Visiting my favorite animals

The experiences I had today were borderline magical.

I saw a herd of orphaned baby elephants. They were TOO CUTE. I was able to pet them. All that separated me from them was a little rope tied to a post:

It feels a little silly to take a picture in front of things (TOURIST ALERT!), but it's proof that I was there! haha

 They also had an orphaned black rhino at the elephant park:

Here is a baby black rhino. Awww

Then, we went to a GIRAFFE centre.

 I really really really love those beautiful animals. I could have spent hours just watching them. They liked to give kisses.
Quite literally.
The guide told me, "Go on and give it a kiss!"
I waffled, I wasn't sure if I should, but I knew that when I looked back, I would regret not giving the giraffe a kiss. So... I did!

This guy started to amble up to us

Dat tongue! Woah

This is my, "I'm-so-super-excited-to-be-touching-a-giraffe" face

Today was one of the best days EVER.
I love Africa.

Blurry Memory

The past few weeks have been a blur!
I'm not quite sure what all has happened.
No really.

I was so tired at night, I didn't even feel like journaling.
Shame, I know. When I came out here, I resolved to write every day.
Life just gets so busy!

But from what my foggy memory remembers, I have been down at the Rainbow Centre meeting foster moms.
I'm working on a new website for the Centre, and I'm getting pictures of all the babies.

These women who care for the abandoned babies are incredible. Many of them are widows. They live with no electricity, no running water, dirt floors...
And yet they have this great love and desire to help care for the babies!

One Mama told me, "with great love, anything can fit". She lives in a two room house with 8 children of her own and 7 foster kids. I can't even imagine!

A Burundian Wedding Part 3: The Reception

Apologies, I haven't had time to proofread this (or the post before), but I figured I should go ahead and finish up writing about the wedding.

Following our time acting as paparazzi to the bride and groom, we drove to the edge of the city. 
I mean, all the way out. As soon as we got to the edge, we just turned around.

I didn't quite understand it, but my Burundian friend told me that it was so we could all welcome the new couple to the city.
Well, I hope they considered themselves welcomed as our cars trailed behind theirs.

We then drove a kilometer or so, parked our cars and got out for the last time.
We had arrived at the reception hall.
It was walled and gated (of course, everything here is gated if you have anything of value)

In America, I'm used to receptions being where everyone congratulates the bride and groom, eats a bit of cake, and socializes.

This was different.
It was a large covered area, filled with rows of blue and white plastic lawn chairs. There was space for maybe 350 people inside.
The room was a large rectangle, and the walls were decorated with orange and blue fabric.  In the center of the room were two long couches facing one another. Up on a stage, on the far wall, sat a love seat flanked by two easy chairs.
The couple ascended the stage, as did what I thought to be the matron of honor and the best man.
…I found out that these people were their advocates.
I asked my friend if they were the friends of the bride and groom. She said, "No, they don't have to be friends. They just help plan the wedding and sign the document. They are experienced people who agree to help out."
Interesting.

On the two long couches facing one another sat the immediate families of the bride and groom.

Once everyone had settled into the chairs (I was shuffled around a bit, because I was told I needed a better seat to see) the ceremony began.
The groom's father stood up and spoke for a few minutes.
Then the bride's father did the same.
I could not understand all that was said, but the emotion behind the words was clear.They loved their children and wanted them to be happy.

After the parents had sat, prerecorded music began.
It was a bad quality recording, and if I were the DJ, I would have tried to skip the song. Nope, four dancers came out wearing orange and white satin dresses, with orange bows around their necks.
They danced to the loud scratchy music. Their dance was reminiscent of hula, with arm movements and swaying.

Finally, the song was over.

The bride and groom's fathers spoke again for a few moments. They re-welcomed everyone, and made a few comments about the arranging of the marriage. They told us they would speak no more until we had all been refreshed.

First the waiters came out and presented themselves to all of the family. They shook hands with the bride, groom, the advocates, and the immediate family.

A tray was brought out carrying four goblets of orange fanta and was presented to the people on the stage.
Then everyone else was served a bottle of coke or fanta.
My friend said: "Fanta and coke only at city weddings. Food is too expensive to buy for everyone. In the country, they have a feast."

After everyone had received their bottles, the bride and groom performed a fanta-version of the cake cutting ceremony. They gave each other drinks from their goblets.
Everyone cheered.
There was no tomfoolery, as there sometimes is in the states with the smearing of the cake. It was very professional.

Music began again, and thankfully this time the sound quality was better. The four dancers emerged wearing different outfits and bells around their ankles. They also had circles of straw tied to the backs of their heads.

They went up to the stage and danced with the bride and groom. Everyone laughed at the "boldness" of the dancers.

More speeches were made, and by this time, it was getting dark, and I knew that I should be heading home. I had been with this wedding party since 2, and it was already past 6. I nudged my friend and asked if it would be possible to leave discreetly.

Okay, maybe my departure would not be so discreet, as I was the only white person in the vicinity.

Earlier, when we were out snapping pictures, I talked to a few of the other attendees, and comments were made like, "oh! Hahaha, you are so very black!" All in good fun, of course, and I didn't think about my skin color until I passed a reflective surface and realized my pigmentation was much less.

So, I nudged my friend and whispered that I needed to get back home before it got any darker.

She asked if I had my wedding gift. She said we couldn't leave until it had been presented, and that it would be better to wait until the parents of the newlyweds had presented their gifts.
I asked her how much longer that would be.
Mosquitoes were beginning to swarm, and I didn't feel good about trying to walk anywhere in the dark.
She shrugged, "Maybe a few more hours? I dunno. They might have more dancers and cake and speeches. But if you want, we can present ourselves and our gifts."

Our gifts.…

Oops. This wedding attendance was all a spur-of-the-moment thing. The night before I had been asked if I would come, and I agreed. I was so busy that bringing a gift just hadn't come to mind.
My friend told me not to worry, she would get envelopes and I could put some money in.
I didn't have much money with me, but she assured me that any amount would be okay.
What an embarrassing moment, to realize that you've committed a social faux pas. After a few minutes, she returned with envelopes.

"Ready?", my friend asked.
"What are we doing? Are we going up on that stage?"
"Yep"
So, as gracefully as I could, I stepped up onto the stage, shook the bride and groom's hands, and handed them my envelope.
My friend did the same, and we exited the reception area. We were able to get a ride to the mission from one of the wedding attendees.

I learned that the couple, towards the end of the ceremony, hands out envelopes to all of the guests, to remind them to contribute to the wedding costs. While this would be tactless in the states, I guess it is practical. Weddings are very expensive. 

I was blessed to get to see this wedding. I learned so much from plunging into the culture.

A Burundian Wedding Part 2: The Caravan of Cars

There were a great many people attending the wedding, and therefore, there were a great many vehicles that made up our caravan.

The wedding car

My van ride was quite different from my microbus ride earlier in the day. I had SPACE!
The passengers in the back sang some really awesome traditional songs. I took some videos of it, so maybe soon you'll hear what I heard.

At the start of the caravan, there was a blue pickup truck with a group of guys in the back: the videographer and his crew.
The videographer stood in the truckbed, swaying with the truck's movements and recording everything.

Behind the truck was the car of the bride and groom, and the rest of us followed behind. Our van was the "block traffic so the party stays together" van.
The driver would swing way out, turning our van into a barricade against the traffic. That took some guts, and I prayed that no one would ram into the sides of the van for lack of paying attention to the fact that there was a van hogging the whole road.

It was so out-of-the-ordinary, I had to laugh.

I soon found out that our procession was on a mission to capture photographs of the bride and groom in three different locations.

Our first stop was the "tree of love". The tree of love is where every couple goes to have wedding photos taken. Sadly, the tree is now in the middle of a roundabout, and people don't take their pictures in front of the tree. The tree is HUGE and so beautiful. I can see why it is a special tree. But instead of going beneath the protective and shady boughs, couples take their picture across the street from the tree.

At a Nissan dealership.


Yes, indeed, it is now Burundian tradition to for newlyweds to take their picture in front of a NISSAN DEALERSHIP.
I'm sure Nissan counts their lucky stars for all of the free publicity.




We spent a good 45 minutes there at the dealership. There were two other wedding parties there taking pictures as well. What a scene! All of the people milling about in front of the dealership, which faced a busy roundabout that contained the beautiful tree of love. There was space enough to take a picture in front of the tree of love, for it was a massive roundabout. I questioned my Burundian friend, and asked her why they always took pictures in front of the car place. She shrugged. I told her that she should follow proper tradition and actually take her picture in a pretty place when she was married. She just laughed.

It was, in a way, humorous to see this sight because of how I am used to American weddings. When I imagine newlyweds getting pictures taken, I think of a photographer and the wedding party only. Instead, there was a group of around 200 people that flocked around the couple, snapping pictures and shouting encouragements.

Another thing that struck me was the fact that THE BRIDE DID NOT SMILE. I asked some friends afterwards why this was. They said that it was because the bride was supposed to be sad.
A bride, sad at her own wedding??

She was supposed to be sad because she was leaving her family.
That and the fact that pictures are serious business. Smiling is silly.

After everyone was satisfied with their pictures, we hopped back into the caravan, my van blocking traffic and zooming around. We reached destination #2, the Lake. A group of boys were swimming, and people strolled about. Our party repeated the same process that we went through at the Nissan dealership.

The lake was beautiful, and a cool breeze came up off of the lake. It was quite picturesque.

After the lake, we went to the pubic park. By this time, some of our group were getting tired, and decided to stay in the vans.

What an interesting tradition: to go about the wedding photography with an entourage.

After all of the picture-taking, we went through another tradition. I am running out of time to type, so I'll post it soon!

A Burundian Wedding Part 1: the ceremony

Well, after eating a yummy lunch, I found out that it was time for the wedding! Weddings here don't begin until the bride and groom arrive…and sometimes people have been known to be late to their own weddings. This bride and groom appeared to be punctual people.

So, I put on my African dress and headed down to the Mission Chapel. The music was loud, so loud that I could make it out clearly from the other side of the compound. Naomi, Alphonse, and I found seats near the back and settled in to observe the ceremony.
The church was decorated with ribbons. Outside of the door sat a black car covered with bows and ribbons
Over the doorway, there were arches made out of banana leaves. The aisle was sprinkled with purple flowers. The church was crowded, and everyone was dressed in their finer clothes and nice shoes.
A note about shoes:
Shoes are a status symbol here. They make or break an outfit.

I guess it doesn't matter the continent, shoe fetishes abound.
My Burundian friend was telling me that muzungus (white people) just wore comfortable shoes and that pretty shoes didn't matter so much to them.
hahaha
I think this misconception stems from a simplicity in packing. When an American packs for Africa, they don't usually think about bringing cute wedges. In face of the poverty one encounters here, it seems downright vain to pack pumps. But it has given the idea that white people wear only tennis shoes or flip-flops all of the time (I say this, because that is what I brought). But I know a few people who are convinced that Americans don't care about shoes. 

Back to the play-by-play:
At the front of the church sat the bride and groom side by side. The bride had her veil covering her face. The couple was flanked by family members.
A few groups of ladies got up and sang wedding songs. Then a man spoke for 40 minutes or so about the finality of marriage. He stressed that divorce was not an option and neither were multiple spouses.
Another lively song was sung.

The couple signed their marriage document, and everyone whooped and cheered.
The vows were made.

Then came that moment that everyone awes over:

...the hug.

The veil was lifted and the couple embraced for a moment.

No kissing.

I have learned that here, PDA is frowned upon. It's taboo. You may see two men holding hands or walking with their arms around one another (this took me time to get used to) or two women doing the same. It is more rare to see a romantic couple doing this. Interesting to know. Even at weddings, no serious PDA.

After the couple embraced, more songs were sung. Then the bride and groom exited the church, and everyone lined the walkway to cheer the new couple on.

I was informed that there were vans and buses to take the wedding attendants to a few different places. Where these places would be and what  adventures they'd hold was a mystery to me. So Alphonse I jumped into a van, and off we went, a caravan of cars snaking through Bujumbura.

Where we went and what we did, I shall leave for the next post.

Bouncing in a Burundian Bus Ride

Saturday was such a fun, fantastic day. In the morning, I went to market again. It's just a fun thing to observe, all of that humanity doing business. I watched my friends haggle to buy some household goods.
Saturdays are busy market days. Each time I've been to the market, I've gone with a different person, so each experience has been quite unique.

ALSO, I rode on a bus to get there. Not one like you'd ride on in the states, but a veritable human sardine can.
One like this:

The girls I was going to market with met up with me, and we waited for a bus.
And then we waited some more.

I had walked out to meet my friends earlier (before I found out that it was going to take some more time for my friends to arrive)

The first time I walked out, I had seen two ladies sitting on the street corner waiting for a bus. I went back to the house. 15 minutes later when I emerged from the house with my friends, the bus-waiting ladies were still there.
Not a good sign.
So we walked down the street, hoping for a bus that wasn't already full.

Finally, one stopped for us. I think the bus driver's motto is: there's always room for one more!

What a trip.
These buses are more like mini-vans. I counted, and there was supposedly room for 13 passengers and a driver.
I don't quite know for what size people these seats were made (anorexic midgets?), but with the usual four to a row, one was squashed, shoulders overlapping.

Imagine trying to squeeze in 5 to a row!
But we did it. We survived. I was halfway out the window, on the edge of my seat, but I survived.

I enjoyed my return trip on the bus. Once you get used to the lack of personal space, it's not so bad. I asked my Burundian friend if she thought it would be okay for me to take some pictures. She assented, so here is proof that I rode a bus:

Here is the row in front of me with cheerful Naomi:

Also, here are the pictures of the market! The internet is favorable today. ...though, you know, I had to be discreet about taking these pictures, so they aren't as fabulous as they could be.

After my market trip, I went to a wedding.
Oh, how I love weddings.
I love how all sorts of people come together to celebrate unity. I delight in the joy, the excitement in the air, the use of beautiful things. I love to think of the spiritual allegory that comes from weddings.

Since I'm still processing all that happened during the four hours I was at this wedding, I'll write several posts and make this a serial of sorts. I like suspense, don't you?

And so it shall begin.

Flying time

Time is beginning to FLY here.

I'm settling into a routine, and it's a little bit scary how quickly the days are going. I feel more at ease here and not so much like I am a foreigner…now when I get gaping looks and cries of "muzungu!", all those feelings shift a bit.

Though I haven't been getting that experience nearly as often…maybe I don't look like I am so "fresh off the boat" anymore…or maybe I don't notice it as much these days.

I think I will blink, and it will already be the beginning of July.

Thursday (the 17th) was a national holiday. Everything was closed. It's amazing how many national holidays there are here in Burundi. I love that the people stop what they're doing for holidays. No school, no work, no shops open: just family time.

The kids were out of school, and we had a great many American visitors over for lunch. So fun! I do like to meet new people and hear their stories. Everyone seems to have an interesting reason for why they're in Burundi. 

Annd there are some exciting things to share!

The first one is in the brainstorming stages, but it will become (hopefully! Crossed fingers!!) a reality very soon.

We are tentatively planning on opening a Cyber Rainbow Cafe at the Rainbow Centre to generate more revenue for the Twizere (let's have hope together) project. The Twizere project is what supplies milk and porridge to mothers in need as well as supporting the community in many various ways.

Planning this cafe out is a joy. (I've secretly had a long-term dream of setting up a cafe…and now, at 19, I'm getting to assist with the startup of one! It didn't take long for that dream to be realized, haha!)
The Rainbow Centre already has a wonderful cook, Nathan, and a lovely place for a tea garden. They even have everything set up to get satellite internet, they just have to pay for it to be started up!
So much potential it makes me giddy.

I am inspired and praying that God will bless all of this. I would love it if you would please pray with us!

My technical skills are limited, but it is my hope that what meager offering I have can be used. Already, I am seen as a semi-IT person, by token of knowing 'just enough to be dangerous' about computers.

Hahaha, if my Computer Science friends were here watching me fix computers, I'm sure they'd laugh. But I do enjoy working with computers and problem-solving. Each time I fix or fiddle with something, I learn a new skill. Playing with my blogs has been a good learning opportunity, too.

In light of that, I'm working on a new blog site for the Rainbow Centre, so that the ladies here can more easily update everyone on what's new.  I am pray pray praying that my blog design will be just right.

…sadly, when I tried to access blogger the last time I had "fast" internet, blogger was pretty much frozen. Nothing would save, and it was ridiculous to try to post.
It was a disheartening roadblock, but I'm learning perseverance and patience. The problem with computers is that so much of what I need to have/do is ONLINE and dependable internet is hard to come by.

I get to write about all of the Rainbow Centre kids (the abandoned babies and children now in foster care), the Rainbow Centre clinic, the guesthouse, and the soon-to-come Cafe… all complete with pictures! I'll be going around next week to meet the RC kids and spend some time listening to their stories. 

If all goes well at the Rainbow Centre Board meeting on Monday, the ball will be REALLY rolling!

I am very excited for this project and all of the things I am getting to assist with: picture-taking, writing, designing, planning, organizing, working with kids!

The things that I am getting to help out with are things that I really find joy in doing.

How cool that God is letting me help!

Behind the curtains

Last week, I spent a day at the Discovery School, working with reading groups and organizing supplies.
On Tuesday, I stayed at the house with Melli. We decided to overhaul the office.

Oh dear me, it was a project. I thought that it wouldn't take too long, but it's proving to be a foe.
I have learned that I am really good at starting projects…but not so great at the follow up work.
I can plunge in: banners flying and sword drawn. After a while though, my focus is G.O.N.E.

It has been a great week though, and I will be excited when all of the papers are filed and everything is labeled.


On Saturday, we walked around town to see the sights with another volunteer who's here for a few weeks.
We went to the market and I have to say, it was a more pleasant experience from the first time I visited it two months ago.
That first visit was shocking. I pretty much decided that I never wanted to go to market again (I'm sure you know the toe game… what was that first little piggy thinking? I'm with the one who ate roast beef and stayed home.) The first visit, we walked by the meats area, where…well, it would probably turn you into a vegetarian if you hung around there too long. We walked down narrow twisting corridors, filled with people who pushed and shoved. A couple in front of me started fighting, and a crowd gathered around gleefully. All I could think was "Please Lord, when can I get out of here?"

This following market experience was great, and I even was so bold as to snap some pictures in the market.
You may know how people here are about having their pictures taken: they either love to be on film or hate it and demand that you fork over some cash.

We were such a big group that I ducked behind someone and strategically took some shots, so now, you, my reader, can see THE INSIDE OF THE MARKET without having to go there. (But, alas, the pictures won't upload...there's a thunderstorm. Therefore slow internet)

It was interesting that they sold white tank tops ("wifebeaters") with the alcohol. They were definitely encouraging a stereotype there.

Now when you think of service overseas, you think of exciting, life-changing events. You may think, "wow, these people are saving the world!"
…I know I've had that conception in the past. The truth is, that Christians overseas are just that. They aren't holier-than-thou, they're just following God's call.
Sometimes, you DO get to do exciting things.

But something that isn't so often thought about is the domestic side of things. When you're on a short-term trip (I'm defining short term as >2 weeks) you get to do all of the exciting things. You distribute food, you teach VBS, you build things, you're just like an energizer bunny, going going going!

When it's a longer term stay, there are still a lot of exciting things that get to be done. You get to cultivate deeper relationships with the people you're serving. But it's not the same sort of GO GO GO that drives a two-week trip.

I say this, because right now I'm helping with more administrative/domestic things. They are much more behind-the-scenes, but it's still rewarding.

Blessings

Wow, wow, wow!

I feel like I've been swept into a whirlwind.

I am simply overwhelmed (in a good way).

A few hours after I posted my frustrations about the package, we got a phone call from the FedEx guy.

The man said that it was all a "simple misunderstanding" and of course they would give me the package, it was "silly to think otherwise"…mmhmm

He even said that they'd open the FedEx office (it's usually closed on Sunday) so that I could pick up the package as soon as I could get down there again.

Wow, he was rolling out the red carpet!

I don't know what all went down in the 24 hours that lapsed between my initial viewing of the package and my receipt of it, but whatever happened, I praise God! 

The feeling that came after that phone call was so exhilarating. 

And I have to thank you, my reader, so much for your prayers! It's incredible that everything fell into place so quickly. There are a lot of places where things could have fallen through, but they didn't!

With glee, I hopped onto the motorbike to get the package.

I didn't think about how heavy the box would be…we made a funny sight riding up the hill on the motorbike with a huge box behind me. I got a few chuckles from pedestrians. 

When I was able to open the box, I was floored by the thoughtfulness and wonderful surprises!

I loved reading the notes and pictures enclosed. Everything in that box will be put to great use and I'm sure the contents will be a blessing. 

The package was a double blessing, because it came on Mother's Day.

Melli was so blessed by the package! The package included some oh-so-yummy chocolate.

Can I say it enough: such a blessing!

Simply great timing.

I am so glad that the package all worked out.

I feel a bit silly now for worrying and stressing. What's one package to the God of the Universe?

Yet here He worked it all out, and gave me another lesson in faith. It's good there was a delay, else I might have taken blessings for granted!

This experience was a reminder that I too easily get bogged down in frivolous little details when there is an all-powerful God who can easily provide for every need.

It reminded me of Jesus' miracles, though it was small in comparison, it grew my faith.

In Mark 9, a man comes to Jesus and says, "…but if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

" 'If you can'?", said Jesus. "Everything is possible to him who believes."

Immediately the man exclaims, "I do believe; help me to overcome my unbelief!" 

God has been working to show that I need to trust that He really will take care of every need, and not just say it.

I'm also super thankful for the people who called FedEx. 

Oh, FedEx, I am fed up

I had a moment of utter and complete frustration on Saturday.

Some fantastic people back home in the states decided to send me a package.
It ARRIVED!!
I received a phone call saying that it was here. I was so excited.

The man I spoke to on the phone had a rather garbled voice. He told me that there would be a fee on this end. 16,000 franks is what I heard.
What on earth?!? It has all been paid for already!
I repeated back to him, "so, 16000 to get it?"
He affirmed it.
Well, I didn't understand why there was this charge, so I let him speak to Mr. Ken.
…turns out he wanted 60,000 franks. Which is about 50 bucks!
Then he said that if we wanted a proper receipt, we'd have to pay 120,000 franks!

…it was bribe money.

Well, he finally said that if we could get down to the FedEx shop pronto, he'd only charge 60,000 and he'd give us a receipt.
We went down to the station. I SAW THE PACKAGE.
 I even touched it.

…but the man we were dealing with wasn't there.
and the other clerk wouldn't let us take it. He said we had to deal with the other man who was AWOL.

We sat in the office for about 20 minutes, talking to the other clerk, and nothing happened.

So we left. 

There is almost nothing so frustrating as knowing that you have the right to have something but you're not allowed to have it for a dumb reason.

So, please pray.

Pray for the man who is asking so much. pray for the contents of the box (who's to say that the stuff will stay in there?), and pray for my patience and trust in God's sovereignty.

Ants go marching one by one...

There aren't as many insecticides here... and sometimes this leads to pile-ups:

 

 

This is a pile of ants. 

 To distract from that rather unsightly picture *shudder, here is an ADORABLE one :-)

A fell asleep at the internet cafe

 The ants here are quite orderly (as well as numerous!) I was out for a walk, and I saw a STREAM of army ants marching. I stopped to take a few pictures, and some people thought I had lost something. I told them I was looking at the ants, and they looked at me like I was a little crazy.

Ants are not such a big deal to people here, I guess.

 

Live Every Day

Wow, as of the 7th, I will have been a whole 2 months in Burundi, Africa.
Eight weeks.
52 days.
I am amazed at the number of lessons I have learned in this short time.

Another thing that has been a major life lesson here is to really live every day and to not always be looking ahead and worrying over the future.

Some lessons I've been learning have been reiterated. So many times, until it finally starts to get into my brain.

Another volunteer has come out this week, and while I still know very little about the culture, the language, etc. I realized how much I have grown accustomed to! I can laughingly call myself a "semi-old timer"
It's amazing what one adapts to.
When I first came, it's funny how many misconceptions I had about Africa.

I am definitely feeling more comfortable with everything here. I am enjoying every day, and this week at the school was fantastic!

I am so excited for the weeks to come. There are many projects that get to be done.

Here's N and I working with reading groups

The other night, we went out to eat for Carly's birthday. We went to a local Indian place. We had a definite Laurel and Hardy experience.
The waiter was so funny.
Here's how it went:
Waiter: Are you ready to order?
Us: Yes. We'd like a chicken, and if we could get some extra sauce for our rice. The coconut one, the spinach one, and the tomato one
W: Three orders of chicken?
Us: no. ONE order of chicken and three sauces.
W: Three sauces? That is not possible. What do you mean?
Us: the sauces come on the side, correct?
W: yes.
Us: So, can we just get three bowls of different sauces?
W: Yes, with mutton.
Us: we don't want mutton. We want chicken, please.
W: Not possible.
Us: why not? Three bowls of the THREE DIFFERENT sauces.
W: Okay, so you want vegetables? Cheese? Mutton?
Us: No. Just the sauce.
W: I tell you, it is not possible.
Us: well, okay.
W: OH! Gravies? The gravies? You want three?
We thought at this point that he understood…but he came out a few minutes later with three bowls of the SAME sauce.
We tried to make him understand that we wanted three different sauces, but he still claimed it was impossible, so we just decided to send back the two other bowls and eat only one type of sauce.

Labor Day...

Last week was fantastic! I so enjoyed my time helping out at the Egyptian House.
This week has started off fantastically as well! Joy is back at Discovery School, and I am now going to be working with small reading groups of 8 kids (working on phonics, comprehension, etc) teaching some computer classes, and, if there's any extra time, just helping in the classrooms.

I am very excited to start school tomorrow!

Today is the Burundian Labor Day. Everyone is off, and they have a parade for the president. I was told that everyone walks around downtown carrying signs that state what their professions are.
The mental picture I got of this made me laugh. I'm sure it's very different from what I envision, but I rather like my mental picture of what's going down downtown. Everyone standing around, holding picket signs with words like "teacher", "baker", "candlestick maker"...

As far as witnessing goes here, I know that the language barrier is definitely something that hinders (though hopefully it will become less as I'm learning!), but I have had some great spiritual conversations with people around me. I like to remember Augustine's quote: "Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words." Actions do speak louder than words.