Just a stupid toubab!

Today we got to go to Presse Cafe.. it was like stepping into a little piece of home, and it was WONDERFUL! Then, I got to help Angela pick out some fabric for her bridesmaid dress and it is going to turn out so good! I am so excited. Then, we got lost in the city just for a little while and almost got run over by a big truck.. then we got ripped off when we bought some African fabric.. and I knew I was getting ripped off when I was buying it but the man just seemed so angry that I knew if I didn't buy it he would be even angrier. I am just so mad I had to tell everybody. That was the main point of this post. I learned my lesson and will never again be ripped off, hopefully!

Quotes of the day:

“I am a Muslim, would I lie to you?” (and YES we found out later he DID lie to us!)

“I love you, do you love me?”  

Outreach

 A lot of Africa happened this weekend. We left the school around 5 AM in our 14-vehicle long caravan. I was “lucky” enough to get to ride in a public transportation bus called a jeg-n-jye. That's how it sounds anyway.. it is probably spelled more like djigndmfgendjaye. Even if I tried to explain the glory of this bus or tried to capture its beauty in a picture, you would not understand. Some of the windows were covered with sheets of fabric.. some only had half of the window covered. The seats were all ripped. Every piece of the bus was shaking as soon as the engine started.. and it only got worse the faster it went. You will just have to come to Africa someday and try it yourself! I would recommend maybe traveling for 10 minutes on it though instead of three hours. Despite being packed in the “jeg” like sardines (I actually had a whole seat to myself.. not quite sure how that worked!), I was able to sleep a little bit! Right when I was drifting off, I heard a big loud noise. I thought we ran into something.. but it turns out we were going through a toll gate and our driver tried to just go through at the same time as the car in front of him. So when he was halfway through, the bar came down on top of the bus and snapped right off. Thankfully it wasn't a convertible bus.. yikes! And this was only the beginning of the trip. We soon realized just how great of a driver our man really was. And, to make matters worse, the jeg was full of all girls.. and what do we know? So even when our fearless leader tried to talk to him, he completely ignored her (good try, Alicia.. I think you did great!)

After a short rest stop about halfway to the destination, we got back on the road and were somewhere in the middle of the caravan. We turned onto a DUSTY dirt road.. this thing was bad. The leaves on the trees were brown on top and green underneath.. just caked in dust! The driver decided it would be best to pass everyone and just go as fast as possible. And the 20 high schoolers cheering him on probably didn't help! We finally made to our campsite and shook off all the dust.

We unloaded everything assembly-line style and then all the different teams were off! There were 14 teams.. medical,well-digging (in two different sites), kids ministry, roofing, cement, sound, satellite, bricks, paint, mural, benches, drama and campsite. I got to be on the camp crew so we chopped LOTS of vegetables.. some of the other members on our team carried water from the well to our campsite (750 gallons by the time the weekend was over!), filtered the water, and set up tents and showers and dug holes for toilets. Let me just take this opportunity to say that the boys totally got the better part of the bathroom deal.. they had their potties and showers outside. We had ours inside in the stinkiest yuckiest bathroom ever. Squatty potties and showers right next to the potties.. I am so thankful though that it didn't smell AS bad the whole weekend as it did when we first got there.. they cleaned it up a lot. I think they were trying to be nice by giving the girls the inside stuff, so A for effort. Okay, i'm done complaining! For now.

On Friday, we were able to get most of the vegetables ready for the whole weekend. After we were done, Angela and I got to go out to one of the work sites and see what the other teams were doing! We rode on top of the car and every time we would go by kids, they would run at us waving and yelling. Sometimes they would just yell, other times they would say “cadeux!” (gift) I was told it was because they wanted a gift, but I choose to believe that it was because they thought we were a gift... ha. Or they would yell “toubab!” (white person) so we just yelled it back at them. We were totally a one car parade!

Once we got there, everybody was working so hard! I was so impressed because I was tired from just cutting up vegetables (probably more because I woke up so early), so I can only imagine how tired they were! God supplied the energy, that's for sure!

When we got back to our camp we started setting up for dinner and ate African style.. 6 people around a big bowl. Except our group just had 4 people.. more for us! Don't worry, we didn't finish ALL of it.

Then it was time to get ready for the evening campaign! We prayed in small groups for this village which we heard had a small number of believers. I can't imagine being in a community with so few believers. It would take a lot of strength and faith. But, I was able to catch a glimpse of the passion they had for the Lord, and it was amazing.

The sound crew left early to get everything set up and we followed them a couple hours later. When we got there, some of the members of the village were just finishing up a service of their own and were dancing and singing. It was so fun to see them worshiping God like that. Right before they dispersed, they prayed (from what I understood, which isn't much, they asked God to be present there and to “chase Satan” out of the village).

The drama team set up a stage for the puppets and sang songs and did some skits. Then, one of the pastors preached a short message in French, there was a translator who gave it in Sereer.. but not a translator for English, so I don't know what the message was ;) Then, we left and they showed the Jesus film.

I was so exhausted by the time we got back to camp, I didn't even care that I was sleeping on top of a rock. I slept soo good.

The next morning we woke up and the teams went to their sites after breakfast. We didn't have much work to do since we had done most of the chopping on Friday. But, we did have some things to prepare. Like some hot water for showers... one of the GREAT privileges of being on camp crew. I am so proud of everybody who took a cold shower.. but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I would rather smell like garlic and onions the whole weekend. I'm sure everyone was thankful that I did decide to wash that smell away though. :) After lunch, we got to go out to the work sites again, and it was so fun to see the changes that had happened in such a short amount of time!

After dinner we prayed for the next village we were traveling to for the evening campaign. The missionaries we were working with said that this village had been spiritually oppressed for many years and was very animistic. We got a little bit lost on our way out there... trying to decide whether to believe the African guide or the GPS... who knew GPSes even worked in the bush of Africa? It turned out the GPS was right, and after driving through one village who caused a traffic jam for us because they were so excited to see toubabs, we made it to our destination.

The drama team did the same thing as the previous night and the people were really into it. A group of little girls started singing along and at the end they said they had a song to share with us. They sang “Jesus is my friend” in french. It was soo precious, and so neat to see God's presence there, even in an area that was known to be so against Him. Apparently the sound crew had some trouble setting up that night, and was unsure if they would be able to get everything up and running, but God worked everything out, and the night was wonderful!

Sunday morning we got to go to an authentic African church service.. it was sooo neat. I didn't understand anything that was said.. except for the few times the Missionary pastor spoke and prayed.. but I could tell the people were worshiping from their hearts and God's presence was definitely there. I even got to see the inside of a real village hut! Very simple.. just a bed and a trunk and lots of bags of something.. I think food. But it was nice and cool in there.. no air conditioning needed!!

I said goodbye to the squatty potty.. so sad to leave it.. NOT. We got on the bus and started the LONG adventure home.. I think it took us about double the time to get home as it did to get there. First of all, the crazy man (dont worry, it WAS indeed the same man we had on Friday) was going SO fast on the washboard road. I looked over at Angela at one point and thought she was going to barf.. but later I found out she just thought she was going to die. The whole bus was shaking.. I thought it was just going to fall apart. The only good thing was that we got to the front of the caravan so there wasn't as much dust. Then, they pulled off the road and checked the tire. We thought it had to be flat.. but they kept driving on it so we hoped it wasn't!

Then we got on the paved road! Had a 15 minute rest stop and then kept driving. Pretty uneventful for the next couple hours.. dead horses on the side of the road, people throwing mandarins in the window (just a slight exaggeration).. you know the usual. and THEN we come upon construction. When they do construction here, they go all out. Just stop everybody. Don't let any cars through. So our bus driver decided he was too good for that. He pulled into the gas station, turned around (on a train track and BARELY made it before the train slammed into us.. just kidding!) and then got stopped by the police officer. Some very unkind french was exchanged, and the police took the driver's papers. At first, I thought the driver was paying him off, and that would have made the rest of the drive MUCH easier.. but no. We pulled off to the side of the road and waited while the driver and his two assistants ran back to the police man and chased him to his police car. Why does he need assistants, you ask? Well, to get out and push the bus when it doesn't start.. or to hold the brake when the driver needs to get out and do whatever, no emergency brakes on these puppies. (yes both of those things happened) Angela bought some nice $2 sunglasses at this point though, so that was one good thing that came of it. Our driver came back and wasn't satisfied. AND only one assistant came back.. where did the other one go??? We FOLLOWED him to the police station.. pretty sure that it should be illegal to stalk a police officer.

I don't know what happened in there, but our driver eventually came back.. without the OTHER assistant. He lost both of them in the process... how did that happen?

Anyway, I loved that weekend. And even though I came back exhausted, I am so glad I went! God was at work in those villages, no doubt about it.

A New Semester!

          oh my.. I can't believe school starts tomorrow!  I am so nervous because I am getting two new students, who I am so excited to meet.. but one of them speaks zero English.. only Portuguese.  I am so thankful, though, that I have other Portuguese speakers in the class who also speak English and can act as translators!  These kids are soo smart.  I saw some cute little children yesterday while I was downtown who were speaking French and I thought "wow, those kids are so smart.. they know French" but then I realized that it was just because they WERE French.. they are probably still smart though!
          I guess I really don't have anything exciting to say... I just thought it was a good idea to get on here and let you all know that I am back here and (not really) ready for school to start!

a post by your friend Lauren (or Laurel, or Gloria, or Laura... depending on who you are)

            I am so proud of my kids! And all the elementary kids!  They performed their Christmas Program for the Middle School/High School chapel today and they did so well!!  It was so fun to see them in their costumes!! They are way too cute!  Okay, enough of that!

            The fifth graders threw a surprise going-away party for their teacher today.  She was their 4^th grade teacher last year and agreed to stay another half year as the fifth grade teacher this year because the regular 5^th grade teacher was on furlough.  So he is coming back for next semester and she is going to Maine.  She is the most spunky 77 year old you will ever meet, and she has blessed me SO MUCH in my short time here.  Always telling me how thankful she is that I am here and how I am an answer to her prayers.. seriously she is so sweet!  Sometimes, she thinks my name is Laurel, but that’s okay.  For some reason, most people think I say something else when I first introduce myself.  Just last weekend at church, the lady sitting in front of me thought my name was Gloria.  One of the guards calls me Laura.

            Back to the topic at hand.. last week I found a note in my box that said she was ripping her prayer journals up in preparation to leave and she found a prayer that she wrote for a new 4^th grade teacher.  And then she said “so, you see, Lauren, you are an answer to prayer!”  It came at the perfect time too!

            One of the parents was welcoming everybody and Pat (the 5^th grade teacher) stands up and gives this whole speech about how she is so thankful I am here and how she knows I will be a teacher forever “with maybe a break in there to get married and have kids!”  She went on and on and I felt so guilty because it was HER party… but after a speech like that, how can I leave this school after a year?  If only it wasn’t so far from home!  That would make the decision a whole lot easier!

            I have all the presents for my kids wrapped which I am so excited about because when I give them the presents, it will be the last day of school which means I will get to board a plane soon! : )

eleven!

            I have had a rude awakening BOTH mornings this weekend… probably by the same mosquito team.  They like to wake me up by playing a very high pitched song in my ear.  Actually, they do it all throughout the night.  Even when I hide under my covers and seal myself in, they still find me! Is there a nest INSIDE my bed or what?  And if I turn the fan on to blow them away, I get too cold!  Ugh. But this morning, I had sweet revenge on one of them.  Then this afternoon I swatted one mid-air while I was doing dishes and it fell into a bowl that was soaking getting ready to be washed.   And the little bugger drowned… serves him (or her) right!

            I went to the other church (meaning not the one at DA) today, and they had their children’s program.  It was super cute and I am happy I got to see it since I will miss Oak Grove’s. : (  It was an okay substitute, but I must say Oak Grove has some pretty spectacular children programs!

            We went to an International Fair after church.  A lot of people from a lot of countries come to sell their stuff, and it was fun!  But I really just like shopping when there are set prices and I don’t have to bargain for a decent price.  Especially since I am white.. it never works out very well for me.  They want me to spend $40 on a shirt? No thank you.

            Anyway, I just got back from a student’s piano recital.  She was so cute!  On my way there, I saw my favorite guard right before the school and we had the usual conversation.  He says some French that I understand one or two words out of.  I either say yes or no, depending on what I THINK he said.  He laughs (I guess my interpretation is usually wrong). I laugh, and keep walking.  But this time, a taxi man stopped and said “taxi, madam?” and I said “no, merci”.  And the guard said “they loooooooooooove you!” 

            I’m not quite sure who “they” is… but sometimes “they” love me just a little too much.  Remember when I wrote about how if I talk to the people, they just end up bugging me more and talking more?  Well this story proves it…

            After the piano recital, I went to the fruit stand and on my way there a boy.. probably about 16ish said “bonjour” and I said “bonjour” and kept walking.  Then, he starts following me and saying “mama!” “mama!” ugh.  about 20 feet later, two other boys (a little bit younger than the other one) say bonjour, so I say it back, and then they start laughing at their friend.  At this point the older one says “Pomme! Pomme!” I think he wanted me to buy him an apple.  So I just said “I’m not your mama, go away.”  Because let’s face it, kid:
            1) I’m not old enough to be your mama.
            2) If I was your mama

                        a. you wouldn’t be harassing strangers.

                        b. You would be saying please, instead of just using one-word demands.

                        c. I would hope that you wouldn’t be as annoying.

            3) I would never buy an apple for somebody who is rude.

Is that outline clear enough for you, little buckaroo?

            Apparently not, because after I tried to tell him that I was indeed not his mother, he kept yelling at me.  I had just reached the fruit stand, but nobody was there, so I went across the street to the other one.  The old one followed me across the street, while his little friends stayed on the other side just laughing.  So I said hello to the fruit men, who ended up being angels in disguise.  Two of them chased those 3 bullies away, while the other one kindly got me some fruit.  And before I left, I think the one helping me asked which way I was going because he pointed one way then the other, so I told him which way I was going and he said good, because the bad guys were the other way.  Then he said something else in French.. and I went home. And now here I am.  I’m pretty sure, those boys would have followed me home if the fruit men hadn’t chased them off!  So, I am very thankful for God’s protection, and those gentlemanly fruit men.  

            Just eleven more days until home! Almost to the single digits!

TWELVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            I have been writing little sticky notes of things I want to make sure I blog about.. let’s see how much my 90-year old memory can remember.

            People are always putting things in the office that they want to sell.  On Monday, I went in during recess time and there was a little Christmas tree for five bucks!  I couldn’t pass that opportunity up, especially since I was so sad that all the trees at the store I went to were way expensive.. like $100.  I just couldn’t bring myself to spend that much on a FAKE tree.  If it was a really pretty real tree, maybe I would do it.. seeing as how they don’t even exist here, I think $100 would be a reasonable price. Especially cause then you get the smell.. I just love real trees. Okay, so I bought it and took it home to decorate it!  Tried to make the lights look all pretty on it, but ended up just throwing them on there because I got too frustrated.  Later in the week I borrowed some more decorations, so my tree is very eclectic, and some might even say clashy.. but I like it still!  Even if it would never make it onto pinterest, it makes me so happy!!

            Then, we had our Christmas staff dinner.  It was at a really nice restaurant and when we got there we had little goodie bags full of yummy Christmas cookies sitting on our table.  The tables all had really cute centerpieces with some fake snow sprinkled around.  It was also one of the first days of the true COLD season, so it was really starting to feel like Christmas!  Seriously, I never thought I would say this while living in AFRICA.. but brr!!  I truly regret my decision not to pack warm clothes because I was thinking “the low is 70.. that will feel good!” but I have been freezing at night!!! I don’t know what is wrong with me.. it’s so weird! 

            Okay, so back to the dinner.. I had a really yummy salad with goat cheese and some lamb… hopefully it wasn’t lambchop! : )  I still haven’t decided if I liked it or not.  It was very interesting.  I think the highlight of the dinner, though was the fishies in the aquarium.  They had poop hanging out of them that was seriously twice as long as their bodies.. I wish I had my camera with me!! : (  It was seriously so funny and so amazing!! One of them got stuck on a rock with all his poop, and finally the poop broke off.  I wonder what they are feeding those poor fish!

            Also this week, I got to try some authentic food that they eat in the bush!  I forget what it is called, because I couldn’t say it anyway.. it was beef and the root that they make tapioca out of (a big hunk of it) covered in green slimy spicy sauce (kind of what I would imagine gruel to be), I think they said it was made out of okra leaves.  I kind of liked it in a very weird way.. but definitely would not choose to eat it every night!

            Friday morning I was packing everything up to get ready to go to school, and as I was putting my laptop away, I noticed there was a knot in my charger cord.  So, I undid the knot, thinking that would be helpful and a good thing to do.  But then I heard a sizzly noise and the light on my computer that tells me it is charging went off.. and it smelled like electric fire or whatever.  But, thankfully we have a super awesome technology man here that had a universal laptop charger that I can borrow until I go home and get a new charger (or a new laptop, Mom and Dad???? ;) )  I am thankful for people who know about technology.. because I sure do not!

            I just got back from downtown.. I pretended like I was in New York for a little while.  Sometimes I pretend like im in France too, since everybody speaks French.  It works for a little while, but then reality sets in that I’m actually in Africa.. which I have to admit, is still pretty cool! : )

            We went shopping and I got some pretty good stuff!   Most of it is a secret as of right now though! : )  It’s that time of year!  I will say that I got my kids some pretty cool gifts though!! Spended more than I would have liked, but I just couldn’t pass up the bubble wands and popper thingies (the ones that you throw on the ground and they pop.. SO COOL!)  I also got a pretty sweet headband with those bobby-things on it which are Santas.  Oohh yes.

            When we were sitting in the taxi waiting for traffic to move, one of the people walking around selling things came up to the window (it was rolled down because it was warm again today) and said “How is you Canada? Are you feeling good?” that is the second time somebody here has thought I was from Canada! Why is that, I wonder?  How do you tell the difference between a Canadian and an American?   I just ignored him because once you acknowledge them, they just keep talking to you.  So then he said “what? You don’t talk to the people here?”  Thanks for making me feel like a jerk, dude.  After we started going again, I realized I should have looked at him and pointed to my ears to pretend like I was deaf.. I still need to try that trick!!

            Twelve days til I hop on a plane!!!!!!!!!!!! Yahooooooooooooo! 

A Christmas Music Candlelit Dinner For One

Is what I am enjoying right now! Thanks to a delightful package received on Monday.  And the candle smells like cinnamon frosting! Yummy!! Maybe I should burn it instead of eating desert.. but, since the power is out right now, I should eat my ice cream for dessert or else it will melt :) The only thing that would make this better is if I could plug my Christmas lights in.  I have been looking forward to it getting dark lately just so I can look at my lonely string of lights : )

            Also in the package was every unperishable (Word says it is imperishable??) pumpkin item possible and some reeses!! And a birthday card. A wonderful package if I do say so myself! 

            About the power.. it has been going out a lot more recently, which I am actually thankful for because I would rather have it be going out now rather than a month ago when it was too hot to bear without a fan.  It was actually super nice today, I didn’t even use the AC in my classroom.  At first because the power was out, but then because it felt just fine with only the ceiling fans and windows open!

            Today in Math we were doing bar graphs, and one of the problems had the year 2000 in it.  One of the girls said “I wasn’t even ALIVE in 2000.”  Wow.. that made me feel OLD.

            And also today, another girl gave me a very inspirational drawing with some kind words written on it. Something like “be yourself no matter what anybody tells you” and something else really cute too! I will have to look at it tomorrow and quote it exactly for you :)

            So, this was a very hodge-podgey sort of blog, but I guess a lot of them have been that way recently!