reflect.
My mood really matches this rare gloomy weather today, just a sleep dull and lifeless day. So this 5 months I’ve been here has been great but what do you do in marrage when you get past the honeymoon stage, that’s where I am now, the novelty has worn off and now I realize I’m here to stay.
Purpose, must find purpose.
Perhaps this is my purpose, to sit and reflect.
Wednesday, 9 Jan 08
Lost that’s a bit how I feel. I feel a bit like a leaf floating on water. No purpose or goal. It’s as if all God has for me right now is sit and seek Him and to not worry about what others think of say.
I feel so much love from all around. It’s not that I’m comleatly alone, I just feel as Nathan put it as though I’ve been put on hold. So I’m going to take some time to pray, journal, and listen to God.
I sit here in our garden room and I’m so tired. I don’t want to complain but I don’t want to do anything but cry or sleep for a long time. I sit and listen to others but I just feel so distant from here I’m here physically, but mentally and emotionally I am thousands of miles from here.
I feel so much love from all around. It’s not that I’m comleatly alone, I just feel as Nathan put it as though I’ve been put on hold. So I’m going to take some time to pray, journal, and listen to God.
I sit here in our garden room and I’m so tired. I don’t want to complain but I don’t want to do anything but cry or sleep for a long time. I sit and listen to others but I just feel so distant from here I’m here physically, but mentally and emotionally I am thousands of miles from here.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Malaria; my constant companion
I always knew I had a stubborn streak. I’m not a red head, like Anne of Green Gables but I’m a younger sibling and as such I always want to win. Back in April when Southern had their outgoing SM retreat I went as an old SM to help Andrea out and that’s when I first met the person who I know I couldn’t survive this place without her. As part of our introductions and ‘getting to know you’ talking I proposed a challenge of sorts, more of a fun game of who will get malaria the most. It’s a way I deal with situations, make a game of it and have fun. So it was agreed we’d have a chart marking each case of malaria. I never imagined anyone getting it more than 2 or 3 xs. But as of Friday I was shown taking a strong lead of 6 with all the other competition back at a mere 3. Now some have stated that I am in such a rush to win that I’ve slept without a mosquito net and I’ve put up a sign offering my bare arms to any Joe mosquito. But I deny all accusations. Who in their right mind would wish malaria upon themselves? I’ve been here a little over 5 months and I’ve gotten malaria 6 times.
Alas, malaria has become my constant companion.
Alas, malaria has become my constant companion.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Party like it’s 1999
Last night was fun. We were planning on going to the Koza hopital party and we planned on arriving at African timing – an hour late. But at about 15 min after 8 Yves, the host of the party and hospital administrator came to our door to see where we were and if we were coming?! Opps, here we were going for African time and I think they were waiting for us! So we quickly got ready and left. It was a fun night and not boring, sort of. We ate right after they went in the circle and introduced everyone. For food there was quite a nice spread, it was a huge feast! Since we were the visitors/guest we went first (opps, and we the “prompt” Americans were late!) There was wicked hot pepper and my lips are still burning from it still! We were still all sitting in the giant circle and they told stories, jokes and little sketches. Some were very funny and very African and some as Hans put it were Blasphemous. We even performed sketch for them, we did Doctor, Doctor it’s the skit where one guy waits in the waiting room and gets all the symptoms of the other patients. I was the nurse who greeted them and I thought some of the people were going to fall out of their chairs they were laughing so hard. I didn’t think to many people were watching me because Hans was a riot with all the illness, but I found out later that a they indeed were watching me and they thought I did a good impression of a lazy African nurse :o)
My favorite part was about 20 min before 24.00 they finally turned on some music and we danced! It was kinda marching/dancing in a circle. We all got up and started boogieing down. So fun and free. I can’t wait to get home and have more African dance parties the way we danced last night. I’m sure even the Gulf States Conference wouldn’t have a problem with it.
At the 24 hour mark the crazy Tchadian (he’s from Béré and he’s Gumbi) shot off a fire cracker but he did it in dumb way. It was supposed to shoot up in the air 8xs but he just lit the giant stick and threw it up in the air, thank God the second toss had it facing away from all of us! And leave it to a Tchadian from Béré to be the one to go nuts :o) but it was nice to say, “Lapia” again.
My favorite part was about 20 min before 24.00 they finally turned on some music and we danced! It was kinda marching/dancing in a circle. We all got up and started boogieing down. So fun and free. I can’t wait to get home and have more African dance parties the way we danced last night. I’m sure even the Gulf States Conference wouldn’t have a problem with it.
At the 24 hour mark the crazy Tchadian (he’s from Béré and he’s Gumbi) shot off a fire cracker but he did it in dumb way. It was supposed to shoot up in the air 8xs but he just lit the giant stick and threw it up in the air, thank God the second toss had it facing away from all of us! And leave it to a Tchadian from Béré to be the one to go nuts :o) but it was nice to say, “Lapia” again.
6 de janvier (cinq moi)
I found myself walking along a sandy path with the warm glow of the sun touching my face. I gently lift my face to welcome it’s warmth. As I continue on down the worn path I start to hear my name being called. It starts off and small, “sonya . . . sonya . . . sonya”. But as I near the callers the sound increases to more of a victorious chant, “Sonya . . . Sonya . . . Sonya”. The children are chanting my name as they run forward to grasp a hand or catch a timid but bold glimpse. I grasp my hands together and lift them high and shake them in victory as I pass by the cheering fans of eager children calling my name, I must be dreaming. This must be a dream where I have just run a triathlon and won or performed once again with Destiny Drama Company or perhaps I have just been crowned Queen of England. Surely this is a dream, a dream to justify this crowd of merry children that have scattered themselves along the warm sandy path to chant my name. Where else would one find children chanting ones name in such a manner as well as striving for a touch or glance. Yes, a dream this must be as I lower my hands and continue on down the well traveled path once more. While the sound gets further and further away the chant doesn’t’ seem to stop with my passing. I’ll just wait a little while longer before I wake myself, just a bit longer. . .
Thursday, January 10, 2008
My first international African travel
* Late night Dec 25
+ Liz and I worked the night shift Christmas day.
* Late start – naturally we left a lot later than planned
+ 8 am
* HIPPOS!!!! We got to see them before the new year which was our goal.
* Hospital truck to Kelo
* Beaucoup packages at the post office!! – 3 for me
* Van/Bus/trash of metal to Tchadian boarder
+ Climb in the can and we’re the first row that faces EVERYONE!
+ Fun kids begging for money, so I put my hand out for money and they gave me a coin so I plunk it down into their bowl. Goes on for awhile.
+ Liz realizes our door is not a door because a door can close and stay with out a rope holing it to the rest of the vehicle.
+ I think our car wanted to be able to go faster so it stripped all extra fabric and cushions out to help the speed.
+ We start to leave but our contraption doesn’t go. So they start to push, including those kids who were asking for money. That didn’t work so they get us four westerners out so they can do something mechanical under our seat and Voila! It roars to life and we dash back in and squish together for our hour ride.
+ Liz has a great view from the non existent door until a man climbs on and holds on.
+ Liz looks out after a few min and realizes the man has disappeared! We found out a bit later a foot with a flip flop dangling from the roof. A better seat up there I guess.
* Arrive with out incident to Bangor
* Get motos to take us to the frontier of Cameroon
* Stop at police to register leaving
+ Only pay 1000 CFA – 2$ to get our “visa” – praise God!
* Get to frontier Hans is harassed as being an American spy by Tchadian drunk Arab. Then they took him into a grass tent for talking too. They came to an agreement, after about 30 min, that he’s not a spy but then the man wants each of us girls to come in one at a time with our passports to document them and Hans says, “No, they’re under my care and just like for the Muslims the man takes care of the women I’m taking care of them and they won’t come in at all, I’m in charge”.
* We decided we were all Muslim and Hans was our husband. We’re his 3 wives :0) Our protector. God saved us from having to pay more money – money that we don’t have.
* Cross river in a canoe
* Enter Cameroon!!!!!!!
* Right away we see a difference. There is electricity, nice cars and all sorts of stuff!
* Taxi to town of Yagoua
* We get to a bus station that can take us to Maroa. We wait and we wait. WE arrived at 4ish and it’s scheduled to leave at 6. So we wait.
+ While waiting power comes on and we realize we can read at night!
+ We wait some more, eat snacks we brought with us, take a stroll and saw a Texaco then we wait some more.
+ Hear a Muslim prayer call and laugh a whole bunch—what a strange group we are :o)
* 7pmis the bus arrives. It’s a nice bus with lots of space to sit.
* 3hr ride to Maroa, lots of electricity and electric poles.
* 11pm Yaya, a Muslim friend of Dr Greg Shank, meets us in Maroa and takes us to a Baptist Mission. The mission has given our reserved room to someone else and they want to charge us 15,000 CFA for the night for a house – we are only going to be sleeping 6 hours so we say we’d rather sleep on the ground outside than pay 30 US dollars for just a few hours in a bed. Yaya graciously offers us his floor to sleep on even though he doesn’t have anything more than a floor mat to sleep on. We jump at the opportunity.
+ The room looks like a ballroom. It’s a big room with out any furniture and has a hanging chandler with only one bulb.
* Awake to prayer calls at 5ish so we pack up to get on the 7 am bus to Mokolo. Please note that we left EARLY – in Africa!!!!
* Arrive in Mokolo and get moto’s to drive us over the mountains to Koza!
+ Fun ride, lots of rocks and holes to avoid and hills to coast down.
* Arrive 9:30 am safe and sound!!!
+ Liz and I worked the night shift Christmas day.
* Late start – naturally we left a lot later than planned
+ 8 am
* HIPPOS!!!! We got to see them before the new year which was our goal.
* Hospital truck to Kelo
* Beaucoup packages at the post office!! – 3 for me
* Van/Bus/trash of metal to Tchadian boarder
+ Climb in the can and we’re the first row that faces EVERYONE!
+ Fun kids begging for money, so I put my hand out for money and they gave me a coin so I plunk it down into their bowl. Goes on for awhile.
+ Liz realizes our door is not a door because a door can close and stay with out a rope holing it to the rest of the vehicle.
+ I think our car wanted to be able to go faster so it stripped all extra fabric and cushions out to help the speed.
+ We start to leave but our contraption doesn’t go. So they start to push, including those kids who were asking for money. That didn’t work so they get us four westerners out so they can do something mechanical under our seat and Voila! It roars to life and we dash back in and squish together for our hour ride.
+ Liz has a great view from the non existent door until a man climbs on and holds on.
+ Liz looks out after a few min and realizes the man has disappeared! We found out a bit later a foot with a flip flop dangling from the roof. A better seat up there I guess.
* Arrive with out incident to Bangor
* Get motos to take us to the frontier of Cameroon
* Stop at police to register leaving
+ Only pay 1000 CFA – 2$ to get our “visa” – praise God!
* Get to frontier Hans is harassed as being an American spy by Tchadian drunk Arab. Then they took him into a grass tent for talking too. They came to an agreement, after about 30 min, that he’s not a spy but then the man wants each of us girls to come in one at a time with our passports to document them and Hans says, “No, they’re under my care and just like for the Muslims the man takes care of the women I’m taking care of them and they won’t come in at all, I’m in charge”.
* We decided we were all Muslim and Hans was our husband. We’re his 3 wives :0) Our protector. God saved us from having to pay more money – money that we don’t have.
* Cross river in a canoe
* Enter Cameroon!!!!!!!
* Right away we see a difference. There is electricity, nice cars and all sorts of stuff!
* Taxi to town of Yagoua
* We get to a bus station that can take us to Maroa. We wait and we wait. WE arrived at 4ish and it’s scheduled to leave at 6. So we wait.
+ While waiting power comes on and we realize we can read at night!
+ We wait some more, eat snacks we brought with us, take a stroll and saw a Texaco then we wait some more.
+ Hear a Muslim prayer call and laugh a whole bunch—what a strange group we are :o)
* 7pmis the bus arrives. It’s a nice bus with lots of space to sit.
* 3hr ride to Maroa, lots of electricity and electric poles.
* 11pm Yaya, a Muslim friend of Dr Greg Shank, meets us in Maroa and takes us to a Baptist Mission. The mission has given our reserved room to someone else and they want to charge us 15,000 CFA for the night for a house – we are only going to be sleeping 6 hours so we say we’d rather sleep on the ground outside than pay 30 US dollars for just a few hours in a bed. Yaya graciously offers us his floor to sleep on even though he doesn’t have anything more than a floor mat to sleep on. We jump at the opportunity.
+ The room looks like a ballroom. It’s a big room with out any furniture and has a hanging chandler with only one bulb.
* Awake to prayer calls at 5ish so we pack up to get on the 7 am bus to Mokolo. Please note that we left EARLY – in Africa!!!!
* Arrive in Mokolo and get moto’s to drive us over the mountains to Koza!
+ Fun ride, lots of rocks and holes to avoid and hills to coast down.
* Arrive 9:30 am safe and sound!!!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The story of my famil’s Christmas celebration
In our famil we kill the fatted sheep on Christmas Eve. Then my Ama begins to prep all of the food that she will be serving over the next 24 hours. She had already begun to prep by making fried peanut butter cookie things a day earlier. When I got home from the American Christmas Eve bash it was already late and normally everyone would be asleep inside their huts but tonight was the big night before Christmas and Ama and Clarice were still up cooking up a storm. So I sat down with them to watch and talk. They gave me my supper which was my portion of the sheep innards. I think I definitely did not like it and I only ate a small, small part and I couldn’t bring myself to touch the heart.
There were so many pots full of cooking meat, rice and tea. It was all in preparation for the following day – Christmas! Ama had to get a lot of it done then so that she would have time to go to the Christmas morning Mass at the Catholic church she attends fairly regularly. It was nice to sit next to the fire and talk with just Ama and Clarice. They both work so hard to make sure the famil is full and comfortable. While we were sitting there I painted my toes! They had bought polish in the market for Christmas and I figured I could paint my toes because I was going out to Cameroon and no one would see my feet. Then I painted Clarice’s toes and only her left hand because her right hand must stay clean because it is the hand she eats with. It was nice and fun for me to paint toes again!
Rise and shine! Joyeux Noël!!
I love Christmas even more each time I experience it from another cultures perspective. For our famil we spent the morning eating some good rice with lamb (although I was at my maximum capacity for meat) and beignets (yummy donut holes) that I was supposed to dip in the juice from the sauce of meat. And I had tea and cookies! Then after the food was eaten up we spent a lot of time passing out food to a lot of other families. The put rice and then meat sauce on top and the kids would go to the different people’s houses. I went with Clarice to give it to the lady who sits next to Ama at the market. That is the gift they give to their neighbors, they told me that in Fianga, the village they are from, everyone does this. There were even the neighbor kids who came over and we gave a big bowl of food to. I ended up giving my kids gifts all day long, in the early morning I gave my kids along with all the other kids there candy and balloons. Then later on I gave only my kids some really good candy along with the gifts I had been storing up for them. I gave them toy cars, paint set, calendars and crayons with a new coloring book. I gave Mature new tooth brushes and tooth paste and for Ama I gave her chap stick and chocolate. I am hoping to get more for them so we can celebrate birthdays American style :o) It was all about giving to others that morning. I loved it, and I loved my famil even more for watching them give of themselves. When Ama got back from Mass Liz had come over to visit and see the changes I have done to my garden (yes, I am farmer Jane now :o) and to talk about what we were packing to take to Cameroon. While Liz was in my hut Twi brought us two HUGE goblets of hibiscus tea that she had made the night before along with the tasty fried cookies! We were very excited about the largeness of the goblets, then when we thought things couldn’t get any better Twi brought us a plate heaping full of salad! Yes folks, a huge green salad with African croutons (beignets torn into smaller pieces). It was so magical that it had to have been Christmas. Liz and I just sat there dumbfounded for awhile. Then when we ate in between each bite we exclaimed how wonderful it was and how lucky we were to be eating it. That about sums up the greatness of Christmas in my hut.
There were so many pots full of cooking meat, rice and tea. It was all in preparation for the following day – Christmas! Ama had to get a lot of it done then so that she would have time to go to the Christmas morning Mass at the Catholic church she attends fairly regularly. It was nice to sit next to the fire and talk with just Ama and Clarice. They both work so hard to make sure the famil is full and comfortable. While we were sitting there I painted my toes! They had bought polish in the market for Christmas and I figured I could paint my toes because I was going out to Cameroon and no one would see my feet. Then I painted Clarice’s toes and only her left hand because her right hand must stay clean because it is the hand she eats with. It was nice and fun for me to paint toes again!
Rise and shine! Joyeux Noël!!
I love Christmas even more each time I experience it from another cultures perspective. For our famil we spent the morning eating some good rice with lamb (although I was at my maximum capacity for meat) and beignets (yummy donut holes) that I was supposed to dip in the juice from the sauce of meat. And I had tea and cookies! Then after the food was eaten up we spent a lot of time passing out food to a lot of other families. The put rice and then meat sauce on top and the kids would go to the different people’s houses. I went with Clarice to give it to the lady who sits next to Ama at the market. That is the gift they give to their neighbors, they told me that in Fianga, the village they are from, everyone does this. There were even the neighbor kids who came over and we gave a big bowl of food to. I ended up giving my kids gifts all day long, in the early morning I gave my kids along with all the other kids there candy and balloons. Then later on I gave only my kids some really good candy along with the gifts I had been storing up for them. I gave them toy cars, paint set, calendars and crayons with a new coloring book. I gave Mature new tooth brushes and tooth paste and for Ama I gave her chap stick and chocolate. I am hoping to get more for them so we can celebrate birthdays American style :o) It was all about giving to others that morning. I loved it, and I loved my famil even more for watching them give of themselves. When Ama got back from Mass Liz had come over to visit and see the changes I have done to my garden (yes, I am farmer Jane now :o) and to talk about what we were packing to take to Cameroon. While Liz was in my hut Twi brought us two HUGE goblets of hibiscus tea that she had made the night before along with the tasty fried cookies! We were very excited about the largeness of the goblets, then when we thought things couldn’t get any better Twi brought us a plate heaping full of salad! Yes folks, a huge green salad with African croutons (beignets torn into smaller pieces). It was so magical that it had to have been Christmas. Liz and I just sat there dumbfounded for awhile. Then when we ate in between each bite we exclaimed how wonderful it was and how lucky we were to be eating it. That about sums up the greatness of Christmas in my hut.
Christmas in Tchad
Here is the story of my Christmas in my new home. It was a great Christmas. Unfortunately it has been a while now since those grand days and I am so full of all my other stories that I am having trouble remembering all the excitement of the days gone by! But I will do my best to tell the stories. . .
Sunday found us with great unbelief that Christmas was just a few days away. It was a little hard because our Christmas spirit had been so used right after Thanksgiving in putting up all our decorations that by the time we actually got to Christmas we had forgotten a bit and the decorations were a bit familiar and no longer exciting. Come Monday I was a little reluctant to go home to my hut because we had just been talking about how we missed home and all the Christmas excitement there. But home I went, and when I got there I saw how my Ama had been working up a storm!! She had been cooking these peanut cookie/fried things. They were great. I saw here sitting in the hut with all these platters surrounding her full of the cookie things to fry. It was so nice. I felt the Christmas spirit then. I saw her prepping everything and it got me excited.
We had planed out ‘missionary’ family Christmas feast for Christmas Eve after Sarah and Sarah/Esther got off work at 3:00pm. One thing that’s nice here is around the fete season there are not a lot of patients at the hospital. Things go really really slow. So we had lots of free time to have fun at the hospital. Okay, so the reason we didn’t celebrate Christmas on Christmas is because the Sarah and Sarah/Esther had to work the regular shift that ends at 3 and Liz and I were on the night shift from 3pm to 8am, so we prepped for Christmas on the Eve, just like a good ol’ New Englander.
On Christmas Eve we all got together supposedly at 3:30 but in typical African fashion, we didn’t actually sit down to eat till 4 (but I guess that’s just typical American in Africa fashion because Africa fashion would have been about 5ish.). For our meal we had great American food that was sent to us by loving people back home :o) I had to peace out temporarily in the beginning because of my famil's prep that was going on at the hut! Which I will tell you about a bit later. After our luscious meal we toped it all off with a beautiful cheese cake with cherries on top (thank you LLU med students!!!) It was so sosososososos good! Then we had our rousing game of White Elephant. I love that game it is always so fun, well I guess it’s not actually a game it is a gift exchange. I put in my gift a bunch of things that are for spa. It was some shaped soap that my mom sent, chap-stick, temp tattoos, some scented salts for a bath (or a hot bowl of water to sniff), eye cover from Air France, ear plugs and perfume. It was a lovely little package. Liz ended up with it. It was a boring round until James and Sarah (the last number) stole a bunch of gifts so we all had to pass some stuff around. I ended having my body cream lotion that Liz brought stolen, and I got this lotion with perfume and shampoo from Sarah. It was a nice lotion, Vanilla bean and perfume, lavender. I was happy with it but it sure would have been nice to get the other lotion . . . funny thing was when Esther and I were talking a bit later I let her try out my lotion and I tried out her lotion –we both had lots of smells on us. Then she wanted to trade!! Yippee, yippee. I got the great smelling lotions after all! I smell good now, its okay don’t worry.
Then everyone peaced out and it was all the sudden the four of us and George, Wendy and Gary who made it back for Christmas with his family. (Wendy and Gary are the pilot family.) We made an Africa version of Balderdash, we cut out all the word powers of the Readers digest and played with them. It was fun and we had some great conversations and realizations. You know how games can go when you get groups of crazy SM’s together.
Sunday found us with great unbelief that Christmas was just a few days away. It was a little hard because our Christmas spirit had been so used right after Thanksgiving in putting up all our decorations that by the time we actually got to Christmas we had forgotten a bit and the decorations were a bit familiar and no longer exciting. Come Monday I was a little reluctant to go home to my hut because we had just been talking about how we missed home and all the Christmas excitement there. But home I went, and when I got there I saw how my Ama had been working up a storm!! She had been cooking these peanut cookie/fried things. They were great. I saw here sitting in the hut with all these platters surrounding her full of the cookie things to fry. It was so nice. I felt the Christmas spirit then. I saw her prepping everything and it got me excited.
We had planed out ‘missionary’ family Christmas feast for Christmas Eve after Sarah and Sarah/Esther got off work at 3:00pm. One thing that’s nice here is around the fete season there are not a lot of patients at the hospital. Things go really really slow. So we had lots of free time to have fun at the hospital. Okay, so the reason we didn’t celebrate Christmas on Christmas is because the Sarah and Sarah/Esther had to work the regular shift that ends at 3 and Liz and I were on the night shift from 3pm to 8am, so we prepped for Christmas on the Eve, just like a good ol’ New Englander.
On Christmas Eve we all got together supposedly at 3:30 but in typical African fashion, we didn’t actually sit down to eat till 4 (but I guess that’s just typical American in Africa fashion because Africa fashion would have been about 5ish.). For our meal we had great American food that was sent to us by loving people back home :o) I had to peace out temporarily in the beginning because of my famil's prep that was going on at the hut! Which I will tell you about a bit later. After our luscious meal we toped it all off with a beautiful cheese cake with cherries on top (thank you LLU med students!!!) It was so sosososososos good! Then we had our rousing game of White Elephant. I love that game it is always so fun, well I guess it’s not actually a game it is a gift exchange. I put in my gift a bunch of things that are for spa. It was some shaped soap that my mom sent, chap-stick, temp tattoos, some scented salts for a bath (or a hot bowl of water to sniff), eye cover from Air France, ear plugs and perfume. It was a lovely little package. Liz ended up with it. It was a boring round until James and Sarah (the last number) stole a bunch of gifts so we all had to pass some stuff around. I ended having my body cream lotion that Liz brought stolen, and I got this lotion with perfume and shampoo from Sarah. It was a nice lotion, Vanilla bean and perfume, lavender. I was happy with it but it sure would have been nice to get the other lotion . . . funny thing was when Esther and I were talking a bit later I let her try out my lotion and I tried out her lotion –we both had lots of smells on us. Then she wanted to trade!! Yippee, yippee. I got the great smelling lotions after all! I smell good now, its okay don’t worry.
Then everyone peaced out and it was all the sudden the four of us and George, Wendy and Gary who made it back for Christmas with his family. (Wendy and Gary are the pilot family.) We made an Africa version of Balderdash, we cut out all the word powers of the Readers digest and played with them. It was fun and we had some great conversations and realizations. You know how games can go when you get groups of crazy SM’s together.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
click for more pictures
hey yall
i hope to be putting more pictures up. I am still here in camaroon enjoying ELECTRICITY and INTERNET and so much more.
the down side to this is that seeing all of the world online has made me a little home sick, okay way more homesick than i care to admit. but God is good and i still believe i am supposed to be here. besides i know that the next 5 months for me will go fast.
The internet cafe uses a french key board so it takes way longer to type. so i have written everything by hand and will type it up later for andera to post. theres lots to write.
heres zhqt the key boqrd looks like if i type like it is qn q,ericqn key boqrd: zoz hoz thigns qre differnent: donùt hyou think so ,qybe next ti,e i zill bring ,y q,ericqan key boqrd%
love and peace,
sonyq
i hope to be putting more pictures up. I am still here in camaroon enjoying ELECTRICITY and INTERNET and so much more.
the down side to this is that seeing all of the world online has made me a little home sick, okay way more homesick than i care to admit. but God is good and i still believe i am supposed to be here. besides i know that the next 5 months for me will go fast.
The internet cafe uses a french key board so it takes way longer to type. so i have written everything by hand and will type it up later for andera to post. theres lots to write.
heres zhqt the key boqrd looks like if i type like it is qn q,ericqn key boqrd: zoz hoz thigns qre differnent: donùt hyou think so ,qybe next ti,e i zill bring ,y q,ericqan key boqrd%
love and peace,
sonyq
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