Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Harvest
This year we have seen one of the greatest harvests in many many years. God has blessed the region with abundance. The harvest is brought in by mostly women and children. They cut the rice out of the ground with a knife and bundle it. Then it is carried home and stored. Many people in our region do not eat their rice everyday but mix it with store bought rice. I find this curious and am still investigating the reason why they do not live off of their bounty. Never the less, this year there is lot's and lot's of rice. Thanks God!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Christmas Cookies
After lunch we began the decorating. I was surprised at how everyone wanted to decorate cookies, even the new guy who I don't know. Ha ha. I love Wednesdays. The really special part was taking a picture of your cookie after you decorated it.
Christmas Cookies
My mother sent me two boxes full of individually wrapped presents. Each day or so I have been opening a present. The other day I opened a bag full of cookie cutters. Imagine my surprise! I was going to put these to good use. So I went in search of recipes, icing sugar, decorations for the cookies and food coloring. The food coloring and colored sugar came from the village of Niamone. Lisa, another American missionary, donated to the cause of village cookie making, plus my MOM!, and Ziguinchor super markets had a little bit to offer in terms of sprinkles. The rest was Oussouye talent at decorating the cookies. In the posts before and after this you will view the remarkable artistic talent to decorate Christmas Cookies. This was so unbelievable fun! Thanks to everyone that made it possible.
In the morning Marietou and I cut out and cooked all the cookies.
PS the photos were taken by everyone in the house. The camera was covered with icing at the end of the day!
Oh my Wednedays! Best Day of the week!
Each Wednesday I open the house up for students to come and have some fun! My house is a bit of a refuge. Jola's are known for their hard work. If the children are at home, normally they are doing work for the family. My place becomes the one afternoon they get to play. Watch movies, color with crayons, play on the internet, and eat in abundance. Each evening ends with our Bible Study. Some stay and others go, but they have experienced the love in this out and that is my aim.
New Roomy
A few days ago Jerome called me at about 9 p.m. and said a visitor was in town. Mary, she stays with Jerome and Marie Claire when she visits to plant and harvest her rice. Jerome opens his home for many students to stay there who's villages are too far to walk to school. So he needed a place for Paulette. Could she come and stay with me? "When" I asked. "Well she is on route to your house now." I guess that's yes then. Which is great because it means I am family and understand life in Oussouye. It's my pleasure actually because they open their homes to me each day when a spoon is handed to me and they say "eat." I normally respond "with pleasure." So Paulette is with me now for a bit. When I asked for how long, Jerome responded, "for awhile." When I asked Mary how long she would be in Oussouye, she said "mid January." No problem. It's great to have someone at the house everyday to chat with. I am realizing more and more that I need people around me.
So this morning she comes home after an hour of school. I said what happened. "strike again." She wasn't sure what to do so I showed her how to loaf on the couch. I demonstrated putting your feet up and laying down comfortable on the couch. She took to it quite nicely and I continued my work.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Homecoming
Yesterday when I arrived home all was safe and sound. I am busy unpacking and organizing when I see this huge lizard run by the front gate. I run out back to where the students live and shout, "hey everyone there is a giant lizard in my yard." They were all laughing. I thought it was dangerous like the big snakes. But the gardener guy came over with the machete. We heard him moving through the grass and Malang starts looking for him. Then the neighbors kids heard we were looking for a moniter lizard and seven of them hop the wall and start the chase. This was entirely amusing. All these kids some on top of the wall, some throwing rocks and sticks at the lizard to die. The lizard finally gave up chase.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Snakes around
Whenever we cut the grass the snakes appear! Yuck. Last night the dog started barking wildly as he does in such a way I know there is something wrong. I opened my door a crack to see the snake sitting near my door all curled up. I shout for Erin, "bring me the machete, there's a snake near my door." She comes out machete in hand and I come out with my broom, batting the snake a couple of times. The snake only curled around himself more. I go for the machete. Wack wack wack. He's still moving a bit, the head rears, wack, wack, wack. And it's all over for this snake. Bits and pieces are strewn through the shells near the porch. No tricks for me, the snake will never rise again.
Crabs at the market
The other day Erin came home with a bag full of sea crabs from the market. She had been wanting to buy some and finally there they were in a bucket at the market. 50cfa for three. Now that's about .10 cents for three crabs. What a deal. First we had fun feeding one to the dog and watching him tear off the legs one by one and then carry it off into the bushes for the rest of the kill. We then boiled up four of them for a trial run with Ishmael, Paul, Erin and I. This was great because we didn't actually know how to eat them. Ish showed us the parts that weren't good, according to him most parts were good to eat, including the heart and lung type parts. You can also drink the crabby water inside of you want. I opted out on that. We showed them the art of dipping crab parts in melted butter which was new to them and they thoroughly enjoyed our style. Later in the evening Erin and chowed on the rest of the troupe of crabs. Using hammers and knives to get to the good stuff, covered with table clothes and butter crab parts are still being found around our kitchen.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light" -- John Keith Falconer
Testimonies
In the village of Niablang and old man and his wife made a decision to receive Christ into their lives. It is not often that the Gospel is preached to the elderly and if someone does tell them about Jesus they reply, I am too old to change. This couple was very happy to receive Christ.Ishmael told us after the teams visit that he wants to be a missionary and go to places in the world that no one else wants to go.
Erin's friend Guingonse was healed of a long illness that was keeping her in pain most of the time and she was unable to go to work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)