2 Days & Counting

Well, hello again Monday! This past week has flown by. Forgive me for my silence but this weekend has been extremely busy, and when it wasn't busy, the power was out! Haha. So that's that. But anyway, this weekend was the Feast of the Ram! So Thursday evening Carol, Lum, Fadi, and Maimu all went up to Sabba Njowra, then the rest of us joined them Friday. We also brought along Paul, a friend of Chris's, and the Newburn family with us, since they had been wanting to visit the village. 

All in all it was a really lovely day! After greeting Moa and her family, Karen, Sarah and I went around to the different compounds and visited. Karen knew a bit of Fulfulde and they knew a bit of Pidgin English, so we got on just fine, and even got to be in a family picture! One of the families we visited had 10 children - 8 boys and 2 girls - and they had all come back to the village for the feast, so they got their picture taken. We got our cameras out too, and then they invited us to take another "snap" alongside them. So we are now "those white girls" in some Fulani family's picture. Fun fun. Haha. 

Then Katelyn took us to a waterfall, where we took pictures of the jungle it disappeared into and the valley it dropped off into. Absolutely beautiful. Sabba Njowra really is one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been; just imagine growing up there! Sigh. I took a whole lot of pictures, which I'd show you if the internet weren't barely hanging on by a thread today. So, patience, and they will be up tomorrow or the next day. Speaking of pictures, us three girls also spent about an hour sitting on the grass taking pictures of the kids, and letting them take pictures of us. There's something about cameras and taking pictures that these people just love - especially looking at it afterwards. I think they get a kick out of seeing themselves. Once we get our cameras back form the kids, it's hilarious to go through and see all the the pictures they've taken. Some are actually really good! 

We also got to see and hold Moa's baby - a girl! She had no name yet, because they wait a week after the baby is born for that. But Sunday they had the naming ceremony, where they men discuss the name and Moa shaves her head (using cow's milk); and her name is Isatu! She really is lovely, and looks very much like Fadi. Sarah and I didn't go Sunday, instead stayed and read and rested - the power was out all day. But Darcy (Peace Corps) came over Saturday night for a postponed Pizza and Movie Night, then stayed the night, since she lives outside of Bamenda. We also went Halloween costume shopping yesterday! Cameroonians don't celebrate or even know about Halloween, so we had to explain it to Simon, who came with us. So excited! Only two days till dressing up and candy! And then it will be November. Geesh. 

Tuesday the Twenty-third

Aaaaand we're back! It was a nice weekend in the city, and now we have come once more to Bamenda, where it is lovely and green and rainy. :) Since we got back it's been nice and quiet, just doing school and learning French and sleeping. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are plenty! Enjoy, my friends.....

Books from the reading room!

Some cool weird pretty plants

Somewhere between Bamenda and Yaounde

We stopped at the boulangerie for a snack :)

Caaandyyyy

Lovely view from RFIS - the missionary kid school

Slightly creepy face on a rock overlooking Yaounde

Sunset!!

Road meat <3

Yaounde

Greetings from Yaounde! We’ve been here since late afternoon yesterday, ‘we’ being Chris, Katelyn, Lum, Sarah, Anna Grove, and I (Mama Karissa opted out, and so it’s Papa Karissa and the girls this weekend!). We had an uneventful (but safe – always thankful for that!) drive down. Tomorrow (Saturday) morning Lum and Katelyn will go to take their PSATs, then that night is the dance… other than that, we’re kinda just hanging out. It’s already been fun, though; last night we all went over to the Santos’ for dinner, and it was lovely spending time with them. Us girls also went up to the reading room today to return the books we’ve had and get plenty of new ones! Yay books. Then tonight, after a dinner of road food – chicken and coke! That’s the way we roll – we spent the evening at the Rider’s, eating ice cream (!!!) and playing card games. The missionary community here, both in Yaounde and in Cameroon in general, is so tight-knit; everyone knows everyone, everyone is always welcome at each other’s houses, everyone knows who we are and what we’re doing… even Sarah and I, and we’ve only been here 3 months! Reminds me a bit of Grass Valley. :)

Bloggy Blog Blog

Aaaaand, back to the grind! Not that it's a grind, really. I actually quite enjoyed having breakfast with everyone once again yesterday morning, and getting back to our work! Though the break was needed and refreshing, settling back into our routine is just as nice. Breakfast, tea, devotions, feeding the horses, working out, and then our weekly meeting with Chris and Karen to map out our work for the week. And yesterday we went to the orphanage to have Bible Club! They all gather and Karen teaches the lesson, Katelyn and I lead a song and then they sing a song or two of their own (which are marvelous), and then while they all color the memory verse coloring page, one by one they come up and say the memory verse from last week. And we give them candy! (aka bonbons) The most amusing part is taking the neighborhood kids along, and bouncing down the back roads with 8 or 9 of them piled in with us.

Also I didn't mention it the other day, but pray would be greatly appreciated for Fadi, Maimu, and Yunu – Thursday night their grandma, Gogo Wuro, died after being the hospital for awhile. Muslim law requires they bury the body within 24 hours of the death, so Friday night all 3 of them headed up to Sabba Njowra and stayed the weekend for the funeral, or "cry-die." Death is a huge deal in Fulani culture, as well as everywhere else in Cameroon; often it has a lot to do with cultural traditions, jujus, and such, which is not so good. Also Moa, Fadi and Maimu's mother, is pregnant! And the baby could be born any day now, so we are praying for a easy birth and a healthy baby. 

This weekend Katelyn and Lum have PSATs down in Yaounde, and at RFIS (the international/missionary kid school) there's a dance which we are apparently going to, so we are spending the weekend in the capital of Cameroon! Woot woot. Until then, it's food and sleep and school! Aufweidersehen!

Food, My New Hobby

Well, here we are, about halfway through October - which makes it 3 months in Africa! I have survived thus far, hallelujah! Back when Sarah and I were preparing to leave in July, Chris and Karen told us that three or so months in, we'd be fed up with Africa and ready to leave. I must admit, t's been tough and frustrating and sometimes miserable. But it's also been delightful, exciting, and just plain fun! Even if I were given the chance to go back right this minute, I don't think I would - I know that there is so much more in store for me this year, just waiting for me to stick it out. 

This past week has been quite restful, as everyone took a break from school and work and we had the Naines come up and visit! They stayed at the nearby guest house, but spent the whole day hanging out at the Jackson Village, hiking, or going into town with us. On Thursday everyone went up to Sabba Njowra to hike, except Sarah and I (sigh), who stayed home to work and pick up Happy, Aunt Julie's daughter from school. We had no idea where her school was, but Sarah and I got the best directions we could from Delphine and succeeded in the end! Haha. The power was also out all day, so we mainly worked and read and relaxed, the house being so strangely quiet. :) Pizza and Movie Night was, as always, delicious and great fun, with the Naines, the Newburns, Brittany, Darcy, and their friend Tess. And Wendy Naine made fudge!! Om nom. I'm beginning to love food too much, I think. Oh well!

Speaking of food, tonight we had our weekly road food, Katelyn made monkey bread and cake, and I made homemade pretzels! For no other reason than we were in a baking mood... but who needs reasons to make delicious things? Not I, said the girl. 

All right, I'm off to talk with my family! Yay! Please pray that the internet will work, and ta ta for now!

Abuh

"Africa: where nothing works, but everything works out."

Greetings to one and all! Forgive me for abandoning you this week. I meant to post another update or two, I really did, but an unexpected adventure (the best kind) popped up and kidnapped Sarah and me for a few days. Saturday we went to Brittany's house to have tea and cake with a few of her Peace Corps friends; Darcy, Sam, and Chiloh. After a lovely afternoon of talking and relaxing, we went back to the Jackson's for a postponed Pizza and Movie night. But instead of bidding them farewell and falling into bed, Sam invited us to come with her, Darcy, and Brittany up to her village, Abuh, for a few days. It was a lovely chance to get out of the house and see new places and meet new people, so Sarah packed our backpacks and spent the night at Brittany's across town. In the morning after breakfast we packed up food and blankets and set off!

The first leg of the trip was a taxi back across town to Bambui, where we got a car to take us up to Fundong, about an hour or two away. We stopped at Claire's house (another PC volunteer) to say hi, then from her house the five of us, with our stuff, jumped on bikes to take us up the last part to Abuh. The road was not wonderful, to say the least - in fact, it was definitely worse than the road to Sabba Njowra. But an adventure nonetheless! Brittany and Darcy's bike only fell once, which is credit to all our drivers, if you had seen the road. I refrained from taking pictures, so as not to make you all fear for my life.... just kidding! .....

The view from Sam's kitchen window <3

And finally we came to Sam's house! She had running water, but no electricity, so we made use of her candles and kerosene lantern as we made dinner and talked. (And after sitting all evening around the lamp, the kerosene or smoke or whatever turned everything inside our noses black! Again, no pictures, haha. Sorry.)

We also met her neighbor Teziah, who is the friendliest person I have ever met! He greeted us all with hugs, and was just so happy to have guests in Abuh. He works in the clinic, where Sam helps out, and would greet us every morning before leaving for work. We visited the clinic on Monday morning, and took a tour. By American standards, it's horrendous, but for a little village out in the African bush, it was much bigger and cleaner than I expected. There were two wards (one for mothers and newborns and one for everyone else) an office, a delivery room, the pharmacy where they kept all the drugs, and the lab, where Teziah works. And there was a microscope! That was what shocked me the most. Of course they have no electricity, so he has it right under a window where the light will come in, and in the pharmacy the refrigerator was gas-powered, but still. I was amazed by the microscope. In the lab Teziah can test blood and give vaccinations and everything.

The baby who didn't cry :)

After the tour they had clinic, where dozens of mothers and their children lined up outside and listened as Sam and Maxilin, a woman who also works there, sang some songs and gave a lecture for several minutes, then answered whatever questions they had. Then came time to weigh the babies! Every month they weigh them all one by one in a basket and record the children's growth. Of course, every single baby cried but one! But it's all good. The whole adventure, from Bamenda to Abuh and back again, was great. It was freezing cold up there in the mountains, but we fended it off with lots of tea, hot food, and socks and blankets galore. We spent most of our time just talking and laughing and eating cake and getting to know each other better. All of them are wonderful people.

And now we are back! Brittany, Sarah, and I spent the morning making our way back down to Bamenda, via bike, bus, and taxi. Apparently Grass Valley is not the only place that has "Grass Valley Week" ...or an October break, anyway, haha. So this week the girls are taking a break from school and we have a family from Yaounde visiting us, the Naines. Sarah and I will probably still work on the Luke lessons a bit, and I have school, but it's nice to have a change of pace.

Picture Time!

Corn drying at the orphanage

Maimu's hair out of her braids! :)

Reasons to buy alcohol

Macchiato's so happy to see me! ...as long as I bring food, anyway...

When September Ends

Oh look, another week has come and gone! Happy October, everyone! On Sunday Chris drove to Yaounde for a week of meetings, so pray for his safety traveling about while in Yaounde and ours alone without a man in the house... but we have Pa here during the days, and of course me with a self defense class under my belt, so no worries! Haha. Today we took another trip to the market and met at PresCafe with some translators from Bambui, and gave to them two of our lessons to translate into the mother tongue there. Exciting stuff! We also got schwarma sandwiches outside the bakery; my first time eating schwarma, and it was wonderful! Also made me feel more superhero-esque... Avengers, you know. ;) Then today was our first French lesson! I had completely forgot about it, but our teacher, a Cameroonian lady, came today and got us down to business! (To defeat the Huns.) We learned how to carry on a simple conversation, saying our name, how old we are, where we're from, what we do, etc, and asking the questions back. I love languages! But they are indeed hard to learn. It's tricky to separate French from English, German, and Pidgin, having such an "interesting" system of pronunciation...haha! Oh well. I shall learn! So until next time, or a la prochaine!