Hello Everyone,
Our time at Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp has been good. We have been training for camp. Feel free to visit http://www.campwapo.net/ to find out about the camps. We have been busy, but also it has been relaxed. Our schedule includes getting up early, cleaning at Ox Lake, learning games, planning Bible studies, worship, and whatever else our boss decides we need to do for the day. It is really fun because we actually don't know what we will be doing when we wake up every morning--it reminds me of Africa! I am already excited about the lax sense of time at Ox. We know what we need to get done and when it has to be done; we just do it in our own time. I have grown to love flexibility! I learned to be flexible in Africa. Often times in Africa, our schedule would change on a moment's notice. We also did a considerable amount of waiting in Africa. Before going to Africa, I probably would have been annoyed at the lax schedule of life at camp, but now I really enjoy it--however, occasionally, I find myself getting impatient (a curse of Western society).
What does life not by the clock mean? Well, it means taking time to be with the people around you without constantly wondering how much time you have spent together. It is a new sense of awareness. Often at camp, we find ourselves waiting for our Program Director, Dave Peet, to tell us what to do. While waiting, we enjoy spending time with each other. Sometimes we go canoeing or paddleboating, sometimes we just talk, other times we go on a walk.
If you haven't recently, spend a day without going by the clock. Just get done what you need to sometime during the day. Take time to just be.
Peace,
Tiffany
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Just Waiting
Hello Everyone,
Now, we are just at a waiting time. Last week, we weren't too busy. We were at Luther Dell with all of the teams. It was really nice to see all of the teams and their programs, but we weren't doing much there. We had a week of debriefing/camp preparation. As a team, we talked about our year and shared some stories. We created some closure since we won't function as much as a team at camp. It was a pretty boring week for us, but also very tiring because we had very long days. I enjoyed hearing stories from the other international teams.
It will be very different to be at camp. The six of us will be counselors with five others. It is a tough transition to be going from constantly traveling to living in one place, from being with your teammates all of the time to only sometimes, and from staying with host homes to having a cabin full of kids to look after. In addition to that we are still suffering from some jet lag and culture shock. I am sure we will make the adjustments we need to--with time.
So now, we are waiting. Waiting for camp to start. Waiting to see how life on team will be different at camp. Waiting to have time to really process how we have changed after being overseas. Waiting to figure out what we will do after team. Waiting.
Friday, we left Luther Dell and the electric teams for Wapogasset Bible Camp, where we will be until Tuesday. The electric teams have a week off before Vacation Bible School starts, which we are kind of annoyed with because we don't get this week off--but oh well! We will be doing some training at Wapo, then we will go to Ox Lake. Wapo is like a resort. Because of that, it doesn't really feel like camp to me. It is really nice! The Ox Lake staff call it Hotel Wapo. I have really enjoyed my time at Wapo. Friday night and Saturday, we didn't have to do anything. I enjoyed my time off by going paddle boating and canoeing. Unlike Wapo, Ox Lake is a rustic camp without running water and electricity. I am nervous and excited about this. We have two weeks of training for camp.
Happy Memorial Day! I hope you all have a wonderful summer! I will probably post occasionally from camp.
Peace,
Tiffany
Now, we are just at a waiting time. Last week, we weren't too busy. We were at Luther Dell with all of the teams. It was really nice to see all of the teams and their programs, but we weren't doing much there. We had a week of debriefing/camp preparation. As a team, we talked about our year and shared some stories. We created some closure since we won't function as much as a team at camp. It was a pretty boring week for us, but also very tiring because we had very long days. I enjoyed hearing stories from the other international teams.
It will be very different to be at camp. The six of us will be counselors with five others. It is a tough transition to be going from constantly traveling to living in one place, from being with your teammates all of the time to only sometimes, and from staying with host homes to having a cabin full of kids to look after. In addition to that we are still suffering from some jet lag and culture shock. I am sure we will make the adjustments we need to--with time.
So now, we are waiting. Waiting for camp to start. Waiting to see how life on team will be different at camp. Waiting to have time to really process how we have changed after being overseas. Waiting to figure out what we will do after team. Waiting.
Friday, we left Luther Dell and the electric teams for Wapogasset Bible Camp, where we will be until Tuesday. The electric teams have a week off before Vacation Bible School starts, which we are kind of annoyed with because we don't get this week off--but oh well! We will be doing some training at Wapo, then we will go to Ox Lake. Wapo is like a resort. Because of that, it doesn't really feel like camp to me. It is really nice! The Ox Lake staff call it Hotel Wapo. I have really enjoyed my time at Wapo. Friday night and Saturday, we didn't have to do anything. I enjoyed my time off by going paddle boating and canoeing. Unlike Wapo, Ox Lake is a rustic camp without running water and electricity. I am nervous and excited about this. We have two weeks of training for camp.
Happy Memorial Day! I hope you all have a wonderful summer! I will probably post occasionally from camp.
Peace,
Tiffany
Monday, May 18, 2009
Back in the States
Hello Everyone,
Cross Fire is back in the United States! On Monday, us four girls were reunited with Prosper and Luke. They picked us up at the airport, where we traveled to the Wright's house, the host home that we stayed at before going to Africa. They are great! We are all staying with them. During the week, we met with the office staff, had some rehearsal, recorded our cross-cultural songs for the other teams, and share stories with the other international teams. It was so nice to see the office staff and the other teams! We met with our staff person, Liz Lord, to do some debriefing about our overseas tour. For the most part, we are still processing our thoughts and feelings about our experiences overseas.
Wednesday night, we went to the Alliance Church of the Valley to meet with the junior high youth. We played some games with them. Then had a half hour to share about our time in Africa. It was a really fun time! Sonja stayed back because she was still sick. We told the kids about how interactive the worship is in Africa. We were thrilled to get them jumping up and down!
Friday night, we went Captive Free Central Plains concert (another Youth Encounter team). Sunday night, their team came to stay at the Wright's house too! Sunday, we got to ride on a four-wheeler and moped. It was so much fun! We grilled and enjoyed some root beer floats with Central Plains. We had a bonfire and made some s'mores. It was a nice night and the sky was full of beautiful stars.
Today, Monday, all of the Youth Encounter teams are headed to Luther Dell. The electric teams will have Vacation Bible School training, while the two acoustic teams (us and New Dawn to Asia) will be getting ready for camp. I am excited to spend some time at Luther Dell. All of the teams will do their program for the other teams. Friday, we will go to Ox Lake/Wapo Bible Camps for two weeks of training for summer camp. Cross Fire will be working at Ox Lake International Villages for the summer. There is no running water or electricity at camp. We will pump our own water. There are horses, canoes, tubing down the Apple River, and a ropes course. We will be working with 4th through 9th graders.
Peace,
Tiffany
Cross Fire is back in the United States! On Monday, us four girls were reunited with Prosper and Luke. They picked us up at the airport, where we traveled to the Wright's house, the host home that we stayed at before going to Africa. They are great! We are all staying with them. During the week, we met with the office staff, had some rehearsal, recorded our cross-cultural songs for the other teams, and share stories with the other international teams. It was so nice to see the office staff and the other teams! We met with our staff person, Liz Lord, to do some debriefing about our overseas tour. For the most part, we are still processing our thoughts and feelings about our experiences overseas.
Wednesday night, we went to the Alliance Church of the Valley to meet with the junior high youth. We played some games with them. Then had a half hour to share about our time in Africa. It was a really fun time! Sonja stayed back because she was still sick. We told the kids about how interactive the worship is in Africa. We were thrilled to get them jumping up and down!
Friday night, we went Captive Free Central Plains concert (another Youth Encounter team). Sunday night, their team came to stay at the Wright's house too! Sunday, we got to ride on a four-wheeler and moped. It was so much fun! We grilled and enjoyed some root beer floats with Central Plains. We had a bonfire and made some s'mores. It was a nice night and the sky was full of beautiful stars.
Today, Monday, all of the Youth Encounter teams are headed to Luther Dell. The electric teams will have Vacation Bible School training, while the two acoustic teams (us and New Dawn to Asia) will be getting ready for camp. I am excited to spend some time at Luther Dell. All of the teams will do their program for the other teams. Friday, we will go to Ox Lake/Wapo Bible Camps for two weeks of training for summer camp. Cross Fire will be working at Ox Lake International Villages for the summer. There is no running water or electricity at camp. We will pump our own water. There are horses, canoes, tubing down the Apple River, and a ropes course. We will be working with 4th through 9th graders.
Peace,
Tiffany
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Culture Shock & Denmark
Hello Everyone,
We left Prosper behind and flew away from Africa. Prosper left two days later for the States. The four girls had a surprise on our flight to Zurich. The flight attendant bumped us up to business class. We enjoyed the luxury of more leg room and more food options. It was nice, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have because I was sad and angry that we had to leave Prosper behind and my stomach wasn't feeling that great. I had trouble sleeping on the flight and I was very uncomfortable. We had a short layover in Zurich, then we flew to Frankfurt.
The four of us girls had a long layover in Frankfurt, while Luke flew to the States for the week off. We had to recheck our luggage for our flight to Billund, Denmark because that ticket was on a separate itinerary. We spent a few hours in the airport walking around. It was frustrating for me how many stores there were and how everyone wanted to shop. I expected this to happen. I have never really been a fan of shopping, but going to a place where materialism really exists has definitely extended my dislike for shopping. I enjoyed going to the bookstores, while others spent time at The Body Shop and Starbucks. I thought a lot that day about shopping. I realized that spending more of my money doesn't help people who have little. However, spending it proves that I agree with the systems that are behind making the products. Obviously, I will always need to buy something. I was annoyed at how expensive everything is in Europe. Compared to Europe and the States, things in Africa were really cheap.
The Cross Fire girls all flew to Denmark and Luke went home to Ohio. The girls went to stay with Sonja's family on the West Coast of Jutland, six kilometers from the North Sea. Our stay in Denmark was wonderful. We spent a lot of time with Sonja's family. Denmark is beautiful and green. There are many gorgeous flowers. They have a lot of wind power, so we frequently saw windmills. We went on a tractor ride! We went to the harbor.We took a trip to the beach to see the wild North Sea. We enjoyed tons of delicious food! Sonja's mom is amazing! Danish people eat 5 or 6 times a day. Most of the meals are bread and various toppings for it. Most of the break, we rested, which was great--and needed!
Monday, we fly back to the States! I have mixed feelings about this, but I am anxious to see the other teams.
Peace,
Tiffany
We left Prosper behind and flew away from Africa. Prosper left two days later for the States. The four girls had a surprise on our flight to Zurich. The flight attendant bumped us up to business class. We enjoyed the luxury of more leg room and more food options. It was nice, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have because I was sad and angry that we had to leave Prosper behind and my stomach wasn't feeling that great. I had trouble sleeping on the flight and I was very uncomfortable. We had a short layover in Zurich, then we flew to Frankfurt.
The four of us girls had a long layover in Frankfurt, while Luke flew to the States for the week off. We had to recheck our luggage for our flight to Billund, Denmark because that ticket was on a separate itinerary. We spent a few hours in the airport walking around. It was frustrating for me how many stores there were and how everyone wanted to shop. I expected this to happen. I have never really been a fan of shopping, but going to a place where materialism really exists has definitely extended my dislike for shopping. I enjoyed going to the bookstores, while others spent time at The Body Shop and Starbucks. I thought a lot that day about shopping. I realized that spending more of my money doesn't help people who have little. However, spending it proves that I agree with the systems that are behind making the products. Obviously, I will always need to buy something. I was annoyed at how expensive everything is in Europe. Compared to Europe and the States, things in Africa were really cheap.
The Cross Fire girls all flew to Denmark and Luke went home to Ohio. The girls went to stay with Sonja's family on the West Coast of Jutland, six kilometers from the North Sea. Our stay in Denmark was wonderful. We spent a lot of time with Sonja's family. Denmark is beautiful and green. There are many gorgeous flowers. They have a lot of wind power, so we frequently saw windmills. We went on a tractor ride! We went to the harbor.We took a trip to the beach to see the wild North Sea. We enjoyed tons of delicious food! Sonja's mom is amazing! Danish people eat 5 or 6 times a day. Most of the meals are bread and various toppings for it. Most of the break, we rested, which was great--and needed!
Monday, we fly back to the States! I have mixed feelings about this, but I am anxious to see the other teams.
Peace,
Tiffany
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Last Few Days in Cameroon
Hello Everyone,
Friday, May 1, wow it's May already? We didn't leave until 10 in the morning. We went to Pastor Adolf's house for brunch. Around 11, we took two taxis to a place where we got on a bus to Edéa. The area is known for aluminium processing. From Douala, it took us about one hour to get to Edéa. When we got there, we walked for 40 minutes until we got to the church. It was a very humid day! We were all dripping sweat. It was disgusting, but we kept our bandannas at hand. I think it was our sweatiest day yet, even though it was no where near the hottest day. It was only in the 80s. We ate lunch at a house near the church. It was a good meal of rice, spaghetti, couscous made of manioc, and a delicious sauce. Around 3, we went back to the church where we did almost all of our songs for the 40 people gathered there. Pastor Adolf kept asking us to do do more songs. He also led confession, absolution, and Communion. The liturgy was the same even though it was in French; I followed along pretty well--and even picked up on some of the French. After the program/service, we stayed and talked with the people from the congregation for awhile. Then we took motos to the bus station and then went back to Douala. Because of traffic, it took us an extra hour to get back to Douala.
Saturday, Sonja decided not to go with us because she wasn't feeling well. We all agreed that was a good decision. Without Sonja with us, I was the treasurer for the day. It really helped me appreciate what Sonja does for us. I was constantly paying for transportation things and I kept record everything. When the day started, I had no idea how much money I would be spending; I was quite disappointed by the end of the day. We all took a taxi to Limbé. Limbé used to be called Victoria, after Queen Victoria of England. The city is known for it's oil and fishing industries. We went to a house where there is a church inside. We hung out there for awhile and watched National Geographic in English. Then, the people there took us to a zoo! We saw gorillas, monkeys, baboons, mackerels, crocodiles, a tortoise, snakes, and deer. Most were endangered and were being protected from hunters. The fences between us and the animals was very thin, but they were electric. The area was very green and beautiful!! The flowers were gorgeous! Next, we drove to the beach. Limbé is a port city. In the past, it was a place where they traded slaves with the Portuguese. From the beach, we could see Mount Cameroon, which is 13,255 feet (4,040 meters) high; it is a volcano. It was awesome how it was blending in with the clouds. I was very happy to have this opportunity to see it because I had been hoping to, but didn't think it would happen. It was a nice surprise! After going to the beach, we went back to the church house. We ate an amazing meal there and then did four songs for the people gathered there. Luke and Adrienne talked for awhile. Then, Pastor Adolf began a worship service. It was a long service of songs from the choir, liturgy, Scripture, and Communion. We did a few more songs and headed back to Douala around 5.
At 6, we got stop at a checkpoint. Scattered throughout Cameroon there are numerous checkpoints where police officers check for identification. Mostly, they are worried about foreigners. We handed over our passports and didn't get them back for an hour and a half. The police in Cameroon are extremely corrupt. They pocket the money that they can get out of people on the roads. The have sticks with nails on them to pop people's tires if needed. Because we knew that within four hours we would be illegal, we were anticipating that we might have difficulties. Also, Lindsay accidentally left her passport at the procure--but that ended up not being a problem. Mostly, they just wanted our money. Legally speaking, we could have been arrested. However, instead, we gave them money. Pastor Adolf, Prosper, and Luke argued with them for an hour and a half. They didn't like that Pastor Adolf and Prosper were helping us because they didn't have any problems. They helped lower the price for us. They admitted that we didn't have the large amount of money that they wanted. Eventually, a total of about $200 was given to them. We left and drove back to Douala. Paul had gone back to the procure to get Lindsay's passport, which we didn't end up needing, but we paid for his transportation anyways. The driver asked us to give him $4 so that we could go through the next checkpoint without stopping; we did! We arrived safely back in Douala with hardly any money. It was a very rough day for all of us. I was having an especially hard time because I was the treasurer for the day and we had withdrawn money shortly before we had gotten stopped. If we hadn't withdrawn money, I think we might have come back out without our possessions (guitar, camera, watches, etc.) or we could have gone to prison. While we were waiting for things to be settled, we saw the police handcuff someone. There was a ton of yelling and the police were very intimidating. We were all very relieved to get out of their safely. We finally got back to the procure around 9. We explained everything to Sonja, ate dinner, and then went to bed. Because of this happening, we felt very ready to leave Cameroon--especially the corruptness of the country. In the midst of that struggle, we were very thankful that we had Pastor Adolf, Paul, Prosper, and our driver to help us. We needed them there. We reassured them that we did not think badly of Cameroonians, only the corrupt systems. Hopefully, the corrupt systems are not what will remain in our minds about Cameroon.
Sunday, we ate breakfast at Pastor Adolf's house, then walked to the church. We sang two songs with the kids there. Then, we sat through a four hour church service! Wow! That was long for us Westerners, especially since we were anxious for our flight in the evening. We sang a few songs for the service. Their numerous choirs also sang. I love the choirs at that church; they are beautiful and they got a new drum set to accompany them. It was a normal Lutheran liturgical service in French. There was a long time of announcements, two Baptisms, a Confirmation, and Communion. There were probably around 350 people there. After the service, the six of split up and went to six different host homes for lunch. I really enjoyed my time with my hosts. My host mom had been an English teacher. We watched CNN for awhile and she caught me up on the news that I had missed (since we rarely watched the news in Africa!). We ate a really delicious meal of gumbo with antelope, coucous made of corn, bananas, carrots, papiya, bread, and a Coke. I loved antelope! It was my first time trying it and it was very tender and tasted kind of like deer. My host mom was laughing at her daughters because they were eating coucous with silverware and I was eating it with my hands. She was ashamed to see that they weren't eating it with their hands, as most people in Africa do. Having been in Africa for several monthes, I knew that I should eat coucous with my hands. My host mom wanted to take a picture of us eating to show her mother in the village how unAfrican her granddaughters are. The girls joked and said that they were from South Dakota. The family also got some of the Disney Channel shows; I laughed really hard when I heard them singing a Hannah Montana song. It was fun to answer their questions about the US. They gave me a traditional African outfit.
Around 4, we went back to Pastor Adolf's house, where we met as a team, took some pictures, and then left for the airport. We check-in quickly with Paul's help. A member of the congregation, Joel, helped us get through the passport stop without any problems. We stopped for awhile to buy some last minute souvenirs from Africa. Then, we went through security and waited at the gate for a few hours. We watched an amazing sunset. We ate our last meal in Africa. About two hours before boarding began, they ordered us all out of the inclosed room where the gate was so that they could see our passports and look through our carry-ons. Sonja had gone for a walk, so I sat outside waiting for her since I had her bag. Luke, Lindsay, and Adrienne went through without any problem. Then, it was Prosper's turn. Sonja came back and joined me at the end of the line. We realized that Prosper was arguing with the people from Swiss Air and was having trouble. We learned that Swiss Air would not let him fly to two countries in Europe before going to the United States. Supposably, Cameroonians can only fly to one country in Europe before going to the United States--or they are breaking the law. So, they guided him away, back to the entrance of the airport; without any goodbyes from the team. Prosper asked me to wait for him to come back--and he really thought he would be coming back. Sonja went through security and I sat and waited. Through the glass room, I let the team know what had happened. When it got closer to boarding time, Luke came out and talked to the people from Swiss Air. He showed them Prosper's itenerary, but that didn't help. Luke told me to go to the gate, so I did. Luke went to Prosper to see if the information he had would be of any use. However, it didn't help. Prosper stayed behind and had to buy another ticket to the United States--one that only stopped in Europe once. It was very hard for us to leave without a teammate. We boarded the plane and finally left around 11.
Sadly, we were mostly glad to go. But, there is already so much that I miss about Cameroon.
Peace,
Tiffany
Friday, May 1, wow it's May already? We didn't leave until 10 in the morning. We went to Pastor Adolf's house for brunch. Around 11, we took two taxis to a place where we got on a bus to Edéa. The area is known for aluminium processing. From Douala, it took us about one hour to get to Edéa. When we got there, we walked for 40 minutes until we got to the church. It was a very humid day! We were all dripping sweat. It was disgusting, but we kept our bandannas at hand. I think it was our sweatiest day yet, even though it was no where near the hottest day. It was only in the 80s. We ate lunch at a house near the church. It was a good meal of rice, spaghetti, couscous made of manioc, and a delicious sauce. Around 3, we went back to the church where we did almost all of our songs for the 40 people gathered there. Pastor Adolf kept asking us to do do more songs. He also led confession, absolution, and Communion. The liturgy was the same even though it was in French; I followed along pretty well--and even picked up on some of the French. After the program/service, we stayed and talked with the people from the congregation for awhile. Then we took motos to the bus station and then went back to Douala. Because of traffic, it took us an extra hour to get back to Douala.
Saturday, Sonja decided not to go with us because she wasn't feeling well. We all agreed that was a good decision. Without Sonja with us, I was the treasurer for the day. It really helped me appreciate what Sonja does for us. I was constantly paying for transportation things and I kept record everything. When the day started, I had no idea how much money I would be spending; I was quite disappointed by the end of the day. We all took a taxi to Limbé. Limbé used to be called Victoria, after Queen Victoria of England. The city is known for it's oil and fishing industries. We went to a house where there is a church inside. We hung out there for awhile and watched National Geographic in English. Then, the people there took us to a zoo! We saw gorillas, monkeys, baboons, mackerels, crocodiles, a tortoise, snakes, and deer. Most were endangered and were being protected from hunters. The fences between us and the animals was very thin, but they were electric. The area was very green and beautiful!! The flowers were gorgeous! Next, we drove to the beach. Limbé is a port city. In the past, it was a place where they traded slaves with the Portuguese. From the beach, we could see Mount Cameroon, which is 13,255 feet (4,040 meters) high; it is a volcano. It was awesome how it was blending in with the clouds. I was very happy to have this opportunity to see it because I had been hoping to, but didn't think it would happen. It was a nice surprise! After going to the beach, we went back to the church house. We ate an amazing meal there and then did four songs for the people gathered there. Luke and Adrienne talked for awhile. Then, Pastor Adolf began a worship service. It was a long service of songs from the choir, liturgy, Scripture, and Communion. We did a few more songs and headed back to Douala around 5.
At 6, we got stop at a checkpoint. Scattered throughout Cameroon there are numerous checkpoints where police officers check for identification. Mostly, they are worried about foreigners. We handed over our passports and didn't get them back for an hour and a half. The police in Cameroon are extremely corrupt. They pocket the money that they can get out of people on the roads. The have sticks with nails on them to pop people's tires if needed. Because we knew that within four hours we would be illegal, we were anticipating that we might have difficulties. Also, Lindsay accidentally left her passport at the procure--but that ended up not being a problem. Mostly, they just wanted our money. Legally speaking, we could have been arrested. However, instead, we gave them money. Pastor Adolf, Prosper, and Luke argued with them for an hour and a half. They didn't like that Pastor Adolf and Prosper were helping us because they didn't have any problems. They helped lower the price for us. They admitted that we didn't have the large amount of money that they wanted. Eventually, a total of about $200 was given to them. We left and drove back to Douala. Paul had gone back to the procure to get Lindsay's passport, which we didn't end up needing, but we paid for his transportation anyways. The driver asked us to give him $4 so that we could go through the next checkpoint without stopping; we did! We arrived safely back in Douala with hardly any money. It was a very rough day for all of us. I was having an especially hard time because I was the treasurer for the day and we had withdrawn money shortly before we had gotten stopped. If we hadn't withdrawn money, I think we might have come back out without our possessions (guitar, camera, watches, etc.) or we could have gone to prison. While we were waiting for things to be settled, we saw the police handcuff someone. There was a ton of yelling and the police were very intimidating. We were all very relieved to get out of their safely. We finally got back to the procure around 9. We explained everything to Sonja, ate dinner, and then went to bed. Because of this happening, we felt very ready to leave Cameroon--especially the corruptness of the country. In the midst of that struggle, we were very thankful that we had Pastor Adolf, Paul, Prosper, and our driver to help us. We needed them there. We reassured them that we did not think badly of Cameroonians, only the corrupt systems. Hopefully, the corrupt systems are not what will remain in our minds about Cameroon.
Sunday, we ate breakfast at Pastor Adolf's house, then walked to the church. We sang two songs with the kids there. Then, we sat through a four hour church service! Wow! That was long for us Westerners, especially since we were anxious for our flight in the evening. We sang a few songs for the service. Their numerous choirs also sang. I love the choirs at that church; they are beautiful and they got a new drum set to accompany them. It was a normal Lutheran liturgical service in French. There was a long time of announcements, two Baptisms, a Confirmation, and Communion. There were probably around 350 people there. After the service, the six of split up and went to six different host homes for lunch. I really enjoyed my time with my hosts. My host mom had been an English teacher. We watched CNN for awhile and she caught me up on the news that I had missed (since we rarely watched the news in Africa!). We ate a really delicious meal of gumbo with antelope, coucous made of corn, bananas, carrots, papiya, bread, and a Coke. I loved antelope! It was my first time trying it and it was very tender and tasted kind of like deer. My host mom was laughing at her daughters because they were eating coucous with silverware and I was eating it with my hands. She was ashamed to see that they weren't eating it with their hands, as most people in Africa do. Having been in Africa for several monthes, I knew that I should eat coucous with my hands. My host mom wanted to take a picture of us eating to show her mother in the village how unAfrican her granddaughters are. The girls joked and said that they were from South Dakota. The family also got some of the Disney Channel shows; I laughed really hard when I heard them singing a Hannah Montana song. It was fun to answer their questions about the US. They gave me a traditional African outfit.
Around 4, we went back to Pastor Adolf's house, where we met as a team, took some pictures, and then left for the airport. We check-in quickly with Paul's help. A member of the congregation, Joel, helped us get through the passport stop without any problems. We stopped for awhile to buy some last minute souvenirs from Africa. Then, we went through security and waited at the gate for a few hours. We watched an amazing sunset. We ate our last meal in Africa. About two hours before boarding began, they ordered us all out of the inclosed room where the gate was so that they could see our passports and look through our carry-ons. Sonja had gone for a walk, so I sat outside waiting for her since I had her bag. Luke, Lindsay, and Adrienne went through without any problem. Then, it was Prosper's turn. Sonja came back and joined me at the end of the line. We realized that Prosper was arguing with the people from Swiss Air and was having trouble. We learned that Swiss Air would not let him fly to two countries in Europe before going to the United States. Supposably, Cameroonians can only fly to one country in Europe before going to the United States--or they are breaking the law. So, they guided him away, back to the entrance of the airport; without any goodbyes from the team. Prosper asked me to wait for him to come back--and he really thought he would be coming back. Sonja went through security and I sat and waited. Through the glass room, I let the team know what had happened. When it got closer to boarding time, Luke came out and talked to the people from Swiss Air. He showed them Prosper's itenerary, but that didn't help. Luke told me to go to the gate, so I did. Luke went to Prosper to see if the information he had would be of any use. However, it didn't help. Prosper stayed behind and had to buy another ticket to the United States--one that only stopped in Europe once. It was very hard for us to leave without a teammate. We boarded the plane and finally left around 11.
Sadly, we were mostly glad to go. But, there is already so much that I miss about Cameroon.
Peace,
Tiffany
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Back in Douala--Eventually
Hello Everyone,
Before we left Cameroon the first time, we had gone to the U.S. Embassy to ask them if we needed a visa when we came back in to the country for four days at the end of our overseas tour, and they said no. However, when we arrived at the airport in Douala on Wednesday night, they would not let us in the country without a visa. They looked at our passports and told us our visas were expired, which we had just told them. They said we would be illegal if we went into the country without a visa. We were happy to see Paul, our amazing helper, coming to greet us. He instantly realized that we were having issues. Paul is the person who does everything for us when are in Douala; he arranges taxis for us and negotiates prices for us. He has been a great help! He argued with the airport people for awhile, then they took us to a separate room, which was right by the jail. We were all very annoyed and nervous. Thankfully, Luke, our team leader, dealt with the conflict pretty well. Luke and Paul talked to the airport people for a long time. They showed them our itinerary and plans for leaving the country in four days. Ironically, there was a sign on the guy's office that said "transit visas are free," but we quickly learned that transit visa are what you get if you stay in the airport. Luke called Heather (our YE boss) and told her what was up. Later, he called Pastor Adolf, who soon came to help us out. Luke also called Prosper, who was still in Yaounde. We were happy to hear that Prosper successfully got his visa to the States. Pastor Adolf spent a lot of time figuring out how much we would have to pay for visas. Us four girls sang "Lean On Me" until we got yelled at. We prayed together. Surprisingly, we were all pretty calm, just anxious to eat and go to bed. Eventually, it was settled that we would pay 105,000 CFA, which is $210. That was quite a lot for us to pay considering it was an unexpected expense. We felt that we were being taken advantage of, but didn't know for sure. After three and a half hours in the airport, we finally got to leave--with our passports that had been stamped with a three day visa. However, there is a slight problem with that--we were in the country for four days. At the airport, they could only give us a visa for three days; therefore, our last day in Cameroon, the five of us were their illegally. A member of the congregation named Joel was also at the airport and Pastor Adolf said that he worked at the airport and would make sure we got of the country without any problems. We were all extremely happy to get out of the airport. Thank God everything end up fine!! We stayed at the Catholic procure again.
When we arrived in Douala, it was about 77 degrees, which was way cooler than we were used to. However, during our three and a half hours in the airport it had warmed up to 88. We were happy to crawl into our comfortable beds at the Catholic procure. There is air conditioning there, which we normally only experience in banks. We all slept extremely well that night because we were so exhausted from our long day. We slept into 9 or 10.
Thursday, we all enjoyed a much needed day off. Thankfully, Prosper had told Pastor Adolf that we would be tired when we arrived, so he had arranged for us to have a day off. We went over to Pastor Adolf's house for lunch. We enjoyed watching some news in English, that was the first we had heard about the swine flu. Pastor Adolf's wife cooked us an amazing meal of fish, fried plantains, a delicious vegetable sauce, and mangoes. We figured out our schedule for the next few days and the went back to the procure. We were all impatiently waiting for Prosper to come because he said he would come between noon and three, but he didn't get there until 7. We had already went out to eat by then. We decided to spoil ourselves and have a treat your team meal. I enjoyed a cheeseburger, french fries, cold D'jino (a delicious pop), and ice cream! We got to sit in the V.I.P. room. When we got back to the procure, Prosper was there waiting for us. We sat and talked to him for several hours. We were all laughing so hard as we shared stories of our past ten days. It was a fun time!
Peace,
Tiffany
Before we left Cameroon the first time, we had gone to the U.S. Embassy to ask them if we needed a visa when we came back in to the country for four days at the end of our overseas tour, and they said no. However, when we arrived at the airport in Douala on Wednesday night, they would not let us in the country without a visa. They looked at our passports and told us our visas were expired, which we had just told them. They said we would be illegal if we went into the country without a visa. We were happy to see Paul, our amazing helper, coming to greet us. He instantly realized that we were having issues. Paul is the person who does everything for us when are in Douala; he arranges taxis for us and negotiates prices for us. He has been a great help! He argued with the airport people for awhile, then they took us to a separate room, which was right by the jail. We were all very annoyed and nervous. Thankfully, Luke, our team leader, dealt with the conflict pretty well. Luke and Paul talked to the airport people for a long time. They showed them our itinerary and plans for leaving the country in four days. Ironically, there was a sign on the guy's office that said "transit visas are free," but we quickly learned that transit visa are what you get if you stay in the airport. Luke called Heather (our YE boss) and told her what was up. Later, he called Pastor Adolf, who soon came to help us out. Luke also called Prosper, who was still in Yaounde. We were happy to hear that Prosper successfully got his visa to the States. Pastor Adolf spent a lot of time figuring out how much we would have to pay for visas. Us four girls sang "Lean On Me" until we got yelled at. We prayed together. Surprisingly, we were all pretty calm, just anxious to eat and go to bed. Eventually, it was settled that we would pay 105,000 CFA, which is $210. That was quite a lot for us to pay considering it was an unexpected expense. We felt that we were being taken advantage of, but didn't know for sure. After three and a half hours in the airport, we finally got to leave--with our passports that had been stamped with a three day visa. However, there is a slight problem with that--we were in the country for four days. At the airport, they could only give us a visa for three days; therefore, our last day in Cameroon, the five of us were their illegally. A member of the congregation named Joel was also at the airport and Pastor Adolf said that he worked at the airport and would make sure we got of the country without any problems. We were all extremely happy to get out of the airport. Thank God everything end up fine!! We stayed at the Catholic procure again.
When we arrived in Douala, it was about 77 degrees, which was way cooler than we were used to. However, during our three and a half hours in the airport it had warmed up to 88. We were happy to crawl into our comfortable beds at the Catholic procure. There is air conditioning there, which we normally only experience in banks. We all slept extremely well that night because we were so exhausted from our long day. We slept into 9 or 10.
Thursday, we all enjoyed a much needed day off. Thankfully, Prosper had told Pastor Adolf that we would be tired when we arrived, so he had arranged for us to have a day off. We went over to Pastor Adolf's house for lunch. We enjoyed watching some news in English, that was the first we had heard about the swine flu. Pastor Adolf's wife cooked us an amazing meal of fish, fried plantains, a delicious vegetable sauce, and mangoes. We figured out our schedule for the next few days and the went back to the procure. We were all impatiently waiting for Prosper to come because he said he would come between noon and three, but he didn't get there until 7. We had already went out to eat by then. We decided to spoil ourselves and have a treat your team meal. I enjoyed a cheeseburger, french fries, cold D'jino (a delicious pop), and ice cream! We got to sit in the V.I.P. room. When we got back to the procure, Prosper was there waiting for us. We sat and talked to him for several hours. We were all laughing so hard as we shared stories of our past ten days. It was a fun time!
Peace,
Tiffany
Ouagadougou and A Long Bus Ride to Cotonou
Hello Everyone,
Saturday, April 25, we got to the capital of Burkina Faso around 1:00. The capital city is Ouagadougou-- pronounced Waga-doo-goo. We got to the bus stations then paid for two taxis to go out to a village where Pastor Rufus thought we were staying. However, instead of staying there, we just met some people from the congregation and then paid for two taxis to go back to Ouaga, where we ended up staying. I was especially tired because of my sickness and the travelling. Lindsay and I stayed with Victorine and Bridget. I rested until dinner and then spent part of the evening getting to know our hosts.
Sunday, we went back to the church in the village we had gone to on Saturday. The village is called Tingandogo. We did five songs for the worship service. Pastor Rufus talked a little to the congregation about our ministry. There were about 30 people there. Sonja went with Victorine back to Ouaga to buy bus tickets for our long trip to Cotonou, Benin. While they were gone, the rest of us played with the kids in the church. Mostly, we played five rocks, which is a game like jacks. It was a fun time. Sonja and Victorine had left on a moto, but they came back in a large van/bus thing. Apparently, Victorine had arranged for that to be our transportation for the day. However, because Victorine had been speaking a tribal language, Sonja had no idea about the negotiated price. Pastor Rufus had told us he wanted to do a program in another village. We said that would be fine. However, the driver wanted 40,000 CFA, about $80, for it. We said we would be unable to go. After a lot of arguing, we got the price down to 20,000 CFA. Then, we agreed and went to the village after eating lunch; most of the congregation piled into the bus with us. We didn't go to the part of the village where Pastor Rufus wanted us to go; instead, the driver dropped us off where he wanted. We said goodbye to Pastor Rufus, who went back to Fada. We did an hour long program, which is how long the driver said he would stop for. The pastor from the congregation in Tinandogo handed out The Small Catechism in French. Everyone was grabbing it and very excited to get a copy; hopefully, they are that excited after they read it. When we were ready to go, the driver had picked up a few women, then drove off without a few of the women in the congregation because he said they weren't paying customers. Eventually, someone convinced the driver to stop and the women from the congregation got on the bus, while the other women got kicked off and left. We were all very annoyed and confused.
From that village, we drove back to Ouaga. Victorine gathered about 20 people together and asked if we would sing for them, so we did. We sang for about 45 minutes and then they asked us some questions. Some of the questions were very difficult to answer. They asked, "what is your church doing to help orphans in Africa," "will you come back to Africa," and "what will you tell people about Burkina Faso, and how will that help us." Some of the questions were very pressing and unexpected. I appreciated their bluntness, but it was often hard to hear. It was obvious to us that they were in need, but we had little to offer them but our care and presence. Unlike the other countries we've been to in Africa; in Burkina Faso, many people don't mind asking for your money our possessions. In other countries, it was usually Muslims or only after they saw a certain possession that we owned. It is hard to be asked for money or possession when we cling to them so much. It is hard to explain that we are struggling as well; we don't have much money because of all of the economic problems in States and most of the world, but we still have way more than them. They assume that because we are white, we have money; however, the fact that we are volunteering for a year should tell them otherwise. In times like those, it was really tough to show that we cared if we didn't give them something. The next morning, Adrienne left her brother's old guitar with Victorine because one of the guys had specifically asked for instruments for their church. We closed our time with the group in prayer.
On Monday, we woke up really early in the morning because a taxi came and picked us up at 4:30a.m.!! Unfortunately, the taxi driver didn't know where the bus station was, but after calling the number on our tickets, we got there. We had heard that the bus was leaving at 5, but of course, it didn't. The driver was trying to tell us that we had to pay extra for our bags, but we didn't. The bus was small and crowded, but not as bad as it could have been. We were on the bus for 19 hours!! We did have a few stops. While on the bus, I slept, read, ate, listened to my I-pod, and talked. Lindsay took out Adrienne's braids with purple extensions and Sonja took out Lindsay's braids and extensions. They reasoned that it took almost as long to take them out as it did to put them in. Their host in Fada had put them in. We got to Cotonou around 1:00 a.m. the next day!!
Tuesday morning, we asked the bus driver to drop us off near our old apartment in Cotonou because that is where Pastor Gregoire said he would meet us. We were excited to see that there was a new ice cream shop by our old apartment, so we went in and bought some ice cream! Then, we tried to charge our phone so we could call Pastor Gregoire since he wasn't there, but we didn't have any minutes left. So, instead, we decided to walk to Pastor Gregoire's house. We knocked loud on his large metal door and gate, but no one woke up and answered the door. We stayed their for almost an hour knocking. Then, we borrowed someone's phone and tried calling Pastor Gregoire, but there was no answer because his phone turns off after 11 p.m. While we had thought Pastor Gregoire had planned on a place for us to stay, we stayed in the church instead. It is a newly constructed building with bricks and a roof, but no doors. Thankfully, we were safe and slept through the night until about 7.
Later Tuesday morning, we went to Pastor Gregoire's and picked up the things we had left with him, which was mostly drums. We carried all of our stuff--which is a lot with all our djembes-- and took it to our apartment, where Pastor Gregoire had arranged for us to stay at for one night for free. We rested there for the morning and I continued to rest while the rest of the team went into the city back to the artisans' market where we had bought our drums. I had already bought the souvenirs I wanted from Benin, and I wasn't feeling well after the long bus ride, so I stayed back. I was very glad that I did because they had a very stressful time with taxi drivers. We enjoyed a fun evening together and packed are things for our flight back to Cameroon.
Wednesday, we went to the airport early even though our flight wasn't until 5 in the afternoon. We enjoyed hanging out in the airport, but were anxious to get to Douala, Cameroon.
Peace,
Tiffany
Saturday, April 25, we got to the capital of Burkina Faso around 1:00. The capital city is Ouagadougou-- pronounced Waga-doo-goo. We got to the bus stations then paid for two taxis to go out to a village where Pastor Rufus thought we were staying. However, instead of staying there, we just met some people from the congregation and then paid for two taxis to go back to Ouaga, where we ended up staying. I was especially tired because of my sickness and the travelling. Lindsay and I stayed with Victorine and Bridget. I rested until dinner and then spent part of the evening getting to know our hosts.
Sunday, we went back to the church in the village we had gone to on Saturday. The village is called Tingandogo. We did five songs for the worship service. Pastor Rufus talked a little to the congregation about our ministry. There were about 30 people there. Sonja went with Victorine back to Ouaga to buy bus tickets for our long trip to Cotonou, Benin. While they were gone, the rest of us played with the kids in the church. Mostly, we played five rocks, which is a game like jacks. It was a fun time. Sonja and Victorine had left on a moto, but they came back in a large van/bus thing. Apparently, Victorine had arranged for that to be our transportation for the day. However, because Victorine had been speaking a tribal language, Sonja had no idea about the negotiated price. Pastor Rufus had told us he wanted to do a program in another village. We said that would be fine. However, the driver wanted 40,000 CFA, about $80, for it. We said we would be unable to go. After a lot of arguing, we got the price down to 20,000 CFA. Then, we agreed and went to the village after eating lunch; most of the congregation piled into the bus with us. We didn't go to the part of the village where Pastor Rufus wanted us to go; instead, the driver dropped us off where he wanted. We said goodbye to Pastor Rufus, who went back to Fada. We did an hour long program, which is how long the driver said he would stop for. The pastor from the congregation in Tinandogo handed out The Small Catechism in French. Everyone was grabbing it and very excited to get a copy; hopefully, they are that excited after they read it. When we were ready to go, the driver had picked up a few women, then drove off without a few of the women in the congregation because he said they weren't paying customers. Eventually, someone convinced the driver to stop and the women from the congregation got on the bus, while the other women got kicked off and left. We were all very annoyed and confused.
From that village, we drove back to Ouaga. Victorine gathered about 20 people together and asked if we would sing for them, so we did. We sang for about 45 minutes and then they asked us some questions. Some of the questions were very difficult to answer. They asked, "what is your church doing to help orphans in Africa," "will you come back to Africa," and "what will you tell people about Burkina Faso, and how will that help us." Some of the questions were very pressing and unexpected. I appreciated their bluntness, but it was often hard to hear. It was obvious to us that they were in need, but we had little to offer them but our care and presence. Unlike the other countries we've been to in Africa; in Burkina Faso, many people don't mind asking for your money our possessions. In other countries, it was usually Muslims or only after they saw a certain possession that we owned. It is hard to be asked for money or possession when we cling to them so much. It is hard to explain that we are struggling as well; we don't have much money because of all of the economic problems in States and most of the world, but we still have way more than them. They assume that because we are white, we have money; however, the fact that we are volunteering for a year should tell them otherwise. In times like those, it was really tough to show that we cared if we didn't give them something. The next morning, Adrienne left her brother's old guitar with Victorine because one of the guys had specifically asked for instruments for their church. We closed our time with the group in prayer.
On Monday, we woke up really early in the morning because a taxi came and picked us up at 4:30a.m.!! Unfortunately, the taxi driver didn't know where the bus station was, but after calling the number on our tickets, we got there. We had heard that the bus was leaving at 5, but of course, it didn't. The driver was trying to tell us that we had to pay extra for our bags, but we didn't. The bus was small and crowded, but not as bad as it could have been. We were on the bus for 19 hours!! We did have a few stops. While on the bus, I slept, read, ate, listened to my I-pod, and talked. Lindsay took out Adrienne's braids with purple extensions and Sonja took out Lindsay's braids and extensions. They reasoned that it took almost as long to take them out as it did to put them in. Their host in Fada had put them in. We got to Cotonou around 1:00 a.m. the next day!!
Tuesday morning, we asked the bus driver to drop us off near our old apartment in Cotonou because that is where Pastor Gregoire said he would meet us. We were excited to see that there was a new ice cream shop by our old apartment, so we went in and bought some ice cream! Then, we tried to charge our phone so we could call Pastor Gregoire since he wasn't there, but we didn't have any minutes left. So, instead, we decided to walk to Pastor Gregoire's house. We knocked loud on his large metal door and gate, but no one woke up and answered the door. We stayed their for almost an hour knocking. Then, we borrowed someone's phone and tried calling Pastor Gregoire, but there was no answer because his phone turns off after 11 p.m. While we had thought Pastor Gregoire had planned on a place for us to stay, we stayed in the church instead. It is a newly constructed building with bricks and a roof, but no doors. Thankfully, we were safe and slept through the night until about 7.
Later Tuesday morning, we went to Pastor Gregoire's and picked up the things we had left with him, which was mostly drums. We carried all of our stuff--which is a lot with all our djembes-- and took it to our apartment, where Pastor Gregoire had arranged for us to stay at for one night for free. We rested there for the morning and I continued to rest while the rest of the team went into the city back to the artisans' market where we had bought our drums. I had already bought the souvenirs I wanted from Benin, and I wasn't feeling well after the long bus ride, so I stayed back. I was very glad that I did because they had a very stressful time with taxi drivers. We enjoyed a fun evening together and packed are things for our flight back to Cameroon.
Wednesday, we went to the airport early even though our flight wasn't until 5 in the afternoon. We enjoyed hanging out in the airport, but were anxious to get to Douala, Cameroon.
Peace,
Tiffany
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
My Sickness in Fada
Hello Everyone,
The rest of my time in Fada, well in Africa, I was sick. Monday, April 20, it rained! It is only the third time we have seen rain in Africa. We rejoiced! Sonja and I went out and danced in the rain. Pastor Rufus came over to check on me since I was sick, which was nice , but frustrating because he wanted to cancel our programming because I was sick. Thankfully, Luke, our team leader, explained that if we didn't go when one of us was sick then we would hardly go at all.
Tuesday morning, the five of us (no Prosper) went to a Muslim high school to do a program. There were about 90 kids there. Most of the kids were in jeans; however, some of the girls followed the stricter Muslim practices by wearing scarves over their heads. We did an hour long program for them. They really appreciated our message of unity. Luke gave a neat message saying that he believes everyone is searching for the truth and that he believes that if people keep searching for the truth, they will find Jesus. Olivier translated what needed to be translated since Prosper wasn't there. Around 5, we went over to Pastor Rufus and walked from there to a nearby part of the city where there were about 10 people gathered. We did a program for some prostitutes. Their husbands were there too. It ended up being a group of 20. We did our whole program in English!! The people were there were from Ghana and Nigeria, so they spoke English. It was really fun to sing all of our songs in English, but it felt really weird. I actually missed singing in French. By the time we started, the sun was going down; therefore, it wasn't a very long program.
Wednesday, we met as a team to figure out what gifts to get for our host homes. We made also made some guitar string crosses for people. Late in the day, we had rehearsal for the concert. It was tough because the instruments weren't in tune with each other, but we got through it. We were tired and exhausted by the end of the day. We were surprised to learn that they needed us to go to a radio station at 7 in the morning. That was the first we had heard about that. I was happy to talk to my mom for awhile when I got back.
Thursday, they planned to pick us and go to a radio station, but they didn't have a car for us to ride in. So, they never picked Sonja and I up. They picked up the other three motos and they did the radio station alone. Then, again I wasn't feeling well. I had terrible diarrhoea; so, yet again, I didn't go. The other four went back to the village of Tanwalbougou. There wasn't any programming for them; they just went around and said goodbye to the people we met there. They also gave some money to the people that provided meals for us when we stayed out there. Sonja got some special gifts from Narcisse, her special admirer. Narcisse gave her two bracelets, a basket, and a hat for her dad. He really liked her. It gave Sonja mixed feelings. They all had a great time in Tanwalbougou, while I tried to feel better. Carine (from France) and Mark (from England) came over with Pastor Rufus to talk to me. Carine and Mark take care of SIM, so we got to know them there. Pastor Rufus asked them to come visit me so that he could understand the confusion that had happened between us because we are from very different cultures. The whole conversation was very odd, but it was nice to see Carine and Mark again.
Friday morning, I rested, then in the afternoon, we were very busy going to radio stations. We went to two radio stations and sang a few songs on the radio to advertise for our concert in the evening. We had a short break, then did one more radio station. Then, we went to the concert competition thing that was before the concert. The contestants drew a song out of a hat and had to sing that song and dance to it. It got annoying soon because there were only two songs to choose between. The dancing was funny though. It lasted for about an hour and a half. Then, us girls went off to eat, while Luke stayed and watched Israel, Pastor Rufus' son who had been left with us. We came back and set up then waited for them to tell us when our program would start. There were two people that also sang for the concert; okay, one sang, the other lip synced. We did two songs, then each of them did two songs; and this happened three times. It was almost 10 when the concert started; we were told it was at 8. We were sooo tired, but we got through it. It was a very interesting concert for us because we had two mics and our guitar was plugged in. However, nothing was balanced, so it didn't sound that great (to us at least) and we sounded way different than we are used to sounding. It was a very long night. We said goodbye to some of the people we gotten to know. We finally got back to our host homes at midnight!!
We thought that we would be meeting at 10 in the morning to go to Ouaga on Saturday, but instead, Pastor Rufus called us at 6:45 a.m. and told us to meet at the bus station at 8:00. Pastor Rufus called the girls hosts, but he never called Luke. Thankfully, Sonja went to get Luke. We all got to the bus station, earlier than needed. We were sad to leave our hosts, but also felt it was time to go because we had been in Fada for a long time. We left Fada for Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, at 9:30.
More coming soon!
Peace,
Tiffany
The rest of my time in Fada, well in Africa, I was sick. Monday, April 20, it rained! It is only the third time we have seen rain in Africa. We rejoiced! Sonja and I went out and danced in the rain. Pastor Rufus came over to check on me since I was sick, which was nice , but frustrating because he wanted to cancel our programming because I was sick. Thankfully, Luke, our team leader, explained that if we didn't go when one of us was sick then we would hardly go at all.
Tuesday morning, the five of us (no Prosper) went to a Muslim high school to do a program. There were about 90 kids there. Most of the kids were in jeans; however, some of the girls followed the stricter Muslim practices by wearing scarves over their heads. We did an hour long program for them. They really appreciated our message of unity. Luke gave a neat message saying that he believes everyone is searching for the truth and that he believes that if people keep searching for the truth, they will find Jesus. Olivier translated what needed to be translated since Prosper wasn't there. Around 5, we went over to Pastor Rufus and walked from there to a nearby part of the city where there were about 10 people gathered. We did a program for some prostitutes. Their husbands were there too. It ended up being a group of 20. We did our whole program in English!! The people were there were from Ghana and Nigeria, so they spoke English. It was really fun to sing all of our songs in English, but it felt really weird. I actually missed singing in French. By the time we started, the sun was going down; therefore, it wasn't a very long program.
Wednesday, we met as a team to figure out what gifts to get for our host homes. We made also made some guitar string crosses for people. Late in the day, we had rehearsal for the concert. It was tough because the instruments weren't in tune with each other, but we got through it. We were tired and exhausted by the end of the day. We were surprised to learn that they needed us to go to a radio station at 7 in the morning. That was the first we had heard about that. I was happy to talk to my mom for awhile when I got back.
Thursday, they planned to pick us and go to a radio station, but they didn't have a car for us to ride in. So, they never picked Sonja and I up. They picked up the other three motos and they did the radio station alone. Then, again I wasn't feeling well. I had terrible diarrhoea; so, yet again, I didn't go. The other four went back to the village of Tanwalbougou. There wasn't any programming for them; they just went around and said goodbye to the people we met there. They also gave some money to the people that provided meals for us when we stayed out there. Sonja got some special gifts from Narcisse, her special admirer. Narcisse gave her two bracelets, a basket, and a hat for her dad. He really liked her. It gave Sonja mixed feelings. They all had a great time in Tanwalbougou, while I tried to feel better. Carine (from France) and Mark (from England) came over with Pastor Rufus to talk to me. Carine and Mark take care of SIM, so we got to know them there. Pastor Rufus asked them to come visit me so that he could understand the confusion that had happened between us because we are from very different cultures. The whole conversation was very odd, but it was nice to see Carine and Mark again.
Friday morning, I rested, then in the afternoon, we were very busy going to radio stations. We went to two radio stations and sang a few songs on the radio to advertise for our concert in the evening. We had a short break, then did one more radio station. Then, we went to the concert competition thing that was before the concert. The contestants drew a song out of a hat and had to sing that song and dance to it. It got annoying soon because there were only two songs to choose between. The dancing was funny though. It lasted for about an hour and a half. Then, us girls went off to eat, while Luke stayed and watched Israel, Pastor Rufus' son who had been left with us. We came back and set up then waited for them to tell us when our program would start. There were two people that also sang for the concert; okay, one sang, the other lip synced. We did two songs, then each of them did two songs; and this happened three times. It was almost 10 when the concert started; we were told it was at 8. We were sooo tired, but we got through it. It was a very interesting concert for us because we had two mics and our guitar was plugged in. However, nothing was balanced, so it didn't sound that great (to us at least) and we sounded way different than we are used to sounding. It was a very long night. We said goodbye to some of the people we gotten to know. We finally got back to our host homes at midnight!!
We thought that we would be meeting at 10 in the morning to go to Ouaga on Saturday, but instead, Pastor Rufus called us at 6:45 a.m. and told us to meet at the bus station at 8:00. Pastor Rufus called the girls hosts, but he never called Luke. Thankfully, Sonja went to get Luke. We all got to the bus station, earlier than needed. We were sad to leave our hosts, but also felt it was time to go because we had been in Fada for a long time. We left Fada for Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, at 9:30.
More coming soon!
Peace,
Tiffany
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