Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Goat-a-licious...
9/7/05
We get to butcher our first goat today! As part of gaining a deeper, more realistic perspective into the local way of life, my team and I will spend the entire day purchasing, butchering, preparing, and cooking a goat…….something I have never really done before. I’m a wee bit queesey when it comes to this kind of stuff, so we’ll see how I handle it. I will probably refrain from putting the pictures of the “process” on this site but you can always check out more over on the following link:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bakermania
Coming into this, I’m a bit nervous and curious all at the same time. We’ll see how I stomach the whole thing! Looking forward to having many stories to tell after this!!!
We get to butcher our first goat today! As part of gaining a deeper, more realistic perspective into the local way of life, my team and I will spend the entire day purchasing, butchering, preparing, and cooking a goat…….something I have never really done before. I’m a wee bit queesey when it comes to this kind of stuff, so we’ll see how I handle it. I will probably refrain from putting the pictures of the “process” on this site but you can always check out more over on the following link:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bakermania
Coming into this, I’m a bit nervous and curious all at the same time. We’ll see how I stomach the whole thing! Looking forward to having many stories to tell after this!!!
Sunday, September 04, 2005
First sighted Boabob Tree!!
Pronounced as "bow - bob" (as in "bow down") this local tree is absolutely huge at the base and grows to be hundreds of years old! They're really cool looking too.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
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.......
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.......
Alive and Well!!
9/2/05
Africa at long last!! At times it really doesn’t seem real. Of course there are other times, (like on Tuesday, when I shocked myself while touching an ungrounded plug adapter) that I am VERY aware that I’m in a third world environment.
So far, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the big city of Ougadougou (Population 1.8 million), eat some rather strange food (cous cous a.k.a. mini pasta), and attempt to communicate with dozens of friendly people here in my broken French. The weather is quite different than I ever imagined, being the rainy season, it is VERY humid and the inside temp. (as in my house) hangs at a rather sticky 80 degrees. The outskirts of the city (where I will be staying for most of my training) is actually much cleaner than I expected as well. Being a VERY poor county, I never thought they would have an organized garbage system; but sure enough, if you can afford it, a little donkey cart comes by every so often and picks up your trash……..where it’s dumped, I have yet to discover; but I have a feeling it’s not far off.
The people here are more helpful and friendly than one would ever imagine. Even though it seems like every other person here speaks a different language there are many who speak French and about 1/100 speak a good broken English! So far, I’ve heard French, Fulfulde, Moray, and some other unknown dialects! I can’t wait to be able to tackle French and move onto the next available language!
Many more stories to tell!
Africa at long last!! At times it really doesn’t seem real. Of course there are other times, (like on Tuesday, when I shocked myself while touching an ungrounded plug adapter) that I am VERY aware that I’m in a third world environment.
So far, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the big city of Ougadougou (Population 1.8 million), eat some rather strange food (cous cous a.k.a. mini pasta), and attempt to communicate with dozens of friendly people here in my broken French. The weather is quite different than I ever imagined, being the rainy season, it is VERY humid and the inside temp. (as in my house) hangs at a rather sticky 80 degrees. The outskirts of the city (where I will be staying for most of my training) is actually much cleaner than I expected as well. Being a VERY poor county, I never thought they would have an organized garbage system; but sure enough, if you can afford it, a little donkey cart comes by every so often and picks up your trash……..where it’s dumped, I have yet to discover; but I have a feeling it’s not far off.
The people here are more helpful and friendly than one would ever imagine. Even though it seems like every other person here speaks a different language there are many who speak French and about 1/100 speak a good broken English! So far, I’ve heard French, Fulfulde, Moray, and some other unknown dialects! I can’t wait to be able to tackle French and move onto the next available language!
Many more stories to tell!
One SWEET flight!
8/29/05
As we flew over the Sahara Desert, more than a few thoughts passed through my mind. I was consumed with the soon to be consistant euphoric sense of process - a kind of unbelief to a certain degree that I was actually here - doing something I've always dreamed of doing, chasing that one dream that seemed so impossible to follow, and yet when I looked around me on the plane, I discovered something rather strange, I was pursueing this passion inside me with about 200 other poeple saved and unsaved alike. Some of these people obviously returning home while others simply striking adventure in potentially dull life and yet more having no real deep reason aside from seeing a few sights (though I've been told there's not much to see where I'm headed).
Getting back to the beauty on hand, the landscape below seemed to spring outwards like deep starving roots of a cliff hung tree, almost as though reaching for something that was not there. The horizon struck me as vividly familiar. I can't explain the feeling other than - it didn't seem new - just beautiful in its own way. As I continued to gaze across the Sahara sands, within what looked like Algeria or Libya, my mind only began to search out the vastness of this ocean of sand that is so vaguely described within the Scriptures. At an elevation of more than 34,000 feet, I could still only see for maybe 100 miles or so. The sand on the horizon taking up the latter part of anyone's view yet adding a unique sense of mystery to this odd place. I couldn't wait to land and discover sooo much more......
As we flew over the Sahara Desert, more than a few thoughts passed through my mind. I was consumed with the soon to be consistant euphoric sense of process - a kind of unbelief to a certain degree that I was actually here - doing something I've always dreamed of doing, chasing that one dream that seemed so impossible to follow, and yet when I looked around me on the plane, I discovered something rather strange, I was pursueing this passion inside me with about 200 other poeple saved and unsaved alike. Some of these people obviously returning home while others simply striking adventure in potentially dull life and yet more having no real deep reason aside from seeing a few sights (though I've been told there's not much to see where I'm headed).
Getting back to the beauty on hand, the landscape below seemed to spring outwards like deep starving roots of a cliff hung tree, almost as though reaching for something that was not there. The horizon struck me as vividly familiar. I can't explain the feeling other than - it didn't seem new - just beautiful in its own way. As I continued to gaze across the Sahara sands, within what looked like Algeria or Libya, my mind only began to search out the vastness of this ocean of sand that is so vaguely described within the Scriptures. At an elevation of more than 34,000 feet, I could still only see for maybe 100 miles or so. The sand on the horizon taking up the latter part of anyone's view yet adding a unique sense of mystery to this odd place. I couldn't wait to land and discover sooo much more......
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
What would it take.....
I've asked myself many times before, "what would it take.....?" to change a life? to alter ones course? to influence one's perspective in such a way that the decisions one made were changed forever? "what would it take......?" to get someone so determined to do his own thing in life, so bent on success and personal achievement, so concerned with appearance and material gain - to drop everything hoped for, dreamt for, wished for, and yearned for and go to a place that no one ever knew existed......? "What would it take.............?"
It would take a miracle or more, and maybe....... just maybe the very finger of God to reach down from heaven and carve a simple path called..... His will.
So the next time you're argueing with yourself, a close friend, or maybe even God; and you catch the question....."what would it take......?" think twice before answering and realize - you're not alone..............
It would take a miracle or more, and maybe....... just maybe the very finger of God to reach down from heaven and carve a simple path called..... His will.
So the next time you're argueing with yourself, a close friend, or maybe even God; and you catch the question....."what would it take......?" think twice before answering and realize - you're not alone..............
Friday, August 05, 2005
Winding Down
As the days dwindle, I ponder many a thoughts as to my true heart motives of traveling and working in West Africa. At times I wish I were already there - while at others, the "what if's" consume my mind. "What if this doesn't work out?" "What if my body can't take the enviroment?" "What if the language is too much for me?" "What if....what if.....what if........?"
I know that this is what I'm called to do. I'm secure in myself and who God created me to be - but it's a whole different world over there; one I've never experienced before; one I know next to nothing about; one that keeps tugging on my heart - and though at times I'm hesitant to go - I know I won't return the same person I am today.
I know that this is what I'm called to do. I'm secure in myself and who God created me to be - but it's a whole different world over there; one I've never experienced before; one I know next to nothing about; one that keeps tugging on my heart - and though at times I'm hesitant to go - I know I won't return the same person I am today.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
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