The BIG city......

9/3/05
Swarmed by eager, young street venders with the constant calling of “masada” (slang for white person) and “la blanc,” (French for white) we venture through depth Ougadougou. Overwhelmed at times by the open sewers, intense exhaust fumes, and cooking critters, my team and I attempted to complete our task of collecting all the items on the list for our orientation scavenger hunt. Armed with a few words in broken French, a small pocket dictionary, and absolutely NO clue of the layout of the city that was home to some 1.8 million people, Kristin, Kate and I managed to survive our first day making it to the American and British embassy after two hours of walking in the scorching hot sun and mud coated sidewalks. Two items down and only 23 more to go………
Day four came early today. I’m discovering the true value of learning a second language and have experienced all sorts of crazy fun food here (silverware is totally a “Western” thing). All is going well and each day brings a new challenge, allowing me to anticipate each corner with a new word/phrase learned in French and a greater love for God’s diverse and creative hand!
Much more to come.......