Verite ou Action

This past Wednesday was Labor Day.  We took "our girls" to our favorite beach.  It was a really fun time to just hang out with them and goof around.  This was about the only day it could happen as our schedules are all so crazy.  

As you can see - they are clearly dressed for the beach.  I am super conservatively dressed by American standards but I look like a floozie compared to them! :)  But to be honest, this was the end of the day and they were preparing to go back into the land of covered knees.

Also interesting- we learned that some games are universal.  For example, steal the bacon.  Or in our case - steal the kite.  One girl, instead of tagging me, slapped me across the back.  I guess she was making sure that she got me!  Another game that girls like to play - you guessed it - truth or dare.  And yes, the questions are ALL the same.  Namely in the manner of boys.  The dares - well, not too many were brave enough to pick dare but one of the girls had to be touched by the seaweed which they found disgusting.

In other news - classes at the centers are going well.  I have one class at GY with a student, S, who always is saying something to make me laugh.  

One night, we were talking about how Africans lighten their skin with creams and white people tan themselves.  Then I changed the subject to a sunburn.  So I asked them, "If I sunburn my skin, what color will it be?"  Without missing a beat, S said "Green!"  I about fell over dying laughing.

Just this past week, in class we were doing the parable of the lost sheep (which doesn't translate well as all my students told me they would NOT go looking for one sheep because 99 was enough).  Anyhow - the beginning of that story, the words sinners and tax-collectors are mentioned.  I asked if they knew what a tax-collector was.  They all said yes.  So I asked, "Who do you pay taxes to?"  S, again so sure of himself, said, "Jesus."  While Jesus is indeed the answer to many questions, it doesn't quite work for that one.

So there's your random update for today.  Hope you enjoyed!

Three months since last post... and three more to go!

[Obligatory apology for not updating more often... check]  Other than my parents, not sure if anyone actually reads anyway! :)  Plus, most of these pictures are on the good ole book of faces!

So...  last post I made was in January.  It's now almost the end of April.  That's insane.  Three months til I'm back on American soil.  I don't have an exact day yet but we should know soon.  I'm not really sure how to feel about this.  I know that it's going to absolutely fly by and a part of me is super ready to get back and figure out my next steps.  But I also am completely dreading the emotional drain of goodbyes - especially since I stink at them.

Anyhow - here's just a fun picture recap of some things that have gone on!  

Birthday girl!!!  Amanda just turned 24 :)

Group picture of "our girls" at her bday celebration :)  <3

Best supervisors ever!  Could not have been more blessed to be mentored by the coolest, most hip bosses ever!  Who of you can say that you danced the Cha-cha slide and Cupid Shuffle with yours? :)

My forever partner-in-crime came to visit me!  Our first picture!

Giraffes are sooo beautiful!  Can't say that much about the rhino that tried to eat me alive, right Ashley!??

And this basically sums up our friendship!  

I hope that I'm as good of a friend to the people that He has placed in my life as they are to me!

Our girls on Easter Sunday!

I just got home a couple of days ago from visiting Istanbul, Turkey.  It may seem like I've been traveling all over creation and in some sense, I have.  I just saved literally all of my 30 vacation days until the end.  However, this takes the cake for best vacation ever.  I have come to find that vacation really is more about the people you are with than what you are doing.  Istanbul was not my top choice for a place to visit, but the fact that we had a huge group of people that I went to training in the states with made it worth it.  

Our group in front of the Blue Mosque on the first day!

On the ferry on the way home from a day of bike riding... or pushing..  wait, this is the day we don't speak of!  haha

So these guys were taking really silly pictures for so long and we were laughing so hard.  I wanted to go take pictures with them but no one would do it with me.  Then Der came up and said we should do it and that made it happen.  

"Not like this...  Like this!"  "Change places!"

So we are in the Basilica Cistern ...  and in the corner of this dark, damp underground ancient building, there stands a complete tourist trap.  Completely out of place.  Dress up like Sultans and Sultanas and take pictures.  And we fall for it.  And it was soo worth every Turkish Lira because these pictures are priceless to me.

I scored my lowest bowling score ever here...  but still a lot of fun!

If I had to choose a theme picture for the week, it would be this.  We did so much touristy stuff at the beginning of the week that by the end of the week, when we couldn't think of things to do, we would eat.  We were probably borderline gluttons.  But we come mostly from Sub-Saharan Africa.  So it's okay.  You like that convincing?

 Our last group picture taken -  Hannah was sick and Cam was with her :(

This trip was just so refreshing for me.  Of course, it was great to be able to eat amazing food.  Being in a first-world country was nice.  The company was outstanding.  But one of my favorite times was just sharing with each other the last afternoon before we all started heading out.  We sang and prayed together and it was so encouraging.  I was telling my friend Ashley when she was here that I have felt so exhausted and that we've hit a brick wall.  I'm rereading one of my favorite books and have just been reminded at what a slow-burning heart I have.  The last line of the last song we sang together says, "Capture my heart again."  

Three months.  Less than 100 days.  Let's do this!

"I have to get to the point of absolute and unquestionable relationship that takes everything exactly as it comes from Him.  God never guides us at some time in the future, but always here and now.  Realize that the Lord is here now, and the freedom you receive is immediate."  -Oswald Chambers

The best week in Africa??

I've had a lot of really good weeks here.  It's hard to say that this particular week was the BEST but it's very close.  We had an English camp for our University students mid-January.  The theme was "Running the Race" - and we talked about how life can be described as a race with it's ups and downs.  We used the TobyMac song "Eye On It" and talked about those lyrics.  A sub-theme was the Olympics.  We looked at different bloopers of things gone wrong in the Olympics and then talked about what do we do when life doesn't go the way we like?  And we finished off the week looking at the Hebrews 12 passage.  We also watched and discussed Chariots of Fire and Eric Liddell.

We had different discussion groups that were mixed levels to talk about these things.  They were the colors of the Olympic flags.  It got to be a pretty heated race :)  And we always take a trip to Goree Island which is known for its importance in the slave trade.  In order to make it a fun learning experience, our Canadian colleague, Geoff, last camp started a scavenger hunt type race in order to explore the island.  We decided we would continue that every time but change it up slightly.  The winning team would be displayed proudly at the center.  And whose team was the winning one???  THE GREEN TEAM! 

A volunteer team from J. Piper's area came to assist us and serve alongside us this week.  There were three people in their 80s.  When we found this out, we were all a little concerned.  But those three people, I want to be like them one day.  They were WITH it.  This was the BEST volunteer team I have ever worked with.  They were sooo loving toward the students and we all bonded immediately.  Their time had definitely been bathed in pryer.  I have never seen an African cry.  But there were definitely tears shed at the end of this week which is a HUGE testament to these volunteers that they loved.  

Here is the camp video for the week:




Each morning the ERC did Olympic parody skits. I tried to make them one long video but it took too long to upload so I had to make them four separate videos. They are meant to be silly and with the theme that the "last shall be first."  It was so much fun planning these and the students loved them!  You must listen carefully to the commentary made by our token Brit - Andrew - as he has some very funny sarcastic lines.




In the next one, since Andrew is the only non-American, we as a team have fun going back and forth with him.  So he decides to be funny and introduce me saying, "American by birth but has adopted a British nationality... "  We really do work with the BEST people here - both our coworkers and the students are phenomenal.



The next video is the weightlifting skit:



And last, the 3000 meter hurdle.



Also, MY DAD CAME TO VISIT!  He came halfway through the camp so he got to experience the camp and then a few days around town.  I think he loved the people but had mixed feelings about the place... haha!  Some days I feel the same exact way.

Dad's first of MANY taxi rides... which was definitely his favorite thing.

Dad with a student on the ferry to Goree Island:

And one of us at a new cafe that just opened up downtown.  Notice he's wearing an African shirt - this was a gift to him from the ladies that meet at our house on Sunday evenings:

So you can clearly see why I think this was one of the best weeks here!  It's weeks like these that just make you so incredibly thankful for what we are doing here!

More on vacation....

Just wanted to post a quick blog about my time in Thailand.  Thank you to all of you who were thinking of me while I was in the hospital.  That was definitely not how I planned on spending Christmas this year or the first part of my vacation.  Of course, it was frustrating.  I had literally been counting down daily to this vacation for over six months.  But looking back, there are definitely a few silver linings about the whole thing.  The doctors said that I carried my "friends" the bacteria with me from Africa - so I'm thankful that I was in the hospital in Thailand and not Africa.  I'm glad that Mel was able to be there the whole time.  I'm glad that I did not need my appendix removed.  And I did get to goof off in Thailand for four days - the last two I had no medication restrictions on food and drink.  So here's a bit of a glance into my time in Thailand - the good and the bad :)

PS.  Just in case you are wondering, "I give you a new line" means "I will give you a new IV."  I'm glad that I did not understand that Tinglish when the nurse spoke it.  And if I am never asked, "How many time you pee? poo?" again in the rest of my life, I think I will be okay.

Home for four days.

The only picture I allowed to be taken of me during this time.  This was a peaceful time in between hurling.  Christmas Day :)  Complete with the Asian peace sign.

Oh Chiang Mai - how lovely you look from the window.

And finally... outta there!!!  Two of my wonderful nurses!  The one on the left gave me the new IV - which hurt infinitely less than the first so in the end, I was actually grateful for another needle.

Now the fun begins!  And - after a stop of McD's - we fed a baby tiger.

Visited a temple.

Mel and I at the temple.

This is probably not a good idea less than 24 hours of being released from a hospital - oh well :)

It's soo beautiful there!!!

I'm so glad Mel loves animals just as much as I do.  Our goal:  touch and feed as many animals as possible.

Night bazaar : a shopping woman's delight!

And then zip-lining happened.  

Giraffes are, hands down, the coolest animals on the planet.  And I've made the decision that America needs to get with it - here I could feed him a huge bucket of greens for about $1.  How stinking cool!???  They care more about the experience and less about money making!

And feeding the elephant!  Seriously, if I could live at this place, I would.

They gave us a FREE ride.  Mel and I couldn't believe it.  

So all of the "fun" pictures above - they all happened in two days time.  We crammed so much stuff into two days that it was insane.  I'm glad we did but it was also exhausting!  Then I flew to Bangkok to hang out with the other Mel for a couple days!  The first day I got there, I slept the whole day.  I was scared if I didn't, I would get sick again.  After that, for the last two days of my trip, we had fun :)

This is why I love Asia.

Bangkok is full of malls and yummy things :)  First Frappuccino at Starbucks after I was off antibiotics!!!  

Self-explanatory!  What an experience to be in the crowd of thousands waiting on the New Year!  

Happy New Year!!!!!!  

Big THANK YOU to the two Mel's for hosting me!  And for everyone else praying for my recovery and the rest of my time there!  As you can see - I did get some fun stuff in!  Now, I'm happy to be back in Africa (did I really just say that!?) and we're getting ready to gear up for a team, an English camp and MY DAD comes in NINETEEN days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, King!

So..  Christmas 2012..  one to remember..

I left Africa at 8:00 AM on the 22nd.  I arrived in Thailand around 11 PM on the 23rd.  Completely frazzled from a combination of delayed flights, not being able to get cash out and not seeing Mel's face when I arrived in CM about did me in.  My card wouldn't work as I tried to use a pay-phone to call her.  I'm trying to keep it together so I asked some nice non-Thai people if they lived in Thailand and if so, do they have a phone I could use...  they didn't have a phone but gave me some coins to use the pay-phone.  Mel was at the airport, just at the other end as she was told all domestic flights were finished for the day (clearly, not true).  Anyhow, I met up with Mel and kept telling myself that it would all be worth it.  

Next morning, we go to a restaurant at around 10 AM.  It was fantastic.  I love Thailand already.  Next stop - Thai massage.  For $20.  How in the world could you not love this place!?  We're walking around the mall afterwards and I'm getting really tired.  Jet-lag, I think.  Into the grocery store to buy some stuff for Christmas meal and the smells are making me nauseous.  We decide it's best to go home and rest for a few hours before we head back out that night for the night-safari.

Well, I'll spare the gross details..  but we'll just say that I got really sick.  My fever sky-rocketed and I was completely dehydrated.  About 8 PM, when I couldn't walk, had sharp pain in my abdomen and started losing feeling in my arms, Mel called the ambulance and they came and brought us to the hospital.

I'm in a state of delirium.  At one point in the ambulance I told Melanie I thought I was having a heart attack because my arms hurt.  I also thought I might die of hypothermia because I've never been so cold in my life.

We get to the ER - questions and then they gave me an IV which I certainly did not appreciate at that moment in time.  In Mel's words, "You would think they were cutting your hand off."

At first, as they are talking in the ER, they start throwing around words appendicitis and possibly surgery.  This clearly calmed me down.  They roll me away to get a CT scan and an X-ray.  We are rolling by this huge picture and I say, "Hi, King" and gave the people rolling me a laugh while Mel is freaking out at my disrespect.

They finally put me in a room.  I'm like a broken record asking for water or ice.  The answer is always the same - they're waiting on my test results.  I ask every person that comes through hoping to get a different answer.  Finally, the results are negative and I get some water and that was about the best Christmas Eve present I could have ever received.

So, Malaria and Typhoid were all negative.  They say it's some kind of bacterial infection.  Bottle after bottle of antibiotics have flowed through my veins.  The first 24 hours in the hospital were pretty brutal.  However, the Thai people are great!  And on Christmas day - Mel's friend Sue brought some movies, little crafts and a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup.. mmmmm :)    

Now, I'm feeling a lot better and they say they'll let me out if my fever stays gone.  Chiang Mai looks great from the window.  I'm starting to go a little stir-crazy!

And this is why I need a vacation.

Warning:  Many parts of this story... are...  how should I say it?  Well, not so pretty.  Unless you live in Africa, it is hard to understand why these decisions were made.  Just be forewarned.  

Today started like any other day.  We got up.  We drove to a good friend's house... and made it there without getting lost.  So things were pleasant.  We had a good visit.  The meal today was not one of my favorites here typically but today it was pretty good.  Tonight, we had a get-together for caroling with our co-workers.  So we had to leave our friends house in a decent time.. meaning we couldn't stay around for three hours of tea.  Our friend asks us, "Do you know name of some random place?"  The answer is no.  We ask what it is close to etc... so we get down to the fact that where she wants to go is downtown.  She's a single mother and wanted to go downtown to buy some stuff to try and sell.  Of course, I feel bad.  And I have a hard time saying no.  Like I can't do it for people I know.  So, I open my mouth and out pops, "Sure, no problem..  If we have time, we can bring you back... If we don't, you can catch a taxi."  

Fast forward.  We come to a bridge that we drive over a few times a week.  It's usually chaotic to get on... ie.. 8 lanes of traffic merging into 1.  The lane I happened to pick, of course a transport commun breaks down in front of me.  So I start the process of inching into another lane..  We're now going up the bridge a little bit.  The rule here is as follows:  If your bumper is in front of another bumper, you have the right of way (unless of course that car is bigger- then they do).  So my car was bigger AND my bumper was in front so I start inching over.  Then I hear someone banging on the back of the truck.  I just keep going.  More banging.  I ask my friend and Amanda what's going on... Apparently, I scraped a taxi and part of one of his lights came off.  Now this is laughable because taxis here are pieces of different cars welded together... it's not like upkeep is anyone's concern.  So I look at my national friend here - what should I do?  She says go.  [And also, anytime anyone has ever hit me, I just drive off per Amanda's instruction...  I guess the difference is that they hit me...]   So I get around the broken down truck and have a clear shot up the bridge.  I'm driving pretty fast so my intent is clear.  I would like to get out of here.  So then the taxi driver comes RUNNING after us..  starts hitting the truck, tries to open the doors, and then finally stands in front of the car, in the middle of the road, going up a bridge so I can't go anywhere.  So then my friend starts talking to him.  He's obviously mad and just wants to be paid.  Which normally, I wouldn't do.  Then in my rear view mirror, I see a police walking up.  I'm literally shaking at this point.  My foot can hardly keep the clutch in.  So then my friend, who is not a follower, tells the cop that we were trying to pull over and get out of the way.  That is completely untrue.  This whole time I pretend like I know zero Wolof and when I did speak a word of it my friend would tell me to be quiet.  The taxi driver comes over.  The police walks off with my license.  It's decided by my friend that we will pay the taxi driver about ten dollars.  We tell him to go tell the police man who is now dealing with another car to give my license back because we paid him.  The police officer didn't like this.  We have to sit for another ten minutes before it's decided that we can go. 

But the fun doesn't stop there.

Literally, we go up and over the bridge.  Less than 5 minutes later, my friend decides she doesn't know the way to get where we're going exactly.  So she wants me to pull over and let her ask someone.  So I do.   Now, people do this all the time.  Pull over to ask directions, men use the bathroom, let people on or off....  we think.. no big deal.  Well, I was stopped maybe 10 feet from a red light (I need not get started on the uselessness of red lights here) and another 20 or so feet, there is another police officer.  I get through the red light and he pulls me.  I think nothing of it.  I give him my insurance and visite technique (car papers here).  He wants my drivers license.  I give him that.  Then I notice that he's writing.  I tell Amanda, "He's writing... what could he possibly be writing?"  She says.. I don't know.. the only thing I can think of is the stop back there.  So I look at the paper and I see that my infraction was stopping.  I then put my hand out asking for my DL back..  He's stern and says no...  (Here they keep it and make you pay your ticket at the station and then they give it back... and I know this.. but I'm pretending like I don't).  So then, I look at my friend and tell her to ask him what I did.. even though I know full well...  and this man doesn't know I speak Wolof..   so then he explains to me in English...  Then, the idea flashes through my mind...  I usually can't cry at the drop of a hat.. but I've had a bad couple of hours by this point and I'm frazzled... so I thought to myself I would try it..  and I did.  [I had a break down in language school one time and our language teacher was beside herself that I was upset... so I know people here don't like crying]  I start crying and the police officer looks at me and says, "Why are you crying?"  We tell him I've had a bad day...etc..etc..  Amanda looks at me from the backseat and exclaims, "Lindy!  You have GOT to pull yourself together so we can get outta here!"  Little did she know.  So the police officer then takes back my ticket because he says he doesn't want me to hate his country.  AND he gave me his telephone number in case we have any other problems, we can call him..  So I drive away from all of this out 10 dollars and probably a few years off my life.. but no going to police station!  As I drive away from the second encounter, I look at my friend and tell her in Wolof, "I know the people here don't like crying."  She just started laughing.  So then we finally got her downtown and went home.  

It was quite a ridiculous day.  I'm so happy that in about 30 hours I'm on a plane outta here!  I need some time to recuperate! :)

Tales of the Isle!

So much has happened and I haven't updated in over a month. Honestly, it's just a lot of work to keep this thing updated. First off, I celebrated my second birthday in Africa! Lots of food, fun and friends. 

 Second, and the reason for this post: We went to the island! 
 Some extended family members of mine came for a week out in the middle of nowhere spent with some of the most beautiful people you can find on this earth. The week was amazing as we got to see many seeds that have been planted take root! It was super refreshing and encouraging to me in more ways that I know how to say. I am forever grateful to this family for giving us the opportunity to tag along! There are so many things that I could write here that would only be funny to the 6 people on the trip that I'll spare you.  Instead, I'll just upload as many photos and videos as my patience can manage to give you an idea of how we spent our week :)

The whole crew + all our luggage + approximately 100 liters of water + a huge sac of veggies & rice = one heavy boat 

"Are we getting in the other boat?"

After a plane and a car ride - we get to the boat.  There was no advance warning that the mangroves would be attacking us...  At the end you can hear, "So if I say down, down!"  

Our campsite!

It was quite ridiculous how many pictures of trees we ended up with - the beauty in the south is breathtaking!

We got to see these critters daily - on trails, on tents, in tents, everywhere!  But don't worry - they no bother you ;)

These kids LOVE to dance!

Look at that smile!

They loved coming to the campside!  Betty "reading" (as much as you can with no common language)  :)

This is for you, Betty!

Disclaimer:   Since I have the gift of delayed mercy, let me first say:  We are not happy that you were bitten by a ginormous bug.  However, as this dramatic sketch shows, the irony in the situation was what was funny :)

And our African attire!

P-Donnie, Papa Smurf, PD, Eeyore can boogie!!!

On the boat ride back to the mainland.

This was an amazing week but also made me somewhat homesick.  Catching up on what's going on in the lives of the people I know made me only miss them more!  But I know the time is literally around the corner that I'll get to see everyone again.  In the meantime, lots of work still left to do but also - lots more fun things in the future as well!